Pantheon 2.0 - Game Thread

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

As one who suggested she would bend her knee to the World Breaker ... I wonder what note you will indeed sing!

I will think on it ... and discuss choices with she who is my Wife ... but your motives are suspect. What song will you sing so powered ... one of CONQUEST of this World Breaker ... or one of surrender - as you already have!!

[Hedra Iren]

Enough, Kadna. You are in no position to fault anyone for words hastily offered. And where you have had ages to cultivate your personal brand of abrasiveness, O-gon-cho has had scant years to find her way in this world. I, for one, believe she has always meant well. And is in that intention that we should examine her proposal, and to follow through with the question "Will it work?"

[O-gon-cho]

Thank you for your belief in me, Hedra.

Cousin, you know me better than many suspect I believe. You also know I am foolish in many of the things I attempt to do, and know that I have come to regret many of my actions in the past. But, in this my domains guide me and despite the flaws of the current deities who holds them, I believe if we allow our domains to guide us in their use, and not what we want to do with them, that what is done benefits all.

I beg your trust on this.

[Mistress Cathy]

The only way to stop him is as one. One fist, one mind, one attack.

This next turn, we attack as one. All side issue are put where they belong, to the side. I know that there are many things plaguing our peoples, but if they are all destroyed it will not MATTER if they were plagued when they were killed.

We all need to put ALL our power into one attack. ALL of it.

If we cannot band together, we will die seperated. That is all I have to say.

Funny, isn't this what I had personally said to all of you?

Some have not even responded to my call to arms.

However, I like the idea of the song. I think it will work. Joining all of Eiran is a stupendous idea.

[Xar]

Melirelle

Goddess of Wealth, surely you must be mistaken, because I am quite sure you never asked me for help. Nevertheless, this is a gambit which I am not willing to face - if O-gon-cho is wrong (and thus far we know of no proof that she's right), all we'll do is waste all our power into a futile attack while the World Breaker destroys more of the world. Without proof that this avenue of attack will indeed work, I am not willing to sacrifice three more months and possibly countless lives among my worshipers. For all we know, this could even be a plan of the World Breaker's to distract us, deviously insinuated in the Goddess of Air's mind.

I have not been idle these past months, and I have gathered the armies of Nor Pupae; many are deployed to protect the kingdom, but many more are ready for war. Should we agree on a better plan of action, I will certainly lend my assistance.

[Mistress Cathy]

Forgive my oversight, Melirelle. I thought I had personally spoken to everyone.

I believe we have all done what we can individually to protect our followers.

Please, if you have any ideas or plans, share them with us so that we can best decide how to protect Eiran.

[O-gon-cho]

Goddess of Wealth, surely you must be mistaken, because I am quite sure you never asked me for help. Nevertheless, this is a gambit which I am not willing to face - if O-gon-cho is wrong (and thus far we know of no proof that she's right), all we'll do is waste all our power into a futile attack while the World Breaker destroys more of the world. Without proof that this avenue of attack will indeed work, I am not willing to sacrifice three more months and possibly countless lives among my worshipers. For all we know, this could even be a plan of the World Breaker's to distract us, deviously insinuated in the Goddess of Air's mind.

I have not been idle these past months, and I have gathered the armies of Nor Pupae; many are deployed to protect the kingdom, but many more are ready for war. Should we agree on a better plan of action, I will certainly lend my assistance.

Sister, I am saddened you are not willing to at least give this a try. For I believe there is a reason the World Breaker has singled me out, other than just my responsibility for his return.

He stated nothing under the skies of Eiran can affect him. I still believe battle is not the way, even with our combined strength, as it consists of techniques found under the skies.

But Music...

Music moves people, and it can move them together. So if I take a message and wrap it in song to send to all of Eiran, the agreement of all for a common purpose would serve as an amplifier for the message, and the song itself would act as a catylyst. If all of Eiran is focused on the repudiation of Nephirthos, it is my belief there is no way he can stand before that.

Is not Music created by the mundane moving rapidly, at a level beyond mortal sight, making the very air move in a pattern? How is it that we g-ds hear? There is no 'air' in the g-dly realms. We hear things and speak to each other over great distances, even through voids. Think what the power of Music could do in such a medium. Not only does our power go to the very fundamental nature of things, but it can go beyond, doing whatever our imagination wills of it.

