Post/Author/DateTime	Post
alesian 02-05-08, 11:30 PM	Omni-Mythology Campaign Setting The main point of this setting is to reconcile various mythologies together in a way that is interesting and makes them compatible. The point isn't to be 100% accurate to the originating myths, but to use different parts to make a greater whole. The secondary point is to be able to ask questions that obviously don't get addressed in the originating mythologies, like "Would Thor and Heracles get along? Would Brigid and Hermes be rivals? Would the Morrigan help Hera finally get back at Zeus for all his affairs?" I think that all the various myths can work together with a little effort and create a compelling campaign setting. History In the beginning, there was only the darkness of the void. The void was empty, until the light of the First Thought. The First Thought illuminated the darkness of the void, and found that it was empty. So the First Thought decided to fill the void, and thus became the Architect of Existence. From the sparks of the mind of the Architect came out many lesser thoughts, who burned with a light like that of their creator, only lesser in substance. They served the Architect, and helped him in his quest to create the universe. They were the angels, and their home with the Architect became known as Heaven. The first act of the Architect was to create to children, brother and sister, husband and wife.They were opposed in everyway but alike in every way, and they were known as Sky and Earth. Their individual conciousnesses were enormous, greater than any of the angels, though not as great as the Architect, and did not encompass the entirety of their bodies. These leftover elemental creations were empowered by the architect with the seed of thought, and thus became the primordials. The primordials existed to help Earth and Sky create the physical world. Eventually, the primordials had children among themselves. These children were not as closely linked to the elements that bore them as the primordials were, and instead were linked to more abstract ideas. And thus the seed of conflict between the gods and the primordials was born. For Earth and Sky had prevented any great creation from arising upon them. No one remembers exactly why this was so; some say they fought each other constantly, while others claim they embraced each other so closely that creation was impossible. Regardless, the gods conspired amongst themselves to seperate the two. The primordials sought to defend their parents, while the angels and the Architect looked on, unsure of which side to support. This was the first great war of the universe, and the war that would lay the foundation for the universe as mortals would come to know it. The gods, though outnumbered and outmatched in nearly every way, defeated their parents and claimed victory in the war. But not without cost, for the great war shattered Earth and Sky, forcing the gods to start creation anew. The divine families that had formed before the war went their seperate ways, seeking out pieces of Earth and Sky to claim as their own and populate with grand creations. The Architect saw that the void was now being filled, and he was happy. So the Architect took time to rest, and his dreams seeped out into the universe. These dreams allowed mortal life to finally come into being and the gods to shape their planets. Some of the dreams were aware of their true nature and were able to walk between worlds. These dreams were known as the fey, and they tended the pieces of Earth and Sky that had escaped the notice of the gods. But all was not well in Heaven. One of the angels, one of the oldest thoughts of the Architect, had grown discontented. He was called Lucifer, the Morning Star, for he had been one of the first and the grandest of the angels. He had witnessed the god's war with the primordials, and had seen that a much weaker force was able to defeat a much greater force. And thus a plan formed in his mind. He spoke to many of the angels and convinced them that the Architect's plan had gone awry, and that it was time for a change in rulership to rectify his mistakes. And thus the great war in Heaven was fought and Lucifer and his kin were cast out. They became the devils, mockeries of the thoughts of light that the Architect had so dearly loved.The Architect wept that his closest creations had betrayed him so, and he locked himself behind a great obsidian door, never to be heard from again. And so the angels who remained in Heaven were left in dissaray, leaderless and directionless. This was dire news for the universe, for Lucifer's fall heralded a new evil's entrance. When the angels who became the devils fell, a great maw opened in the world, and from the maw poured vile, unnatural creatures. These were the demons, and their very presence disrupted the fabric of reality that held the world together. Things that had once been unknown-pain, death, disease, and suffering-were unleashed upon worlds not prepared for them, and existed in ways that would be unrecognizable in modern times. The gods fought them and the angels helped them as much as they could, but it seemed as if the demons would overwhelm creation. It was ultimately the fey who devised the plan to defeat the demons. The things that the demons had unleashed into the world could not be undone, so the obvious solution was reconciliation. Death and pain and disease and suffering would all be made part of the world, and thus the great power that the demons had would be negated. The fey, with the aide of the gods and the angels, slowly weaved the demons into nature. The demons became more like fey, and some even found the two breeds to be indistinguishable. And thus the universe as it is known today was created. All the major players have been created. They all watch the material plane from their various homes-Heaven, Hell, Aether, Dreamtime, the Abyss-for they all know that the material plane is the most important place, and that the actions of mortals will shape their destinies.
alesian 02-06-08, 01:17 AM	Power Groups There exist six major extraplanar power groups in the universe. The Angels The first beings to come into existence, the angels embody various concepts of goodness. Unlike the other power groups, there are no true schisms among the angels, although there are factions and different groups of angels have different responsibilities. Because angels are limited in their actions by the Mandate of Heaven, they are primarily concerned with upholding the fabric of the universe. There are seven groups of angels, each corresponding to one of the seven colors of the rainbow. The Primordials Animated from the raw elements, the primordials once existed to regulate and build using the various elements. However, they shirked their duties when they allowed Earth and Sky to stifle the works of creation, and they are now more closely associated with destruction than creation. The primordials do not have any set groups, but tend to associate around various planetary spirits-immense, powerful primordials that were used by the gods in the creation of worlds. The Gods The rebellious children of the primordials, the gods embody various abstract concepts such as war, love, cities, or time. The gods were concerned with raising the base matter to a state of awarness and creativity; when their desires where stymied by the primordials, they rebelled. Now the gods are concerned with guiding the actions of the various mortal races, as they believe they know what is best for their creations. The gods were once divided into six familial pantheons, but have now begun to form pantheons based on ideology rather than family. The Fey Created from the vast dreamtime produced by the slumbering Architect, the fey embody natural forces. They mainly work to ensure that nature is preserved and the natural cycle continues on in a state of dynamic equilibrium. After the war with the demons, some believe that the fey have merged completely with their former enemies and are now indistinguishable from demons. The fey have divided themselves into three courts: The court of the Anima, the Persona, and the Psyche. The Devils The angels who fell Lucifer in his rebellion against the Architect were cast out of Heaven and transformed into the devils. The devils all embody various social evils, such as deadly sins or crimes against humanity. The devils seek to corrupt the souls as mortals, typically as a way of fighting a proxy way against the angels. Some devils wish to reshape creation entirely, believing that the Architect's plan was a failure and needs to be destroyed. The devils each follow one of thirteen mighty generals, each who rules a portion of Hell. The Demons The demons were created when the fall of the angels disrupted the fabric of the multiverse. The fall either caused them to come into existence or allowed them to enter the universe; the exact manner of their arrival is often debated. Demons represent natural evils, like death, disease, or pain. The fey worked to integrate these things into nature, thus preventing the demons from further damaging reality. Some demons have accepted this and revel in their newfound status; others seek a return to the old days when the universe crumbled from their presence. Demons do not have a specific way of arranging themselves, and frequently form cults of personality around powerful demon lords.
alesian 02-07-08, 05:10 PM	The Angels Before the Architect locked himself behind the Obsidain Door, he left the angels of Heaven a document. This document was known as the Mandate of Heaven, and it gave the angels instructions on how they were able to act in the material world, in a way. The Mandate was not simply a set of laws that the angels were supposed to follow-it was a literal description of how they would be able to act. The Mandate described how they were limited in their actions on the material plane and in their interactions with the mortal races. The angelic host found a way to skirt the restrictions of the Mandate, however. The majority of good people do not go to Heaven. Most people are sent to the underworlds prescribed to them by whatever pantheon they worship. A few truly good people, upon their moment of death, are approached by the angel Azrael. He offers them a chance to do good greater than anything they could have done as mortals. If they accept his offer, they ascend to Heaven and become a saint. The Seven Archangels The Seven Archangels, the First among Equals, guide the course of Heaven as it attempts to counter the actions of Hell and ensure the continuation of the universe. Each has a different responsiblity in the Heavens and on the material plane, but all unite to defend the cause of good. The Jade Emperor Once, the Jade Emperor was a mortal king. Now he is one of the Seven Archangels and the first human to have ever been raised to the status of sainthood. He lived on a world that the gods had neglected yet had somehow developed life on its own. He organized the first kingdom on this world, and his kingdom soon grew into an empire. Despite this new-found power, he remained just and kind in his rulership, and was greatly loved by his people (and closely watched by the forces of Heaven). Upon his death, Azrael came to him and presented him the plan for sainthood that the angels had developed. He accepted the offer and quickly rose to the rank of Archangel. He now leads the green angels, known as the Celestial Bureaucracy, in managing the day-to-day affairs of Heaven. The Jade Emperor believes that for good to prosper, mortals must have a strong and wise government to watch over and protect them. He despises both anarchy and totalitarianism, believing them to be betrayals of the people's trust. Because of this, he counts Beelzebub and Moloch as his greatest of enemies. The Jade Emperor appears as a middle aged man wearing the garbs of a scholar but also the crown of high office. When headed into battle, he wears armor of brilliant jade, showcasing the history of good triumphing over evil. Guan Yin The Goddess of Love and Mercy, as she is known among her many mortal followers, was once a mortal woman. She showed such compassion for her fellow mortals that upon her death she was offered a position in the Heavens as a saint. Guan Yin's beliefs have earned her much love from the mortals of the material world. She preaches both selfless love and love for all other mortals. This ideology has one her so much popularity that her worship is begrudigingly tolerated by the gods. Self styled gods of love typically dislike her, for while their definition of love usually focuses on physical aspects, she believes that love should transcend the physical world. Guan Yin leads the red angels, also known as the Bhodivistas, who seek to ease the suffering of mortals and teach them to love and respect one another. The Bhodivistas also seek to show mortals how to ease their pain on their own, for it is not their desire that mortals become completely dependent on the Heavens. Guan Yin appears as a motherly young woman wearing red robes and carrying the instruments of a healer. Sophia Sophia, also known as the Archangel of Wisdom, is an enigma. She is widely believed to be an angel, but no one can confirm this for certain. Some speculate that she is a being entirely different from the angels or the saints. A few believe that she is the vicar of the Architect in his absence, but nothing about Sophia is certain. Sophia's greatest enemy is the devil Mammon, who seeks the exultation of the material world to the point where it is completely severed from the spiritual realms. On worlds where the god's influence is limited, entire religions based upon the conflict between these two have arisen. Sophia leads the yellow angels, also known as the Archons, who seek to inspire spiritual understanding in mortals. The Archons do not simply guide mortals to worship the Heavenly powers-they are satisfied if mortals find any sort of spiritual understanding. Sophia appears as a matronly woman surrounded by an aura of soft, golden light. She has a constant aura of understanding and peace surrounding her. Gabriel Gabriel, also known as the Voice of the Heavens, is the messenger of the angels and seeks to ensure that mortals possess knowledge of good and its true meaning. Because of the restrictions that the Mandate places on angels and the god's generally low view of angelic interventionism, Gabriel has become a master of stealth and espionage. Her network of agents in the mortal world outmatches that of any other self styled spymaster.Gabriel is the leader of the blue angels, also known as the Metatron. The Metatron seek to make the word of Heaven and the path of good known to any that wish to hear it. They are frequently associated with prophets as well, and help guide and direct her mortal agents. Gabriel is also closely associated with prophecy and divination, and thus the other archangels always turn to her for guidance and advice. For reasons unknown, Gabriel is closely assocaited with the end of the universe in the prophecies of mortals and gods. Gabriel appears as a young woman wearing dark blue robes and carrying a long brass horn. Michael Michael, the General of the Armies of Heaven, is often looked upon as the leader of the archangels in the Architect's absence. This is a responsibilty that he does not take lightly, and some believe that he is overly stoic and stern in his demeanor. Michael led the battle against the followers of Lucifer, and thus has earned the personal emnity of the Morning Star and the many angels he helped cast out of Heaven. Michael is a firm believer in the idea of justice, and while others mourn the fall of these angels, Michael believes that they recieved the punishment that was due to them. Michael is the leader of the violet angels, also known as the Seraphim. The Seraphim are the warriors of the angels, seeking to battle the forces of evil and inspire mortals to do likewise. Michael appears as a bearded young man with the wings of a hawk, fully clothed in brilliant gold and violet armor. Prajapati Prajapati, the God of Creation and the Protector of Life, is the Archangel who seeks to promote joy and creativity in the world. Prajapati is unique among the archangels in the fact that he is actually a god and the leader of an entire pantheon. While the other pantheons sought to promote their own selfish agendas, Prajapati sought to promote good and wisdom, and so allied himself with Heaven, where he was made an archangel. Prajapati is the leader of the blue angels, also known as the devas. Prajapati does not give his devas a specific, all-encompassing task, but instead allows them to do what they believe to be right in order to promote good. Prajapati's pantheon was one of the foremost fighters in the war against the demons, and thus many of the demons despise Prajapati, especially the demon lord of war and destruction, Ravanna. Prajapati appears as a middle aged man with four heads and ten hands, constantly working at the art of creation and constantly watching the things that he creates. Azrael Among some students of the Heavens, Azrael is known as "the Fallen Archangel." A more commonly accepted title is "The Archangel of Death." When the great war agains the demons was taking place, the first major step taken by the side of good was to find a way to defeat death, which had been unleashed upon the world by the demon lord Yama. Azrael, assisted by the gods and a now-forgotten fey, was able to tame the power of death and make it a part of life. Thus the power of Yama was broken and the tides of battle began to turn against the demons. But some believe that Azrael has grown corrupted by his power over death, and that he now allows death to go unchecked in the world. His only known enemy is Yama, who wishes to regain his power over death by consuming Azrael and any other spiritual being associated with death. Azrael leads the indigo angels, also known as the Grim Reapers, in guiding souls to there ordained destination after death. Azrael has no other concerns beyond guiding the Grim Reapers in directing the souls of the dead. He appears as a stoic young man with ash grey skin wearing plain black robes. He wields a scythe, and no his face remains motionless constantly, even when he speaks.
RAGNAROKISCOMING2007 02-07-08, 05:43 PM	I like what you are doing here keep it up. I was doing something similar. I too, wanted to mix alot of mythologies together in one big world. Maybe i'll start on that again soon.:D
alesian 02-08-08, 12:51 PM	Thank you and good luck on your own project! The Fey After the Architect slept after his work began to unfold, he began to dream of the new life that the worlds would soon hold. His dreams shifted and coalesced, forming a plane that most mortals refer to as “the Otherworld,” although the fey themselves are more apt to call it Alchera, the Dreamtime, or the Everywhen. The Dreamtime is not a plane of dreams in the sense that mortal minds venture there in their sleep; instead, Dreamtime seems more closely connected to the dreams of nature itself. A tree dreams, and a dryad is born; a river dreams, and a naiad is born; a mountain dreams, and an oread is born. A planet is only so closely connected to the Dreamtime during the creation of the world; it is only during this period of time that the fey spontaneously come into being. After the epoch of creation in a world ends, so too does the Dreamtime fade from a world and fey are no longer created. Instead, they have more mundane methods of reproduction. The fey divide themselves into three major courts (although rumors abound of a third “court,” the Parliament of Shadow). Within these courts are various vassal courts and lesser courts that at answer to the Queen (at least in theory). For example, the Vassal Courts of Spring and Summer are part of the court of the Anima, and the Vassal Courts of Autumn and Winter are part of the Court of the Persona. These lesser courts vary in their size and independence, with more important courts, such as the seasonal courts, being fairly large and independent, while less important courts, such as the vassal Court of Thorns, are smaller and more dependent on the core of the Court. The hierarchy within these various courts is very complicated, involving various strings of fealty and duty that take years of mortal study to fully understand. The transference of loyalty between Courts and change in rulership within a Court also seems to require some sort of mystical or symbolic undertaking as well. Anima The Court of the Anima, also known as the Unseelie Court, is ruled by Queen Carabosse. The Court of the Anima is the Court of darkness and hidden things, of secrets and negativity. The Court of the Anima holds jurisdiction over the parts of nature that are dark and fearful and hidden from view. Carabosse deposed the previous ruler, the Queen of Air and Darkness, through a campaign of conspiracies and intrigue that has left her almost completely unopposed within the Court. She has not taken a consort or declared an heir, for fear that they might become a threat to her power base. Carabosse regards herself as the greatest of nobility, and she is feared among mortal nobles for her habit of showing up at balls and coronations and wreaking havoc if her whims are not met. She appears as an exquisitely beautiful woman, wearing dark dresses years ahead fashion-wise. However, it is said by some that pricking her with a cold iron needle reveals her true nature-an ugly old crone with the shadow of a rat. Autumn and Winter are the primary vassals of the Court of the Anima, while more minor vassals include the Court of Midnight, home to one-third of the tripartite entity known as the Zorya. Persona The Court of the Persona, also known as the Seelie Court, is ruled by Queen Titania. The Court of the Persona is the Court of light and things out in the open, of positivity and activism. The Court of the Persona holds jurisdiction over the parts of nature that are bright and beautiful and plain for all to see. Titania is the daughter of the previous Queen of the Court of the Persona, Queen Glorianna. Her husband is Lord Oberon, one of the Light Elves, and their marriage seems to reside halfway between a marriage of love and a marriage of politics. The struggles for power between the two are legendary and have frequently shaken the very foundations of power within the Court. Titania appears as a golden earth mother clothed in a dress made of flowers and leaves that barely covers her soft, dark skin. She wears as a crown a garland of white flowers that sparkle against her dark black hair. Spring and Summer are the primary vassals of the Court of the Persona, while more minor vassals include the Court of Dawn, home to one-third of the tripartite entity known as the Zorya. Psyche The Court of the Psyche is ruled by Sahra Chalom, the Queen of Peaceful Slumber. The Court of Psyche is the Court of dreams and mysteries and divination. The Court of the Psyche does not seem to have jurisdiction over a specific part of nature, but instead seems to have a special connection to in-between places and states-the equinox and the solstice and the part of sleep in which mortals dream. Sahra Chalom is the subject of much speculation, rumor, and hearsay about her origin. Legend has it that she participated in Lucifer’s rebellion against the Architect, but when the other angels fell to Hell, she fell only halfway, and ended up in the material plane. Others say that she is a sort of half-way point between the fey and angels. Regardless of her exact origin, Sahra Chalom is beloved by the members of the Court of the Psyche. Sahra Chalom appears as a feminine entity composed of soft violet and golden light, shimmering in a form vaguely reminiscent of an angel. People often describe her as appearing similar to a beloved female relative. The Moon and the Stars are major vassals of the Court of the Psyche, while more minor vassals include the Court of Dusk, home to one third of the tripartite entity known as the Zorya. Shadow The existence of the Parliament of Shadow is heavily debated by the fey of the three known courts. The theoretical ruler of the Court is Anasazi, who left the Court of the Anima under mysterious circumstances. Anasazi had been the ruler of the vassal court of Spiders, but he abdicated his throne to the former mortal Archane and vanished from sight for a period of time. He resurfaced eight months later but made no move to reclaim his old throne from Archane or to attempt to reestablish his old ties in the Court of the Anima. Rumor has it that Anasazi was murdered by a demon of venom, who preceded to impersonate the fey and start a campaign of intrigue designed to disrupt the workings of the Courts. Others claim that Anasazi discovered, deep within the Dreamtime, a message from the Architect, and he now is seeking to carry out a hidden purpose. No one, of course, can prove any of these theories, and Anasazi refuses to comment on any of them. Another popular subject of rumors concerning the Parliament of Shadow is the subject of membership. Numerous fey lords have been associated with the Parliament; the connection between them I that they are usually tricksters of some type. Inari, the Lady of Foxes of the Anima Court, Puck, the Jester of the Persona Court, and the Queen of the Moon of the Psyche Court are all rumored members of the Parliament.
RAGNAROKISCOMING2007 02-08-08, 01:10 PM	Good luck on your project as well. However i have a question. Why did you make the jade emperor an angel?
alesian 02-08-08, 03:59 PM	Well, if you'll reread his description, you'll find that while he has the rank of archangel, he is not an angel himself. He is a saint, a mortal who was allowed entrance into Heaven. I feel that the Celestial Bureaucracy as a whole fits with my conception of Heaven, and including him in the ranks of the archangels allows for it to be easily incorporated.
Space_Dragon 02-10-08, 06:32 AM	You and that new screenname of yours...I would have replied to this thread days ago if my eyes had learned to look for "alesian." I like what you've posted for the most part, looks like you've solved most of the hangups you had earlier. My one question so far is about how the gods came into being. I had trouble understanding that part. I also question the logic of making Yama a demon rather than a devil, as he always seemed somewhat beaurocratic to me. BTW, your archangels rape the core DnD ones. In a good way.
alesian 02-12-08, 09:01 PM	lol...it's not my fault that gleemax ate riverrock. Anyways... Gods are sort of the weak point in this creation schema. They are intended to be the children of the primordials, who were tied to abstract concepts instead of the elements. If you have any ideas for making them fit better, I'd be happy to here them. On Yama: devils aren't LE and demons aren't CE in my setting. I'm more or less ignoring alignment. What divides demons from devils is that devils are fallen angels, and demons are "natural" evils created when the devils fell from Heaven.
Space_Dragon 02-12-08, 11:09 PM	gleemax ate riverrock. OM NOM NOM NOM!!!! Gods are sort of the weak point in this creation schema. They are intended to be the children of the primordials, who were tied to abstract concepts instead of the elements. If you have any ideas for making them fit better, I'd be happy to here them. If I had any better ideas, I'd have suggested them already. I'll keep thinking. On Yama: devils aren't LE and demons aren't CE in my setting. I'm more or less ignoring alignment. What divides demons from devils is that devils are fallen angels, and demons are "natural" evils created when the devils fell from Heaven. Got it. For some reason, probably because of the evil and subversive Great Wheel propoganda I've been fed for the last few years, I just have trouble imagining beaurocratic demons in DnD (and Yama is usually portrayed as a beaurocrat, at least in the versions I've read). Nvm.
alesian 02-12-08, 11:41 PM	Special Classes Witches Witches are the scholars of the natural world, learning the ways of nature through long study and with the helpful teachings of the fey. The majority of witches are female, but male witches are not unheard of. A mortal begins her journey into witchcraft by experiencing nature. This experience can take many forms: many nights spent alone in a forest, living on the border between nature and civilization, or simply tending to a garden. Through this experience, the mortal comes into contact with the spirits of nature-the fey, and begins to learn of the deeper ways of nature. A witch is taught many things by the fey, such as the secret powers of plants and how to make animals follow her commands. Eventually, a witch acquires a Book of Shadows from her fey patron. This book is the foundation of witchcraft, and marks the mortal's true entrance into the craft. Witches typically dwell on the outskirts of civilization and often serve as healers for a local community, and occasionally as spiritual guides. Even if there is a strong religious presence in the local community, a witch will often be turned to in situations involving the natural world-such as dealing with a drought or if a local fey has grown angry for some reason. Several things distinguish witches from other practitioners of magic. First of all is the witch's ability to communicate with the natural world. Second is their ability to create potions using various herbs and medicinal plants. The potion making ability of a witch is unsurpassed by even the greatest of alchemists, and more than a few apocatheries have secretly been witches. Finally is the witch's use of familiars. A witch will often acquire several familiars in her lifetime, who she will use for various purposes, some benevolent and some less so. For example, an unscrupulous witch might employ butterflies to steal milk from her neighbors. The long association between fey and demons is the source of the common people's fear of witches and witchcraft. On worlds were people ignore the distinction between fey and demons entirely, witchcraft is usely a crime punishable by death. Even on worlds were a distinction is recognized, the behavior of some fey causes mortals to classify them as demons. For example, on the world of Tiamat, the Words to the Steel-Hearted, typically regarded as the foremost work on demons and devils, includes several fey lords in its list of demons and devils. The Court of the Anima, which typically revels in fear and distrust, does much to encourage the general fear and distrust of witches. The most grievous blow that has ever been suffered by witches was the writing of the Malleus Maleficarum, or as it is more colloquially known, The Hammer of the Witches. This book is seemingly a condemnation of witches including description of their various practices and of ways of dealing with them. What is not widely known about the Malleus Maleficarum is that it is actually an elaborate trap. The book was written by the archdevil Lilith, who then distributed the book to various warlocks in her service. The warlocks used the book to decimate the covens on their worlds, and then to take over the covens on their own and turn them away from the worship of the fey to the worship of devils, especially of Lilith.
Space_Dragon 02-12-08, 11:55 PM	How are witches different from druids? And why (in game reason) are they mostly female? Have you read the Malleus Maleficarum, btw? I swear to god that is the most derranged piece of text I've ever gotten to leaf through. Even without considering the content, the writing style alone gives off a strong impression of schizophrenia.
alesian 02-13-08, 12:01 AM	They replace druids. As for the female thing, it's generally cultural. Meaning, I can't really think of a good reason other than the fact they were typically female in the Middle Ages. I haven't actually read the Malleus Maleficarum, but that doesn't suprise me at all.
Space_Dragon 02-13-08, 12:15 AM	They replace druids. Thank. God. Biggest ****ing misnomer in DnD.
alesian 02-13-08, 12:18 AM	Thank. God. Biggest ****ing misnomer in DnD. lol, I'm glad you approve.
alesian 02-13-08, 08:41 PM	I'm thinking about tweaking the structure of the fey courts a bit again. I like the basic pattern that I have now- the courts of the Persona, Anima, and Psyche plus the parliament of the shadow-but I've been having trouble with the lesser courts below these four. I think I may have found the solution. There are 22 lesser courts-7 possesed by Persona, 7 by Anima, and 8 by Psyche. These lesser courts each correspond to one of the 22 major arcana. I haven't decided who exactly will rule in each court, but here are a few examples off the top of my head: Anima Death-Baron Saturday The Devil-Cernunnos Persona High Priestess-Brigid The Hermit-Ruzebahl Strength-The Dagda Psyche Wheel of Fortune-the Zorya
alesian 02-14-08, 07:02 PM	Demons When the followers of Lucifer fell from Heaven, they violated one of the metaphysical underpinnings of reality: that angels should be good. This was the equivalent of finding a way to make 2+2=5, and thus tore a hole in the fabric of reality. From this hole poured out the demons: terrible, unnatural creatures, whose mere presence disrupted reality. The demons brought with them many phenomenon that the world had not seen before: death, disease, pain, decay. But they were not the same as they are now; instead, they were far worse. Death could strike down a healthy creature without cause, disease appeared on its own without a bacteria to cause it, decay did not rejuvenate the soil but instead made it completely infertile. For a time it seemed as the if the world was at an end. The gods fought tirelessly against the demons, but they had been greatly weakened by their war with the primordials. The angels assisted as best they could, but their numbers had been decimated by the fall and they feared that a second fall might soon occur. And thus the fey were left to save the world from sure destruction. Here they were successful in ways that none could ever have hoped for, and they established a pattern for dealing with threats to nature that they would follow throughout history. Rather than attempting to battle the demons directly, the fey used many powerful magics and rituals to integrate the demons into the reality of the world. Pain, death, disease and decay were all given purpose. The demons destructive power dwindled, and the hole in reality slowly closed. The fey's efforts were not completely successful. The demons still remained in the world, and were still able to wreak havoc. The world now had to deal with pain and death and suffering, and in the view of some the world had become tainted in fallen. And some of the demons seek ways to return themselves to their former glory and transcend the bonds of nature once again. Yama The demon lord of death, Yama is widely considered to be the most powerful of all demons. Yama despises all the powers of death, and seeks to one day devour them all. He believes that doing so will restore to him his former absolute power over death. Yama lead many demons to believe that only the absolute death of reality would bring salvation to the universe. He was prevented from doing this by the combined efforts of the angels, gods, and the fey, who stole a portion of his power. They did this by engaging in what was essentially the first funeral. A nameless fey was sacrificed, and his soul was then ferried by Azrael to the various future underworlds of the gods. This ritualization of death partially broke the power of Yama, but it would take many more resources to complete the process. Regardless, this incident is regarded as the turning point in the war against the demons. Yama appears as a bloated blue ogre with a highly stylized buffalo skull where his head should be. Rameel Rameel, the grand liar, the prince of darkness, the first scapegoat, has largely accepted the fate that demons have been dealt, and now seeks to embrace his power over nature. Or at least, this is what Rameel claims. He has also been known to claim to be an almost-fallen angel, and variously gives out his true angelic name as being Azazel or Gadriel. He claims that he was unjustly blamed for Lucifer's rebellion, and thus was cast out from Heaven, but since he was not truly guilty he did not fall to Hell. He has also claimed that he is simply a fey victim of a poor translation of a demon-hunter's work, and that he will soon be cleared of any association with demonkind. Azazel is a notorious liar, and his words are rarely trusted by those who meet him. Azazel appears as very similar to a satyr, yet his skin and fur is pitch black and his eyes glow golden in the darkness that constantly surrounds him. Oizys Oizys is the demon mistress of pain and suffering. The slightest touch of Oizys can cause a person to be wracked with unspeakable pain for days on end. Oizys is known to work with the devils and some of the less scrupulous pantheons as a dealer of vengeance. Of course, if a few innocents are inflicted with pain as she deals justice to the wicked, that is no fault of her own, Oizys claims. Oizys appears as a young woman wrapped in an effervesent shawl. She is constantly weeping and moaning, and her body is stained red where her blood vessels would presumably be. Apep Apep is called the Fire without Light, the serpent master of chaos and destruction. He may in fact be more powerful than Yama himself, but his mindless bloodthirstyness prevents most from considering him to be greater in power than Yama. Apep seeks to sow chaos and discord in the world and has produced many monstrous offspring to aide him in his quest. Apep has also been known to align himself with primordial lords, offering to destroy the worlds they are imprisoned on in order to free them from their confines. Apep appears as an unimaginably enormous serpent composed of fire that gives off heat but not light. Ravana The demon lord of violence and bloodshed, Ravana rules over a vast kingdom on a material plane world. Ravana has long battled the pantheon of Prajapati, and slaughtered many of their worshippers in order to establish his kingdom. He was eventually able to win a boon from the pantheon that established his rule of his kingdom as legitimate and more or less protected him from the gods and angels. Ravana's kingdom engages in constant warfare with its neighbors, and even the kingdoms that have been cowed into pledging vassalhood to Ravana still occasionally fall victim to his pillagers. Ravana appears as a gigantic man with ten heads and ten arms, each armed with a different weapon of war. Tlazolteotl Tlazolteotl is the demon queen of filth and waste, and she revels in her position of master of everything unseemly and disgusting. One of her most common titles is "Devourer of Filth," and this is true of her in every way. Tlazolteotl will consume filth of any kind, be it physical or spiritual. Many have turned to Tlazolteotl to have some undesired part of their souls removed. Tlazolteotl claims that this is proof of the kindness in her heart, but most suspect her of some ulterior motive, and it is known that many of her customers have met grim fates after accepting her services. Tlazolteotl appears as a wrinkled old woman, always squatting and always revealing a toothless grin. She is covered with piercings and tattoos, and has a faint layer of grime all over her body.
Ivaylon 02-14-08, 08:08 PM	I am also doing something similar and with some objects and symbols pertinent to this setting. Like the Obsidian Door, although my version of anything associated with Obsidian is the "Nine Black Thrones", the seats upon which the infernal gods sit, including the "Throne Perilous. I couldn't help but also noticing Ravana...awesome job on him. Israel or Juddhism, right? I have an overgod similar to Ravana, with a hundred heads and a hundred arms, all though he is an outcast angel and guardian of the abyss known as "Izrael", from the same mythos as Ravana the god of chaos I believe. Another conspicous fact of your setting and what differentiates it from mine, insofar anyhow, is mythology. You have established a nice story, background if you will, for the gods and their creation, but I see an abscence of mythological writings, poems, etc. I can extrapolate that you are a very creative person, both from the information present and your works at feybook, so I am pressed to ask: why the abscence of folklorish themes as a side-note for these gods? Of course, the folklore I am creating for my setting is setting the release date back a bit, but I think I speak for many when I say it would be a welcome addition to any setting that focuses primarily, or at least to a somewhat large extent, on gods, creation myths, supernatural beings, etc. EDIT: Just now glanced on Azrael, which is a byname for a human/beastial infernal god I use in my setting known in real-world mythologies as Azazel I believe; along with another contingent of similar derivative names. I have one suggestion: Put the god's bynames and titles under the bold print of the name they primarily answer to and seperate them from the text. This allows for easy referencing and saves the room to make your flavor flow more efficiently in the proceeding paragraphs. With kind regard, Khallhadras
alesian 02-14-08, 11:16 PM	I couldn't help but also noticing Ravana...awesome job on him. Israel or Juddhism, right? India and Hinduism, actually. Although I wouldn't be suprised to hear of a similar figure in a different religion. Another conspicous fact of your setting and what differentiates it from mine, insofar anyhow, is mythology. You have established a nice story, background if you will, for the gods and their creation, but I see an abscence of mythological writings, poems, etc. I can extrapolate that you are a very creative person, both from the information present and your works at feybook, so I am pressed to ask: why the abscence of folklorish themes as a side-note for these gods? Hmm. Sounds interesting. Could you elaborate on what you are suggesting, please? I have one suggestion: Put the god's bynames and titles under the bold print of the name they primarily answer to and seperate them from the text. This allows for easy referencing and saves the room to make your flavor flow more efficiently in the proceeding paragraphs I'll probably do this. Thank you for the suggestion.
Janusunaj 02-15-08, 03:05 PM	Ahriman would make a great Devil.
Ivaylon 02-15-08, 05:46 PM	[QUOTE=alesian;15096062]India and Hinduism, actually. Although I wouldn't be suprised to hear of a similar figure in a different religion. Hmm. Sounds interesting. Could you elaborate on what you are suggesting, please? [QUOTE\] Along with the history and story of each god include tidbits of poetry, mythology, etc. Such as.."Every time the Horse God rides across the sky on one of his many errands the heaven's heave under his noble steed's hooves and a great booming can be heard from all around. This is the reason lightning occurs.". That is a decent example of the mythology perspective. I also find it nice to make up a fake manuscript or two that tell anecdotes about each god, kind of like a fairy book/info book/lore book at the same time. To better get this point across I will dig up one of my creations and post it. I hope it helps you in even the slightest of forms...just need a moment to find it.
