Drifting Pollen
Rezod92
Izurich
Lexisheeps
xxjessicaxx
Timemaster
Eviledd1984
pkken
VitaVitaARPolaris
Gender: Male Voice, sexless body.
Appearance: standing at 14 feet, Polaris is living Starmetal brought to life, draped in a cloak that shows the constellations above at all times even when they are hidden by the sun. His head is a floating metal eye that despite it’s lack of senses functions just as well as if they had a normal head.
Personality:
A gentleman, artist and storyteller, Polaris is perhaps best described as eccentric who lives above it all, mostly unaffected by the events of the mortal plane yet deeply interested in the stories that result from them. Polaris if fond of spectacle and has a (single) eye for the dramatic, often acting like they are in a play or story, where the correct action is the most interesting one performed with the most flourish, rather than the one that is the most optimal or likely to succeed.
They could be described as detached from the world and other gods, often becoming hyperfocused on their domain and artistry and having difficulty tearing themselves away from it to do what needs to be done in times of crisis. Far too much of their time during the war was spent considering/planning what the constellations formed for this event would look like, where they would go, etc. rather than actually winning the war.
we are but actors in a grand play, except one of the actors went and killed shakespeare and now we are all looking about wondering who's line it is now.
That said, they have a considerable aversion to people and gods meddling with their work, this is what caused them to kill progress, who in their arrogance dared to ascend towards the garden without Polaris’ permission and disrupted the garden in the process.
Major Domain: The stars
Minor Domains:
Guidance: from sailors to oracles, may have looked to the stars to find their way in life.
Stories: The constellations that fill the heavens are representations of heroes, stories and events that have been painted across the sky for all to see.
Weaknesses: In battle they are predominantly a commander and spellcaster rather than a front line fighter. If engaged in melee they will be stuck on the defensive until the can escape or be bailed out by their servants.
Their dual nature of patron of oracles and storytellers means they often have difficulty focusing on the present, often seeming to be either stuck in the past or looking to the future when the present requires urgent attention.
Your Avatar: AchernarThis 70M long star dragon, known also as the cosmic furnace, is used by Polaris to light the stars themselves ablaze. Capable of orbital flight and can fire nuclear fusion powered blasts from it’s mouth.
Stance: On the one hand, the death of the king is appalling. On the other, it is one hell of a story. For now he stands with the other gods who fought for Ephra and believes the oldest god should lead them. Thus he supports Telios, god of the sun’s claim to the throne. The fact that this system of governance puts him next in line is just a coincidence.
Loyalty During the Rebellion: The King Ephra’s side
Center of Power: The iron core of the first star, that burned itself out after only a day. The Ephra took this core and made it into a god who would create and tend the stars. He gave this god the name of the dead star, Polaris. The core now rests where his heart would be if he were flesh and blood.
The center grants the holder the ability to always see the stars in the sky, no matter the weather, time of day or phase of the moon.
Relations:
Allies: sun, fertility, nature,
Friends/acquaintances: war, undeath, predators
Neutral: Moon
Enemies: Darkness
Powers:
Flight, though it’s acceleration and manoeuvrability is relatively poor.
Minor clairvoyance (danger sense)
Production of infantile stars to be used as projectile weapons (fancy fireballs)
He can empower mortal allies with star kissed weapons that may be able to harm the gods themselves.
Polaris’ real strength lies in his creations, the warriors among which have plenty of experience fighting monsters and the orbital crystal fortresses which can bring him and his servants anywhere above the world, from which they can descend as saviors or invaders.
Godly Equipment:
Staff of heavenly light: created by Ephra himself, this staff is used to birth the beginnings of new stars, a tiny glowing mote forming between the two prongs of it’s U shaped ending. In a pinch it can be used as fusion power tipped spear, but mostly it is used as a ranged weapon or a command rod to order his warriors about with a flourish.
The Twilight Chariot: a resplendent chariot the size of a tank drawn by 12 Zodiac Beasts, one of each type. The chariot itself is made of dark metal, into which glowing pictures and diagrams have been carved depicting events and battles the chariot has taken part in. It, like it’s lesser brethren used by Polaris’ servants, is capable of flight that can reach escape velocity.
