Thinslayer

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

@SilverPaw
Ooh. I'm liking this character already. I think you've got a knack for this. Wanna make him a former king of Aetherion? If we're looking to make the state of his kingdom uncertain, perhaps his domain is a smaller nation that got absorbed into the larger kingdom. Maybe his kingdom joined an alliance which later transitioned to a state within Aetherion's constitutional monarchy. Or, perhaps a war broke out that got his kingdom conquered and absorbed, whether by Aetherion or by a rival state.

For a more tragic scenario, maybe the entire domain fell under Yddrog's rule, its human population enslaved and replaced with monsters or allied mortal races (like orcs). Perhaps one small, dwindling human settlement remained in hiding within a cave, and Yddrog could throw the prince a bone by giving him authority over the settlement. Maybe something like, "As long as you can procure me a pure maiden to sacrifice every ten years, I see no reason not to allow their pitiful existence. What a generous ruler I am, yes? Feel free to thank me."

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

@SilverPaw
Got an idea of what kind of character you want to play?

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

You mentioned our characters memories with Regret are lost. Then, have they also absolutely zero recollection of their previous life initially?

@SilverPaw

This element is primarily a plot device added to give me leeway to introduce your characters to Regret over time, since granting them full knowledge of their former patron will make choosing her too easy and complicate my efforts to characterize her properly (because how do you convey an entire relationship with a friend in a few paragraphs?). But I also think they should retain some knowledge of their past lives before they met Regret so that their personalities can properly form. So given the specificity with which their memories were lost, I'll have to say Yddrog probably wiped them on purpose during their creation/summoning ceremony.

Do they they regain their memories over time? Or does it vary case by case, maybe even depends on whether they try to remember or other factors?

@SilverPaw

My working plan for this is to roleplay out "character memories" between the Champions and Regret whenever they accomplish something significant. But I've rarely known RPs to pan out the way I intended, so this is subject to change. In short, it'll vary and may depend on various other factors. Off the top of my head, I can envision them recovering their memories through things like:
* Adjusting their bond with her
* Meeting people she associated with
* Doing things she'd appreciate

When did Regret become involved with Aetherion, when she was still human or afterwards?

@SilverPaw

Several thousand years ago. She was an ordinary human colonist back then, a microbiologist paid for her contributions to terraforming endeavors. When a Rift opened and the Voidspawn started pouring out to conquer her world, she shifted gears to become a doctor and help the war effort, and eventually took on additional roles as the situation grew worse. Long story short, humanity lost that war and was driven to extinction. Regret was the last human standing on the entire planet. She bargained with her god to grant her power and immortality so she could avenge the fallen, challenging him whether the extinction of humanity and victory of evil was truly his will. She got her wish, and over the next thousand years proceeded to hunt down the Voidspawn one by one until she'd wiped the planet clean of them. The abilities she developed during that lonely war are the ones that'll be handed down to the players - Healing and Rot, Adrenaline Rush/Hysteria, and Offensive Reincarnation being the three key ones.

Does she consider it 'her' kingdom/does she show it preference?

@SilverPaw

That was part of her second bargain with her god at the conclusion of her Lonely War. When she'd finally avenged humanity of its enemies, she challenged her god once again whether a barren, lifeless world without man was truly his will, and offered to restore new life to the world in exchange for undying life of her own. She got her wish, trading away her power in exchange for increased authority and keeping her immortality, and continues to nurture the world as its mother and guardian to this day. Aetherion in particular is a nation grown from her direct descendants, so it holds a special place in her heart.

How influential is she as a demigoddess?

@SilverPaw

Uniquely so. As the only patron with a physical, mortal presence on this world, and one who grants immortality at that, her name is widely known here, though her level of influence depends on whether they have a good opinion of her. In Aetherion, her word might as well be law.

I take it Yddrog is an unusual exception as a contractor in how much he can defy his patron (and creator)? Is that because Regret was too lenient in their contract, gave him too much power for 'free'? Or did he also manage to rebel because of his innate will?