Ivaylon 02-15-08, 06:01 PM	This is just a real short god I haven't gotten quite finished yet. Notice the fake manuscript and the way this god ties into mythology decently well. Just put it this way--science is not real in a D&D world. It is the gods who make the grass green, the sky blue, the humans mortal and not ageless. Koshchey Koshchey, the Reliable Emissary, Impassive Envoy, Wailing Apostle As his many titles suggest Koshchey is a messenger of repute, for every realm in fact, delivering important missives to and fro, his many sojourns always aided by the likes of his deathly gaunt, hoary-grey steed with lurid orbs of emerald flame as eyes. Although Koshchey is a passionate and fickle-minded individual, those select of their distinct realms place great reliance in him, as Koshchey is the unwavering epitome of neutrality and thus he operates for no one side, merely conveying his messages with a grim bearing and heeding no boon of any god’s request. When Koshchey and his Courser race across the firmament the blue expanses cloud over and the mighty horse’s hooves can be heard thundering above. When his matters require more of a clandestine method of transport the roaring of his horse’s hooves is suppressed as to be absent, although it’s tail still trails dark billows of cloud, both of which (the tail and the hooves) are the reason storms occur—the lightning following the thunder is the irate actions of the god Perun, whom Koshchey has slighted more then on one occasion, always in pursuit of the dauntless rider when he crosses the welkin to distribute this letter and that. Although Koshchey is of, for a surety, entity status, it is not known whether he is actually a god, but the fact that this daring liaison should, even to contemporary times, evade the lightning god with ease each and every onset is a startling one alone, but when coupled with the rumors of Koshchey having once defeated the brash god of lightning, the verity of Koshchey’s prerogative to godhood is very much deserved. The tale of Koshchey’s victory over Perun, and the events thereof, are told in great detail within the ancient manuscript known as the “Hrunajr” (Her-ah-inn-ah-jah. The ancient classic of mythology and fairy tales in which many popular tales can be found. Also in which the anecdote of Koshchey’s achievement can be found amidst many other stories of deity-esque proportions, the one in which we speak titled “The Triumph of Thunder Over Lightning”)
alesian 02-15-08, 08:12 PM	Just put it this way--science is not real in a D&D world. It is the gods who make the grass green, the sky blue, the humans mortal and not ageless. But of course! Science barely has a place in science-fiction, let alone in fantasy. I always cringe when I here someone demand Science! as an explanation for something in D&D. I've already got plans for things along these lines. The answer to "Why do the seasons happen," for example, is "Because nature is responding to the transitions of power between the fey courts." As for mythological texts, I've already included something along those lines with the Malleus Maleficarum and the Words to the Steel-hearted. However, I realize these aren't exactly religious or allegorical texts in the manner you are describing. I'll probably attempt something along those lines later on.
Ivaylon 02-15-08, 10:15 PM	Good luck in all your endeavors and may blessings by on your shoulders...now that I think of that I think that is a pagan saying...too much studying this night for me.
alesian 02-16-08, 01:45 AM	Thank you. And now, presenting....the Court of the Anima. This is different from what I have previously posted about the fey courts, so just ignore the older posts. The Court of the Anima Winter’s Home, the Land of Coins, Tundra’s Rest, the Night’s Blessed, the Unseelie Court The Court of the Anima is the Court of that which lurks unseen beneath the surface. Death and darkness wait at the end of life and day. But such is the natural order of nature. The Anima fey are said to have originated for the Architect’s darker dreams-perhaps even from his nightmares, if such a thing is possible. The Court of the Anima is what truly waits at the end of the rainbow. Every year ends with winter, after all. But the Court is not all doom and gloom. People hide more than just fears in the back of their minds, and sometimes the unconscious can be a veritable treasure trove for those who are willing to do a little digging. Carabosse The High Queen of the Anima Court, the Noble’s Fear, the Snow Queen Carabosse is a beautiful woman, tall, stately, and exquisite. Her skin appears to be carved from marble or alabaster, and is as pure white as the driven snow, in addition to being unmarred by any sort of blemish or imperfection. Her hair is as dark as the night sky, except for four streaks of color-two icy blue, and two deep purple-as well as tiny motes that almost seem like the stars of the sky. She wears a stately dress at least a century ahead of its time fashion wise. The dress is mostly dark purple, with a central and two tertiary lines of light blue that seem to be made by frozen water running down the dress. She also wears a necklace and crown made of diamonds in the shape of icicles. Behind her, her shadow seems not to be her own, but to be that of an enormous rat. Carabosse is the current Queen of the Court of the Anima, a position she gained after her overthrow of the former ruler, the Queen of Air and Darkness. She is the daughter of Father Winter, who ruled the Court before the Queen of Air and Darkness. Carabosse has neither taken a consort nor declared an heir, for fear that doing so might weaken her grip on the court. Carabosse believes herself to be the foremost of nobility, and has been known to arrive unexpected at the parties and christenings of mortal nobles. Nobles learn to fear these appearances, as the slightest offense taken on Carabosse’s part can result in a curse for an entire kingdom. Carabosse is renowned for her intelligence and her skill in the logical arts. She possess a large collection of treatises and other books of knowledge, and what she could not learn from these books, she discovered using her own incredible power of deduction. Carabosse obtained her position from the Queen of Air and Darkness by engaging in a long campaign of intrigue. She had long felt that her father’s fall from his position as ruler of the court had been unjust, and she viewed unseating the Queen as a way to take revenge. Carabosse spent many years gathering information on the Queen, until she felt that she was ready to challenge her and usurp the throne. Carabosse entered the Queen of Air and Darkness’s Court, and declared that the Queen was not fit to rule any longer. She then listed the Queen’s many “transgressions” against the ideals of the Anima Court, and was able to convince everyone at Court that day that the Queen should be dethroned. Without another word, the Queen of Air and Darkness vanished, leaving behind only her long purple shawl and the porcelain mask she always wore. Carabosse still possess both, and she sometimes uses the porcelain mask during masquerades. Carabosse has a long standing rivalry with Titania of the Persona Court. In recent years, she has increased the Anima Court’s campaign to end the long standing dominance of the Persona Court, and has sought allies in the Shadow Court. Baba Yaga, the queen of the Shadow Court, has thus far coolly accepted her overtures, although she has not yet entered into a formal alliance with Carabosse. During the Ceremony of the Changing of the Seasons, it is Carabosse’s responsibility as the Queen of the Anima court to ritualistically slay Cernunnos, symbolizing Winter’s triumph over Autumn. Carabosse is known to take great joy in this ritual; for reasons unknown, she bares a deep enmity for Cernunnos. Baron Saturday Baron of the Cemetery, Saturday’s Lord, the Laughing Death Baron Saturday appears to be an ordinary man, but a closer inspection reveals that this is not so. He is dressed informal black clothes that seem out of touch with the time period, but it is impossible to place when exactly the clothes are from. He wears a black top hat lined with what appear to be sharpened bones. The most disturbing feature, however, is the man himself. He is a skeleton, made entirely of bleached white bones, and yet he still somehow seems to be able to smile. Baron Saturday is the fey master of natural death. Six months out of the year the Baron is accompanied by his wife, Madame Brigitte, a loud and boisterous alcoholic of a woman with a love of spicy foods. Rumor has it that Madame Brigitte is secretly Brigid of the Court of the Psyche in disguise. Most dismiss this notion with a shudder, but Inari, always looking for a way to stir up trouble and mischief, is adamant in proclaiming this rumor true. She claims that Brigid met the Baron after the death of her first husband, the Fomorian Bres and her son. At her son’s funeral, Brigid invented the keening wail, which was said to be so pure and so beautiful that the Baron himself was moved, and began to court her. When asked about this, the Baron tends to simply smile (he accomplishes this feat despite not having any lips), and makes a joke at the questioner’s expense. He is, after all, Saturday’s Lord, and there is nothing that the Baron appreciates more than a good party. Why should a person waste their time toiling and working when they only get a short time to live? Baron Saturday’s origins are shrouded in mystery. He has held his position in the Court of Anima as long as anyone can remember. In fact, his origin goes back to the days when the demons first poured out from the abyss and ravaged the world. He was the fey whose name is now forgotten that was sacrificed in order to steal a portion of Yama’s power. His soul was guided by Azrael along the river Styx to the future underworlds of the various pantheons. He was made to drink from the river Lethe, and thus his memory of his past life was forgotten. At the end of the ordeal, he was transformed, and a portion of the power of death was imparted to him. Baron Saturday has long-standing associations with the Court of Shadow. The Court of Shadow has long experimented with different forms of undeath, but they have only been able to do so with Baron Saturday’s permission. Marinette, the fey in charge of the Court of Shadow’s experiments with undead, is particularly fond of the Baron, who she refers to as “Papa Saturday.” However, this lax attitude towards what most fey regard as the perversion of undeath has earned him enmity both in the Court of the Persona, which strongly opposes the undead, and within his own Court. Inari Mistress of Foxes, Goddess of Bounty, Jester of the Anima Inari is slender and pale, with vulpine features. Her hair is pitch black, her lips as red as blood, and her skin as pale as moonlight. Her hair is tied up in an elaborate braid behind her back, and she wears a white silk kimono decorated with images of silver foxes walking in the snow and gazing upon mortals huddled around fires in their homes. Look again, and her form has shifted. Now she is an old man, wrinkled and hunchbacked, wearing a simple blue farmer’s robe, struggling to hold himself up on a crooked cane. Look once more, and she has shifted again. Now a fox has taken the old man’s place. The fox is enormous, as big as the man or woman was. Its fur is silver, and it has nine fluffy tails floating behind it. Inari is the queen of the kitsune, although she generally allows them to do as they please. Although Inari herself is not particularly malicious, the kitsune have a reputation for being rather malevolent. Inari does not seek to change their behavior, regarding their propensity for cruelty as merely being a love of pranks. Whether she actually believes this or is being darkly facetious is a mystery that not even Carabosse herself has been able to solve. Although she has a great love of pranks, and some of these pranks border on maliciousness, Inari is also known as the goddess of food among mortals. She is said to have perfected the art of cultivation of rice, and rice is the principle food source on many a world. This odd dichotomy-as well as her fondness for shifting her forms between a beautiful kitsune and a haggard old man have lead some to speculate that there are actually two Inaris. Why this would be so, however, is typically left unexplained. Inari’s relationship with the kitsune has led to much speculation about where her true loyalties lie. Some believe that her hands-off attitude towards the kitsune is a deceit, and that she secretly directs thier actions. While the kistune are known to do rather spiteful and petty things, none of their actions would seem to be useful to Inari if she was planning a conspiracy on some massive scale. There is, however, at least one case where a kitsune was able to use her beauty to nearly seize control of a kingdom, so perhaps there is at least a grain of truth to these tales. Inari has a relationship with Puck of the Persona Court that sometimes seems to be a rivalry, sometimes a friendship, and sometimes a romance. The possibility exists that they both believe that they are stringing the other along in preparation for a prank on some epic scale; this seems to be the theory most accepted by the fey of the Court of the Anima. Father Winter Father Yule, Old Man Winter Father Winter is a giant of a fey, standing nearly nine feet tall. He is big and broad, with a full gut and a hearty laugh. His skin is icy blue, except for his nose and cheeks, which are more of a cherry red. He has a full beard that comes down almost to his stomach, where it takes the appearance of icicles. He wears a thick fur coat, dark blue and rimed with icicles. He carries with him a large brown sack, filled with various gifts for those he deems to need them most. Carabosse’s loving parent is entirely unlike his daughter in character. Where she is cold and calculating, he is warm and full of laughter. Father Winter is known for his love of children, and is often invoked by mortal parents as a protector of children. He believes that children are the greatest treasure that anyone can have, more precious than silver and gold. Rumor has it that once a year he journeys to the material plane, looking for children who have done their best to be good. He then finds a secret place-somewhere only a child would look-and leaves the child a gift. This was not always true of him, however. When he ruled the Court of the Anima, he was most commonly referred to as “Old Man Winter,” and had a reputation for being harsh and uncaring, driving out the last vestige of summer with his frosty breath. It was the creation of Carabosse that led to both the melting of his icy heart and his downfall within the Court of the Anima. Father Winter had been married to a fairy maiden known as la Belfana. She was the foremost astronomer in all of the fey kingdoms, and a powerful sorceress in her own right. They had a son together, Jack Frost, and la Belfana was known to be the only one who could calm his wintery rages. But one day la Belfana vanished, and Father Winter, even in all his power as the lord of the Court of the Anima, was unable to find her. Rumor had it that she had left after a great astrological conjunction had occurred in the sky, and was now seeking the perfect child. He despaired, and shirked his duties to the Court. He then went to the icy world of Ymir. There he crafted from the snow a beautiful little fairy girl, who he named Carabosse, the Snow Princess. He loved her with all his heart, and doted on her as he raised her far from the normal process of court life. However, his long absence led the Lady of Air and Darkness, a powerful noble within the Court, to declare the throne abdicated and seize the throne for herself. Unlike the rest of the Court of the Anima, Father Winter holds closer relationships with the nobles of the Court of the Psyche rather than the Court of Shadow. His wife, la Belfana, had many conflicts with Baba Yaga, and Father Winter now refuses to speak to her, believing that she might have played a role in his wife’s disappearance. To the rest of the Shadow Court he is simply standoffish. That is, except for Cernunnos, the Prince of Autumn. Once, it had been Father Winter’s duty to slay Cernunnos, and he had always done so with great dignity and respect. Now the two maintain what seems to most to be a friendship. Jack Frost Winter’s Breath, the Wind’s Joy Jack Frost is a young man, with the light blue skin of his father, though he is not nearly as large or broad as Father Winter. His hair is messy, and is blonde tinged slightly with blue, while his eyes are dark and hard to look directly at. He wears a jester’s cap, blue and white, and jester’s tights decorated with blue and white diamonds. He appears to be vaguely insubstantial, and there is a faint aura of cold and ice that follows him wherever he goes. Jack Frost, the son of la Belfana and Father Winter, could have been the heir to the throne of the Anima. However, he never had any interest in rulership, and still to this day has never pushed for his sister Carabosse to expand his authority or to declare him heir to the throne. Instead, Jack has always preferred the art of humor over the art of politics. He has made himself the unofficial jester of the Court, much to Inari’s consternation. Jack loves mortals, but this love has brought mortalkind much suffering. Like all the fey, Jack is a thing of the dreams of nature; he does not truly understand the way mortal’s reality works. Jack’s touch is deathly cold, and leaves frost on the window’s of mortal homes when he stares through the windows at the people inside. Sometimes, though, a particularly mirthful mortal female catches his eye, and he seeks to do more than simply gaze upon her. He seeks to speak with her, to know her, to touch her. This is all well and good at first, and the mortal woman often finds Jack to be a fine friend. But a mortal cannot stand the touch of Jack Frost for long, and she soon finds her heart has turned to ice-and the rest of her body soon follows. Jack does not understand the harm he is doing when he causes this to happen-it is beyond his comprehension. Instead, he dutifully takes the icy statue to his sister’s Court, where it joins many others like it. Jack Frost does not keep much company among the fey, preferring instead solitude or the occasional friendship of a mortal. Father Winter loves him deeply, and Carabosse seems to hold him in high regard despite his lack of interest in her favored areas of study-or perhaps because of this lack of interest. Most of the rest of the Court of the Anima regards him as a lost cause, and he is generally unheard of outside of the Court.
alesian 02-17-08, 06:08 PM	I appreciate any opinions on any of this stuff, whether they are positive or negative. Alchera The Dreamtime, the Everywhen, the Otherworld When the Architect first slept after surveying his creation, his dreams created the land known as Alchera. Alchera was pivotal to the creation of life on the new worlds the gods made after their defeat of the primordials. It was the connection to the Architect through Alchera that allowed new life to be brought forth. Alchera is also the original source of fey on newly created worlds. When a world is first created, it exists in a state known as "the Dreamtime." During the first part of this period of time, the experiences of a paticular natural region-or, for lack of a better word, their dreams-give birth to powerful, unique new fey. For example, if a forest experiences many forest fires during the first part of the Dreamtime, a fey called the Burning Man might be created. This fey is simultaneously the manifestation of the forest and the forest fires. As time goes on, the Dreamtime enters its second phase. During this period of time, regions no longer have dreams that create fey. Instead, individual pieces of nature, such as a tree or stream, produce new fey. The dreams of these parts of nature tap into an archetypal piece of the Dreamtime. This is why the same types of fey reappear in different worlds. For example, the dream of a tree taps into the archetypal Dreamtime image of a dryad. However, if the experiences of a particular part of nature are unique on a specific world, the archetypal image may be changed in some way. For example, if trees are rare on a world, the dreams of a tree are altered. No longer do they give birth to a dryad-instead we have a wood hag, ugly and lonely and yearning for the "companionship" of mortals. The last and final period of the Dreamtime typically occurs when mortals arise on a world. The experiences of mortals in interacting with nature influence which fey will now be created. For example, if the mortals on a particular world are patriarchal and practice shepredry, satyrs might come into being. After this period of time, the Dreamtime is ended and new fey are no longer spontaneously created. Alchera is typically divided into two parts by mortal scholars, although the exact boundaries of these parts are frequently debated. First of all is the Otherworld, the part of Alchera accesible from the mortal world. The Otherworld is incredibly easy for mortals to enter; in fact, they occasionally do so on accident. Typically this occurs at in-between places or times, such as at a crossroads or a solistice. The Otherworld is entirely unlike the place in world in which it is found. Instead, it is far more grand and beautiful. It is also possible for a mortal crossing into the Otherworld to end up in a differnt time period or a different world altogether when departing. The second part of Alchera is typically called the Dreamtime or the Everywhen. Allegedly, if one journeys deeply enough into Alchera, they will arrive in a place that still resembles the dreams of the Architect. This is not a dream world in the sense that mortal minds venture here during sleep. Instead, it is the source of all fey and all dreams. The creatures here seem entirely unlike their brethren in the Otherworld. Instead, they seem to still be of the raw dreamstuff. Occasionally a creature from this realm has entered into the material plane or the Otherworld. The ethereal filcher and the ethereal marauder are both believed to have originated here.
adgramaine 02-17-08, 06:40 PM	I am very impressed by the body of work so far - it is obvious you've put a fair amount of thought and time in research and out-lining... I can't actually think of anything to critique; I do find myself wondering how you will incorporate races and cultures into such a mythologically diverse setting.... I mean, by slamming such mythos together there are so many different ways I can see this going... Do you intend on populating the world with humans only, or stick with classically referenced "races". If you take the multi-racial route, I am especially interested in the formation of religion within a setting where the presence of the divine is certainly impossible to ignore.... This setting seems as if it will not be treating divinity as so many previously published settings have done in the past, and that is a good thing IMHO. Keep up the great work, this thread just got bookmarked....
Space_Dragon 02-17-08, 11:31 PM	Your take on Carabosse is a lot different from what I would have expected. I've always envisioned her as more of the withered crone type; I could see her using illusions to make herself look beautiful, but in most stories I've read her true form is very ugly. She also struck me as more chaotic than lawful; less Snow Queen and more Green Goblin. I assume you made these decisions in order to leave some niches for the Unseelie Court to fill? Also, could you find another name for Jack Frost? I know, its mythologically correct, but that name just makes it impossible to take him seriously.
alesian 02-18-08, 12:17 PM	I am very impressed by the body of work so far - it is obvious you've put a fair amount of thought and time in research and out-lining... Thank you very much. I have been working on this setting for almost a year now. I can't actually think of anything to critique; I do find myself wondering how you will incorporate races and cultures into such a mythologically diverse setting.... I mean, by slamming such mythos together there are so many different ways I can see this going... Do you intend on populating the world with humans only, or stick with classically referenced "races". For the most part the setting will be human-centric, but other races will make appearances, albeit different from their typical Tolkien roles. If you take the multi-racial route, I am especially interested in the formation of religion within a setting where the presence of the divine is certainly impossible to ignore.... This setting seems as if it will not be treating divinity as so many previously published settings have done in the past, and that is a good thing IMHO. I've definetly tried to do so. I've always disliked the standard D&D handling of divinity. Anyways, thank you for your kind words. And now on to the criticism... Your take on Carabosse is a lot different from what I would have expected. I've always envisioned her as more of the withered crone type; I could see her using illusions to make herself look beautiful, but in most stories I've read her true form is very ugly. She also struck me as more chaotic than lawful; less Snow Queen and more Green Goblin. Yeah, I wondered whether combining the two figures was a good idea or not. Her true form is illusory, as implied by the fact that her shadow is that of a rat. So, is it bad, like crossing the streams bad? I assume you made these decisions in order to leave some niches for the Unseelie Court to fill? Yes, absolutely. My problem before was that I had far to many courts, and thus the impact of each was diminished. I hoped by reducing the number to four that I could make each more important. Carabosse and the Snow Queen seemed to fit similar roles, so I combined them. Also, could you find another name for Jack Frost? I know, its mythologically correct, but that name just makes it impossible to take him seriously. I can try, but it won't be easy. Most of his other names are ugly Russian things.
Space_Dragon 02-18-08, 02:36 PM	Since you've combined Anima and Unseelie, I'd make Carabosse a little more...Unseelirific. The Snow Queen should be in the Winter Court, on account of her having the word "snow" in her name. If the Winter Court is a subsidiary of the Anima (as Father Yule implies), then have the Snow Queen be one of its leaders. I would change Father Yule's relation to Carabosse; have Carabosse be older and more powerful than him, and have it so the Snow Queen was created by the Father. Carabosse liked the Snow Queen better than she liked Father Yule, so she placed the Snow Queen above him in the Court of Winter. Yule can always be scheming and conniving to earn Carabosse's favor and take control of the Winter Court himself (sometimes he does both at the same time; I call it "scheniving"). Haha, Santa and the Grinch fight for control of the army of snow fairies...and the Grinch is h4wt!!! What are some of the ugly Russian names for Jack Frost?
Ivaylon 02-18-08, 02:52 PM	I actually like the name "Jack Frost", it leaves echoes of malicious trickery in my mind. The only think that particularily stood out was Father Yule...when I went to create a god like Santa Claus I tried to deviate from just Santa Claus, so I mixed the grinch and ol' Saint Nick and came up with "Father Clarion". I also know someone else who uses "Father Solstice" as a god, Father Solstice being a deity that drives a sleigh and, if I'm not mistaken, distributes gifts. No real scruples, I just find it odd how almost every campaign setting I have read includes a derivation of Santa that has the surname "Father" affixed to it's title. Also, I like the concept of "Baron Saturday". Overall that is something I haven't particularily ever heard an offshoot of (only to a lesser extent) and is in and of himself totally unique. Keep up the work. As a side-word I am curious. I thought you were only presenting a cohesive mythos for this setting, are you also going to go into detail on races, the mortal world and it's inhabitants, unique secular locations, etc. as some others have speculated?
Space_Dragon 02-18-08, 03:19 PM	"Father X" predates Santa Claus, I believe. Baron Saturday has been in other settings, under different names. He also appears as a vampire lord in WoD.
alesian 02-18-08, 06:34 PM	Since you've combined Anima and Unseelie, I'd make Carabosse a little more...Unseelirific. For those who read my previous iterations... Anima=Winter+Unseelie Persona=Summer+Seelie Psyche=Spring+a little bit of East Shadow=Autumn+a little bit Unseelie ...more or less. The Snow Queen should be in the Winter Court, on account of her having the word "snow" in her name. If the Winter Court is a subsidiary of the Anima (as Father Yule implies), then have the Snow Queen be one of its leaders. I would change Father Yule's relation to Carabosse; have Carabosse be older and more powerful than him, and have it so the Snow Queen was created by the Father. Carabosse liked the Snow Queen better than she liked Father Yule, so she placed the Snow Queen above him in the Court of Winter. I figured the Snow Queen+Carabosse might be questionable. I'll see what I can come up with, possibly based on this, but I'm having a little trouble. Yule can always be scheming and conniving to earn Carabosse's favor and take control of the Winter Court himself (sometimes he does both at the same time; I call it "scheniving"). It's a beautiful thing when a new word is born...scheniving. Mmm. But I'm not entirely sure that it fits the vision of Father Winter that I had in mind. What are some of the ugly Russian names for Jack Frost? Morozko. As a side-word I am curious. I thought you were only presenting a cohesive mythos for this setting, are you also going to go into detail on races, the mortal world and it's inhabitants, unique secular locations, etc. as some others have speculated? Indeed. I want to finish up the mythos first, and then I'll move on to a specific world. Eventually. Baron Saturday has been in other settings, under different names. He also appears as a vampire lord in WoD. And in Voodoo. Original source.
Janusunaj 02-18-08, 06:57 PM	Father Time: Over Deity that has put himself in a lower form in order for lower beings to understand him. Father Time is a being that lives in both past, present and future at once, an extremely wise creature that teaches mortals and gods alike lessons that they are to learn. Father Time is actually of Good alignment but, he appears evil often to both deity and mortal in his mysterious way of doing things when things happen the wrong way.
Space_Dragon 02-18-08, 08:25 PM	I figured the Snow Queen+Carabosse might be questionable. I'll see what I can come up with, possibly based on this, but I'm having a little trouble. If it helps, I personally see Carabosse as a real bigshot among the evil fey, wheras the Snow Queen seems to be more of a minor figure (but still very powerful and influential). Basically, if Carabosse was a Lord of the Nine, the SQ would be a duke of hell. It's a beautiful thing when a new word is born...scheniving. Mmm. But I'm not entirely sure that it fits the vision of Father Winter that I had in mind. Haha, scheniving is from Red vs. Blue. I wish I had made it up myself. Morozko. I think that name sounds kinda cool, actually. And in Voodoo. Original source. Well yeah, obviously. I took Ivaylin's question to mean that Baron Samedi hadn't appeared in any game or pop culture source that he knew of; he specified "offshoots" in his question. Father Time: Over Deity that has put himself in a lower form in order for lower beings to understand him. Father Time is a being that lives in both past, present and future at once, an extremely wise creature that teaches mortals and gods alike lessons that they are to learn. Father Time is actually of Good alignment but, he appears evil often to both deity and mortal in his mysterious way of doing things when things happen the wrong way. Wrong thread.
Janusunaj 02-18-08, 09:56 PM	Oh. Only the thread creator is supposed to post the Omni-Mythos here?
Space_Dragon 02-19-08, 01:12 AM	Oh. Only the thread creator is supposed to post the Omni-Mythos here? Yep. This thread is for PEACHing Alesian's stuff.
alesian 02-19-08, 06:11 PM	What if I just got rid of the Snow Queen entirely and did something like this: Father Winter was overthrown by the Queen of Air and Darkness when he left in search of his wife, la Belfana. She declared that his throne had been abdicated and siezed it for herself (possibly with help from Carabosse, who had been a fixture in the Court for as long as anyone could remember). When Father Winter returned to the Court, he was approached by Carabosse, who informed him of the situation (while simultaneously swearing that she had remained loyal to him). At this point, Father Winter had grown tired of ruling the Court, and gave Carabosse a vital piece of information on the Queen of Air and Darkness. This secret was so profound that when Carabosse whispered it to the Queen, she vanished, and Carabosse took the throne for herself.
