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RP-M: The Romance of Dream and Mist (Valley)

Posted by The EmpressFor group archive 0
The Empress
GM, 179 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Thu 13 Dec 2018
at 16:52
  • msg #1

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

Things had not gone well for the Meretoll.

Their alliance with Androids had borne more fruit than expected - they had interfaced and interbred as the Aegisi of the Arclight and Meretoiles had, and now they could see with their bare eyes what they had once needed the Threemoon to even begin to study. They were quick, strong, healed quickly, and their scholarship had blended with dawning obsession with the Void. It was not enough, now, to study the Moons - they wanted to study the Aurora Solaris, the furthest planets, the twinkling stars, to feel the silent breath of the Void on their necks.

Their friendship with the Nuldraks facilitated this obsession. With the void-traversing ability of their familiars and hardiness of the cybernetically enhanced bodies, they had colonized the moons.

They wanted more. They learned Unspeech, and of the ancient Systemarchi - a horrific ever-expanding race of machines that sought to freeze reality so that it could be completely catalogued, and that had simulated an entire dead universe in order to learn all the permutations of time. The Androids were called the Anima Libera - they had fled the System, and only the Arclight had survived the journey across the Void.

But someday - the machines would come.

And the Meretoll would be the first to meet them.

=

Halley awoke under soft lavender-scented sheets in her childhood home. All was quiet, save for the omnipresent ticking of equipment.

She remembered her past lives in their entirety. Including her rather messy death. And that woman - XiXi? - that had been so obsessed with her - and her wild Aegis - ?
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:52, Thu 13 Dec 2018.
Halley Meretoll
player, 63 posts
Thu 13 Dec 2018
at 18:02
  • msg #2

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

Halley didn't know everything that had happened since she died, although while her death was supposed to have been permanent the blessings and intercession of the primordial themselves allowed her to reincarnate once again. She supposed keeping faith and honor with the primordial was the point of THAT lesson. She certainly could only imagine the horrible curses that they inflicted on her murderer. The likes of The Fool and The Hierophant were cruel and punitive when matters of broken primordial honor were involved, and generous when they were upheld.

Halley had since forgiven her killer. Let the primordial sort out the punishment. She wanted to resume her life of growth, exploration, and socialization with her people and others.

She didn't know how much time passes. So she woke up, stood up, made sure she was dressed and groomed, and she went downstairs to explore who was living in her house currently.
The Empress
GM, 181 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Thu 13 Dec 2018
at 20:29
  • msg #3

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

There were voices from outside your room - a room still decorated with childhood reproductions of star-maps and dioramas of the solar system, paper-mache moons, and fictional itineraries of adventures you had hoped to have one day. Voices that sounded eerily like your parents, although course they were but mortal and would be dead by now.

"Coming along past the guest room, we come to one of the most exciting stop on the tour - the childhood room of The-Comet-That-Watches during her last incarnation, precisely seventy-five years ago today. Contrary to myth, she had an ordinary girlhood, and that solid grounding in normal life would go on to serve her in diplomatic pursuits with other races -"

The speaker paused after entering the room and gesturing for others to look in, taking in the fact that a young woman in a silk traveling dress, equipped with a Kupli-esque gunsword and bearing a gilded braclet and brass spyglass, had just stood up from the bed and headed towards the door.

He stuttered in disbelief, cursing in unspeech. His nuldrak, perched on shoulder, squawked happily and flew over to land on your shoulder, gripping with its strong monkey-like paws.

hello

you are back

can I tell the others

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:30, Thu 13 Dec 2018.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 64 posts
Thu 13 Dec 2018
at 22:10
  • msg #4

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

"EXCUSE ME! What is your guys' problem?!" Halley suddenly snapped at the people when they opened her door.

"What if I was indecent? Why on earth would you barge into a lady's room without knocking first? And did I really keep to my usual 75 year schedule even now? Can't fault Hierophant's impeccable timing." she added.

Halley then turned to pet the Nuldrak, her divine senses and stellar affinity letting her commune with things of the void. She had not forgotten her knowledge from past lives.

"Hi there, you cutie. What are you doing here? Have the nuldraks since migrated down from the heavens? I should go have a fly around outside and see what things are like. And yes, I'm really alive again."
she said.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:27, Sat 15 Dec 2018.
The Empress
GM, 186 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Fri 14 Dec 2018
at 16:51
  • msg #5

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

only the smallest of us

gravity is not so burdensome when we are small

in this way we learn to understand the meretoll

and the mistella

sort of

they are tricksy and sometimes do not give treats

even when a game is played well by us


"What is YOUR problem, Miss?? This is a museum! You're interfering with precious cultural artifacts!"

With the peculiar agility unique to people well-versed in managing children, your voluntary desire to leave morphed into somehow being shooed from your own room. The tour guide fixed the sheets expertly.

"The Lucktwister's interruption aside, you can see even from the walls and the composure of the room that this was a workspace as much as a playspace. Even from a young age, she was always an old soul. it is considered a possibility - as yet UNPROVED -" the tour guide shot you a dirty look - "That she is impossibly old, and has been returning in a new guise every three generations - about 75 years, give or take - for as long as the Threemoon has stood. See how the Threemoon is visible from her window?"

And that glorious threefold tower of bronze was indeed silhouetted against the night sky. In the language of the meretoll, the word 'sky' carried the same connotations as 'sea' - the sky swam with stars, and the three other moons shone in the sky.

Only - one that wasn't a moon - that was the planet, cloaked in mist? Were you ON a moon? When the hell -?
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:52, Fri 14 Dec 2018.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 65 posts
Fri 14 Dec 2018
at 17:36
  • msg #6

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

Halley fumed a bit when she was rebuked. There was a change in the air - a charged feeling of energy if you will. Halley slipped from the grasp of anyone nearby - literally moving so fast that she flashed out of sight quickly before appearing back in her room. It was an overtly unnatural display of supernal speed.

"I want you all to get out of my house. Now! Except the Nuldrak. The Nuldrak can stay. But I'll come outside on my own time. Now out...all of you!" she said.

And as she did so, ill omens began to manifest all over. The pen of the person who told her what was Halley's problem burst and the ink splattered into their face and onto their clothes. Nearby glassware thrummed and several pieces even shattered. The Lucktwister's title was more than figurative it would seem.

