Rekkuza

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

I thought about this, and actually, he's surprisingly chill with it haha! Realistically, it's not like none of his caves were flooded by the ocean beforehand, it's that there's a few (a lot) more of them now.

Now whether he fully grasped all the possible future consequences, well, that's another matter. Gotta leave some surprises for the future after all :3

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

Khthon

Khthon quickly realized a flaw in his plan to search for his arrogant God-Brother; he did not know where to search. The surface world was large and chaotic, and had changed dramatically since he'd last paid attention to it. Though he had gained an intimate knowledge of the underground and every last one of his caverns, the surface remained unknown to him.

Should he call out to Sarhush as he had done to the wandering trio? Would the other God even deign to answer him?

He felt a dull tap on his side, and turned his head to find one of those primitive bipedal creature, poking at his leg with a stick held in trembling hands. More of its kind were huddled a bit further behind him, looking on with wide eyes.

The creature held his stick in one hand, and brandished another one of those stone tools in the other. Khthon leaned down and gently took the tool, feeling along its edges, unheeding of the creature's cries of dismay. The tool was a flat stone blade, mounted on a study branch. One side had been crudely, but carefully knapped to make it sharper than the others. Khthon could recognize the stone type, a grey thing he'd called flint.

Truly a clever use of stone. The application was clumsy, yet doubtlessly effective. Perhaps he could make this tool a bit better, in thanks for showing him such an interesting artifact.

Khthon roughly drew his hand over the sharp edge of the axe blade, reshaping it in one swift movement. Where once was a rough and uneven axe head, now stood a perfectly smooth and sharp blade, devoid of any imperfection. A perfectly sharp axe, polished to a shine, far surpassing the ability of any current mortal craftsman. But the material remained brittle, too brittle for his taste. Khthon could infer that this brittleness was a necessity for the crafting of these tools, for harder stones would not break into sharp edges, but the god was not bound by such limitations. A trickle of his power bled into the stone, strengthening the bonds of its many minute parts together, until it became as hard and unyielding as stone could be.

No longer would the axe head falter, break or dull. Khthon was half-tempted to keep it to himself... but the tool was not his, and had been taken by force from another. It would be unfair to take without giving back. In any case, he had a feeling he would find a way to eventually acquire similar tokens in the future. No need to rush.

He handed the blessed tool back to the creature, and moved on without looking back on its amazed expression.

Now, where was he? Ah, yes, finding Sarhush. He aimlessly wandered some more, examining the surrounding flora and fauna with detached curiosity. Just as he considered simply calling to him to ask his location, he felt something. Something he hadn't felt before.

Many mortal creatures had found refuge in his caves, that much Khthon knew. But all had remained in the shallows, where they could still see and feel the surface world. None had dared venture any deeper into his domain.

For the first time, however, something just did. Not just anything, something powerful, something divine. None of his God-Siblings had been interested in the world beneath until now. Why would one do so now?

He would not tolerate thoughtless trespassers or plunderers. He needed to get there as quickly as he could.

His form reverted to that of a featureless boulder, and he sunk into the ground as if the soil itself swallowed him. He became as one with the rocks and the stone, and let the Earth move him towards his destination, moving faster than he ever could by walking on land. Soon he would emerge into the cavern, and confront the interloper.

Summary

Khthon wanders some more on the surface world, and a brave ur-human gathers the courage to go poke at him, trying to defend their brethren. Khthon seizes their knapped flint axe, taking the opportunity to examine mortal craftsmanship in closer detail. He likes what he sees, though he finds it still a bit too crude. He reshapes the axe head to be much smoother and much sharper than would be possible to achieve using stone knapping, and blesses it so that it no longer dulls or shatters. He gives it back to the human and leaves to observes the wildlife some more. He then feels Sarhush's intrusion in his domain, and begins moving through the Earth towards his location.