Progress’s Center of Power: During the war, the god of progress engaged in their greatest, and final, feat of ingenuity. The capital of their domain, a shining city of marvals, was modified by the got to allow it to ascend, unsteadily, towards the stars. It’s arrival in the garden disrupted the delicate ecosystem, Progress’s reckless pursuit of advancement having caused him to not consider the effects his cities propulsion system and artificial gravity would have on the Garden. Enraged by this uninvited intrusion upon his domain and the accidental destruction it had wrought, Polaris gathered his armies and attacked the floating city, wishing to force the city back down to the earth. Progress, surprised by the normally distant god’s over reactionary assault, quickly organised a defence of their marval, using the same tech to bring up reinforcements from their domain below.
The battle raged for many day, causing devastation that turned Polaris’ desire from ousting the Progress to destroying them. In a dramatic final confrontation the two Gods fought a fierce duel in the heart of the floating city, till Polaris’ bodyguard won over the defenders and helped their God pin Progress against the great powersource of the city. After claiming Progress’s center of power he left the god to his fate, trapped within his own accomplishment as it plummeted back down to the mortal plain. Progress and their domain where both obliterated as the city smashed into the ground with the force of a meteor.
The center itself now exists as a small black orb, resting just below Polaris’ own. It imbues the holder with a subtle feeling that things will always get better as time passes and gives them a tangible amount of beginners luck whenever they attempt new things.
Demi Gods:
The Garden of Stars
Lands: between the orbit of the moon and the mortal world itself lies the Domain of Polaris, a blanket of miniature stars floating above the vault of the sky. Every star, from the north and south pole stars that guide explorers, to the Zodiac constellations, have been carefully put into place by Polaris and his servants. Around these magical miniature suns lives an artificial ecosystem that nurtures and sustains the stars and astral denizens. Crystalline plankton and foliage soak in sun, star and moonlight to grow, while wispy thin megafauna graze upon them, changing them into fuel for the stars around which they live. Predators based of the Zodiac keep the herbivore populations for overgrazing and the gardeners meticulously maintain the balance of the entire system.
The stars are not purely for decoration however, for when the sun is gone and the moon is new, the stars are the watchfires of Polaris’ garrisons, who ward of the horrid things that every so often come creeping out of the dark void to feast on the mortals below.
People: The Vodyani: living stardust infused into armored shells that live with Polaris in his palace. They are both his warriors and his assistants as he crafts the starscape, helping draw plans, do research, offer suggestions and set all the pieces into place for the births of a new constellation.
Physically they have tough bodies resembling suits of armor through which their life essence flows. They feel no pain and can operate with missing limbs making them very hard to take down. They are all capable of limited magic like that of their creator, though they can only fly in space. The Vodyani feed by magically drinking complexity the carcases of deceased creatures, the body of their meal shriveling up and drying til it is reduced to little more than lifeless ashes. For this they prefer the creatures of the garden, but they can eat food from the mortal realm even though it is less nutritious for them.
The Vodyani live for several hundred years, but eventually they fade and the stardust within their bodies grows cold and lifeless. When this happens the remaining dust is used as fuel to carve a diagram into their body, a memorial to their life's work and accomplishments, this down the armor will eventually be passed on to be sued by a descendant of theirs’ offspring. In this way each body is a walking ancestral shrine of sorts, the lives of the Vodyani’s ancestors are carved on it, the armor becoming ever more resplendent with diagrams until there is no more room, at which point, once it’s last inhabitant has died, it is enshrined within the great halls that are part mausoleum, part museum and part art gallery.
The Vodyani are not born in a traditional sense and are instead crafted by a group of artisans when an empty shell is available or an old one is enshrined. Matter from the youngest star in the sky is acquired using a Cancer Crab Beast, then this cooling matter is brought to a specialised chamber in Polaris’s roaming capital, where the artisans and a selected set of 12 other Vodyani act as the parents of sort to the new starchild are used as a template for the new soul, perform a ritual to bring the stardust to life. The twelve chosen progenitors stand around the dormant suit and begin to sing as the stardust is poured into it’s body, their own essence reaching out to touch it while the spark of life is magically generated by the sacrifice of a Zodiac Beast. As the verse comes to a crescendo the Stardust flares to life and a new Vodyani is “born”. Over the next 6 years the Progenitors 12 will then be in charge of helping the newborn, who has the intellect of an average teenaged from the first moment of it’s existence, to find a place in their society.
Population wise, there are only about half a million of them, a piddling amount considering the amount of space available.
Culture: most of the Vodyani live to assist their creator in his great artistry, the greatest honor a Vodyani may receive is to have one of the stars they have worked on named after them. Not all can be architects however, some hunt the fauna of the garden to harvest fuel for new stars and to feed the people, some travel to the world below to seek out stories to be written above, and some are warriors and sentinels, standing guard against the things that come from the void.
