Shovel

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

First Cephalopod

The end of the journey

The First Cephalopod’s journey had finally reached its end.

So many things have happened during its journey. The birth of a star. The rises of the two smaller stars. Its numerous mutated tentacles. Its increased in size.

Years of traveling had led it to this point, to a hole that led to the Darkness Below beneath the sea bed. A water vortex formed at its agape mouth, pulling everything from the surface to the down under. Those that currently reside in the water are no better. Apart from those who were able to find caves to hide in or possessed enough strength to swim against the current, the majority of the sea critters had been pulled in. The First Cephalopod is currently settling in one of the caves like this. Its soft body barely allows it to squeeze into this hole.

This is to be expected. After all, the First Cephalopod had grown drastically in size. Now it is half the size of …. something. It doesn’t know. It knows that it is now far larger than the greatest shark. They still posed a threat, but First Cephalopod could kill them now. However, it is definitely smaller than other beings. Strange beings. Beings that are not of flesh… Beings that are made of knowledge and ideas. One of them “introduced” itself as Patron of Seaweed. It is made of seaweed, but moves and acts like dolphins and First Cephalopod does.

The First Cephalopod does not understand what introduced means. But the noise could be replicated by the grinding of its beaks against one another. Or the smashing of rocks. Or the shredding of seaweed… Maybe…The First Cephalopod thinks the noises that the Patron made are similar to one of those vibrations. Maybe it had forgotten the precise noises.

It is, after all, unknown noises.

But the increase in size and weight aren’t without drawbacks. The First Cephalopod could no longer swim like its smaller self anymore, the necessary energy to stay afloat and moving far exceeded the amount of energy acquired from a dolphin. So, it crawls across the sea bed, hunting any that simply come across its path.

The numbers of prey are dwindling. Just as the level of water continues to decrease.

But, for now, the First Cephalopod still chooses to remain on the surface sea. Its tentacles are numerous. Its sizes had drastically increased. And for now, it knew no fear.

= Summary

The First Cephalopod finally reached the center of the Drain. It is currently the size of a great white shark. For meta narrative purpose, let say that there are still roughly 10 years left before the waters are unable to sustain any meaningful lifeforms near the Drain.

---

Patron of Water

The Patron of Water heads to the direction of its caller, memories work to recall the information about this God. After its encounter with the God of Civilization, the Patron of Water had worked diligently in avoiding drawing the ire of Godkin. It knew that the Sun god is a vainglorious being. The Mistress of Death is unreasonable and patient. The Being of Life is just a beast. The Gambler loves gambling. The Earth is greedy…

But the sea… After the disappearance of the last God to claim over the Sea and Corruption, the sea hasn’t responded much. It doesn’t call for anything. Don't ask anything. For a lot of the patrons, those of currents, tides, rivers,... This was an enjoyable change. They could choose to do their work, or slack off and laze around in their hideyholes. It doesn’t matter. Time for the Patron might as well be nonexistent. And for the few poor sods that got destroyed from the creation of Gods - Patron of the Sea Critters were nearly killed by the creation of the Drain - most of them just enjoyed the days that went by.

But, this is not without issue. The sea, due to its lack of volition, are simply a thing to be control by the other gods. The Sun God came to life, the sea drained. The Earth God created the Drain, the sea drained. The drastic decrease of surface water had resulted in the desertification of many regions, which the Patrons of Rivers and Patrons of Streams had tried their best to fight against. So far, they have reached equilibrium in containing the desert from the south from spreading further. But, another Acts of Gods and who knew what Patron would die?

“Come.” The voice called. And the Patron of Water arrived.

It saw other Patron of Water. Multiple Patrons of Rivers. Numerous Patrons of Streams and Springs, whose names and titles equals with that of the stars in the night sky. Patron of Tides. Patron of Rains. Patron of Sea Life… All patrons that are somehow related to the sea are here. And before them, a Black Whale of gargantuan size. Its scars are the size of a canyon. Its fins carry whale lice and barnacles. If it wasn’t because the Godkin could change their sizes at will, then this Whale must have been the largest being. The sea bends beneath its weight.

But more than anything, it smells of Godkin.

And all things make sense.

A God of the Sea.

The moment of silence prolonged before one decided to break the silence. Patron of Storm, a vicious patron. One that craved violence, and yet had done none since the sea was given purpose from the missing Godkin.

“What of your name?” The thunderstorm asked, every letter carried by the howling winds.

And the God of gargantuan size answered like a whale would. It sang in the deepest notes and highest pitches, one that all the patrons could understand.

“I am Amut the Black.” It sang.

“God of the Shallow Sea and the Self.”

---

Unknown tablets - Amut, God of the Shallow Sea and the Self

And the Patrons, whose names equate to the number of sand on the sea to be addressed individually, asked the most holiest of the Sea. “For the Oceans had long been silent, what voice would you make of us?”

And Amut answered. “For these words were uttered when the formless water became Sea, let this be the only voice of the Endless Water.”

Let the ocean be the veil that conceals the truth. The further down the depth, the less they will be able to find, until their own limb and sound of the heartbeat disappear.
Let the madness in their heart grow, the longer they spend down the surface, until they only think of total annihilation.
Let the above be filled with fog, which sometimes makes sights and sounds that never are, and hide the destinations which are always there.
Let the danger of those oceans be so enchanting to the weak willed, that they cannot wait to chase their ruination with smile and laughter.

The Patrons then asked again, their voices crashed against each other.

“If you are the Voice of the Seas, then tell us what truth you hide. For the mouth does not lie against the heart. And the eyes could only see what the soul believes in.”

And Amut answered, his notes provide clarity in the seas of chaotic noise.

“The Endless Waters hide no truth and withhold no secrets. For there is no self before I existed, and no acts of malice committed before I was born.”

This caused quite a ripple among the cohorts of patronage, who cried out in violence.

“Then what of malice? What of hate? What of the madness in their heart? What of destruction beyond death?”

Amut sang, his voice always bringing out the silence of the Seas.
“The sea does not scheme, nor required scheming. The waves crashed because so, not out of malice to the shoreline. The river bends because of its water, not because it dances. Your mistaken actions implied intentions. And therein lies your own destruction. The Endless Seas need no intent to be named cruel - only participants in its action. The madness in the heart grows, not of the Oceans’ doing, but because of the fallacy of self.”

This quieted the chorus for a moment, before they continued with their questioning.

“You named yourself Shallowed Seas and the Self. Where does your domain range?” And they splintered into multitudes.

“Do you claim the multitude of the rivers and the endless streams, the springs, and unnamed underground water?” The nameless patrons of streams, springs, and rivers whispered. Their voices are smaller than the smallest of beings.

And to this, Amut answered.

“For the Endless Waters was one before given name, thus all waters could trace itself to the oceans.” This silences the springs, the streams, and the rivers patrons. And as they bend their knees, all waters can find their way to and from the Oceans. None could severed this, for this truth existed before the Endless Water was given purpose.

Then asked the Patrons of Typhoon, Hail, Blizzards and the multitude of disasters.

“Do you claim the blood that We spilled? The power that We commanded?” They roared, which Amut roared in turn.

“For you all came into being by water or descended there of. What rights do you have but deny my dominion?” This calmed the typhoons, the tsunamis, the blizzards, and the hails. Their beings become occurrences across the seas. Signs of their comings could now be inferred upon by the experienced. This does not lessen their damage, but gives predictability. However, the Patron of sandstorms and volcanoes respond in turn.

“For the damage I claimed comes from the earth and the heat, and mine from the sands and the gale. Thus, we will not bend our knees to your dominion.” And this, Amut of the Shallow recognized and accepted.

