Kaiju Cuddlebug

It's becoming increasingly clear on my end that joining a PBP game during finals season and the holidays was a bad idea. Obligations, oh gawd, halp   I think I left Takayaane on the implication they were wandering the material plane? I might need to extend that wandering. I'm sorry, everyone. I think I can rejoin in the future. Just, life. Bleh.

Would you like to join the other god's discussion, or would you like to create stuff on your own first? Wondering if I should acknowledge you in Takayaane's conversation with Veshwoon.

Woah, this game is taking off. Which is good and cool, though I'm unsure how to handle it when writing a post. Do the new gods wish to spawn into being around the other gods in the Genesis of Creation?

I'm still looking for a reason for Takayaane to spend AP. Takayaane has two objectives: 1) protecting the universe's continued existence, and 2) making the universe worth protecting. Takayaane's still searching for means of judging which objective is the priority. Not sure where it'll lead, but looking forward to finding out!

"I'm not sure I qualify as a god of wisdom. But I appreciate it, Veshwoon." Takayaane sits down in their chair of foliage, then looks up at the grand temple under construction by the Tolig. A meeting hall made sense, but a temple seemed...premature. Takayaane didn't feel ready for worship. But the Tolig seemed insistent. And they'd already built so much.   Takayaane's gaze shifted to the now-abundant life created by Veshwoon, a fledgling ecosystem building before Takayaane's eyes. The thought of life predicated on consuming other life puzzled Takayaane. If all life was sacred, what does that make a predator? They didn't choose to be born hunters. But their continued existence harmed their prey. Would it be best then to alter existing life for cooperation? By force? These beasts don't seem capable of understanding such a procedure. Would Takayaane's actions, then, usurp the beasts' powers of self-determination? What world would that make? Would it still be worth protecting?   Takayaane felt the realm was moving too fast. Understanding would take time. But taking time to understand would let suffering creatures keep hurting, when Takayaane has the power to intervene. "Veshwoon, if you don't mind, I'd like to tour this land before we reach Iam. The repercussions of creating life eludes me. I'd like to learn more of what creatures exist, while they still do."

Thank you. It's general college stuff; nothing I haven't done before, and nothing that should impeed my ability to post in the future.   @Anthr4xusShould I move the scene with Takayaane and Veshwoon to Iam's settlement/thread? I imagined Takayaane and Veshwoon walking together, but with time to think that seems impractical in a play-by-post GMless format. I'd rather not narrate another player's character for them without explicit permission, at least.

Feeling like shit, sorry for the late reply. I'll gladly take the AP back.

Iam, what do you think you're doing...   "Thank you, Nivarg. I'm not sure either, but if Iam is making life in his own image, he might be seeking to divorce themselves from the other divine. Whatever Iam's aims, he feels righteous in them. Which worries me."   "We should go, Veshwoon. Nivarg, the Tolig are welcome to join us as well. And tell your fellows to be gentle with one another, I can hear screaming."

Aware, thank you.

E1.42: Takayaane locates Iam by their scent using a great inhale. {Reveal (1AP) - Power (Strength)}

"So where do you think Iam wandered off to? If they had plans to raise a world, I'm not seeing any. Unless Iam plans to use the chunks of barren rock."   Takayaane bellowed a sigh. Surely this whole godly power thing would be enough for Takayaane win a game of hide and seek. Then again, Iam was a God too. Takayaane didn't want to be rude, but if Iam isn't coming back...   Takayaane takes a thunderous breath of air through their nostrils. Odd. No scent. Is Iam that far away already?   "Excuse me a moment." Takayaane stands and turns away. Takayaane makes sure no Tolig are in the way, politely asking those in front to get clear. Then Takayaane inhales. And keeps inhaling. Air becomes wind. The winds become a gale. Takayaane vents air coming into their snout out their mouth. The air tastes delicious.   Finally, after quite the sample of air, a tiny aroma of the missing divine touches Takayaane's nose. Iam smells tired already.   Takayaane turns towards Iam's location. "Iam smells like they're up to something. Perhaps we could wrangle them to this table together for some consultation? The Tolig made Iam a seat, after all." Show this Reveal (1 AP): Iam, Power (Strength)  

Look, they told me I'd get to be a god, but then they don't give me omniscience? This is why 'dem classical gods just go "YOLO" and start banging mortals.   I do plan to have Takayaane spend AP, but being God of Mutations, it seems best to let everyone else to get their creatures made first. Plus, having a continent or two built by the Tolig seems a good idea. Hard to raise mighty civilizations without a place to everyone to stand.

