Pantheon 2.0 - Game Thread

[Xar]

Hedra Iren

Father of the Dwarrows, no apology is needed. The Pantheon is not what it once was, and mistrust runs deep in the hearts of mortals and immortals alike. Worry not about betraying my privacy, for the knowledge of who I am and where I come from, of what I have seen and what I guard, should be revealed to the gods.

Goddess of Commerce, I thank you for your welcome. I shall endeavour to visit your library and work closely with you in the spreading of knowledge among the mortals of Eiran.

And to all the assembled gods I say: I join your company, but so that none may contest the validity of my assertions in later times, let me state this.

The goddess of knowledge I may be, but I am also the goddess of Law. I have taken this burden upon myself, and I intend to uphold it, through my own heritage, my power, and the Book of Law forged by the Smith. I shall not abide any attempt at breaking or cheating the laws of the world, and I shall be glad to ratify any agreements between my brothers and sisters, and watch over their fulfilling. And though I am the goddess of knowledge, do not believe that all my knowledge will be accessible to all of you at all time; I have seen first-hand the results of undeserved knowledge, and I shall not let Eiran suffer anew in this way. Thus, you may ask for lore, but there is lore you may not receive, should I deem it too powerful for your hands - and this shall be as much for your protection as for Eiran's.

[Injerian Praetus II]

I will sign a treaty with all the pantheon not to spread my mutagens outside of Nor Pupae in exchange for certain things. This book will thus prove beneficial to everyone.

[I'm Murrin]

You seek to bind us, and yourself, to the will of this new god, Simjen? One who is untested, unknown?
It could be madness to have done such a thing. We must hope that you chose well in it.


Hedra Iren, we do not know you. We cannot know your mind, or your intentions. And thus we cannot bind ourselves willingly to your law. However, we hope this will not be cause of hostility between us. Our opinion of your law may change, when have have come to know you better.

[Simjen]

Such petulence ill-becomes you, Maeror. Have you not sought since the beginning to bind us by binding our followers to your afterlife (despite the fact that the vast bulk of souls on Eiran are unclaimed)? Have you not created your own laws of death? Did I come to Eiran, telling you and your followers how you must use fire? Have I enforced my own protocols on how other gods' smiths must work the iron? I did not.

I saw a need, and I filled it. I have no regrets about my actions up to date. Can you say the same?

What is most surprising is that your tones are of surprise. Considering I told you of my plans and asked for your aid, receiving your usual delayed response of non-committal, it sounds disengenuous at best.

[I'm Murrin]

You did not tell us you intended to grant this god power over all of the gods through this Law. We understand now what you said about your reasons for this--before, we could not understand how a god of Knowledge could do as you said.

And our reaction was not disinterest. We asked to learn more, and you gave us that. But we were occupied elsewhere. We did not think you intended to act so swiftly on the matter, and would have aided once our own concerns were seen to.
But we would have questioned your intent immediately if you had seen fit to inform us of this other part.

[Simjen]

I spoke of a goddess of Law from the very beginning. Did you think I meant the Goddess of A Few Laws That Will Only Pertain to Deities I Don't Like? And I also said that there were other issues besides Nor Yekith's (and though Yekith and I have already discussed this issue and the roots behind it, I see no reason for you to put it out there like that, considering) mutations to worry about. Law is Law, Divided One. If you pick and choose, it becomes known as Whim... which is apparently what our followers have to look forward to when they come to your door.

[I'm Murrin]

The word Law was never mentioned, Simjen. I am sure of that. The closest you came to informing me of this issue was to say in your first message that you intended to raise her as a goddess of knowledge "and order"--two words, given no emphasis and easily forgotten among those exchanged.

[Simjen]

Unfortunately, I only have the correspondence starting from where I told you what I had learned. But I can say I never attempted to conceal information from you. Quite the opposite, even considering how little you have chosen to share in return. But Order, Law... there is little difference.

Regardless, your argument still ignores your hypocrisy. When I was plagued by the screams of my followers echoing from the afterlife, I trusted you to get it right. When my questions to you, voiced with the respect due to your station and domain, went unanswered beyond an "I'll think about it", I did not voice my displeasure, nor have I bridled at your hesitance to fulfill simple requests.

But your recalcitrance now leads me to question that. What need have you for the souls of our followers, considering the number of mortals that are unclaimed by any god, much less those of your own? If you will not follow the laws of Eiran, why should our followers submit to yours? Most importantly, why should we continue to let you grow stronger off the misfortune of our followers? Why must we come to you, who will only play by his own rules, for tablescraps when the lamb belongs to us?

I, for one, vow to slow the flow of souls of my followers to your domain to a trickle. If you will not share the harvest, you will be left with the chaff.

[stonemaybe]

Maeror wrote:

It is not I who threatens to tear reality. It is not I who invade others lands. I have threatened no one. I do only what I am forced to by circumstance.

It is not I who invade others lands.

I may be wrong, but as far as I can tell, you are the only god who has taken over a city belonging to another god. OK you did not physically invade. The result was much the same though.

From the Allfather to me:

When all is done, dawn rises over the ruins of what was once a majestic temple, now reduced to little more than a pile of smoking rubble; and not too far from it, the bodies of your most faithful followers and priests, as well as the city rulers, hang from a series of crudely constructed gibbets where they sway in the wind, easy prey for the crows.
Thus it was that Porsulis's Night of Blood cleansed the ancient town of your presence, and bestowed it upon Maeror instead.

