Pantheon 2.0 - Game Thread

[Mistress Cathy]

Oath?

I must have missed something. I don't remember asking for an oath.

[Bhakti]

I asked for an Oath. If Yek expends Power to "mutate the plague into a harmless form," I can only assume it will be what he considers harmless, but I consider harmful. It is not even a matter of intentionally harming me, or us. It is a matter of perception. Does he consider all the forced mutations he has visited upon his own followers to be harmful?

As he is responsible for the plague's presence on Landir and Kortral, I feel he should expend the energy to get rid of it. But his methods will likely damage me. (And let's face it, since he's repeatedly said he will destroy, though not kill, me, he wouldn't exactly lose any sleep over it.) Therefore, if I have no reason to believe he will allocate Power to Maeror to take care of it, I will have to. And the Oath of the All Father is the only thing I have reason to believe is currently binding to him.

And no, Yek, I will not enter a non-aggression pact with you. You and I already had a pact, and you broke both its letter and spirit. I, on the other hand, take pacts seriously. I would truly be bound by it, and you would attack me - again - either in direct violation of the pact (as when you Mutated the Forest of Nor Pupae) or with a loophole of some sort. If that is the only way you will help eradicate the plague that you are responsible for, then I will do it myself.

[Injerian Praetus II]

And no, Yek, I will not enter a non-aggression pact with you. You and I already had a pact, and you broke both its letter and spirit. I, on the other hand, take pacts seriously. I would truly be bound by it, and you would attack me - again - either in direct violation of the pact (as when you Mutated the Forest of Nor Pupae) or with a loophole of some sort.

Would it make any difference if the pact was signed within that book of laws? I am willing to have peace with the rest of the pantheon, as well as not mutate the world, and having that deal enforced by godly law. And you refuse that? Why? Because you do not trust me? No one does. But read this carefully: the pact will bind me.

[Xar]

Hedra Iren

Sister Jove, while I acknowledge and respect your role as the goddess of Trade and Commerce, my opinion is the same as Norn's; thus, I see no reason to use the Book of Law to bind any trade agreement to your will.

Nevertheless, the proposal of a neutral Trades Guild will go a long way towards allaying the fears of many gods. Perhaps in such a proposal lies the seed to escape the lure of the Divine Wars that all gods seem so eager to enter.

Brethren! Are you so eager to break the world again? Look upon your people! Maeror, Adomorn, look upon those who die in your name for no fault of their own, other than faith in a god. Can these disputes really be solved only by bloodshed? Are the gods of Eiran so little that they use their followers as pawns in their disagreements, respecting so little those from whom your very life springs forth? War echoes in all three major continents of Eiran; how long before these three wars transform into the Divine War?

Hear me! I am the Goddess of Law. I do not desire to see the Divine Wars again; I remember the carnage all too well, as others among you should as well. I shall not sit idly by and wait for another Nephirthos, another Foul One, to rise to power and decimate the mortal people of Eiran.

I call upon all of you. Lend your strength and your power. I desire to write a Law in the Book: that all gods be prevented from bringing about a new Divine War, unless they wish to pay dearly for it through the breaking of this Law.

I will provide the foundation, brethren, but I shall have need of your power. The greater the will of the gods of Eiran, the stronger the punishment that shall befall those who break this Law.

[Injerian Praetus II]

I call upon all of you. Lend your strength and your power. I desire to write a Law in the Book: that all gods be prevented from bringing about a new Divine War, unless they wish to pay dearly for it through the breaking of this Law.

I will provide the foundation, brethren, but I shall have need of your power. The greater the will of the gods of Eiran, the stronger the punishment that shall befall those who break this Law.

I second this. I will gladly sign the Book of Law. As much as anyone else, I desire peace and harmony in Eiran. And if the means to this is for me to also sign that I will not mutate life outside of Nor Pupae's borders, so be it.

[Simjen]

Although war is good for business, there is too much wisdom in what you say to ignore, Hedra Iren. Although I cannot say with utter conviction that I can support the law until I know the letter of it, I tentatively pledge my vote and one DRP to back it.

[Chisi La'Roo]

War is natural. I would also argue that it can be key to progression and evolution. The threat of war keeps those who risk too much from doing just so.

