first epoch Iam Innovates

[The Stranger]

Iam travels far and wide until he finds a particularly large chuck of planet that is still mostly bare. Most of Veshwoon's creations had not yet spread this far. Though they might eventually, he had traveled a great distance at speeds far greater than they were yet capable of. His only audience here were the microorganisms that are already everywhere. 

 

This was his place in the first world to create and so he set himself to it. He raised up his glass cube and watched as it sprang to life, lighting up and fluctuating in size. Its sides then separated and began to grow and shrink independently. The different sides each began to spin as well. Some stopping and turning the other way. Others rotating on a different axis, but never did the sides collide. At the center of the cube lights began to shine. They then began to form images that changed according to Iam's will.

 

He was designing something of his own. Using what he learned from creating his own body, he began to design a new creature in his image. They would be humanoid people that are meant to exist beyond Veshwoon's entangled mess. That pitiable web of life and death.

 

To do this he would grant them immortality. Since they were immortal, he would create a small amount of them and limit how much they could reproduce. Each pair was only capable of reproducing once per epoch. Their children would themselves take an epoch to reach maturity and could not reproduce until they had completed this maturity before they could find their own pair and then reproduce. Even then, they would eventually overtake this world. So eventually, he would need to create an alternate living space for them, but for now they could live here.

 

Of course, he designed their minds to be like his. Sentient and sapient. Capable of both knowledge and wisdom. They would have emotion and free will. Capable of deciding their own destiny beyond what he intends for them. He made it so they were capable of learning. Maybe one day one of them might grow more intelligent and capable than even he. That would be neat. He was painfully aware of his own limitations of the mind, so he knew it was entirely possible. Maybe even the whole point of this little endeavor. 

 

He pushed himself to design bodies as strong, resilient, and fast as a mortal could possibly handle. He did this so that their lives would be happy and fulfilling and so that they could protect themselves from outside threats that might want to prey on them. To properly exist outside the web of life and death, he also decided that they should not need to kill other creatures to live. That would be utterly unfair to the other mortals of the world. Thus, he made them such that they need not eat or drink or breathe air. He innovated new ways to surpass such limits. However, if these creatures do not need to kill other living creatures to sustain themselves, what would they use to subsist? It would be cruel to create this people and then expect them to just make do with what he gave them during creation. They would want and need more eventually, but more of what?

 

Not food or drink. They'd have to kill to get those things. Killing was unpleasant. Iam decided that was so when the little dancer died, forever gone, and its knowledge was lost with it.

 

So, something else. Something new. He would pause his first project and instead create this first. He made sure to save his previous progress repeatedly, before those lights in his cube grew smaller and shrunk away to be stored onto one of the sides of the Eternal Crucible. Then he started the new project. A new series of light appeared in the center of his Eternal Crucible, and he began to weave it with his will. It would be something that they did not have to kill to get. Something that was readily available and abundant, but something that would not get in the way of other things that did not want it.

 

Iam called it Source Energy. He made this new energy exist all throughout the universe in limitless abundance. To do this he altered the laws of the reality so that the universe itself would generate this energy naturally. Iam carefully weaved this energy in between everything else that already exists, being sure not to disturb them. Most would not even notice it. He made it so this new energy could flow around and even through them without affecting them. Only those who specifically knew the secret of tapping into this energy could make use of it. Only those who knew how to truly open themselves to this cosmic power could utilize it. With that final component in place, he was ready to create his people. He opened up the first project and continued to work on it again.

 

He called them Godkin. The children of Iam. He spared no expense in their creation, investing and infusing as much as he could of his power into them. They were immortal super beings designed to exist beyond the web of life and death. Although they technically can eat other living being for nourishment or pleasure, Iam gathered them together and taught them the secrets of the universe that would allow them to tap into Source Energy so that they could sustain themselves without resorting to killing. He of course taught them that killing was unpleasant. He used the parable of the little dancer to both educate his people and to honor the memory of the tiny crystalline insect. Perhaps its knowledge and wisdom were not truly lost now.

 

These people came to call themselves the Weare Theocracy and Iam spent his time and energy, gathering his creations together and educating them.