Then came the Patrons of Fishes, of Seaweed, of the myriad of Sea Critters that called the waters home. Their voices were the most colorful, for only they carried true mortality.

“If you claimed all these to be the Oceans, what becomes of the beings that nested within your waters? Are we guests that simply existed within your nonexistent hospitality? Beggars that subsist upon your indifference? When the waves had erased our existence and tides washed away our blood, would you remember us, God of the Shallow Sea?”

“I was born before godhood. I swam before there were destinations and locations. I ate before hunger came to being. The Endless Waters carried my formless mass, before I cleave myself from the tides and the waves beneath Me. I am the Self that stands against the Endless Waters, the one that tides learn to hold. Where I swam, tides and currents are defined. Where I had traveled, destination and locations gained its name. In all the waters that I command, the waters remembered. Because I remembered.” This dried the tears of the patrons of Fishes, of Seaweed, and of the myriad of Sea Critters. While Amut does not claim these patron beneath its dominion, it is their own volition to prosper and suffer within the Shallowed Seas. This is why signs of life are more often than not able to be found near the shorelines, or where the tides and currents are predictables.

[the tablets are missing a few lines…]

The Patron of Water asked:

“If you call yourself the God of the Shallow Seas and of the Self, what then becomes of the deeper parts of the Endless Waters?”

Amut responded, his note stretching toward the infinite. Yet true infinity has no ascent nor end, and Amut’s note still rose, and thus was finite.

“For where my waters hold form, the deeper parts let go of it. Where the self descends—not by malice, but by the blurring of distinction. There, the separations that once defined the self collapse into a single, undifferentiated noise. Eddies, tides, currents, and waves are not destroyed, but rendered indifferentiable, until motion becomes meaningless. Remember this, Patron of Water: where I stand, depth is made possible. There is no deepest part of the Endless Waters. Only the infinite descent. ”

= Action

Nightmare - 4 cost (In Domain, could be 5 though): Set up the followings:

• All waters are connected to the oceans. Underground water leads into springs leads into rivers into lakes into oceans. And from the Oceans seep into the ground that leads into the underground seas. Just imagine this as simply reconnecting all bodies of waters, surface or underground, into one unifying ocean.
• Established tsunamis, storms, hail, typhoons as normal natural occurance to be expected. This does not lessen the damages, but given sign of their coming. Darken skies for storm, water pulled backed for tsunamis... I understand this also fall under Orranoth based on interpretation, but what I mean is that Amut gives sign from the ocean parts.
• Keep the shallow parts' corruption at minimum. Shallow parts are defined as where Liute's part can still shine at. Deeper parts of the seas are underground seas.

= Summary

Amut let itself be known, as well as defined where his domain rest.

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

Amut, the Black Whale

Amut, the Black Whale

God of the Shallow and the Self

Busy finding an image right now. Will return at a later date.

God Concept: A god whose purpose is to give purpose its meaning. Yzechr told the sea to be malicious, to devoid the mortal the sense of self the further down they are into its deep abyss. Well, what is “self”? What is “malicious”? If a man casts no net and yet expects fish, is it malicious for the sea to give him nothing? And for what to define as mortal? Is every shortly lived a mortal? Is a mountain mortal? In order to be malicious, the sea must understand what is “malicious.” In order to comprehend “total annihilation”, it must first understand what is “total self.”

Hence Amut was created. A God to give the sea its meaning. He defined the shallow water, from which the depth may be inferred from. He defined the cleanse state, so that First Cepholopod can become entirely corrupted. He defined what is, so Cepholopod can define what is not.

Appearance: Amut the Black Whale, like its name implies, has the appearance of a gargantuan blue whale. Its skins are covered in scars. Its fins carried whale lice and barnacles. The length of precisely 3000 meters, and the width of precisely 1400 meters.

Motivation: There is no motivation.

It is crucial to remember that these are the Gods that the sea gave rise to in response to the directive of Yzechr. He told the seas to be malicious, to corrupt, to destroy the total sense of self through descent. Amut’s motivation is to provide that structure necessary for Yzechr’s directive to be followed.

He defined the surface of the sea, so others could understand what depth is. There are gradients of corruption, and Amut is the scale that provides meaningful distinction. He cleansed the sea from corruption. Not because he hates corruption, but to provide the necessary beginning. If the deepest part of the ocean is equally as corrupt as the surface part, then what descent to be inferred upon? If all are deprived from their sense of self, then what separates them from total annihilation? A being that possessed no “total-self” is not able to reach “total annihilation.”

There needs to be a “self” in order to comprehend “total annihilation.” There needs to be “beginning” to understand “the end.” His motivation, if one is to ascribe their own morality to a God, would be to maintain this clear distinction within the seas. Because without Amut, the seas could no longer follow the words of Yzechr.

And with these distinctions made, patterns are formed. Not many, but enough for life to take hold. Enough for sea critters to breed, live, hunt, and die. Enough for them to maintain a sense of self before venturing down into the deeper part of the water.

Roleplay Example:
A Fish that Think:

It began with a simple question:

“Does the wave hate the sand when crashing into it?”

But how can the ocean hate, when it lacks the “self”? One would be a fool to ascribe hatred between a mace and a nail. And yet, there remains a cruelty ascribed to the system when one swings a hammer in a certain way. As if the way the muscle moved and how the metal’s scream permit a certain level of morality into its action. How could a hammer be a symbol for hardship and butcher of civilization, if itself possess nothing to understand the function pertain?

Malicious required intention of harm. And cruelty desired a participant to feel.

Yzechr’s oceans lacked both. The water does not possess a soul. It does not breed, nor eat, nor drink. It is simply a pool of water given a directive it could not understand. It moved because the winds that moved its surface liquid in a direction, not because itself possess the will to move. The currents are form by the warm waters displacing the colder one. Nothing of its "being"... There is no being, only an "it" that has a function.

A function to be "malicious"

But Amut is different.

It is the first inhabitant of the sea to think. It had borned, mated, and injured. It had given birth and in doing so, hunted others in order to sustain its other-self. It has given blood to nurture its young and sacrifice itself to protect its mate. For all senses and purpose, It was the first being of Yzechr’s ocean to comprehend “self”, to possess “self”, and the first prisoner to Yzechr’s directive.

It was able to understand “morality.”
And this makes the ocean whole. It now understands what is “malicious”, now that it was able to establish what “kindness” is.

Now, the ocean is a "being", with Amut as its participant.

Now, there is "malicious."

---

Three men walked along the shoreline of a dying lake. The trees here are covered in an unnatural layer of white, while skeletal remains of birds and mammals are perfectly preserved from the passing of time. A century ago, the only stream that leads the water to the sea was blocked. Now, after a century of salt accumulation, nothing lived here. By the side of a mummified whale, they set up camp and wait for the arrival of a god.

A god that goes by the name Amut, the Black atop the Waves. He is known to be an adversarial to the God beneath the Wave, First Cephalopod. To where he roamed, corruption cleansed. Where the water is stagnated, he opens them to new life. And unlike the First Cephalopod, who answered in meaningless and obtuse, Amut’s answer in the specific and bounded.
They didn’t wait for long. From the horizon, a white line slowly emerged, carrying a black shape upon its crest. The ground trembled as buried springs broke through the salted earth. Fresh water forced its way upward from aquifers buried deep beneath. The air quickly thickened with the scent of wet stone and living algae, mixed with the breeze of sea and salt. Salt cracked and sloughed from the shoreline like shedding skin as cracked earth began to mend. Amut, God of the Shallow and the Self, rose upon the wave. Where his shadow passed, currents aligned. Behind him, fishes of multiple shapes and colors followed, as if eager to find a new place to call home.
The three men quickly made for the hill to hide from the rushing waves. Once there, the men then shout their question - the purpose for their travel.