alesian 02-20-08, 06:42 PM	Here we go...Court of the Anima, v.3 The Court of the Anima Winter’s Home, the Land of Coins, Tundra’s Rest, the Night’s Blessed, the Unseelie Court The Court of the Anima is the Court of that which lurks unseen beneath the surface. Death and darkness wait at the end of life and day. But such is the natural order of nature. The Anima fey are said to have originated for the Architect’s darker dreams-perhaps even from his nightmares, if such a thing is possible. The Court of the Anima is what truly waits at the end of the rainbow. Every year ends with winter, after all. But the Court is not all doom and gloom. People hide more than just fears in the back of their minds, and sometimes the unconscious can be a veritable treasure trove for those who are willing to do a little digging. Holle The High Queen of the Anima Court, the Queen of Coins, the Snow Queen Holle is a beautiful young woman, tall, stately, and exquisite. Her skin appears to be carved from marble or alabaster, and is as pure white as the driven snow, in addition to being unmarred by any sort of blemish or imperfection. Her hair is almost as light as her skin, but has a slight bluish tint, in addition to being interspersed with twinkling lights and terminating into icicles. She wears an elegant white dress decorated with icicles and snowflakes and lined with blue silk that looks like a frozen waterfall. She wears jewels carved from ice that sparkle like diamonds, including a glorious crown atop her head. Holle is the current Queen of the Court of the Anima, a position she gained after her overthrow of the former ruler, the Queen of Air and Darkness. She is the daughter of Father Winter, who ruled the Court before the Queen of Air and Darkness. Holle has neither taken a consort nor declared an heir, and has shown no interest in finding a consort or declaring an heir. Holle is renowned for her intelligence and her skill in the logical arts. She possess a large collection of treatises and other books of knowledge, and what she could not learn from these books, she discovered using her own incredible power of deduction. Holle is known for her cold intellectualism and her lack of emotion, a trait that she has displayed ever since her father created her. She once possessed a magic mirror known as the Mirror of Reason, that allegedly enhanced her intelligence to insurmountable heights, but the Mirror has since been shattered. Holle obtained her position from the Queen of Air and Darkness by engaging in a long campaign of intrigue. She had long felt that her father’s fall from his position as ruler of the court had been unjust, and she viewed unseating the Queen as a way to take revenge. Holle spent many years gathering information on the Queen, until she felt that she was ready to challenge her and usurp the throne. Holle entered the Queen of Air and Darkness’s Court, and declared that the Queen was not fit to rule any longer. She then listed the Queen’s many “transgressions” against the ideals of the Anima Court, and was able to convince everyone at Court that day that the Queen should be dethroned. Without another word, the Queen of Air and Darkness vanished, leaving behind only her long purple shawl and the porcelain mask she always wore. Holle still possess both, and she sometimes uses the porcelain mask during masquerades. Rumor has it that she was assisted by Carabosse, a long-standing figure in the Court. Carabosse has also been linked to the ascension of the Queen of Air and Darkness and ruled the Court of the Anima before Father Winter, so the veracity of any of these rumors is questionable. Holle has a long standing rivalry with Titania of the Persona Court. In recent years, she has increased the Anima Court’s campaign to end the long standing dominance of the Persona Court, and has sought allies in the Shadow Court. Baba Yaga, the queen of the Shadow Court, has thus far coolly accepted her overtures, although she has not yet entered into a formal alliance with Holle. During the Ceremony of the Changing of the Seasons, it is Holle’s responsibility as the Queen of the Winter to ritualistically slay Cernunnos, symbolizing Winter’s triumph over Autumn. Holle is known to take great joy in this ritual; for reasons unknown, she bares a deep enmity for Cernunnos. Baron Saturday Baron of the Cemetery, Saturday’s Lord, the Laughing Death Baron Saturday appears to be an ordinary man, but a closer inspection reveals that this is not so. He is dressed informal black clothes that seem out of touch with the time period, but it is impossible to place when exactly the clothes are from. He wears a black top hat lined with what appear to be sharpened bones. The most disturbing feature, however, is the man himself. He is a skeleton, made entirely of bleached white bones, and yet he still somehow seems to be able to smile. Baron Saturday is the fey master of natural death. Six months out of the year the Baron is accompanied by his wife, Madame Brigitte, a loud and boisterous alcoholic of a woman with a love of spicy foods. Rumor has it that Madame Brigitte is secretly Brigid of the Court of the Psyche in disguise. Most dismiss this notion with a shudder, but Inari, always looking for a way to stir up trouble and mischief, is adamant in proclaiming this rumor true. She claims that Brigid met the Baron after the death of her first husband, the Fomorian Bres and her son. At her son’s funeral, Brigid invented the keening wail, which was said to be so pure and so beautiful that the Baron himself was moved, and began to court her. When asked about this, the Baron tends to simply smile (he accomplishes this feat despite not having any lips), and makes a joke at the questioner’s expense. He is, after all, Saturday’s Lord, and there is nothing that the Baron appreciates more than a good party. Why should a person waste their time toiling and working when they only get a short time to live? Baron Saturday’s origins are shrouded in mystery. He has held his position in the Court of Anima as long as anyone can remember. In fact, his origin goes back to the days when the demons first poured out from the abyss and ravaged the world. He was the fey whose name is now forgotten that was sacrificed in order to steal a portion of Yama’s power. His soul was guided by Azrael along the river Styx to the future underworlds of the various pantheons. He was made to drink from the river Lethe, and thus his memory of his past life was forgotten. At the end of the ordeal, he was transformed, and a portion of the power of death was imparted to him. Baron Saturday has long-standing associations with the Court of Shadow. The Court of Shadow has long experimented with different forms of undeath, but they have only been able to do so with Baron Saturday’s permission. Marinette, the fey in charge of the Court of Shadow’s experiments with undead, is particularly fond of the Baron, who she refers to as “Papa Saturday.” However, this lax attitude towards what most fey regard as the perversion of undeath has earned him enmity both in the Court of the Persona, which strongly opposes the undead, and within his own Court. Inari Mistress of Foxes, Goddess of Bounty, Jester of the Anima Inari is slender and pale, with vulpine features. Her hair is pitch black, her lips as red as blood, and her skin as pale as moonlight. Her hair is tied up in an elaborate braid behind her back, and she wears a white silk kimono decorated with images of silver foxes walking in the snow and gazing upon mortals huddled around fires in their homes. Look again, and her form has shifted. Now she is an old man, wrinkled and hunchbacked, wearing a simple blue farmer’s robe, struggling to hold himself up on a crooked cane. Look once more, and she has shifted again. Now a fox has taken the old man’s place. The fox is enormous, as big as the man or woman was. Its fur is silver, and it has nine fluffy tails floating behind it. Inari is the queen of the kitsune, although she generally allows them to do as they please. Although Inari herself is not particularly malicious, the kitsune have a reputation for being rather malevolent. Inari does not seek to change their behavior, regarding their propensity for cruelty as merely being a love of pranks. Whether she actually believes this or is being darkly facetious is a mystery that not even Holle herself has been able to solve. Although she has a great love of pranks, and some of these pranks border on maliciousness, Inari is also known as the goddess of food among mortals. She is said to have perfected the art of cultivation of rice, and rice is the principle food source on many a world. This odd dichotomy-as well as her fondness for shifting her forms between a beautiful woman and a haggard old man have lead some to speculate that there are actually two Inaris. Why this would be so, however, is typically left unexplained. Inari’s relationship with the kitsune has led to much speculation about where her true loyalties lie. Some believe that her hands-off attitude towards the kitsune is a deceit, and that she secretly directs thier actions. While the kistune are known to do rather spiteful and petty things, none of their actions would seem to be useful to Inari if she was planning a conspiracy on some massive scale. There is, however, at least one case where a kitsune was able to use her beauty to nearly seize control of a kingdom, so perhaps there is at least a grain of truth to these tales. Inari has a relationship with Puck of the Persona Court that sometimes seems to be a rivalry, sometimes a friendship, and sometimes a romance. The possibility exists that they both believe that they are stringing the other along in preparation for a prank on some epic scale; this seems to be the theory most accepted by the fey of the Court of the Anima. Father Winter Father Yule, Old Man Winter Father Winter is a giant of a fey, standing nearly nine feet tall. He is big and broad, with a full gut and a hearty laugh. His skin is icy blue, except for his nose and cheeks, which are more of a cherry red. He has a full beard that comes down almost to his stomach, where it takes the appearance of icicles. He wears a thick fur coat, dark blue and rimed with icicles. He carries with him a large brown sack, filled with various gifts for those he deems to need them most. Holle’s loving parent is entirely unlike his daughter in character. Where she is cold and calculating, he is warm and full of laughter. Father Winter is known for his love of children, and is often invoked by mortal parents as a protector of children. He believes that children are the greatest treasure that anyone can have, more precious than silver and gold. Rumor has it that once a year he journeys to the material plane, looking for children who have done their best to be good. He then finds a secret place-somewhere only a child would look-and leaves the child a gift. This was not always true of him, however. When he ruled the Court of the Anima, he was most commonly referred to as “Old Man Winter,” and had a reputation for being harsh and uncaring, driving out the last vestige of summer with his frosty breath. It was the creation of Holle that led to both the melting of his icy heart and his downfall within the Court of the Anima. Father Winter had been married to a fairy maiden known as la Belfana. She was the foremost astronomer in all of the fey kingdoms, and a powerful sorceress in her own right. They had a son together, Jack Frost, and la Belfana was known to be the only one who could calm his wintery rages. But one day la Belfana vanished, and Father Winter, even in all his power as the lord of the Court of the Anima, was unable to find her. Rumor had it that she had left after a great astrological conjunction had occurred in the sky, and was now seeking the perfect child. He despaired, and shirked his duties to the Court. He then went to the icy world of Ymir. There he crafted from the snow a beautiful little fairy girl, who he named Holle, the Snow Princess. He loved her with all his heart, and doted on her as he raised her far from the normal process of court life. However, his long absence led the Lady of Air and Darkness, a powerful noble within the Court, to declare the throne abdicated and seize the throne for herself. Unlike the rest of the Court of the Anima, Father Winter holds closer relationships with the nobles of the Court of the Psyche rather than the Court of Shadow. His wife, la Belfana, had many conflicts with Baba Yaga, and Father Winter now refuses to speak to her, believing that she might have played a role in his wife’s disappearance. To the rest of the Shadow Court he is simply standoffish. That is, except for Cernunnos, the Prince of Autumn. Once, it had been Father Winter’s duty to slay Cernunnos, and he had always done so with great dignity and respect. Now the two maintain what seems to most to be a friendship. Jack Frost Winter’s Breath, the Wind’s Joy Jack Frost is a young man, with the light blue skin of his father, though he is not nearly as large or broad as Father Winter. His hair is messy, and is blonde tinged slightly with blue, while his eyes are dark and hard to look directly at. He wears a jester’s cap, blue and white, and jester’s tights decorated with blue and white diamonds. He appears to be vaguely insubstantial, and there is a faint aura of cold and ice that follows him wherever he goes. Jack Frost, the son of la Belfana and Father Winter, could have been the heir to the throne of the Anima. However, he never had any interest in rulership, and still to this day has never pushed for his sister Holle to expand his authority or to declare him heir to the throne. Instead, Jack has always preferred the art of humor over the art of politics. He has made himself the unofficial jester of the Court, much to Inari’s consternation. Jack loves mortals, but this love has brought mortalkind much suffering. Like all the fey, Jack is a thing of the dreams of nature; he does not truly understand the way mortal’s reality works. Jack’s touch is deathly cold, and leaves frost on the window’s of mortal homes when he stares through the windows at the people inside. Sometimes, though, a particularly mirthful mortal female catches his eye, and he seeks to do more than simply gaze upon her. He seeks to speak with her, to know her, to touch her. This is all well and good at first, and the mortal woman often finds Jack to be a fine friend. But a mortal cannot stand the touch of Jack Frost for long, and she soon finds her heart has turned to ice-and the rest of her body soon follows. Jack does not understand the harm he is doing when he causes this to happen-it is beyond his comprehension. Instead, he dutifully takes the icy statue to his sister’s Court, where it joins many others like it. Jack Frost does not keep much company among the fey, preferring instead solitude or the occasional friendship of a mortal. Father Winter loves him deeply, and Holle seems to hold him in high regard despite his lack of interest in her favored areas of study-or perhaps because of this lack of interest. Most of the rest of the Court of the Anima regards him as a lost cause, and he is generally unheard of outside of the Court. Carabosse The Noble’s Dread, Maleficent, the Wicked Fairy Godmother Carabosse stands slightly over five feet tall, but an aura of grandeur and menace hangs over her that makes her seem larger than anyone in her presence. Her hair is long and oily black, and falls down her shoulders almost to the ground. Her skin is white with the slightest of green tinges, and her eyes are a dark crimson and purple. The dress she wears seems oddly anachronistic-it is hard to tell if it is ahead of its time or behind in fashion. The dress does, however, appear to be enormously expensive, made of black, crimson and violet silk interspersed with gemstones. Carabosse wears upon the top of her head a headdress reminiscent of the horns of demon, dark and curled. She has the wings of a butterfly, large and elegant, dark blue and black. The shadow she casts is not her own, but that of an enormous rat. Carabosse has been a part of the Court of the Anima for almost as long as anyone can remember. In fact, some claim that she is the Anima Court embodied. Whether or not this is true, she did rule the Court long before Father Winter did, but resigned her post for some unknown reason. She has since been responsible for the rise and fall of many of the rulers within the Anima Court. Carabosse regards herself as the foremost among nobility, and has been known to appear, invited or otherwise, at christenings and other parties. If Carabosse is met with the slightest offense, however minor, woe will fall upon the kingdom. She once cursed an entire nation to a thousand years of sleep simply because her invitation to the princess’s christening arrived two days early. Carabosse is also known to be a master of the magical arts, nearly unsurpassed in her skill. She learned her sorcery without regards for any danger or corruption, and is now able to call upon the very legions of Hell to assist her. Carabosse has long pushed for the strengthening of the ties between the Anima and Hell. She may have established this historical relationship herself. Regardless, no leader of the Court of the Anima has ever broken the alliance between the Court and Hell. Father Winter is attended by a minor devil, Krampus, who takes a rather different view on childrearing. The Queen of Air and Darkness possessed a magical black stone that was said to have been a piece of Lucifer’s palace. And the Mirror of Reason, Holle’s most beloved possession, was a gift from the Morningstar himself. Carabosse herself rides on a chariot pulled by a pack of devilish black dragons, a gift from Ishtar, the Empress of Wrath.
Space_Dragon 02-20-08, 06:55 PM	Okay. This is the draft I would stick with, if I were you. The Snow Queen is much better defined, and you were able to put her in command while leaving Carabosse very powerful (possibly the power behind the throne). Father Yule is also a much more interesting character now, IMO. Three little things: 1. Where'd the name "Holle" come from? Don't believe I've seen it before. 2. Now that you've nicknamed Carabosse "Malificent," you are morally and legally obligated to give her a pet raven named Mephisto. You know that, right? 3. KRAMPUS LOL
alesian 02-20-08, 07:01 PM	Okay. This is the draft I would stick with, if I were you. The Snow Queen is much better defined, and you were able to put her in command while leaving Carabosse very powerful (possibly the power behind the throne). Father Yule is also a much more interesting character now, IMO. Alright, thank you. Three little things: 1. Where'd the name "Holle" come from? Don't believe I've seen it before. Norse goddess of winter. 2. Now that you've nicknamed Carabosse "Malificent," you are morally and legally obligated to give her a pet raven named Mephisto. You know that, right? But of course. 3. KRAMPUS LOL IM IN UR XMAS, MESSING WITH UR SANTAZ
alesian 02-21-08, 02:47 AM	The Court of Shadow The Dying Lands, Autumn’s Bounty, the Court of Cups, the Children of Twilight What are people afraid of? Death? Pain? Darkness? None of these, will answer a member of the Court of Shadow. Everyone fears one thing, and every other fear is derived from this. Everyone fears the unknown, and the Court of Shadow seeks to embody the unknown in all its myriad forms. The unknown is intimately tied to the concept of change, and the Court of Shadow exults the moment of change above the moment before or after. The in-between holds a special power in Alchera, and nowhere else is its power stronger than in the land of Shadow. At autumn and the crossroads, at solstice and equinox, the power of Shadow holds sway. Baba Yaga High Queen of Shadow, Queen of Hags and Witches, Fear’s Mistress, the Crone Baba Yaga is an old, withered woman, barely five feet tall. Her face is marred in a perpetual scowl that is barely visible through the countless wrinkles. She is hunchbacked but her arms and legs seem to be no more than brittle bone and wrinkled skin, in addition to being wildly out of proportion with the rest of her body; they are easily the length of her body. She wears the clothing of a typical peasant woman: a red handkerchief around her head, a patchwork shawl around her shoulders, and a frayed, faded blue dress around her hips. She rides through the air on an enormous mortar, using a pestle to guide her flight and an entire birch tree to cover her tracks. Baba Yaga is a name whispered in fear by both mortals and fey alike. She is a master of speechcraft, bargains and dealmaking, rivaling the skill in double speak of the Morningstar himself. A bargain with Baba Yaga can form the foundation of an empire-and its downfall as well. The intervention of Baba Yaga has been behind the start of many a mortal adventurer’s career, whether they were aware so or not. Baba Yaga is the master of foresight, being able to manipulate events to her liking with only a minimum amount of intervention. Baba Yaga has a strange fascination with the youth, be they only children or on the cusp of adulthood. It is whispered that she finds the flesh of children to be the foremost of delicacies, or that she extracts their innocence for use in mysterious magics. When Belphegor (or Beelzebub or Lilith-the exact details vary) first unleashed undeath upon the world, there was much debate and upheaval among the fey. They had not faced such a dire threat to nature since the demons had fallen upon the world-and it was still debated whether or not the dealings with the demons had been successful. While the other fey waited, Baba Yaga took action, ready to use the new art of necromancy for the advantage of the Shadow Court. She found a mortal sorcerer, versed in the dark arts, and offered him an eternity of life. The only payment he would have to make in return was to give her what everyone had but no one could find. He agreed, and Baba Yaga took his soul. He became Koschei the Deathless, the first lich. Baba Yaga has collected an odd assortment of companions in her years of ruling the Court of Shadow. She is accompanied by three horseman, who she refers only to as Day, Sun, and Night. Their true nature (fey lords, enslaved ghosts, magical constructs) is unknown; they do, however, serve Baba Yaga more or less faithfully. When Baba Yaga desires to travel long distances, she does not use her mortar and pestle. Instead, she utilizes the services of her own home, a hut with the legs of a chicken. Wherever the hut goes, a multitude of staffs topped with skulls appear. These skulls house various souls who are, for one reason or another, bound in servitude to the Court of Shadow. Baba Yaga has long allied the Court of Shadow with the Court of Anima, an alliance she shows no sign of breaking today. Baba Yaga and Carabosse have been close companions for quite some time, and Baba Yaga has counseled the Snow Queen to increase Anima’s campaign against Persona. Cernunnos The Prince of Autumn, the Horned Huntsman Cernunnos stands about six and a half feet tall, slender yet muscular. His hair is a brilliant red, and his skin is pale with a smattering of freckles. On top of his head is a pair of antlers, like those of a hart, with seven tines, and his feet are those of a hart as well. He wears nothing except a cloak sewn from autumnal leaves and a golden torc around his neck. At the start of spring, he appears quite young, barely having left adolescence. At the end of fall, before his yearly death, he is a mature young man, just about to leave the last vestige of youth behind. Cernunnos is the son of the Dagda and the Morrigan, and the twin brother of Brigid of the Court of the Psyche. He is the fey embodiment of masculinity and youthfulness, ironically enough, considering his position as the Prince of Autumn. Cernunnos has a tendency to devote himself single mindedly to whatever subject currently holds his fascination. Sometimes it is a piece of art that he works on reverently, other times it is mastering a new craft or art. But most frequently it is the hunt. Cernunnos is the greatest of hunters among the fey (a skill that proved quite useful during the war with the Fomorians). Cernunnos tracks his prey with a single-mindedness that can cause terror in even the most battle-hardened of warriors. This single-mindedness has resulted in his tendency to divide the world into two groups: hunter and hunted. In addition to this, Cernunnos prefers the company of men, regarding women as largely unnecessary, a view that has cause him trouble in the past. Cernunnos is believed to have had a hand in the creation of werewolves. The Queen of the Moon has long been known to favor him, and lycanthropy has a deep connection to the in-between state that the Court of Shadow is known to favor. Together with the Queen of the Moon he gave his favored animals, wolves, the ability to walk and speak like mortalkind, and to walk between the worlds of the wild and civilization. When their task was finished, the Queen of the Moon sought Cernunnos’s love, but he spurned her, and thus brought her wrath upon his favored children. The Queen cursed the werewolves, declaring that only some wolves would be able to walk between the worlds. They would be outcast from both worlds, hated and feared. Whenever she gazed upon them in her full glory, they would be forced to change shape, to remind them of their curse. And forever would silver, her favored metal and once the blessing of wolves, would bring them only harm. Cernunnos is quite close to his sister, Brigid the Queen of Spring. Every winter, Cernunnos is slain by the Snow Queen, only to be resurrected by his sister come spring. They became close during the war between the Tuatha de Danann and the Fomorians, as each relied on the other to survive the many brutal battles. The Snow Queen seems to despise him for some unknown reason. Rumor holds that she has fallen in love with him, but her icy, emotionless heart cannot comprehend that emotion, so she seeks to destroy its source. Cernunnos is constantly accompanied by Fenrir, an enormous wolf that serves as his mount when he rides into battle or goes to the hunt. Cernunnos rescued Fenrir from a pantheon of cruel northern deities who had unjustly imprisoned him because of a prophecy. Fenrir has now devoted his life to serving Cernunnos, who he regards as the greatest of men. Marinette The Mistress of Waking Sleep, Spirit of Revenge, Loa of Scorned Women Marinette has light brown skin that seems to be covered in a layer of ash or grim. Her hair is grey, wild and unkempt, with twigs and leaves interspersed throughout. Her eyes are dead-grey and covered by a milky membrane. Her arms are unnaturally thin, even thinner than they would be if they were only skin and bone. Her dusty white lips open to reveal two cruel twin fangs gleaming in stark contrast to the darkness that seems to bellow inside her. She wears only a simple burlap dress that barely manages to cover her sinisterly feminine form. Marinette is the fey lord most devoted to integrating undeath into nature, as directed by Baba Yaga and Papa Legba. Marinette devotes herself almost entirely to her work; her vindictive nature and her cruelty towards those who offend her means that few ever interact with her. Her experimentations with undeath have resulted in numerous undead creatures being accepted into the Court of Shadow (although not into any of the other fey courts). Despite this, Marinette marches on in her efforts to reconcile the natural and unnatural. Rumor has it that her efforts have met with some level of true success. The yuki-o-na, the rusalka, and the wendigo are three fey creatures that seem to have much in common with the undead yet are fully accepted into the fey courts. Before Marinette joined the Court of Shadow, she was a mortal revolutionary in a war-torn country. She was a powerful sorceress in her own right, and she cast a spell that helped drag her country into civil war. During the conflict, Marinette was captured, tried, and hung for her crimes. She was buried at the crossroads, where she reanimated as a vampire. She dug herself out from her grave, but was unable to move from the spot because the magic of the crossroads bound her there. She would have been destroyed by the rising of the sun, but before this she was approached by Papa Legba, the Lord of the Crossroads. He offered to free her from her prison in the crossroads if she would come with him to the Court of Shadow. She agreed, and through the magic of Baba Yaga and Papa Legba was partially purged of her vampiric nature and transformed into a fey. Marinette has a close relationship with Papa Legba, who rescued her from certain doom and introduced her to the Court of Shadow. She has a rather loving relationship with Baron Saturday-although this affection may be feigned on her part, as her work with undeath requires that she frequently yield to the will of the Baron. Marinette despises Beelzebub, Lilith, and Belphegor (the three devil lords most frequently associated with the creation of the undead) as they continuously work to undo her efforts in integrating the undead into nature. Papa Legba Lord of the Crossroads, Loa of the In-between place Papa Legba is an older middle aged man, with dark brown skin and a long white beard. He wears a broad straw hat upon his head, but it does little to cover the pair of curly horns growing from his head. He wears the garments of a farmer, well worn with age, and smokes a pipe constantly. He is always leaning upon a cane, but the look in his eyes suggests that he has the strength to abandon it if needed. Papa Legba is ancient beyond compare. His existence predates the Court of Shadow, the war with the demons, the fall from the Heavens. He may even predate Alchera itself. Papa Legba is the personification of the state of transition that the Court of Shadow seeks so desperately to embody. Papa Legba either discovered the way to use the crossroad’s hidden power or created it himself in an act of pure genius and will. He is the keeper of the lore of the Court, and the secrets he shares with the Shadow fey have ensured that the Court will never have to bow before either Persona or Anima. Strangely enough, while Papa Legba is frequently a teller of tales he appears in few of his own. Papa Legba’s history is obscured by some strange force. Did he once rule the Court before Baba Yaga? Has he always been part of the Court? Is he even truly a fey? These are questions that no one seems to be able to answer. But no one in the Shadow Court seems to want to answer them anyways. Papa Legba is universally respected by the other members of the Court of Shadow. Marinette in particular is devoted to him, because he saved her life and is responsible for her current position in the Court. Carabosse of the Court of Anima is quite jealous of his mastery of the crossroads, and has frequently sought to learn or steal their secrets from him, but has failed each time. The Morrigan The Phantom Queen, the Mistress of Battle, the Raven Goddess, Snow White The Morrigan is dark and beautiful, wonderful and dreadful, all at the same time. Her skin is the color of the purest of snow, and as smooth as silk, contrasting deeply with her hair, as black as night, and her lips, as red as blood. She wears a cloak knit from the feathers of many ravens, and she wields an ebon sword in battle. The violent queen of the Tuatha de Dannan, the Morrigan is the wife of the Dagda and the mother of Brigid and Cernunnos. The Morrigan is fierce in her demeanor and ruthless on the battlefield, giving no quarter and asking for none in return. During the war between the Tuatha de Dannan and the Fomorians, an ancient breed of demons, the Morrigan led many an army against the Tuatha’s fearsome foes. Her screams were dreadful enough to strike an enemy dead on their own. She was willing to challenge an entire army on her own, and would have done so repeatedly had she been allowed to be Lugh, the leader of the Tuatha de Dannan. After the end of the war with the Fomorians, the Morrigan was distraught, for reasons unknown to either her husband or her children. As she wandered across the mortal worlds, she heard a woman, idly talking, say that she wished for a child as white as the snow. So the Morrigan slipped into the mortal woman, and was reborn-Snow White. Her beauty was so astounding that she caught the attention of a wicked mortal queen, who sought to have her murdered. Her first attempt was an utter failure-the huntsman she sent to kill Snow White returned with his own heart upon a platter. Her second attempt was successful, for a time-she had Snow White poisoned with an apple. But the spell was broken when the Dagda, disguised as a mortal knight, kissed her, awakening the Morrigan once again. Together they killed the wicked queen, and parted ways once again. The Morrigan’s relationship with her family is unsteady at best. She has not spoken to her husband, the Dagda, since they parted ways after the defeat of the Fomorians. Her daughter Brigid, who remains close to her brother Cernunnos, is cool and distant to her mother, rather unusually for the normally motherly Brigid. Cernunnos himself pays his mother only token respect, avoiding her at meetings of the Court. The Morrigan pays her wayward children’s disrespect no mind.
alesian 02-22-08, 05:03 AM	The Fomorians When the demons were first created, they existed in forms that were utterly unnatural and abhorrent. Their mere existence caused the fabric of nature to unnravel, and they might have caused the utter destruction of reality had it not been for the long, hard work of the fey. The fey worked to integrate the demons into nature, and before long they no longer posed the dire threat they once had. Not all demons accepted this fate, however, and many worked to undo the efforts of the fey. One group of demons, that would be known as the Fomorians, eventually found a way to undo the work of the fey, to a degree. The Fomorians worked foul magics to unbind themselves from nature. They were not able to obtain the level of unnatural depravity that demons had once possessed, but they had obtained a degree of success. The most common form of Fomorian was that of a giant with only one eye, one arm, and one leg. Other Fomorians were similarly misshapen-horns growing from peculiar places, using fins to walk and feet to grasp or eyes to taste and tongues to see. The common theme their forms shared was that of nature perverted. They used natural parts of thier bodies in ways that nature had not intended. The Fomorians were at first confined to a single world, the planet Eire. The Fomorians eventually clashed with the other natives of the world of Eire, the Fir Bolg. Though the Fir Bolg were not as skilled in magic and transmutation as the Fomorians were, they were more rooted in reality and common sense. The Fir Bolg, led by Slaine, rose up against the monstrous Fomorians and sought to destroy them. The Fomorian ruler Elatha, rather than letting his people be destroyed, led them into the ocean depths. The event on Eire and the Fomorians corruption of the rules of reality had an impact so deep that the fey of the world known as Danu became alerted to the events. These fey, known as the Tuatha de Dannun, decided to travel to the world and reconcile it with the Dreamtime. The Fir Bolg where immediately distrustful of these new arrivals. They viewed the Tuatha, with their strange forms and arcane magic, as being akin to the Fir Bolg. The Tuatha, led by their king Nuada, attempted to convince the Fir Bolg that the fey and the Dreamtime had a place in the world, but the Fir Bolg would hear nothing of it, and war erupted between the Tuatha de Dannun and the Fir Bolg. During this time, the presence of the Tuatha cause the world to be reunited with the Dreamtime, and fey native to Eire where created. One of these fey called herself Eire, after the world that had born her. She was beautiful, and her beauty caught the eye of the Fomorian king Elatha. Elatha seduced Eire, and she gave birth to the Fomorian Bres. Eventually, the Tuatha defeated the Fir Bolg, who were forced to accept the presence of fey on their world. As part of the settlement, most of the world was reserved for nature, with about a quarter of the world being given to the Fir Bolg civilization. However, the war had not been a complete success for the Tuatha, as Nuada had lost his hand, and the ancient law of the Tuatha prevented the king from ruling if he had any sort of physical blemish or deformity. In addition to this, the Fomorians, sensing weakness in these new arrivals, began to re-emerge from the ocean depths. The Tuatha, who were then a young and idealistic people, saw the unnatural Fomorians and saw opportunity to solve two problems. Like most fey, the Tuatha’s first impulse when encountering something out of sync with nature was to bring it back into line with nature, and they believed that intermixing with the Fomorians would do just that. The Tuatha married a noble’s daughter, named Brigid, to the Fomorian half-breed Bres, and allowed him to become their ruler. Bres’s kingship was a disaster for the Tuatha. He treated them like slaves, and led the Fomorians back up from the sea to ravage the land again. The ancient laws of the Tuatha kept them from deposing him, as he had not a single blemish on his body. At least, he did not until a Tuatha bard sang a song mocking him so deeply that his body broke out in boils and sores. Some report that his wife Brigid, who is widely credited with inventing the bardic arts, taught the bard the song in the first place. Regardless, Bres was deposed and Nuada, who had replaced his severed hand for one made of silver, was reinstated. War immediately broke out between the Fomorians and the Tuatha. The Fomorians had a new king, Balor, who could slay entire armies just by opening his single monstrous eye. The war raged for some time, and Balor even killed Nuada, but he himself was eventually slain by his own grandson, Lugh of the Long Arm, a product of intermixing between the Fomorians and the Tuatha. Brigid's son by Bres was also killed during the fighting, and Brigid invented the keening wail to mourn his passing. Her song was so dark and beautiful that it cause the banshees to come into existence, and it attracted the attention of Baron Saturday, the fey master of death. He spoke with Brigid about her invention, and it is said that they began a secret romance after that day. The Fomorians were chased back into the sea, and Eire was freed of their influence. The Tuatha's success against the Fomorians led to their ascencion among the ranks of the fey, and now many Tuathan nobles hold great positions of power and influence among the four fey Courts. All of the most famous Tuatha-Brigid, the Dagda, Lugh, the Morrigan, Cernunnos-are veterans of the war with the Fomorians and will to this day devote many resources to battling any Fomorian incursions. However, the Fomorians have now discovered how to travel between worlds, and they have used this power to bring their perversions to new domains. They hold in their hearts a hatred of the fey, and especially of the Tuatha, who they will go out of their way to kill and maim.
alesian 02-23-08, 04:28 PM	Any comment at all, on any of this, are absolutely welcome.
Space_Dragon 02-23-08, 08:18 PM	The Shadow Court overall needs a defining feature. As it is, too many of its members are too similar to the Anima. Baba Yaga could use more of an association with change. As it is, she's pretty much indistinguishable from any old demon or devil. She flies around, buys souls, eats children, etc. I'm not really seeing anything that ties her in with the concept of Change, which is odd for the ruler of the Shadow Court. You know, come to think of it, maybe Baba Yaga should be a demon rather than a fey. Judging from the myths that I know about her, she seems to be less a force of nature and more an obstruction of it. Especially if you are going to credit her with the rise of Kotschei the Deathless; inventing lichdom seems much more demonic than feylike. Papa Legba seems cool enough, but he needs more of an active role in things. Marinette seems...kinda bland, somehow. Not knowing much about Vodun mythology (which I assume is where they are from), I can't really comment on how to make them better. Cernunnos is a badass. Don't change him.
alesian 02-23-08, 11:24 PM	The Shadow Court overall needs a defining feature. As it is, too many of its members are too similar to the Anima. The defining feature is supposed to be change or the state of transition, but I guess I need to work on tying that all together. Baba Yaga could use more of an association with change. As it is, she's pretty much indistinguishable from any old demon or devil. She flies around, buys souls, eats children, etc. I'm not really seeing anything that ties her in with the concept of Change, which is odd for the ruler of the Shadow Court. You know, come to think of it, maybe Baba Yaga should be a demon rather than a fey. Judging from the myths that I know about her, she seems to be less a force of nature and more an obstruction of it. Especially if you are going to credit her with the rise of Kotschei the Deathless; inventing lichdom seems much more demonic than feylike. Perhaps. But if I make her a demon instead of a fey, who do I make the ruler of the Court of Shadow? Any suggestions, perhaps? Papa Legba seems cool enough, but he needs more of an active role in things. Marinette seems...kinda bland, somehow. Not knowing much about Vodun mythology (which I assume is where they are from), I can't really comment on how to make them better. They are indeed Voodoo. I knew Papa Legba was kind of ehh when I was writing him up. He sounds a lot more interesting when you only write 150 words about him, ironically. Even though you aren't familiar with Voodoo, I'm still willing to listen to any suggestions about them. Here's a quick rundown of their roles in Voodoo, in case that helps: Papa Legba is the Loa in charge of the interaction between the loa and humankind, in addition to being the ruler of crossroads. Papa Legba is always the first loa invoked in a Voodoo ceremony, so he can open the gate allowing for interaction between the two worlds. His symbol is the dog. Marinette was a Haitian revolutionary and sorceress before she was a loa. Her titles, "Of Dry Arms" and "Of Dry Hands" have skeletal and vampiric connotations. She is sometimes viewed as the protector of werewolves. She is a violent loa, but is invoked to free people from bondage. Cernunnos is a badass. Don't change him. Thank you.:D
Space_Dragon 02-24-08, 01:33 AM	Leader of the Shadow Court; here are some candidates that I can think of. Tezcatlipoca: you may prefer to keep him as a god, due to his being part of the Aztec pantheon. However, he IS a shadowy entity that embodies destruction, reconstruction, and change. His association with jaguars also parallels Marinette's werewolf affinity; perhaps all lycanthropes can be creations of the Shadow Court, with some of its lords favoring certain types. Lilitu/Lilith: although Judeo/Christian mythology portrays Lilith as more of a demon or devil, the earlier Sumerian myths that she was likely derrived from portrayed her as more of a (very spiteful) nature godess. Lilith has always been associated with chaos, uncertainty, and transformation, embodied by her focus on the day/night dichotomy. According to some sources, she has an army of messed up spirit-thingies at her beck and call, which would make sense if she ruled a fey court. If you want to have a devil Lilith as well, just call the fey one Lilitu and have them focus on different versions of the myth. Seriously, there are so many gods that are really just name-changed versions of earlier ones that no one would even notice. Nox: superpowerful shadow godess from Greek mythology. Supposedly was present at the dawn of creation, and represented the boundaries between life and death, sleep and wakefullness, day and night. Associated with birds, especially ravens, which would be a cool motif for a fey godess.
alesian 02-24-08, 01:42 AM	Of those three, I think I like Lilith/Lilitu the best. Her association with monstrous births and her children, the Lilim, are excellent ways to tie her into the fey. BTW, do you remember the story I told you over AIM, when I planned to make her an archdevil? Do you think I could build off of that, or should I make up something entirely new?
