Turn 2 MigrantsIn time, the mortals grew.
The vast jungles and forests of Tik gave the chosen of Breex the space and resources to develop and learn. In time, small bands would become clans and these clans in turns developed into tribes, with some forsaking such familial groupings entirely, choosing instead to settle down and serve their god. Gathering at crossroads, territorial borders or places of great beauty, these acolytes of Breex developed the first true temples. With a little urging and encouragement, the tribes soon promised to support the acolytes and their rituals, as long as the temples in turn allowed them to offer up sacrifices to Breex.
As a consequence, the mangled seers and chiefs, were now relegated to the service of the temples while their more able-bodied kin were once again in command of the lay people. With healthy youths in command, it soon became common for mild disagreements to become skirmishes between clans, leading to a new era of violence amongst the tikkites. While ever-loyal to their lord, few saw a problem with a few fights and few deaths, especially if it was that of an enemy. Surely, none thought it odd that some had created odd spears out of the shiny rocks they had found or that the very life of those slain seemed to leave the body the instant they were struck. Indeed, some saw this as a very good thing.
For their work and continued piety, the great Breex praised his followers who in turn yet offered more thanks to their great god.
Amongst the Seven Moons, the salamanders developed in relative peace. There was no need to develop agriculture; the salamanders fed on the heat of their homeworlds and the Eversun. War did not occur; there was space for all. Trade did not occur; the salamanders were so sparsely spread that trade was unfeasible. Even so, a complex kinship system did develop that ranked the worth and power of any particular salamander by their family, what that family had done and what totems they owned. Totems, curiously metallic materials carved into perfect spheres, served as a kind of currency, shrine and trophy for the salamanders. What each totem was worth was also dependent on which family one asked. As such, competition for these totems drove most conflict and social interaction amongst the Seven Moons, even if that conflict was more ceremonial and often written in poem or drawn in art than with blood.
On Lakota, the tahook expanded outward and thrived, with thousands soon calling the world home. A race of zealots, the idea of a clergy was completely unthinkable to the tahook. It was the responsibility of all tahook, young and old, to worship their god as he desired. Indeed, how one worshiped Taro is often the main divider of societies amongs them, with families coming second to one's fellow adherents. Regardless, relative peace reigned, with all being careful to continue their god's worship and recognition of the Living Testament, the tahook's term for the theocracy that their god had created.
The relative harmony of the tarook was shattered however with the Second Spawning, when glorious Taro created yet more tarook. Weaker, slower and far more foolish than those who had come before them, these 'clay tarook' were seen as lesser beings by most of the so-called 'marble tarook'. However, they knew that since Taro himself had created them, clearly they were meant to survive and be part of the Testament. In many cases, these tarook were made into second-class citizens, occupying positions as servants or slaves. Many saw themselves as mentors and teachers to the clay tarook, a clear imitation of Taro's own relationship to the tahook people.
While the tarook settled into the new state of affairs, beneath the surface of Lakota, a new intelligence stirred. The stone itself reassembled into new forms and shapes, gaining minds and souls. By the decree of Wakan-He, these Vaceo inhabited the dark underworld of Lakota, feeding on the earth itself, all the while creating yet more from themselves. In the process, all divine essence present in any minerals they fed on were expunged, save for that of the earth god himself. Wherever the vaceo spread their tunnels, the Cursed Iron predictably grew rarer. As decided by their divine creator, this was a holy act and indeed, many vaceo saw this as a way to atone for sins or ingratiate themselves with their god. In time, loose bands of vaceo calling themselves Purifiers were created. Often made up of youths or elders who did not enjoy the normal life known to the vaceo, these holy men were nomads who spent their lives far away, destroying the Iron where they found it. In more than a few mishaps, these Purifiers encountered tarook miners and artistans who mined the Iron, completely unaware of its corruption. Those who refused to surrender the Iron for Processing were slaughtered and while the tarook were certainly stronger beings, the species as a whole were unprepared for violence, never having to use weapons save for hunting.
As a response to reports of the stone itself rising to defend itself, the Testament entered debate, a debate that in truth, never truly ended. That the earth itself had suddenly came to life, that it called the metal that had recently been discovered to be so useful to be in fact evil, was a major crisis amongst the elite. It also raised a great many theological questions, ones that could not be answered without the presence of their god. In response, the First Council was established to deal with such problems and while many arguments were made, it was finally established that the earth was
not of Taro's creation and indeed, it would not be wrong to continue mining its minerals and that if the earth itself objected, then it was the right of the tahook to dominate it.