While I do not condone war, I can not condemn it, either.

I do not want to see the world torn asunder. However, I do not want to limit any one of us in anyway. Keep in mind war is one of our borther's domains. Shall we just remove from him one aspect of himself? I will not.

[Mistress Cathy]

Sister Jove, while I acknowledge and respect your role as the goddess of Trade and Commerce, my opinion is the same as Norn's; thus, I see no reason to use the Book of Law to bind any trade agreement to your will.

I'm confused, Hedra Iren. Would not all agreements between the gods be written down in the Book of Law? Would not a trade agreement between Nor and myself, for example, be put in the Book? Isn't this what the book is for?

I have no wish to bind trade and commerce to my personal will. Just to have a legal agreement with any god who wished to trade with me. The agreement would bind me as well.

I am honestly confused on the role of the Book of Law if it is not for making legal agreements and treaties between the gods.

Sister Chisi, you make an excellent point, as do you Brother Simjen.

However, I agree with Hedra Iren of the wisdom of the trade guild and the beginning of peace in Eiran.

As the goddess of commerce I must say that while war can stimulate an economy, the cost is extremely high and some of the members of the Pantheon itself may pay with thier lives. Followers and prophets may die and the land of Eiran itself would be scarred making future trade slow and subsequent economies weak.

We are gods, afterall. We should be able to come to peace agreements if we all work together.

[Mistress Cathy]

I call upon all of you. Lend your strength and your power. I desire to write a Law in the Book: that all gods be prevented from bringing about a new Divine War, unless they wish to pay dearly for it through the breaking of this Law.

How would they pay dearly for it? What exactly would be the price? Death?

[Bhakti]

Would it make any difference if the pact was signed within that book of laws? I am willing to have peace with the rest of the pantheon, as well as not mutate the world, and having that deal enforced by godly law. And you refuse that? Why? Because you do not trust me? No one does. But read this carefully: the pact will bind me.

The Book is another matter. You did not ask for that:

Done. But I will not swear any oath until I have assurance that you and your partner are willing to enter into a non-aggression pact with me. Once you promise me this, I will invoke the oath.

As I said earlier, I will help bind you whenever I can, but be sure that I will do all I can to eliminate loopholes in any pacts you take part in. Would you expect anything less? You have betrayed the only agreement we ever had, and you have repeatedly sworn my destruction.

However, I will not have you use the Book as a bargaining tool for your help in this. You gave the plague to my and Mithyaat Vam's people; all of Landir is immediately threatened; and, if Magran becomes infected, all of Eiran is at risk. I, and any who will help, will give Maeror Power to finish the job. If you want to allocate any Power to the Healer for this, all the better. If not, I hope you will at least not hinder our efforts.

And, again, my thanks to Maeror. *bows*

[Injerian Praetus II]

You have repeatedly sworn my destruction.

Destruction? Yes, in a way. But I want you to remain alive. Believe me, there will come a time when you will join with me. It is inevitable.

However, I will not have you use the Book as a bargaining tool for your help in this. You gave the plague to my and Mithyaat Vam's people; all of Landir is immediately threatened; and, if Magran becomes infected, all of Eiran is at risk. I, and any who will help, will give Maeror Power to finish the job. If you want to allocate any Power to the Healer for this, all the better. If not, I hope you will at least not hinder our efforts.

How many times must I repeat this? I did not send the plague into your lands. I did not create the plague. On the Oath of the Allfather, a cult of demons is taking control of my Houka.

But I will expend energy in stopping the plague. Both a sign of Nor Yekith's good will and evidence I am innocent in the matter of the plague.

[Bhakti]

Destruction? Yes, in a way. But I want you to remain alive. Believe me, there will come a time when you will join with me. It is inevitable.

Yes, you have repeated this, also. And yet, if it was conceivable that I could agree to your plans, you would have been open with them from the beginning. "Hey, everybody, I have a plan that nobody could possibly think is bad! Let me tell you about it..." Instead, you cloak your lands. When you hide things, it makes me think you have something to hide. And you mutate Forests. Call me crazy, but I would have a problem with that even if you hadn't pledged not to. And there's invading and kidnapping. Forgive my reluctance for not embracing your promise that I will think of my destruction as a good thing, even if you promise it will not be total obliteration.

