World Creation Superdraft 8: July 2024

[death tribble]

We will be taking the weekend off.

 

And it appears that DShomshak is taking his participation too seriously. Mount Etna is erupting which was the forge of Vulcan in classical mythology.

Calm down.

[Pattern Ghost]

The Weekend  = Today through Sunday (U.S. holiday weekend)? Or are we allowed to post today and tomorrow, and just taking the normal Saturday and Sunday weekend off?

 

 

[death tribble]

We have plenty of time so if the Americans want to next post on Monday go ahead.

Everyone else will slow down to accommodate you.

[L. Marcus]

But what if we're a go-getter?

[Pattern Ghost]

Yes, are we going or getting?

[Hermit]

Kjósa was furious at what had just happened, and appeared before her brother on one his favorite bridges, "THERE you are!" She snarled, though clearly her ire wasn't with him "You left the divine symposium early. Do you know what they DID to me?"

Tranvers started to answer "Told you to change the subject?"

"NO, well, yes, but more than that," She seethed, "I was explaining about the duality, how all sentient mortals needed awareness and thought on what was right, and what was wrong, but how each might vary because of the situations they were in. You can't expect a nomadic people to have the same property ownership views as a settled and stationary culture, and you can't expect a culture of desert dwellers to allow the same priorities as say folks near a great sea. And both can be right, very situational, right?"

Tranvers had opinions, but his sister was on a roll, "Very flexible."

"And yet, they also has to be some consistency and thought into the enforcement there of, or else it's all a farce anyway and harms the culture those mores were meant to protect. It's a kind of duality. You can question your beliefs, change them, but you need to ponder such drastic measures before you throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. You see?"

"Rigid Flexibility, got it," Tranvers nodded.

"In short, in a way, Ethical dilemmas are also a crossroads, so naturally I was interested," She explained "Well, someone else said they found it rather dull, I don't remember which god, and they wanted to change the subject and move onto the next item of the agenda. I thought that was rushed, but when I brought that up, you know what they DID just so they could move onto the discussion of quotas regarding worshipers?"

Tranvers didn’t need to be the god of connections (but he was) to easily draw the necessary conclusion, "They voted you the goddess of Ethics, situational or otherwise!"

"Wrong!" She said, "They voted me the goddess of Ethics, situational or... " Then it sank in that her brother was NOT wrong, "otherwise." She finished lamely.

 

Kjósa huffed, "Can they do that?"

"Are mortals already worshiping you for that purpose now?" Tranvers asked, "praying and all?"

Kjósa tilted her head listening to the prayers of the mortals, then winced, "By the balls of Bacon, they are! Damn it, Damn it Damn it! I'm gonna get blamed for every hypocritical thing that mortals do now!"

“Probably not EVERY thing,” Tranvers said, "Look, you love the subject, and you'll be more creative than a lot of 'Thou shalt nots'. Didn't you already right up a Code of the Crossroads to keep the peace at those locations?"
"With mixed results," She huffed, "And I meant it mostly for the Valvi at the time."

"Well, there you go," Tranvers said "The gods voted, the mortals clearly agree, and it's not like it doesn't give you some more divine influence."
"I'm starting to think I was set up," Kjósa groused, but sounded more resigned, "Do you think it was Tomfoolery? Or Dagnabbit?" Then a suspicious look crossed her features.

 

"It wasn't YOU was it brother? SOMEONE got that vote rolling fast then spilled the proverbial beans to mortals on top of it."

She turned to face her brother, only to find he had moved onto something else.

It wasn't a confession by any means, but it meant he was still on the suspect list. Wryly she wondered  if Divine Fratricide might be ethical in this case…

 

******

Secondary Domain: Ethics (Situational or otherwise)

 

 

(With thanks to Log for his help and okay dokey)

[Psybolt]

Tomfoolery looked around as his family started the creation of this new world.  He had thought about creating something very much like what Rethormathe had done with the race of beings dubbed humans.  With this opening, he wondered aloud what he should do.

 

"This world requires more humor within it.  These humans must learn of the ways of humor.  What they need is something smaller....

 

....and BLUE!"

 

 

 

 

Sentient Race:  Bamfs

 

[Hermit]

3 minutes ago, Psybolt said:

Tomfoolery looked around as his family started the creation of this new world.  He had thought about creating something very much like what Rethormathe had done with the race of beings dubbed humans.  With this opening, he wondered aloud what he should do.

 

"This world requires more humor within it.  These humans must learn of the ways of humor.  What they need is something smaller....

 

....and BLUE!"

 

 

 

 

Sentient Race:  Bamfs

 

Love it!

[death tribble]

I am a big fan of Nightcrawler in the X-Men and well remember the story so I have no problem with Bamfs.

 

However I would classify Smurfs as a Major Annoyance just to be clear

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

They're just Smurfs that teleport. What's the problem?

 

[death tribble]

They are not smurfs.

 

Look, I read the X-Men and have the issue where they appeared so I can assure you they are not smurfs.

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

The Smurf they aren't! 

