Dearest Citizens of the Realm,
Your God, Rohypnos the Spider, Lord of Narcotics, has been found to have contravened his Charter as a Member of the League of Divine Right, in distributing Phastasmagoria among Mortal races, an act of High Treason;
And this Missive stands as notice that, by the Signed Letters of Fire & Sword issued by Her Majesty, your Property, Lives, and Land are forfeit, such as once belonged to your Lord.
Should you, in good order, vacate your Realm and pass into Exile beyond the Ten Thousand Realms;
You will be permitted to Persist, albeit under the Penalty of the Wrath Unceasing.
Written at the Behest of the Rose Serpent, the Lady-of-Radiance, Her Majesty, the Empress of Cosmos.
Your plot discovered, you fled. In sleepless night and dreaming day, league by league, by land and ship and air and void, passing from reality and law and order into stranger half-dreams.
Yet, by the grace of your fallen Lord, the Realm bequeathed its Seed to you, and so in unchartered territory, you set the last emblem of his grace into the dusted soil, and sprouted a World-Tree, and named yourself Primordials.
The void took on the parttern of your designs, the Warp and Weft crossing over into the Weave, and where there was Void, you crafted a new world in the long, distant shadow of the old.
For in sharing with you the Phantamagoria, the drink of the Godlings, he had granted you the ability to Dream of greatness . . .
Welcome to the Void!
I am The Empress. The Dream, that in Dreaming, Wakes.
My word is final and my WRATH UNCEASING is swift, but fair.
New Players should read these RULES in their entirety, and if possible the ACTs of the current AEON and previous ones.
TURNS
#1. All players are allowed one sentence per day with which to ACT. The day begins at Midnight (12:00 AM PST). Watch the time, since I will treat any premature ACT as invalid, even if it is only a few minutes too early.
#2. All players are allowed to save up 2 or 3 ACTs (which would take 2 or 3 days) if they so choose, and then use them all at the same time. ACTs beyond 3 are "burned" off. All saved ACTs must be used when a post is made, there is no dividing saved ACTs.
#3. All players are bound by the dictates of all previous ACTs by all players.
*No actions can be 'taken back', 're-done', or disputed. What's done is done. So this means no editing your posts, EVER!
TECHNOLOGY
#4. Technology in this game will be progressive. In other words, a chronological order in the way technology forms will be used. One cannot develop "robots" or "computers" if reading, writing, math, etc. have not yet been developed. If we reach a point where technology seems like it will advance forward beyond Renaissance time, I will accommodate for this change to occur. In other words, don't try and jump to beyond the Renaissance-level of technology unless you see that it will be seen as permissible.
TIME IS TURN BASED
#4.5 Time is turn-based. Mortal minds cannot fully comprehend this, and in the aftermath they will recall a consistent linear passage of time, but such is bedrock of all reality. NO ACT may alter Time.
STASIS
*If for some reason you will absent from play, you can enter STASIS. In STASIS you will not receive turns as the days pass (as if you were saving them) but you will not be destroyed either. Upon your return you will receive your ACT the day AFTER your return.
#5. STASIS is available for those who have real world concerns that prevent them from signing online and making a one-sentence post for periods of longer than 3 days.
*STASIS turns you, a GODLING, into some tangible ARTIFACT (see ITEMS OF POWER below) that cannot be destroyed but is none-the-less real to the beings and things of Creation. You may define the appearance of this artifact (it has only the POWER to PRESERVE your deity; it simply IS), but I will decide where it is located at the beginning of your STASIS. It can be moved, stolen, whatever. This impacts none of the GODLINGs per say, but will affect all mortals who perceive it. It will ALWAYS appear very special and may draw the interest of beings, especially those who worship you. This artifact however ceases to exist as a reliquary once you have re-entered play, but perhaps the hollow-chamber that once housed your essence may be remade... it's your call.
WARNING: If you are absent from play for 5 days without notification or STASIS, you will be destroyed by PARADOX. You cannot exist and not-exist at the same time.