Veshwoon's aesthetic impressed Takayaane. Horrific in a way, but awe-inspiring. And Veshwoon's help for the Tolig seemed to show restraint. Veshwoon was a horror, but a kind horror. The forces of chaos should be scared. "That would indeed be useful. And it's good to see you use your power, rather than your power manifest without you. You're a kind god." Takayaane wondered what they themselves could do for the Tolig. They had plenty of tools to make their jobs easier, thanks to Veshwoon. What else did the Tolig enjoy besides serving the Gods, if anything? It was hard to tell. Puchig was humming a song. Perhaps music? What music did the Tolig enjoy, if they even enjoyed the same songs?   Takayaane was starting to realize he was the God of Caution. No, that wouldn't fit. Uh..."The Forebearing Beast". Yeah, that'll do. Like a hunting monster preparing to strike. Much cooler.

I think the right action would be Assault Gods 😛

Before I get society create'n: how do societies learn concepts? Veshwoon created the Web of Life, the Tolig have created Masonry. How would a society go about acquiring those concepts? The Trade Concept action?

Veshwoon wasn't controlling their creation? But then, what Veshwoon created, what even was it? And if something horrible was created, would Veshwoon be able to stop?   Does Takayaane need to kill Veshwoon? Is that even possible?   No. Veshwoon had just given grace to the Tolig. Veshwoon, the conscious Veshwoon, was caring. And if a consciousness such as Veshwoon was better off dead, well, let Veshwoon create an apocalyptic abomination. Existence would need the do-over.   "Don't thank me. I apologize. I didn't know." Takayaane turned to thank Puchig, but it seems the little goblin was already back to work. "The Tolig seem set in following our command. So I suppose we have to figure out what our commands should be."   "I'm afraid I'm gifted with power but not insight. I can't and don't speak for you, but I would need some means of obtaining perspective. Informed life able to share their thoughts, most likely. And a means for them to be protected against whatever could possibly exist. Or as much protection as possible, at the very least. As much strength as possible."   ...Veshwoon asked if Takayaane could "do other than what you do". Takayaane thinks back to the strings in Iam's reflection. Could they be cut?

If we ever do need, we could set a rule of "any action that gives RCR bonuses costs a minimum of 1AP". But yeah, the true check on our power is other players being sad and angry. Which is the true check of power in any RPG, in the end.

Perhaps the second half of the post would be better in a separate thread? Since it seems to be it's own scene separate from the other deites. Then deites seeking Iam would post there as well. It's Thanksgiving with my family and there's lots of elderly relatives with no filters. I'm aggressively starring at my phone and constantly refreshing 😅

Well, this meeting was going poorly. First Iam and their mask inspire Takayaane to have a brief existential crisis, then Iam leaves without addressing Takayaane, and now Veshwoon dodges Takayaane's question. The newest...stuff spewing from Veshwoon wasn't inspiring confidence, though Takayaane didn't have enough information on what it even was. "Veshwoon, I asked first. What are you doing?" For emphasis, Takayaane steps forward. Takayaane stands with Veshwoon in easy reach as the Starting Island rises around the two Gods.   (Takayaane gives Puchig a smile as thanks, regretful the situation is too rapid for full compliments. Takayaane makes a mental note to speak to Puchig later.)

Well, that meeting was quick. Takayaane didn't even talk to Iam, or the Tolig finish their meeting hall. Do we want to have a second meeting, discuss our plans in character?

