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| storyline [2022/05/09 05:54] – { epicanis | storyline [2022/05/10 06:00] (current) – { epicanis |
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| Gods, by their very nature, are generally exempt from the petty troubles of the mortal world, but they do have concerns of their own. In fact at this time, Teerdavk had three in particular. | Gods, by their very nature, are generally exempt from the petty troubles of the mortal world, but they do have concerns of their own. In fact at this time, Teerdavk had three in particular. |
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| Firstly, naturally, was the innate urge to *grow* and be *more* that a typical young diety develops. Teerdavk had felt its potency increase gradually from that first, faint communion with the lone lost goblin who first seeded the cavern's pit with wastes and fungal spores, to the small but well-established village populated almost entirely with infernal persons born one by one from the pit. Teerdavk's new existence as a god of Infernal people granted it certain bits of knowledge gifted to it by The Deepmost, who rules all Infernal gods. Teerdavk now understood that other Infernal gods might become aware of it and seek to steal away some of its potency and influence. Teerdavk also became aware of the existence of the defiantly-oppositional Celestial gods ruled by The Distant, who would seek to destroy Teerdavk outright if they could. In this situation, Teerdavk knew that growing its own power was not only the most gratifying, but also the safest course of action. Better that other Infernal gods should seek to collude, and Celestial gods seek to avoid, and ideally that both should fear opposition to Teerdavk. | Firstly, naturally, was the innate urge to grow and be *more* that a typical young diety develops. Teerdavk had felt its potency increase gradually from that first, faint communion with the lone lost goblin who first seeded the cavern's pit with wastes and fungal spores, to the small but well-established village populated almost entirely with infernal persons born one by one from the pit. Teerdavk's new existence as a god of Infernal people granted it certain bits of knowledge gifted to it by The Deepmost, who rules all Infernal gods. Teerdavk now understood that other Infernal gods might become aware of it and seek to steal away some of its potency and influence. Teerdavk also became aware of the existence of the defiantly-oppositional Celestial gods ruled by The Distant, who would seek to destroy Teerdavk outright if they could. In this situation, Teerdavk knew that growing its own power was not only the most gratifying, but also the safest course of action. Better that other Infernal gods should seek to collude, and Celestial gods seek to avoid, and ideally that both should fear opposition to Teerdavk. |
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| This led to Teerdavk's second concern. As it grew, Teerdavk began to feel the presence of other gods. At first, just the overwhelming but far-away existence of The Deepmost, and then later an Infernal god of cold, dark waters who was the patron god of the next-nearest Infernal population - the mostly-inaccessible town that Chokluk's founder had left from to go exploring. Teerdavk felt little interest or intent from that one. However, Teerdavk had very recently begun to notice, just at the edge of its perception, what felt like a forgotten, diminished god. It was old, and quite small, and seemed unlikely to be any threat to Teerdavk regardless of its nature, but its Infernality or Celestiality seemed bafflingly ambiguous, and it was restless. | This led to Teerdavk's second concern. As it grew, Teerdavk began to feel the presence of other gods. At first, just the overwhelming but far-away existence of The Deepmost, and then later an Infernal god of cold, dark waters who was the patron god of the next-nearest Infernal population - the mostly-inaccessible town that Chokluk's founder had left from to go exploring. Teerdavk felt little interest or intent from that one. However, Teerdavk had very recently begun to notice, just at the edge of its perception, what felt like a forgotten, diminished god. It was old, and quite small, and seemed unlikely to be any threat to Teerdavk regardless of its nature, but its Infernality or Celestiality seemed bafflingly ambiguous, and it was restless. |
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| If gods were purely rational beings, these would have been Teerdavk's far most pressing concerns, but Teerdavk's defining nature made it obsess over a far more urgent problem: Teerdavk was bored of its diet. Guano, half-fossilized bats, cave insects, and fungus. And of course the townsfolk and their garbage, but since virtually everyone and everything in the town was born of The Pit, it was all in effect simply slightly-processed guano, half-fossilized bats, cave insects, and fungus, and so provided very little additional variety. This limited Teerdavk's options, and in any case was no way for a respectable god to live. It was time to have something done about this. | If gods were purely rational beings, these would have been Teerdavk's far most pressing concerns, but Teerdavk's defining nature made it obsess over a far more urgent problem: Teerdavk was bored of its diet: Guano, half-fossilized bats, cave insects, and fungus. And of course the townsfolk and their garbage, but since virtually everyone and everything in the town was born of The Pit, it was all in effect simply slightly-processed guano, half-fossilized bats, cave insects, and fungus, and so provided very little additional variety. This limited Teerdavk's options, and in any case was no way for a respectable god to live. It was time to have something done about this. |
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| Teerdavk set off through the Dreamlands to find a gatekeeper. | Teerdavk set off through the Dreamlands to find a gatekeeper. |
| "One that is inquisitive. And also acquisitive. Oh, and with a hunger, so that it can better understand what I want of it." | "One that is inquisitive. And also acquisitive. Oh, and with a hunger, so that it can better understand what I want of it." |