MULTIPLE ACTS
#6. When posting your Action, please limit your post to a singular ACT or suffer The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress. No GODLING can preempt his 3 days; the moves must be saved up.
*If The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress involves your post being deleted ENTIRELY, you get your turn again the next day as if you had saved the ACT.
*I will be keeping track of ACTs; if you can fool me, by all means try. If caught, you will not be destroyed but you will suffer The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress, which means I get to make a move. I may not undo whatever you have done, but I can make it much more complicated.
DESCRIPTIONS
#7. When posting, please describe your ACT in as much detail (or as little) as you deem necessary, but be aware that the less you detail, the more freedom I have when I put my italicized byline at the bottom summarizing it.
*QUITE OFTEN I WILL SUMMARIZE SIMPLY TO ADD UNFORESEEN DETAILS. These details will never alter the spirit (as detailed by you in a private line or message if necessary) of your intended action, they will only add flavor.
*If any ACT which has a number, or should have a number, which could impact the game, if lacking said number, it will be determined randomly by THE EMPRESS. This does not mean all ACTs, just major ones. Stars and Beings for example, are not very important unless you feel like being specific, but planets, or special buildings, those you may want to be specific on.
*Also, by this, all wording will be taken literally, even if it renders the ACT redundant. Check your spelling and wording before posting your ACT.
DIVINE COMMUNING
#8. Feel free to use the Echoes of the Void topic as a way of communicating IC (in-character) with other players. There are no rules to the Echoes of the Void. So feel free to make alliances, coordinate your turns to accomplish greater things, and generally be social with the other GODLINGs.
*Out of character conversations should be reserved for the Voices Beyond the Void, so as not to confuse the others.
ITEMS OF POWER
#9. There are two kinds of ARTIFACTS; the first has already been explained (see STASIS above). The second kind is a NON-STASIS ARTIFACT also known as an ITEM OF POWER (which can become a STASIS ARTIFACT as well).
An ITEM OF POWER not merely a magic item (which are subject to the laws of magic as defined by whatever the GODLINGs will it to be). It is more an extension of the GODLING who created it. To be afforded the great power it can have, it must be clearly defined as an ITEM OF POWER.
WARNING: In exchange for divine level power, there is an equal chance of backlash against the GODLING who created it. This will be exactly 50/50 and I, The Empress, will determine the outcome upon its use EVERY TIME its power is USED, and let ALL DEITIES KNOW WHAT THE BACKLASH WAS in the AEON.
The power can be anything (but is essentially one of the three types listed below) but counts as one of your moves for a day. Up to three POWERS can be invested, and this works just like your ACTs; in fact it counts as however many ACTs are converted into POWERS.
ARTIFACTS can be used by mortals and ultimately their use is out of your control. However, you can certainly send portents and dreams to mortals (such a message is an ACT) telling them what you want them to do with it. They don't have to do it (unless you spend a whole ACT forcing them to) but will probably. Destruction of ARTIFACTS is impossible except by the deity who made it (or by BACKLASH and hence The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress).
All powers must conform to one of the following IN ESSENCE (that is they can be described cosmetically, but they are still essentially the same):
ALTER (nothing damaging, but can warp things dramatically)
DESTROY (full on entropy, this power does exactly what it says)
PRESERVE (this one is usually for a STASIS ARTIFACT but can be used for preservation of something else besides a deity)
THE DOMINO EFFECT
#10. The DOMINO effect is a term used to describe some action that could be construed as more than one ACT (by The Empress) and runs the risk of The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress, but essentially accomplishes ONE ACT and therefore evades my direct intervention. Such ACTS test the limits of what is allowed and are subject to my interpretation as per The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress
PANTHEONS
#11. PANTHEONS - those GODLINGs who pledge to share their works openly with one another will be called a PANTHEON. There are two advantages to being in a PANTHEON. First, you can create ARTIFACTS together. Second, each AEON following the 1st, a PANTHEON will gain PANTHEON ACTs equal to its total membership. These can be used by any member of a PANTHEON, although discussion would seem to be advisable.