She also began to emit wisps of blue and white energy that seemed like a combination between flames and rays of light. The cometfire coma of legends! She was concentrating though quite a bit, to make sure it didn't hurt the Nuldrak or any of the people - or especially her house! But while the ill omens were happening more as a result of her flash of anger in a passive way, the coma was a purposeful display of her power to really make her point . And the coma was slowly expanding.

If the people did not start leaving her room and the hallway, they'd get enveloped in it. And a sheen of frost was beginning to appear on the surroundings, peoples' glasses, and so on.

"Get...out...now..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:28, Sat 15 Dec 2018.
The Empress
GM, 187 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Sat 15 Dec 2018
at 08:31
  • msg #7

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

Each and every one of the tourists dissolved into mist after your last comment - and then, more slowly, the whole of the house softened into multicolored mist as well.

Only the Nuldrak remained. "There's nothing here, Halley. I thought to welcome you, but . . . well . . you are not in good humor."

The Nuldrak took flight from your shoulder, becoming an owl - then an albatross - then something even larger, and only vaguely birdlike - and then, in the distance, reformed into massive, glowing lights, which blinked at you like eyes.

"I am the Aegis of Misty Valley. I prefer Val though. There's nothing here . . .  just you and me. I can play the mist to be whatever you want it to be, but only you can make it really real. Have you ever tried Weaving before? Geotonomancy? You have the instinct, right?"

The Aegis paused. "Wait, Halley. Something . . . something's wrong. There's something wrong with your face . . . "
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:30, Sat 15 Dec 2018.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 66 posts
Sun 16 Dec 2018
at 04:30
  • msg #8

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

Halley frowned as Val spoke, although the ill omens stopped and the cometfire coma dissipated.

"No Aegis, I am not in good humor right now. I have helped these people greatly in some of my past incarnations, and been betrayed by them and others alike in other incarnations. One of the most recent was someone broke an honor in a primordial-backed duel by both attacking me before the duel officially began, and also by using my mother as a sort of hostage which forced me to defend her at the cost of my own life. I've since cast aside my hatred of my killer - although not all of the anger but at least the hate - because I'm sure what the primordials did to her is far worse than me dying. But then I awake here, in a fake realm with people who were acting with a level of ungraciousness that was unheard of in the old Mereton. But then again it's been 75 years since I've last lived. And I'm worried about Meretoiles and my parents. And the Nuldraks - the real ones." she said.

"So yes Val, I'm in poor humor right now. I may possibly never be in as good of humor as I was before, but time will tell." she said.

She then touched her face.

"And what...what's wrong with my face?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:08, Sun 16 Dec 2018.
The Empress
GM, 188 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Sun 16 Dec 2018
at 18:07
  • msg #9

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

When you touched your face, it was smooth and cold. Porcelain. There was no face - only a mask.

You remembered the sound of your voice, and noticed - you were speaking as an Aegis spoke . .

From the far distance, a great light emerged, and then split into distinct colors - azure, vermilion, viridian, sable, pale - and figures emerged, their voices mingling. You felt their auras - massive, like the horizon was walking towards you, greater even than a Virtuous -

"Divj - watch the timelines, resolve paradoxes. Sing your songs - see about creating a meeting-place for the Gods. Tarek, defend the perimeter. We will need a Realm Savage - the Sumanyi will arrive before the Gods are prepared. One of them - Aran? - He will be of great use, someday. Wake the dragon; send the white ships. Notify the Aegis to keep us updated on his movements, how he responds to danger. Yami - we don't need the dead causing trouble. A Realm of Rivers will be needed, and a Realm Lower."

Her voice was massive, each syllable blasting away the mist, revealing bare earth and reality.  Soon you could see them - a group of six. A knight in an elegant azure surcoat, a tall woman in a golden shenyi, a giant wrapped in white strips of cloth, a short, dark-skinned woman surrounded by candles with head of a mongoose, and a black wolf.

And taller than all of them - the speaker, a massive feathered serpent with the torso and head of a woman - her head set with antlers that became the flowering branches of a sakura tree.

She set her eyes on you. "Ah, you are early. Did you think you would so easily escape being slain by a vermilion? You were dead, forever dead. But Clever I, I thought of a means. That duel was no duel. But death is death. You are an Aegis, little starling - the Aegis of my Valley Divine. You alone may keep your name and your freedom, comet-spirit, among all the Aegisi; as the Royal of your species, that is your prerogative."

The little mongoose-headed woman spoke unspeech, and the mist - and Misty - whirled into a small ball, the size of a pebble, flashing with light as it was forced into a solid form. She fastballed the marble at you - time seemed to slow down, and you were able to easily catch it.

"Swallow that - the essence of a God - and become an Archon. I have much work for you, little Aegis, and you must create my Valley for me. The other Gods will need a place to gather."

You realized, with a start, that this was no Primordial - this was the Tree itself speaking to you. She was Myriad.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 67 posts
Sun 16 Dec 2018
at 18:52
  • msg #10

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

Halley looked onward at the assembled great spirits and even the manifestation of Myriad itself, the feathered serpent. And then touched her face again, but then looked onward at the spirits defiantly. It would seem that Halley truly did have her full freedom and free will.

"I...I didn't expect it to happen like this, but it did happen. And The Fool and especially The Hierophant kept true to their primordial honor, and even your vermillion wasn't enough to keep me dead forever. Not with Hierophant involved. I can feel the metaphysical weight of your auras crushing me even now, but still I am myself. And I will always make my own choices." Halley said firmly.

Hierophant was one of the few beings who was strong enough to usurp even the laws of trees themselves. And he did it somehow, because Halley was alive again even now after all that had happened. He probably made Myriad an offer she couldn't refuse. His offers were usually like that.

"Still though with that said...I have long been a protector, a traveler, and a patron in my many lives. And until such a time as I judge you and those upon you as deserving of consignment to the void, I will continue to watch and protect you like I have many times in the past. I will watch and guard your divine valley, and I will not let the void have you while I still flare brightly in the heavens. The void has tried many times to get past me, but has always failed. And as long as your virtue outweighs your selfishness, I will always stand with you Myriad."

And at that, Halley ate the pellet of divinity she had caught in her hand and would become an Archon: a god-aegis.
The Empress
GM, 190 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Mon 17 Dec 2018
at 03:37
  • msg #11

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

PM

[Private to Halley Meretoll: The pellet was the essence of an old god indeed - the Shifting Master, Lord of Mist, a tree-loyal soul passed from Yggdrasil to Laerad, and from Laerad to Myriad. You gain both the domain of Mist and the traits of a Zealous god, and retain his Forsaken power as your personal Aegis ability, which can only be used within the Valley Divine.