 

Although Iam is the god at the center of their religion, Iam does not demand that the Godkin worship him. Instead, he simply offers them his guidance.

 

His status as a demigod and their creator greatly lent itself to their obedience, despite each of them having free will. If any choose to ignore or defy his teachings, he decided that he will not punish them. Instead, he will let their own folly burden themselves with guilt and remorse, which he also had made them capable of. Their folly would then become new parables to help educate the rest of his Godkin and in that way he hoped he would be able to console those that despaired. 

 

However, it did not take long for Iam to realize that his people were severely lacking.

 

With the strict limit to how much they could reproduce, no need to hunt or fear other creatures, there was little to no need for the Godkin to do anything. For the most part, they simply sat and meditated, absorbing the cosmic energy they needed to sustain themselves. So Iam went to them with a solution. He taught them the joys of moving their bodies. Though he had created them with perfect bodies with incredible strength and speed, it was still up to them to learn how to use those bodies. They could gain skill and eventually mastery. Then polish that skill even further to achieve something beyond even that.

 

He taught them the joys of mastery and taught them the first martial art, parkour. The ability to move from point A to point B as fast as possible. He placed an emphasis on efficiency and effectiveness.

 

With that The Godkin would race each other and try to become the fastest of the fast. They then began to construct obstacle courses for them to test their abilities further and further. He taught them this to motivate them to train their bodies so that they could make the most of what he gave them, and he trained alongside them to make the most of what he gave himself as well. It was quite fun for him and many of the Godkin seemed to enjoy themselves as well. 

 

He then went on to teach them how to defend themselves with combat focused martial arts, so they could protect themselves from their neighbors. Iam knew that his people could not keep running from the other races forever. No matter how fast their bodies were or how skilled their minds, they would eventually be corned and outnumbered. 

 

Like this, he began to move forward and grow alongside his people, training with them and learning from them as much as he tried to teach them. However, since they were designed to live outside the web of life and death, he also made sure to teach them that they should not kill just because they can and only when they must. He put a heavy emphasis on ethics.

 

He also sat back and watched what his creations were capable of innovating on their own. He watched as they began to build homes for themselves to carve out blocks from the stone and build up homes for themselves. With their great strength, this was easy for them, and some seemed to take great joy in creating unique spaces for themselves to exist in. Aside from homes and obstacles courses, they also thought of each other and built places that they thought they might need. Places like hospitals, bath houses, meeting halls, and recreations centers. Places they would use and frequent. They did not eat, and Source Energy did not produce waste, so there was no need for waste management. They did create a space for the stones that they did not need or want anymore, though. Some began to go there first to look for new stones, instead of carving out new ones. So, these places could be called recycling plants.

 

Finally, Iam marveled at the Godkin's greatest innovation: Monster Taming. Iam had taught them not to kill the other creatures that lived and how to defend themselves from threats, but then what to do with those things that attacked them? Kill them out of spite? That would go against ethics. Forgive them? Sure, that would be ethical, but then they would just come back. 

 

The Godkin took it upon themselves to tame the wild creatures of the world. Teaching them not to bother the Godkin. It would be a futile effort for most of the other creatures that currently lived, so at first the Godkin tried to simply teach them this. Sometimes this was as simple as building a stone fence to keep the creatures out and away from their settlements. Other times they would take more complex methods, getting close and personal with the other creatures and instilling in them the fear of Godkin.

 

Then there were those that the Godkin found endearing for one reason or another. The Godkin took these creatures in and began living besides them. Integrating with them and even sharing with them the secrets of Source Energy, so their new pets could live without killing. Those creatures that either learned to not be violent to the Godkin or were already peaceful from the start would all be welcome among the Godkin's settlements. In this way, Iam's new creations came to live and exist in this world among the other creaturse.

 

Iam had originally wanted them to exist beyond the web of life, but in a way, they ended up getting entangled with them in one way or another. That was fine. Good, even. Iam had his own intentions while creating them, but he gave them free will. If this is what they wanted to do and it made them happy, it made Iam happy too.