“Why does the ocean hate?” asked the philosopher. It is known by mortals that when the Ancient created the sea, he told it to be evil. And yet none knew why. What better question was there, but the purpose of oneself?

The Black Whale sang. “You perceive injustice done to the self. For hatred required intent, and the sea has none. Whatever was unjust, was done upon you or done against you. Only the drowned possessed the knowledge of drowning.”

“Then if you are so kind, why permit evil upon your faithful?” Ask the priest, who wore the robe of his cult.

“Who followed me, mistaken functionality for morality. Does an arrow have intent, when its purpose was to kill and maim? Or the intent remained with the hand that released it?” The whale responded, speaking in words of current time, so that all who listened could understand. And the zealot bowed his head in turn.

The last man was neither a scholar nor a zealot. He was simply a fisherman who had seen life bloom around the lake before it became inhospitable. He was there when a fishing village surrounded the lake. Ships used to leave early and return with heavy nets. He was there when the last boat returned to the harbor with empty holds.
He was simply a man who had lived more than his fair share of time.

And like any man of his time, he prayed to the Black Whale for its return to the lake. For the return of the fish. For the continuation of the village that had raised him. He chose to hold onto faith, while others moved to other villages and towns.
He was the last inhabitant of the village, a teller of what once was. He accompanied travelers and sightseers from faraway lands, but sought nothing beyond spending his final days on familiar ground.

And after fifty seasons, he asked his God.

“Why now?”

The Whale murmur, the sea breeze carrying its words as it left quickly as it arrived. The lake, once cut off from the sea, now reconnected through a new river. The lake was still its usual self, uninhabitable. For now at the very least. With the opening of the waterway, the salinity will decrease, permitting life to return to this lake.
But that is not now.

“Why ever?”

Availability: One or twice per week
Experience: Not the first time I wrote on this site.

First Cephalopod/

First Cephalopod

God of the Depth and Total Annihilation

God Concept: A god whose entire essence is the destruction of self. A god that is spawned by words spoken long ago, that served as a warning for those that lost themselves. His servants/ worshippers are few, usually denoted by those with nihilistic views or those who lost their way. Do note that he is not malicious, he is simply the embodiment of “descent toward total annihilation.” Not chaos, but the infinite descent toward it.

Appearance: The First Cephalopod only has one and one appearance. A Cephalopod with numerous arms. It has no mortal form, or desire to have one. Its messengers are the deep sea squids and giant octopus that it spawned from eons ago.

Motivation: It is easier to define what the First Cephalopod would not do, rather than those that it would do. It wouldn’t curse or bless some mortals out of maliciousness. It wouldn’t start a disaster because the mortal failed to construct a temple in its name. One wouldn’t pray to a tsunami, hoping for its water not to kill. The First Cephalopod does not kill, does not maim, does not reward, does not punish, does not hunger, does not thirst, does not desire. It simply is. It can be felt, because Amut, its opposite, exists and has given meaning to “self”.
The Highest end of Self, is the knowledge that it exists.

This is what the First Cephalopod knows, and is certain of.

Roleplay Example:
post example

Availability: One or twice per week
Experience: Not the first time I wrote on this site.

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

@Vec
Here is my response, with attached changes and clarification as requested.

1. Show me Amut.
You've demonstrated First Cephalopod's voice vividly. Can you write a comparable example post from Amut's perspective? I need to understand how the two differ and whether Amut has the same interior depth.

Here is Amut’s character sheet with a roleplay example.

Amut, the Black Whale

Amut, the Black Whale

God of the Shallow and the Self

Busy finding an image right now. Will return at a later date.

God Concept: A god whose purpose is to give purpose its meaning. Yzechr told the sea to be malicious, to devoid the mortal the sense of self the further down they are into its deep abyss. Well, what is “self”? What is “malicious”? If a man casts no net and yet expects fish, is it malicious for the sea to give him nothing? And for what to define as mortal? Is every shortly lived a mortal? Is a mountain mortal? In order to be malicious, the sea must understand what is “malicious.” In order to comprehend “total annihilation”, it must first understand what is “total self.”

Hence Amut was created. A God to give the sea its meaning. He defined the shallow water, from which the depth may be inferred from. He defined the cleanse state, so that First Cepholopod can become entirely corrupted. He defined what is, so Cepholopod can define what is not.

Appearance: Amut the Black Whale, like its name implies, has the appearance of a gargantuan blue whale. Its skins are covered in scars. Its fins carried whale lice and barnacles. The length of precisely 3000 meters, and the width of precisely 1400 meters.

Motivation: There is no motivation.

It is crucial to remember that these are the Gods that the sea gave rise to in response to the directive of Yzechr. He told the seas to be malicious, to corrupt, to destroy the total sense of self through descent. Amut’s motivation is to provide that structure necessary for Yzechr’s directive to be followed.

He defined the surface of the sea, so others could understand what depth is. There are gradients of corruption, and Amut is the scale that provides meaningful distinction. He cleansed the sea from corruption. Not because he hates corruption, but to provide the necessary beginning. If the deepest part of the ocean is equally as corrupt as the surface part, then what descent to be inferred upon? If all are deprived from their sense of self, then what separates them from total annihilation? A being that possessed no “total-self” is not able to reach “total annihilation.”

There needs to be a “self” in order to comprehend “total annihilation.” There needs to be “beginning” to understand “the end.” His motivation, if one is to ascribe their own morality to a God, would be to maintain this clear distinction within the seas. Because without Amut, the seas could no longer follow the words of Yzechr.

And with these distinctions made, patterns are formed. Not many, but enough for life to take hold. Enough for sea critters to breed, live, hunt, and die. Enough for them to maintain a sense of self before venturing down into the deeper part of the water.

Roleplay Example:
A Fish that Think:

It began with a simple question:

“Does the wave hate the sand when crashing into it?”

But how can the ocean hate, when it lacks the “self”? One would be a fool to ascribe hatred between a mace and a nail. And yet, there remains a cruelty ascribed to the system when one swings a hammer in a certain way. As if the way the muscle moved and how the metal’s scream permit a certain level of morality into its action. How could a hammer be a symbol for hardship and butcher of civilization, if itself possess nothing to understand the function pertain?

Malicious required intention of harm. And cruelty desired a participant to feel.

Yzechr’s oceans lacked both. The water does not possess a soul. It does not breed, nor eat, nor drink. It is simply a pool of water given a directive it could not understand. It moved because the winds that moved its surface liquid in a direction, not because itself possess the will to move. The currents are form by the warm waters displacing the colder one. Nothing of its "being"... There is no being, only an "it" that has a function.

A function to be "malicious"

But Amut is different.

It is the first inhabitant of the sea to think. It had borned, mated, and injured. It had given birth and in doing so, hunted others in order to sustain its other-self. It has given blood to nurture its young and sacrifice itself to protect its mate. For all senses and purpose, It was the first being of Yzechr’s ocean to comprehend “self”, to possess “self”, and the first prisoner to Yzechr’s directive.

It was able to understand “morality.”
And this makes the ocean whole. It now understands what is “malicious”, now that it was able to establish what “kindness” is.

Now, the ocean is a "being", with Amut as its participant.

Now, there is "malicious."