As an Aegis, you are aware of everything that happens in the Valley Divine, and may freely contact the Aegisi of other Realms. As the Aegis of the Valley Divine, you are aware of all non-secret information available in all realm threads, provided they are not RP Secret and have an active Aegis that is not intentionally withholding or corrupting information sent to you.

As an Archon, you are uniquely able to see both the 'RTS' and 'RPG' views of the Valley divine at the same time.

At present, you may use Geotonomancy without personal cost, as Myriad is consciously present and providing you power - this is the 'big bang' moment of the Tree and entropy is virtually absent. You will have 5 posts with which to build and modify the Valley Divine. This process has always existed, hidden to Gods but known to Aegisi - it is Geogenesis.

If you wish, you may roleplay a battle for supremacy between the soul of Halley and the Soul of Ruse, and if you choose to do so Halley will always have Ruse in the 'back of her mind', knowing what Ruse would do in the given situation. I fell this would be interesting an advantageous, given that Halley is going to have a hell of a time defending the Valley and will need good advice from a tricky bastard like the Shifting Master.

The Valley will always be covered in a blanket of fog, which you are able to manipulate to produce illusions that are fifty percent real - an illusionary soldier's longsword will do the damage of a real dagger, for example, and an illusionary bridge could hold half the weight of a real one. This requires your active focus and is an AOE effect that at maximum size is about one city block and three stories tall. This can include creating warping space, allowing you to insert a building and 'move aside' the real buildings without causing disruption.

You have full control of the weather, and if you and all other players in the vicinity are willing, advance time forward a year instantly. You may do this once per post, per real week.

After your initial description of the valley divine, time will advance 100 years. You will be able to then modify up to 'half' of what you already did without harming the 'realness' of the valley, after which another century will pass. The more 'real' the Valley remains, the less vulnerable it will be to Madness and the stronger it will be against other realms. The highest score you can end up with is 100% + 50% + 25% + 13% + 8% = 196%. The end score will be rounded up to the nearest 10%, so a perfect score will result in a Valley that is 200% real.

The catch is that with each century, the valley will gain a Curse, like in Rust - each starting at 0 but possibly going stronger (determined by a coin flip after each century)

In each post after the first (you get 4), you may bequeath or strengthen a Boon or decrease a Curse by 1 point without affecting the realness of the Valley. If you act twice, you only get half the possible gain in realness. If you act thrice, you will lose the potential gain entirely, and the Valley will gain a point of Entropy, shortening the time before it is assaulted.

You may choose to eliminate a Curse at 0 entirely, but this will count as two Acts.

As a Zealous God, the realm begins as a BALANCED realm. Keep this in mind when writing you initial description of the Valley.

The Balanced Realm still has a powerful mystical culture, but typically the shamanic core aspects of it's tradition are being replaced with a more esoteric, structured magical practice. The creative arts have boomed: the beginnings of a solid culture of literature, art, philosophy and performance have been established. A system of magistrates and ministers have been loosely established, bringing law to land, though the people are mostly loyal to the God. Some of the land has been explored, but only so that a fully-fleshed mining/agricultural campaign can be attempted: there is now enough food for everyone, and the arts of smithing, forging and jewelry-crafting have begun.

After each 100 years, the Valley will advance to the next Degree, ending as an Enlightened realm. If you feel the Curses the valley is afflicted with are too horrific to leave unattended but do not want to compromise gains in reality by ACTing, you may pause Geogenesis and switch to RTS mode in order to try to resolve the issue - but Geogenesis will pull inexorably on, a year passing with each post, until after 5 normal posts the next century will pass. That's just how it is on this bitch of a Tree.

Have Fun :)
]
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:53, Mon 17 Dec 2018.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 70 posts
Mon 17 Dec 2018
at 20:50
  • msg #12

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

After Halley consumed the pellet of divine energy, she grew silent for a moment before the mists around her suddenly began to churn with the strength of a hurricane as her divine aura surged outward. For a moment, the other mega-spirits had to stop as their horizon-sized auras were repelled by Halley's. Here, in this misty void, she had enough power to damage even the tree itself if she wanted to, but also to make new parts of it. The pellet she consumed merged its divine essence with hers, and the origin of said essence was an old and extremely powerful divine force.

Her base form now emanated mist even when she wasn't emanating cometfire (see her profile I updated it with pics), and she was unlike anything she had ever been before before. She'd be much weaker outside the divine valley, but within it she had the power to truly be a warden of the core of the tree.

And after an indeterminate amount of time being surrounded by hurricane strength howling mist, things suddenly grew silent and still as the mist was all drawn inside of Halley's person. She then erupted with cometfire energy, but that too was drawn inside of herself and apparently snuffed out, but in reality the energy was coalescing and condensing, for her eyes began to glow brilliantly as bright as the sun itself in a mixture of colors: teal, blue, pearlescent, sometimes prismatic. And then streams of yellow light began emanating from the giant feathered serpent and flowing into Halley as she actively funneled and leeched pure creative power from Myriad itself: a prerogative she had as the tree's aegis. And she drank deep and greedily of the tree's power, but she was gestating her power to create something free of entropy from misty nothingness.

And after the tree's power mingled with her own archon power, Halley erupted in a supernova of energy as her aura surged outward exponentially, momentarily eclipsing those of the other great spirits there except Myriad's and those of the primordials themselves who were surely watching. And over time, the supernova began to solidify and coalesce into a solid material core. And gradually, the light began to recede as Halley's aura shrank down to its normal levels. The light faded, and the streamers of energy drawing off myriad also vanished. Halley gasped for air as she was winded after her exertion, although her body and spirit both were as healthy as ever thanks to drawing off myriad to supplement her efforts.

After the dust settled, the misty void was gone.

And in it's place, The Divine Valley stood. Both Halley's and Myriad's personal realm, it was the metaphysical center around which the tree itself would grow and branch out from. From the perspective of a primordial, it was a sapling with some dangling roots and a few flowering buds. But over time, it would sprout into a large universe-tree with a proper trunk and branches and twisting root system all of its own as both new godrealms and normal realms and universes came into being all around this nascent metaphysical core.