 

 

Spoiler

 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

“Welcome to Arboretia, The Highest City! Feel free to ask questions, but please stay with your guide. It is very easy to get lost in the city if you don’t know the area, and we cannot afford to lose any more visitors.”

 

“Is she serious?”

 

“I can’t tell. She doesn’t look like she’s joking.”

 

“…around the inn. The conference will begin with an opening ceremony tonight at sundown. Until then, please enjoy the hospitality of the Emerald Capital. Our restaurants and museums have no equal in the world below. Larel will take the Brunel delegation, and I will lead the Bortle delegation. Right this way please. And again, stay with your guide.”

==========

The Highest City is truly a sight to behold. An architectural marvel spanning nearly the entire forest, it is built into and around the massive trees in a healthy and sustainable manner. These days a significant amount of their industry is dedicated to tourism. They didn’t plan it that way, but the throngs of curious visitors kept growing so they finally decided to embrace it.

 

In Arboretia every building is at least one hundred feet off of the ground. Located in the treetops of a forest of colossals in the western part of an ancient mountain range, the structures are connected by a complex labyrinth of bridges and spans. Their artistic and architectural influence is felt around the world. The city is sacred to Tranvers, the God of Bridges.

 

Geography pick: Arboretia, The Highest City

 

 

[csyphrett]

7 hours ago, Psybolt said:

Tomfoolery looked around as his family started the creation of this new world.  He had thought about creating something very much like what Rethormathe had done with the race of beings dubbed humans.  With this opening, he wondered aloud what he should do.

 

"This world requires more humor within it.  These humans must learn of the ways of humor.  What they need is something smaller....

 

....and BLUE!"

 

 

 

 

Sentient Race:  Bamfs

 

I remember picking these guys when we need teleporting heroes

CES

[Pattern Ghost]

All of life's little annoyances help to build character -- or that's what Dagnabbit will tell you, with a sly smile and a wink -- so that you are better prepared to face life's bigger challenges.

 

Secondary Domain: Perseverance.

[DShomshak]

On 7/3/2024 at 12:38 PM, Pattern Ghost said:

Sentient Life: Gremlins! Mostly invisible, highly mischievous, not cuddly movie stars. No, these are the real deal. Fascinated by loose (or soon to be) wires and fasteners (dare I say loose screws?), rakes and ladders left in the wrong places, objects perched in precarious positions, and the like, these little fiends are opportunists, and they thrive on chaos.

Oh, wow. Jarnvoldir hates, hates, HATES these guys. Because they find his steampunk technology so irresistibly All those valves and dials demanding to be turned, all those swinging levers and turning gears pleading to have random objects jammed among them...

 

Well played.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Psybolt]

Secondary domain #3:  Performing arts

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Is anyone putting together a family tree? Just curious. 

[Pattern Ghost]

Runny nose, itchy eyes, the allergies of the World irritate, but nobody dies! 

 

Dagnabbit's Gift to the Peoples of the World: Allergies! The curse carries a blessing: Coming from the God of Minor Annoyances, allergies in this world only result in minor irritations, and are not deadly.

[death tribble]

5 hours ago, Logan D. Hurricanes said:

Is anyone putting together a family tree? Just curious. 

That's the job of the admin

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Day 5 selection on day 6:

 

Tranvers watched the humans with curiosity as they hid from the beasts in the caves. “Why do they do that?”

“Obviously, they’re scared of the various beasts. Even the ones they hunt could easily tear them apart. Some of them, anyway, particularly if one of them gets separated,” Kjósa answered pragmatically.

“I get that,” he said to his sister. “But why the caves? They aren’t any safer.”

“They can at least barricade the caves and create a chokepoint. What would you suggest, smart guy?” asked Kjósa smarmily. “Climb the trees?”

“No… although that’s not a bad idea, let me get back to that later. I mean, why don’t they, you know, build shelters?”

“Because they’re just humans. Really, I think you give them too much credit," She liked some humans, but they weren't her favorite peoples.

“Do you think so?” He pondered that. Mother Rethormathe said that, despite their unpleasant appearances, they were capable of great things. “Surely Mother wouldn’t create them without some better defensive plan in mind. If they are as capable as She says, they won’t succumb to a few random beasts. Just burying themselves in dirt isn’t going to work. Didn’t She say they were destined to rule the world at some point?”

Kjósa wrinkled her nose. “I think she was just saying that so we would be careful not to break them." So many of them made poor choices, and consequences could be a bit rough.

He nodded as visions of the recently lost burlongs came to mind. “They didn’t look that fragile. It’s too bad. I loved their songs.”

“Yeah, I had plans for those in the long run. Oh well. Exist and learn," his sister said a bit wistfully.

“The humans are different, though. They can learn. They use tools to hunt. Burlongs never did that. They just need to be taught. Maybe I need to do that.”

Gift to civilization: Architecture 

 

Edited July 6 by Logan D. Hurricanes

[DShomshak]

Oops, I think I've been posting out of logical order. So I hope nobody minds if I give a belated Day 5 post, for a necessary linking concept.