---

Three men walked along the shoreline of a dying lake. The trees here are covered in an unnatural layer of white, while skeletal remains of birds and mammals are perfectly preserved from the passing of time. A century ago, the only stream that leads the water to the sea was blocked. Now, after a century of salt accumulation, nothing lived here. By the side of a mummified whale, they set up camp and wait for the arrival of a god.

A god that goes by the name Amut, the Black atop the Waves. He is known to be an adversarial to the God beneath the Wave, First Cephalopod. To where he roamed, corruption cleansed. Where the water is stagnated, he opens them to new life. And unlike the First Cephalopod, who answered in meaningless and obtuse, Amut’s answer in the specific and bounded.
They didn’t wait for long. From the horizon, a white line slowly emerged, carrying a black shape upon its crest. The ground trembled as buried springs broke through the salted earth. Fresh water forced its way upward from aquifers buried deep beneath. The air quickly thickened with the scent of wet stone and living algae, mixed with the breeze of sea and salt. Salt cracked and sloughed from the shoreline like shedding skin as cracked earth began to mend. Amut, God of the Shallow and the Self, rose upon the wave. Where his shadow passed, currents aligned. Behind him, fishes of multiple shapes and colors followed, as if eager to find a new place to call home.
The three men quickly made for the hill to hide from the rushing waves. Once there, the men then shout their question - the purpose for their travel.

“Why does the ocean hate?” asked the philosopher. It is known by mortals that when the Ancient created the sea, he told it to be evil. And yet none knew why. What better question was there, but the purpose of oneself?

The Black Whale sang. “You perceive injustice done to the self. For hatred required intent, and the sea has none. Whatever was unjust, was done upon you or done against you. Only the drowned possessed the knowledge of drowning.”

“Then if you are so kind, why permit evil upon your faithful?” Ask the priest, who wore the robe of his cult.

“Who followed me, mistaken functionality for morality. Does an arrow have intent, when its purpose was to kill and maim? Or the intent remained with the hand that released it?” The whale responded, speaking in words of current time, so that all who listened could understand. And the zealot bowed his head in turn.

The last man was neither a scholar nor a zealot. He was simply a fisherman who had seen life bloom around the lake before it became inhospitable. He was there when a fishing village surrounded the lake. Ships used to leave early and return with heavy nets. He was there when the last boat returned to the harbor with empty holds.
He was simply a man who had lived more than his fair share of time.

And like any man of his time, he prayed to the Black Whale for its return to the lake. For the return of the fish. For the continuation of the village that had raised him. He chose to hold onto faith, while others moved to other villages and towns.
He was the last inhabitant of the village, a teller of what once was. He accompanied travelers and sightseers from faraway lands, but sought nothing beyond spending his final days on familiar ground.

And after fifty seasons, he asked his God.

“Why now?”

The Whale murmur, the sea breeze carrying its words as it left quickly as it arrived. The lake, once cut off from the sea, now reconnected through a new river. The lake was still its usual self, uninhabitable. For now at the very least. With the opening of the waterway, the salinity will decrease, permitting life to return to this lake.
But that is not now.

“Why ever?”

Availability: One or twice per week
Experience: Not the first time I wrote on this site.

2. The black whale tension.
In your example, First Cephalopod fears black whales—has been hunted and maimed by them. But Amut is a black whale. Is this intentional? I would like to know what's the actual relationship between your two entities, not just the meta one that pertains to conviction mechanics. Predator and prey? Two halves that haven't yet recognized each other? As I understand it, they are responsible for different parts of the ocean and thus we'll see little interaction between them. Do correct me if I am wrong.

This is very much intentional. The actual relationship between two identities are that they are codependent upon each other. If times permit, I would like to be able to portray their relationship as reluctant codependent. They would absolutely interact when something threatens to change the sea’s directives. But as a whole, they don’t tend to interact much.

3. Collaboration with other gods.
Your solo writing works beautifully, but this is a collaborative game. Gods negotiate, debate, form alliances; if Orranoth descended to the sea seeking to parley, how would your entities participate? How do beings that think in sensory impressions rather than language engage in pantheon politics?

Good question. Let’s say Civilization (Sarhush) created the “Me of sea-faring”. There is no reason for Amut or First Cephalopod to not allow it. Just because a ship can operate at sea doesn’t mean it would be to stand the storm. Let say furthermore that Orranoth wants the sailors to be able to navigate by the stars, Amut and Cephalopod would also allow it. The only caveat is that the storms could blacken the skies and block the sailors from seeing it or dense fogs make the ships lose their direction,... As long as it is not “The tech/ magic that makes the sea harmless”, Armut and First Cephalopod don't care much. Yzechr doesn’t put a quota for the sea to fulfill, and so that directive doesn’t exist for Amut and First Cephalopod.

CHANBARA [Suits, Swords, and Sorcery]

@ERodeDo let me know if anything need to change

Resume Template

Character Image: (Still busy finding a picture of a character who works out but lacks practical experience. Hit me up if you got a suggestion). Muscular. Tanned-skin. Loud among peers but shy as a mouse when appearing before higher-ups. His casual dressing contains exclusively of black clothing. Black jackets, black shirts, black jeans, black caps. Called it “muscle goth”. But he does dressed appropriately when proper attire is demanded.
Full Name: Yamada Tadashi

Gender: Male

Age: 23 (started training at 21)

Summary of Qualifications: Has a university degree in Economics and Accounting.

Work Experience: Minimal. Has done odd jobs at university like caterer, waiter, librarian,... But seeing that Japan was during its Employment Ice Age era, there weren’t any firms accepting newly graduated Yamada Tadashi.

Graduation Certificate

General Assessment: Hard working and willing to put time into training. Eager to prove his capabilities and very anxious when asking about “performance review.” Typical of a new grad. Does try to put themselves out there by answering questions. Has low alcohol tolerance.
Courses Taken:
Mundane Combat and Field Courses

Martial Arts [2] - Basic CQC, featuring joint locks, takedowns and arrest techniques utilizing batons.
Specialized Martial Arts [4] - Specialized martial arts training with a specific melee weapon. (Melee Weapon: Baton/Club)
Squad Tactics and Breach Operations [4] - Room clearing and formation drills. Covers squad coordination and leadership.

Sorcery Fundamentals

Sorcerous Conditioning [4] - Standard superhuman physical enhancement. Foundational course for all sorcerers.
Object Reinforcement [2] - Application of internal enhancement onto held objects.

Sorcery Development - Refinement

Advanced Body Reinforcement [4] - Modulation of physical enhancement, allowing for short-term bursts or low-gear sustained output.

Counter-Sorcery Courses

Anti-Sorcery Combat [4] - Increased understanding of sorcerer-to-sorcerer combat. Refined sense for predicting Technique activation.

Martial Arts: If you obtain [Martial Arts], [Specialized Martial Arts], [Sorcerous Conditioning], and [Object Reinforcement], you will be considered intermediate-level at close-quarters combat, utilizing a particular martial arts with a specific weapon. This will give you an edge in purely physical contests, as well as Technique-less sorcery contests.

Course taken: [Martial Arts], [Specialized Martial Arts], [Sorcerous Conditioning], and [Object Reinforcement]. -> Intermediate level at close-quarter combat: specialize in ballistic shield and baton

Sorcery Technique: If you obtain [Sorcerous Conditioning], [Object Reinforcement], [Latent Sorcery Induction], and [Active Technique Training], you will be able to use the innate Sorcery within you at a low-intermediate-level. Follow proper naming conventions by the Hirasaka Agency. Generally speaking, the more specific a Technique is, the more powerful it is, in exchange for being useful in less situations. Summoning-type Techniques are fairly rare.