THE DIVINE VALLEY


The Divine Valley was literally and figuratively a velly. A huge, expanse of a valley the size of a small country. It was bounded on all sides by steep, sometimes even perfectly vertical mountains with often rounded or somewhat rounded peaks as far as the eye can see and beyond. Many of them are sources of ever-flowing water generated by the power of the Valley itself. As a result, the divine Valley is filled with rivers, lakes, waterfalls, ponds, and fountains and springs although there also is plenty of dry land interspersed throughout as well. There are various Torii Gates interspersed all throughout the Divine Valley, usually directly over leylines that branch out from the Sakura Sacrarium, otherwise known as the literal and metaphysical center of the divine valley itself. All mana originates from the Sacrarium, and is the source of all Essence Nodes that will ever exist in the cores of realms and dimensions that arise upon the tree now and into the future.

The Valley has very distinctive and conspicuous elements of Halley's domains. There are celestial bodies here despite there not being a universe and galaxy proper within the zone of the Divine Valley: A sun, moon, and stars (with frequent comets and shooting stars all visible at night each and every night). The Valley currently is on a 24 hour day-night cycle although it always maintains a warm balmy 70 degrees Fahrenheit Temperature and summertime weather conditions, although the Valley has a mysterious property of always being personally habitable to any being regardless of their need for temperature and air as long as neither Halley or Myriad are actively deeming otherwise. The Valley also is always covered in Mist and fog to some degree - on some days it's drenched in mist and visibility is severely reduced, and on other days it's only slightly misty as the mist thins out and is only heavy over the mountains of the Valley.

Within the Divine Valley, close-ish but not directly next to the Sakura Sacrarium, is the city of Bolide, which is detailed below.

Viewable Image (As a link due to size): https://newevolutiondesigns.co...asy-wallpaper-22.jpg

BOLIDE

This city of Bolide initially starts off with several large and grand aesthetic dome-like buildings and infrastructure that's way beyond the current technology level of mortals currently inhabiting the place (think roughly middle ages) thanks to Halley's influence. However the overall size of the place is currently less of a city and more of a town or really large village, and it contains more simple dwellings interspersed throughout that belong to the locals who live there. There is one building there that is always super hyper advanced and distinct from the rest: The Grand Planetarium, whose inner space is larger than its outer space and whose records, orreries, and such evolve to reflect and map that of the Tree's realms. This place also - along with the Sakura Sacrarium, serves as a Haunt for Halley so normally is sealed from the public. Bolide will grow and evolve over time as the multiverse does, and may also grow and change if gods or high-tier mortal races establish a presence there and add their own embassies and dwellings, councils, and so on. But for now, it's made of elegant smoothed marble buildings with open aesthetic concepts but otherwise is relatively simple.

It is inhabited by race of mortal beings called the Bolidians, who appear essentially to be close to humans except theiy have pointed elfen style ears, pale skin, but hair that ranges from light blue and aqua colors to periwinkle and purple. The Bolidians still have a powerful mystical culture, but typically the shamanic core aspects of it's tradition are being replaced gradually over time with more esoteric, structured magical practices but shamanism still exists. The creative arts have boomed: the beginnings of a solid culture of literature, art, philosophy and performance have been established. A system of magistrates and ministers have been loosely established, bringing law to land, though the people know their place and know that they are allowed to live there only due to the sufferance of Halley and Myriad. Some of the land has been explored, but only so that a fully-fleshed mining/agricultural campaign can be attempted: there is now enough food for everyone, and the arts of smithing, forging and jewelry-crafting have begun. Technology level is roughly bronze age going into medieval times.

NOTE: BOLIDE IS THIS GAME'S CENTRAL HUB FOR GODS AND OTHER BEINGS WHO COME TO THE DIVINE VALLEY. ANYONE WHO PARADOXES INTO THE DIVINE VALLEY APPEARS IN A LARGE OPEN PLAZA IN CENTRAL BOLID THAT HAS AN ORNATE FOUNTAAIN OF IT DEPICTING SUNS, MOONS, AND STARS. ANY ATTEMPTS TO PARADOX INTO THE PLANETARIUM OR THE SAKURA SACRARIUM WILL RESULT IN YOU APPEARING IN BOLIDE INSTEAD.



THE SAKURA SACRARIUM

The Sakura Sacrarium is a HUGE Sakura tree that glows with a pearlescent light at all times of the day, and that appears to be in eternal bloom. This is the physical and metaphysical center of the Divine Valley. It is also, like the Sacred Sacrariums of other Theogenesis games, the seat of the consciousness of the World Tree Myriad itself. This normally a restricted area, and the Tree will (usually) block all attempts by any beings besides its vassal great spirits, Primordials, or The Archon Halley to enter its confines. Forces of Madness or the Abyss that enter the Sacrarium are instantly destroyed if the tree as a whole still stands in the Eternal Forest. The tree always appears taller than any other tree in the Divine Valley, although its size is otherwise subjective to all onlookers but is universally grand and majestic. As the Tree Grows, the Sacrarium tree will eventually get so large that it's entrance will fade from sight and become its own sub-dimension itself but for now it is still visible as the tree is young.

THE SAKURA SACRARIUM IS CURRENTLY BEING ACTIVELY WARDED BY BOTH HALLEY (AS A HAUNT) AND THE PRIMORDIAL BEING KNOWN AS THE HIEROPHANT, GIVEN ITS YOUNGNESS. AS SUCH, PETITIONS FOR ARCH-DIVINITY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME AS THAT MUCH STRAIN COULD HARM THE TREE. THE SACRARIUM IS MEANT TO BE A LOOK-BUT-DON'T-TOUCH LOCATION NORMALLY.


The Empress
GM, 196 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Mon 17 Dec 2018
at 23:24
  • msg #13

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

One hundred years passed.

Myriad was originally accompanied by the Five Dragons - supreme guardians and the overseers of grand metaphsyical concerns.

Tarek, the Sun-Drake, could not conscience the feeblness of the Bolide, the tolerance extended to Halley by Myriad given her failure in battle, and most hurtful - he had been promised the right to create the Sun of the Valley, and that had been stripped from him.

Before he could crash the Sun into the Valley and erase everything in flame, Divj - The Dragon of Time, the Azure Knight - smote him in a moment between moments, deep enough to maim but not to kill. His blood fell to earth, and the blood was tainted with Madness. Tarek fell into a slumber, wrapped around the Valley - his spine becoming the Tarrekian Range of mountains within the Valley, creating new lakes and a region known for little rain, short winters, and hot summers.