 

Content, Iam sat at the center of the Godkin's first settlement. Not on a throne, or behind an altar, but under an obstacle course. He was tired. Exhausted. The Godkin had built this obstacle course just for him. He kept breaking things, but then they built up again, stronger and better. They challenged him to try and make it through the course as fast as possible, without breaking anything. Some parts made especially fragile. They laughed at him when he failed. He laughed too. 

 

AP

Create Mythical Concept with Eternal Crucible Relic (2AP): Source Energy [2AP towards Soul (Source Energy)]

 

Create Mythical Life (4AP): Godkin [4AP towards Body (Strength)]

 

Divine Infusion of Mythical Life (3AP): Godkin are upgraded to Fabled Race [3AP towards Body (Strength)]

 

Form Society (2AP): Weare Theocracy [2AP towards Mind (Innovation)]

 

Staring Concepts

• Innovation
• Ethics
• Martial Arts
• Infrastructure
• Monster Taming

 

Mind (Innovation 2) achieved! 

 

Develop Mind (Innovation): 2AP | Develop Body (Strength): 7AP | Develop Soul (Source Energy): 2AP |

 

[The Stranger]

Iam briefly regrets leaving the other deities. He would love to get to know them, but he needs to get to know himself before he can think of others. Now that he has his creations, he can see his will take form and it helps him to understand who he really is and what he wants.

 

Yet, he notes that there is still work to be done here. There is always room for improvement.

 

He goes around to his godkin, praising the strongest and most skilled, but only those that are actively participating in society. Those that are being irresponsible and ignoring his teachings of ethics are excluded, no matter how strong or skilled they are. Particularly, those who go out and actively protect their fellow godkin from dangerous incursions and those who find creative and innovative solutions to the problems and tasks they take on.

 

The godkin he praises come together and begin to collaborate together, forming an organized group dedicated to both leading, uplifting, and protecting the Weare Theocracy. They call themselves the Vanguard. They are a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas and they often lead through example. They are the best and brightest of the godkin who have good intentions, respectable behavior, and notable achievements. 

 

The Vanguard take the concepts of innovation that are at the heart of their society and further develop them into a complex and thorough practice of invention. They work to improve the lives of their fellow godkin by creating various tools, mechanisms, and devices. These inventions further increase how effective and efficient the godkin can be.

 

One of the first of their inventions is something called a wheel. A piece of stone carved into a round shape that makes it easier to move. They then innovate further by inventing an axle to connect two wheels and then go on to invent a simple wagon after that. These primitive vehicles make moving heavy stones around much easier. 

 

AP

Create Organization (0AP): Vanguard [Mind (Innovation II)]

• Advanced Concept: Invention

 

 

 

 

[The Stranger]

Iam does not rest. He goes all out, inspired by the inventions of his creations. He realizes that as great as their creations are, having just plain old stone to work with does not really give many options to explore.

 

Iam sits in a secluded cellar that he has been using to store some of the rocks he carved into furniture. When he was making these things, he felt like the stone wasn't very easy to work with. That provided a fun challenge, but what the stone had been more cooperative? What if it lent itself toward the crafting process, instead of against? Iam realized that the stone and rock that made up the barren planet had plenty of potential to be improved on. He started working on a new project with his Eternal Crucible, this one using the rock that the planet was made out of as a starting point.

 

From there, he altered the properties of that stone, making it so that it would have a beautiful finish when cut and polished properly. This specific type of rock would be great for architecture and furniture.

 

However, making it look pretty was not much of an innovation. So he saved the marble project, as its own file and stored it on one of the sides of the Eternal Crucible, but then continued to work on the original project. He experimented with the properties of stone, changing the density, hardness, color, melting point, and other things like that. Honestly, he could not decide what he liked best. Each one could be useful for so many things. He decided, he wanted all of them. He saved the project multiple times under many different names, including platinum, gold, silver, bronze, copper, and iron. 

 

He realized that heat would make some of these stones easier to work with. They could be heated down until soft, shaped, then cooled down again. However, to do this they would need an incredible amount of heat.

 

Thus, Iam figured they would need to make use of fire, which is something he had observed in his travels to get here. He makes another variation of stone. One that can feed flames, making the fire burn hotter and larger, if enough of this stone could be gathered.