Of course the vaceo were completely unaware of such developments on the surface. In fact, they themselves were facing a new crisis. The appearance of great serpents, the Lindworms, within the deeps of Lakota terrified many. One could hear their rumblings and tunneling in the earth but to escape was a near impossibility. Too intelligent, too quick, too powerful. Worse yet, all the minerals they consumed became Cursed, even the bodies of the vaceo themselves. To be consumed by a Lindworm was to damn one's soul. As a result, few but the Purifiers were willing to engage a wyrm, and none yet learnt to slay one. Instead, the vaceo spread out, occupying small creches and caverns. Fewer people meant less noise and thus a greater chance of avoiding a wyrm. Any chance for a vaceo city was as such, crushed. To even journey beyond a clan's tunnel network and traverse the abandoned deeps was seen as heroic and of course, suicidal. Merchants and the like as a result, became just as loved as the Purifiers.
While the vaceo loathed these creatures, few recognised the connection between Purifiying the earth and the appearance of the wyrms. Though the Cursed Iron had attempted to alert them to this, the dreams it had sent were rarely remembered and when they were, often muddled with all the oddities a dream could have. As such, none imagined that simply stopping the purification of the earth would end the attacks.
A few however had learnt the secret of escaping a Lindworm's wrath: wit. Any vaceo who hoarded knowledge, or were masters at the riddle, could escape the wyrms' gullet and in some cases, be offered a treasure of Cursed Iron. This of course, posed a dilemma. The Iron was evil and those vaceo who kept it were damned. However, to purify it was to beget the anger of a wyrm, one that could not be avoided with a riddle or a word. A few less scrupulous vaceo happily took the treasure, forsaking their god, and sold it to the coral-people above. Fewer still, giving in to the Iron completely, created weapons and goods of the metal, waylaying or raiding clan-holds and unknowingly, feeding the god of war himself. Most however, simply ignored the wyrms' hoard and went on their way.
On Tik, Lindworms were seen as minor deities. Massive, greedy and rarely seen, these powerful wyrms were seen as spirits of the earth, entities that created yet more of the useful Iron that became so useful amongst the tikkites. Those few fools who attempted to steal a wyrm's hoard were of course, quickly devoured, a fact that which was rarely heard since very few survived an encounter with a wyrm. The tikkites, strong as they were, could not answer a wyrm's riddle and rarely provided a new fact. Regardless of this, it became common for many clans to worship the local lindworm alongside other minor spirits, with Breex of course remaining the highest god of all. A few lindworms, flattered by their worship, indeed took up their assigned personas and created huge masses of Iron for the tribe's use. Such tribes quickly became dominant over their neighbours, conquering or forcing them to bow. With this power, the very first tikkite cities were founded. Built around the old temples of Breex, wyrm-kings built huge stone and clay cities to house their families, allies and slaves. Building altars and shrines to both their lindworm and Breex, many tikkites came to see the wyrms as earthly gods while Breex himself was the celestial god who ultimately ruled the cosmos.
While these wyrm-centric civilisations flourished, others continued on a pure state, worshiping only Breex and an assortment of nonexistent spirits. Some coastal societies, who had often dived into the ocean and now built boats to do so, had often offered up shells and corals to the great god. Even so, it was not Breex, but Aqua that gave them blessing for their tasks. Those who held the odd shells, teeth and stones of the oceans were now suddenly given the grace of rulers. Strength, fertility and old age were now given to them. Control over the so-called 'Relics of Aqua' were now hotly contested by the coastal civilisations that called Tik home. From these conflicts rose the first 'Crown Kingdoms', so-called because their kings derived their power from their assorted artifacts which were often placed into a crown. It was soon established that the artifacts had an additive effect, meaning that holding more of the artifacts would result in a yet longer life, greater strength and yet more offspring to continue the lineage. War was all too common amonst the Kingdoms, a fact that saw many military innovations made in a relatively short amount of time.
Void ActivityThe Bubble has not been secured. Forced entry into the Bubble is possible.
Atorax accepts the Cursed Iron's offer and immediately descends into the deeps of Tik.
The Cursed Iron receives 1 Act.The Oracle accepts Aqua's proposition and awaits her new world. In the meantime, she has descended onto Lakota.
Aqua receives 2 Minor Acts.The Vessel accepts the Cursed Iron's offer. It quickly begins mining a perfectly circular 279km wide hole on Tik's surface.
The Cursed Iron receives 1 Act.Durris/mcclay
PR1
0GA
0A
1MA
Aqua/Elvish Miner
PR1
1GA
1A
2MA
Wakan-He/Sl4cker
PR1
0GA
0A
0MA
The Cursed Iron/Ghazkull
PR1
0GA
2A
0MA
Taro/Robson
PR1
0GA
1A
1MA
Breex/NRDL
0GA
0A
2MA
Durris/mcclay
Worship (salamander) 1MA/turn
Aqua/Elvish Miner
Wakan-He/Sl4cker
Worship (vaceo) 1MA/turn
The Cursed Iron/Ghazkull
Touched Minerals 1MA/turn
Taro/Robson
Worship (marble tarook) 1MA/turn
Worship (clay tarook) 1MA/turn
Breex/NRDL
Worship (tik) 2MA/turn
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Topic: Divinity 2: Godgame (IC) (Read 2279 times)