Space_Dragon 02-24-08, 02:30 AM	I don't remember it; was a while ago. Would you remind me?
alesian 02-25-08, 07:48 PM	Nvm, it's not important. Instead, behold the Court of Shadow, v. 3! The Court of Shadow The Dying Lands, Autumn’s Bounty, the Court of Cups, the Children of Twilight What are people afraid of? Death? Pain? Darkness? None of these, will answer a member of the Court of Shadow. Everyone fears one thing, and every other fear is derived from this. Everyone fears the unknown, and the Court of Shadow seeks to embody the unknown in all its myriad forms. The unknown is intimately tied to the concept of change, and the Court of Shadow exults the moment of change above the moment before or after. The in-between holds a special power in Alchera, and nowhere else is its power stronger than in the land of Shadow. At autumn and the crossroads, at solstice and equinox, the power of Shadow holds sway. Lilith High Queen of Shadow, Queen of the Night, Fear’s Mistress, the Dark Mother, the Screech Owl Lilith is a younger middle aged woman with dark red hair that falls luxuriously down her shoulders. Her skin is not pale-instead it is nearly grey or translucent, like the color of starlight. Out from her back stretches a pair of magnificent wings, like those of a great owl, brown and white and spotted. She wears no clothing at all, and her body is the very definition of perfection. Her face is beautiful beyond compare, but there is something strangely serpentine in the way she surveys those around her. Lilith is one of the most frequently misunderstood of all the high lords of the fey. Her name is whispered in the same breath as the names of the most fearsome of archdevils, and many mortals invoke prayers of protection against her name before going to sleep each night. Yet Lilith herself is not a devil, and she is not nearly as fearsome as her reputation makes her out to be. Lilith is capable of parthenogenesis, and is feared as an enemy of men, yet she holds no special hatred in her heart for the male of any species. Lilith understands that creation requires conflict and sometimes even destruction. Stasis brings stagnation, and this is the destruction of a species. It is for this reason that Lilith has approved of Marinette’s experiments with the undead, and with the Five-Fold Queen’s patronage of lycanthropes. Lilith does not fear that these actions will disrupt or despoil nature; nature’s greatest strength is the ability to absorb and adapt. After the fall of the angels and the war with the demons, a group of angels sought to see if the nature of the world was truly fallen beyond repair. So they traveled deep into a fearsome desert, impenetrable on all sides, isolated from gods and mortals alike. Here they created a garden, and filled it with animals and plants of all kinds. But they also altered the garden’s inhabitants: the hunger was taken from the great beasts, and the thorns plucked from the flowering plants. It was a paradise, and the angels called it Eden. And within Eden they brought to mortals, purged of the memory of outside life, to live in the garden, to see if the world was truly fallen. Now Lilith, who was quite at home in the desert, happened to stumble upon the garden. She watched the inhabitants of Eden and saw how life in the garden went about unchanging, day after day. Lilith resolved to change this. She snuck into the garden, taking the form of a serpent, and found the female mortal. Lilith offered her a fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the female mortal shared the fruit with the male. Now, the exact nature of the fruit has long since been lost to mortal scholars, but whatever it was, it brought great change to the garden. Soon, the two mortals argued with each other, and nearly came to blows. After their fight, they fled to opposite ends of the garden, and the angels were alerted to the fact that their experiment had been tampered with. Three of the angels, warrior-seraphim of Michael, pursued her. They murdered any fey that they came across, and killed nearly one hundred a day. At last, Lilith was cornered, trapped between the ocean and the angels. They demanded that she return with them to the garden to face justice, but she refused, reminding them of all of the fey they had killed in pursuing her. She vowed that if she was made to return to the garden, she would become the greatest enemy of mortals that the world had ever seen. She would use her power over birth to snatch life from children before they were even born. The angels knew that this was not an idle threat, and relented, allowing Lilith to go free. Lilith has no enemies within the Court, which many find unusual. The Court seems, at least to an outsider, to be quite fractious and divided, but this is a misunderstanding of the nature of Shadow. The nature of the court is transition, change, and movement, however it is embodied, and even violent Tezcatlipoca understands Lilith’s connection to the Shadow’s nature. Lilith has been known to refer to the other nobles of the Court as “The Lilim,” the children of Lilith. To her, they each embody a different aspect of the nature of Shadow. Cernunnos The Prince of Autumn, the Horned Huntsman Cernunnos stands about six and a half feet tall, slender yet muscular. His hair is a brilliant red, and his skin is pale with a smattering of freckles. On top of his head is a pair of antlers, like those of a hart, with seven tines, and his feet are those of a hart as well. He wears nothing except a cloak sewn from autumnal leaves and a golden torc around his neck. At the start of spring, he appears quite young, barely having left adolescence. At the end of fall, before his yearly death, he is a mature young man, just about to leave the last vestige of youth behind. Cernunnos is the son of the Dagda and the Morrigan, and the twin brother of Brigid of the Court of the Psyche. He is the fey embodiment of masculinity and youthfulness, ironically enough, considering his position as the Prince of Autumn. Cernunnos has a tendency to devote himself single mindedly to whatever subject currently holds his fascination. Sometimes it is a piece of art that he works on reverently, other times it is mastering a new craft or art. But most frequently it is the hunt. Cernunnos is the greatest of hunters among the fey (a skill that proved quite useful during the war with the Fomorians). Cernunnos tracks his prey with a single-mindedness that can cause terror in even the most battle-hardened of warriors. This single-mindedness has resulted in his tendency to divide the world into two groups: hunter and hunted. In addition to this, Cernunnos prefers the company of men, regarding women as largely unnecessary, a view that has cause him trouble in the past. Cernunnos is believed to have had a hand in the creation of werewolves. The Queen of the Moon has long been known to favor him, and lycanthropy has a deep connection to the in-between state that the Court of Shadow is known to favor. Together with the Queen of the Moon he gave his favored animals, wolves, the ability to walk and speak like mortalkind, and to walk between the worlds of the wild and civilization. When their task was finished, the Queen of the Moon sought Cernunnos’s love, but he spurned her, and thus brought her wrath upon his favored children. The Queen cursed the werewolves, declaring that only some wolves would be able to walk between the worlds. They would be outcast from both worlds, hated and feared. Whenever she gazed upon them in her full glory, they would be forced to change shape, to remind them of their curse. And forever would silver, her favored metal and once the blessing of wolves, would bring them only harm. Cernunnos is quite close to his sister, Brigid the Queen of Spring. Every winter, Cernunnos is slain by the Snow Queen, only to be resurrected by his sister come spring. They became close during the war between the Tuatha de Danann and the Fomorians, as each relied on the other to survive the many brutal battles. The Snow Queen seems to despise him for some unknown reason. Rumor holds that she has fallen in love with him, but her icy, emotionless heart cannot comprehend that emotion, so she seeks to destroy its source. Cernunnos is constantly accompanied by Fenrir, an enormous wolf that serves as his mount when he rides into battle or goes to the hunt. Cernunnos rescued Fenrir from a pantheon of cruel northern deities who had unjustly imprisoned him because of a prophecy. Fenrir has now devoted his life to serving Cernunnos, who he regards as the greatest of men. Marinette The Mistress of Waking Sleep, Spirit of Revenge, Loa of Scorned Women Marinette has light brown skin that seems to be covered in a layer of ash or grim. Her hair is grey, wild and unkempt, with twigs and leaves interspersed throughout. Her eyes are dead-grey and covered by a milky membrane. Her arms are unnaturally thin, even thinner than they would be if they were only skin and bone. Her dusty white lips open to reveal two cruel twin fangs gleaming in stark contrast to the darkness that seems to bellow inside her. She wears only a simple burlap dress that barely manages to cover her sinisterly feminine form. Marinette is the fey lord most devoted to integrating undeath into nature, as directed by Baba Yaga and Papa Legba. Marinette devotes herself almost entirely to her work; her vindictive nature and her cruelty towards those who offend her means that few ever interact with her. Her experimentations with undeath have resulted in numerous undead creatures being accepted into the Court of Shadow (although not into any of the other fey courts). Despite this, Marinette marches on in her efforts to reconcile the natural and unnatural. Rumor has it that her efforts have met with some level of true success. The yuki-o-na, the rusalka, and the wendigo are three fey creatures that seem to have much in common with the undead yet are fully accepted into the fey courts. Before Marinette joined the Court of Shadow, she was a mortal revolutionary in a war-torn country. She was a powerful sorceress in her own right, and she cast a spell that helped drag her country into civil war. During the conflict, Marinette was captured, tried, and hung for her crimes. She was buried at the crossroads, where she reanimated as a vampire. She dug herself out from her grave, but was unable to move from the spot because the magic of the crossroads bound her there. She would have been destroyed by the rising of the sun, but before this she was approached by Papa Legba, the Lord of the Crossroads. He offered to free her from her prison in the crossroads if she would come with him to the Court of Shadow. She agreed, and through the magic of Baba Yaga and Papa Legba was partially purged of her vampiric nature and transformed into a fey. Marinette has a close relationship with Papa Legba, who rescued her from certain doom and introduced her to the Court of Shadow. She has a rather loving relationship with Baron Saturday-although this affection may be feigned on her part, as her work with undeath requires that she frequently yield to the will of the Baron. Marinette despises Beelzebub and Belphegor (the two devil lords most frequently associated with the creation of the undead) as they continuously work to undo her efforts in integrating the undead into nature. Papa Legba Lord of the Crossroads, Loa of the In-between place Papa Legba is an older middle aged man, with dark brown skin and a long white beard. He wears a broad straw hat upon his head, but it does little to cover the pair of curly horns growing from his head. He wears the garments of a farmer, well worn with age, and smokes a pipe constantly. He is always leaning upon a cane, but the look in his eyes suggests that he has the strength to abandon it if needed. Papa Legba is ancient beyond compare. His existence predates the Court of Shadow, the war with the demons, the fall from the Heavens. He may even predate Alchera itself. Papa Legba is the personification of the state of transition that the Court of Shadow seeks so desperately to embody. Papa Legba either discovered the way to use the crossroad’s hidden power or created it himself in an act of pure genius and will. He is the keeper of the lore of the Court, and the secrets he shares with the Shadow fey have ensured that the Court will never have to bow before either Persona or Anima. Strangely enough, while Papa Legba is frequently a teller of tales he appears in few of his own. Papa Legba’s history is obscured by some strange force. Did he once rule the Court before Baba Yaga? Has he always been part of the Court? Is he even truly a fey? These are questions that no one seems to be able to answer. But no one in the Shadow Court seems to want to answer them anyways. Papa Legba is universally respected by the other members of the Court of Shadow. Marinette in particular is devoted to him, because he saved her life and is responsible for her current position in the Court. Carabosse of the Court of Anima is quite jealous of his mastery of the crossroads, and has frequently sought to learn or steal their secrets from him, but has failed each time. Tezcatlipoca The Smoking Mirror, Enemy of Both Sides, Creator-Destroyer Tezcatlipoca is a tall young man, strong and powerfully built, with light brown skin interspersed with bands of black. Upon closer inspection, these bands are not simply paint, but actually lines of obsidian, polished to perfect smoothness. He wears the skin of a jaguar, but it is hard to tell where Tezcatlipoca ends and the jaguar begins, as the jaguar skin is constantly in motion and seems to meld and separate from Tezcatlipoca’s body at random intervals. Tezcatlipoca is the most aggressive and forward of the fey of the Court of Shadow. He leads the warriors of the Court into battle-he does not personally care who leads them into battle with. Tezcatlipoca is absolutely certain that creation can only be achieved through destruction, and for this reason he is fond of sowing conflict and discord in mortal society. Tezcatlipoca has been known to give his patronage to a mortal society, only to withdraw it suddenly without any apparent reason, plunging the society into chaos. But always from this chaos something stronger emerges. Tezcatlipoca is the patron of werejaguars, monsters that roam in dark, primeval rain forests. He may have been a patron of vampires before Marinette joined the Court; he is known to drink the blood of mortals and accept the sacrifice of human hearts from his worshippers. Tezcatlipoca has a long standing rivalry with the angelic being called Quetzalcoatl. Legend has it that Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl were once given a portion of the universe to rule for themselves. They could not agree over how their world was to be run, so they fought, and Tezcatlipoca was able to cast out Quetzalcoatl and rule the world for himself. But Quetzalcoatl soon returned, and was able to destroy Tezcatlipoca’s world and create a new one for himself. This cycle continued five times, and the two eventually started to take out their anger on each other, rather than simply destroying the world. Quetzalcoatl transformed Tezcatlipoca into a jaguar, consigning him to be just another wild beast. Yet Tezcatlipoca retained his intelligence, and figured out how to transform back into a humanoid form. Tezcatlipoca appealed to the gods who had granted them the world, and Quetzalcoatl was exiled from the world. But he promised to one day return, and he did, once Tezcatlipoca grew bored of the world and abandoned it. Tezcatlipoca has a close relationship with Cernunnos, his friend and rival in the Shadow Court. He considers him a rival for the affections of the Five-Fold Queen, who he desires to have as his wife, even though Cernunnos himself has shown no interest in courting her. He sometimes feigns a desire to overthrow Lilith and take the throne of the Shadow Court for himself, but each time he either quickly looses interest or reveals his intentions to have been a trick (often initiated by Lilith herself). The Five-Fold Queen Heng O, Selene, Rhiannon, Mahina, Quilla The Five-Fold Queen has several distinct yet similar forms, each reminiscent of the others. Sometimes she is a young maiden with silver hair and silver skin, wearing the pelts of prey animals and wielding a bow made from the horns of a mighty hart. Other times she is a demure maiden, hiding her face behind a nebulous black fan, whispering dark secrets to anyone who will listen. Other times she is a glorious queen, wearing robes made of silver and a crown formed from the moon itself. Whichever form she takes, there is little bit of the other forms left, for she is the Five-Fold Queen. The Five-Fold Queen, as the fey ruler of the moon is often known, is an enigma, even among the Shadow Court. The Five-Fold Queen seems to have five separate personas, each corresponding to a different phase of the moon. When the moon is empty, she is Heng O, the mistress of Yin, the personification of passivity and negativity. When the moon is a crescent, she is Selene, the lunar huntress. When the moon is half full, she is Rhiannon, the stallion that gallops between the worlds. When the moon is gibbous, she is Mahina, the divine mother. And when the moon is full, she is Quilla, the ruler of the night sky, the greatest of all the celestial bodies. Rumor and hearsay surround the Five-Fold Queen. It is almost impossible to pin down any exact history for her. Some claim that the Five-Fold Queen is not a single fey, but is in fact five separate fey who jointly hold the title. Others claim that the Queen’s various faces are but an elaborate ruse, part of some joke that only she understands. The Five-Fold Queen keeps the greatest treasure of the Shadow Court in her palace on the moon: the Peaches of Immortality, stolen from the Jade Emperor himself. These peaches are said to be used in the transformation of mortals into saints by the forces of Heaven. Heaven desires to have these peaches back, although their desire is not completely urgent; they still possess the Peach Tree of Immortality, after all. The Five-Fold Queen had assumed her persona of Heng O, dark and feminine, and used her skills in seduction to gain enterance into the Garden of Heaven, where the Peach Tree was kept. Using her magic, she turned the tree into water, which she put into a jar, and then made her way back to the moon. The celestial archer who she had seduced to gain entrance into the garden, realizing that he had been tricked, shot an arrow at the Queen, causing her to spill most of the water back onto the ground. The tree regrew where the water was spilt (albeit the garden had to be rebuilt around its new positon), but the Queen still possessed enough water to reform into five peaches. What she or the Shadow Court wants with the peaches is unknown; the angels fear the Court might use them to gain a favor from Hell. The Five-Fold Queen is close to both Cernunnos and Tezcatlipoca, although she currently favors Tezcatlipoca, especially since Cernunnos spurned her. Tezcatlipoca wishes her to become his consort, but the Five-Fold Queen has thus far refused his offerings.
Space_Dragon 02-26-08, 12:14 PM	Shadow Court is looking pretty good, overall. Lilith I like how you made Lilith into a desert godess that later got caught up in the whole Eden mess; it reflects how Lilitu-a fertility godess worshipped by desert peoples in Mesopotamia-became Lilith, the being from Judeo-Christian mythology. I personally think bat-winged Lilith is cooler than owl-wing, but I understand that bat wings are a characteristically demonic feature, and Lilith is a fey rather than a demon. The screech owl has always been associated with Lilith, but...I dunno, bat wings just kick so much ass. Cernunnos I liked Cernunnos before, and he hasn't changed much, so I still like him. I just notice that there are a few places in his writup where it says "Baba Yaga." Marinette You know, now that I know the historical background behind Marinette, she seems much cooler. My one question is whether or not this borders too strongly on IRL history. Mythology is one thing, but Marinette was a real person in fairly recent history, wasn't she? On a side note, Marinette's theme song has to be "Haiti" by Arcade Fire. Kthx. Papa Legba You know, this guy COULD be interesting. To make him so, maybe you should tie him in with planar travel. As in, make Plane Shift a conjuration spell that summons an avatar of Papa Legba to move you around the cosmos. Usually for a price. Will make planar travel in your game that much more interesting. Tezcatlipoca Good. Mythologically accurate, reasonably placed in the court, and all attitude. I'd add in the bit about his left foot being replaced by a smouldering mirror, though; maybe it can shoot laser beams or something. I find it interesting that you made Quetzalcoatl a celestial rather than a god; I assume he is the leader of the coatles, who are themselves a strain of angel? Also are you going to work in Huitzipochtli or Tlaloc? The Five-Fold Queen Cool. A nice blending of different mythologies here. I especially like the triangle with her, Cernunnos, and Tezcatlipoca. Very "Midsummer Night's Dream." One final observation; the forces of Heaven must really, really, REALLY hate the Shadow Court. Between one thing and another, they probably hate them more than they hate Lucifer at this point.
alesian 02-26-08, 12:34 PM	I like how you made Lilith into a desert godess that later got caught up in the whole Eden mess; it reflects how Lilitu-a fertility godess worshipped by desert peoples in Mesopotamia-became Lilith, the being from Judeo-Christian mythology. Thank you. I thought it was a good way to tie the two versions of her together. I personally think bat-winged Lilith is cooler than owl-wing, but I understand that bat wings are a characteristically demonic feature, and Lilith is a fey rather than a demon. The screech owl has always been associated with Lilith, but...I dunno, bat wings just kick so much ass. I was vacillating between owl and bat, and I settled on owl. But I can see her sometimes taking on the wings of the bat, as the whim strikes her. I liked Cernunnos before, and he hasn't changed much, so I still like him. I just notice that there are a few places in his writup where it says "Baba Yaga." Oops. Guess I didn't change him enough then, eh?:embarrass You know, now that I know the historical background behind Marinette, she seems much cooler. My one question is whether or not this borders too strongly on IRL history. Mythology is one thing, but Marinette was a real person in fairly recent history, wasn't she? On a side note, Marinette's theme song has to be "Haiti" by Arcade Fire. Kthx. I'm actually not entirely sure on this. Nothing I've read about her has given any indication of whether or not she was an actual Haitian revolutionary, or a purely legendary figure. I'm fairly certain she is a legendary figure, like Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill, but I'm not completely certain. You know, this guy COULD be interesting. To make him so, maybe you should tie him in with planar travel. As in, make Plane Shift a conjuration spell that summons an avatar of Papa Legba to move you around the cosmos. Usually for a price. Will make planar travel in your game that much more interesting. I'll probably do this. Good. Mythologically accurate, reasonably placed in the court, and all attitude. I find it interesting that you made Quetzalcoatl a celestial rather than a god; I assume he is the leader of the coatles, who are themselves a strain of angel? Also are you going to work in Huitzipochtli or Tlaloc? Quetzalcoatl seems to certainly fit the behavior of a celestial, IMHO. He's got the lowest sacrifice requirement out of all the Aztec gods, and he really seems to actually care about humanity. And the coatls just make the connection even better. I wasn't originally planning anything with Huitzipochtli or Tlaloc...but as I was researching Tezcatlipoca, I gained a new found appreciation of Aztec mythology, so it's definitely a possibility now. Cool. A nice blending of different mythologies here. I especially like the triangle with her, Cernunnos, and Tezcatlipoca. Very "Midsummer Night's Dream." Thank you. One final observation; the forces of Heaven must really, really, REALLY hate the Shadow Court. Between one thing and another, they probably hate them more than they hate Lucifer at this point. They aren't fans, that's for sure. I'd guess the Jade Emperor and Michael in particular aren't to fond of them.
alesian 02-27-08, 12:45 AM	Court of Shadow, v. 4. Most of the changes are minor; Baba Yaga's name has finally been expunged and I've edited Tezcatlipoca's description slightly. The biggest changes come to Papa Legba. The Court of Shadow The Dying Lands, Autumn’s Bounty, the Court of Cups, the Children of Twilight What are people afraid of? Death? Pain? Darkness? None of these, will answer a member of the Court of Shadow. Everyone fears one thing, and every other fear is derived from this. Everyone fears the unknown, and the Court of Shadow seeks to embody the unknown in all its myriad forms. The unknown is intimately tied to the concept of change, and the Court of Shadow exults the moment of change above the moment before or after. The in-between holds a special power in Alchera, and nowhere else is its power stronger than in the land of Shadow. At autumn and the crossroads, at solstice and equinox, the power of Shadow holds sway. Lilith High Queen of Shadow, Queen of the Night, Fear’s Mistress, the Dark Mother, the Screech Owl Lilith is a younger middle aged woman with dark red hair that falls luxuriously down her shoulders. Her skin is not pale-instead it is nearly grey or translucent, like the color of starlight. Out from her back stretches a pair of magnificent wings, like those of a great owl, brown and white and spotted. She wears no clothing at all, and her body is the very definition of perfection. Her face is beautiful beyond compare, but there is something strangely serpentine in the way she surveys those around her. Lilith is one of the most frequently misunderstood of all the high lords of the fey. Her name is whispered in the same breath as the names of the most fearsome of archdevils, and many mortals invoke prayers of protection against her name before going to sleep each night. Yet Lilith herself is not a devil, and she is not nearly as fearsome as her reputation makes her out to be. Lilith is capable of parthenogenesis, and is feared as an enemy of men, yet she holds no special hatred in her heart for the male of any species. Lilith understands that creation requires conflict and sometimes even destruction. Stasis brings stagnation, and this is the destruction of a species. It is for this reason that Lilith has approved of Marinette’s experiments with the undead, and with the Five-Fold Queen’s patronage of lycanthropes. Lilith does not fear that these actions will disrupt or despoil nature; nature’s greatest strength is the ability to absorb and adapt. After the fall of the angels and the war with the demons, a group of angels sought to see if the nature of the world was truly fallen beyond repair. So they traveled deep into a fearsome desert, impenetrable on all sides, isolated from gods and mortals alike. Here they created a garden, and filled it with animals and plants of all kinds. But they also altered the garden’s inhabitants: the hunger was taken from the great beasts, and the thorns plucked from the flowering plants. It was a paradise, and the angels called it Eden. And within Eden they brought to mortals, purged of the memory of outside life, to live in the garden, to see if the world was truly fallen. Now Lilith, who was quite at home in the desert, happened to stumble upon the garden. She watched the inhabitants of Eden and saw how life in the garden went about unchanging, day after day. Lilith resolved to change this. She snuck into the garden, taking the form of a serpent, and found the female mortal. Lilith offered her a fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the female mortal shared the fruit with the male. Now, the exact nature of the fruit has long since been lost to mortal scholars, but whatever it was, it brought great change to the garden. Soon, the two mortals argued with each other, and nearly came to blows. After their fight, they fled to opposite ends of the garden, and the angels were alerted to the fact that their experiment had been tampered with. Three of the angels, warrior-seraphim of Michael, pursued her. They murdered any fey that they came across, and killed nearly one hundred a day. At last, Lilith was cornered, trapped between the ocean and the angels. They demanded that she return with them to the garden to face justice, but she refused, reminding them of all of the fey they had killed in pursuing her. She vowed that if she was made to return to the garden, she would become the greatest enemy of mortals that the world had ever seen. She would use her power over birth to snatch life from children before they were even born. The angels knew that this was not an idle threat, and relented, allowing Lilith to go free. Lilith has no enemies within the Court, which many find unusual. The Court seems, at least to an outsider, to be quite fractious and divided, but this is a misunderstanding of the nature of Shadow. The nature of the court is transition, change, and movement, however it is embodied, and even violent Tezcatlipoca understands Lilith’s connection to the Shadow’s nature. Lilith has been known to refer to the other nobles of the Court as “The Lilim,” the children of Lilith. To her, they each embody a different aspect of the nature of Shadow. Cernunnos The Prince of Autumn, the Horned Huntsman Cernunnos stands about six and a half feet tall, slender yet muscular. His hair is a brilliant red, and his skin is pale with a smattering of freckles. On top of his head is a pair of antlers, like those of a hart, with seven tines, and his feet are those of a hart as well. He wears nothing except a cloak sewn from autumnal leaves and a golden torc around his neck. At the start of spring, he appears quite young, barely having left adolescence. At the end of fall, before his yearly death, he is a mature young man, just about to leave the last vestige of youth behind. Cernunnos is the son of the Dagda and the Morrigan, and the twin brother of Brigid of the Court of the Psyche. He is the fey embodiment of masculinity and youthfulness, ironically enough, considering his position as the Prince of Autumn. Cernunnos has a tendency to devote himself single mindedly to whatever subject currently holds his fascination. Sometimes it is a piece of art that he works on reverently, other times it is mastering a new craft or art. But most frequently it is the hunt. Cernunnos is the greatest of hunters among the fey (a skill that proved quite useful during the war with the Fomorians). Cernunnos tracks his prey with a single-mindedness that can cause terror in even the most battle-hardened of warriors. This single-mindedness has resulted in his tendency to divide the world into two groups: hunter and hunted. In addition to this, Cernunnos prefers the company of men, regarding women as largely unnecessary, a view that has cause him trouble in the past. Cernunnos is believed to have had a hand in the creation of werewolves. The Queen of the Moon has long been known to favor him, and lycanthropy has a deep connection to the in-between state that the Court of Shadow is known to favor. Together with the Queen of the Moon he gave his favored animals, wolves, the ability to walk and speak like mortalkind, and to walk between the worlds of the wild and civilization. When their task was finished, the Queen of the Moon sought Cernunnos’s love, but he spurned her, and thus brought her wrath upon his favored children. The Queen cursed the werewolves, declaring that only some wolves would be able to walk between the worlds. They would be outcast from both worlds, hated and feared. Whenever she gazed upon them in her full glory, they would be forced to change shape, to remind them of their curse. And forever would silver, her favored metal and once the blessing of wolves, would bring them only harm. Cernunnos is quite close to his sister, Brigid the Queen of Spring. Every winter, Cernunnos is slain by the Snow Queen, only to be resurrected by his sister come spring. They became close during the war between the Tuatha de Danann and the Fomorians, as each relied on the other to survive the many brutal battles. The Snow Queen seems to despise him for some unknown reason. Rumor holds that she has fallen in love with him, but her icy, emotionless heart cannot comprehend that emotion, so she seeks to destroy its source. Cernunnos is constantly accompanied by Fenrir, an enormous wolf that serves as his mount when he rides into battle or goes to the hunt. Cernunnos rescued Fenrir from a pantheon of cruel northern deities who had unjustly imprisoned him because of a prophecy. Fenrir has now devoted his life to serving Cernunnos, who he regards as the greatest of men. Marinette The Mistress of Waking Sleep, Spirit of Revenge, Loa of Scorned Women Marinette has light brown skin that seems to be covered in a layer of ash or grim. Her hair is grey, wild and unkempt, with twigs and leaves interspersed throughout. Her eyes are dead-grey and covered by a milky membrane. Her arms are unnaturally thin, even thinner than they would be if they were only skin and bone. Her dusty white lips open to reveal two cruel twin fangs gleaming in stark contrast to the darkness that seems to bellow inside her. She wears only a simple burlap dress that barely manages to cover her sinisterly feminine form. Marinette is the fey lord most devoted to integrating undeath into nature, as directed by Baba Yaga and Papa Legba. Marinette devotes herself almost entirely to her work; her vindictive nature and her cruelty towards those who offend her means that few ever interact with her. Her experimentations with undeath have resulted in numerous undead creatures being accepted into the Court of Shadow (although not into any of the other fey courts). Despite this, Marinette marches on in her efforts to reconcile the natural and unnatural. Rumor has it that her efforts have met with some level of true success. The yuki-o-na, the rusalka, and the wendigo are three fey creatures that seem to have much in common with the undead yet are fully accepted into the fey courts. Before Marinette joined the Court of Shadow, she was a mortal revolutionary in a war-torn country. She was a powerful sorceress in her own right, and she cast a spell that helped drag her country into civil war. During the conflict, Marinette was captured, tried, and hung for her crimes. She was buried at the crossroads, where she reanimated as a vampire. She dug herself out from her grave, but was unable to move from the spot because the magic of the crossroads bound her there. She would have been destroyed by the rising of the sun, but before this she was approached by Papa Legba, the Lord of the Crossroads. He offered to free her from her prison in the crossroads if she would come with him to the Court of Shadow. She agreed, and through the magic of Baba Yaga and Papa Legba was partially purged of her vampiric nature and transformed into a fey. Marinette has a close relationship with Papa Legba, who rescued her from certain doom and introduced her to the Court of Shadow. She has a rather loving relationship with Baron Saturday-although this affection may be feigned on her part, as her work with undeath requires that she frequently yield to the will of the Baron. Marinette despises Beelzebub and Belphegor (the two devil lords most frequently associated with the creation of the undead) as they continuously work to undo her efforts in integrating the undead into nature. Papa Legba Lord of the Crossroads, Loa of the In-between place, Kalfu When the sun hangs high in the sky, Papa Legba is an older middle aged man, with dark brown skin and a long white beard. He wears a broad straw hat upon his head, but it does little to cover the pair of curly horns growing from his head. He wears the garments of a farmer, well worn with age, and smokes a pipe constantly. He is always leaning upon a cane, but the look in his eyes suggests that he has the strength to abandon it if needed. But when the sun sinks below the horizon and the moon rises up in the sky, his appearance changes. He becomes perceptibly younger; the wrinkles fade and the weak arms grow strong with muscle. His changes from one of a kindly grandfather to a self-assured young man, and he abandons the pretense of having any need for the cane; now the cane is used only to make implied threats. Papa Legba is ancient beyond compare. His existence predates the Court of Shadow, the war with the demons, the fall from the Heavens. He may even predate Alchera itself. Papa Legba is the personification of the state of transition that the Court of Shadow seeks so desperately to embody. Papa Legba either discovered the way to use the crossroad’s hidden power or created it himself in an act of pure genius and will. He is the keeper of the lore of the Court, and the secrets he shares with the Shadow fey have ensured that the Court will never have to bow before either Persona or Anima. Like the crossroads itself, Papa Legba is in-between: he is good and evil, young and old, kind and cruel. When the light of the sun hangs high in the sky, he is in his kinder aspect, Papa Legba. When the moon hangs overhead, he is in his darker aspect, Kalfu. They are not separate entities in any sense of the word; Kalfu is Legba and Legba is Kalfu. Strangely enough, while Papa Legba is frequently a teller of tales he appears in few of his own. Papa Legba’s history is obscured by some strange force. Did he once rule the Court before Baba Yaga? Has he always been part of the Court? Is he even truly a fey? These are questions that no one seems to be able to answer. But no one in the Shadow Court seems to want to answer them anyways. Papa Legba is universally respected by the other members of the Court of Shadow. Marinette in particular is devoted to him, because he saved her life and is responsible for her current position in the Court. Carabosse of the Court of Anima is quite jealous of his mastery of the crossroads, and has frequently sought to learn or steal their secrets from him, but has failed each time. Papa Legba is known to have dealings with Charon, the master of the river Styx, as well as other psychopomps, like Heimdall and Iris. Some claim that they all answer to him, for as the master of the slipping through worlds, he is the one who decides whether or not a spirit can travel from one plane to another. Tezcatlipoca The Smoking Mirror, Enemy of Both Sides, Creator-Destroyer Tezcatlipoca is a tall young man, strong and powerfully built, with light brown skin interspersed with bands of black. Upon closer inspection, these bands are not simply paint, but actually lines of obsidian, polished to perfect smoothness. He wears the skin of a jaguar, but it is hard to tell where Tezcatlipoca ends and the jaguar begins, as the jaguar skin is constantly in motion and seems to meld and separate from Tezcatlipoca’s body at random intervals. Tezcatlipoca is the most aggressive and forward of the fey of the Court of Shadow. He leads the warriors of the Court into battle-he does not personally care who leads them into battle with. Tezcatlipoca is absolutely certain that creation can only be achieved through destruction, and for this reason he is fond of sowing conflict and discord in mortal society. Tezcatlipoca has been known to give his patronage to a mortal society, only to withdraw it suddenly without any apparent reason, plunging the society into chaos. But always from this chaos something stronger emerges. Tezcatlipoca is the patron of werejaguars, monsters that roam in dark, primeval rain forests. He may have been a patron of vampires before Marinette joined the Court; he is known to drink the blood of mortals and accept the sacrifice of human hearts from his worshippers. Tezcatlipoca has a long standing rivalry with the angelic being called Quetzalcoatl. Legend has it that Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl were once given a portion of the universe to rule for themselves. They could not agree over how their world was to be run, so they fought, and Tezcatlipoca was able to cast out Quetzalcoatl and rule the world for himself. But Quetzalcoatl soon returned, and was able to destroy Tezcatlipoca’s world and create a new one for himself. This cycle continued five times, and the two eventually started to take out their anger on each other, rather than simply destroying the world. Quetzalcoatl transformed Tezcatlipoca into a jaguar, consigning him to be just another wild beast. Yet Tezcatlipoca retained his intelligence, and figured out how to transform back into a humanoid form. Tezcatlipoca appealed to the gods who had granted them the world, and Quetzalcoatl was exiled from the world. But he promised to one day return, and he did, once Tezcatlipoca grew bored of the world and abandoned it. Tezcatlipoca has a close relationship with Cernunnos, his friend and rival in the Shadow Court. He considers him a rival for the affections of the Five-Fold Queen, who he desires to have as his wife, even though Cernunnos himself has shown no interest in courting her. He sometimes feigns a desire to overthrow Lilith and take the throne of the Shadow Court for himself, but each time he either quickly looses interest or reveals his intentions to have been a trick (often initiated by Lilith herself). The Five-Fold Queen Heng O, Selene, Rhiannon, Mahina, Quilla The Five-Fold Queen has several distinct yet similar forms, each reminiscent of the others. Sometimes she is a young maiden with silver hair and silver skin, wearing the pelts of prey animals and wielding a bow made from the horns of a mighty hart. Other times she is a demure maiden, hiding her face behind a nebulous black fan, whispering dark secrets to anyone who will listen. Other times she is a glorious queen, wearing robes made of silver and a crown formed from the moon itself. Whichever form she takes, there is little bit of the other forms left, for she is the Five-Fold Queen. The Five-Fold Queen, as the fey ruler of the moon is often known, is an enigma, even among the Shadow Court. The Five-Fold Queen seems to have five separate personas, each corresponding to a different phase of the moon. When the moon is empty, she is Heng O, the mistress of Yin, the personification of passivity and negativity. When the moon is a crescent, she is Selene, the lunar huntress. When the moon is half full, she is Rhiannon, the stallion that gallops between the worlds. When the moon is gibbous, she is Mahina, the divine mother. And when the moon is full, she is Quilla, the ruler of the night sky, the greatest of all the celestial bodies. Rumor and hearsay surround the Five-Fold Queen. It is almost impossible to pin down any exact history for her. Some claim that the Five-Fold Queen is not a single fey, but is in fact five separate fey who jointly hold the title. Others claim that the Queen’s various faces are but an elaborate ruse, part of some joke that only she understands. The Five-Fold Queen keeps the greatest treasure of the Shadow Court in her palace on the moon: the Peaches of Immortality, stolen from the Jade Emperor himself. These peaches are said to be used in the transformation of mortals into saints by the forces of Heaven. Heaven desires to have these peaches back, although their desire is not completely urgent; they still possess the Peach Tree of Immortality, after all. The Five-Fold Queen had assumed her persona of Heng O, dark and feminine, and used her skills in seduction to gain enterance into the Garden of Heaven, where the Peach Tree was kept. Using her magic, she turned the tree into water, which she put into a jar, and then made her way back to the moon. The celestial archer who she had seduced to gain entrance into the garden, realizing that he had been tricked, shot an arrow at the Queen, causing her to spill most of the water back onto the ground. The tree regrew where the water was spilt (albeit the garden had to be rebuilt around its new positon), but the Queen still possessed enough water to reform into five peaches. What she or the Shadow Court wants with the peaches is unknown; the angels fear the Court might use them to gain a favor from Hell. The Five-Fold Queen is close to both Cernunnos and Tezcatlipoca, although she currently favors Tezcatlipoca, especially since Cernunnos spurned her. Tezcatlipoca wishes her to become his consort, but the Five-Fold Queen has thus far refused his offerings.