@SilverPaw

Yeah, he's an unusual case. She was a fairly new Ascendant back when she created him, so she was inexperienced with the creation of magical contracts. Her contract with him did not include anything that bonded their minds together, so his will was almost entirely free of external influence. This proved to be her undoing. Naturally, she did not make the same mistake again when she contracted with her Champions.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

Yes, the easiest way to acquire magic power is to contract with Regret. You will receive immortality and a handful of synergizing abilities in the bargain.

As for whether you can have more than one patron, absolutely. That's the premise of this RP, in fact - and it's to demonstrate the reason why people usually don't contract with more than one patron. That reason is because, if your patrons' priorities conflict, the consequences could be deadly for the contractor. Now, if you know from the outset that you'll be taking on multiple patrons, you can certainly include language in your contracts to resolve any conflicts that arise. So there are safe ways to do it if you come prepared.

And yes, any preexisting contracts would still be valid unless stipulated otherwise. It is the contractor's responsibility to ensure all their patrons are satisfied.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

@Zyx
The gods are essentially forces of nature, with their respective characters embodied in the laws of nature. As such, I'm not sure whether ascension to godhood proper is possible in this universe's lore. There's certainly no precedent for it.

Oh, and there's one limit to magic I forgot to talk about: Authority. While I don't want to bog it down too much in numbers and rules, as a rule of thumb, demigods have enough magical authority (think mana) to do something that'll slightly affect the whole world. When divided up between their contractors, it's usually sufficient to do something flashy and overpowering once per encounter. It's strong, but you won't be burning holes to the planet's core without incurring backlash.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

@SilverPaw
They do. The bond goes both ways. Sometimes, your patron might even feel your own experiences better than you do yourself, especially if they're on the verge of possession. For Regret, she can read your emotional state through the bond, and it can affect her mood if she's not careful. It's part of the reason she likes to give her contractors attentive love and care, because she'll definitely feel it if they're suffering.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

Yep, you've got the gist of it. There are numerous angels and demons available for contracting, many with unique and varied powers like the examples you mentioned. Funnily enough, you managed to hit on the exact two powers that have lore relevance to this story. One of the seven Ascended demigods possesses the power to reverse time by a limited amount, while it was a war against a Void demigod (shapeshifter type) that ultimately drove Regret to ascend. So yeah, there's absolutely all kinds of demigod spirits to contract with.

What makes Ascendants like Regret stand out from all the rest is that they are the only ones with mortal forms. As such, Regret is the only demigod you can contract with whom you can actually see in person with your own eyes.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

Hm. Straining his bond with Regret would be unnecessary. She offers her powers to those who request it (if she feels they are worthy), and would gladly take her claim and powers back if you just ask. And if you want her immortality without having to engage in her political messy business, you can renegotiate the terms of the contract. In other words, service to her is entirely voluntary. Prospective contractors are usually the ones trying to enslave her, not the other way around. Immortality from a pretty girl who's nice to you is too attractive an offer for many to pass up.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

@Zyx
Ooh. The first character idea is definitely a kindred spirit with Regret then. There are some differences, to be sure, but their zeal for humanity's betterment would be something they'd bond over, I imagine. That woman has definitely punched demigods in the face more than a few times over their treatment of people - well, back when she was a firebrand, anyway. She's mellowed out over the centuries.

The second character idea is in for a fun time too. Humans can be cruel, vindictive creatures, and both he and his master would get a real kick out of dishing it back to them. I can already see them evilly cackling together before Yddrog kicks YC in the shins for existing.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

@Zyx
Sounds like whatever character you're creating has a lot in common with Regret. Their main point of difference seems to be in the execution of justice, which is something she can come around on. Yddrog might come around too if you can persistently make a case for it for several years without incurring his displeasure. He can be persuaded to treat humans just as poorly as the rest of his monsters. :P

"Oh, fine, then humans can just be emergency food instead of regular food. I shall instruct my chefs to adjust my diet accordingly. Happy now?"