Current
Now running: World of Light: The Tale of the Dark Itself
5 mos ago
Forever and ever, amen
8 mos ago
Calling out from Scatman's world
1
like
11 mos ago
Called into action - by threats that seem harmonized
1 yr ago
Tomorrow comes
Bio
Current GM of World of Light. When it comes to writing, there's nothing I love more than imagination, engagement, and commitment. I'm always open to talk, suggestion, criticism, and collaboration. While I try to be as obliging, helpful, and courteous as possible, I have very little sympathy for ghosts, and anyone who'd like to string me along. Straightforwardness is all I ask for.
Looking for more personal details? I'm just some dude from the American south; software development is my job but games, writing, and trying to help others enjoy life are my passions. Been RPing for over a decade, starting waaaay back with humble beginnings on the Spore forum, so I know a thing or two, though I won't pretend to be an expert. If you're down for some fun, let's make something spectacular together.
The stuff made by Slough might look bad, but remember it has no inclination toward good or evil. If I find an image that looks intriguing, I'll use it.
You'll see how not-awful and not-chaotic most of them are when I make their creation sheets later today.
Like the complacent stone that weathers the wind of ages, worn down but not worn away by the cyclic advance of the tide, trod upon by beasts large and small, witness to days and nights innumerable, the split-second home of the booted foot of some landing conqueror or departing traveler, blind to the eons that slip by and deaf to the tireless song of nature, infinite in distance and unbound by death, the little egg lay during the conference of the gods. Following the performance of Illunabar, the universe itself seemed to be filled with a visceral, based form of song: the thrumming spirits of those who hovered in limitless black. So too did this tune change, rising up and dropping down, quickening in tempo as the gods quickened in temper, and for the grievous wounds of Jvan it served as a dirge. Slough would have marveled to hear it, if only she had ears to hear and a mind to know.
Of all the rage that threatened to squash the tiny but momentous speck that would be the advent of all true life in the universe, however, the paragon of purity proved most pernicious. While the spiteful and blindly selfish flames of Vestec failed to obliterate the plan for the universe, courtesy of the watchful eye and strong arm of the journeyman god, the searing lightwave of Niciel swept across the divine parchment and sent Slough's cocoon flying. If not for the awareness and preventative measures of Jvan to capture and protect the egg in a net of twisted flesh, she might have spiraled away into the darkness and been lost forever. Though Logos grouped Jvan with those who would ruin all of creation, the All-Beauty had been the only one to preserve life in a moment of violent contention among the universe's varied architects.
Even once the storm passed, however, the cocoon could not be laid back upon the plan. It remained in the shelter of Jvan and the shade of Kyre, who though cognizant of the risk could not have stopped Slough spinning away into forever had the All-Beauty not intervened. In order to preserve the great plan from the foolish gods like Vestec who would have sacrificed an eternity of delightful chaotic meddling for the mere moment of outrageous joy it would take to incinerate the parchment, the formless mind enveloped it within herself. Slough knew none of it, yet the cocoon seemed to pulse faintly. A god might take it for an omen that a great thing was about to happen—or for nothing at all.
Between the odd, tendril-laden lattice formed by Jvan, there came the touch of another one who cared. Through the protective shell, the life-force seemed to gravitate toward Mammon's hand, as a critter in a pet shop might to the face of a child staring, entranced, through the storefront glass. No power passed into the cocoon, and no words discernible to a bestial mind, but all the same the curled-up ghoul felt something. And she would remember the touch.
Shortly thereafter, there came the light.
It dazzled Slough, confusing and frightening the beast within the cocoon. No moment in the history of the universe would ever surpass this moment of being. Inspired by the guiding light of resplendent Ull'Yang, a billion stars burned into existence. According to the decree of the disharmonious plan, the universe gave forth vast quantities of barren stone, various temperatures, precise natural laws, and infinitely more. In this moment, the force of electromagnetism was perfectly tuned so that the protons of over a hundred elements could be held together and not blown apart. This moment decided that one dimension of time would exist, so things could happen sequentially. This moment decided that the cosmological constant for gravity would be astonishingly close to zero, so that atoms couldn't be ripped apart by the ferocious expansion of a positive-constant universe or that the universe wouldn't last for a fraction of a second thanks to a negative constant. The vacuum expectation value would determine the masses of the fundamental particles in nature, so that atoms could properly exist. All this and more was decreed by the great plan, so that the universe would be perfectly palatable for life.
No sooner had there existed a planet beneath the assembly of gods than the egg began to fall. It slipped through the tendrils of Jvan, perhaps forgotten in her awe of the universe's inception, and drifted toward the barren gray sphere at a steady pace. It felt slowly; slow enough so that Vestec could descend first and wreck havoc on a portion of the surface with his struggle for self-assertion; slow enough so that Vakarlon could descend, blanket the extremes of the world in cold, find solace in the refreshing chill, and carve on a whim a huge and intricate system of openings beneath the ground; slow enough so that Jvan could descend, engorged, and create a vast expanse of water in a scintillating pattern.
