Blank Slate (Everyone Welcome)

[Shayuri]

Technically speaking, it's appropriate. Humanity's technology is focused on releasing the energy stored in complex molecules like...oh, wood, oil, and so on...by burning them, basically. This adds to entropy, by reducing the fuel to less energetic forms and releasing the stored energy as heat and light. When you get right down to it, all technology is the byproduct of that basic reaction.

...though from a mythological standpoint, it's unusual. Still, someone has to bring fire from the heavens. I was thinking it might be Whisper...but I post too slow.

 

[WarlockLord]

Hey, man is a chaotic creature with a short lifespan. And most of these technology either create entropy or bring death.

 

[Shayuri]

Yep! I don't mind at all, actually. There's other things I can bring man.

Also, just so there's no IC misunderstandings, here's what Whisper is really doing...though it's my hope y'all will play along IC.

By lighting 'his fire' in Man's heart, the Empyreal will do more than just stimulate humanity with drive and curiosity...but with a soul. Thus a great, possibly the greatest, mystery will be born...which will give Whisper quite a hold on mankind. Plus it'll give humankind a means to transcend death, which will give her no end of amusement.

The dragon's immortal, but not a god. What she's getting from IT should be obvious. The egg is what she needs to offer the Void. Hopefully the queen dragon has so many eggs she won't notice one missing. And if she does, she won't think to look under the sand in the desert.

Why she's making the request of the Void is more circituous, and multithreaded. One reason is because dragons are powerful, way powerful, and right now she has no hold on them at all. They're physically strong, magically strong, never die, and have plenty to eat. But if they WANT things, then she can OFFER them things. Without relying on juvenile inexperience and jealousy that is (see above . It'll also make the dragons and men fight alot which accomplishes two ends. It'll keep humankind's numbers down at first, slowing their early population growth, and it'll result in humanity having a powerful enemy to match wits with, forcing them to grow and evolve and giving them a reason to use their newfound creativity and drive.

She wants both dragons and man to learn...to learn a lot. Things that are Unknown are lost to Whisper. In order to be a secret, SOMEONE has to know it first.

 

[Ambrus]

By lighting 'his fire' in Man's heart, the Empyreal will do more than just stimulate humanity with drive and curiosity...but with a soul.

Who? humans? What are humans? I don't remember making any humans... Hey! Who gave them my fire?!?

Seriously though, the way I've described the Empyrean, he's a titanic god with epic powers more suited to shaping the cosmos than fiddling with mircoscopic naked monkey things. His curiosity nearly destroyed the earth before it could really get started. It took all his concentration to create a single egg without vaporising it. The accidental explosion and spread of plant and animal life were simply the result of too much power poured into the egg. Dragons are so massive, strong and powerful because that's as small as the Empyrean could safely manage to make them and still have them able to hold his fire. If he tried lighting the same kind of fire in humans that he placed in dragons he'd likely immolate the whole species in the attempt.

I think I'll leave the sedecution and corruption of humans to the more wily and subtle gods. There seems to be no lack of them popping up lately.

Still no nature gods? *sigh*

 

[Shayuri]

I was thinking more of a metaphysical fire in this case... Spiritual.

Seems like he's the logical source of a soul. I'm open to other ideas though!

As for the rest, I suppose Whisper can lure humanity into being curious and so on herself.

 

[Ambrus]

The concept of a soul is a bit premature in the sense that souls are only necessary for creatures that are designed to die. So far, there is no heaven or hell, no afterlife to which the souls of the dead could aspire to enter. Dying was simply not part of the Empyrean's plan when we created life.

It's unclear if WarlockLord created humanity whole-cloth or whether he simply reshaped some smaller mammals from among those that spontaneously arose from the shattered egg-shell. Either way, he seems to have given his god of death and entropy the ability to create or reshape life to suit his needs. Since his humans are sentient then they would seem to have as much soul as they are likely to need. Feeding their ambition should be child's play for the wily gods. Simply get the Dreamer to show them a possible future and they'll surely strive towards it.

 

[Shayuri]

Hmm. I was thinking there'd have to be souls -before- there was an afterlife.

Then there'd be all these ghosts left after humans die...and the gods would have to DO something with them all. Then our god of death could also be the lord of the afterlife, the sheperd of souls. I was just thinking that it made sense for souls...imperishable as they are...to come from Empyreal in the first place.

We can brainstorm a bit though, if that doesn't appeal. Where else might immortal souls derive from? Or are they emergent? A natural property of humanoid life? But then again, who or what defines what natural properties are?

Ooo...or perhaps a -human being- is responsible for it. Whisper could lure a human...one of those Hero guys of myth...to ride a dragon to the Empyreal, and steal a bit of his fire. In this case, again, not -literal- fire.

Maybe the dragons are wiping the humans out, and Empyreal Flame...as distinct from the pedestrian flame of branches...is put forth as the possible solution.

HMM

 

[Ambrus]

I was just thinking that it made sense for souls...imperishable as they are...to come from Empyreal in the first place.

That does make a certain sense.

Where else might immortal souls derive from? Or are they emergent? A natural property of humanoid life?

That's pretty much what I was thinking. By imbuing it with quintessence, the Empyrean has already given to life the inherent qualities which distinguish it from the base elements; including whatever a soul happens to be.

Also, maybe an afterlife isn't really necessary; perhaps souls reincarnate endlessly in this world. Catch ya next life.

Then again, maybe the entropy gods eats them all. Who's the god of entropy again? I have trouble telling the lot of you apart; you're all darkness, shadows and death.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Do you have room for another? I'd love to get in on this.

 

[Nazhkandrias]

Darimaus, congratulations! You have successfully sown the seeds of a new universe, where the players be Gods themselves! The factor that sets this apart from other "Godgames" is that being Gods, in this instance, is not an excuse for power, but rather, a facet for expression and creation, unbridled and in its purest form. You have not attracted players who simply want to become powerful, for the sake of power (as in powerplayers), but who wish to use that power for a greater purpose. This intrigues me to no end! I would love to join!

Now, I could make some lame joke about wishing to be the greatest of Gods, the almighty Chuck Norris, but let's skip it, shall we? One thing that I have noticed is that you have Gods that at least partially deal with the elements (Wind, Earth, Fire, etc.). And yet, the seas rage unsupervised! Perhaps a God of water, the domain forbidden to man, the shifting tides, the falling rain, the sustenance of all life as we know it, is in order? If you would have me, I would be content to fill this niche. As a rough draft (correct as you see fit), I present to you the God of Water.

Name: Pluvos
Titles: The Ever-Shifting Tide, The Rain Serpent
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Water, Rain, Sea, Change, Respect
Symbol: Two back-to-back cresting waves around a sea serpent's head.
Dogma: That which is needed may be provided in an instant, and it may be taken away just as quickly. Respect and do not take for granted what you need to live, lest it be the death of you.

I will provide more detailed information if I am accepted. So, how about it? Provider of water, a force that can be every bit as dangerous as it is necessary? Don't worry, I'll fit his genesis to the story.