 

As Gofd of the Forge, Jarnvoldir oversees all the processes of producing and shaping metal. (And, occasionally, other thing. Later.) But that is not done by pure Will. At least not by mortals.

 

He also gave complex technology to mortals. Especially steam technology. Steam-powered locomotives, steam-powered calculating engines, steam-powered brisges that raise and lower, steam-powered... Can't talk about it yet.

 

But there's a space in between. Jarnvoldir is the god of Tools and Machines. Which are the same thing. Every tool is a machine -- even simple tools such as hammers or inclined planes, and every machine is a tool for achieving some other end. A lot of them are made of metal, at least in part, and so Jarnvoldir has a special interest in them.

 

N. B. This does not mean that particular tools and machines, or even whole classes, do not fall under the authority of another god. Even if Jarnvoldir's forge, the bellows that heats the fire falls under the authority of Pooftah. Blacksmiths take care to honor Pooftah for the gift of the captive wind. Even if Jarnvoldir didn't exactly ask permission first The Entelechy of Engineering offers the zeppelin as a belated repayment. (You can't have steampunk without zeppelins, can you?)

 

Seconday Domain: Tools and Machines.

 

(Illos later.)

 

Dean Shomshak

[Old Man]

 

Geography: The Aether Currents of the Infinite Blackness of the Heavens

 

This vast interlaced network of aether currents carries the souls of the dead (and living aethernauts) among the innumerable stars and worlds that mar the perfect, warm, breathable blackness of the heavens. Incredibly elaborate, the currents intersect in places and pass over each other in others, bridging the void in an ever-changing arrangement driven by the mechanisms of the celestial spheres, and supporting a unique ecosystem of their own.  Soaring with the currents, the spirits of the fallen may travel throughout the cosmos until they choose to return to mortality. 

 

Day-to-day management of the currents may be subcontracted to various other gods as required.

 

 

[Hermit]

I have my own late Friday pick to do, but the idea I had might cross over with someone else's so I'm checking with them to make sure it is okay, or if I need to switch. No trouble either way

[Hermit]

1 hour ago, Old Man said:

 

Geography: The Aether Currents of the Infinite Blackness of the Heavens

 

This vast interlaced network of aether currents carries the souls of the dead (and living aethernauts) among the innumerable stars and worlds that mar the perfect, warm, breathable blackness of the heavens. Incredibly elaborate, the currents intersect in places and pass over each other in others, bridging the void in an ever-changing arrangement driven by the mechanisms of the celestial spheres, and supporting a unique ecosystem of their own.  Soaring with the currents, the spirits of the fallen may travel throughout the cosmos until they choose to return to mortality. 

 

Day-to-day management of the currents may be subcontracted to various other gods as required.

 

 

And as the spirit realms and the realms of the physical came closer, and even interlaced, Kjósa smiled, "Thank you, Night Lord, that's just what I was waiting for."

The gift she had planned had existed in otherworlds. The Valvi  were proof of that, but this world had lacked a certain, access making said gift possible. It had lacked the necessary spiritual aspects. Now though, the Valvi would have their gift returned to them, and the rest of the world would learn of its potential as well.  Crossroads were hers, after all, even if the wide open aether was not. With a spiritual world along side the physical, at last even mortals might learn how to use the power of one to work wonders in the the other. Kjósa taught how to reach altered states of consciousness by trance, dance, and certain chemicals or herbs. By taking a step into the other state, those who studied could eventually learn to guide spirits or spiritual energies into the physical world for the purpose of healing, divination, and wards. Shamanism was in this steam using world, and the mortals, if they worked hard, studied, and showed will, could learn those ways. The Valvi took it up again easily, for it was in their lore from their great travels. But it must be said, the Valvi may have excelled over other mortals in the art in most areas, particularly communal efforts,  but they were not the greatest Aethernauts. Indeed, not all Shamans were Aethernauts, and not all Aethernauts were shamans. No doubt, The title 'greatest aethernaut shamans'  would likely be reserved for the shamans of Umbscurnox's favored people (Whoever they were).

Kjósa considered such an arrangement as respectful and prudent. It might appease any ire Umbscurnox might have at finding his work suddenly in the grasp of many mortal hands, and frankly, it was smart for Shamans to learn this as well. Kjósa was like a teacher who could show you how to swim in the roughest waters and survive, or use the river for more than travel to help your village. But Umbscurnox could yank that proverbial riverway (And the sea of aether that made it possible) back any time he wanted and it didn't matter HOW masterful you were at shamanism if that source ever got cut off.

Kjósa also knew which currents might lead to what fates, or at least what dangers, so she was often prayed to as a guide. She was, after all, still the goddess of Choice and Consequence even in the spirit realms, and the first question many an apprentice shaman got used to from his mentor was: "Are you sure?"

 

Gift to Civilization: Shamanism (The Valvi are best at it in most areas)

 

PS: Yes, just for the record, rumors have it some of the greatest Shamans got their first (or last) lessons by meeting with Kjósa at the crossroads. Rumors that she also gives lessons in Blues music are the result of badly jumbled superstitions.