By then, however, the cocoon entered the atmosphere. It rocketed down through the air, reacting to the fresh gas and gaining an aura of rippling green, and comet-like the egg cannoned into the surface of Galbar. Its force broke through the surface into a huge underground cavern created by Vakarlon, shattering its ceiling to make a basin several miles in diameter. Gradually, the stone and dust settled, some of it changed by the life aura into nutritious dirt. On a pile of dirt in this huge basin Slough's egg lay, irreparably damaged by the fall.
Then it cracked.
An explosion of green energy washed over the entire basin, pouring from inside the egg like light from a star. Rich green grass sprang from the soil. Trees shot up, small at first but growing at an incredible pace with no sign of stopping. Higher and higher they soared, thick and sturdy. Some failed in their mission and broke apart, becoming multiple snakelike branches slithering through the towering forest like walkways. Only when the remaining trees crested and then left behind the lip of the basin did they begin to stop growing upward and start growing leaves. A blotch of green appeared, visible from orbit, a forest that stretched from beneath the surface to scratch the sky. It was the Deepwood.
The bark did not, however, remain flawless. Throughout the Deepwood, green pustules began to push through. These growths, surrounded in membranes, kicked and shook as the life energy within them took form. In very short order, the growths burst, releasing a variety of living creatures to disperse through the forested basin. Not much light penetrated the canopy; many of these beasts sported acutenightvision, their ownsourcesof light, or no eyesat all. Less fantastical creatures existed also, though they were no less splendid. Some would eat plants; some would eat one another.
If she had eyes, Slough's eyes would have opened as she stood, shakily, on her feet. She looked up into the towering trees, and spotted tiny dots of sunlight. Her skeletal jaws opened to suck in air as she remembered to breath. Then, the rotting beast bent her neck down to nibble at the grass.
-Saved by Jvan from the quarrel of the gods -Touched by Mammon the Adversary -Present for the creation of the universe -Fell to the planet like a meteor, breaking into one of the caverns made by Vakarlon from above -Free point spent to make some dirt inadvertently -The release of life energy, and 1 might, has created the Deepwood and all of the creatures in it -Slough has awakened to her true state of life and existence, becoming powerful enough to start proliferating nature—represented by a level up with her remaining 4 might
If people like that idea, let's keep what I wrote somewhere where it can be accessed.
Perhaps someone like Raathos can spend a might to create the Primordial Pool, thus kicking off the existence of souls in this iteration of the universe, and what I wrote could go under his section as one of his creations.
Slough can't create new souls. What's all this nonsense about splitting souls into spirits? That's so confusing. How about I lay a knowledge smackdown on you.
A soul is the incorporeal and immortal essence of a living being. The characteristics of a soul were outlined in detail and given names by the Egyptian pagan beliefs. They include the Personality of the being (what makes it unique), the Heart of the being (strong emotion associated with it in life), the Shadow of the being (its impact on the world; comparable to memories), the Name of the being (representative of its power and status), and the Vital Spark (what makes the soul alive). New souls can only come into existence in sentient beings, but souls can be forced into non-sentient beings to 'empower' them.
Slough's reincarnation takes all five of these soul elements and puts them in a new form. The Vital Spark is preserved completely, but the other four are dulled by the process to the point of a lack of self-awareness and maybe a lack of sentience depending on the damage, though still essentially the same being.
I imagine that necromancy, flawed and abominable sorcery that it is, would take only the Heart, the Shadow, and the Name, sacrificing the Personality and the Vital Spark as part of the wasteful process. Ultimately, this process destroys the soul when the undead body is destroyed, disintegrating rather than rejoining the Primordial Pool. The Heart provides an approximation of the Personality, but far more emotional and extreme, as befits one who 'came back wrong'.
The Pool, now, should be a well of souls in their entirety. Dead beings' souls automatically relocate to the Pool upon their death, unless some curse gets in the way, and the souls remain in the Pool until someone does something with them.
I'm feeling the Undertale with all this talk about souls
I am an enormous fan of the soul-centered RPG where you can kill things or perform odd gestures in front of them, and there's a friendly skeleton.
Does this also give them sentience? --If not, what are the effects?
Not necessarily. It's more along the lines of accidentally putting something where it doesn't belong. Sentience means new souls are created. Slough's thing uses existing souls. If the soul had sentience in its past life, maybe, but the reincarnation process affects the soul itself, as well.
Things without sentience cannot have souls, from snails to foxes to whales. Sentient beings will. Creatures granted sentience will gain souls of their own too, but until then, nope.
Of course, that doesn't account for Slough accidentally streaming souls into her living creations every once in a while.