Actions

- The Eversharp Axe. A prehistoric flint axe head of incredible sharpness, rivalling that of steel. Such craftsmanship would be impossible with the stone knapping technology of the time, and would have required the ability to mold stone itself to make. It was blessed with incredible durability, far surpassing that of other stone tools, and never loses its edge. It is not indestructible, however, and can be unmade through mundane though difficult means, such as heating it hot enough to turn it to slag. (Enchant pre-existing object, in-domain. Hazy, 1 conviction)

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

@Shovel I don't see why there wouldn't be life in the ocean. We just haven't really gone in the water yet, so there haven't really been any reason to mention it.

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

@Cyclone Sure! Just DM me or something when you're ready to start writing ^_^

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

@Vec Thanks the clarification! Also yeah, I am aware that these are mundane in the end, but I don't mind spending some conviction to create them anyways. It was pretty fun to write, and I feel like it helps establish Khthon's greedy side to have him create and guard even the mundane stuff. Also gave me an excuse to brush up on my geology knowledge x)

I've still got 3 points left until next tally, which is plenty, so don't worry, I'll find something fun to do with them (maybe bless something? There might be some mortals or animals that catch Khthon's non-existant eye)

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

Man, each post I write gets longer I feel. Though now that I've gotten most basic stuff I wanted to create taken care of, I'll finally be able to write more condensed posts, and interact a bit more with the others haha

Very excited to have my guy ask Sarhush what's the deal with this "civilization" thing and have him try to explain why it's so great lol

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

Khthon

Yes, yes, yes!

His creation was even more beautiful than he could have imagined! That wonderful yellow shine, the subtle weave of it throughout the stone... Such beauty! Hidden deep and unseen by all, except him! A treasure for his eyes only!

This new substance, the first natural metal, would need a name, for it would not remain the only of its kind for now. Its color was inspiring, somewhat reminiscent of Khthon's loudest and most boisterous God-Brother, Alechior. It would need a striking name, something worthy of its beauty.

"Gold".

Yes, "gold" felt right. Khthon might not have Sarhush's arrogant love of naming things, but even he could acknowledge a good name.

He would not stop at just gold. It was beautiful, yes, but it was alone, and lacking in variety. It's beauty would only shine brighter when joined by other treasures.

From the same base that birthed precious gold, Khthon made many more metals to paint his subterranean domain. An orange metal that would grow green-grey when exposed to air, and white gleaming one that felt as shined as bright as gold. Some painted in veins, others in small lumps, most in small flakes. Some metals he used extremely sparsely, only present as accents in his increasingly complex work of art, while he spread others liberally, mixing them with stone as he saw fit.

Names came quickly afterwards. Copper, silver, lead, aluminium, platinum, zinc, tin... Many of them seemed similar at first glance, but Khthon knew that their beauty laid as much in their properties than in their appearance.

As he prepared his next metal, a hardy, grey thing that grew red when exposed to air, Khthon had a new idea. From the bases of "stones", he had made "metal". What if from "metal", he made "stone" again?

He put his idea in practice, taking his metal, "iron" he had called it, and willing it into stone as he had willed the primordial sand into stone. From it emerged a new thing, both rock and metal, dark, solid, and gleaming. He tried the same with a few of the rarer pure metals, and was ecstatic to see similar results, in many different colors and textures. These new things, both stone and metal, would be called "ores".

Khthon spread these ores far and wide, encasing them in the walls of his caverns and in between pure metal veins. Large chunks of buried stone would be replaced with a mix of these ores, waiting for someone to find them. When at last Khthon was done filling the earth with metallic treasures, when he thought he was finally done building his hoard, he was struck by the feeling of something... missing.

His crystal roots felt close to this missing piece, but not quite the right answer either, not that he could make more if he wished to; their power and movement spelled something... ancient, and much too alive for him to replicate. He thought back to the small, white crystal he had accidentally created, his very first treasure, which he still cradled with his body. Khthon had momentarily forgotten it, overtaken by awe at the discovery of said crystalline roots, but it held potential, as well as a certain sentimentality.