[Mistress Cathy]

I thank you, Hedra Iren, for your acknowledgement. I look forward to working with you.

[I'm Murrin]

From the Allfather to me:

When all is done, dawn rises over the ruins of what was once a majestic temple, now reduced to little more than a pile of smoking rubble; and not too far from it, the bodies of your most faithful followers and priests, as well as the city rulers, hang from a series of crudely constructed gibbets where they sway in the wind, easy prey for the crows.
Thus it was that Porsulis's Night of Blood cleansed the ancient town of your presence, and bestowed it upon Maeror instead.

Believe me, reparations will be made. I do not wish my followers to behave in such ways - indeed, Illumar the God-Touched went to speak with the city's rulers peacefully; I do not know why they were slain. I will also rebuild your temple; the gods deserve more respect than these people have shown.
In repayment for the priests and followers of yours who were killed: ask of me, and you shall receive.

[Norn]

Hail Melirelle and Hedra Iren. Be welcome among us.

[Nerdanel]

Arrik had been tracking the snow deer for hours when a realization dawned her that she had lost both the deer and herself in the windswept mountains. It had been a while since she had last seen hoof marks, and earlier she had been so preoccupied with the faint marks that she no longer had an idea which way lay the sheltered valley where her tribe - the Ukannog - had posted their tents.

A stiff breeze from the fathomless gulfs of night drove sparse snowflakes ahead of it, and erased Arrik's footprints as she watched. There was no hope of finding that deer now. The best she could do was to turn back and hopefully find her way back to the camp where there would be some food, even if it was nothing more than a bite of rabbit and some roots. The fortunes of the Ukannog had not been good of late. But it was no use thinking about it. She had to start moving. Up here the cold could kill through the best furs if one gave in to the fatigue and laid down.

At that moment the first sliver of a full moon rose above a distant mountain and lit the world with its pale brilliance. It comforted Arrik. Even with the night eyes of her orcish race, she saw better under moonlight.

But this time the moonlight did not behave quite like in the past. A bright moonbeam shot to the rimed rocks in front of her. In a moment a figure had coalesced from the light.

She was an orc like her, but taller, and her strong features possessed of an extraordinary handsomeness, even beauty. She wore white furs that were at the same time practical - like a hunter might wear - and regal beyond the gowns of the lowland mortal queens. She wore many ornaments of carved bone, and on her hand was a spear tipped with fine steel. She and everything with her was swathed within an aura of pale radiance. The goddess - for there was no doubt that she was that - spoke. "Well met, child," she said, and the voice held both music and steel.

Arrik remained standing despite the almost overwhelming sense of divine presence and faced the goddess's gleaming silver eyes. "Who are you, lady?" she said, using the ancient orcish honorific.

She smiled, as if she approved of her courage. "I am Tsaloga. You may have believed that orcs are ignored by gods, but it is not so, for I have come. Look."

The light shifted, and moonlight fell on a nearby small gully that had previously been in darkness. In the bottom Arrik saw what she had previously taken for ordinary boulders, was a pack of sleeping snow deers. She raised her spear, and one of the deers died without uttering a cry. She could have killed another one, but instead she stood and allowed the pack to scramble to flight.

"You are wise. It is goodly to not kill more than one can use or carry home," Tsaloga said. "Your camp is that way, beyond that mountain." A moonbeam showed a path, which was not the way Arrik had come. She realized the snow deer had led her through a near circle.

"One thing more," the goddess said, and a brief light erupted inside Arrik's head, I have given you a message to be given to all the tribes of Eiran and a sign of my favor."

It was not until Arrik got home that she found out that at will she could summon a nimbus of light around to her, like an echo of the moon.

[Norn]

A warm welcome to you sister Tsaloga.

[Bhakti]

Welcome, Tsaloga. May your followers have good Hunting. (For food and Mates! )

[Vadhaka]

Welcome indeed to all our new bretheren, and welcome especially to my sister Hedra Iren. Though these are troubled times on Erian, I am grateful that you have seen our need and consented to join us.

The natural order of things is in dire need of stregthening, and the joy I feel as the blood of our father Avatar gains new ascendance cannot be expressed by mere words. *bows*

Nor Yekith, though I thank you for your offer, once more I repeat that there are no debts between us. The slate is clean. I wish you joy of our new deity, your bride, and welcome Melirelle among us.

And Tsaloga, welcome also. The world truly grows to be a richer place as our Pantheon expands. *bows*

[Benito Alvarez]

Hail to our new Dieties. May your reigns be long and joyus.

[Benito Alvarez]

Conerning Law and Justice.

It is my hope that the new Law being laid down will not stagnate into bearacracy. Justice will always seek out those who need purifying. I would hope Hedra and I can work together, and not against.

Remember, though. Justice follows no laws but its own.

[Norn]

So justice is therefore based on the whims of a militaristic deity? May the All Father preserve us.

[Injerian Praetus II]

So justice is therefore based on the whims of a militaristic deity? May the All Father preserve us.

Well said. And who watches the watcher? And will the Lord of Justice delivers the punishment as he sees fit? Or will he kneel to Law?