Music has to be considered one of the weakest realms. But that only means it is more subtle. Just as gravity is the weakest form of energy, yet it effects the entire universe, which would fall apart without it. So does the stretch of Music's influence spread beyond what the most fearsome display of combat could match.

Even with all of our strength, we still have no idea how strong Nephirthos actually is. If the potential of Eiran is infinite (and I believe it is), then the combined strength of us with Eiran itself must surely be greater than any single g-d, no matter how powerful. Indeed, as Astavyastataa Kadna's myth explains, it is the g-ds who gain power from Eiran, not the other way around.

[Xar]

Melirelle

The God of Battle's myth is exactly that - a myth. And as for your belief of having been singled out because you might be dangerous - entertain, if you will, the notion that you have been singled out because you had the misfortune of being the one who brought Nephirthos back.

I do not believe your plan will succeed. Truthfully, I have seen no reason that it should do so: your words are intriguing, but ultimately just a theory. And I very much doubt all of Eiran would focus on a single purpose, even if you tried: mortals are a diverse lot, and unless you have heard already, in some of my cities, and in some unaligned ones, many mortals are already turning to Nephirthos's worship, whether out of fear or lust for power. [/quote]

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

Bah ... you misunderstand foolish one!! It is WORSHIPPERS who give power to Gods in this domain!!

However, we do not KNOW if the Worshippers of Eiran are what power the World Breaker!! In fact, I think NOT or he would be on the rolls of gods! His worshippers are from the VOID ... or the AllFather himself (and if so Eiran is doomed!)

You may sing this World Breaker your lullabye. I have better things to do with my power!

[O-gon-cho]

The God of Battle's myth is exactly that - a myth.

A myth that perhaps holds a grain of truth, Sister.

And as for your belief of having been singled out because you might be dangerous - entertain, if you will, the notion that you have been singled out because you had the misfortune of being the one who brought Nephirthos back.

Aye, so I did for awhile, and found myself diminished already.

But, when angered and humiliated by the public twisting of my words I sent him, I realized, as Adomorn stated, that his words are not to be taken at face value. I do believe there is more to this, for just "rewarding" me for inadvertantly bringing him back would not stay his hand against me until the end.

I do not believe your plan will succeed. Truthfully, I have seen no reason that it should do so: your words are intriguing, but ultimately just a theory. And I very much doubt all of Eiran would focus on a single purpose, even if you tried: mortals are a diverse lot, and unless you have heard already, in some of my cities, and in some unaligned ones, many mortals are already turning to Nephirthos's worship, whether out of fear or lust for power.

Sister, we must each choose our own way. If I gain enough support from others, I wish to make the attempt in spite of not having all the Pantheon with me. Will you at least agree to allow the Song to penetrate your lands, to move your followers if it will, and to do it's intended work if it succeeds, even without your support of power?

Bah ... you misunderstand foolish one!! It is WORSHIPPERS who give power to Gods in this domain!!

Cousin, I do not misunderstand, for I believe on Eiran even every tree, nay every leaf, is a worshipper who gives their choice of G-d power. And like those who make up our primary worshippers, I believe the less sentient worship different G-ds. Not every aspect of Nature belongs to Bhakti, as I do not have the worship of every Dragon. But, Eiran itself will hear my Song. Whether it listens and decides to join in the chorus remains to be seen. But I sincerely hope I am given the chance to try, with enough support to at least attempt the Song's success.

[Hedra Iren]

As the goddess of knowledge, I have often contemplated, frequently at length, the nature of worship.

First, why would it matter how many followers a god has? If the god gains more followers and receives a corresponding gain in Divine Rank, has the nature of the god changed? Other than outside agency, what could account for it? Consider the fact that if enough mortals believe your sphere of influence has changed, you do indeed change domains. What makes us so inconstant that we can be changed at a whim? Indeed, you think we gods would be less concerned with eachother than gifted mortal storytellers.

No, there's something mortals give us that we cannot get by ourselves.

And this ineffable 'thing'... how much is there? Surely each mortal holds a measure of it. And how many mortals dwell on Eiran? We only tap into this power when they come to worship us. But where is it when they don't? Surely you do not believe most mortals are atheists. Unless perhaps you believe they only come into existence after they enter our service? *scoffs*

If we had reached the limit of available believers, we could not gain Divine Rank without taking it from others. Yet nothing suggests we are even close to that point.

So if we choose to make use of that untapped reserve of power, why wouldn't we be able to do so, so long as it is in agreement with their own interests? And if there's one interest that almost every mortal being on Eiran shares, it is survival.