How many times must I repeat this? I did not send the plague into your lands. I did not create the plague. On the Oath of the Allfather, a cult of demons is taking control of my Houka.

How many times must I repeat this? The plague in my lands was caused when you intentionally exploded the Houka that you intentionally sent to my lands. You did not explode them because they were controlled by demons.

But I will expend energy in stopping the plague. Both a sign of Nor Yekith's good will and evidence I am innocent in the matter of the plague.

If you mutate anything in Landir or Kortral, even the plague, it will be for your benefit and my harm. If you will not expend energy by allocating it to the Healer, kindly keep out of the matter entirely.

[Injerian Praetus II]

Instead, you cloak your lands. When you hide things, it makes me think you have something to hide. And you mutate Forests. Call me crazy, but I would have a problem with that even if you hadn't pledged not to.

What I do in my lands is none of your business. And nor are you allowed to question me about the cloaking. Sure, you are allowed to get suspicious (as usual), but just because I cloak my lands does not make me guilty of anything. I'm not the only one who has done it. Further, I did it to protect myself.

The plague in my lands was caused when you intentionally exploded the Houka that you intentionally sent to my lands. You did not explode them because they were controlled by demons.

First off, I told you years ago that you could keep my Houka. Second, prove that I caused the plague. When you bring me proof I will make reparations.

If you will not expend energy by allocating it to the Healer, kindly keep out of the matter entirely.

If that's what it will take for you to sign a pact within the Book of Law, very well.

Edit: Meant the wrong thing - got confused.

[Bhakti]

Second, prove that I exploded the Houka. When you bring me proof I will make reparations.

Bhakti, I have utterly destroyed the Houka that you trapped. You are not fit to have them. I also do not wish you to influence them. But you may use their corpses for compost or to feed to your predators. But they will never be used to act against me.

[Injerian Praetus II]

Lore: Sorry, I wrote the wrong thing - I meant spread the plague.

[Bhakti]

*ahem*

I never said you caused the plague. I am saying that you exploded your plague-carrying Houka in my lands, and that is the reason the plague is in my lands.

[Injerian Praetus II]

Yes, I exploded them. But I did not cause the plague. Sometimes these things are purely coincidental. And why would I waste spending power in healing the lands? I have better things to expend my magnifient powers on.

[Bhakti]

Again, I did not say you caused the plague. I merely say you are responsible for its presence in my lands. And not for a single second did I imagine you would actually help eradicate it. What would be the point in introducing it to my lands in the first place if you then had to spend power to eradicate it??? But if I had welcomed your offer to mutate it to a "harmless" form... Ah, then your having sent it to me makes sense!

[Injerian Praetus II]

Again, I did not say you caused the plague. I merely say you are responsible for its presence in my lands. And not for a single second did I imagine you would actually help eradicate it. What would be the point in introducing it to my lands in the first place if you then had to spend power to eradicate it??? But if I had welcomed your offer to mutate it to a "harmless" form... Ah, then your having sent it to me makes sense!

But why would I send the plague in the hope of being allowed to cure it and then mutate life all over Landiir? Do you realise how open to attack I would be? It becomes a 'double-blow' so to speak. I'd risk the entire pantheon acting against me. Believe me, if I had known the Houka would 'do' this I would never have killed them.

[Bhakti]

Because "Darn! I didn't know the Houka carried the plague! Sorry, Bhakti!" is easily followed by "Darn! When I tried to mutate the plague to a harmless form, I didn't know it would graft itself onto all of your followers and mutate them! Sorry, Bhakti!" Maaaaaany of my followers would then be yours; your power would be tremendous, even great enough to hold off a large assault from two or three others who would band against you; I might even have less than 500 left to me, and be ripe for the Womb's plucking. By "trying to help" (*nudge nudge*), you would hurt me beyond help, and gain Eiran.

Your Malicious actions - invasion and exploding - are responsible for the plague's presence in my lands. I have already spent DRP's trying to eradicate it, and will now have to spend more. Even that is a help to you, since I cannot use those DRP's to keep pace with you in strength. By not helping eradicate the plague, you gain ground over me, bringing the day of my destruction by your hand that much closer.