 

However, finding and moving fire to where you would want it would be tricky. It would be better if people could just make fire whenever, they wanted. Studying the properties of the metals he designed earlier, he then created a new form of rock that would make a spark when struck with an appropriate metal. This could start a fire, if the spark had something to catch onto.

 

But what would it catch onto? Iam had witnessed that fat and flesh burn easily if living creatures got too close to fire, but Iam did not want to have to kill to make things. So Iam innovated an alternative to this.

 

He again used the basic rock of which they had plenty to work with. He altered the properties to make it very easy to burn. This would be a bit dangerous, since it could very easily cause problems if it were to accidentally catch fire. So, he made sure to hide this new creation and only make it available to the godkin that he trusted. He would have to be very careful about where he put this flammable stone.

 

With that done, he figured that he could start working now. Though, he still had many, many more ideas on how to make different versions of stone that were better for other things. He was too excited. He wanted to share these things with the rest of the world. 

 

He left his dark cellar and stretched his body. He had given his mind a good workout, now it was time to move his body. He began racing all across the land, spreading his new creations here and there. He exerted his godly will, extending it deep into the planet chunk he stood on and altered large tracks of land. He didn't shape the land so much as just change the properties of large chucks of stone, changing them to match his designs. He altered and improved the barren rock to create huge veins of different kinds of ores, He spread them out, underground where they wouldn't bother any of the new life that was beginning to spread across the world. He traveled leaped and ran with great speed, traveling from chunk to chunk so that he could alter more and more of tracks of land, creating an abundance of deposits for future creatures to dig up at their leisure. Digging was very easy for his strong children after all.

 

Finally, he returned home. There he created the single, solitary deposit of tinderstone. He surrounded this tinderstone with regular stone that would not burn and selected a place without natural flames.

 

There he raised up the land, shaping it with his will just as he had created his own body. As always, the stone yielded, bowing to the will of a demigod. It moved and shaped itself, forming a fortress of solid stone to keep all flames and sparks away from the tinderstone deposit. Inside this giant stone fortress, countless massive pillars of tinderstone were erected in neat, organized rows. This was the world's only supply of tinderstone. He then took things one step further, wrapping his very will around his latest creation. No being, be it god or mortal, may know of this deposit, except for the children of Iam who know of responsibility and care. Only they may manage this supply of useful material and any mistakes they make will be on Iam's head and Iam's head alone.

 

AP

Alter Land/Water (0AP): Iam improves stone by making it more ascetically pleasing, creating natural deposits of marble all around the world [Mind (Innovation II)]

Alter Land/Water (0AP): Iam improves stone by making different varieties of with different properties, creating natural ore deposits of many different metals including platinum, gold, silver, copper, and iron all around the world. [Mind (Innovation II)]

Alter Land/Water (0AP): Iam improves stone by making it more functionally useful, creating natural deposits of coal all around the world. [Mind (Innovation II)]

Alter Land/Water (0AP): Iam improves stone by making it more functionally useful, creating natural deposits of flint all around the world. [Mind (Innovation II)]

Alter Land/Water (0AP): Iam improves stone by making it more functionally useful, creating a single, fortified deposit of tinderstone. [Mind (Innovation II)]

Conceal (0AP): Iam further improves tinderstone by hiding it from those who might abuse it, concealing and disguising the existence of the tinderstone deposit from everyone except his godkin. [Mind (Innovation II)]

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by The Stranger (see edit history)

[Avaday Daydream]

Dear diary,

Writing hasn't been invented yet, so I suppose this is all in my head.

Some time ago, longer than an age but less than an epoch,

Master Iam left what was to be the first meeting of the gods, rather abruptly, in fact.

We have largely come to the consensus that he wishes to be alone,

so he might create in his own image without input from the other gods,

and so we have resolved for the most part to leave him in peace and quiet,

until such time as he wishes to return.

 

That being said, it is not in our nature to shutter our eyes and ears and wait to be noticed,

when we could be providing aid and succor or at least patiently waiting to attend.

With that in mind, I appointed myself to set out in pursuit of Iam,

and whatever he might have created, if only to lend an ear.

 

Yes, it is true that I could have taken off with grace and dignity, and landed with the same.