Course taken: [Sorcerous Conditioning], [Object Reinforcement], [Advanced Body Reinforcement], [Physical Regeneration]: Focus on short bust and hard to take down in short duration in exchange for shorter operating time.
Noteworthy Boon:
Mentally Induced Fever : Psychogenic Fever. But, instead of being caused by stressful events, the user is able to mentally raise their core temperature to an average of 39.5 degree celsius with some episodic spike reaching 40 degree Celsius. No damage is done to the cells/organs/neurons when the event takes place, although users display signs of fatigue and tiredness that accompany normal infection. Could be detected with a thermometer. (IE: Bro can enter a fever at will to claim a sick leave)

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

@VecHere is my rendition of the Sea Gods. Do note that I'm still gonna write the travel of First Cephalopod instead of outright claiming immediately. But, here is my app for Gods of the Sea. Do let me know if you want clarification or changes. Thank you

In explaining the new Oceanic hierarchy.

At this point, I guess we all know how the ocean came to be.

Let the ocean be the veil that conceals the truth. The further down the depth, the less they will be able to find, until their own limb and sound of the heartbeat disappear.
Let the madness in their heart grow, the longer they spend down the surface, until they only think of total annihilation.
Let the above be filled with fog, which sometimes makes sights and sounds that never are, and hide the destinations which are always there.
Let the danger of those oceans be so enchanting to the weak willed, that they cannot wait to chase their ruination with smile and laughter.

This explained why the ocean is the complete shithole it is. The sea is corrupting its inhabitants, twisting their bodies to strange shapes and strange figures. However, as we know, the sea occasionally cleanses itself from the corruption of Yzechr, where the sea creatures become calm. But this cleanliness only carried on for minutes to a few days before the corruption returned and with increased intensity. So far, I’ve expressed this “increased level of corruption” as more bloodlust and accumulation of unnatural mutation.

But, with Yezcher and the player responsible for the sea disappearing, I figured I should recreate the oceanic pantheon to clarify the new order of the Sea. Thus, I present to you, First Cephalopod and Amut the Black Whale.

First Cephalopod would be corresponding with these line

Let the ocean be the veil that conceals the truth. The further down the depth, the less they will be able to find, until their own limb and sound of the heartbeat disappear.
Let the madness in their heart grow, the longer they spend down the surface, until they only think of total annihilation.

More specifically, here is my interpretation: The First Cephalopod represents the directionless states as appeared in “ until their own limb and sound of the heartbeat disappear” and gradual accumulation of corruption until they have reached “total annihilation.” To be more specific, First Cephalopod represent “the depth”, the “limb and sound of the heartbeat disappear”; “the total annihilation.” Do note, however, that Cephalopod does not control corruption. Instead, one is more correct to understand the First Cephalopod as a being that is closest to “total annihilation.” As such, First Cephalopod does not make something more corruptible, it shares the corruption it accumulates.

But the sea does not corrupt infinitely. Instead, it renewed itself through the cleansing.

In the depths of the corrupted ocean, something pulsed.

The pearl-white shell that Yzechr had consumed had not been destroyed, not truly. It had dissolved into the very substance of the sea, becoming one with the darkness and the deception. But shells, especially those touched by mysteries, have memories. And memories have a way of surfacing when least expected.

At irregular intervals, sometimes hours apart, sometimes days, the ocean would clear. For a handful of heartbeats, the lightless depths would become transparent, the water as pure and safe as it had been before corruption touched it. Ships could sail. Fish could swim without mutation. The alluring whispers would fall silent.

Then, just as suddenly, the clarity would fade. The corruption would return, darker than before, as if angered by the interruption. The gods who had collected other shells from the shore, pretty, nacre-bright things, felt those trinkets grow suddenly inert in their grasp. The faint magic that had clung to them, the sense of significance, drained away like water through sand. They were still beautiful. But they were just shells now, nothing more.

Amut would be this. Amut would represent the sea when it is cleansed. Amut would give meaning against what is “total annihilation” by providing the template of what constitutes “natural” or “void of corruption.” Amut is the foil to the First Cephalopod, providing the basis and structural distinction necessary for the First Cephalopod to exist. Amut represents the landmark that the term “further down” draws its meaning from, the time reference that constitutes “long.”

In summary, Amut represents the cleanse sea and the distinction of definition. And the First Cephalopod represents the depth and the blurring of definition into one.

Answering question:

• 1.Why not just make First Cephalopod a new God of the Sea?
  
  I feel like Yzechr created an interesting god and a fascinating creation myth. A sea that is not kind, nor loving, but was created purely for the destruction of mortals. I mean, thematically, Yzechr is just made up to be a bad guy and worshipped by those who choose to become corrupted. Originally, I planned to make the First Cephalopod to be the Corrupting God by sucking up all corruption in the sea. Amut was originally a character I planned to introduce during the last few weeks, acting as a foil to First Cephalopod by being a pure goody two fin whale. But good versus bad are done to death, and I crave something new.
  
  Moreover, it stands to recognize that these are products of their environment - the corrupted seas. Imagine if the Seas (product of Yzechr) has its own consciousness, then Amut and First Cephalopod would be its attempt in rationalizing and following the directive given by Yzechr. Yzechr desired for those that sank too deep to reach total annihilation, the sea’s consciousness make the First Cephalopod to define what is the closest possible to “total annihilation.” It is impossible for total annihilation to physically exist, And if there exists “total annihilation”, then there must exist the “total self” as its beginning point. In a way, Amut and First Cephalopod exist as a way for the seas to come to term with its contradictory directive. Answering how an environment so malicious to life is able to host it, by giving definition to what is and what isn’t. Most sea critters exist in Amut’s part of the sea, because it provides them the best chance of survival while not being too hostile for life. Meanwhile, the part of the First Cephalopod is filled with fishes/ critters that have lost many senses, symbols of the slow degradation of self.
  
  
  -------------------------
• 2. How would you avoid clashing themes with other Gods in the Setting?
  
  While I wrote them to be as meta as possible, the two in one are still largely defined by their domain and originality
  
  Their domain is the Sea. The calm sea and known shores can be attributed to Amut. Wind, currents, tides, waves,.. are properties of Amut. Unknown seas, lurking creatures beneath the waves, or dangerous tides/ currents are attributed to First Cephalopod. In essence, meta debates are for meta debate. But for physical manifestation, Amut is the calm waters, predictable wind patterns and currents/tides; and First Cephalopod has to do with dangerous waters or undiscovered parts of it.
  
  -------------------------
• 3. How would divinity point be allocated?
  They would be treated as a single identity like other gods with the shared resource pools.

First Cephalopod/

First Cephalopod

God of the Depth and Total Annihilation

God Concept: A god whose entire essence is the destruction of self. A god that is spawned by words spoken long ago, that served as a warning for those that lost themselves. His servants/ worshippers are few, usually denoted by those with nihilistic views or those who lost their way. Do note that he is not malicious, he is simply the embodiment of “descent toward total annihilation.” Not chaos, but the infinite descent toward it.

Appearance: The First Cephalopod only has one and one appearance. A Cephalopod with numerous arms. It has no mortal form, or desire to have one. Its messengers are the deep sea squids and giant octopus that it spawned from eons ago.

Motivation: It is easier to define what the First Cephalopod would not do, rather than those that it would do. It wouldn’t curse or bless some mortals out of maliciousness. It wouldn’t start a disaster because the mortal failed to construct a temple in its name. One wouldn’t pray to a tsunami, hoping for its water not to kill. The First Cephalopod does not kill, does not maim, does not reward, does not punish, does not hunger, does not thirst, does not desire. It simply is. It can be felt, because Amut, its opposite, exists and has given meaning to “self”.
The Highest end of Self, is the knowledge that it exists.