Takayaane looks on at the various creatures spewing out of Veshwoon with equal parts respect and trepidation. They seemed...aimless. Their squealing and squirming was close to pitiable. And why did some prey upon the others? Surely there was another way? "Veshwoon. Why are you making these creatures?" And then, with an unconscious glance, Takayaane looks at Iam's mask. And Takayaane sees themselves worshipped. A crowd of millions of faintly detailed creatures bow on their knees. Silent chants ring through what resembles a temple of mountainous scale, endless barren ledges circling like an amphitheatre. Takayaane is the fascination on stage, a great object for life to oggle at but never join. Spotlights shine down on Takayaane from the heavens. And dangling from Takayaane's wrists and neck...   ...are those strings?   Takayaane spins themselves around to look at the reflected crowd. But they're not there. It was just an illusion. The crowd doesn't exist. Not yet.   Takayaane checks their wrists. There's nothing there. Takayaane feels the back of their neck. Nothing there.   Takayaane supresses the urge to shatter the mirror with a punch. Iam probably prefers their face intact.

That sounds like the concept of a biosphere. Wouldn't that be Create Basic Life then? It's not a societal concept, but a scientific concept; it exists regardless of society. And from the description of Create Basic Life, it seems intended there isn't any limits to what you can create outside of sapient and magical life. If anything, a biosphere seems inherent to life; if you make life where there was none, you've created or altered a biosphere.

"No, please, I'm more than capable of...Yes, you're more than free to...Please, make yourself seats if you'd...Yes, that is a pretty rock, you...No really, we can worry about luxuries after we've all, hang on..." Takayaane was trying. Being the one person directly in charge of million was about as chaotic as the universe before the gods. So not much had changed. Takayaane was still approaching Veshwoon and Iam, but the buzzing crowd made progress slow. At least Takayaane would ensure the Gods' Primordial Meeting Hall is only as luxurious for the Gods as can be convenient for the Tolig. The Tolig were divinity too, and Takayaane wanted the Tolig to be held in worthy esteem. The universe was too young for suffering.

Okay, so we have a world forge of some sort. Whatever the creatures that made the forge are, they've generating universes somehow. I'm not certain on the process they're using or what it would imply; from discussions in the world seed thread, the tumult of chaos seemed to be literal chaos, as in the lack of causality. So the forge would be a bubble of a greater reality, and within that bubble is chaos solidifying? Unless the forge creators "seeded" the chaos somehow, which they could have done.   The world itself seems limited to a few sentences. I'm not sure what an almost-planet is; do universes typically solidify into planets? Are planets a commonality across universes? What are the typical features of a planet?   My best guess is the world forge is a meta element metaphorical to the Lords of Creation system, with the Grand Deities being us the players. A wink and a nudge that we're playing pretend. So then the commonality of a planet implies a "base" of our reality. We have the same physical laws an such as the real world until otherwise noted.

But we need to think about it, gosh heck it! To be aware of how a story feels, what it does, how it can be further written. We're the writers collaborating with shared responsibility over the narrative, and we want to create a facilitative environment for our own and everyone else's safe enjoyment of the narrative (the "fun", as the Pyrite Rule defines). For instance:   I suppose the "why does this exist" answer is "because whoever spent AP decided so." Which I actually don't mind, I'm fine with media breaking physical laws from time to time so they can have kaiju or something (see: my username). But then I wonder, "okay, then *why* are kaiju written into this story? What does having kaiju do to the narrative throughline, the feel, and all the other ways it matters?" And having thought on it, I don't think having an atmosphere affects anything. It's a minor detail not thought about or felt, and it'd probably be assumed to exist even if it wasn't specifically created. Hence why it seemed polite not to charge AP for it. It's a fun godly thing to do that doesn't affect other players.   That might be the root of my confusion. What exactly *is* the shattered world? I don't think we have a common definition. Like, presumably the world had an atmosphere, and thus the remnants of that atmosphere would still be around and gravitationally attracted to the world's shards. Unless this isn't actually a shattered world and just looks like a shattered world. Is that it?