The Mists were tainted, as were the rivers - they now knew a taste of godsblood.

CURSE GAINED: The Hungry Earth

DESCRIPTION: Anyone slain within the Valley Divine is captured by the earth, their ghost bound within their body. When the rays of the morning sun fall upon such a corpse, it rises as a Daemon - a maddened thing. As such, the Valley develops without graveyards - the dead are summarily burned before the next day. Still, those who die of old age in their beds often become Daemons at morning light, murdering their sleeping families before being dealt with by the constabulary. Sleeping in past dawn is a rare luxury of those who live alone.

REALM ADVANCED TO: Curious

Study of the engineering of the Valley's buildings and full exploration of the Realm see smaller cities of similar styling established around Bolide, and even smaller craft-villages near resource sites.

A strange site is discovered - a well, unfathomably deep, that reflects a night sky. A child playing nearby fell into the well - and survived. The well connected to another, stranger Valley - where everything was night, with no sun in the sky, and there little more than rocks and ash - and strange, armored warriors with glowing eyes. Or so said the child. Few choose to believe.

This discussion of belief and the unknown sparks a mystical approach to science - deep study is conducted of the valley's geography, its ley-lines mapped, and the art of Feng Shui is created. Towers are built in the city over the nexuses of these lines, enabling their owners to perform feats of magic before unknown. The Academe Mystique de Bolide is created to allow the sharing of research, as the owners of these towers form cabals of apprentices and become idiosyncratic in their methods.

Their first great success was the lighting of Bolide, enchanting the cobblestones with curious alchemical paste that absorbed the light of the day and shed it in a soft indigo hue at night.

The consistent temperatures are a boon for the harvest, and animals are tamed using magic and breeding. The consumption of meat remains a ceremonial occurrence, but milk and eggs enter the market. Pastries become popular as the Tarrekian Range region is suitable for growing sugarcane and coffee, and the legendary Cafe de Bolide is opened near the central plaza.

Government is split into three branches, the Magistra de Mystique, the Magistra de Daemonia, and the Magistra de Civil, relating to the concerns of advancing knowledge, handling Daemons and spirits and administering justice, and civil corps dedicated to maintaining the infrastructure of the city.

You may now ACT.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 71 posts
Tue 18 Dec 2018
at 00:08
  • msg #14

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

Halley had helped guide the first generation of Bolidians, but only to a point. She knew they had to grow as the realm itself grew, so she only helped teach them enough to get them to a BALANCED Realm State of development and let them grow on their own from there, holistically with the rest of the Realm.

The sight of her blazing through the sky was relatively common, as she blazed brighter than any of the normal comets ever did. and of course, the mists roiled and slithered in the wake of her passing too, and the mists never blocked her light unless she explicitly wished them too. It was like the realm itself was showcasing her off for others to see as needed, which helped her legend and mythos grow.

She was generally friendly with the Bolidians, but also usually pretty firm. She was far more serious and stoic in this incarnation of hers than ever before, but it was because she had so much more responsibility riding on her than ever before. Yes, she led armies of nuldraks against void incursions and burned mad things with cometfire, and yes she had done other such things in the past. But never before did the responsibility of jump-starting a world tree ever fall on her shoulders. In a way, she had created what would one day become the entire multiverse. A multiverse that would one day bring forth new godlings to hopefully help her in defending the tree, and fighting off Madness and other worse things from within and without.

The Bolidians knew she was their creator, as well as the demiurge that made this core region of the Tree. And while she sometimes walked among them and communed with them, she never considered herself a part of them. Always as a force from on high, guarding and exploring and watching. She intervened with the Bolidians society and government only very rarely, usually to stamp out major civil wars before they began as well as mediate conflicts among the highest echelons of their government and society, and generally let them do their own thing as long as they remembered she was above their laws and that they were not to encroach on the Sakura Sanctorium. Their role was to be lesser stewards of The Divine Valley and Bolide itself and she made sure they knew this, while she followed even higher pursuits.

-------------------------------------------------

After this much time had passed, and she had worked with Divj to help deal with Tarek, Halley became aware of the Realm's new curse and decided she had to do something about it. But in a way that would not jeopardize the Realness of the Divine Valley. She had intended it to one day stand above the realms of other gods as well as more esoteric places, and also protect Myriad's core, so needed it as Real as possible. More Real than Real, even.

So she took action, and slowed down time for a moment.

GEOGENESIS MODE PAUSED TO CONSULT WITH THE PRIMORDIALS.

[Private to GM: I am holding off on the revision of 50% of what I already did thing, to see the results of RTS mode first.

However, I'd like to ask a question using her limited omniscience:

1.) what would happen if I used my "free" change some of what I've done thing to change having made the sun, and instead invite Tarek to do it instead?

It's very much a fast-forward - you aren't able to act during the first 100 years. At this point, you could heal Tarek - placing him metaphysically in your debt. Since you're using Myriad's power at the moment, this would also destroy the Madness within him, reducing him to mere godhood. That would gain you a powerful ally, but might causes issues with the rest of the Dragons since they see him as a traitor.

You could use an ACT to replace the Sun with Tarek's dreaming intentions, in which case once Tarek heals naturally in the next 100 years and things will be tense but peaceful - he'll want to create a Assimilated Cult among the Bolide before he will agree to help you.

You were kinda screwed there, since nobody told you what he was promised. But that's how this goes. You could consult with Myriad or one of the other Dragons during one of your RTS posts - they have all ideas of how they want the valley to be, but since Myriad jumped the gun by directly hiring you on they can't direct you without breaking propriety. You were given carte blanche.


2.) If I for some reason still wish to leave Halley as having made the sun, I want to try RTS mode to try and see if we can resolve the curse. If I do this, can I turn on RTS mode and have my Bolidians help research magical and scientific techniques to help reduce the madness that's in the water and mist, and otherwise try to work using RTS mode to do up to 5 normal posts for this century try and mitigate the curse? Is that how RTS mode works? I get up to 5 normal posts per century before geogenesis forces itself back on?