But being launched like a cannonball via the arm of a giant is much funnier.

I hope to score a full 25 points with my landing.

"Wheeeeeeeeee!!"

Pantug the imp-goblin squealed as he shot through the air like an arrow... 

THUNK!

And embedded himself a good meter headfirst into the side of a hill.

A few seconds later, Pantug pulled himself free with a quiet pop. "Ta-da!" he announced.

Then he looked around; nobody to be seen, god or otherwise, but there was what looked like a pile of stones in the distance...make that several piles of neatly stacked stones, a bit like the tolig were making back with Takayaane and Veshwoon. Maybe Iam wanted to make his own temple, or maybe it was to house something he had made?

Shrugging, before stretching his arms, Pantug unfolded his wings and started flapping his way down towards whatever Iam had created.

 

[The Stranger]

As magnificent as Pantug's landing was, there was unfortunately no one to witness it. It surely would have gotten a score of twenty-five easily, though. Pantug found himself among a city of big stone piles. They were huts and homes, built together. It was the first settlement of the godkin, still unnamed. Here lived the godkin. They were goblin-like creatures, except slightly different. More like Iam, but they had two eyes, eyebrows, a nose, and a mouth on their face. They had ears on the sides of their heads that were smaller than goblin ears and rounder. Most of them had hair on their head and in some other places on their body. They did not wear suits like Iam and instead just moved about in the skin they were born in. Wearing rocks was too difficult it would seem. Pantug flew faster than most others could travel, but the other creatures that were created by Veshwoon had gotten a head start. The godkin were already used to seeing a few creatures and most, like Iam, had already gotten used to focusing more on their own interests, rather than that of every random passerby.

 

However, there were those who were particularly interested in the other species themselves and so a few stopped to look up at Pantug as he flew. Some even pointed and called out to alert the others. Though, all of them smiled with joy at seeing a new creature. "Another flying one," one mentioned to a friend. "It looks stronger than the flying plant I caught yesterday," that one responded. "It's not stronger than my flying beast fang," a third chimed in. "You're crazy, look at that thing. It looks intelligent! I bet it could out smart your winged beast fang," the first pointed out. However, none of them could fly like Pantug could, so they just talked among themselves in their city. From his vantage point, Pantug could see many bigger piles of rocks that were not homes. There was a place that looked like a big open field with lots of random stones in messy piles. Each stone looked like they had been shaped, but they didn't seem to serve much purpose where they lay. 

 

There was another huge pile of rocks, but this one was different from the first. The rocks seemed to have been arranged and organized into a complex structure, but one without enclosed walls or a roof. Instead, there were many pillars, beams, and tall, small walls with little knobs carved into it. Here, the godkin ran, sprinted, jumped, climbed, balanced, and raced each other. Some laughed and cheered from the sidelines. One carved little mark on a small wall next to him while carefully observing the others. It was not yet the focus of their society, but they already had developed a primitive form of writing and math. Mostly used for score keeping.

 

Between the buildings, there were clear network of paths that looked like a pretty boring maze from the sky. What was perhaps the strangest thing that could be seen from the sky was a bunch of piles of rocks that were moving around. They slid along the ground with great ease, being pulled or pushed by the godkin. These piles of rocks seemed to be balanced on rounded disc shaped rocks that rotated around long thing cylinder rocks. This seemed to facilitate the ease of sliding these moving piles exhibited. On two or more of these cylinders with discs on them, there was usually a long flat piece of rock that had half walls on them to keep whatever was on it in place. Most of these moving piles had something on the long flat piece. Many had very large pieces of stone on them. Ones that would be difficult for even a giant to move. Yet, with the sliding piles of rocks under them, they seemed to move quickly and easily. The godkin used their sliding rocks to move large things all around the settlement, as they pleased. Some had little thrones built on them like the ones made for the gods, but instead of gods only godkin sat in them. The godkin like to call these piles of stones thronekin. Instead of walking to move, some godkin sat and moved. Then a standing godkin would push, pull, or propel the pile of sliding rocks they shared. To propel it, they paddled along the ground using one or more long, thin, but sturdy cylinder-shaped rocks. Like this, they could move faster and easier. Well, the sitting ones did, while the standing ones did all the work for the group. Still, not as good as flying though.