Though deep in her own suspicions and observations, Trinity received only an inquisitive if blank look from her dusty companion after she received a nudge and heard her comment. Wondering if she hadn't been paying attention, and not eager to create an awkward moment with a bout of thickheadedness, Fleo followed the minstrel's gaze and managed to spot Ariel along with her, though her mind did not race to the intriguing conclusion that Trinity's had. “Oh. Yeah, I guess so.” She puffed up her upper lip in meditation, before releasing it in one long, slow breath. Fortunately, the other Phoenix Winger reached for a solution before Fleo could tentatively offer any thoughts of her own. ”Yeah, that sounds right.” A smile flitted across her face at the memory of the job with Annalise, the girl trapped in a living dream. Wherever she was, Fleo hoped, she was alright. The thought of living each moment without the definite reassurance that she might just cease to exist the next would have destroyed Fleo. Realizing thanks to Trinity that she'd lost herself in thought again -what was it with this morning? Especially if her friend might be in danger- she gave a cheery wave to the reporter before jogging after Trinity.
Almost immediately, she created a Sirocco to smoothly surf along the street, making her journey swift, comfortable, and easy. In Crocus, traveling never waxed boring, so despite the not-insignificant distance between the Phoenix Wing hotel and the Doma Flau, the journey seemed remarkably swift. Before long, Fleo rode into the arena on her Sirocco, the slightly-winded minstrel not far behind. Without much ceremony she scooted up to Ariel after spotting her distinctively colorful hair in the crowd, only to be greeted without enthusiasm. ”Uh, yeah. Isn't magic bad for you?” Fleo crossed her arms, the dust cushion still swirling around her feet. When standing on it, she appeared taller than normal—as would be readily apparent to Ariel.
After a surprised moment, Nero threw his trademark grin Ayame's way. ”If that is your wish, it will be done! You'll be the finest assistant a magician could ever ask for...and aren't you perfect for the role? You're as cute as a button.” He snapped his fingers, creating a red ribbon around his little friend's neck and bow in her hair. With such a look, paired with quiet joy from a pleasant meal, the girl seemed the very image of sweetness and innocence. Nero looked away from her as he stood up, leaving her to play with her bow is she liked, and watched Eve fork the last bite of her pancake into her mouth before heaving herself into her feet. He held out a hand, she took it, and without further ado they walked out of the parlor with Ayame on their heels. No doubt the two seemed a very odd pair: he with that odd smile and nigh-weaselly look, she jiggling outrageously with every other step, and she more than twice as heavy as he. Yet only the most callous and judgmental of hearts might postulate that their relationship did not in fact embody heartfelt affection.
In the direction of the Doma Flau, the trio tread. At a leisurely pace they traversed the city, so by the time they arrived in the arena, the first event of Day Four's games had not only begun, but seemingly climaxed. Nero led the way, as one might expect from the self-proclaimed 'Emperor' of Miracle Eye, to a new and interesting set of seats: some close to Iron Enigma.
As he seated himself, Nero discovered a strange fellow standing on the edge of the walkway, watching the games. After a few moments of curious observations, Nero gave a reassuring grin to his friends before vaulting over the seatbacks and into the main walkway. After sauntering up to the railing, Nero leaned forward theatrically, his chin rested in a gloved palm. Through his characteristic squint his black eyes swept over the face of the stranger, rendering him stranger no longer. ”Good morning! Say, friend, I hope I'm not intruding. Far be it from me to stick my nose in other people's business, but you just seemed so...down. I hate to see someone else in a rut; it's my responsibility as a wizard to be considerate of others.” Of course, the amount of wizards who actually displayed such a trait could be counted on one hand, and there would be fingers left over. ”Is there any way I can help you, buddy?” Adjusting his glasses, Nero beamed at Ferrin: charity itself.
If you really travelled near the speed of light, you wouldn't have the necessary acceleration or even time to change your trajectory. You'd just shoot forward into a straight line and continue that path until you hit a star and die xD
Current GM of World of Light. When it comes to writing, there's nothing I love more than imagination, engagement, and commitment. I'm always open to talk, suggestion, criticism, and collaboration. While I try to be as obliging, helpful, and courteous as possible, I have very little sympathy for ghosts, and anyone who'd like to string me along. Straightforwardness is all I ask for.
Looking for more personal details? I'm just some dude from the American south; software development is my job but games, writing, and trying to help others enjoy life are my passions. Been RPing for over a decade, starting waaaay back with humble beginnings on the Spore forum, so I know a thing or two, though I won't pretend to be an expert. If you're down for some fun, let's make something spectacular together.
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Current GM of World of Light. When it comes to writing, there's nothing I love more than imagination, engagement, and commitment. I'm always open to talk, suggestion, criticism, and collaboration. While I try to be as obliging, helpful, and courteous as possible, I have very little sympathy for ghosts, and anyone who'd like to string me along. Straightforwardness is all I ask for.<br><br>Looking for more personal details? I'm just some dude from the American south; software development is my job but games, writing, and trying to help others enjoy life are my passions. Been RPing for over a decade, starting waaaay back with humble beginnings on the Spore forum, so I know a thing or two, though I won't pretend to be an expert. If you're down for some fun, let's make something spectacular together.</div>
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