Space_Dragon 02-27-08, 01:53 AM	Most of it is good. I'll just go through it and point out the things that I find confusing and/or ironic. The in-between holds a special power in Alchera Is Alchera a plane? I apologize if this was explained in an earlier post; I may have forgotten. Lilith is capable of parthenogenesis Meaning what? She can clone herself? She snuck into the garden, taking the form of a serpent, and found the female mortal. Lilith offered her a fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the female mortal shared the fruit with the male. Interesting. The Serpent of Eden is often interpreted as a very masculine figure, with some analysts suspecting a psycho-sexual connotation in its dealings with Eve. In this version, however, the Serpent is a female nature godess. Not neccessarily a bad thing, just thought it bore mentioning. Now, the exact nature of the fruit has long since been lost to mortal scholars, but whatever it was, it brought great change to the garden. I just keep getting the mental image of this redneck angel with a shotgun saying "Dagnabbit! Them rotten Shadow Feys is always stealin' mah fruit!" They murdered any fey that they came across, and killed nearly one hundred a day. Um...so much for angels being good? Cernunnos His expanded characterization kind of reminds me of Destruction, from Marvel/Vertigo's "Endless" pantheon. Just a random thought. Cernunnos prefers the company of men, regarding women as largely unnecessary Hehe. Fairy. I get it. Its funny. Heh. Cernunnos is believed to have had a hand in the creation of werewolves. This whole backstory with the werewolves is pretty interesting. In order to understand it, though, I'll need to know how lycans are being portrayed in this setting? Are they evil? Animalistic? Just want to be left alone? Cernunnos rescued Fenrir from a pantheon of cruel northern deities who had unjustly imprisoned him because of a prophecy. LOLWUT?!?!?!?!?!? She was buried at the crossroads, where she reanimated as a vampire. She dug herself out from her grave, but was unable to move from the spot because the magic of the crossroads bound her there. Two questions here. What caused Marinette to become a vampire? What is this "magic of the crossroads" that Papa Legba created/controls? Beelzebub I hate to be *****y, but this is one of my pet peeves. Can you please use the Semitic pronounciation ("Baal-Zvuv") instead of the Greek one ("Beelzebub")? Baal-Zvuv actually means something ("Baal" means lord, "zvuv" means flies), wheras Beelzebub is just a western mispronounciation. Papa Legba’s history is obscured by some strange force. Did he once rule the Court before Baba Yaga? You mean Lilith? :) Papa Legba is known to have dealings with Charon, the master of the river Styx, as well as other psychopomps, like Heimdall and Iris. Some claim that they all answer to him, for as the master of the slipping through worlds, he is the one who decides whether or not a spirit can travel from one plane to another. Wow. If this rumor is true, Papa Legba is the single most powerful being in your cosmology. Is the rumor true? werejaguars The Aztecs had a name for these things, actually. Tubaxi. Werejaguars in 2nd edition kept that name. Just thought it might make it easier to expand on them in the future, as "tubaxi" is a much less cumbersome word than "werejaguar." Also, is Tezcatlipoca going to have a graft (attached to his left foot) that resembles a smoking mirror? More importantly, will it shoot lasers? the Peaches of Immortality, stolen from the Jade Emperor himself. PUDDOWN THEM PEACHES AND GEDDOFF MAH PROPERTY!!! *sound of shotgun being cocked* The Five-Fold Queen is close to both Cernunnos and Tezcatlipoca, although she currently favors Tezcatlipoca, especially since Cernunnos spurned her. Tezcatlipoca wishes her to become his consort, but the Five-Fold Queen has thus far refused his offerings. I bet Lilith is getting a real kick out of all this.
alesian 02-27-08, 02:22 AM	Is Alchera a plane? I apologize if this was explained in an earlier post; I may have forgotten. Alchera, also known as the Otherworld or the Dreamtime, is the plane on which the fey reside: Alchera The Dreamtime, the Everywhen, the Otherworld When the Architect first slept after surveying his creation, his dreams created the land known as Alchera. Alchera was pivotal to the creation of life on the new worlds the gods made after their defeat of the primordials. It was the connection to the Architect through Alchera that allowed new life to be brought forth. Alchera is also the original source of fey on newly created worlds. When a world is first created, it exists in a state known as "the Dreamtime." During the first part of this period of time, the experiences of a paticular natural region-or, for lack of a better word, their dreams-give birth to powerful, unique new fey. For example, if a forest experiences many forest fires during the first part of the Dreamtime, a fey called the Burning Man might be created. This fey is simultaneously the manifestation of the forest and the forest fires. As time goes on, the Dreamtime enters its second phase. During this period of time, regions no longer have dreams that create fey. Instead, individual pieces of nature, such as a tree or stream, produce new fey. The dreams of these parts of nature tap into an archetypal piece of the Dreamtime. This is why the same types of fey reappear in different worlds. For example, the dream of a tree taps into the archetypal Dreamtime image of a dryad. However, if the experiences of a particular part of nature are unique on a specific world, the archetypal image may be changed in some way. For example, if trees are rare on a world, the dreams of a tree are altered. No longer do they give birth to a dryad-instead we have a wood hag, ugly and lonely and yearning for the "companionship" of mortals. The last and final period of the Dreamtime typically occurs when mortals arise on a world. The experiences of mortals in interacting with nature influence which fey will now be created. For example, if the mortals on a particular world are patriarchal and practice shepredry, satyrs might come into being. After this period of time, the Dreamtime is ended and new fey are no longer spontaneously created. Alchera is typically divided into two parts by mortal scholars, although the exact boundaries of these parts are frequently debated. First of all is the Otherworld, the part of Alchera accesible from the mortal world. The Otherworld is incredibly easy for mortals to enter; in fact, they occasionally do so on accident. Typically this occurs at in-between places or times, such as at a crossroads or a solistice. The Otherworld is entirely unlike the place in world in which it is found. Instead, it is far more grand and beautiful. It is also possible for a mortal crossing into the Otherworld to end up in a differnt time period or a different world altogether when departing. The second part of Alchera is typically called the Dreamtime or the Everywhen. Allegedly, if one journeys deeply enough into Alchera, they will arrive in a place that still resembles the dreams of the Architect. This is not a dream world in the sense that mortal minds venture here during sleep. Instead, it is the source of all fey and all dreams. The creatures here seem entirely unlike their brethren in the Otherworld. Instead, they seem to still be of the raw dreamstuff. Occasionally a creature from this realm has entered into the material plane or the Otherworld. The ethereal filcher and the ethereal marauder are both believed to have originated here. Meaning what? She can clone herself? She can reproduce without a male, like the Cnemidophorus neomexicanus, which is an exclusively female species of lizards. Interesting. The Serpent of Eden is often interpreted as a very masculine figure, with some analysts suspecting a psycho-sexual connotation in its dealings with Eve. In this version, however, the Serpent is a female nature godess. Not neccessarily a bad thing, just thought it bore mentioning. During the medieval period, the Serpent of Eden was frequently conflated with the figure of Lilith. In fact, the Serpent was commonly depicted with the head of a woman. Um...so much for angels being good? RE: Lucifer. His expanded characterization kind of reminds me of Destruction, from Marvel/Vertigo's "Endless" pantheon. Just a random thought. I'm not familiar with the Endless. And I thought they were a DC thing? Hehe. Fairy. I get it. Its funny. Heh. You're the first person to catch that. Gratz. This whole backstory with the werewolves is pretty interesting. In order to understand it, though, I'll need to know how lycans are being portrayed in this setting? Are they evil? Animalistic? Just want to be left alone? I'm still working on them. LOLWUT?!?!?!?!?!? OMGBBQ!! On a more serious note, that's just Fenrir's side of the story. Two questions here. What caused Marinette to become a vampire? What is this "magic of the crossroads" that Papa Legba created/controls? Presumably, a combination of these three things: 1) Her use of dark magic 2) The crimes she committed during life 3) Being hung at the gallows 4) Being buried at the crossroads The "magic of the crossroads" is its status as an in-between place. Crossroads are considered to be "in-between" worlds, and a place where spirits can cross between worlds, and powerful magic an be performed. I hate to be *****y, but this is one of my pet peeves. Can you please use the Semitic pronounciation ("Baal-Zvuv") instead of the Greek one ("Beelzebub")? Baal-Zvuv actually means something ("Baal" means lord, "zvuv" means flies), wheras Beelzebub is just a western mispronounciation. If you insist. :) You mean Lilith? Curse you, control+F function! Curse you straight to Hell! Wow. If this rumor is true, Papa Legba is the single most powerful being in your cosmology. Is the rumor true? I'll never tell. ;) The Aztecs had a name for these things, actually. Tubaxi. Werejaguars in 2nd edition kept that name. Just thought it might make it easier to expand on them in the future, as "tubaxi" is a much less cumbersome word than "werejaguar." True. This will depend on how closely I connect them to werewolves and lycanthropy in general. If they are related, I'll go with "werejaguar"; if not, "tubaxi." Also, is Tezcatlipoca going to have a graft (attached to his left foot) that resembles a smoking mirror? More importantly, will it shoot lasers? I swear I added that, but it seems to have vanished. At the end of Texcatlipoca's description, there was supposed to be a line that said: "Tezcatlipoca has a smoldering mirror of obsidian were his left foot should be. The tendrils of smoke from the mirror twist up his leg, creating the illusion of a foot made out of smoke." Somehow that line disappeared. The lasers, like the cake, are a lie. I bet Lilith is getting a real kick out of all this. Yup. Any other questions or issues?
Space_Dragon 02-27-08, 02:35 AM	Alchera, also known as the Otherworld or the Dreamtime, is the plane on which the fey reside: Sorry for not paying better attention. Got it. She can reproduce without a male, like the Cnemidophorus neomexicanus, which is an exclusively female species of lizards. Right, but what does she produce in those cases? Weaker copies of herself? Random types of fey? Whatever the hell she wants? During the medieval period, the Serpent of Eden was frequently conflated with the figure of Lilith. In fact, the Serpent was commonly depicted with the head of a woman. Did not know that. Thanks for enlightening me. RE: Lucifer. Granted, but these mass-murdering angels are still in service of heaven, acting in Michael's name. Are evil angels still prevalent in heaven, even after most of them were banished with Lucifer? I'm not familiar with the Endless. And I thought they were a DC thing? Damnit, I meant to write DC. I've been getting mixed up about this because Neil Geiman (the guy who invented the Endless) recently switched from DC to Marvel. You're the first person to catch that. Gratz. So the Moon godess has a crush on the gay guy, but she refuses to notice that he's gay and therefore is frustrated with him. Meanwhile, straight boy with a delinquint history is trying to get her affection, and is ****** off at gayboy (who he, too, does not realize is gay) for being prettier than him. Dear lord, this is high school all over again. OMGBBQ!! On a more serious note, that's just Fenrir's side of the story. Okay then. I was just a bit shocked, since Fenrir is supposed to be pretty darned evil in the myths that I've read. Presumably, a combination of these three things: 1) Her use of dark magic 2) The crimes she committed during life 3) Being hung at the gallows 4) Being buried at the crossroads Certain types of evil magic can cause you to rise as a vampire after death. Makes sense, and is true to some versions of the vampire myth. Got it. The "magic of the crossroads" is its status as an in-between place. Crossroads are considered to be "in-between" worlds, and a place where spirits can cross between worlds, and powerful magic an be performed. Some information on what it actually does would be nice...but I assume that that will be in a "houserules" section that comes after you're done with the cosmology. If you insist. :) Thanks. True. This will depend on how closely I connect them to werewolves and lycanthropy in general. If they are related, I'll go with "werejaguar"; if not, "tubaxi." I assumed that they were related. I was just suggesting that tubaxi could be another name for this particular type of lycanthrope. I have trouble picturing them refering to themselves as "werejaguars" all the time; doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Not a big deal either way. I swear I added that, but it seems to have vanished. At the end of Texcatlipoca's description, there was supposed to be a line that said: "Tezcatlipoca has a smoldering mirror of obsidian were his left foot should be. The tendrils of smoke from the mirror twist up his leg, creating the illusion of a foot made out of smoke." Somehow that line disappeared. Ooh, that's cool. Kay. The lasers, like the cake, are a lie. False. The cake is real. Just wait until March fifteenth.
alesian 02-27-08, 02:48 AM	Sorry for not paying better attention. Got it. No problem. Right, but what does she produce in those cases? Weaker copies of herself? Random types of fey? Whatever the hell she wants? Probably a few specific types of fey. If she desired and she put enough effort into it, she might be able to make more unique or powerful types. Granted, but these mass-murdering angels are still in service of heaven, acting in Michael's name. Are evil angels still prevalent in heaven, even after most of them were banished with Lucifer? Heaven would claim that they have been more or less cleared out. And Michael would presumably relate a significantly different version of events than the story in Lilith's write-up, like that she was producing the children and using them as cannon fodder. Damnit, I meant to write DC. I've been getting mixed up about this because Neil Geiman (the guy who invented the Endless) recently switched from DC to Marvel. Ah, okay. Care to tell me what Destruction is like? So the Moon godess has a crush on the gay guy, but she refuses to notice that he's gay and therefore is frustrated with him. Meanwhile, straight boy with a delinquint history is trying to get her affection, and is ****** off at gayboy (who he, too, does not realize is gay) for being prettier than him. Dear lord, this is high school all over again. One of the Shadow Court's lesser known titles is Fairy 90210. Okay then. I was just a bit shocked, since Fenrir is supposed to be pretty darned evil in the myths that I've read. k, no problem. I assumed that they were related. I was just suggesting that tubaxi could be another name for this particular type of lycanthrope. I have trouble picturing them refering to themselves as "werejaguars" all the time; doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Not a big deal either way. Ah, I see. Yeah, werejaguar certainly isn't the prettiest of words. Some information on what it actually does would be nice...but I assume that that will be in a "houserules" section that comes after you're done with the cosmology. Yep. Looks like you'll have to wait. False. The cake is real. Just wait until March fifteenth. I'll have to wait and see if I'm Still Alive. Anything else?
Space_Dragon 02-27-08, 02:53 AM	Heaven would claim that they have been more or less cleared out. And Michael would presumably relate a significantly different version of events than the story in Lilith's write-up, like that she was producing the children and using them as cannon fodder. So each of these writups tells that entity's own side of the story, rather than a neutral/objective one. That will make this fun; figuring out who'se story is true is almost a game in and of itself. Ah, okay. Care to tell me what Destruction is like? Like Cernunnos. I'll have to wait and see if I'm Still Alive. Cloverfield allusion, right? Anything else? Shadow Court is awesome. The Fomorians, however, need a bigtime overhaul. As it is, they are too complicated and not all that interesting.
alesian 02-27-08, 02:58 AM	So each of these writups tells that entity's own side of the story, rather than a neutral/objective one. That will make this fun; figuring out who'se story is true is almost a game in and of itself. Yup. Like Cernunnos. Thank you. Cloverfield allusion, right? Apparently we've been using different pop culture references. I didn't see Cloverfield. The Fomorians, however, need a bigtime overhaul. As it is, they are too complicated and not all that interesting. Alright. Care to be more specific? I'm tough, I can take it.
Space_Dragon 02-27-08, 03:02 PM	Apparently we've been using different pop culture references. I didn't see Cloverfield. We were on the same page with the Portal lines. Then I made a Project Chanology reference, and you made one that I mistakingly attributed to Cloverfield. Alright. Care to be more specific? I'm tough, I can take it. I just can't help but feel that it would be better to just say that "fomorian" is the fey word for "demon," and have the Tuatha-Denan be the inter-court fey army that was deployed to combat and later assimilate them. The Tuatha-De-Denaan can still exist in the "present" day; you can have a planet or demiplane that is basically a giant fey military base, with the Denaan always watchful for signs of demonic resurgence.
alesian 02-27-08, 06:47 PM	We were on the same page with the Portal lines. Then I made a Project Chanology reference, and you made one that I mistakingly attributed to Cloverfield. Ah, I see. The one I made was still from Portal, the song at the end? Were GLaDOS sings "Still Alive?" I just can't help but feel that it would be better to just say that "fomorian" is the fey word for "demon," and have the Tuatha-Denan be the inter-court fey army that was deployed to combat and later assimilate them. The Tuatha-De-Denaan can still exist in the "present" day; you can have a planet or demiplane that is basically a giant fey military base, with the Denaan always watchful for signs of demonic resurgence. Hmm, I see. I think I'll go ahead and put the Fomorians on the back burner, and maybe come back to them when I finish the fey courts.
alesian 02-29-08, 01:09 AM	Well, I appear to be in a sort of rut, so I'm going to ask you all for help on a couple of things: 1. Multiversal or single world? I was originally planning on making this a multiversal setting, but as I go on I'm starting to see some advantages to focusing on a single world. Which direction would be better? 2. Gods and Primordials. This is still an issue, but I think I've come up with a few possibilities. A) Original plan: Gods were the children of primordials, except connected to abstraction instead of the elements. B) Gods are simply the younger generation of primordials. C) Gods transcend the primordials. Whereas, for example, Tiamat is a powerful entity composed of salt water, Poseidon IS the ocean in a way that transcends Tiamat's connection. D) Combination of the above. E) Something completely different. 3. Tuatha de Danann. This might be effected by my choice on question #1. I'd also like to keep the familial connection between certain fey, but Space_Dragon has pointed out the problems wih the fomorians as they currently stand.
Space_Dragon 02-29-08, 12:15 PM	1. Multiverse, I think. Your idea of having each planet being the prison/carcass/thingy of an ancient primordial is a good one. Also, with such a huge cosmology you will likely need several worlds worth of cultures, nations, and histories to work all the gods into the setting in a meaningful way. It would suck if you had this intricate, huge-ass pantheon, but most of the entities in it never get noticed because the world is too small for them all to have an active role. What's been making you lean toward single world? 2. Here's an idea; why don't you go the American Gods route with the gods, and have them be the result of mortal belief. The first gods might have been legendized versions of mythical heros or ancestors of the early humanoids, who-after massive amounts of belief and devotion-began to manifest as living, spiritual meme-entities. The gods started encouraging the mortals to multiply and to worship them more devoutly, allowing them to multiply and grow in power. The primordials saw this as a threat, and thus the god/primordial war began. 3. Have already made my suggestions regarding this.
alesian 02-29-08, 08:57 PM	1. I was worried that I was perhaps being overly ambitious, and was biting off more than I could chew. I thought perhaps that maybe having so much would lessen everything's impact. 2. I'm not very familiar with the American Gods comsology (I've only read the short story in Fragile Things), but it sounds a lot like Planescape. And I hate Planescape. Of course, I may be misunderstanding one or the other setting. 3. Indeed.
Space_Dragon 03-01-08, 12:55 AM	2. I'm not very familiar with the American Gods comsology (I've only read the short story in Fragile Things), but it sounds a lot like Planescape. And I hate Planescape. Of course, I may be misunderstanding one or the other setting. In Geiman's mythos (books and comics seem to be set in the same universe), godhood works like this: 1. Groups of sentient lifeforms come up with a fictional character, or begin applying mythical status to a historical one. This causes an oneirian entity to be born. 2. Some stories attract a lot of attention, causing them to be circulated and exaggerated among large numbers of people. The creature grows in awareness and influence as a result. If so inclined, it might begin to tamper with people's dreams, deliberately trying to increase its own popularity. 3. If a sufficient number of sentients comes to believe in the entity, it becomes powerful enough to leave the Dreamworld and take on physical form. It is now a god. Divine power is directly proportionate to the amount of fear or reverance it inspires and how large the population of believers is. 4. Since they are now physical, the gods can interact with other cosmic beings on their own initiative. Gods can even breed among themselves, creating new gods who are NOT dependent on mortal belief. Second-gen gods are not beholden to worshippers or believers like their parents are. Gods of both types can be killed. Some of them seem to be able to use their fanbase to ressurect themselves, but I'm not sure when and how they can do this.
alesian 03-01-08, 09:14 PM	Very interesting, and certainly much better than the Planescape version. I think it may have given me an idea for gods in my setting: The primordials were the creators of the first mortal species. Some they created by accident, others to act as slaves, some simply so the primordials could have the pleasure of destroying them. But this status quo did not last for long. Some mortals (the earliest of heros, as it were), after years of planning and scheming, were able to defeat their primordial creators. These acts of heroism inspired great veneration among these heros people, and this proto-worship, combined with the mystical strength of the mortal races at the time, allowed the heros to ascend to godhood. The three most prominent of these heros are Marduk, who killed the salt-water primordial Tiamat and fashioned her body into a planet, Odin, who was created accidentally by the servant of the ice primordial Ymir, and Zeus, who uses the body of his imprisoned grandmother Gaia as his base planet. Thoughts?
adgramaine 03-02-08, 12:39 AM	Well, I appear to be in a sort of rut, so I'm going to ask you all for help on a couple of things: 1. Multiversal or single world? I was originally planning on making this a multiversal setting, but as I go on I'm starting to see some advantages to focusing on a single world. Which direction would be better? 2. Gods and Primordials. This is still an issue, but I think I've come up with a few possibilities. A) Original plan: Gods were the children of primordials, except connected to abstraction instead of the elements. B) Gods are simply the younger generation of primordials. C) Gods transcend the primordials. Whereas, for example, Tiamat is a powerful entity composed of salt water, Poseidon IS the ocean in a way that transcends Tiamat's connection. D) Combination of the above. E) Something completely different. 3. Tuatha de Danann. This might be effected by my choice on question #1. I'd also like to keep the familial connection between certain fey, but Space_Dragon has pointed out the problems wih the fomorians as they currently stand. 1 - Single world, albeit a large one. I am thinking Abeir-Toril big. That gives you plenty of space, and cuts down some serious work for you. Your mythology is plenty big, and a single world makes for a lot of culture clashes... which IMO is great~ 2 - If I didn't agree with the American Gods idea, I would stick with your Plan A. After reading all of your work here, I would seriously advise that American Gods be the next novel you read. Simply wonderful, and full of inspirational ideas~ 3 - I understand the Tuatha de Danann plight, and I see the concern. I'll have to think on that one for a while, but for some reason I am getting the urge to go grab my Changeling the Dreaming books and my dictionary of Gaelic mythology and see what leaps off the pages.... FYI - I simply love what I am reading... I may well have to try your setting out myself!
Space_Dragon 03-02-08, 12:59 AM	The primordials were the creators of the first mortal species. Some they created by accident, others to act as slaves, some simply so the primordials could have the pleasure of destroying them. But this status quo did not last for long. Some mortals (the earliest of heros, as it were), after years of planning and scheming, were able to defeat their primordial creators. These acts of heroism inspired great veneration among these heros people, and this proto-worship, combined with the mystical strength of the mortal races at the time, allowed the heros to ascend to godhood. The three most prominent of these heros are Marduk, who killed the salt-water primordial Tiamat and fashioned her body into a planet, Odin, who was created accidentally by the servant of the ice primordial Ymir, and Zeus, who uses the body of his imprisoned grandmother Gaia as his base planet. I like. Much simpler and easier to understand than the earlier version. Also provides a more plausible explanation for why gods and primals hate each other. I'd go with this one.
alesian 03-02-08, 02:12 AM	Uh-oh, looks like I've got two contradictory answers on #1. Looks like I'll have to put off on deciding that until later. Its not really a major issue yet, so I think it can wait. For the gods, looks like I'm going with the pseudo-American Gods version. I've actually been planning to buy that book, so I'll definetly be reading it in the future. FYI - I simply love what I am reading... I may well have to try your setting out myself! Great! adgramaine, if you do this, please keep me updated on your campaign. I'd love to hear how it goes.
alesian 03-02-08, 08:43 PM	The Choir of Wisdom The Ajana, the Indigo, the Insipirers Sophia Holy Wisdom, God's Bride Sophia's form is always described as being beautiful beyond compare, but most who have seen her have trouble describing exactly why this is so. The image related is always that of a radiant female whose face is obscured by glorious indigo light. She wears gently flowing robes of white that do not mask the fact that she is female, and from her back sprout six snow white wings, like that of a dove. Sophia is the archangel of wisdom, a title that she is devoted to fulfilling. Sophia's true nature is an enigma. She is generally assumed to be an angel like Gabriel, Michael, or Azrael, but she seems to predate the existence of the angels. She may be the vicar of the Architect in his absence, or she may be an actual piece of the Architect that remained in the universe. Whatever is true, she possesses an understanding of the Heavens unmatched by anyone in Heaven. Sophia wants mortals to comprehend that there is a level of existence beyond the mundane physical world. She pushes mortals to embrace spirituality in nearly any form-be it of gods, fey, or angels (but never of demons, devils, or primordials). Sophia has by far the most hands off approach of any of the archangels, and thus adheres more closesly to the Mandate of Heaven than any of her compatriots. Sophia's approach is decidedly minimalist; she rarely approaches mortals directly, even through proxies or allies. The urges and clues she gives to mortals are subtle and indirect, revealing themselves in seeminly innoccuous events. This is, unfortunately, a style that her former student Mammon has copied with great success, to Sophia's endless grief. Sophia holds a deep emnity for her formal pupils, Mammon and Baal-Zvuv. She truly does not understand why they abandoned the principles that the Choir of Wisdom held so dear. For this, she blames Lucifer-both for leading Mammon and Baal-Zvuv astray, and for inspiring the only self-doubt that she has ever experienced. Sophia has long-standing alliances with many deities and fey of wisdom and enlightenment. Brigid of the Court of the Psyche is rumored to have been an acolyte of Sophia, and Athena and Thoth are frequently seen at her portion of Heaven. Sophia regards Gabriel as her closest ally among the archangels, but she holds no aggression towards any of the others and does not seem to take sides in any of the factions that form among the angels. Quetzalcoatl The Feathered Serpent, Herald of Wisdom, Uplifter of Mortals Quetzalcoatl most commonly appears as a enormous serpent with scales shining like emeralds. His head is lined with glorious scarlet feathers, and his eyes, though fully serpentine, display a level of intelligence and understanding unmatched by most mortals. Occasionally, when is needed, he takes the form of a mortal human wearing a coat of green and red feathers, with a white beard and translucent skin. Quetzalcoatl hopes to uplift mortals from despair and ignorance by providing them with gentle guidance and inspiration. This was a role once filled by the archdevil Baal-Zvuv, before he fell from the Heavens. Quetzalcoatl truly believes that Baal-Zvuv was wrong in his belief that civilization only leads mortals to greater destruction, and now tries to prove him wrong by subtly gifting mortal with knowledge and technology. He skirts the rules of the Mandate of Heaven as closely as he can in order to interact and uplift cultures from barbarism to civilization. Sometimes he simply shows a mortal what results when flint and steel strike. Othertimes his guidance lingers longer, and he speaks to mortals through his favored servants, the coatls. Depending on the weather and the time of day, Lilith sometimes claims that Quetzalcoatl is the Serpent who disrupted the Garden of Eden. Lilith claims that when Quetzalcoatl saw that the mortals were being kept in ignorance, he felt a great pity for them, and sought to raise them above their origins. So he took a graft from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and planted it in the Garden of Eden, away from the prying eyes of Michael's angels. He then lured the female mortal to the tree, where she tasted the fruit and shared it with the male mortal. The angels of Michael knew immediately that their experiment had been corrupted, but they knew not by whom. Lilith conviently happened to be in the area, and they used her as a scapegoat. Quetzalcoatl naturally denies this, although he does doubt that anything useful could have come out of the Eden experiment. Baal-Zvuv is, naturally, Quetzalcoatl's primary enemy, although he shares the Wisdom choir's emnity for the archdevil Mammon. Quetzalcoatl despises Baal-Zvuv's stated goal of tearing down the whole of mortal civilization (and the underpinnings of reality along with it), believing that mortals can only achieve peace and happiness by ascending to greater heights, not by being equally miserable. He believes that Mammon's desire to sunder the material world from the spiritual world would leave mortals without something to aspire to, and thus supports Sophia in her opposition to Mammon. He also has a long-standing rivalry with the fey prince Tezcatlipoca, over the disaster that resulted from what was supposed to be their shared creation of a world. Ganapati The Lord of Intellect, Master of Beginnings, Ruler of Obstacles Ganapati has the head of the elephant, except the flesh of his face is perfectly smooth and soft pinkish color, and the head is propotioned perfectly to the rest of his body. His face, though elephantine, displays the ability to project the full array of human emotion, perhaps even more so than the typical human face. His skin is pink and delicate, and his rather portly physique suggests not lazinesss, but gentleness and kindness. Ganapati believes that mortals must know challenges and hardships for them to truly be able to comprehend the idea of good. Thus he finds ways to place obstacles and challenges in the path's of mortals he believes to be ready to reach a higher level of comprehension. The challenges are never insurmountable but are always subtle in their solutions. Ganapati displays no grief or dissappointment when a mortal fails one of his tests. Instead, he removes the obstacle and prepares a new challenge for when the mortal is ready. His approach to enlightenment is thus much more hands off than that of Quetzalcoatl's, but there does not appear to be any emnity between them. Although Ganapati is only known to test mortals, rumor has it that he places obstables before other beings as well. The Five-Fold Queen's current divided status is said to be a result of a test of Ganapati that she is currently undergoing. Once, when the world was young, the Queen of the Moon was even more glorious and radiant than any solar entity. She was vain, and would often mock the antics of beings that were more powerful than her. These entities mounted together to pluck her from her place in the heavens, but Ganapati interceded on her behalf. The entities agreed not to harm her if she would agree to undertake one of Ganapati's tests. She agreed, and Ganapati shattered her mind and divided her glory. She would have to learn how to act without vanity to restore her shattered psyche (a quest she has presumably so far failed in.) Ganapati counts no one as an archnemesis, although he shares the common emnity that the Ajana hold for Mammon. He also has a strong dislike of Belphegor, the archdevil of sloth. Ganapati believes that a life without challenges and hardship is a life that cannot truly know happiness and joy. Ganapati has a close relationship with Prajapati, and may have been a member of Prajapati's pantheon before he joined with the angels of wisdom. Lucifer's Whispers: The Choir of Ignorance Among the legions of Hell, the Choir of Widsom is called the Choir of Ignorance. The Ajana are said to be so wrapped up in intellectual and metaphysical pursuits that they fail to see the realities that lie before their eyes on the material plane. Sophia does not truly understand the mortal world, and thus in her heart she truly regards it as being base and vile. Quetzalcoatl provides mortals with knowledge and technology that they cannot yet handle, leading their civilizations to ruin. Ganapati's tests have no meaning or relevance at all, and are simply a pointlessly idle amusement for the angel.
Space_Dragon 03-03-08, 12:18 AM	The Choir of Wisdom The Ajana, the Indigo, the Insipirers Kay, angels now, I guess. Was a bit confused at first; abrupt shift. Sophia is the archangel of wisdom, a title that she is devoted to fulfilling. Sophia's true nature is an enigma. She is generally assumed to be an angel like Gabriel, Michael, or Azrael, but she seems to predate the existence of the angels. She may be the vicar of the Architect in his absence, or she may be an actual piece of the Architect that remained in the universe. Whatever is true, she possesses an understanding of the Heavens unmatched by anyone in Heaven. Sophia wants mortals to comprehend that there is a level of existence beyond the mundane physical world. She pushes mortals to embrace spirituality in nearly any form-be it of gods, fey, or angels (but never of demons, devils, or primordials). More or less mythologically accurate. Are you going to add the caveat that she's Demogorgon's mother? I'll understand if you don't (kind of flies in the face of the concept); its just that the first time I heard the name Pistis Sophia was in regards to the demiurge myth cycle, so I always make that association. Baal-Zvuv. One thousand internets for alesian. Sophia regards Gabriel as her closest ally among the archangels, but she holds no aggression towards any of the others and does not seem to take sides in any of the factions that form among the angels. Angels form factions? More info needed. Quetzalcoatl The Feathered Serpent, Herald of Wisdom, Uplifter of Mortals lol Cortez Quetzalcoatl hopes to uplift mortals from despair and ignorance by providing them with gentle guidance and inspiration. This was a role once filled by the archdevil Baal-Zvuv, before he fell from the Heavens. Quetzalcoatl truly believes that Baal-Zvuv was wrong in his belief that civilization only leads mortals to greater destruction, and now tries to prove him wrong by subtly gifting mortal with knowledge and technology. He skirts the rules of the Mandate of Heaven as closely as he can in order to interact and uplift cultures from barbarism to civilization. Sometimes he simply shows a mortal what results when flint and steel strike. Othertimes his guidance lingers longer, and he speaks to mortals through his favored servants, the coatls. Interesting. I'll take it you settled on this interpretation of Quetzalcoatl on account of his introduction into Aztec culture (ie, them finding the ancient statue and building Tenochtitlan around it)? Also, reminds me of the Sage. Good times, good times. Depending on the weather and the time of day, Heh heh. Lilith sometimes claims that Quetzalcoatl is the Serpent who disrupted the Garden of Eden. Lilith claims that when Quetzalcoatl saw that the mortals were being kept in ignorance, he felt a great pity for them, and sought to raise them above their origins. So he took a graft from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and planted it in the Garden of Eden, away from the prying eyes of Michael's angels. He then lured the female mortal to the tree, where she tasted the fruit and shared it with the male mortal. The angels of Michael knew immediately that their experiment had been corrupted, but they knew not by whom. Lilith conviently happened to be in the area, and they used her as a scapegoat. Quetzalcoatl naturally denies this, although he does doubt that anything useful could have come out of the Eden experiment. Does anyone actually believe Lilith when she chooses to tell this obvious farce of a story? If not, why does she bother telling it? If so, there are a lot of stupid people in the world...damnit, already knew that, k nevermind. Ganapati Alternate pronunciation of Ganeshe? Good call on pilfering Indian mythology for celestials. Hinduism has a much higher concentration of purely "good" deities than most polytheistic faiths. Ganapati believes that mortals must know challenges and hardships for them to truly be able to comprehend the idea of good. Thus he finds ways to place obstacles and challenges in the path's of mortals he believes to be ready to reach a higher level of comprehension. The challenges are never insurmountable but are always subtle in their solutions. Ganapati displays no grief or dissappointment when a mortal fails one of his tests. Instead, he removes the obstacle and prepares a new challenge for when the mortal is ready. His approach to enlightenment is thus much more hands off than that of Quetzalcoatl's, but there does not appear to be any emnity between them. What kinds of tests? Celestials disguised as beggars type tests, or hardcore Job-type stuff. I assume not the latter, as Job is possibly the most unflattering portrayal of the Judeo-Christian god in the entire bible. Also, has Ganapati been known to ask paladins if they would kill a baby to prevent a demon from being unleashed? Although Ganapati is only known to test mortals, rumor has it that he places obstables before other beings as well. The Five-Fold Queen's current divided status is said to be a result of a test of Ganapati that she is currently undergoing. Once, when the world was young, the Queen of the Moon was even more glorious and radiant than any solar entity. She was vain, and would often mock the antics of beings that were more powerful than her. These entities mounted together to pluck her from her place in the heavens, but Ganapati interceded on her behalf. The entities agreed not to harm her if she would agree to undertake one of Ganapati's tests. She agreed, and Ganapati shattered her mind and divided her glory. She would have to learn how to act without vanity to restore her shattered psyche (a quest she has presumably so far failed in.) That's cool. Lucifer's Whispers: The Choir of Ignorance Celestial posts come with a diabolical propaganda column? Cute.
alesian 03-03-08, 12:36 AM	Kay, angels now, I guess. Was a bit confused at first; abrupt shift. Sorry, I meant to post a disclaimer saying that I was changing tracts. I got fey fatigue. More or less mythologically accurate. Are you going to add the caveat that she's Demogorgon's mother? I'll understand if you don't (kind of flies in the face of the concept); its just that the first time I heard the name Pistis Sophia was in regards to the demiurge myth cycle, so I always make that association. I actually wasn't aware of that. I knew she had a connection to the whole demiurge thing (because of her connection to Gnosticism), but I didn't know she was DEMOGORGON'S MOTHER! I'm going to have to do so rewriting. Eventually. One thousand internets for alesian. Could I sig this? Interesting. I'll take it you settled on this interpretation of Quetzalcoatl on account of his introduction into Aztec culture (ie, them finding the ancient statue and building Tenochtitlan around it)? Also, reminds me of the Sage. Good times, good times. Indeed. I wasn't thinking of the Sage, but now that I look back over it, I definetly see the connection. Does anyone actually believe Lilith when she chooses to tell this obvious farce of a story? If not, why does she bother telling it? If so, there are a lot of stupid people in the world...damnit, already knew that, k nevermind. Let's just say she has a very, very high charisma score. Alternate pronunciation of Ganeshe? Good call on pilfering Indian mythology for celestials. Hinduism has a much higher concentration of purely "good" deities than most polytheistic faiths. Indeed, on both points. What kinds of tests? Celestials disguised as beggars type tests, or hardcore Job-type stuff. I assume not the latter, as Job is possibly the most unflattering portrayal of the Judeo-Christian god in the entire bible. First option, defintely. Also, has Ganapati been known to ask paladins if they would kill a baby to prevent a demon from being unleashed? Ganapati pleads the fifth. Celestial posts come with a diabolical propaganda column? Cute. Devils are funny that way.