Vodyani rulership, below Polaris himself, is divided between guard Captains and Architects.. Architects are generally members of Polari’s inner circle, a number of advisors and experienced builders who Polaris will delegate various parts of his projects and who are generally in charge of the management and transportation materials and other logistical tasks necessary for the Garden’s expansion. They are also in charge of the artisans who build the tools, weapons, bodies and structures of the Vodyani.
The Captains are in charge of the safety and wellbeing of the Vodyani which includes soldiers and hunters. Each outpost has a council of Captains who take turns in organising the various military, hunting and star harvesting tasks of the outpost and who are elected to their positions by the outpost’s community, though the architects and Polaris himself can replace these elected leaders if there are problems with the outpost’s running. The Captains of the capital meanwhile are handpicked by Polaris himself and perform similar duties as those in the outposts, while also acting as Officers in Polaris’ army whenever it goes to battle.
Finally there are the scholars, who work outside the previously outlined superstructure, these Vodyani are in charge of maintaining and populating the Palace’s archives with stories, histories and information to be used as reference material by Polaris. Subservient to nobody but their god and respected by all, they come and go to the Palace as they please, often leaving for years at a time to walk among the mortals and gods below, always on the lookout for anything that might be of interest to their god.
The culture of the Vodyani is entirely based around the dual tasks of garden creation and survival and as such the economy is almost entirely planned and managed by Polaris and his inner circle, meaning that they have no real form of currency and all essential resources are pooled and managed for maximum efficiency. The only exception to this is luxury and entertainment items that are exchanged on a barter system for either favors or items of interest to the owner. Generally these consist of either items made by Artisans in their spare time or surface world objects, these all circulate between Vodyani at a relatively fast rate as gifts or trades are frequent, and the Vodyani generally don’t hang on to an object once they have explored all the avenues of interaction with it.
Trade with the surface world is done primarily to fund the expeditions of the scholars, often by presenting gifts to various gods or nobles in return for them hosting the Vodyani scholar. These consist mainly of Zodiac beast harvested materials, as Polaris forbis the trading of anything remotely involved with the creation of stars which, in a culture focused around almost exclusively said task, is most of what the Vodyani produce.
Technology: With the exceptions of their roaming crystalline homes the Vodyani could be described as using bronze age in technology, though using a black material called Starmetal instead of bronze. They write upon tablets rather than paper, though they use magic and metal rather than clay. In war they prefer to use spears, javelins and chariots.
Capital: The roaming Palace A massive crystalline temple, home to Polaris and The Vodyani, this vast structure can travel anywhere above the world it wants so as to bring them all to the site of a new constellation or to new hunting grounds. Smaller versions are scattered across the garden, where they act as watch posts.
Beings:
The Abathrael:Theseshrimp like creatures, said to be lost souls who wished to ensure others will be able to find their way home, straddle the line between a people and wildlife. Where the Vodyani are the architects of the garden these are the grounds keepers, who carefully and diligently manage the astral ecosystem. While they can speak, they resemble something closer to golems than people, content to spend their lives toiling on their given task. While normally peaceful, when attacked or ordered to they can fire lasers from their singular eye and can also enter the atmosphere for brief periods of time, where they gain the ability to fly.
The Zodiac Beasts: these astral creatures live in the same 12th of the sky as their constellation and are often used by the Vodyani as warbeasts, either for their magic or as chariot pullers. All these beasts can either run or fly through both the sky and space, leaving a trail of stardust in their wake.
Aries: Dreams. This beast stands out from it’s other horned relatives by lulling them into a drowsy state with its leaping gait, before driving its massive horns into them, delivering a deadly concussive shock. It’s wool is notable for being one of the softest materials in the world and makes for excellent pillow stuffing and it’s one of the few materials polaris alow’s his servants to use for trade with the mortal realm.
Taurus: War. once almost uncontrollable raging beasts, the death and inheritance of War has resulted in a calming in these beast’s temperament.
Gemini: Fertility. Two birds who work in perfect unison and incapable of surviving alone. If one dies the other will surely follow it to the grave soon after. The twins hunt using psychic energy blasts shot from their foreheads, the blue’s a chaotic barrage and the pinks slow and well aimed.