Conviction is the key. As has been noted, mortals are a fractious lot. Aligning their purpose would be difficult. But of all the tools to use, I believe music would be the most fitting. And if Argothoth can manage to summon all the dead with less DRP than we collectively have available, why should it be so much harder to get nearly all the living (mathematically, much fewer in number) to do something which should come much more naturally - act in their own defense.

If anyone could defeat Nephirthos by force, it would have been my husband. What makes you think you could succeed where he did not? And look what havoc he can still cause afterward - cities destroyed, prophets corrupted. If there is some great plan that can match these capabilities, I have yet to hear of it. That alone bodes ill for it.

For now, I think it best to focus on what might work rather than continue with variations of what hasn't.

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

[Not for Nephy]

Perhaps your grief has dimmed you Knowledge!!

It is clear that the World Breaker gains power from the Void. For o-gon-cho to succeed we must infer that the power we can harness on Eiran (even if all) exceed the power that the World Breaker taps from the VOID.

I say we do not RISK it. I am not willing to waste all our DRP on such ephermeral wishes!! We seal the VOID forever first!! That either 1) seals the World Breaker in - problem solved or; 2) cuts him off from his renewable power!!!

Then we take apart his minions ... they are tough; but we know we can succeed. And then ... if he is still here ... o-gon-cho can sing him to death ... or perhaps I will just take his HEAD with my sword!! And burn his body to ASH (I promised Jove his ashes!)

One question ... how do we seal the Void. Well, my FAVORED Astroth has Simjen's Nails!! And we have the lady of the Weave!! Let is make SURE that the World Breaker cannot tap power before we attack again!!

[Hedra Iren]

If the void offers more power than we have, how do you expect our power to be sufficient to close it?

[I'm Murrin]

Sealing the gate on Eiran would not require us to match the entire power of the void, Hedra.

[Hedra Iren]

And you came to this knowledge how? -- I think you are incorrectly comparing this breach to those sealed by Norn's efforts or my husband's nails. They are beasts of entirely different colors. No rift has ever destroyed a city alone, nor allowed one's prophet to be taken from their service. And do not forget the nature of the rift that allowed Nephirthos to come into being in the first place.

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

If the void offers more power than we have, how do you expect our power to be sufficient to close it?

Ahhhh ... clearly the power could not 'punch' thru absent o-gon-cho's mishap with Chastus! I believe there is a limited manifold between our reality and this void. A conduit if you will, that can be staunched ... even if the void itself cannot be obliterated!

Did not your husband close similar rents in reality? Do you have access to more of his Nails? Perhaps stronger still!!

[I'm Murrin]

The powers you speak are those directed by the will of Nephirthos. We speak not of the source of the power, not the wielder of it--only the conduit through which it flows. The gateway to the void--or at least that which we know exists in the centre of the Imerril desert--I think is very much like those that have been sealed in the past.

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

The powers you speak are those directed by the will of Nephirthos. We speak not of the source of the power, not the wielder of it--only the conduit through which it flows. The gateway to the void--or at least that which we know exists in the centre of the Imerril desert--I think is very much like those that have been sealed in the past.

*bows* Thank you for your support cousin Maeror!

[O-gon-cho]

I have been inside the Chastus portal, but feel perhaps it has changed since then. While I was inside, so was Nephirthos, and there was no way to learn anything while that was the case.

What I experienced inside the void reminds me of the description of the make up of these beings and Nephirthos himself. Was I actually inside Nephirthos while I scrambled to get out of the void? The portal is still spewing energy out into Scirocco, yet I am beginning to wonder if to learn of Nephirthos would now be possible by backtracking his trail, with him no longer inside...

[Hedra Iren]

So then you are not privy to any knowledge that I am not? You are working on supposition in much the same way you dismessed O-gon-cho for doing.

How much do you know of conduits, Kadna and Maeror? Could a child close the floodgate on a dam by herself? If five strong men were rushing through an open door, would one man alone be able to close it on them? No, you need leverage, and I see no effort on your parts to secure it. Instead, you choose again to use brute force. And that has already failed.

Considering how much faith mortals put in us, so many of us offer little of it in return. Instead, we seem to value them only for what they can do for us, taking the strength that DRP gives and ignoring them when they seemingly have nothing else to offer. I tell you, brethren, that you underestimate them. I have seen mortals more noble and courageous than any god. I tell you, put your faith in Eiran and she will return it tenfold. Do not...