Space_Dragon 03-03-08, 12:45 AM	I actually wasn't aware of that. I knew she had a connection to the whole demiurge thing (because of her connection to Gnosticism), but I didn't know she was DEMOGORGON'S MOTHER! Well...sort of. She is, according to the sources I've read, the mother of Yaldaboath, a name which later came to be associated with Demogorgon. She tried to court the High God (probably the Architect, in your cosmology), and got knocked up. Unfortunately, the baby was too much for her to handle. It was born, went berserk with its own power, ran away, and became the Demiurge. Could I sig this? Certainly.
alesian 03-03-08, 01:19 AM	Well...sort of. She is, according to the sources I've read, the mother of Yaldaboath, a name which later came to be associated with Demogorgon. She tried to court the High God (probably the Architect, in your cosmology), and got knocked up. Unfortunately, the baby was too much for her to handle. It was born, went berserk with its own power, ran away, and became the Demiurge. I...I think I'm going to ignore this part of her mythology. It really doesn't fit with what I've written for Sophia or the Architect. Which makes me glad I wrote that little disclaimer on the first post.
Space_Dragon 03-03-08, 01:41 AM	I...I think I'm going to ignore this part of her mythology. It really doesn't fit with what I've written for Sophia or the Architect. Which makes me glad I wrote that little disclaimer on the first post. That's what I expected. In all fairness, the gnostics were notorious for taking the names and symbols of older deities and raping the living **** out of them. I don't know much about the original Hellenistic Sophia, but I know she was associated with Athena, so seducing God and giving birth to Metal Jesus was probably not her thing. Darn gnostics.
alesian 03-05-08, 08:17 PM	Sorry it's been awhile. I've been busy with midterms. And carpal tunnel syndrome. Now, back to the fey. The Court of Psyche The Peaceable Kingdoms, the Spring Dawning, the Court of Wands, the Land of Nod Everything and everyone in the vastness of the universe dreams. This is the one fact that the fey of the Court of the Psyche hold above all others. Dreams are tied intimately to creation, to birth, and to spring; these are all ideas that the Court holds dear. The Psyche fey hold that the dreams of the world are all moving with a purpose, unfolding in a way that has a deep meaning that is nearly impossible to understand. At least, impossible to understand if you aren’t looking in the right places. The fey of the Court of the Psyche believe that they know the right places to look. Sahra Chalom Ragshiel, the Angel of Peaceful Sleep, High Queen of Psyche Sahra Chalom is evanescent and translucent, shimmering in and out of view imperceptibly. Her form is eerily familiar, reminiscent of a beloved female figure. For a moment, she looks like your close childhood friend; then she looks like your long deceased grandmother; then she is your favorite schoolteacher. Regardless of the form she takes, Sahra Chalom is cast in a milky white light that makes her exact appearance hard to pin down. She seems to be covered in a gauzy veil that moves as if being blown by a soft and gentle wind. Sahra Chalom is the master of dreams, be they peaceful and restful or disturbing nightmares (although she favors the former). She holds one of the keys to the Gates of Hypnos, the legendary place in Alchera where dreams are said to emerge. Sahra Chalom believes that the world has a story that needs to be told, and she is willing to take action to make sure that the story emerges properly, like a butterfly from a cocoon. She starts heroes along in their quests and provides them with guidance and direction, but her words are always inscrutable and easy to forget, like those of a figure in a dream. A few fey and a smattering of mortal scholars believe that Sahra Chalom was once an angel in Heaven. She joined with Lucifer’s rebellion against the Architect, and was cast out of Heaven for doing so. But, along with a handful of other angels, she was not so corrupted by Lucifer that she fell to Hell. Instead, she and a few other angels landed in the material plane. The transformative power of their fall and of Alchera washed over them, transforming them into fey. Two pivotal questions remain, however: what lie did Lucifer tell Sahra Chalom, and why did she not fall the whole way to Hell? The fact that these questions remain completely unanswered lead most to dismiss this tale as false, and it is never mentioned in the Court of the Psyche itself. A second theory holds that Sahra Chalom was the first dream of the Architect, created just as he began to fall asleep. This state between wakefulness and slumber, thoughts and dreams, resulted in Sahra Chalom existing in a state halfway between fey and angel. Both theories claim that she wandered in a material plane desert called Nod for many years until one day she found one of the keys to the Gates of Hypnos. This transported her at last to Alchera, where she took the throne of the Court of the Psyche. For the most part, however, Sahra Chalom’s origins remain inscrutable. Reinforcing the rumors about her origins are Sahra Chalom’s multiple ties to the forces of Heaven. She has a long standing alliance with Sophia of the Choir of Wisdom and Prajapati of the Choir of Hope. Theories that assign Sahra Chalom angelic origins usually place her as an angel of one of these Choirs, or possibly even as the ruling archangel of the Choir of Hope before Prajapati. Sahra Chalom’s closet ally in the Court of the Psyche is Hypnos, the master of sleep, who may be her husband, father or son. Brigid Queen of Spring, the Fire of Inspiration Brigid’s hair is brilliant red and her skin is pale and freckled, both famous characteristics of her family. Her face is young but matronly, and her presence brings back memories of happy childhood days. The clothes she wears are not overly elaborate or showy-typically simple and green, of clothe and wool. She is wreathed by a soft flame, and seems to be slightly out of focus, as if there were two identical Brigids standing right behind the primary one. She typically carries with her a hammer, a spinning wheel, or a musical instrument (usually a lute). Brigid is the ruler of Spring, the Psyche counterpart of Cernunnos, Holle, and Freya. Brigid is widely credited with the invention of the bardic arts and the dissemination of the bardic tradition among mortals. She is the master of the arts of weaving, blacksmithing, and horticulture, as well as other less practical arts such as magic and music. Her mastery of magic is what drives out the power of winter and allows spring to be reborn, along with her brother Cernunnos. Rumor has it that Brigid is secretly married to Baron Saturday. Brigid was married to the half fey, half demon lord Bres, who took rulership of her family. But Bres was a cruel and inefficient ruler, and he oppressed Brigid’s people. He was overthrown when a bard came to court and sang a song that humiliated him so thoroughly that he broke out in boils all over his once perfect body. Brigid is widely known to have supplied the bard with the song that caused her husband’s downfall. Supposedly, after the death of her son and her first husband during a protracted war with a group of demons, Brigid invented the keening wail to mourn her loss. The keening was so moving and so beautiful that it attracted the attention of Baron Saturday, who began to court Brigid. Allegedly, she now divides her time between the Court of the Psyche and the Court of the Anima, taking on the identity of Madame Brigitte for half the year. This remains unconfirmed, and many doubt the veracity of the tale, for Holle would surely not tolerate the presence of Brigid in her court. It is possible, however, that Baron Saturday could use his power to mask her presence there. Brigid is the daughter of the Dagda and the sister of Cernunnos, and she cares deeply for both her father and her brother. When spring comes again, it is she who symbolically drives out Holle (and winter with her) and resurrects her dead brother. Brigid is on remarkably good terms with the gods, who permit her to be worshipped alongside them. Briar Rose Sleeping Beauty, Aurora, the Daughter Called Vengeance Briar Rose is a young woman with long dark hair and rosy cheeks, a perfect picture of mortal nobility. She is the ideal princess in almost every way. The clothing she wears is elegant but not overstated; typically velvet green accented with soft pinks, and a simple silver tiara. This image of the soft and quiet princess is disrupted b the fact that she carries with her a shining silver sword and a gold and silver shield, both clearly worn from many battles, and she carries them with a familiarity that only the most battle-hardened of warriors possess. Briar Rose is tragic love, the court romance where the two lovers are destined to die for each other. Briar Rose longs for the days of courtly love and knightly honor, when chivalry was a virtue that even a veteran of a thousand wars knew how to uphold. She hates the new ways of doing battle, and considers them destructive to the way things used to be. Once a knight was a storybook hero, who could be counted on to do the right thing and save the damsel in distress. Now he is barely better than a mercenary. Briar Rose hopes to use her position in the court to change all that. Briar Rose was once merely a human princess, born on a world where the fey had much influence and power. Her parents, on the day of her naming, invited many fey lords to attend the celebration. Unfortunately, Carabosse of the Anima Court heard of the party, and was extremely offended that she was not invited. Carabosse showed up anyways, and laid a curse upon Briar Rose, that on her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and sleep for all eternity, and none of the mortals or fey dared to try and stop her, for fear of her great power. So Briar Rose’s mother and father conspired to spare her this fate by removing all the spinning wheels in the kingdom. But Carabosse conspired against them, and Briar Rose’s finger was pricked. And in retaliation for trying to prevent their daughter’s fate, Carabosse placed a curse upon the entire kingdom that they would sleep for as long as Briar Rose did. But a young prince found the kingdom, and he found Briar Rose. His kiss awakened her, but Carabosse, transforming into a monstrous black dragon, killed the prince. Briar Rose, donning his armor and sword, invoked the boons that the fey nobles had given her and was able to drive Carabosse from the kingdom. The process transformed her into a fey herself, and she soon joined the Court of the Psyche. Briar Rose despises Carabosse, and hates most of the Anima Court simply because of their association with her. She holds a deep admiration for patrons of bravery and courage, like the archangel Michael, but especially of the Valkyries. Mami Wata Wish-fulfiller, Queen of the Ship, Madame Poisson Mami Wata is always beautiful, no matter who gazes upon her. Her hair is as red as fire or as golden as the sun or as dark as midnight, her skin is white and smooth like marble or dark like freshly tilled soil. She is always young, never young enough to have even the hint of immaturity or childishness, only the beauty that youth brings. Her figure is full and curvy or slender and slight, depending on who is looking, but it always perfect in its femininity. Below her torso never varies, however; it is piscine, like that of a giant, scaly fish with far too many fins. But Mami Wata has found ways to distract a viewer from this fact. She wears far too much jewelry, each piece gaudier than the last; strings of pearls and opal earrings and enormous turquoise necklaces. They almost, but do not quite succeed in drawing attention away from her piscine extremities. Mami Wata is the dream that drowns the sleeper in his sleep with his desires. Water and dreams and sex are tied together in ways that only she truly understands. She is the love that covers a person and nearly drowns them and crushes them, but then brings them back to the shore and they return to the ocean to beg for more. Mami Wata adores mortals, especially mortal men. She has been the mother of many a half-fey child, as well as the destroyer of many a mortal marriage. She likes to think that here men will always be faithful to her, but she loses interest in them so quickly that this is rather unlikely. She sometimes leaves valuable enchanted objects along shorelines for mortals to find. If the person who finds the object a male, she seduces him, and attempts to get him to swear undying love to her. If he does, she lets him keep the objects. If he is truly faithful to her, in mind and in body, right before he dies Mami Wata will take him to her kingdom under the sea, where he will become one of her husbands. Mami Wata is a rival of the various gods of sexual lust, but the powers of true love, especially Agape from the Court of Love believe that Mami Wata has the potential to understand love in a way deities like Aphrodite do not. Mami Wata is very loyal to Sahra Chalom, but she thinks that she has made a mistake in welcoming Coatlicue into the court. She believes that Briar Rose and Coatlicue have allowed their pasts to hold them down and now refuse to move into the future. Coatlicue Mother of Gods, Serpent Queen Coatlicue is enormous, monstrous and yet somehow motherly. Her stomach is large with child, yet her breasts are clearly dry and without milk. She wears nothing but a skirt made from living serpents and a garland made from the organs of stillborn children. Her head is two serpents that somehow come together to form a human face, that of a sorrowful young woman in constant agony. Her hands are clawed, and she constantly clutches her chest as she is wracked with birth pangs. Coatlicue is not a fey. She is certainly something like a fey, but she is not a fey, not exactly. She is the mother of gods and angels and demons and things both far better and far worse. She is, or at least claims to be, an aspect of the great Earth Mother that existed before the war between the primordials and the gods. Coatlicue is the patron of women who died in childbirth. She knows the pain of mothers who have been betrayed by their children, yet she knows not how she can ease their suffering, so she wallows in self-pity and destructiveness. The birth of her son Huitzilopochtli seems to have been a turning point in the life of Coatlicue. Coatlicue was impregnated by a great ball of feathers (possibly a chichimec). Her daughter Coyolxauhqui was ashamed by her mother’s pregnancy, and she gathered up five hundred of Coatlicue’s other children to kill their mother. Just as Coyolxauhqui killed Coatlicue, Huitzilopochtli was born, fully grown and clad in armor. He killed Coyolxauhqui and the other children of Coatlicue. For an unknown reason, Coatlicue was brought back from death, but she was not filled with joy for what her son had done. She fled him in sorrow and terror, outraged at what all her children had done-Coyolxauhqui for killing her, and Huitzilopochtli for killing Coyolxauhqui. She resolved to have no more children-but this is an extraordinarily hard thing for an earth mother to do. She became pregnant again, but she prevented the pregnancy from ever reaching birth. Sahra Chalom found her in the desert, and helped soothe the despair that had nearly overcome her. She could not overcome it completely, however, and Coatlicue is still filled with rage and sorrow from that day. Coatlicue is the mother of the angel Quetzalcoatl and the god Huitzilopochtli, as well as many others. She has given birth to stars and suns and even entire planets. Brigid has sought to ease her constant pain, and for that Coatlicue is grateful (though her reward for Brigid would be reuniting with her first son in death). There is an unspoken agreement between Sahra Chalom and Coatlicue; Sahra Chalom believes that Coatlicue will soon give birth to a figure who has a great role to play in the story of the universe, and for this the excess of Coatlicue are tolerated. Hypnos Sleep, Somnus, Keeper of the Gates of Ivory and Horn Hypnos is a young man with dark orange hair and soft brown eyes. His skin is pale, as if it was rarely exposed to the light of the sun. From the side of his head sprout two small black wings that occasionally flicker and flap when he speaks. He wears a golden-green tunic, and sleeps upon a bed of black feathers. He almost never leaves the bed, and he is usually asleep, but even when he is asleep he is capable of communication and action. Hypnos holds the second key to the Gates of Hypnos, and is considered to be the primary caretaker of the place. If the legend of Sahra Chalom’s angelic origins are true, than he was most likely the original ruler of the Court of the Psyche. The river Lethe flows through his realm, and Hypnos has been known to drink of the river himself. Lethe eventually flows into the underworld, just as people who sleep sometimes find themselves in the land of the dead. Hypnos sometimes leaves his realm, floating along the river Lethe to the underworld where he can visit his half-brother. Hypnos appears in few great tales himself-at least, he rarely appears in person. When asked about this, he tends to smile, yawn, and drowsily say that while he may not have shown up to influence the story, he was there, and he was there more often than anyone else. And this is true. Sleep has played an important role in many a tale. Sleep has been the downfall of kingdoms, when a general missed a battle because he was taking a nap. Hypnos feels no need to act directly. Everyone comes and visits him, when they are ready. Hypnos is the son of primordial of darkness and night, and the half-brother of a god of death. He is the father of dreams or the brother of dreams. Sahra Chalom has some relationship with him, though the exact nature of said relationship is unknown. Briar Rose fears Hpnos, remembering the days when she was placed in eternal sleep by Carabosse.
Space_Dragon 03-05-08, 09:42 PM	The Court of Psyche Everything and everyone in the vastness of the universe dreams. This is the one fact that the fey of the Court of the Psyche hold above all others. Dreams are tied intimately to creation, to birth, and to spring; these are all ideas that the Court holds dear. The Psyche fey hold that the dreams of the world are all moving with a purpose, unfolding in a way that has a deep meaning that is nearly impossible to understand. At least, impossible to understand if you aren’t looking in the right places. The fey of the Court of the Psyche believe that they know the right places to look. It could use another sentence or two explaining the connection between spring/rebirth and dreams. The union of these two concepts is a bit confusing. Sahra Chalom Sarah Dream. Is she an angel from some obscure Jewish text? Its definetely a Hebrew name, but I've never heard of her. She starts heroes along in their quests and provides them with guidance and direction, but her words are always inscrutable and easy to forget, like those of a figure in a dream. Especially when they aren't doing what the DM wants. Sarah becomes more lucid and persistant the longer they don't follow the adventure. :D A few fey and a smattering of mortal scholars believe that Sahra Chalom was once an angel in Heaven. She joined with Lucifer’s rebellion against the Architect, and was cast out of Heaven for doing so. But, along with a handful of other angels, she was not so corrupted by Lucifer that she fell to Hell. Instead, she and a few other angels landed in the material plane. The transformative power of their fall and of Alchera washed over them, transforming them into fey. Two pivotal questions remain, however: what lie did Lucifer tell Sahra Chalom, and why did she not fall the whole way to Hell? The fact that these questions remain completely unanswered lead most to dismiss this tale as false, and it is never mentioned in the Court of the Psyche itself. A second theory holds that Sahra Chalom was the first dream of the Architect, created just as he began to fall asleep. This state between wakefulness and slumber, thoughts and dreams, resulted in Sahra Chalom existing in a state halfway between fey and angel. Both theories claim that she wandered in a material plane desert called Nod for many years until one day she found one of the keys to the Gates of Hypnos. This transported her at last to Alchera, where she took the throne of the Court of the Psyche. For the most part, however, Sahra Chalom’s origins remain inscrutable. Interesting. I notice that "Nod" seems to refer to both a region of the Prime Material, and the Court of the Psyche itself. Did Sarah add this name to her kingdom in remembrance of her time on the Prime? Overall, Sarah Chalom is a good foil to the likes of Carabosse and Holle. My one concern is that she is a little too similar to Pistis Sophia. You might want to tweak one or both of them a little to make them more different. Brigid is the ruler of Spring, the Psyche counterpart of Cernunnos, Holle, and Freya. Brigid is widely credited with the invention of the bardic arts and the dissemination of the bardic tradition among mortals. She is the master of the arts of weaving, blacksmithing, and horticulture, as well as other less practical arts such as magic and music. Her mastery of magic is what drives out the power of winter and allows spring to be reborn, along with her brother Cernunnos. I like her for most of the same reasons I like Cernunnos. I also think that tying the coming of spring in with the invention of certain technologies is thematically appropriate. Rumor has it that Brigid is secretly married to Baron Saturday. It seems like a bit of an open secret, since its mentioned in so many places. Maybe that's just in the writup. Lord Bres Bres the Beautiful is a fey/demon hybrid, eh? Good. That's a simple and elegant backstory for his race. He is the leader of the fomorians, correct? But Bres was a cruel and inefficient ruler, and he oppressed Brigid’s people. He was overthrown when a bard came to court and sang a song that humiliated him so thoroughly that he broke out in boils all over his once perfect body. Brigid is widely known to have supplied the bard with the song that caused her husband’s downfall. Brigid was the queen of someplace, then. What was she the ruler of? I can't exactly see a fomorian staying in power in Alchera for that long, so I assume this was elsewhere. Please elaborate. Supposedly, after the death of her son and her first husband during a protracted war with a group of demons, Brigid invented the keening wail to mourn her loss. ...and then goes off and marries a half-demon? The keening was so moving and so beautiful that it attracted the attention of Baron Saturday, who began to court Brigid. Allegedly, she now divides her time between the Court of the Psyche and the Court of the Anima, taking on the identity of Madame Brigitte for half the year. This remains unconfirmed, and many doubt the veracity of the tale, for Holle would surely not tolerate the presence of Brigid in her court. It is possible, however, that Baron Saturday could use his power to mask her presence there. This I like. Putting two and two together, it sounds like Baron Samedi helped her mastermind the Bard Incident to get rid of Bres, so they could be together. Since Samedi has some power over undead, and Brigid invented the sorrowful keening, would banshees be a joint creation of theirs? Also, keeping Holle from finding out about all this could be a campaign premise all by itself. Briar Rose is a young woman with long dark hair and rosy cheeks, a perfect picture of mortal nobility. She is the ideal princess in almost every way. The clothing she wears is elegant but not overstated; typically velvet green accented with soft pinks, and a simple silver tiara. This image of the soft and quiet princess is disrupted by the fact that she carries with her a shining silver sword and a gold and silver shield, both clearly worn from many battles, and she carries them with a familiarity that only the most battle-hardened of warriors possess. This...drives a cement mixer over every fantasy stereotype in existence. I love it. Briar Rose is tragic love, the court romance where the two lovers are destined to die for each other. Briar Rose longs for the days of courtly love and knightly honor, when chivalry was a virtue that even a veteran of a thousand wars knew how to uphold. She hates the new ways of doing battle, and considers them destructive to the way things used to be. Once a knight was a storybook hero, who could be counted on to do the right thing and save the damsel in distress. Now he is barely better than a mercenary. "Boy, the way Glen Miller played..." And in retaliation for trying to prevent their daughter’s fate, Carabosse placed a curse upon the entire kingdom that they would sleep for as long as Briar Rose did. This doesn't quite make sense to me. Gods can just nuke entire kingdoms for mild offenses commited by a handful of its rulers? There must have been another reason Carabosse did this, maybe a secret one, that she used the invitation thing as a cover for. Maybe that kingdom was being used as a staging ground by enemies of hers, or something like that. Otherwise, it seems like she would have blown up a ridiculous number of countries by now. But a young prince found the kingdom, and he found Briar Rose. His kiss awakened her, but Carabosse, transforming into a monstrous black dragon, killed the prince. Poor Phillip. Briar Rose despises Carabosse, and hates most of the Anima Court simply because of their association with her. She holds a deep admiration for patrons of bravery and courage, like the archangel Michael, but especially of the Valkyries. Hmmm. If Briar Rose was a godess, I could see a lot of adventuring clerics praying to her. Maybe she can be a patron of good-aligned witches, since they seem to draw their power if not from the fey, than from the same things that fey control. Mami Wata is always beautiful, no matter who gazes upon her. Her hair is as red as fire or as golden as the sun or as dark as midnight, her skin is white and smooth like marble or dark like freshly tilled soil. She is always young, never young enough to have even the hint of immaturity or childishness, only the beauty that youth brings. But...what if a pedophile looks at her? What would he see? :D Below her torso never varies, however; it is piscine, like that of a giant, scaly fish with far too many fins. But Mami Wata has found ways to distract a viewer from this fact. She wears far too much jewelry, each piece gaudier than the last; strings of pearls and opal earrings and enormous turquoise necklaces. They almost, but do not quite succeed in drawing attention away from her piscine extremities. Is she in any way tied in with the merfolk, then? She sure looks a lot like them. Mami Wata is the dream that drowns the sleeper in his sleep with his desires. Water and dreams and sex are tied together in ways that only she truly understands.She is the love that covers a person and nearly drowns them and crushes them, but then brings them back to the shore and they return to the ocean to beg for more. Nice and Freudian. I like it. Mami Wata is a rival of the various gods of sexual lust, but the powers of true love, especially Agape from the Court of Love The what? Coatlicue Mother of Gods, Serpent Queen Coatlicue is enormous, monstrous and yet somehow motherly. Her stomach is large with child, yet her breasts are clearly dry and without milk. She wears nothing but a skirt made from living serpents and a garland made from the organs of stillborn children. Her head is two serpents that somehow come together to form a human face, that of a sorrowful young woman in constant agony. Her hands are clawed, and she constantly clutches her chest as she is wracked with birth pangs. Haha, this is classic. The Court of the Psyche is all about helpful fairy queens and sexy mermaids until Aztec mythology comes up. Then, we suddenly get hats made of aborted fetuses. I freaking love Aztec mythology. Coatlicue is not a fey. She is certainly something like a fey, but she is not a fey, not exactly. She is the mother of gods and angels and demons and things both far better and far worse. She is, or at least claims to be, an aspect of the great Earth Mother that existed before the war between the primordials and the gods. Coatlicue is the patron of women who died in childbirth. She knows the pain of mothers who have been betrayed by their children, yet she knows not how she can ease their suffering, so she wallows in self-pity and destructiveness. Now there's a nice twist on the "earth mother" convention. Would this make Coatlique technically a Primordial, then? Coatlicue was impregnated by a great ball of feathers (possibly a chichimec). I could be totally wrong, but weren't the Chichimecs a conquered people under the Aztec empire who lived along a tributary of Lake Texcoco? I'm assuming it also has mythological connotations, but I haven't heard them to date. Huitzilopochtli was born fully grown and clad in armor. Really? Me too. Coatlicue is the mother of the angel Quetzalcoatl and the god Huitzilopochtli, as well as many others. She has given birth to stars and suns and even entire planets. Brigid has sought to ease her constant pain, and for that Coatlicue is grateful (though her reward for Brigid would be reuniting with her first son in death). There is an unspoken agreement between Sahra Chalom and Coatlicue; Sahra Chalom believes that Coatlicue will soon give birth to a figure who has a great role to play in the story of the universe, and for this the excess of Coatlicue are tolerated. I like this social dynamic, especially with the added caveat that some others (like Wata) resent her for not being a true fey. Hypnos is a young man with dark orange hair and soft brown eyes. His skin is pale, as if it was rarely exposed to the light of the sun. From the side of his head sprout two small black wings that occasionally flicker and flap when he speaks. He wears a golden-green tunic, and sleeps upon a bed of black feathers. He almost never leaves the bed, and he is usually asleep, but even when he is asleep he is capable of communication and action. Shades of Kyrinian?
alesian 03-05-08, 10:16 PM	It could use another sentence or two explaining the connection between spring/rebirth and dreams. The union of these two concepts is a bit confusing. Yeah, my introductions have been rather weak. I'll work on that. Sarah Dream. Is she an angel from some obscure Jewish text? Its definetely a Hebrew name, but I've never heard of her. I'm not sure of the Jewish origin. Ragshiel was a Catholic angel associated with dreams. The source I used listed Sah ra-Shalom as the jewish equivalent, and I liked that name better, so I used it. Interesting. I notice that "Nod" seems to refer to both a region of the Prime Material, and the Court of the Psyche itself. Did Sarah add this name to her kingdom in remembrance of her time on the Prime? Overall, Sarah Chalom is a good foil to the likes of Carabosse and Holle. My one concern is that she is a little too similar to Pistis Sophia. You might want to tweak one or both of them a little to make them more different. Pretty much, yes. The desert of Nod is also a place where one can enter the Court of the Psyche, but this was not true until after Sahra's wanderings. I didn't notice the Sophia similarities until you mentioned them, but now I do see them. Any suggestions for further differentiating them? Bres the Beautiful is a fey/demon hybrid, eh? Good. That's a simple and elegant backstory for his race. He is the leader of the fomorians, correct? Correct. Brigid was the queen of someplace, then. What was she the ruler of? I can't exactly see a fomorian staying in power in Alchera for that long, so I assume this was elsewhere. Please elaborate. That's up in the air until I get the Tuatha figured out. In the Book of Invasions, Bres married Brigid and was granted rulership over the Tuatha. ...and then goes off and marries a half-demon? Bres is her first husband. The child she was mourning was her child by Bres. Her second husband is (presumably) Baron Samendi. Sorry if the write-up was unclear. This I like. Putting two and two together, it sounds like Baron Samedi helped her mastermind the Bard Incident to get rid of Bres, so they could be together. Since Samedi has some power over undead, and Brigid invented the sorrowful keening, would banshees be a joint creation of theirs? Also, keeping Holle from finding out about all this could be a campaign premise all by itself. That's actually a nice theory, even if its based on a misunderstanding of the timeline (my fault for being unclear though). I could work in that they had met before the death of Brigid's son. This doesn't quite make sense to me. Gods can just nuke entire kingdoms for mild offenses commited by a handful of its rulers? There must have been another reason Carabosse did this, maybe a secret one, that she used the invitation thing as a cover for. Maybe that kingdom was being used as a staging ground by enemies of hers, or something like that. Otherwise, it seems like she would have blown up a ridiculous number of countries by now. Your theory is sound, and fits with Carabosse's nature. She's more or less manipulating the entirety of the Court of the Anima to her liking, and she probably engineered the rise and the fall of the Queen of Air and Darkness, so using the incident as a cover would definetly be right up her alley. Hmmm. If Briar Rose was a godess, I could see a lot of adventuring clerics praying to her. Maybe she can be a patron of good-aligned witches, since they seem to draw their power if not from the fey, than from the same things that fey control. I could actually see her sponsoring paladins, in fact. But...what if a pedophile looks at her? What would he see? At this point, Mami Wata contacts To Catch a Predator. Is she in any way tied in with the merfolk, then? She sure looks a lot like them. She would most likely be their patron or queen, as well as sirens and harpies. The what? Oops, that was supposed by Choir, not Court. The Choir of Love is governed by the Archangel Guan Yin. Agape is one of the angels of the Choir. Haha, this is classic. The Court of the Psyche is all about helpful fairy queens and sexy mermaids until Aztec mythology comes up. Then, we suddenly get hats made of aborted fetuses. I freaking love Aztec mythology. Yeah, the Aztecs were cool like that. Now there's a nice twist on the "earth mother" convention. Would this make Coatlique technically a Primordial, then? Technically, yes. I could be totally wrong, but weren't the Chichimecs a conquered people under the Aztec empire who lived along a tributary of Lake Texcoco? I'm assuming it also has mythological connotations, but I haven't heard them to date. You are entirely correct. However, I was actually making a throwaway reference to the chichimec from the ELH: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/EPIC_Gallery/Gallery5a/44173_C5_Chichimec.jpg The two do not appear to be in anyway related. I like this social dynamic, especially with the added caveat that some others (like Wata) resent her for not being a true fey. Thank you. I figured that if anyone disliked Coatlicue, it would be Mami Wata. Coatlicue is just too depressing. Shades of Kyrinian? lol, I'm subconciously absorbing LoC stuff, apparently.