Cancer: Forge. The crab beast is armored with a shell like steel and it’s pincers are completely heat resistant, allowing it to dip it’s prey into the upper layer of a star for roasting. Its shape and speed make it a poor choice for chariot pulling, this beast is used to pin down horrors by attaching ropes to them, getting them to grab the monsters and then using strong beasts like taurus as ballasts.
Leo: Predators. The apex predator of the stars, they are the bane of the Abathrael gardeners, who must constantly ward off these beasts from encroaching upon the Cancer and Virgo territories. Fast as lightning and vicious in combat they are highly territorial resulting in them generally only being given to captains or heros, in order to avoid having any of them to close to one another.
Virgo: Nature. Seemingly tranquil and docile jellyfish like creatures, these ominously humanoid creatures are capable of unexpected swiftness and lethality. their ribbon like arms have razor sharp edges which they use as whip like butchers knives, slicing their pray to salamie in the blink of an eye
Libra: Justice. These cycloptian creatures’ two libs have incredible lifting strength, necessary to carry the weight of the world’s sins, meaning domesticated ones are often used for construction work. When they slam the two dishes in their hands together they release a cymbal clash that briefly stun all that hear it, briefly bring order to a chaotic world.
Scorpio: Corruption (poison). The lethal needles in it’s claws, deadly scythe like stinger and the numerous spikes on it’s body leave corrupted wounds that boil from the venom they leave behind, making them almost impossible to close. Their stingers make excellent cutting tools, small splinters of which are used by artisans, in combination with Aquarius water to cleanse the poison, for carving tougher materials.
Sagittarius:Hunt. A creature that hunt’s in packs, more often than not for sport. The calls of their hunting horns ring out through the void as they gallop together in coordinated packs/herds. Just as problematic as the Leo beasts when it comes to territorial expansion, these beasts seem to invade their neighbors for the thrill of more dangerous prey.
Capricorn: Knowledge. These blind goats seem to have a localised omniscience, seemingly capable of sensing everything that happens around them and have sometimes been observed to react to events and actions before they happen. This makes them excellent guard beasts
Aquarius: Life. highly social creatures, they make up for their poor fighting ability with the ability to shoot healing energy streams from their vase like bodies, revitalising their packmates bodies. With the proper rituals and ingredients the healing powers of these beasts can be preserved in potions that can be used on any living creature to restore their health and vitality.
Pisces: Sea. The most common of the Beasts used for chariot pulling, their schooling instincts make them easier to control in large groups. The first beasts made, they are closest to the stars themselves in makeup, glowing with a soft light and heat, and can swim through the plasma of the stars themselves. They use this to hunt, quickly striking out of their stars to smash their prey with their hardened heads.
Taurus: War. once almost uncontrollable raging beasts, the death and inheritance of War has resulted in a calming in these beast’s temperament.
Gemini: Fertility. Two birds who work in perfect unison and incapable of surviving alone. If one dies the other will surely follow it to the grave soon after. The twins hunt using psychic energy blasts shot from their foreheads, the blue’s a chaotic barrage and the pinks slow and well aimed.
Cancer: Forge. The crab beast is armored with a shell like steel and it’s pincers are completely heat resistant, allowing it to dip it’s prey into the upper layer of a star for roasting. Its shape and speed make it a poor choice for chariot pulling, this beast is used to pin down horrors by attaching ropes to them, getting them to grab the monsters and then using strong beasts like taurus as ballasts.
Leo: Predators. The apex predator of the stars, they are the bane of the Abathrael gardeners, who must constantly ward off these beasts from encroaching upon the Cancer and Virgo territories. Fast as lightning and vicious in combat they are highly territorial resulting in them generally only being given to captains or heros, in order to avoid having any of them to close to one another.
Virgo: Nature. Seemingly tranquil and docile jellyfish like creatures, these ominously humanoid creatures are capable of unexpected swiftness and lethality. their ribbon like arms have razor sharp edges which they use as whip like butchers knives, slicing their pray to salamie in the blink of an eye
Libra: Justice. These cycloptian creatures’ two libs have incredible lifting strength, necessary to carry the weight of the world’s sins, meaning domesticated ones are often used for construction work. When they slam the two dishes in their hands together they release a cymbal clash that briefly stun all that hear it, briefly bring order to a chaotic world.
Scorpio: Corruption (poison). The lethal needles in it’s claws, deadly scythe like stinger and the numerous spikes on it’s body leave corrupted wounds that boil from the venom they leave behind, making them almost impossible to close. Their stingers make excellent cutting tools, small splinters of which are used by artisans, in combination with Aquarius water to cleanse the poison, for carving tougher materials.
