Welcome to the Void!

I am the One Who is Ao.  My Wrath is swift, but fair.

New Players should read these RULES in their entirety, and if possible the ACTs of the current AEON.

TURNS

#1. All players are allowed one sentence per day with which to ACT. The day begins at 12:00 am midnight, Pacific Standard Time. 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.

#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.


STASIS

*If for some reason you will absent from play, you can enter STASIS where you will not receive turns as the days pass (as if you were saving them) but you will not be destroyed either.

#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 GOD or GODDESS, into some tangible object or 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 gods 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 remain... it's your call.

WARNING: If you are absent from play for more than 5 days without notification and 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 of Ao. No god can pre-empt his 3 days; the moves must be saved up.

*If the Wrath of Ao involves your post being deleted ENTIRELY, you get your turn again the next day as if you had saved it.

I will be keeping track; if you can fool me, by all means try. If caught, you will not be destroyed but you will suffer the Wrath of Ao, which means I get to make a move (and of course when Ao makes a move, it can be compound, or whatever). 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 neccessary, but be aware that, if clarification seems needed, I will put an italicized byline at the bottom summarizing it.

*QUITE OFTEN I WILL SUMMARIZE SIMPLY TO ADD UNFORSEEN 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.

ECHOES OF THE VOID

#8. Feel free to use the Echoes of the Void topic as a way of communicating IC (in-character) with other players. Out of character conversations should be private, so as not to confuse the others. Feel free to make alliances, coordinate your turns to accomplish greater things, and generally be social with the other gods.

ITEMS OF POWER

#9. There are two kinds of ARTIFACTS; the first has already been explained (see #5. STASIS). 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 Gods will it to be).

WARNING: In exchange for divine level power, there is an equal chance of backlash against the god who created it. This will be exactly 50/50 and I, Ao, 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 making them) but will probably. Destruction of ARTIFACTS is impossible except by the deity who made it (or by BACKLASH and hence the Wrath of Ao).

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 Ao) and runs the risk of the Wrath of Ao, 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 OF AO

PANTHEONS

#11. PANTHEONS- At least three gods 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 Gods breaks the agreement, at which time the Wrath of Ao comes to pass. And how!

ADDENDUM: THE WRATH OF AO

AND FINALLY, a better idea of what exactly the Wrath of AO 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 of Ao (no matter how little or how much) took a -risk- WILLINGLY.

ADDENDUM II: The Passing of AEONS

AEONS are like chapters.  At some point, Ao will call for a vote to initiate a new AEON, for which a majority wins.  If the AEON does NOT pass, then Ao will begin to intervene directly in the affairs of creation more often (and his WRATH will become more CHAOTIC and UNPREDICTABLE).  Eventually, Ao will call for another vote by the same rules, and with the same outcome if it is not passed. Unspent Acts are not retained between Aeons.

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 gods.  A short description by Ao, much like a State of the Union address, will head each AEON and set-the-stage so to speak. Despite how many Aeons might pass, technology will be restricted to pre-Renaissance level.

ADDENDUM III: 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 Ao's recap of the ACT and its effects on Creation (in this case, not many).


ADDENDUM V: CHANGES

Ao 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.

(I don't know who added this Addendum, but I guess I'll leave it. No such thing as too much fine print.)

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Closing Notes on World Creation Rules

Because some players are also avid fans of God Games and have played in a large number of them, sometimes they grow tired of having worlds and suns. I've seen worlds full of water, fire or stone and while interesting, they only create one more thing for me to remember and do not end up greatly changing the game. Because of this, I'm going to request that this game take place in a more traditional format, that being a world roughly akin to our own. If you want it to be a desert world, that's fine, or a mostly seas and scattered islands, also okay, but I don't want to have a game where all of existence is one type of element.

Seeing that I'm placing this restriction, at the start of the game each god will be given 1 extra Act. This Act must be spent on the creation of a habitable world, as in must create animals, plants, water, earth, or something else necessary. This will allow us to get to the more interesting parts of the game sooner. Think of this Act as a free card, which allows your other Act to be spent on something more unique to your character. When using this act please indicate it by marking it: Creation Act.

The intent of this Creation Act is not for each god to create their own private sandbox, but rather to rapidly get one world ready for more interesting creation.

Also note, technology in this game will not be restricted to fantasy levels, it can progress to relatively modern or advanced levels, but if gods attempt to artificially speed up mortal advancements, especially through simply "giving" them new methods or knowledge, it will generally go awry. With that said, laser guns and mecha suits are not out of the question if the game progresses long enough.


All right. Now go be a God!
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:29, Mon 18 May 2020.