Space_Dragon 03-06-08, 02:19 AM	I didn't notice the Sophia similarities until you mentioned them, but now I do see them. Any suggestions for further differentiating them? Making Sarah more feylike would be a good way to go. Maybe play up a law/chaos divide between her and Sophia (I know you don't use the L/C alignment axis in your campaign, I'm talking philosophically). Sophia can be all about knowledge, empirics, lore, stuff like that. Sarah can govern dreams, emotions, creativity, and spontaneity. Sophia can be calculating, organized, and traditionalistic. Sarah can be impulsive and whimsical. Bres is her first husband. The child she was mourning was her child by Bres. Her second husband is (presumably) Baron Samendi. Sorry if the write-up was unclear. She was mourning Bres even though she hated him? You are entirely correct. However, I was actually making a throwaway reference to the chichimec from the ELH: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/EPIC_Gallery/Gallery5a/44173_C5_Chichimec.jpg The two do not appear to be in anyway related. What the f...
alesian 03-06-08, 02:26 AM	Making Sarah more feylike would be a good way to go. Maybe play up a law/chaos divide between her and Sophia (I know you don't use the L/C alignment axis in your campaign, I'm talking philosophically). Sophia can be all about knowledge, empirics, lore, stuff like that. Sarah can govern dreams, emotions, creativity, and spontaneity. Sophia can be calculating, organized, and traditionalistic. Sarah can be impulsive and whimsical. Alright, I really like this. It fits well with what I had intended for them. Thank you. She was mourning Bres even though she hated him? She was mourning her child by Bres, not Bres himself. Sorry if I'm being unclear. What the f... My thoughts exactly. Any other issues/comments/concerns?
alesian 03-08-08, 07:54 PM	Court of the Psyche, v. 3. Edits made to introduction, Sahra Chalom, Brigid, and Briar Rose. The Court of Psyche The Peaceable Kingdoms, the Spring Dawning, the Court of Wands, the Land of Nod Everything and everyone in the vastness of the universe dreams. This is the one fact that the fey of the Court of the Psyche hold above all others. Dreams are tied intimately to creation, to birth, and to spring; these are all ideas that the Court holds dear. Dreams are born from the empty darkness of sleep; they spring out spontaneously from nothing, and their influence leads mortals to great acts of creativity in the waking world. The Psyche fey hold that the dreams of the world are all moving with a purpose, unfolding in a way that has a deep meaning that is nearly impossible to understand. At least, impossible to understand if you aren’t looking in the right places. The fey of the Court of the Psyche believe that they know the right places to look. Sahra Chalom Ragshiel, the Angel of Peaceful Sleep, High Queen of Psyche Sahra Chalom is evanescent and translucent, shimmering in and out of view imperceptibly. Her form is eerily familiar, reminiscent of a beloved female figure. For a moment, she looks like your close childhood friend; then she looks like your long deceased grandmother; then she is your favorite schoolteacher. Regardless of the form she takes, Sahra Chalom is cast in a milky white light that makes her exact appearance hard to pin down. She seems to be covered in a gauzy veil that moves as if being blown by a soft and gentle wind. Sahra Chalom is the master of dreams, be they peaceful and restful or disturbing nightmares (although she favors the former). She holds one of the keys to the Gates of Hypnos, the legendary place in Alchera where dreams are said to emerge. Sahra Chalom believes that the world has a story that needs to be told, and she is willing to take action to make sure that the story emerges properly, like a butterfly from a cocoon. She starts heroes along in their quests and provides them with guidance and direction, but her words are always inscrutable and easy to forget, like those of a figure in a dream. She tends to couch her advice in riddles or in strange symbolism, or give the advice as a through dreams-she weaves a dream and sends it to the mind of an adventurer. Whether or not she realizes how easily mortals forget dreams or dismiss those that are not their own is unknown. A few fey and a smattering of mortal scholars believe that Sahra Chalom was once an angel in Heaven. She joined with Lucifer’s rebellion against the Architect, and was cast out of Heaven for doing so. But, along with a handful of other angels, she was not so corrupted by Lucifer that she fell to Hell. Instead, she and a few other angels landed in the material plane. The transformative power of their fall and of Alchera washed over them, transforming them into fey. Two pivotal questions remain, however: what lie did Lucifer tell Sahra Chalom, and why did she not fall the whole way to Hell? The fact that these questions remain completely unanswered lead most to dismiss this tale as false, and it is never mentioned in the Court of the Psyche itself. A second theory holds that Sahra Chalom was the first dream of the Architect, created just as he began to fall asleep. This state between wakefulness and slumber, thoughts and dreams, resulted in Sahra Chalom existing in a state halfway between fey and angel. Both theories claim that she wandered in a material plane desert called Nod for many years until one day she found one of the keys to the Gates of Hypnos. This transported her at last to Alchera, where she took the throne of the Court of the Psyche. For the most part, however, Sahra Chalom’s origins remain inscrutable. Reinforcing the rumors about her origins are Sahra Chalom’s multiple ties to the forces of Heaven. She has a long standing alliance with Sophia of the Choir of Wisdom and Prajapati of the Choir of Hope. Theories that assign Sahra Chalom angelic origins usually place her as an angel of one of these Choirs, or possibly even as the ruling archangel of the Choir of Hope before Prajapati. Sahra Chalom’s closet ally in the Court of the Psyche is Hypnos, the master of sleep, who may be her husband, father or son. Brigid Queen of Spring, the Fire of Inspiration Brigid’s hair is brilliant red and her skin is pale and freckled, both famous characteristics of her family. Her face is young but matronly, and her presence brings back memories of happy childhood days. The clothes she wears are not overly elaborate or showy-typically simple and green, of clothe and wool. She is wreathed by a soft flame, and seems to be slightly out of focus, as if there were two identical Brigids standing right behind the primary one. She typically carries with her a hammer, a spinning wheel, or a musical instrument (usually a lute). Brigid is the ruler of Spring, the Psyche counterpart of Cernunnos, Holle, and Freya. Brigid is widely credited with the invention of the bardic arts and the dissemination of the bardic tradition among mortals. She is the master of the arts of weaving, blacksmithing, and horticulture, as well as other less practical arts such as magic and music. Her mastery of magic is what drives out the power of winter and allows spring to be reborn, along with her brother Cernunnos. Rumor has it that Brigid is secretly married to Baron Saturday. Brigid was married to the half fey, half demon lord Bres, who took rulership of her family. But Bres was a cruel and inefficient ruler, and he oppressed Brigid’s people. He was overthrown when a bard came to court and sang a song that humiliated him so thoroughly that he broke out in boils all over his once perfect body. Brigid is widely known to have supplied the bard with the song that caused her husband’s downfall. Supposedly, after the death of her son by Bres during a protracted war with the group of demons Bres had originated from, Brigid invented the keening wail to mourn the loss of her son. The keening was so moving and so beautiful that it attracted the attention of Baron Saturday, who began to court Brigid. Allegedly, she now divides her time between the Court of the Psyche and the Court of the Anima, taking on the identity of Madame Brigitte for half the year. This remains unconfirmed, and many doubt the veracity of the tale, for Holle would surely not tolerate the presence of Brigid in her court. It is possible, however, that Baron Saturday could use his power to mask her presence there. Brigid is the daughter of the Dagda and the sister of Cernunnos, and she cares deeply for both her father and her brother. When spring comes again, it is she who symbolically drives out Holle (and winter with her) and resurrects her dead brother. Brigid is on remarkably good terms with the gods, who permit her to be worshipped alongside them. Briar Rose Sleeping Beauty, Aurora, the Daughter Called Vengeance Briar Rose is a young woman with long dark hair and rosy cheeks, a perfect picture of mortal nobility. She is the ideal princess in almost every way. The clothing she wears is elegant but not overstated; typically velvet green accented with soft pinks, and a simple silver tiara. This image of the soft and quiet princess is disrupted b the fact that she carries with her a shining silver sword and a gold and silver shield, both clearly worn from many battles, and she carries them with a familiarity that only the most battle-hardened of warriors possess. Briar Rose is tragic love, the court romance where the two lovers are destined to die for each other. Briar Rose longs for the days of courtly love and knightly honor, when chivalry was a virtue that even a veteran of a thousand wars knew how to uphold. She hates the new ways of doing battle, and considers them destructive to the way things used to be. Once a knight was a storybook hero, who could be counted on to do the right thing and save the damsel in distress. Now he is barely better than a mercenary. Briar Rose hopes to use her position in the court to change all that. Briar Rose was once merely a human princess, born on a world where the fey had much influence and power. Her parents, on the day of her naming, invited many fey lords to attend the celebration. Unfortunately, Carabosse of the Anima Court heard of the party, and was extremely offended that she was not invited. Carabosse showed up anyways, and laid a curse upon Briar Rose, that on her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and sleep for all eternity, and none of the mortals or fey dared to try and stop her, for fear of her great power. So Briar Rose’s mother and father conspired to spare her this fate by removing all the spinning wheels in the kingdom. But Carabosse conspired against them, and Briar Rose’s finger was pricked. And in a strange side-effect resulting from the interaction between the curse and the gifts the fey lords had given her, Briar Rose’s kingdom was affected as well. The entire kingdom fell asleep and was overrun with thorny hedges, and thus seemed lost to the rest of the world. But a young prince found the kingdom, and discovered Briar Rose. His kiss awakened her, but Carabosse, transforming into a monstrous black dragon, killed the prince. Briar Rose, donning his armor and sword, invoked the boons that the fey nobles had given her and was able to drive Carabosse from the kingdom. The process transformed her into a fey herself, and she soon joined the Court of the Psyche. Briar Rose despises Carabosse, and hates most of the Anima Court simply because of their association with her. She holds a deep admiration for patrons of bravery and courage, like the archangel Michael, but especially of the Valkyries. Mami Wata Wish-fulfiller, Queen of the Ship, Madame Poisson Mami Wata is always beautiful, no matter who gazes upon her. Her hair is as red as fire or as golden as the sun or as dark as midnight, her skin is white and smooth like marble or dark like freshly tilled soil. She is always young, never young enough to have even the hint of immaturity or childishness, only the beauty that youth brings. Her figure is full and curvy or slender and slight, depending on who is looking, but it always perfect in its femininity. Below her torso never varies, however; it is piscine, like that of a giant, scaly fish with far too many fins. But Mami Wata has found ways to distract a viewer from this fact. She wears far too much jewelry, each piece gaudier than the last; strings of pearls and opal earrings and enormous turquoise necklaces. They almost, but do not quite succeed in drawing attention away from her piscine extremities. Mami Wata is the dream that drowns the sleeper in his sleep with his desires. Water and dreams and sex are tied together in ways that only she truly understands. She is the love that covers a person and nearly drowns them and crushes them, but then brings them back to the shore and they return to the ocean to beg for more. Mami Wata adores mortals, especially mortal men. She has been the mother of many a half-fey child, as well as the destroyer of many a mortal marriage. She likes to think that here men will always be faithful to her, but she loses interest in them so quickly that this is rather unlikely. She sometimes leaves valuable enchanted objects along shorelines for mortals to find. If the person who finds the object a male, she seduces him, and attempts to get him to swear undying love to her. If he does, she lets him keep the objects. If he is truly faithful to her, in mind and in body, right before he dies Mami Wata will take him to her kingdom under the sea, where he will become one of her husbands. Mami Wata is a rival of the various gods of sexual lust, but the powers of true love, especially Agape from the Court of Love believe that Mami Wata has the potential to understand love in a way deities like Aphrodite do not. Mami Wata is very loyal to Sahra Chalom, but she thinks that she has made a mistake in welcoming Coatlicue into the court. She believes that Briar Rose and Coatlicue have allowed their pasts to hold them down and now refuse to move into the future. Coatlicue Mother of Gods, Serpent Queen Coatlicue is enormous, monstrous and yet somehow motherly. Her stomach is large with child, yet her breasts are clearly dry and without milk. She wears nothing but a skirt made from living serpents and a garland made from the organs of stillborn children. Her head is two serpents that somehow come together to form a human face, that of a sorrowful young woman in constant agony. Her hands are clawed, and she constantly clutches her chest as she is wracked with birth pangs. Coatlicue is not a fey. She is certainly something like a fey, but she is not a fey, not exactly. She is the mother of gods and angels and demons and things both far better and far worse. She is, or at least claims to be, an aspect of the great Earth Mother that existed before the war between the primordials and the gods. Coatlicue is the patron of women who died in childbirth. She knows the pain of mothers who have been betrayed by their children, yet she knows not how she can ease their suffering, so she wallows in self-pity and destructiveness. The birth of her son Huitzilopochtli seems to have been a turning point in the life of Coatlicue. Coatlicue was impregnated by a great ball of feathers. Her daughter Coyolxauhqui was ashamed by her mother’s pregnancy, and she gathered up five hundred of Coatlicue’s other children to kill their mother. Just as Coyolxauhqui killed Coatlicue, Huitzilopochtli was born, fully grown and clad in armor. He killed Coyolxauhqui and the other children of Coatlicue. For an unknown reason, Coatlicue was brought back from death, but she was not filled with joy for what her son had done. She fled him in sorrow and terror, outraged at what all her children had done-Coyolxauhqui for killing her, and Huitzilopochtli for killing Coyolxauhqui. She resolved to have no more children-but this is an extraordinarily hard thing for an earth mother to do. She became pregnant again, but she prevented the pregnancy from ever reaching birth. Sahra Chalom found her in the desert, and helped soothe the despair that had nearly overcome her. She could not overcome it completely, however, and Coatlicue is still filled with rage and sorrow from that day. Coatlicue is the mother of the angel Quetzalcoatl and the god Huitzilopochtli, as well as many others. She has given birth to stars and suns and even entire planets. Brigid has sought to ease her constant pain, and for that Coatlicue is grateful (though her reward for Brigid would be reuniting with her first son in death). There is an unspoken agreement between Sahra Chalom and Coatlicue; Sahra Chalom believes that Coatlicue will soon give birth to a figure who has a great role to play in the story of the universe, and for this the excess of Coatlicue are tolerated. Hypnos Sleep, Somnus, Keeper of the Gates of Ivory and Horn Hypnos is a young man with dark orange hair and soft brown eyes. His skin is pale, as if it was rarely exposed to the light of the sun. From the side of his head sprout two small black wings that occasionally flicker and flap when he speaks. He wears a golden-green tunic, and sleeps upon a bed of black feathers. He almost never leaves the bed, and he is usually asleep, but even when he is asleep he is capable of communication and action. Hypnos holds the second key to the Gates of Hypnos, and is considered to be the primary caretaker of the place. If the legend of Sahra Chalom’s angelic origins are true, than he was most likely the original ruler of the Court of the Psyche. The river Lethe flows through his realm, and Hypnos has been known to drink of the river himself. Lethe eventually flows into the underworld, just as people who sleep sometimes find themselves in the land of the dead. Hypnos sometimes leaves his realm, floating along the river Lethe to the underworld where he can visit his half-brother. Hypnos appears in few great tales himself-at least, he rarely appears in person. When asked about this, he tends to smile, yawn, and drowsily say that while he may not have shown up to influence the story, he was there, and he was there more often than anyone else. And this is true. Sleep has played an important role in many a tale. Sleep has been the downfall of kingdoms, when a general missed a battle because he was taking a nap. Hypnos feels no need to act directly. Everyone comes and visits him, when they are ready. Hypnos is the son of primordial of darkness and night, and the half-brother of a god of death. He is the father of dreams or the brother of dreams. Sahra Chalom has some relationship with him, though the exact nature of said relationship is unknown. Briar Rose fears Hpnos, remembering the days when she was placed in eternal sleep by Carabosse.
alesian 03-21-08, 02:47 AM	Locations in Alchera The Gates of Hypnos Two great gates lie deep in the lands of Psyche, near the court of Hypnos. One is made of horn; the other of ivory. This is the place where dreams are said to spring forth, passing through either the gate of horn or the gate of ivory on their way to mortal minds. False dreams-those that rob the dreamer of peace and rest-pass through the gate of ivory. True dreams-those that tell of the future and soothe the dreamer-pass through the gate of horn. If a mortal were to pass through the gates, they might find themselves wandering through the mind of a dreamer on the material plane, with no way to return to the waking world. Dreams seem to emerge naturally here, and they are tended to by the goblins, a fey race with mastery over the arts of oneiromancy. The goblins craft some of the dreams into more substantial forms, using the waters of the river Lethe and their own skill. Dreams crafted by goblins are more substantial than those that emerge natually, and are quite prized as delicacies among the fey nobility. The most potent of dreams, however, are those crafted by Hypnos himself. When Hypnos rises from his perpetual slumber, he typically journeys to the gates and selects a dream, transforming it into something entirely new and wonderful and dreadful all at once. These dreams can change the destiny of entire nations, depending on whose slumber they visit, and Hypnos always makes sure they reach their intended sleeper. Another valuable object from the Gates is a horn charm-a shard of the Gate of Horn, fashioned into a peculiar shape by a goblin. A person who wears a horn charm will experience only soothing dreams-but any who seek a horn charm should beware. There exists counterparts to the horn charms-the ivory charms, that bring only dreams of turmoil. The Land of Apples The kingdom of Spring in the Court of the Psyche, where Brigid rules. It is a forest of apple trees, all perpetually in bloom. This peculariaty has been noted by many a visitor to Brigid's court-why are the trees of the land of spring in a state related to autumn? The answer is quite simple. The trees are gifts from Brigid's brother Cernunnos, the prince of Autumn. The apples that grow here have potent magic, and can heal dire wounds or inspire great creativity and imagination in those who consume them. Brigid will gladly give the apples to mortal adventurers-provided, of course, that they are able to earn them. For half the year, from the fall equinox to the spring equinox. Brigid leaves her court for lands unknown each fall equinox, when Holle ritually slays her brother. She does not return until the spring equinox, when she brings Cernunnos back to life. During the period when she is absent from the Court, the Land of Apples is watched over by her half brother Angus Og, a minor fey lord of love and beauty. Despite his seemingly trivial jurisdiction, Angus Og is a fierce warrior and guardian of the Land of Apples. However, in recent days he seems to be distracted by some unknown concern, and his sleep is fitful and without rest. He has appealed to Hypnos for help, but the results of his his pleas are unknown. Brigid's Court in the Land is held near an enormous pillar and two wells. Atop the pillar is a bronze brazier, kept perpetually aflame by an unknown source. The flame is called the Fire of Spring; the wells are the Well of Knowledge and the Well of Thought, respectively. Rumor has it that if the Fire of Spring is ever extinguished, it will herald the end of spring and summer and the coming of the winter that will end the world. The Whalefall Deep in the oceans of Anima, where the water is bitter, cold, and crushing, there is a place where the bodies of dead whales gather. This is the Whalefall, the kingdom of Sedna, mother of oceanic animals and mistress of the selkies. This is said to be the final destination of all who die in the sea-to be dragged down to the depths and inducted into Sedna's court, either as a servant or as building material. To reach Sedna and her court, one must pass through a countless number of whale corpses, all in various states of decomposition. It is a veritable maze of death-at least, to the unobservant. If one looks closely, he can see life flickering just around the edges. A sea worm or a crab skittering across a whale carcass-and did the carcass blink? To reach Sedna, a mortal must come to terms with the fact that death brings life, and that though the darkness may be cold and bitter to those from above, those from below know it as the most pleasant of homes. Sedna will only allow those who come to this conclusion to reach here. Those who continue to deny that which lies below the surface will find themselves journeying deeper and deeper into the abyssal depths of the Anima oceans. In addition to this, any who do suceed in reaching Sedna will find themselves being quietly tested and observed. Great stores of food will be presented (but not offered) to them, as will all sorts of treasures from the depths of the ocean. Any who take more than they need to satisfy their hunger will be expelled immediately. Sedna is fierce and jealous guard of the ocean depths, and while she begrudgingly accepts the right of mortals to take from the sea, she wishes to prevent them from taking any more than they need. Comments of any kind are appreciated.
Space_Dragon 03-22-08, 01:30 AM	Well... I hate to be harsh, but all three of those locations in Alchera are pretty ridiculous. The Land of Apples is the best of the three (it just needs a better name), but the other two...just seem dumb. I understand that they have mythological source material behind them, but remember; just because its present in world mythology doesn't mean it isn't ****ing retarded. I'd get rid of Sedna's whale carcass palace; why would dead sailors have a different afterlife than a land-dweller of the same alignment and religion? Also, goblins as dream-crafters? No. There are many, many mythological portrayals of goblins throughout Europe, but this has to be the worst one. I'd base the goblinoids more off of Scottish and Welsh mythology; nocturnal, soul-hungry fiends that haunt the wild mountains and moors. Aside from being cooler, this also falls closer to DnD goblins, and it would be lame if there weren't swarms of goblinoids to shoot fireballs at in your setting.
alesian 03-22-08, 02:54 AM	Well... I hate to be harsh, but all three of those locations in Alchera are pretty ridiculous. No problem. Any comments are welcome. The Land of Apples is the best of the three (it just needs a better name), Assuming that is the only problem with the Land of Apples, do you have any suggestions for a name? but the other two...just seem dumb. I understand that they have mythological source material behind them, but remember; just because its present in world mythology doesn't mean it isn't ****ing retarded. I agree entirely. But the Whalefall is not from mythology. I made that up myself. The Gates of Hypnos are mentioned in both Hypnos's and Sahra Chalom's descriptions. Should I edit the references out, or change the location? I'd get rid of Sedna's whale carcass palace; why would dead sailors have a different afterlife than a land-dweller of the same alignment and religion? They don't. It is only rumored that those who die at sea make their way here. For the most part, religion determines where you wind up after death.
Space_Dragon 03-22-08, 05:51 PM	Assuming that is the only problem with the Land of Apples, do you have any suggestions for a name? Brigid's Orchard? The Garden of Spring? :plotting: Brigid's Garden? The Orchard of Spring? The Gates of Hypnos are mentioned in both Hypnos's and Sahra Chalom's descriptions. Should I edit the references out, or change the location? The Gates can stay in. Just make them not as dumb, explain ONCE AND FOR ALL why fey have anything to do with dreams in the first place, and lose the goblins. They don't. It is only rumored that those who die at sea make their way here. For the most part, religion determines where you wind up after death. Then it shouldn't say that.
alesian 03-22-08, 07:16 PM	Brigid's Orchard? The Garden of Spring? Brigid's Garden? The Orchard of Spring? The Garden of Spring sounds nice. The Gates can stay in. Just make them not as dumb What exactly do you find dumb in the description, if you wouldn't mind specifying? explain ONCE AND FOR ALL why fey have anything to do with dreams in the first place Alchera was created by the dreaming of the slumbering Architect. Fey are the archetypal dreams of nature that occur when a planet is first created-a period of time called "The Dreamtime." Mortal dreams originate from Alchera, and journey to the minds of mortals after passing through the Gates of Hypnos. Then it shouldn't say that. Then I'm glad it doesn't. It says: This is said to be the final destination of all who die in the sea not: Sailors end up here, regardless of their religion.
Space_Dragon 03-23-08, 01:14 AM	What exactly do you find dumb in the description, if you wouldn't mind specifying? It should seem like a more natural and cosmic phenomenon, not "this is the magic dream factory where Santa Hypnos and his elves goblins put dreams in little boxes and send them off to good little boys and girls." Alchera was created by the dreaming of the slumbering Architect. Fey are the archetypal dreams of nature that occur when a planet is first created-a period of time called "The Dreamtime." Mortal dreams originate from Alchera, and journey to the minds of mortals after passing through the Gates of Hypnos. Alright. Just needs more explanation. Then I'm glad it doesn't. It says: The way its phrased still makes it seem like its supposed to be true.
alesian 03-23-08, 01:22 AM	It should seem like a more natural and cosmic phenomenon, not "this is the magic dream factory where Santa Hypnos and his elves goblins put dreams in little boxes and send them off to good little boys and girls." Alright. Just needs more explanation. Maybe like this? Alchera The Dreamtime, the Everywhen, the Otherworld When the Architect first slept after surveying his creation, his dreams created the land known as Alchera. Alchera was pivotal to the creation of life on the new worlds the gods made after their defeat of the primordials. It was the connection to the Architect through Alchera that allowed new life to be brought forth. Alchera is also the original source of fey on newly created worlds. When a world is first created, it exists in a state known as "the Dreamtime." During the first part of this period of time, the experiences of a paticular natural region-or, for lack of a better word, their dreams-give birth to powerful, unique new fey. For example, if a forest experiences many forest fires during the first part of the Dreamtime, a fey called the Burning Man might be created. This fey is simultaneously the manifestation of the forest and the forest fires. As time goes on, the Dreamtime enters its second phase. During this period of time, regions no longer have dreams that create fey. Instead, individual pieces of nature, such as a tree or stream, produce new fey. The dreams of these parts of nature tap into an archetypal piece of the Dreamtime. This is why the same types of fey reappear in different worlds. For example, the dream of a tree taps into the archetypal Dreamtime image of a dryad. However, if the experiences of a particular part of nature are unique on a specific world, the archetypal image may be changed in some way. For example, if trees are rare on a world, the dreams of a tree are altered. No longer do they give birth to a dryad-instead we have a wood hag, ugly and lonely and yearning for the "companionship" of mortals. The last and final period of the Dreamtime typically occurs when mortals arise on a world. The experiences of mortals in interacting with nature influence which fey will now be created. For example, if the mortals on a particular world are patriarchal and practice shepredry, satyrs might come into being. After this period of time, the Dreamtime is ended and new fey are no longer spontaneously created. Alchera is typically divided into two parts by mortal scholars, although the exact boundaries of these parts are frequently debated. First of all is the Otherworld, the part of Alchera accesible from the mortal world. The Otherworld is incredibly easy for mortals to enter; in fact, they occasionally do so on accident. Typically this occurs at in-between places or times, such as at a crossroads or a solistice. The Otherworld is entirely unlike the place in world in which it is found. Instead, it is far more grand and beautiful. It is also possible for a mortal crossing into the Otherworld to end up in a differnt time period or a different world altogether when departing. The second part of Alchera is typically called the Dreamtime or the Everywhen. Allegedly, if one journeys deeply enough into Alchera, they will arrive in a place that still resembles the dreams of the Architect. This is not a dream world in the sense that mortal minds venture here during sleep. Instead, it is the source of all fey and all dreams. The creatures here seem entirely unlike their brethren in the Otherworld. Instead, they seem to still be of the raw dreamstuff. Occasionally a creature from this realm has entered into the material plane or the Otherworld. The ethereal filcher and the ethereal marauder are both believed to have originated here. The way its phrased still makes it seem like its supposed to be true. I don't really think so. But I'll change it, just for you.
Space_Dragon 03-23-08, 02:02 AM	I was refering to the gates of horn and ivory specifically. The description of Alchera itself is fine.
alesian 03-23-08, 03:09 AM	Ah, I see. What if the Gates marked the boundary between the Otherworld and the Everywhen? I'm not particularly attached to the original Greek description of them (Ivory is false dreams, horn is prophetic dreams) so I could make them something different. Maybe one is the entrance into the Everywhen, and the other is the exit?
alesian 03-23-08, 11:49 PM	The Underworld Pantheon Pluto Hades, Orcus, Thanatos, Dis Pater, King of the Underworld, Master of the Grave Pluto is stern and unfeeling, with ash grey skin that seems to have been carved from limestone or perhaps even iron ore. He wears nondescript gray robes carved from shale stone only slightly less dull than his skin. He appears to be middle-aged, with a neatly trimmed beard and curly hair, and a face of emotionless, expressionless stone. His eyes are like embers, black but burning with the slightest of flames buried deep inside them. Pluto is solemn acceptance of death, and the understanding that death is the inevitable final step of life. He hordes the treasures that lie beneath the earth, metals and gems as well as knowledge and memories lost to mortals by death’s touch. He is the brother of Neptune and Jupiter and the King of the Underworld, although he is forced to share some of this power with Osiris. Pluto was not always a god of death; once he was a chthonic deity of the deep earth and the wealth hidden below mortal’s feet. The Underworld was discovered before death as it is now known came into existence. Once Jupiter and his kin finally defeated Chronos and imprisoned Gaia, Jupiter had to divide up his new domain between his kindred. Pluto, who had displayed a cold intelligence and a fascination with the treasures, was given the Underworld, a portal to which had been discovered in the prison plane Tartarus after the Titan’s imprisonment. When the Demon Wars were raging, the most fearsome and feared and of the demon lords was Yama, the Master of Death. Death was unchecked in the world; anything could die spontaneously, without rhyme or reason. So when the fey put their plan to defeat the demons into play, Yama was their first target. Three portions of Yama’s power would be stolen, and divided among a fey, a god, and an angel. The god chosen was Pluto, the ruler of the Underworld that would soon become the abode of the dead. The fey was sacrificed, and his soul was guided by the angel Azrael to the Underworld. All three of them were transformed by the process; the fey became Baron Saturday, Azrael became the angel of death, and Pluto the god of death. Pluto’s transformation into the god of death changed his realm of the underworld as well. It became the natural destination for the souls of the departed, and the three dead rivers (Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, Styx, the river of inevitability, and Acheron, the river of woe) began to flow through the realm. Pluto keeps close ties to Azrael and Baron Saturday, perhaps believing that they are now closer kindred to him than his Olympian siblings. Ceres has not forgiven him for taking her daughter as his wife, perhaps leading to his further estrangement from the Olympians. Yama despises Pluto and hopes to one day devour him in an attempt to restore his full power as the living incarnation of death. Osiris Judge of the Dead, Vizier of the Underworld Osiris manages to possess an aura of regality and authority despite the fact that he is clearly half way between alive and dead. His skin is green, not the kind of green that would be associated with rot and decay, but with growth and new life. He is covered in funeral wrappings, like that of a mummy, but much of his skin and face remains visible. He wears the regalia of a noble king, golden headdresses and jewels, all of which are covered with a thick layer of dust. His eyes are absent from his face; he stares out at the dead unblinkingly and judges them without bias or prejudice. Osiris, with the authority granted by the other pantheons, assigns the newly arrived dead to particular domains in the Underworld. This is typically a very bureaucratic affair; generally the funerary rites given to the newly deceased determine where they will be assigned. However, Osiris does have a certain level of discretion on assigning souls to places in the Underworld When the gods realized the importance of the Underworld as the destination of their worshippers, they decided that they could not leave dark and brooding Pluto as ruler of the underworld. This became especially clear after the death of the god Osiris, who was murdered by his brother Set. Osiris’s soul ended up in the Underworld, where Pluto claimed it as his own. Osiris’s wife Isis was outraged when Pluto, acting in an alliance with Set, prevented her from truly resurrecting her fallen husband. Isis attempted the resurrection anyways, and was met with only partial success. Osiris was stuck half-way between life and death, and he was unable to return to the world of the living. So Isis appealed to the heads of the various pantheons, revealing the great power that Pluto now had over both their worshippers and themselves. The gods were filled with rage, but they could not strip Pluto of his position as ruler of the Underworld (especially since it was a job no one else wanted and he hadn’t actually been the one to kill Osiris) but they could punish him. They did this by forcing him to accept Osiris, now trapped between life and death and unable to return to the Aether where the gods dwelled, as the vizier of the Underworld. Isis, who was quite ambitious, chose not to join her husband in the Underworld. Osiris is respected and well regarded by nearly all the major pantheon heads; after all, this is why they gave him his position as vizier of the Underworld in the first place. He also has relationships with Azrael and Baron Saturday in regards to his position as the Judge of the Dead. Secretly, Osiris resents his wife for moving on after his quasi-death and is quite jealous of the entire solar pantheon, since he feels he was cheated out of a place among their numbers. He is cool to his son Horus, and does his best not to reveal his envy of his place among the solar gods. Hel Izanami, Persephone, Proserpina, Queen of the Underworld Hel is impossible to look away from, and looking at her fills a person with both desire and disgust. Half of her body is young and beautiful, with flowing golden brown hair, pale skin, soft eyes and inviting lips. Silken robes drape elegantly across her form, leaving much to the imagination but still giving the impression of gorgeous sensuality. The other half of her body is exactly the opposite. Her hair is dark and matted and patchy. Her skin is rotting and peeling away, revealing the bones and muscles beneath. Her eyelid is peeled back and her eye stairs unblinkingly, completely blinded by a milky cataract. Hel rules over those who are unremarkable and selfish. She has filled her domain with petty criminals, army deserters, embezzlers and simonists, frauds and charlatans. Pluto looks at her preoccupation with these unnoteworthy mortals as a simple hobby and pays it no mind, and Osiris does not concern himself with Hel’s affairs as long as she does not interfere with his. In order to placate Pluto and get him to agree to allow Osiris to take the position of Vizier of the Underworld, the gods were forced to give Pluto a gift. Pluto wanted a wife, and he was allowed to choose from any of the unmarried goddesses. Pluto chose Proserpina, the daughter of the harvest goddess Ceres. The other gods agreed, and Pluto left the Underworld to fetch his new wife. Neither Ceres nor Proserpina was told of Pluto’s choice of wife, and Pluto simply abducted Proserpina right out from under the nose of Ceres. Ceres was infuriated, and appealed to Jupiter for help. It was only then that she learned of the decision that had been made to give Pluto Proserpina as his wife. Ceres was heartbroken, and she temporarily joined the Court of the Anima. This devastated her domain of agriculture, as the power of winter began to rob crops of their vitality. The gods were upset, and appealed to Pluto to allow Proserpina to return to her mother. He agreed, knowing that she would have to return to him eventually. During her stay, Proserpina had ingested the food of the underworld, and this had triggered a transformation. Unbeknownst to most of the gods, Proserpina was actually the daughter of the chaos god Loki. The food of the Underworld combined with her heritage caused half of her to rot away and die, and formed an unbreakable bond between her and the Underworld. She could leave Pluto’s domain for a time, but she would always have to return. Hel has been in secret contact with her father Loki in Tartarus for many years. Her position as queen of the Underworld allows her to easily access the prison plane without being noticed by the other gods. Hel desires to free her father, kill Pluto and Osiris, and rule the Underworld entirely for herself. Charon Boatmen of the Dead Rivers, Guide of the Dead Charon is an emaciated old man, skinny to the point where he is practically a skeleton. Curled horns protrude from the top of his head, framing a cruel face and a wicked smile. He wears plain brown robes, coated with a thin layer of dust but otherwise without stain or blemish. Charon guides the newly arrived dead along the three rivers of the Underworld, bringing them to their proper destination and ensuring that they undergo the proper rituals to ensure that they are received properly in the Underworld. A newly arrived soul in the Underworld is first judged by Osiris, who determines what part of the Underworld the soul should be assigned to. The souls are then sent to Charon, who guides them to their proper destination. Before they arrive at their place in the Underworld, a soul must cross three rivers. The first is Styx, the river of inevitability. The Styx flows throughout the Underworld, as well as through Limbo, and the dead are naturally drawn there. This natural attraction is what allows for Osiris to easily judge the dead and for Charon to then find them. The second is Acheron, the river of woe. For the newly deceased, Acheron is a blessing. As they cross Acheron, the sorrows and pain that they endured in life are sapped away, to a certain degree. The last is Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. The river Lethe is a blessing of sorts as well. The river Lethe drains away some of their memories and attachments to their old lives, causing them to accept their existence in the underworld and protecting them from being draw into Limbo. Charon is rumored to have some sort of special arrangement with Sahra Chalom of the Court of the Psyche. A hero’s journey often requires a descent into the Underworld, a task that Pluto makes quite difficult (if not impossible). But Charon has helped quite a few navigate through the Underworld under the nose of Pluto. For the most part, Pluto, Hel and Osiris ignore Charon as long as he does his job.
Space_Dragon 03-24-08, 12:00 AM	I don't know much of anything about the mythology surrounding the gates of Hypnos, so I'm afraid I can't make any real suggestions. I just think that the formation and dispersion of dreams needs to be more natural and less controlled... Actually, maybe I do have a suggestion. You know how the obsidian door in heaven is the gateway to the lair of the Architect? Maybe the gates of horn and ivory are similar, but instead of leading to his physical hiding place, they are portals into his mind. Things can only come out of the gates; nothing can go in. All dreams are actually derived from the Architect's feverish imagination, molded and adulterated by exposure to mortal minds. If you go this route, the gates can functionally serve as Alchera's power source; as a realm based on the universe's dreams, it might rely on the gates for power just as our world relies on the sun. Hypnos can be the guardian of this crucial site. Just a thought. I'll critique the underworld pantheon as soon as I'm done reading it.
alesian 03-24-08, 02:13 AM	You know how the obsidian door in heaven is the gateway to the lair of the Architect? Maybe the gates of horn and ivory are similar, but instead of leading to his physical hiding place, they are portals into his mind. Things can only come out of the gates; nothing can go in. All dreams are actually derived from the Architect's feverish imagination, molded and adulterated by exposure to mortal minds. If you go this route, the gates can functionally serve as Alchera's power source; as a realm based on the universe's dreams, it might rely on the gates for power just as our world relies on the sun. Hypnos can be the guardian of this crucial site. I really like it. Thank you for the great suggestion. I'll critique the underworld pantheon as soon as I'm done reading it. I'm looking forward to your comments.