Yes, you can do that. It will change the effects of the curse and possibly mollify them for that century, but will not reduce the strength of the curse.
]
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:05, Tue 18 Dec 2018.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 72 posts
Tue 18 Dec 2018
at 07:30
  • msg #15

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

HALLEY UNPAUSED GEOGENESIS, BUT THEN SWITCHES INTO RTS MODE

Halley had to do something about Tarek, one way or the other. She had Ruse's forsaken mist, which in the valley would allow her to harm even a dragon. She considered just finishing Tarek off - he was initially a being that was a blend of Mad and Treespawn that walked a delicate line between the two favoring Treespawn. But recently, his Mad side had won out and it was polluting the Valley. He could be a potential threat to the Valley and tree later on, so why not use the forsaken mist and put him down?

Or use her power and replace the sun with Tarek's dreaming intentions. She could do this right now thanks to the Geogenesis process. But Tarek would still be a pain in the ass.

Maybe she'd need to use the forsaken mist and start assassinating the dragons one after the other, or at least use the threat of the mists to drive them permanently away from the divine valley and thus the core of the tree. They all were potential problems, but also were potential allies who did valuable services for their mother, like the Azure Knight. Not to mention Myriad might be sad if Halley killed them like that.

Why not crush his madness, and make him indebted to you. Two birds with one stone.

Halley considered another alternative.

Heal the treespawn, tear out the madness. So what if he loses out - he's an asshole in the end who would try to leverage the Bolidians to his own ends. Make him pay for his arrogance, and benefit at the same time.

These strange lines of thought were coming upon her more and more over the passing years. did her recent rebirth bother her so much, or was it just stress? Or something else?

He's a mere dragon, tainted filth allowed to sup at our table only due to his mommy. The Forsaken mist can harm even the ascended. Trust me, I know! The state of his soul and born essence is pointless. His filth is polluting the tree! It's in the water, in the mist! Kill or subjugate the madness...there is no other choice!

Halley shook her head to try and clear her thoughts, and decided to slow down time to something more normal. She needed to speak to others and try to gather her thoughts, which these days had taken on more of an edge than was normal.

--------
RTS MODE:

Halley surged across the divine Valley, flying away from the Tarrekian Range that she was surveying. She recalled a strong desire to go to the range that was weird. A part of her wanted to show mercy in as soft a way as possible, but another wanted to take a more utilitarian approach and cleanse the madness at any cost, even if Takker was reduced even while being indebted to her. She just all sorts of thoughts running around through her head, and needed to bounce them off another.

She needed to talk to Myriad, who was the mother of dragons.

And so she streaked across the heavens, the light of her cometfire coma lighting up her path as she made her way to the center of the realm. The Bolidians looked skyward as her glowing form sped over the city, toward the Large imposing Sakura tree in the distance. Toward the Sakura Sacrarium.

As Halley approached, she dismissed her cometfire and flew right into the trunk of the large tree, passing through it seamlessly as she entered the Sacrarium to commune directly with Myriad.

"Oh Myriad, Tree of Mine and Tree of Ours, it is I Halley and I invoke thee as your Archon for an audience. I wish to speak with you about the sun-dragon Tarek. About how his actions have tainted the divine valley and thoughts on what I can do about it."

The Empress
GM, 197 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Tue 18 Dec 2018
at 08:17
  • msg #16

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

The Sacrarium was a vast, verdant field, awash in wildflowers.

Here, Myriad was a small child, making a daisy chain.

She looked at you, then looked away.

"Tarek's the second-born. He looks up to Yami, and is envious that Yami has a partner that loves her, Pallav, and he doesn't. He wanted me to make him a wife, but that wouldn't be right. I don't know why - I just sense it.

If you married him, he'd be very happy, and he'd dote on you. But if you don't like dogs, it won't work out. He's like a puppy. He breathes loyalty. And one day, if you don't like puppies, he'd cut you down, after you were unfaithful with Divj, and your children would be the star-blessed, but they would be sad and godless. I can see that far."


She completed the chain, and started adding others flowers, to make it a proper crown.

"If you do nothing, one day one of Sumaya's children will marry him, and she will become an unkillable godslayer, punishing the world for what happened to her people during the war that is coming. She'll even kill me, but you'll get her afterward. Then things will die like Yggdrasil, and become very dark."

She finished the chain, and offered it to you, as a gift.

But your Archon sight saw something pulsing in the space where the flower crown was - knowledge. Dark, something best forgotten, that stank of Madness.

"If you give this to him, he'll become a Mad Tree-Dragon, and command the Daemons, and things will go like Kookhe. Or you could wear it, and then you'd be Many-Angled and strong enough to kill me. Sumaya would win, the Hierophant would lose, but you would be stronger than both of them."

The crown burned to cinders in her hands. "I knew you wouldn't take it. But I offered."

"There are many paths. I end, eventually, no matter which path is taken. What matters is that my children are happy, and that they survive me. You are Zealous. You understand this."

"I would suggest you look forward. This curse is under control, for now. The mortals are handling things. A new curse is coming, too. They're not strong enough to handle two right now.

Fight seeds with seeds. Plant something good. Worrying too much keeps you from growing."


A year passes. Four more, then Geogenesis will resume.

[Private to Halley Meretoll: She''s about 12 right now, will be 15 after the next Geogenesis, and will end age 22. The apparent age of her avatar in the Sacrarium is how she feels about herself in terms of competence, not a reflection of her mental or physical maturity, if that makes sense. It's her self-actualization.

Additionally - there is a Dating Sim aspect to this, in that if you visit the Sacrarium in RTS mode after each phase of Geogenesis, and accept hugs from Myriad during her 'teenage' years, and end with a perfect score of 200% reality, she'll form a crush and ask you to be her Mistress Divine as an adult, taking a final stable form that Halley finds pleasing - a natural result of her literally being partially shaped by Halley's intention, since the Valley is literally her heart.
]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:41, Tue 18 Dec 2018.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 73 posts
Tue 18 Dec 2018
at 17:12
  • msg #17

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

RTS 2/5

Halley recoiled from the crown of flowers. Her comet side was never subjected to Madness she didn't willingly accept - she was void aspected but not of it after all - but her virtuous side from the mists she inherited added a whole new level of disgust for Madness that she never experienced before. So much she actually gasped and had to stop herself, because the intensity of the reaction quite frankly surprised her.

She'd never marry Tarek. He disgusted her to some degree now that his half-Mad lineage had recently come to light. But she had to do something about him. Even Myriad foresaw that if Halley did nothing, as he was now he'd give birth to something so terrible that after Halley killed it, very little would be left. And that was unacceptable.

Which meant her strange thoughts about ripping out Tarek's Madness and purging it may actually be the best solution. Even if it was an alien impulse for her.