*The pledge of a PANTHEON is essential and lasts until one of the GODLINGs breaks the agreement, at which time The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress comes to pass. And how!
ADDENDUM: THE WRATH UNCEASING OF THE EMPRESS
AND FINALLY, a better idea of what exactly The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress is... it is essentially DM's fiat, that is, whatever gets -me- going (and more often than not even if it is damaging to whatever long term plans you might have it is at least interesting). Don't complain! Anyone who suffers The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress (no matter how little or how much) usually took a -risk- WILLINGLY. In this case, you pay for the sins of Rohypnos; there will ALWAYS be Wrath; but usually minor, if undeserved.
ADDENDUM II: THE PASSING OF AEONS
AEONS are like chapters. At some point, The Empress will call for a vote to initiate a new AEON, for which a majority wins. If the AEON does NOT pass, then The Empress will begin to intervene directly in the affairs of creation more often (and his WRATH UNCEASING will become more CHAOTIC and UNPREDICTABLE). Eventually, The Empress will call for another vote by the same rules, and with the same outcome if it is not passed.
Voting for the AEON will occur in the Echoes of the Void, and costs no ACTs. Three days after the Vote begins, the votes will be totaled, with absent votes not counting to either side. Once the vote has passed, the GODLINGs will be allowed to use up their final ACTs before the AEON ends.
When a new AEON is opened, the last one is closed. A lengthy undisclosed amount of time passes for which the cosmos to develop unmolested by the GODLINGs. A short description by The Empress, much like a State of the Union address, will head each AEON and set-the-stage so to speak.
At the beginning of the new AEON (that is after the first) each deity is required to declare a portfolio (and therefore their intentions). Portfolios are one word describing what element, race, thing, etc. that your GODLING wants to be associated with. GODLINGs may share portfolios, and they need not be concrete things, they may be abstract ideas. Though in general this takes the form of three 'domains' that will be your primary focus. i.e. Nature GODLING: Plants, Animals, Weather or Dark GODLING: Undeath, Decay, War.
Also, when Aeons pass I will advance a race one age further than they were. GODLINGs may manually do this with various ACTs but at the end of an Aeon a race will always advance one stage in their evolution on their own.
ADDENDUM III: CHARACTER SHEETS
Instead of Character Sheets, each player records what his deities preferred modes of worship are. This is generally an aesthetic choice but may affect play depending on what things act as supplication, and what each deities portfolios are (e.g. a GODLING of healing may not be happy about a deity who prefers the sacrifice of beings as worship).
Also, please keep your basic information available so the other GODLINGs can have a feel for who they are dealing with. I will also REQUIRE you to choose a portrait, or else suffer The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress. A GODLING can not be formless in the VOID.
ADDENDUM IV: MULTIPLE SENTENCES
As Rule #1 says, you have ONE SENTENCE per day with which you may ACT. If you wish to write more than one sentence, please make your actual ACT stand out in some way (underlined, emboldened, differently colored or something of that nature).
Here is an example:
Lord sees that the void is empty, and creates a small, hard object, dubbing it a rock. The rock is gray and covered in fine cracks. If you stare at it long enough, it kind of looks like a picture of Thomas Jefferson.
Lord creates a rock.
And the rock floats in the void, being an object of no interest whatsoever. For some reason, Lord feels very pleased with himself.
The italicized portion represents The Empress's recap of the ACT and its effects on Creation (in this case, not many).
ADDENDUM V: SECRET ACTS
Secret ACTs: You will have 3 secret ACTS per Aeon. A Secret ACT is an ACT communicated to The Empress solely through a private line or message. Other GODLINGs will not know about such an ACT unless the GODLING who so ACTed tells them of the deed. Of course, the GODLINGs can infer what they will from the consequences of the ACT, which may or may not be subtle.