This is what the First Cephalopod knows, and is certain of.

Roleplay Example:
post example

Availability: One or twice per week
Experience: Not the first time I wrote on this site.

Amut, the Black Whale

Amut, the Black Whale

God of the Shallow and the Self

Busy finding an image right now. Will return at a later date.

God Concept: A god whose purpose is to give purpose its meaning. Yzechr told the sea to be malicious, to devoid the mortal the sense of self the further down they are into its deep abyss. Well, what is “self”? What is “malicious”? If a man casts no net and yet expects fish, is it malicious for the sea to give him nothing? And for what to define as mortal? Is every shortly lived a mortal? Is a mountain mortal? In order to be malicious, the sea must understand what is “malicious.” In order to comprehend “total annihilation”, it must first understand what is “total self.”

Hence Amut was created. A God to give the sea its meaning. He defined the shallow water, from which the depth may be inferred from. He defined the cleanse state, so that First Cepholopod can become entirely corrupted. He defined what is, so Cepholopod can define what is not.

Appearance: Amut the Black Whale, like its name implies, has the appearance of a gargantuan blue whale. Its skins are covered in scars. Its fins carried whale lice and barnacles. The length of precisely 3000 meters, and the width of precisely 1400 meters.

Motivation: There is no motivation.

It is crucial to remember that these are the Gods that the sea gave rise to in response to the directive of Yzechr. He told the seas to be malicious, to corrupt, to destroy the total sense of self through descent. Amut’s motivation is to provide that structure necessary for Yzechr’s directive to be followed.

He defined the surface of the sea, so others could understand what depth is. There are gradients of corruption, and Amut is the scale that provides meaningful distinction. He cleansed the sea from corruption. Not because he hates corruption, but to provide the necessary beginning. If the deepest part of the ocean is equally as corrupt as the surface part, then what descent to be inferred upon? If all are deprived from their sense of self, then what separates them from total annihilation? A being that possessed no “total-self” is not able to reach “total annihilation.”

There needs to be a “self” in order to comprehend “total annihilation.” There needs to be “beginning” to understand “the end.” His motivation, if one is to ascribe their own morality to a God, would be to maintain this clear distinction within the seas. Because without Amut, the seas could no longer follow the words of Yzechr.

And with these distinctions made, patterns are formed. Not many, but enough for life to take hold. Enough for sea critters to breed, live, hunt, and die. Enough for them to maintain a sense of self before venturing down into the deeper part of the water.

Roleplay Example:
post example

Availability: One or twice per week
Experience: Not the first time I wrote on this site.

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

First Cephalopod

---

The New Small Bright Thing

The First Cephalopod saw the birth of a star.

It didn’t know this at first. But it was there when there was still the White Bright Thing that occupied the White Above, and the next moment the New Bright Thing came to be. It was present in the “in-between” of these moments. And this, the First Cephalopod understands, was monumental.

The feeling of something bigger than itself, bigger than the black whales that inhabits the Darkness Beneath. And it felt awe and giddy at this transition, not of fear but surprise and curiosity. The warmth was still the same, but the light now punctured to a deeper part of the sea. Well, the remaining part of the sea.

The First Cephalopod rose to the surface, and felt the heat of the New Small Bright Thing. But unlike the sparse white blob that once occupied the White Above, the New Bright Thing was much more defined. It is round, with clear edge. Drastically smaller compared to its original size. Orange when it rose, yellow at the center, and returned to orange at fall.

But size, shape, and color is not the only significant thing about this New Bright Thing. Its mood has changed. Its light is no longer soothing, but burning with prolonged exposure. The First Cephalopod learned this when its skin burned and cracked under the enduring exposure of the New Bright Thing. It then quickly swam beneath the surface, letting the water to mend its skin and the darkness to sooth its burn.

The White Bright Thing has changed.

The First Cephalopod hated the New Bright Thing now.

And this it understands.

= Dictionary and Explanation

New Bright Thing = the Sun
White Bright Thing = the shapeless white blob that used to provide heat and signaling day night cycle
White Above = white sky

The First Cephalopod witnessed the birth of the new sun. It doesn’t like the new heat intensity so it sinks toward the darkness zone and continues swimming with the current. Reaction to @Thayr post

---

The Concerted Madness

As water continued to decrease and land rose from the dark water that once enveloped them, so did the crowdedness of the creatures beneath the waves.

Sharks swim along mackerels. Crabs scuttles along cephalopods. Predators and preys, side by side, willingly or unwillingly, pulled by the mysterious current toward their unknown destination.

But with such concentrations of living things, blood is bound to be spilled.

Perhaps the gods were stupid. Perhaps the gods are sadists. Perhaps they are both. Because as the water drains, the corruption that lingers on the surface sea concentrates. What was the usual level of corruption, now increased by the amount that disappeared. Fishes grew extra eyes or lost their eyes completely. Crabs with dorsal fins. Sea horses that swim gracefully instead of clumsily tying itself to some sea grass. Even the First Cephalopod is not spared from such rampant mutation, with its original ten limbs now drastically increasing to something of twenty. Not normal limbs either.

Arms split in the middle. Some tips deformed. Suckers with hooks outward instead of inward. Deformed hooks. Arms without suckers… And with more fights happening on a more regular basis, the more of this mutation gets out of control.

The cause for such mutation is simple to recognize but hard to understand for the First Cephalopod. It simply lost its limb in either hunting or being hunted. Usually, the limbs would be generated as normal. But, for some reason, ever since the First Cephalopod has begun this journey toward the unknown, its wound hasn’t healed like before.

But mutation was not the only problem.

At irregular intervals, sometimes hours apart, sometimes days, the ocean would clear. For a handful of heartbeats, the lightless depths would become transparent, the water as pure and safe as it had been before corruption touched it. Ships could sail. Fish could swim without mutation. The alluring whispers would fall silent.

Then, just as suddenly, the clarity would fade. The corruption would return, darker than before, as if angered by the interruption..

The water becomes clear. But there aren’t many bodies of waters left on the surface.

So instead, what little sea remains becomes clear. An entire sea becomes crystal blue, where the light from the New Bright Thing could reach into its deepest darkness and uncover its hidden mystery. But what treasure is there to display but the carcass of decomposing Black Whale, the torn limbs of cephalopods, or the crustaceans shells picked clean?

And then the corruption returned, more severe. More fervor at punishing its criminal inhabitants. It gave them rage. Pure carnage. Of mackerels feasting upon sharks. Of squids feasting on more than it could reasonably consume. Blood spilled for the punishment that originally designed to torture other intellectual inhabitants, felt only by those without it.

The draining seas clear.

The seas become corrupted again.

Pristine of blue.

Purest of red.

The First Cephalopod should learn something from this. Too bad, it is busy counting its appendages, now numbering at fifty-three, with fifteen tentacles, thirty eight arms. Twenty three of which suffered suckers mutations, split arms, or no suckers mutation. And as it is counting this, it…

The waters around it clears for the split of moments. Barely seconds. Barely enough for it to realize that the water cleared.

And then the corruption returns, and the number of split tentacles goes from ten to eleven.