"No Myriad - I don't want your flowers. I told you, that as long as your Virtue remains strong I'll always work to protect you. And even now, you are a beacon of Virtue. I may one day make hard choices and do hard things, but not you." she said.

"I'll do something about Tarek. I have a plan. Yes a plan. But you Myriad? Tell me...are you aware of this strange well that has appeared in the Valley? I definitely did not intend it in my design, but it seems to lead to some sort of reverse-valley. I want to explore it a bit, but wanted to know what you knew of it first, and if you knew how my forsaken mist would work there."
The Empress
GM, 199 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Tue 18 Dec 2018
at 17:59
  • msg #18

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

"It's a Realm Alter. What would have happened if Divj had not intervened - everything would have burned to ash, and everyone would be unable to die since we there was no afterlife yet. The remaining Boledi would have become a new Inquistion and rooted out Madness, and the world would fade and flare as each of my Dragons gave their lives to restore me - but in the end, I would never grow.

The Ash is beneath us, now. When the Gods come, they will hunt the monsters there, and draw strength from cinder. With an Act, you could reclaim the Ashen, and grant the valley undying guardians - or sever it from me - or imprison Tarek there, and make him a Lord of Living Coals. His strength would be enough for a civilization to develop, and some semblance of true life."


A year passes. Three more, then Geogenesis will resume.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:16, Tue 18 Dec 2018.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 74 posts
Tue 18 Dec 2018
at 21:25
  • msg #19

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

RTS 3/5

Halley considers.

"I see. I didn't realize I had so many options still. As for Tarek, I am considering healing him directly. I know you are aware of the good and the bad that would come from that, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on that. Cleansing his madness and making him indebted to me at the same time seems like a great thing for the Divine Valley. I keep having these nagging thoughts about that and I don't know why. So I have to ask you what you think about that course of action. It would be better than killing him, or consigning him to some prison...yes?"
The Empress
GM, 200 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Wed 19 Dec 2018
at 08:03
  • msg #20

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

She considered.

"No."

She Spoke - "Divj; Erisha; Yami; Tarek."

Lamellar armor, a white silk glove, a saber, and a yew staff appeared before her.

"These are my dragons, save for Ixchel, who is a friend. They are to me as your equipment is to you; their strength is my strength, and if they are weakened, so too am I."


She took Tarek, the yew staff, and and dug in the ground, drawing a rough depiction of a Realm: a central square province, surrounded by four equidistant circles.

"There are five elements. The Valley is Earth, neutral element; the Garden. Surrounding it are four Alters - dead worlds the feed the Valley. In Yggdrasil, they were the Realm Savage, Realm Sorcerous, Realm Genius, and Realm of Anvils.

Tarek is my Staff, and corresponds to the element of Fire. Imprisoning him in the Ash keeps his power within my reach, grants him the fiefdom he desires, and protects the Valley from the Hungry Earth growing to further severity.

However, healing him would strengthen you even as it weakens me. You are my Archon; whether you prefer to enhance our defenses at the cost of our sorcerous potential is up to your judgement."


She paused.

"Geoegenesis draws close, little Starling. Have you thought to consult another? Perhaps Tarek? His body sleeps, but his mind is aware, and an Aegis is naturally telepathic."
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 75 posts
Thu 20 Dec 2018
at 03:46
  • msg #21

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

RTS 4/5

Halley looked concerned.

"So if I heal Tarek and weaken him in the process, it gets me an ally that I'll have under my metaphysical thumb, but it will weaken your magic overall as Myriad? Hmmm...I don't want to weaken you if possible. Your power is my power so I have direct incentive to do so. Plus, am finding myself starting to actually care about you too."

I was unaware.

Halley considered, as her thoughts swirled.

Didn't know that would weaken the tree. Must reconsider.

"I can speak to the others later. But you and I should talk more. Plus, I have been so busy this past century I haven't seen to much. And for that I apologize. I'm still learning the ropes." she said.

Learning indeed. Learning how to play your pieces correctly. This isn't Yggdrasil.

Halley looked confused for a moment, but shook her head and continued.

"Myriad...I'm strongly considering what would happen if I imprisoned Tarek in the Ash Below, and allowed him to make a civilization there. The gods, in time, could still venture to the Ash to gather power as I'm sure not even Tarek could tame it in its entirety. You'd still retain a full connection to him and thus not lose some of your magic, or him as one of your dragons. And it would be an outlet for his pride and ambition and should appease him. The Ash will still fall under our power once I find and destroy my alter ego there - that's a quest for another time though - but this seems to be the best solution. This way, I won't have to worry about him power struggling with me or the other dragons but also I won't have to kill or diminish him either, which is important given that you care about him so much." she said.

I should have known. I am ashamed. Inept. Pathetic. My ignorance nearly hurt the tree.

And suddenly, her conflicted and muddled thoughts instantly cleared up. Like some sort of thick fog that was swirling around inside of her had dispersed immediately and subsided back into drops of dew at rest. A strange sensation that she didn't understand, but her mind felt clear again.

Halley then smiled.

"You mentioned planting seeds for something good...what do you think about me literally planting him in the Ash to act as a Governor for us there? Your thoughts?"
The Empress
GM, 202 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Thu 20 Dec 2018
at 07:47
  • msg #22

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

She smiled.

"A fire does the most good in places without warmth or light."

She looked away from you, out towards the expanse of wildflowers. In the distance, a small rosebush grew from the earth before your eyes, and tender blooms opened.

"Our first God is born. His name is Caerden, and his domains are Intrigue and Festivals. His Aegis is Xixi Arashimaru, whom you might remember from your old life. You are easy to love, Halley. Perhaps that is why I thought you would make a better Archon than the Shifting Master, for all his faultless competence; he grew to power with a dying Tree, impossibly grand, and was tasked with prolonging her life. He was a Knight serving an ailing, ancient Queen."

She smiled again at you, showing teeth this time. "And you are the well-favored friend to a lonely sapling."

You must ACT as part of your next post, if you decide to ACT, and then Geogenesis will resume.
Halley Meretoll
Virtu of Journeys, 76 posts
Thu 20 Dec 2018
at 21:14
  • msg #23

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

RTS 5/5

Halley nodded.