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| The gatekeeper said nothing, but reached for the object it had placed atop the column and lifted the far upper corner, revealing it to be a codex. Its content, if any, was as inscrutable as its cover, but the pages like impossibly thin slices of lightlessness being flipped through by the gatekeeper suggested that something would be there to read if it could be seen. The gatekeeper turned towards the last pages of the codex, tracing along with its finger until it located what it sought, and then turned back to somewhere in the middle. It read, turned another page, read some more. tThen the gatekeeper tapped the page it was reading with a finger. It seemed to nod slightly and then strode directly to the front of the gate and opened the doors. They swung silently apart except for the dull thud at the end of their motion. | The gatekeeper said nothing, but reached for the object it had placed atop the column and lifted the far upper corner, revealing it to be a codex. Its content, if any, was as inscrutable as its cover, but the pages like impossibly thin slices of lightlessness being flipped through by the gatekeeper suggested that something would be there to read if it could be seen. The gatekeeper turned towards the last pages of the codex, tracing along with its finger until it located what it sought, and then turned back to somewhere in the middle. It read, turned another page, read some more. Then the gatekeeper tapped the page it was reading with a finger. It seemed to nod slightly and then strode directly to the front of the gate and opened the doors. They swung silently apart except for the dull thud at the end of their motion. |
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| The opened gate resembled the entrance to a root-cellar filled with heavy black smoke. It was as opaque as tar, but wisps of it flowed out of the lower edge of the gate a short way before evaporating. There were no sounds of footsteps as the gatekeeper marched down into this darkness, but its head bounced downwards in a way that implied stairs before it sank entirely out of sight. | The opened gate resembled the entrance to a root-cellar filled with heavy black smoke. It was as opaque as tar, but wisps of it flowed out of the lower edge of the gate a short way before evaporating. There were no sounds of footsteps as the gatekeeper marched down into this darkness, but its head bounced downwards in a way that implied stairs before it sank entirely out of sight. |
| "It's for that one" Teerdavk answered pointing to the spirit. Teerdavk paused to remember the word for the concept it had heard in the distant voice of the Deepmost. "It is...investment?" | "It's for that one" Teerdavk answered pointing to the spirit. Teerdavk paused to remember the word for the concept it had heard in the distant voice of the Deepmost. "It is...investment?" |
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| "Ambition *and* wisdom. You grow quickly, little god. Go ahead." The gatekeeper held the spirit out towards Teerdavk, who broke the remaining mushroom in half. One half was returned to the plate. The other, offered to the spirit who grabbed at it with half-formed limbs and shoved it eagerly into the wide hole that formed below its eyespots. The hole was surrounded by jagged protrusions suggesting a memory of sharp teeth - well, Teerdavk *had* said it wanted one with a natural hunger. The symbolic binding complete, the gatekeeper handed the spirit to Teerdavk, told Teerdavk the spirit's name, and turned to walk back to its place by the pedestal. Then, uncharacteristically, it stopped and turned back. | "Ambition *and* wisdom. You grow quickly, little god. Go ahead." The gatekeeper held the spirit out towards Teerdavk, who broke the remaining mushroom in half. One half was returned to the plate. The other, offered to the spirit, who grabbed at it with half-formed limbs and shoved it eagerly into the wide hole that formed below its eyespots. The hole was surrounded by jagged protrusions suggesting a memory of sharp teeth - well, Teerdavk *had* said it wanted one with a natural hunger. The symbolic binding complete, the gatekeeper handed the spirit to Teerdavk, told Teerdavk the spirit's name, and turned to walk back to its place by the pedestal. Then, uncharacteristically, it stopped and turned back. |
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| "We are not expected to have opinions on such things, but we do hope you remain manifest long enough to reach a worthy end. We expect your progress to be entertaining, and the form your payment takes..." There was a brief pause. "Elsewhere, we have dealings with a small god of suffocating stench, for example. They are an effective and loyal contributor to the Infernal cause but..." another pause. "We find eating mushrooms pleasant." Then the gatekeeper turned again and stepped behind the pedestal, picking up the inscrutable codex and returning it to whatever mysterious place it had come from, and then crouching down to wait for its next client. | "We are not expected to have opinions on such things, but we do hope you remain manifest long enough to reach a worthy end. We expect your progress to be entertaining, and the form your payment takes..." There was a brief pause. "Elsewhere, we have dealings with a small god of suffocating stench, for example. They are an effective and loyal contributor to the Infernal cause but..." another pause. "We find eating mushrooms pleasant." Then the gatekeeper turned again and stepped behind the pedestal, picking up the inscrutable codex and returning it to whatever mysterious place it had come from, and then crouching down to wait for its next client. |
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| Teerdavk's home was the metaphysical meeting of the village of Chokluk's reclamation pit in the waking world and the near-Dreamlands. | Teerdavk's home was the metaphysical meeting of the village of Chokluk's reclamation pit in the waking world, and the near Dreamlands. |