The roots were beautiful, but they were... the same. Large and twisting, uniform in color and luster. He could make something similar, his own crystals and gems. He could make them any color he wanted, any shape he wanted, any opacity he wanted. They would be the last piece of the puzzle.

Soon, millions of gems appeared underground, peppering the rock where they would be the most beautiful. Some were as clear as air, and shone in every color when illuminated. Others were a deep, deep red, as red as freshly spilled blood. Rubies, sapphires, garnets, emeralds, quartzes, diamonds, opals... Every kind of jewel that could have ever been imagined filled the bowels of the earth.

Finally, Khthon was satisfied. He had created a vision of true beauty, one hidden from would-be plunderers by the deep crevaces of the earth and his unyielding stone. Such frantic and abundant creation had left him tired, however, and he felt the desire to rest.

He awoke slowly from his trance and was left surprised at what he saw; the surface had changed dramatically while his divine mind wandered underground. It was so much louder than it had ever been before, even without his louder God-Siblings nearby. Life filled every crevice, and even covered some of Khthon's own body: a soft, green thing had grown over a good bit of his exposed torso. Even the soil had changed somewhat. The top layer, once a sandy and sterile thing, had been transformed into rich, life-giving humus.

Humidity lingered in the air, along with the smell of ash and smoke. Critters scurried everywhere, plants rustled in the breeze, and strange creatures, similar in shape to some of his God-Siblings, walked through the wilds, foraging. They, by far, were the noisiest of the bunch. Some of them wielded what seemed to be tools made from his stone. This was... clever, the God thought. He had created stone to serve as a solid base for the world to rest upon, and as a place for him to find solitude when desired. He had never imagine that it could be used in such ways.

Khthon rose from the ground, unearthing his massive lower body, and shook off the excess soil. He began lumbering away, unheeding of the shocked cries of the bipedal creatures at his sudden awakening. How long had they been here? Did they think him a vulgar boulder? Were they afraid of him?

He had wanted to find one of his deeper caverns and rest in silence within, and perhaps follow the crystal roots to their destination. But it seemed he would first have to find whichever God-Sibling was responsible for such drastic changes, and ask a single question, borne from simple curiosity; why create all of this?

Perhaps the arrogant one, Sarhush, would have an answer.

Summary

Khthon creates a bunch more precious minerals, and then finally becomes aware of the surface world again. He notes how loud and alive everything is, that some moss has grown over his body during his trance, and startles nearby ur-humans as he begins to move again after a long period of immobility. He finds the usage of stones to create tools both unexpected and very clever. Though he wants to find some calm in a deep cavern somewhere to further study the crystal roots he found, he first wishes to find the other Gods to ask about the recent events on the surface, starting with Sarhush.

Actions

- Khthon creates widespread native deposits of a variety of metals (veins, flakes, nuggets, etc. of pure metal), including silver, copper, and platinum. (Hazy. In-Domain, widespread. 1 conviction.)

- Khthon creates the first ores (as in, rocks from which certain minerals can be extracted, without being purely made of that mineral) and creates widespread deposits of those ores, such as magnetite and hematite (iron), bauxite (aluminium), and various sulfides and oxides (lead, silver, mercury, copper, etc.). (Hazy. In-Domain, widespread. 1-2 conviction.)

- Khton creates and spreads a multitude of gems and crystals, such as diamonds, sapphires, quartzes, and opals. (Hazy. In-Domain, widespread. 1 conviction.)

(Note: The rarity of each new natural resource is intended to be similar to that of our Earth, so you won't find things like mine-worthy veins of lead or lakes of mercury anywhere. For now at least.)

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

Making the Earth's crust: Check
Making caverns: Check
Making gold: In progress

Next checklist items, more or less in order of priority: Iron, copper, buncha gemstones all at once, maybe silver if I've got time, and some more terraforming, potentially with some other Gods (maybe Yzechr would like to raise a couple islands in his corrupted sea?)