"Caerden, eh? I will remember him well, since how could I forget the morally ambiguous Xixi? A part of me wanted to hug her and another to punch her in the face or something. She always did bring out the best and worst in me. And she's an Aegis now? Talk about ironic. Now she'll have to put up with me good or bad since with my being your Archon she technically works for me now. Myriad...that's just delicious." she replied, before vanishing in a flicker before appearing directly before Myriad.

Halley bent down onto her knees and remained upright, which brought her more or less exactly to the young girl's height.

"And speaking of hugs, I think a certain lonely sapling really could use one right about now." Halley said with a smile as she leaned in and gave Myriad a hug.

"I'll deal with Tarek now - I wish I could stay with you longer, but right now I can't hold back time any longer and Geogenesis is about to resume. I promise I'll visit you again soon, my friend."

And wish a flicker, Halley was gone.

------------------------------------------------

Several years had passed from the perspective of the bolidians, although the time passed like minutes of Halley. She was in a liminal state, able to perceive time as a mortal, a god, and a primordial tier entity all at once. But onlookers would see her bluish-white cometfire lighting up the sky as it blazed into the air from the Sakura tree, and streaked across the heavens toward the Tarekian mountain range once again.

She didn't have much time, so had to act quickly and decisively.

Once she arrived above the mountain range, which was currently shrouded in mist and darkness given it was night time in the valley currently, she paused and levitated in the air. Her cometfire coma began to glow brighter than normak. Then brighter. Then brighter. And even brighter, until she shone so brightly that she was no longer a comet but a small miniature sun. The valley - at that time - was about as bright as it was during the daytime due to Halley flaring with brilliance, for she was currently channeling myriad's power through her own as Archon. So for a brief moment, she was in a supernova state of sorts where she could do almost anything.

"Tarek Sun-Dragon, child and staff of Myriad, I am Halley Meretoll and declare my divine authority. In this Valley, my light shines even brighter than yours and always will, and you will acknowledge my prerogative. Not with anger or envy, but camaraderie and acceptance. For I shine with the light of your mother herself." Halley said, her voice echoing across the mountain range like thunder and lightning. Like a hurricane. Her eyes shone like galaxies as she channeled Myriad's power.

"You will temper your pride, and hone your ambition with wisdom. You committed a great crime against both myself and Myriad, and would have razed the Valley in a pride-induced tantrum. So as punishment, you will be forced to live with and within the consequences of your actions and will be forced to bear witness to the ashen timeline realm you almost made entirely real, instead of partially real."

"However, I am not without mercy or forgiveness, and neither is your mother. So I will grant you a boon along with your punishment: We grant you the privilege of being able to preside over the Lower Ash as our Governor, and that includes having the right to create the sun for the Lower Ash as well according to your own designs. You will be able to heal your bodily damage as well come the next century. You will answer only to myself and Myriad in your governance of the Lower Ash, and you will retain your full connection to Myriad as well. We are giving you the chance to take a mistake, and instead use it to make something of yourself and in doing so, make yourself and your mother better for it. Help her grow strong, Tarek."

ACT: Establish Tarek as the Confined Governor of the Lower Ash.

[Private to GM: Note: This is her first ACT this cycle, so like we discussed it does not reduce the Valley's realness.

Also I hugged Myriad. ^_^
]
The Empress
GM, 207 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Thu 20 Dec 2018
at 22:48
  • msg #24

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

STAGE ONE CLEAR!

SCORE: S-RANK

ACCOLADES:

- PERFECT ACT: The Path of Mildness was followed. The Dragon Tarek was tasked with presiding over the Lower Ash, the Valley's Southern Province. As such, the Valley gains both a Boon and the stage's Curse is reduced to 0.

- THE VALLEY SOLIDIFIES: +50% REALITY.

- YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MYRIAD ADVANCES TO: I, FRIENDLY. SPECIAL ACTION TAKEN

- YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH TAREK ADVANCES TO: II, LOYAL

- THE DRAGONS DIVJ, YAMI, AND ERISHA REMAIN NEUTRAL

- THE PRIMEVALS, IXCHEL AND ASAT, REMAIN NEUTRAL

The Empress
GM, 211 posts
Hopeless Romantic
Fri 21 Dec 2018
at 03:08
  • msg #25

RP HALLEY: The Misty Vale

Geogenesis: Stage 2

One hundred years passed - marking the year as 205.

The valley was magnificent. A monsoon/drought cycle began, due to the influence of the Ash, and from Bolide arose many other cities, and many festivals were created:

Lyoni, in the south, nearest the Tarrekian Range, was famous for its wines and its warriors, hosting melees, jousts, and a grand college of arcane blacksmithing. Their signature product were curious sun-swords, that harnessed elemental energy to form strange blades of sharp-fire.

Oceanus, in the west, was based at the delta of the Valley's many rivers, and was built on the shallow water - their great hydroponic gardens produced a massive amount of food, and harvested small purple-shelled crabs to produce rare and vibrant violet dyes; and lastly, they harvested gorgeous holy pearls, which quickly became used as a currency within the realm owing to their non-transmutable nature.

Study of these pearls led to rise of a new magic - Mythcrafting. The pearls were beads of divinity, and with long concentration, even a mortal could transform them into curious gemstones - and with further focus, create new life.

But that was not all - further study into this "mythcrafting" lead mortal scholars into the deep - into what was called the Waking Night.

They dreamed, and in dreaming woke, having carved runes into their flesh. And these runes gave them power.

There was a resonance. Runes to strengthen the body, jewels to make new life. Gems and runes.

The first 'black beast' was made - a great cat, with human intellect, supernatural resilience, and absolutely loyalty. In a dark mood, the cat's creator slew the beast and ate its heart. Days of agony followed, as the soulless power of the mythcrafted creature surged through the Boledian's body - more than any mortal could bear - but with runes of strength etched in her skin, she withstood. She was the first Riftcrafter.

Her hearing and sight became that of the great cat. Claws like blades leapt from her body at her will. She was stronger than a bear, and twice as agile.

One night, the sun did not rise. And another - and another - for a month, there was no daylight.

A precious prize had been torn from the Dream, from the Waking Night, and the Waking Night was enraged. The Valley was awash in screams, night after dayless night. Some began to die from insomnia, unable to face the terrors their dreaming mind was subjected to. Other turned to laudanum to numb their sleep . .

Boon: The Ashen World is at 0.

Curse: The Waking Night is at -1.

Curse: The Hungry Earth remains at 0.

This message was last edited by the GM at 03:09, Fri 21 Dec 2018.
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