 

From the sky, Pantug could see the largest pile of rocks of all at the heart of the settlement. A huge building with a large symbol on it. This symbol did not seem like it was made out of stone. It seemed to be made of a shiny, glossy material that caught the light of the starkin in interesting ways. It was made out of silver. The shape of this symbol was that of many thin lines. Sharp and straight at some points, while carved in others. They bent around each other, forming a mostly circular shape, with eight prongs extending outward from the center.

 

This large pile of rocks seemed to be a building of sorts. It had large double doorway that could almost accommodate giants. Though they would still have to duck down, they could actually fit inside, unlike the puny huts. There were none yet there to try though. As if the building wasn't tall enough, there were large steps leading up to the doorway. It looked like it could be the basis of a temple, maybe, but it was still pretty primitive. Aside from the steps and symbol, there were no windows or other details. It was just four very big walls with a roof, a big doorway, and the shiny symbol over that. The doorway didn't even have doors yet. Making it less of a doorway and more of just a way through the walls.

However, there were godkin climbing up on the walls here, too. They used their great strength and dexterity to carefully carve out shapes into the stones, adding the details it lacked.

 

They still seemed to be working on it. Even as Pantug observed all of this, more and more of the godkin seemed to observe him and the amount that choose to take interest gradually increased. 

 

Some even waved. A few even tried calling out from way below. "Hello! Welcome!" some even said. 

Edited November 27, 2022 by The Stranger (see edit history)

[Avaday Daydream]

Pantug waved back at those Godkin that waved to him, before picking one who seemed to be beckoning him.

Hovering down ever so carefully, the imp-goblin lowered himself until he was sitting on his chosen target's head, like a fancy hat.

...No, that couldn't be right...

"Note to self." Pantug muttered, miming writing in a book before pausing and miming carving with a chisel, "Invent hats...note to self, invent clothing, note to self, invent something to make clothing from. Where's a god of textiles when you need them?"

Then he looked around at the observing godkin and coughed before waving, "Anyway...hello there! I am Pantug, an imp and one of the Tolig. We're...basically one god split into millions of godlings, here to serve as world-builders and tutelary deities to aid the other gods. Master Iam flew away a short while ago so I came to check up on how he was doing."

He looked around again. The numerous buildings. The sliding stones. The immense doorway that seemed designed for Takayaane and some of the bigger tolig to fit through, "Er, do we have competition?" 

 

[The Stranger]

"Wow, you can talk? We've never met anyone other than a godkin who could talk," he remarked. When some nearby godkin heard this, they rushed over in awe. Now, everyone was interested in Pantug. Among them, a woman approached carrying a small carved black stone that was hollow. The stone was also shiny and glossy. It had four thin pillars at its corners and inside it held a flame. With it, she carried the fire around. 

 

"We're the godkin, created by Iam. It sounds like godkin and godlings are similar, but we are not created to serve. Iam invested as much power as he could expend to create us. He made us as powerful as he could. His intention for us is to have us push past our limits to see how we can grow beyond what he gave us," she explained.

 

"Oh, but we love competition. What exactly do you want to compete at again?" the man wearing Pantug as a hat chimed in. 

Edited November 28, 2022 by The Stranger (see edit history)

[Avaday Daydream]

Pantug points out the buildings the Godkin have made, and talks a bit about the island and temple the other tolig were putting together, before getting distracted by the titanic-sized, island-bearing Tolig becoming visible and approaching in the distance.

 

(Would be more post but I be woozy.)

Edited November 30, 2022 by Avaday Daydream (see edit history)

[The Stranger]

Before long, Pantug had gathered a mass of followers, interested in hearing his story. Word of another creature that could talk that was not godkin or Iam had caught everyone's attention for the moment.

 

They all listened to his stories of a world they have never known before. They never grew tired of hearing any of it, though Pantug might grow tired of repeating himself to everyone. However, Iam was not among them. They were sure surprised and beyond elated to see that the approach of the island-bearing Tolig in the distance.

 

(No worries. Thanks for thinking of me even though you are unwell. Take as much time as you need to recover, and I hope you feel well again soon.)