Space_Dragon 03-24-08, 02:46 AM	The Underworld Pantheon So instead of copypasting different pantheons and introducing them as competing factions, you're taking specific gods that share portfolios and piecing them together thematically. Damn you. Damn you to hell. I wish I had thought of this. Pluto is stern and unfeeling, with ash grey skin that seems to have been carved from limestone or perhaps even iron ore. He wears nondescript gray robes carved from shale stone only slightly less dull than his skin. He appears to be middle-aged, with a neatly trimmed beard and curly hair, and a face of emotionless, expressionless stone. His eyes are like embers, black but burning with the slightest of flames buried deep inside them. Can't forget the iron helmet that gives him complete invisibility at will. Pluto is solemn acceptance of death, and the understanding that death is the inevitable final step of life. He hordes the treasures that lie beneath the earth, metals and gems as well as knowledge and memories lost to mortals by death’s touch. He is the brother of Neptune and Jupiter and the King of the Underworld, although he is forced to share some of this power with Osiris. Pluto was not always a god of death; once he was a chthonic deity of the deep earth and the wealth hidden below mortal’s feet. The Underworld was discovered before death as it is now known came into existence. Once Jupiter and his kin finally defeated Chronos and imprisoned Gaia, Jupiter had to divide up his new domain between his kindred. Pluto, who had displayed a cold intelligence and a fascination with the treasures, was given the Underworld, a portal to which had been discovered in the prison plane Tartarus after the Titan’s imprisonment. When the Demon Wars were raging, the most fearsome and feared and of the demon lords was Yama, the Master of Death. Death was unchecked in the world; anything could die spontaneously, without rhyme or reason. So when the fey put their plan to defeat the demons into play, Yama was their first target. Three portions of Yama’s power would be stolen, and divided among a fey, a god, and an angel. The god chosen was Pluto, the ruler of the Underworld that would soon become the abode of the dead. The fey was sacrificed, and his soul was guided by the angel Azrael to the Underworld. All three of them were transformed by the process; the fey became Baron Saturday, Azrael became the angel of death, and Pluto the god of death. Pluto’s transformation into the god of death changed his realm of the underworld as well. It became the natural destination for the souls of the departed, and the three dead rivers (Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, Styx, the river of inevitability, and Acheron, the river of woe) began to flow through the realm. Good reconciliation. Osiris manages to possess an aura of regality and authority despite the fact that he is clearly half way between alive and dead. His skin is green, not the kind of green that would be associated with rot and decay, but with growth and new life. He is covered in funeral wrappings, like that of a mummy, but much of his skin and face remains visible. He wears the regalia of a noble king, golden headdresses and jewels, all of which are covered with a thick layer of dust. His eyes are absent from his face; he stares out at the dead unblinkingly and judges them without bias or prejudice. Is Osiris really supposed to look like that? Most pictures I've seen have him at least resembling a living being. Just a flavor thing, but I thought I'd mention. Osiris, with the authority granted by the other pantheons, assigns the newly arrived dead to particular domains in the Underworld. This is typically a very bureaucratic affair; generally the funerary rites given to the newly deceased determine where they will be assigned. However, Osiris does have a certain level of discretion on assigning souls to places in the Underworld What's Pluto's job, then? When the gods realized the importance of the Underworld as the destination of their worshippers, they decided that they could not leave dark and brooding Pluto as ruler of the underworld. This became especially clear after the death of the god Osiris, who was murdered by his brother Set. Osiris’s soul ended up in the Underworld, where Pluto claimed it as his own. Osiris’s wife Isis was outraged when Pluto, acting in an alliance with Set, prevented her from truly resurrecting her fallen husband. Very vivid. I can imagine Pluto, regretfully but coldly, speaking to a weeping Isis. "I see your sorrow. However, the treaty I signed with your brother in law cannot be broken. Had you approached me with contracts of alliance first, I would take your side just as adamantly. But what is done is done, and my word is sacred. I cannot help you." Isis attempted the resurrection anyways, and was met with only partial success. Osiris was stuck half-way between life and death, and he was unable to return to the world of the living. So Isis appealed to the heads of the various pantheons, revealing the great power that Pluto now had over both their worshippers and themselves. The gods were filled with rage, but they could not strip Pluto of his position as ruler of the Underworld (especially since it was a job no one else wanted and he hadn’t actually been the one to kill Osiris) but they could punish him. They did this by forcing him to accept Osiris, now trapped between life and death and unable to return to the Aether where the gods dwelled, as the vizier of the Underworld. Isis, who was quite ambitious, chose not to join her husband in the Underworld. Is that really a punishment? Also, I can't help but think that most lawful gods would see the rightness of Pluto's position. More chaotic or good aligned ones would favor Isis, but most pantheon heads are pretty lawful. I would change it so that the other gods talked him into giving pantheon membership to any halfway responsible god who dies and enters the underworld. Pluto, realizing that this would indeed make his job easier, agreed, and promoted Osiris to viziership. It makes more sense, IMO. Osiris is respected and well regarded by nearly all the major pantheon heads; after all, this is why they gave him his position as vizier of the Underworld in the first place. He also has relationships with Azrael and Baron Saturday in regards to his position as the Judge of the Dead. Secretly, Osiris resents his wife for moving on after his quasi-death and is quite jealous of the entire solar pantheon, since he feels he was cheated out of a place among their numbers. He is cool to his son Horus, and does his best not to reveal his envy of his place among the solar gods. I never really saw Osiris as bitter. Your interpretation is just as valid as mine, its just unexpected. Also, did Isis truly move on? They did have a son after Osiris' death, after all. Hel Izanami, Persephone, Proserpina, Queen of the Underworld You're combining Hel, Persephone, and Izanami? Not sure how well this can work. We'll see. Hel rules over those who are unremarkable and selfish. She has filled her domain with petty criminals, army deserters, embezzlers and simonists, frauds and charlatans. Pluto looks at her preoccupation with these unnoteworthy mortals as a simple hobby and pays it no mind, and Osiris does not concern himself with Hel’s affairs as long as she does not interfere with his. Where are you getting this part from? In order to placate Pluto and get him to agree to allow Osiris to take the position of Vizier of the Underworld, the gods were forced to give Pluto a gift. Pluto wanted a wife, and he was allowed to choose from any of the unmarried goddesses. Pluto chose Proserpina, the daughter of the harvest goddess Ceres. The other gods agreed, and Pluto left the Underworld to fetch his new wife. Neither Ceres nor Proserpina was told of Pluto’s choice of wife, and Pluto simply abducted Proserpina right out from under the nose of Ceres. This makes all the gods look stupid, disjointed, and woefully incompetent. That may not be a bad thing for your setting, but it bears pointing out. temporarily joined the Court of the Anima. That must have been scary. Unbeknownst to most of the gods, Proserpina was actually the daughter of the chaos god Loki. :uh-huh: I thought Ceres had better taste than that. The food of the Underworld combined with her heritage caused half of her to rot away and die, and formed an unbreakable bond between her and the Underworld. She could leave Pluto’s domain for a time, but she would always have to return. Needs a bit of explanation about why being Loki's daughter reacted with the underworld in this way. Seems random. Hel has been in secret contact with her father Loki in Tartarus for many years. Her position as queen of the Underworld allows her to easily access the prison plane without being noticed by the other gods. Hel desires to free her father, kill Pluto and Osiris, and rule the Underworld entirely for herself. Your Persephone is a lot more complex and sinister than most portrayals of her. She even hates Osiris? One would think the two would get along, seeing as they are both essentially trapped in the underworld and resent their positions. If only Osiris wasn't so disgustingly LG, I could totally see them launching a coup de etat against Pluto. One last thing; Pluto doesn't really seem like the type who cares for sexuality, romance, or even companionship. Why did he want a wife so much in the first place, especially one that doesn't even like him and that would cause so much controversy? I like the alignment ambiguity though. Pluto is so torn between LN and LE that I really can't decide which is the better fit. Persephone is really a wildcard. CharonBoatmen of the Dead Rivers, Guide of the Dead Should be an angel or fey instead of a god.
alesian 03-24-08, 03:31 AM	So instead of copypasting different pantheons and introducing them as competing factions, you're taking specific gods that share portfolios and piecing them together thematically. Damn you. Damn you to hell. I wish I had thought of this. Thanks. I wanted to move away from the standard national pantheons, which are more or less large extended families. Can't forget the iron helmet that gives him complete invisibility at will. But of course. Good reconciliation. Thanks. Is Osiris really supposed to look like that? Most pictures I've seen have him at least resembling a living being. Just a flavor thing, but I thought I'd mention. He is typically described as at least partially mummified. I just took it a little further. What's Pluto's job, then? He manages the other affairs of the Underworld-disputes between souls, relations with other entities, expansion, etc. Is that really a punishment? Also, I can't help but think that most lawful gods would see the rightness of Pluto's position. More chaotic or good aligned ones would favor Isis, but most pantheon heads are pretty lawful. It's more of a self-interest thing. They want some one who could theoretically keep tabs on Pluto and mitigate his potential power over them in death. I would change it so that the other gods talked him into giving pantheon membership to any halfway responsible god who dies and enters the underworld. Pluto, realizing that this would indeed make his job easier, agreed, and promoted Osiris to viziership. It makes more sense, IMO. I'll go over what I wrote and think about it. I wrote the description of the incident piecemeal, so it might have made more sense in my head then it does typed up. I never really saw Osiris as bitter. Your interpretation is just as valid as mine, its just unexpected. I don't think he's ever said to be bitter. I just thought that considering his situation, he certainly would be. Also, did Isis truly move on? They did have a son after Osiris' death, after all. Whenever I read Egyptian mythology, she strikes me as sort of a social climber. She had a son with him because he could no longer ascend in political power, so she needed some one else to do it instead. You're combining Hel, Persephone, and Izanami? Not sure how well this can work. We'll see. She strikes me as vaguely similar, although she is closer to Eurydice. Where are you getting this part from? Normally, Hel would get everybody who didn't go to Valhalla. Considering the prerequistes for going to Valhalla that would be...a lot of people, so I narrowed her dominion. That must have been scary. Ceres went through an emo stage. :uh-huh: I thought Ceres had better taste than that. He was most likely shapeshifted at the time. Needs a bit of explanation about why being Loki's daughter reacted with the underworld in this way. Seems random. Well, he is a god of chaos after all. Your Persephone is a lot more complex and sinister than most portrayals of her. She even hates Osiris? One would think the two would get along, seeing as they are both essentially trapped in the underworld and resent their positions. If only Osiris wasn't so disgustingly LG, I could totally see them launching a coup de etat against Pluto. I hadn't thought about the connection there. I would guess that they're both so angry at their positions that they hadn't thought about forming an alliance with the other, and they both view each other as being on the side of their enemies-Persephone sees Osiris as a represnative of the gods who put her here, and Osiris sees her as merely the consort of the god whose trapped her in the underworld. One last thing; Pluto doesn't really seem like the type who cares for sexuality, romance, or even companionship. Why did he want a wife so much in the first place, especially one that doesn't even like him and that would cause so much controversy? Xanatos Gambit. On a more serious note, I hadn't thought about that. I would say he views himself as the king of the underworld, and every proper king needs a queen. Since he was originally a chthonic deity, a nature deity seemed to be the best choice. I like the alignment ambiguity though. Pluto is so torn between LN and LE that I really can't decide which is the better fit. Persephone is really a wildcard. Thank you. Should be an angel or fey instead of a god. Por que?
alesian 04-01-08, 03:37 AM	Minor Planes Limbo Nowhere, the Forgotten, the Demense of False Memory Not all souls successfully make it to the afterlife. Some, for whatever reason, become stuck-unable to move beyond the boundaries of physicality. These souls become ghosts, and find themself in a plane of vast, empty nothing. Beyond the boundaries of the plane the ghosts can see the physical world, and sometimes slip back to the land of the living. But there time there is fleeting, and soon their memories of their lives create a home for them in Limbo. From the ghost's memories, a demense in formed in Limbo, resembling the world of the living as closely as the ghost remembers. The demense may not be completely accurate-a door might lead to nowhere, because in life the ghost never went through the door. The parts of the demense that are most real become close to the living world, and in these places a ghost might occasionally slip into the living world accidentally. Liminality is a concept important in the creation of ghosts on the plane of Limbo. Liminality is the state of transition and in-betweenness. A ghost is more likely to be created if a person dies in a liminal state-especially if they die violently. A bride who is murdered on the day of her wedding by her fiance is quite likely to become a ghost in Limbo. A refugee who is killed just as he crosses into a place of asylum is also likely to become a ghost. The rituals of funerals and burials make the creation of a ghost less likely, and can help an already created ghost cross into the underworld. Limbo is a dangerous place, both for mortals and the ghosts who dwell there. The ghosts who dwell in Limbo wallow in their constructed memories of their past lives, and when confronted with something that reminds them of the fact that they no longer truly live-such as an actual living person-they are prone to becoming violent. In addition to this, part of Limbo leaks into Hell, and the legions of devils occasionally raid Limbo seeking to drag the tormented souls to Hell. Angels of the Choir of Peace sometimes seek to stop them-but the Choir of Peace is largely rumored to be corrupt, so their presence on the plane may not be a blessing to any mortal adventurers.
Space_Dragon 04-01-08, 03:49 AM	Minor Planes Limbo Nowhere, the Forgotten, the Demense of False Memory Not all souls successfully make it to the afterlife. Some, for whatever reason, become stuck-unable to move beyond the boundaries of physicality. These souls become ghosts, and find themself in a plane of vast, empty nothing. Beyond the boundaries of the plane the ghosts can see the physical world, and sometimes slip back to the land of the living. But there time there is fleeting, and soon their memories of their lives create a home for them in Limbo. From the ghost's memories, a demense in formed in Limbo, resembling the world of the living as closely as the ghost remembers. The demense may not be completely accurate-a door might lead to nowhere, because in life the ghost never went through the door. The parts of the demense that are most real become close to the living world, and in these places a ghost might occasionally slip into the living world accidentally. Liminality is a concept important in the creation of ghosts on the plane of Limbo. Liminality is the state of transition and in-betweenness. A ghost is more likely to be created if a person dies in a liminal state-especially if they die violently. A bride who is murdered on the day of her wedding by her fiance is quite likely to become a ghost in Limbo. A refugee who is killed just as he crosses into a place of asylum is also likely to become a ghost. The rituals of funerals and burials make the creation of a ghost less likely, and can help an already created ghost cross into the underworld. Limbo is a dangerous place, both for mortals and the ghosts who dwell there. The ghosts who dwell in Limbo wallow in their constructed memories of their past lives, and when confronted with something that reminds them of the fact that they no longer truly live-such as an actual living person-they are prone to becoming violent. In addition to this, part of Limbo leaks into Hell, and the legions of devils occasionally raid Limbo seeking to drag the tormented souls to Hell. Angels of the Choir of Peace sometimes seek to stop them-but the Choir of Peace is largely rumored to be corrupt, so their presence on the plane may not be a blessing to any mortal adventurers. Why does Limbo open into Hell? Seems quite random. To make the plain more interesting, I'd give it more unique predators and rely less on angelic/diabolical interference. Like, weird, mystical entities that are actually NATIVE to Limbo. Ones that either resent ghosts for violating their territory, or eat them like delicious cake. Nightshades, anyone?
alesian 04-01-08, 02:01 PM	Tartarus The Prison Plane, the Endless Dungeon When the wars with the primordials ended, the gods found themselves in an uncomfortable position. Not all of the primordials had died in the conflict, and the gods could not simply execute the survivors, for both reasons of morality and the fear of what effect this might have on the multiverse. Gaia, a primordial who had joined the gods during the war, offered a solution. She revealed to the gods a secret plane where her husband (and later, her son) had imprisoned some of her children. Gaia led the gods to this prison plane and begged them to release her children. The gods refused. Gaia's children where monstrous and destructive beyond compare; this was a fact that Gaia would not, or could not understand. They did, however, use her suggestion of imprisoning the surviving primordials here. Over time, Tartarus came to be the home of more prisoners: demons and devils and even a few mortals. Everyone in Tartarus is bound in chains both real and metaphysical. The wolf Fenrir, when he was imprisoned here, was locked in a chain made from a woman's beard, a cat's step, a bear's wisdom, and a fish's breath. Chronus, one of the leaders of the primordials, can only leave Tartarus if he were to free Gaia's monstrous children, something he absolutely refuses to do. The locks and bindings of Tartarus are all like that, binding the prisoner both literally and metaphorically. Tartarus is, quite literally, an endless dungeon. The architecture varies, from a cave where the stalagtites form the bars of the cells, to a dungeon traditional in every manner except for the fact that it is scaled for a giant, to an opulent corridor-where all the doors are locked and the windows bared. The only constant is there is no outside-there is only the dungeon of Tartarus.There are parts of Tartarus that remain unexplored, and could hold prisoners that even the greatest god of knowledge could not identify.
alesian 04-01-08, 06:21 PM	Sedna Queen of the Darkened Depths, Mother of Whales, Mistress of Selkies Sedna is like a water-bloated corpse-her skin hangs white from her flesh, slowly peeling off her body, her features have been distorted and her hair grows impossibly long, tangled and pitch black. Tangled in her hair is flotsam and jetsam, and various parasites scurry through the debris. The lower half of her body is like a whale, grey and encrusted with barnacles. Sedna is the bitter mistress of the abyssal seas, where she rules and watches those who ply their trade on the ocean's surface. She considers herself to be a guardian of oceanic creatures, and she sometimes strikes out against those she feels have exploited the bounty of the ocean. She is said to claim the souls of those who drown in the ocean; this may or may not be true. She has been known to sink small boats and drag their inhabitants down to her domain where they will dwell with her in the Whalefall. Marine mammals are her children, trapped in a world where they do not truly belong, just as she is. The selkies owe fealty to her as well, but they are mostly wayward, having abandoned their mistress's cruelty and somberness for humor, trickery, and consorting with mortals. Sedna was once a mortal human and the prettiest girl in her village. Her father sought to marry her off, but Sedna rejected all of her suitors. Finally, a traveller came into the village. He was tall and thin, but he was also quite handsome, and Sedna became enamored of him. When he asked for her hand in marriage, Sedna agreed, and she left her village to go with him to his home. They travelled far across the sea, and when the reached the home of the traveller, he revealed his true form to her: a monstrous bird demon. The demon tormented Sedna, barely feeding her and forcing her to sleep on a bed of cold stone. Sedna's cries for help reached her father's ears, and he journeyed across the sea to rescue his daughter. He came to her in the night, and they snuck off from the home of the demon in his canoe. But the demon discovered this, and he pursued them. Sedna's father was filled with fear, and he attempted to throw Sedna out of the canoe. She clung to the side of the canoe, so her father chopped off her fingers, and she sunk into the sea. She herself became a fey, while her fingers transformed into various marine mammals. Sedna is a vassal of the Court of the Anima. She joined the Court soon after Father Winter took the throne, and has long supported the family of Winter. During the Queen of Air and Darkness's brief stint as ruler of the Court, Sedna worked with Carabosse in plotting her downfall. Now that Holle has taken the throne of Anima, Sedna has become her greatest ally. Sedna admires Holle's cold intellectualism, and believes that Holle will help her in limiting the influence of mortals in the oceanic world.
Space_Dragon 04-05-08, 12:10 AM	Sedna Queen of the Darkened Depths, Mother of Whales, Mistress of Selkies Sedna is like a water-bloated corpse-her skin hangs white from her flesh, slowly peeling off her body, her features have been distorted and her hair grows impossibly long, tangled and pitch black. Tangled in her hair is flotsam and jetsam, and various parasites scurry through the debris. The lower half of her body is like a whale, grey and encrusted with barnacles. Sedna is the bitter mistress of the abyssal seas, where she rules and watches those who ply their trade on the ocean's surface. She considers herself to be a guardian of oceanic creatures, and she sometimes strikes out against those she feels have exploited the bounty of the ocean. She is said to claim the souls of those who drown in the ocean; this may or may not be true. She has been known to sink small boats and drag their inhabitants down to her domain where they will dwell with her in the Whalefall. Marine mammals are her children, trapped in a world where they do not truly belong, just as she is. The selkies owe fealty to her as well, but they are mostly wayward, having abandoned their mistress's cruelty and somberness for humor, trickery, and consorting with mortals. Sedna was once a mortal human and the prettiest girl in her village. Her father sought to marry her off, but Sedna rejected all of her suitors. Finally, a traveller came into the village. He was tall and thin, but he was also quite handsome, and Sedna became enamored of him. When he asked for her hand in marriage, Sedna agreed, and she left her village to go with him to his home. They travelled far across the sea, and when the reached the home of the traveller, he revealed his true form to her: a monstrous bird demon. The demon tormented Sedna, barely feeding her and forcing her to sleep on a bed of cold stone. Sedna's cries for help reached her father's ears, and he journeyed across the sea to rescue his daughter. He came to her in the night, and they snuck off from the home of the demon in his canoe. But the demon discovered this, and he pursued them. Sedna's father was filled with fear, and he attempted to throw Sedna out of the canoe. She clung to the side of the canoe, so her father chopped off her fingers, and she sunk into the sea. She herself became a fey, while her fingers transformed into various marine mammals. Sedna is a vassal of the Court of the Anima. She joined the Court soon after Father Winter took the throne, and has long supported the family of Winter. During the Queen of Air and Darkness's brief stint as ruler of the Court, Sedna worked with Carabosse in plotting her downfall. Now that Holle has taken the throne of Anima, Sedna has become her greatest ally. Sedna admires Holle's cold intellectualism, and believes that Holle will help her in limiting the influence of mortals in the oceanic world. Alaskan mythology. Dude, you need any inspiration at all, I've worked in tourist bookstores, totem pole museums, and historical libraries in Alaska. There's some really badass stuff, in addition to Sedna.
alesian 04-12-08, 04:16 AM	Alaskan mythology. Dude, you need any inspiration at all, I've worked in tourist bookstores, totem pole museums, and historical libraries in Alaska. There's some really badass stuff, in addition to Sedna. Sure, I'd appreciate the help. Anubis Protector of the Dead, Sentinel at the Crossroads, Keeper of Embalming Anubis is a tall and lithe man with a narrow waste and broad shoulders. His skin is tanned from the desert sun and he wears around his hips a plain white garment embroidered with the symbols of the passage to the afterlife. He holds in his hands an ank an a scapel, each made of darkness and light in equal proportions. His most notable feature is his head; it is that of a desert jackal, black and grim, staring out at the world with cold and judging eyes. Anubis is the great protector of the dead, the sentinel that ensures that mortal souls can safely make the passage to the afterlife. He teaches the art of embalming to mortals in order to reduce the chance of a soul becoming trapped in the terrible state of undeath. This is one of the purposes of funerary rites; they make it easier for a soul to pass to the underworld and help to ward off the threat of undeath. This is why being denied funerary rites is a common punishment for criminals; to be denied a proper burial makes it more difficult for a person to pass on into the next life. Anubis entered into the underworld with Osiris after his death, at the behest of Isis. When Osiris was promoted to his position of vizier of the underworld, he made Anubis his chief advisor. Anubis, however, was more concerned with the actual welfare of the dead than Osiris, who was mainly focused on getting the position of authority that he had been denied because of Set's treachery. Anubis helped Osiris set up the system by which the dead would be sent to different places in the underworld, depending on who they had worshipped and how they had acted in life. He also was the one who made arrangements with Charon regarding the three rivers of the dead in the underworld. Charon had appeared in the underworld after the defeat of Yama, but Pluto had largely ignored him and the rivers. Anubis works closely with Osiris, since Anubis's funerary rites help Osiris determine the proper resting place of a newly arrived soul. Anubis is also closely aligned with the angels of the Choir of Peace, and helps them to guide souls to the underworld. He trusts the angels of the Choir, despite the longstanding suspicions surrounding their actions. Anubis is the constant enemy of necromatic powers such as Baal-Zvuv and Belphegor, as well as any other power who would take the dead from their rightful place in the afterlife. This places him at odds with the entirety of Hell, since a common technique of the devils to gain new souls is to abduct ghosts from Limbo.
VampyresThrenody 04-12-08, 08:28 AM	The Fomorians When the demons were first created, they existed in forms that were utterly unnatural and abhorrent. Their mere existence caused the fabric of nature to unnravel, and they might have caused the utter destruction of reality had it not been for the long, hard work of the fey. The fey worked to integrate the demons into nature, and before long they no longer posed the dire threat they once had. Not all demons accepted this fate, however, and many worked to undo the efforts of the fey. One group of demons, that would be known as the Fomorians, eventually found a way to undo the work of the fey, to a degree. The Fomorians worked foul magics to unbind themselves from nature. They were not able to obtain the level of unnatural depravity that demons had once possessed, but they had obtained a degree of success. The most common form of Fomorian was that of a giant with only one eye, one arm, and one leg. Other Fomorians were similarly misshapen-horns growing from peculiar places, using fins to walk and feet to grasp or eyes to taste and tongues to see. The common theme their forms shared was that of nature perverted. They used natural parts of thier bodies in ways that nature had not intended. The Fomorians were at first confined to a single world, the planet Eire. The Fomorians eventually clashed with the other natives of the world of Eire, the Fir Bolg. Though the Fir Bolg were not as skilled in magic and transmutation as the Fomorians were, they were more rooted in reality and common sense. The Fir Bolg, led by Slaine, rose up against the monstrous Fomorians and sought to destroy them. The Fomorian ruler Elatha, rather than letting his people be destroyed, led them into the ocean depths. The event on Eire and the Fomorians corruption of the rules of reality had an impact so deep that the fey of the world known as Danu became alerted to the events. These fey, known as the Tuatha de Dannun, decided to travel to the world and reconcile it with the Dreamtime. The Fir Bolg where immediately distrustful of these new arrivals. They viewed the Tuatha, with their strange forms and arcane magic, as being akin to the Fir Bolg. The Tuatha, led by their king Nuada, attempted to convince the Fir Bolg that the fey and the Dreamtime had a place in the world, but the Fir Bolg would hear nothing of it, and war erupted between the Tuatha de Dannun and the Fir Bolg. During this time, the presence of the Tuatha cause the world to be reunited with the Dreamtime, and fey native to Eire where created. One of these fey called herself Eire, after the world that had born her. She was beautiful, and her beauty caught the eye of the Fomorian king Elatha. Elatha seduced Eire, and she gave birth to the Fomorian Bres. Eventually, the Tuatha defeated the Fir Bolg, who were forced to accept the presence of fey on their world. As part of the settlement, most of the world was reserved for nature, with about a quarter of the world being given to the Fir Bolg civilization. However, the war had not been a complete success for the Tuatha, as Nuada had lost his hand, and the ancient law of the Tuatha prevented the king from ruling if he had any sort of physical blemish or deformity. In addition to this, the Fomorians, sensing weakness in these new arrivals, began to re-emerge from the ocean depths. The Tuatha, who were then a young and idealistic people, saw the unnatural Fomorians and saw opportunity to solve two problems. Like most fey, the Tuatha’s first impulse when encountering something out of sync with nature was to bring it back into line with nature, and they believed that intermixing with the Fomorians would do just that. The Tuatha married a noble’s daughter, named Brigid, to the Fomorian half-breed Bres, and allowed him to become their ruler. Bres’s kingship was a disaster for the Tuatha. He treated them like slaves, and led the Fomorians back up from the sea to ravage the land again. The ancient laws of the Tuatha kept them from deposing him, as he had not a single blemish on his body. At least, he did not until a Tuatha bard sang a song mocking him so deeply that his body broke out in boils and sores. Some report that his wife Brigid, who is widely credited with inventing the bardic arts, taught the bard the song in the first place. Regardless, Bres was deposed and Nuada, who had replaced his severed hand for one made of silver, was reinstated. War immediately broke out between the Fomorians and the Tuatha. The Fomorians had a new king, Balor, who could slay entire armies just by opening his single monstrous eye. The war raged for some time, and Balor even killed Nuada, but he himself was eventually slain by his own grandson, Lugh of the Long Arm, a product of intermixing between the Fomorians and the Tuatha. Brigid's son by Bres was also killed during the fighting, and Brigid invented the keening wail to mourn his passing. Her song was so dark and beautiful that it cause the banshees to come into existence, and it attracted the attention of Baron Saturday, the fey master of death. He spoke with Brigid about her invention, and it is said that they began a secret romance after that day. The Fomorians were chased back into the sea, and Eire was freed of their influence. The Tuatha's success against the Fomorians led to their ascencion among the ranks of the fey, and now many Tuathan nobles hold great positions of power and influence among the four fey Courts. All of the most famous Tuatha-Brigid, the Dagda, Lugh, the Morrigan, Cernunnos-are veterans of the war with the Fomorians and will to this day devote many resources to battling any Fomorian incursions. However, the Fomorians have now discovered how to travel between worlds, and they have used this power to bring their perversions to new domains. They hold in their hearts a hatred of the fey, and especially of the Tuatha, who they will go out of their way to kill and maim. I have yet to read through all of your writings but I just got to this part and msut say, I love it. I recently did a whole class in Ireland on Celtic gods and the Battle of Mag Tuired was always one of my favorites. I like the way you did it!
VampyresThrenody 04-12-08, 04:28 PM	Tartarus The Prison Plane, the Endless Dungeon When the wars with the primordials ended, the gods found themselves in an uncomfortable position. Not all of the primordials had died in the conflict, and the gods could not simply execute the survivors, for both reasons of morality and the fear of what effect this might have on the multiverse. Gaia, a primordial who had joined the gods during the war, offered a solution. She revealed to the gods a secret plane where her husband (and later, her son) had imprisoned some of her children. Gaia led the gods to this prison plane and begged them to release her children. The gods refused. Gaia's children where monstrous and destructive beyond compare; this was a fact that Gaia would not, or could not understand. They did, however, use her suggestion of imprisoning the surviving primordials here. Over time, Tartarus came to be the home of more prisoners: demons and devils and even a few mortals. Everyone in Tartarus is bound in chains both real and metaphysical. The wolf Fenrir, when he was imprisoned here, was locked in a chain made from a woman's beard, a cat's step, a bear's wisdom, and a fish's breath. Chronus, one of the leaders of the primordials, can only leave Tartarus if he were to free Gaia's monstrous children, something he absolutely refuses to do. The locks and bindings of Tartarus are all like that, binding the prisoner both literally and metaphorically. Tartarus is, quite literally, an endless dungeon. The architecture varies, from a cave where the stalagtites form the bars of the cells, to a dungeon traditional in every manner except for the fact that it is scaled for a giant, to an opulent corridor-where all the doors are locked and the windows bared. The only constant is there is no outside-there is only the dungeon of Tartarus.There are parts of Tartarus that remain unexplored, and could hold prisoners that even the greatest god of knowledge could not identify. How does a mortal end up in Tartarus? Does being in this plane prevent them from dying of old age? Where do they go if/when they die once placed here? Do you have any plans of placing anyone/thing here as an overseer/jailer of sorts?
alesian 04-13-08, 08:23 AM	I have yet to read through all of your writings but I just got to this part and msut say, I love it. I recently did a whole class in Ireland on Celtic gods and the Battle of Mag Tuired was always one of my favorites. I like the way you did it! Thank you! I've always loved Celtic mythology, and I wanted to find a way to incorporate the Book of Invasions into my campaign. I'm glad you liked it. How does a mortal end up in Tartarus? Typically, by being imprisoned there by a god. This most frequently happens if the mortal is rather powerful and can't be trusted to be placed in the underworld, or if the god has a grudge against the mortal for whatever reason. Does being in this plane prevent them from dying of old age? Being imprisoned in the plane does. Where do they go if/when they die once placed here? Mortal prisoners won't die here. If a mortal is in the plane without being a prisoner and they die, they will typically end up as a ghost, because the angelic choir of peace does not frequent Tartarus. Do you have any plans of placing anyone/thing here as an overseer/jailer of sorts? Not really. Tartarus is the jailer of Tartarus. The plane itself ensures that the needs of prisoners fulfilled and other duties that a jailer would have.
Pyre_Born 06-24-08, 03:11 AM	I know this is definitely thread necromancy, but I love this, and must give my kudos on this topic! Peace, Pyre
Giradius 06-26-08, 01:14 AM	Looks very interesting so far! Will you be including any Lovecraftian monstrosities into this mythos? perhaps as Insane Primordials or strange obscure primordials of say flesh, slime, poison, radiation (the seething nuclear chaos that mindlessly writhes at the heart of the universe), or Gaiman-esq thought forms of insanity, maybe they are the result of breeding/combining of Primordials and Demons? Also, what is the great architect doing while all this is going on? In order to give him/her/it a bit of drama of its own would be to have it split into a few entities (to give the mythos a William Blake sort of edge), these few entities could be the absolute concepts not covered by the primordials, so you could have Intelligence,Emotion,Might, or even go down the Michael Moorcock Law,Chaos route. The Painting by Blake The ancient of days is thought by some to be a painting of God (YHVH if I remember correctly, my days of kabbalah study are long gone :D ) but is actually a picture of the god Urizen from his own pantheon, (the name of Urizen has its root as the words You Reason) and he is the architect of the universe, dispassionate, and without interest in affairs of heart and feeling, he is the law and structure of the universe.
Pyre_Born 10-16-08, 11:17 PM	Looks very interesting so far! Will you be including any Lovecraftian monstrosities into this mythos? perhaps as Insane Primordials or strange obscure primordials of say flesh, slime, poison, radiation (the seething nuclear chaos that mindlessly writhes at the heart of the universe), or Gaiman-esq thought forms of insanity, maybe they are the result of breeding/combining of Primordials and Demons? Also, what is the great architect doing while all this is going on? In order to give him/her/it a bit of drama of its own would be to have it split into a few entities (to give the mythos a William Blake sort of edge), these few entities could be the absolute concepts not covered by the primordials, so you could have Intelligence,Emotion,Might, or even go down the Michael Moorcock Law,Chaos route. The Painting by Blake The ancient of days is thought by some to be a painting of God (YHVH if I remember correctly, my days of kabbalah study are long gone :D ) but is actually a picture of the god Urizen from his own pantheon, (the name of Urizen has its root as the words You Reason) and he is the architect of the universe, dispassionate, and without interest in affairs of heart and feeling, he is the law and structure of the universe. I'd love to see Lovecraftian Mythos tie into this story. Whether it be from the OP, or someone posting a possible addition. Really wish this thread hadn't died off...and here I am again...the Thread Necromancer...muahahaha...cough...haha!