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| Teerdavk was not entirely sure if the unusual level of personal interest from the gatekeeper was particularly promising, or particularly sinister, but there was no time to ponder. Without a life to sustain it, a spirit will degrade quickly. Simply "creating life" was something that only those disgusting Celestial-god perverts did. Decent Infernal gods did this sort of thing the appropriate way - by reforming and repurposing already-existing life. Teerdavk directed its intent at the waking-world half of its existence, and felt a mass of worms, beetles, slime-molds, and the diffuse vitality of rot obey, pushing itself together into a unified body. At the same time, Teerdavk pushed the spirit to mingle with the coalescing flesh, and felt the spirit take hold. Now the spirit could choose its own shape, and Teerdavk could concentrate on the last important step - the gift-giving. The gift of language. Knowledge of Chokluk and its vicinity, to the extent that Teerdavk knew it. A purpose. The *hunger* of the pit itself...this gift was, metaphorically speaking, not merely accepted but outright eagerly ripped from Teerdavk's hands and was welcomed into this new person's nature as though reuniting with a long-lost favored co-conspirator. Teerdavk hoped it had not overdone it. Teerdavk paused. Wasn't it forgetting something? | Teerdavk was not entirely sure if the unusual level of personal interest from the gatekeeper was particularly promising, or particularly sinister, but there was no time to ponder. Without a life to sustain it, a spirit will degrade quickly. Simply "creating life" was something that only those disgusting Celestial-god perverts did. Decent Infernal gods did this sort of thing the appropriate way - by reforming and repurposing already-existing life. Teerdavk directed its intent at the waking-world half of its existence, and felt a mass of worms, beetles, slime-molds, and the diffuse vitality of rot obey, pushing itself together into a unified body. At the same time, Teerdavk pushed the spirit to mingle with the coalescing flesh, and felt the spirit take hold. Now the spirit could choose its own shape, and Teerdavk could concentrate on the last important step - the gift-giving. The gift of language. Knowledge of Chokluk and its vicinity, to the extent that Teerdavk knew it. A purpose. The *hunger* of the pit itself...this gift was, metaphorically speaking, not merely accepted but outright eagerly ripped from Teerdavk's hands and was welcomed into this new person's nature as though reuniting with a long-lost favored co-conspirator. Teerdavk hoped it had not overdone it. Teerdavk paused. Wasn't it forgetting something? |
| A substantial portion of the tiny lives in the pit crushed themselves together at the surface of it, forming a fleshy pulsating wad, which then gradually reformed itself into a recognizable body. It solidified into a smallish infernal person. It had short horns on its forehead, fingers that were long and slender, talons for feet, and a whiplike tail. It took a breath. The priestess raised her staff dramatically. | A substantial portion of the tiny lives in the pit crushed themselves together at the surface of it, forming a fleshy pulsating wad, which then gradually reformed itself into a recognizable body. It solidified into a smallish infernal person. It had short horns on its forehead, fingers that were long and slender, talons for feet, and a whiplike tail. It took a breath. The priestess raised her staff dramatically. |
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| "Greetings, new villager..." she began. Then: "Uh...hello? Are you awake?" | "Greetings, new villager..." she began. Then: "Uh...hello?" |
| The newborn imp snored slightly. | The newborn imp snored slightly. |
| Then, its eyes snapped open and it sat up. The priestess sighed quietly, and tried again. | Then, its eyes snapped open and it sat up. The priestess sighed quietly, and tried again. |
| -- | -- |
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| Oordo strolled back towards the Pit, not even looking as they passed Choumo dragging a long mushroom-stalk towards the food-preparation hut. Oordo turned when they reached the pit and headed down the sloping end of the cavern towards the water. The underground river was currently more of a small, shallow stream at the moment, so Oordo had no trouble lowering themselves down from the low ledge and down onto the exposed damp riverbed. | Oordo strolled back towards the Pit, not even looking as they passed Choumo dragging a long mushroom-stalk towards the food-preparation hut. Oordo turned when they reached the pit and headed down the sloping end of the cavern towards the water. The underground river was more of a small, shallow stream at the moment, so Oordo had no trouble lowering themselves down from the low ledge and down onto the exposed damp riverbed. |
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| The phosphorescent lichens seemed to thrive here even better than around the village, so by Infernal standards, the space was well-lit with its bluish-green glow. Oordo cold clearly see opening near the ceiling off to their right where water poured out and down into a wide, shallow pool. From there, it ran as a shallow stream past Oordo and disappeared down into a sharply downward-sloping outlet in the opposite wall. A few stalactites hung from the ceiling. The riverbed/stream-bank was covered with smooth, rounded stones of varying sized, and lines of crusty minerals along the walls indicated to typical high-water mark, just above the height of Oordo's head as he stood there. | The phosphorescent lichens seemed to thrive here even better than around the village, so by Infernal standards, the space was well-lit with its bluish-green glow. Oordo could clearly see opening near the ceiling off to their right where water poured out and down into a wide, shallow pool. From there, it ran as a shallow stream past Oordo and disappeared down into a sharply downward-sloping outlet in the opposite wall. A few stalactites hung from the ceiling. The riverbed/stream-bank was covered with smooth, rounded stones of varying sized, and lines of crusty minerals along the walls indicated to typical high-water mark, just above the height of Oordo's head as they stood there. |