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

Khthon

Had he had lungs, Khthon would have been breathtaken.

He had thought his brilliant transparent stone a beautiful and precious treasure, but the crystalline tendrils he had found snaking under the surface of the world were on an entirely different level.

The way they moved and twisted, and then slowly stopped as the Earth around them solidified... They way they glowed and refracted light in colors that had never yet been seen in this world... They way they traced beautiful and intricate shapes throughout the bedrock, mixing with the stones' own natural patterns and enhancing them...

Beautiful. Entrancing. Enchanting.

Precious beyond measure.

His.

These were treasures meant to be kept safe and hidden. Meant to be admired and protected.

Perhaps it was greedy of him, but he did not wish to share the existence of such riches with the others. He was the one who had found them. They were hidden within his stones and his caverns. Those were his domain, not his God-Siblings'. They could find, or create, their own riches...

But then he thought of his God-Siblings who had gone over the horizon, driven by curiosity. His winged God-Sister had promised to share what answers they found, and though Khthon had only promised to find buried secrets, and not to share them, she did seem hopeful he'd cooperate.

...maybe he'd make an exception this time. Tell them of what he'd found, but not share the crystal veins themselves. He would offer the knowledge, and keep the treasures.

And then a great tremor shook the Earth, and a vision filled his mind.

---

It was a stone. Impossibly light and impossibly heavy. Impossibly large and impossibly small. It was everywhere, it was nowhere. It was a gap where there was, and something where there wasn't. It was brittle and soft and hard and brilliant and dull and easily shattered and malleable and every color that could be thought of all at once.

It was hidden where nothing could find it. Where no one could know it. Where all would forget it, or never know of it in the first place.

---

He awoke a mere moment later, as if nothing had happened. But something had happened. And though the exact details, the true magnitude of what had been escaped Khthon's divine mind, it had left its mark in thousands of ideas and possibilities. He knew that the power to give birth to a million of beautiful things, just like the crystalline veins and his brilliant jewel, lay within him. He knew how to hide and protect them from those who would covet them. He knew how to hide all sort of things, should he ever find something else worthy of being called a treasure.

He focused his will on the distant presence of the crimson-winged Goddess, as well as the dark Goddess and bright God accompanying her, and sent the message he had intended to send before the vision, showing his findings.

"God-Siblings. Hear me. I am Khthon of the Earth. Witness what lies below," he intoned.

Khthon sent an image of long, crystalline roots, small parts of a greater whole. He showed their movements, the almost physical sensation of them gliding through the sand, and the slow hardening of the Earth around them. The roots, growing and growing, digging deeper still, and the strange pulse of energy coursing through them.

"Such beauty. It is a shame to share it. I have claimed it. I will keep it safe within the stone," he finished, a hint of protectiveness tainting his usually flat tone.

Khthon shifted, and the rock now half-burying his body cracked. He could move to a deep, quiet cavern, far from his noisy God-Siblings, but he was feeling inspired, and did not wish to lose time relocating before creating his next masterpiece. He had the vision of a soft and malleable stone-like material, of a brilliant yellow color and shining finish. It would spread throughout the Earth much like the crystal roots and tangle with his future creations, or simply adorn already beautiful stones as a few flecks. It would be a beautiful addition to his growing hoard of hidden treasures.

He exerted his powers once more, and the first gold veins grew within stone.

@Necrodancer@Theyra@SilverPaw

Actions

- Sent a message through telepathy to Adria, Arstus and Moren (Lucid, free.)
- Creating and spreading gold veins throughout the Earth (In-Domain, widespread. Hazy.)

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

<Snipped quote by Frettzo>

Hey! It's not that bad!
(Actually, what does it taste like?)

@Cmmelody

I'm personally imagining it tastes like lead (which is sweet and metallic) and salt, with a light petroleum aftertaste. So, like poison, but not undrinkable, and the more you drink it, the more you get used to it.