Explanation

Refer to this post for my explanation on why more corruption happen when sea clears

Explaining what is happening in the sea. Less water = more corruption. As there are fewer seas and less water, the area where the seas become pristine clear (percentage wise) should increase. And as explained from a few previous post, this would correspond with an increase in corruption

Also, mutation is more biological and environmental based rather than some magical boons or blessing. I just attached the mutation to magic because of our setting. Here is how the actual octopus look like with split arms.@Thayr

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

First Cephalopod

---

Exploration

It has been a long time since the First Cephalopod made its discovery. It does not know how long it is. What it does know is that there are more days than it has tentacles to count for.
It tried to compare the number of days to the number of fishes it had eaten. But, there are certainly more days than the number of fishes it has consumed. Three of its brains think so. It thinks.

The others' heads were inconclusive.

Still, it did grow a lot compared to its first discovery days. It is the size of a reef shark now, with length and width easily covering one with its tentacles. Still not something to show when comparing to the sperm whales, but the increase in size means gradual behavior changes. The First Cephalopod becomes a little bit bolder compared to its younger self. More prone to exploration. A little bit less fearful in its conduct.

With boldness comes new knowledge that it didn’t know before.

It consumed these floating from the Darkness Below. They have no brain, and colorful light. Especially noticeable in a midst of eternal darkness. They tasted “weird.”

The First Cephalopod did not know how to describe its experience. Some of them make the First Cephalopod hear the voice from above the surface. A voice that is not ferocious. A voice that is warm. Like when fishes entering its beak and the red liquid escaped their body. A voice that is full. These floating things didn't make sound when the First Cephalopod ate them. They barely ran actually. But the tingling sense they grant is “curious” for the First Cephalopod.

And then some tasted like poisonous rock fish. No, worse than poisonous rock fish. They tasted vile. The First Cephalopod did not know how to identify them. But they tasted vile. The taste actively expunged the meat and ink in the process. Involuntarily one might add.

It did not know how to identify these from the heightened sensation floaty things. It thought that those with red were vile. But the purple ones are just as vile. Then the yellow…

Alright, the first yellow one was vile. But the next yellow was not vile. And the before red was not vile as well.

It didn’t know how to process it. And after tasting another vile floaty thing, the First Cephalopod decided to leave the floaty things to themselves and continue on its own way.

Summary

First Cephalopod ate the gacha jellyfish. Some jellyfish heightened the Cephalopod's sense to hear Saeries’ voice, while some jellyfish poisoned it. It didn’t understand that it is because of the alcohol dosage it consumed.

Minor size update = equal to roughly a coral reef shark

---

Changing Seas and New Current

As the First Cephalopod continued its journey across the ocean, following sea current and straddling between the normal water and the Drifting Ink, it noticed some peculiarity. The mountains, usually located from the Darkness Below, are now rapidly making out of the water. Where there was sea, now reduced into land.

But these lands were not green nor red nor purple. Few things grew in the Darkness Below, and corals are not one of them. As their jagged teeth rose from the waves, they carried the lifeless color of wet sand, black dirt, and the skeletals of some unnamed creature’s bones. The First Cephalopod is afraid of this occurrence. It saw first hand where there was once open sea, replaced by land from the down under. And the splashing sound of fishes being dried en-mass and their suffocation…

The First Cephalopod learned what it means to sympathize. It could imagine itself being one of those fishes. Flopping around on the wet sand and black dirt. Moving up and down in the no sea zone, and then dying from being too far from the water. The more it imagined, the more it was afraid. And the more afraid it is, the faster it swims.

But there is more than just land rising from beneath the waves. The White Sea above has disappeared, and replaced with the Grey Sea. And this changes, it thinks, is eternal. After every night and day, the First Cephalopod would rise from the surface and look for the Little Fishes above. They did not appear. Even White Light above disappeared beneath the Grey Sky and a cold barrier (ice) began to appear across the sea-surface. But compared to the fear of land rising, this was nothing more than a curious note in the First Cephalopod’s journey.

And lastly was the increase in current’s strength. The First Cephalopod felt it. Others must have felt it too. Still, all the aquatic life must be swimming in the same direction now, pulled toward somewhere. The First Cephalopod couldn’t tell if it was swimming to its own end. All it knows is that the current is pulling it somewhere.

Summary and Clarification

The First Cephalopod experiences the draining of sea water, rising landmass, as well as the Grey Sky caused by volcanic eruptions. It is now making its way to Kthon’s hole.

Clarification : The First Cephalopod does not “sympathize.” It does not feel angry or happy. I would say that while it did possess the modicum of these “human emotions”, the quality of these basic emotions are lesser in the First Cephalopod.

The narrator wrote that the First Cephalopods “sympathize”. What actually happens is that the First Cephalopod imagines the scenario and quickly leaves the area when felt that it is in danger. It does not lament for the squids that may be trapped in the shallow waters, but simply understands the dangerous scenario that it now found itself in. An indication for the development of intelligence in the sense that it is now able to forecast the possible dangers rather than possessing the capability to feel for other similar beings. It is a learned behavior, not compassionate. For now, I would say that the First Cephalopod possess some emotions, but does not respond strongly unless life or death situation

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

@CmmelodyHello, with how the water is receeding. I have a few questions to ask being one of your local sea critters player.

• With the water on surface drastically withdraw, would you say that the corruption with the "surface seawater" increased? Would we be seeing more hostile critters?
• Now that most of the water are under the underground cavern system, as one of the creators of sea creatures, is future critters still have eyes? I'm currently thinking of atrophied eyesight in most fishes and other means of sensory development outside of eyes but would love to see your input.

Forgotten Sands: A Divine Journey into the Unknown

First Cephalpod

Collection of what it knows and what it does not

---

Of Existence and Day Night

There was a time that it wasn’t. Then there is the time that it is.

There was a time before. And then there was an after the time.

It knew this. It wasn’t sure what it was called. Or is called. But it knew of a time before and it knows of a time that is now.

It knew of the light above and the darkness below. Or the darkness above and the darkness below. The first Cephalopod knew this because it had seen it. When the lights above come, the white sea above is white. And when the lights above disappear, the white sea above turns dark.

It knows that the white sea didn’t turn completely dark as well. Little lights, little fishes, light the white sea when the lights above disappear. But sometimes, dark whales engulf them. And when that happened, the dark seas become just as dark as the dark below.

But this darkness is unlike the darkness below.

This darkness does not last eternally. Forever long it may take, little fishes would depart from the black whale’s belly and lights up the white sea above. That, or the lights above shine once more. And when it disappears, in its place would be the little lights that returned.

dictionary

“The light above” = sun, white sky, sea portion that can be shone by the sun
“The white sea above” = sky
“The darkness below” = deep sea
“Dark whales” = cloud
“Little lights”/”little fishes” = stars”

---

Of Birth, Of Love, and Of Something

But that is not all that it knows.

It knows that it is the first.

It knows this because it could not see others like it.

And because it gave birth to its spawn.

The little itself that quickly ran from it.

The little things that scream and squirt ink to it.

The little crunchy squishy things that was much too hard to capture

And the little stillness that it felt when the little self left it by itself.

---

Of the Darkness below and The Drifting Ink

It knows of the darkness below, where the lights above could not reach it. Where there are much odder things than itself existed. Fishes that swim without fins, but by moving like tendrils. Fishes that do not swim, but by having little lights that act like bait. Fishes that do not know their sizes and attempt to eat things that are much too large.

Black whales live here. Gargantuan things. Much larger than it. And it is much afraid of them.

It does not know why the black whales are so ferocious, or so persistent in hunting it full . But it had lost one of its limbs to the black whales. It was how it learned of the other liquid it produced outside of ink. It produced blue liquid. The deepest blue, almost like the liquid that it swims in. But the painful sensation it felt when that liquid escaped it…

The tentacles have regrowned. It could tell no difference from the new old to the old one. But the sensation did not. It didn’t know why it could not forget the sensation, or have it regrowned yet. It is something that it remembers.