Sagittarius:Hunt. A creature that hunt’s in packs, more often than not for sport. The calls of their hunting horns ring out through the void as they gallop together in coordinated packs/herds. Just as problematic as the Leo beasts when it comes to territorial expansion, these beasts seem to invade their neighbors for the thrill of more dangerous prey.
Capricorn: Knowledge. These blind goats seem to have a localised omniscience, seemingly capable of sensing everything that happens around them and have sometimes been observed to react to events and actions before they happen. This makes them excellent guard beasts
Aquarius: Life. highly social creatures, they make up for their poor fighting ability with the ability to shoot healing energy streams from their vase like bodies, revitalising their packmates bodies. With the proper rituals and ingredients the healing powers of these beasts can be preserved in potions that can be used on any living creature to restore their health and vitality.
Pisces: Sea. The most common of the Beasts used for chariot pulling, their schooling instincts make them easier to control in large groups. The first beasts made, they are closest to the stars themselves in makeup, glowing with a soft light and heat, and can swim through the plasma of the stars themselves. They use this to hunt, quickly striking out of their stars to smash their prey with their hardened heads.
The Starlit isles
Lands: a series of tropical volcanic islands that are brimming with divers and exotic wildlife, they are notable for being home to the gateway to Polaris’ true realm. It is from here that most of the Vodyani researchers set out to learn about the world and to which all eventually pass through in order to return home.
People:
Humans: A race that gets everywhere. Using the stars as their guide these humans arrived on outrigger canoes some time after Polaris’ claimed the island and have slowly colonized one after the other till nearly every island features at least one village community.
Culture: The humans of the isles are primarily fishermen, farmers and traders who live in coastal villages spread all across the islands and who are split into several distinct kingdoms which generally correspond to a cluster of islands. Polaris is relatively hands off with his mortal subjects, though he has noted that they make very good story tellers and there are a disproportionate amount of constellations dedicated to their tales as a result. At some point in their lives most Vodyani spend a few months or years among the humans and most spend a few of those on the islands themselves.
Religiously the humans worship mainly Legios and Polaris, but almost any god might find favor in one village or another. Priests of Polaris are known as stargazers, they are know to dress in mimicry of a particular constellation and are widely regarded as reliable oracles and seers by all the peoples of the world. They are particularly good at weather prediction, mainly because they can often convince a bored Vodyani soldier to look out the window of their crystalline guardpost for a moment to tell them what the climate nearby looks like.
The stargazers are some of the few humans who have visited the roaming palace, as they take a pilgrimage to it at the end of their training by an experienced Stargazer. Polaris always happy to show off his work allows these humans to stay in the palace for a time as guests solong as they don’t meddle or get in the way. During this time the Stargazer will generally come into a friendship/partnership with one or more Vodyani, generally architect's or scholars who they remain in contact with once they return back to the mortal realm using a series of rituals centered around a crystal mask made from the same material as the Roaming Palace’s superstructure. From this relationship the Stargazer gains their clairvoyant abilities and the Vodyani gains something like a muse, a mortal who anchors them to the world below and who relays stories, news and information that the Vodyani use for inspiration.
Technology: Due to a lack of metal, the human natives make use mostly of wood, bone, teeth and other natural materials in their craftsmanship. One particular proficiency they have is their navigation tools and knowledge, which rival the sophistication of larger and more powerful nations.
Capital: Heavens Door this misnamed island features one of the tallest mountains in the world. While not the center of local governance, such a thing does not exist, spiritually it is of vital importance as it features the Stellar Stairway, a spiral staircase that leads directly to the Roaming Place, no matter where it may be. Being magical, the staircase allows the ascendant to travel km in a single step, so the difficulty of getting up to the Palace is mostly contained in getting up the mountain itself, rather than the staircase.
Beings:
Tropical Hydra: These serpentine beasts are very few in number and are resident to some of the larger island clusters where they will sometimes hunt humans. Several local legends tell of heroes besting these beasts in battle.
Stantt: Guardians of Heaven’s door, these 4 M tall ents are unique to the island and were made as a byproduct of magic used to create the staircase to the palace. The creatures now guard the mountain for their creator, standing dormant as trees, soaking in starlight, until the island is threatened by those who seek to reach the stars. Part of a stargazer’s journey involves convincing these guardians to both allow them passage and to harvest some of their foliage to use to sew their formal garbe.