ACTs of Knowledge: ACTs of Knowledge can be used to ask questions that The Empress MUST answer. These questions can range on means of achieving an end while avoiding WRATH UNCEASING, the purpose, or possible future of an object within the void, or even personal information regarding The Empress or the GODLINGs. ACTs of Knowledge touching upon Secret ACTs will be carefully adjudicated on a case-by-case basis. In any event, even if the nature of a Secret ACT is revealed, the GODLING who ACTed will remain anonymous, unless there is an indirect way of acquiring that information.
*These ACTs are normal ACTs, used in a particular manner. I.E.: You use your normal ACT to perform a Knowledge ACT, Secret ACT or a Secret Knowledge ACT.
ADDENDUM VI: CHANGES
The Empress retains the right to change any names or other details that he feels threaten the individuality of this game over others that may or may not have come before.
ADDENDUM VII: ALTERATIONS
I don't purport to having the best grammar or spelling on the planet but I do at least try, I would ask that you do the same. Please choose a color for speech. A Warning to the GODLINGs of Trickery, should an Act you make render the Game 'silly' and less enjoyable for the other GODLINGs with blanket laws, Like survival of the fattest, Spontaneous turning into a hamster if such and such is not done daily and so on. Will result in a vote to Veto or keep the Act. This is the only exception to what is done can not be undone. The Vote will take up a days worth of ACTs. In other words, to vote, one must use their ACT. The Trickster will be penalized ACTs depending on the offense as decided by The Empress.
ADDENDUM VIII: DOMAIN INFRINGEMENT
The Domains you choose for your portfolio are what defines you as a GODLING. However there will be times when other GODLINGs will want to create, alter or destroy an object of creation that is somewhat outside their power base. How this will be handled:
#1. You may infringe upon another’s domain so long as the ACT is relevant to your own portfolio. (i.e. A water GODLINGDESS might make a fire breathing eel. Or a GODLING of undeath might make a plant that turns a person into a zombie.)
#2. You may not completely ignore your portfolio. (i.e. A nature GODLINGDESS who creates undead minions. A fire GODLING that makes water elementals. A death GODLING that creates life eternal...etc. and so forth)
#3. You MAY make an ACT that alters your portfolio. (i.e. A GODLING of war sees peace looming and has no idea how to stop it, not wishing to be left in the cold the GODLING uses an act to change his War domain into the Competitive domain...)
Infringements that are borderline crossovers will be feel the WRATH UNCEASING lightly. In other words you'll get what you want but it will be altered however I deem fit to do so. Direct crossovers will bring a harsher WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress. Often and not limited to, your creation being outright destroyed.
What's a borderline crossover example? Take the first infringement example, a fire breathing eel. Now picture an act describing it as an eel of fire. Technically it's still in your portfolio as a water GODLINGDESS to make an eel type monster, but you've crossed over into the fire domain to make it completely out of flame. The typical WRATH UNCEASING I'd give it is to alter its looks to appear as if it's on fire but not really.
ADDENDUM IX: BLANKET LAW ACTs
No GODLING may make an ACT containing a law that adjusts, removes, or restricts the power of another GODLING. The sole one with this power is The Empress and will not happen unless his hand is forced on an extremely serious matter.
ADDENDUM X: CREATOR VS. DESTROYER
The only GODLING who can completely erase something created directly through an ACT is the one who created it. If another GODLING wishes to destroy another’s creation, its remains will still influence the whole of creation, and the sudden backlash of conflict will The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress without fail on the offending GODLING.
ADDENDUM XI: OOC CONFLICTS
I am not perfect. If I make a mistake I am not above discussing it with you and pointing out my views vs. your own. If I have indeed made a mistake I will apologize and correct it. HOWEVER...I do not put up with public debacles. If you cannot handle potential mistakes (on my part or yours) and insist on making a spectacle I will remove you from MY game. No if's and's or but's. While I'm willing to civilly discuss matters with players, the moment civility ends I get annoyed. And an annoyed The Empress is not fun to deal with.