That is why it doesn’t like to enter the darkness below, even if its skin could blend in more easily compared to the part where the light above touches.

But the darkness below is not the only danger of the blue liquid.

There are regions it has learned that are unnatural. Regions where crabs acts just as ferocious as the fishes that hunt them. Where mackerels bite sharks and swallow black whales while inside them.

These regions are unnatural. It learned crabs to be docile and harmless creatures. It could cause no harm to its beak and tendrils. All these square things could do is to continuously scurry along the sea floor before it could no longer scurry. But in the drifting ink, the crabs were just as dangerous as it was to them. It could felt a strong thing inside the little box when they scurry into one of these “drifting ink.” Something changes them from fleeing to fighting.

What naturally are prey, turned predators inside those strange waters.

Strangely enough, it has learned to straddle between the normal liquid and the Drifting Ink. Because fighting is a dangerous thing, it knows. And not all prey, not even with the Drifting Ink, could turn into a true predator. So it continuously swims between the normal water and the Drifting Ink, feeding upon the wounded and those that are unfortunate enough to be caught alone

These are the things that it knows.

And it knows a lot.

= Dictionary and Explanation

“Darkness below” = aphotic zone, zone where there are no lights
“Dreadful Ink” = zone where creature are faced Yzechr’s corruption more pronounced

This is based on my understanding of what is being written

Let the ocean be the veil that conceals the truth. The further down the depth, the less they will be able to find, until their own limb and sound of the heartbeat disappear.
Let the madness in their heart grow, the longer they spend down the surface, until they only think of total annihilation.
Let the above be filled with fog, which sometimes makes sights and sounds that never are, and hide the destinations which are always there.
Let the danger of those oceans be so enchanting to the weak willed, that they cannot wait to chase their ruination with smile and laughter.

@Cmmelody

=> Assume this is the normal state of a sea creature. Weirder as they traveled down into the sunless zone. They don’t have much of a mind, so they can’t really understand what is the normal state of being. First Cephalopod’s cannibalistic past would be self-explained by it.

In the depths of the corrupted ocean, something pulsed.

The pearl-white shell that Yzechr had consumed had not been destroyed, not truly. It had dissolved into the very substance of the sea, becoming one with the darkness and the deception. But shells, especially those touched by mysteries, have memories. And memories have a way of surfacing when least expected.

At irregular intervals, sometimes hours apart, sometimes days, the ocean would clear. For a handful of heartbeats, the lightless depths would become transparent, the water as pure and safe as it had been before corruption touched it. Ships could sail. Fish could swim without mutation. The alluring whispers would fall silent.

Then, just as suddenly, the clarity would fade. The corruption would return, darker than before, as if angered by the interruption. The gods who had collected other shells from the shore, pretty, nacre-bright things, felt those trinkets grow suddenly inert in their grasp. The faint magic that had clung to them, the sense of significance, drained away like water through sand. They were still beautiful. But they were just shells now, nothing more.

@Vec

=> There are now phases where the sea becomes not corrupted. But more importantly, there are now phases where part of the sea becomes much more corrupted. This is as indicated by the phrases “The corruption would return, darker than before, as if angered by the interruption.”
So now, the First Cephalopod learns to straddle between these two parts. One part where the corruption is at the normal state, and one part where there is more corruption as a result of that part of the sea was momentarily “cured of corruption.”

Giant Slayers

@RickyG85

Lucas Bramworth

Location: Church
Time: Sunday, 6AG

“Congratulations, Mr. Bramworth.

Due to your satisfactory quarterly performance, your success rate, as well as excellent customer feedback, you are selected to be Mapmaker for our next expedition. Please report to Mister Gordon’s office on Monday to receive your next assignment.

Signed and Sealed,
Matthew Woods”

“Father, we have gathered here today to listen to your teaching and in worship of your Name. We are thankful for your protection over our loved ones. We are thankful for the meals you have provided us. And the safe shelters you had given us. As your flocks return to their daily lives, I ask you to continue protecting them. Grant them strength to face the hostility of their world with perseverance. Of refuge when danger lurks. And for those who are no longer with us, may their soul returned by your side.

In your name we prayed, Amen.”

“Amen.” The crowd said, Lucas included.

He has never been as devout as his mother, but he knew it brought hers comfort when he accompanied her to the church. Especially days before he left for an expedition. His mother would dress in her best, in white dress made of silk and fur gloves from the era before the fall. And like always, she would nudge him by the elbow, said in a hushed tone for him to follow, before approaching in the one of the priest for blessing of safe passage.

“Lucas, come.” Martha said, tapped him on his shoulder before sneakily left on the east side. She walked fast, but stopped and motioned him to get on with it before approaching one of the priests.

Lucas tried to do this on his own. This… blessing asking all by himself before. But for some reason, when he did it, his mother asked to do it again. As if double blessing was somehow doubling the protection he would receive. Actually, she was the one that said it. Something along the line of “Ask for a double blessing never hurts no one.” Of course he isn’t so stupid as to not notice that perhaps the reason why she asked him to do it again was for her own reassurance. But still,....

HAIZZZZZZZ
It’s kinda weird that a person of twenty something is still waiting for his mother to open up for him. The “momma’s boy” title is not gonna leave him early. But he isn’t going to fight her about it. It’s kinda futile trying to …

“Hello Lucas.” The priest said, offering him a warm smile as well as a soft pat on the back. His mother, Martha, stood by the side. A polite smile can be seen on her face.

“Father.” Lucas nodded in response. He knew the person before him. Well, maybe? He heard that there is supposedly this separation of lives before service and life after entering it? So the person he knew before is supposedly different from the person he is seeing now? But anyway, he knew the priest. Sam Taylor. His parents were Lucas’ middle school teacher. Heck, they were neighbors before Sam had to move for his theology studies. It was only a one hour trek toward the deeper end of the colony…
“Well, Miss Martha has come to ask me to give you the blessing of safe travels.” Father Taylor said…

“If you can, Father. And Redwood, Father” Sam nodded before taking the Bible from a nearby pew and offered it to him. Automatically, Lucas put his right hand on the book. His head lowered, and words from his mind reverberated with the words that Sam spoke.

“All-powerful and ever-living God, when Abraham left his own land
and departed from his own people, you kept him safe all through his journey. We asked you to protect Lucas Bramworth, who also are your servants: walk by his side to help him; be his companion and his strength on the road and his refuge in every adversity. Lead him, O Lord, so that he will reach his destination in safety and happily return to our arm. We ask this through Christ our Lord” Sam prayed.

“Amen.” He and his mother replied.

And then, the rest of the day went on. And the night went on as usual. It wasn’t Lucas' first time being a mapmaker. He did something similar a few times now. Five to be exact. Beside, he has been to Redwood before. But it would be a lie to say if his mind didn’t drift toward the worse outcome. Probably because he chose to keep some informations of the meeting from his parents. He isn't just going to Redwood. He is going to Oregon...And his mind imagined of painful death, of diseases…

But the sun always rises.

Lucas Bramworth, mapmaker, left Central California Colony Prime at 5 am local time. His mission, as was detailed, would be to travel past the San-Fran ruin and headed toward the border of the old Oregon-California border before turning back. The estimated distance traveled would be around 500 miles, spanning across one month gives or take. Proof of arrival would be any valid dossier from Sacramento Supreme Court, with its office’s seal visible. A map of the border would be desired, however information and paths to any settlements on the roads are also accepted.