*This includes two players arguing OOC over what one GODLING did to another. I don’t care if there is rivalry within the IC, just don’t drag it out to the OOC.
ADDENDUM XII: HEROES
Each GODLING has the ability to create up to 5 HEROES per AEON. A HERO cannot be commanded directly but an ACT can be spent to influence them. It is in the best interest of a GODLING to give their HEROES a purpose in life. The title of HERO merely denotes that they are a leader among their people and essentially a speaker for their GODLING.
A HERO can either be created or chosen. If created, they must be made in the form of a race the GODLING has already created or be a unique being. If chosen, they can be from any of the races present in the VOID. A HERO may be killed by another HERO, either from their own motivation or the urgings of a GODLING, but The WRATH UNCEASING of The Empress will be on any GODLING who directly tries to manipulate any HERO not their own.
Now go and be a GODLING."</center>
Here is an excerpted Very Brief, example of play:
(
Italics are THE EMPRESS's summaries,
bold the acts themselves, other text descriptions.)
quote:
In the beginning, there was The Empress. By his grace, eight Godlings were given form and imbued with a flicker of the Rose Serpent’s essence. While the Void was barren and untouched, devoid of even light or sound, the Godlings would see that those times existed no more.
Kalriel stretches his arms forward and holds his hands slightly apart, as if holding an imaginary ball. The divine spark that has caressed his body since his birth begins to move towards his hands and jump in between his palms and fingers until it ignites in a brilliant, bright flame that fills both his palms. As he releases the flame it begins to swirl in the void spreading its light and warmth.
KALRIEL CREATES A STAR.
LIGHT is created, and by its definition, so comes to exist DARK. Birthed by Kalriel, a single mote of light appears in the infinite expanses of the Void. Heat and light radiate out from this point. No longer is the Void uniform nothingness. Creation has begun.
The song Beyna was singing before creation continued to flow as she stood up and watched Kalriel's light burst forth into the Void.
The song began to reach a high note which she held, and as she did so waves of fire were pulled from the light into the cold Void. The song shifted these torrents of scorching fire into an orb, the outer portion hardened due to the freezing tempreature of the Void, but the inner part of the sphere remained molten and hot, protected by its now stone outer layer.
It is miniscule in comparison to Kalriel's light, having shrunk as the outer crust hardened, being maybe 1/50th of the size.
Through her singing, Beyna creates the first planet around Kalriel's Sun.
A PLANET takes shapes. The new heavenly body slips into orbit around the newly birthed sun. Turning slow circles, it now makes it way around the star while it slowly spins, thus creating season and light and dark cycles. The heat from the sun beats down upon the barren dirt and warms it before the planet turns once again and the surface cools in the dark. Only scant amounts of the heat reaches the poles, which leaves them frigid all throughout the year.
Observing his siblings efforts, Cacophony chuckles. Must you make it so easy? Swirling through the new world created by Beyna, Cacophony gathers the new matter, flinging it into the void between the star and the world in 2 great orbs. "There. Those will do for a start."
Cacophony creates moons from Beyna's world.
MOONS come to exist and join in the heavenly dance. The two fall into orbit around the existing planet. There they move in opposite directions of one another to create complex lunar patterns. From the planets surface they offer an awe inspiring sight against the otherwise black backdrop of space. On nights when both moons are visible, their combined reflected light makes the evening as bright as day, albeit a shadowy and silver lit day.
Andromeda looked into the Void, a substance she created was glowing, but dust-like.
Andromeda creates Arcane: The Essence of Magic
And so ARCANE was seeded throughout the Void, a glittering dust which, when gathered in concentrations, allowed the natural laws of the VOID to be bent, or even broken. The Arcane filters throughout the Void, for the most part invisible, though in some places it gathers together densely enough that constellations appear in the heavens, shimmering with the light they catch from the sun and their own naturally prismatic nature.
Upon the planet and moons Arcane filters across the dry plains and barren mountains, scattered everywhere invisibly.
For now the magical essence does nothing, but perhaps in the future that will change.
