Aesir: Game Thread

[Tepes]

Yes, Dreams are rather fickle, wouldn't you agree? - Especially when they remain only such. There are ways to transcend their inadequacies, however.

[Serloth Lorekeeper]

I am greatly aggreived. Nay, outraged. For while I thought it somewhat dubious for the God of Undeath's Prophet to claim so vast an area as the entirety of the central mountain range as his demesne, in the name of courtesy I was willing to accede to this. However, vampires have come forth out of the mountains, assaulting My people, even My Prophet in the village of Dewzer. Such greed and rapaciousness are intolerable. Tepes, Your loathsome creatures have gone too far, these transgressions are an inexcusable affront to Me.

[Tepes]

Serloth Lorekeeper, do your barbaric people enjoy slaying an innocent man? Is it your ignorant prophet's habit to kill before he speaks? In light of the recent travesties displayed by your prophet, Gimbutas, I hereby demand you prostrate him before Lucien Lachance for trial of murder.

[Serloth Lorekeeper]

Your vampires were abroad, outside of the territory you claimed as your own, and they were draining the life on an innocent man. Those folk who worship you are certainly willing to give of their lifeblood, but those who do not yet worship you are another matter entirely. If the mountains are yours, then keep to them, and prey not upon those who do not choose your darkness for their worship. The village of Dewzer is Mine.

[Tepes]

Yes, Dewzer may very well be yours now, but it was not at the time they arrived there. O God of Knowledge, is travel a crime worthy of death? Are the feeding habits of men and birds and beasts a crime worthy of death? Out of ignorance, your prophet and a gang of six men slew two innocents in cold blood. You claim it was justified because they were feeding. O Ignorant One, their feeding does not kill or hurt or hinder! Do you think I would have made it thus? The food of my Blessed wastes none nor hurts none - even the memory is erased.

Relinquish to Lucien your murdering Prophet, God of Ignorance, so that justice may be served.

[Cobalt]

It is the fate of all creatures to die.
It is also the fate of all creatures to be reborn.
But rebirth in the same form breaks the cycle.
I do not know if this is good or bad.

[Serloth Lorekeeper]

Their "food", nay, their "hapless victim" did not offer to nourish them. And then their memory of being attacked would be taken from them? You would destroy their Knowledge of the Truth of what transpired? This I cannot countenance. Those who, uncoerced, choose to offer themselves to your vampires are not my concern....but those who wish not to be fodder are.

Keep your folk in the mountains even as you asked all others to keep out, and there need be no further problems.

[Agapé]

Again, a tendril of calm reaches out between the two squabbling deities.

Brothers, need we quarrel? Serloth, as we have the right for our followers to explore Narie, so too do Tepes' followers.

However, Tepes, I find I agree with Serloth regarding the willingness of the humans that they feed upon. Within your own lands your followers imply consent to be fed upon simply by remaining within your borders. Outside your borders is another matter.

Forgive me for making this suggestion to Tepes, Uruk. But nearly all of the humans on Narie that I am aware of do partake of animals for food. So...

Tepes, do the blood of animals suffice to offer nourishment to your vampiric followers when they travel? That would be the more...courteous thing to do outside your own lands, then to feed on the unknowing followers of another, do you not agree?

[Tepes]

You avoid the issue, God of Ignorance. All beings are aware of their place in the great nest of existence. Do the cattle offer themselves to your people to be willingly slaughtered? Does the grass give consent to the cattle to be eaten? This issue of "hapless victim", of need for offering is entirely irrelevant, for every creature knows its place in the food chain. The nature of my vampires is even more humane than those of your mortals, Serloth, for they do not kill for their nourishment.

No, Ignorant One, what your Prophet and his gang of vandals accomplished was to slay two conscious beings, and only for living according to their nature. Not only that, but they offered no alternative, no offer of discussion or peace. Such is the corrupting power of Ignorance. I fear for a Prophet that perceives murder as the only available option. I fear for a Prophet that operates on the logic that natural processes deserve death, for by this logic every being on Narie would be judged for extermination. Therefore, this Prophet of Ignorance must be judged, and fairly, Serloth; surely you can see the wisdom of this. Send to my mountains your Prophet, lest I be forced to come to him.

[Tepes]

Ever the mediator, Agape. Very well, from henceforth all exploring vampires will feed on animals to avoid further misunderstandings.

However, the over-reactivity and murderous impulses of Gimbutas remain inexcusable, and thus he must face trial. From this demand, I will not sway.

[Mynaesos]

God of Undeath, did you not tell us that, "King Lucien is prepared to use all means necessary to assure the security and autonomy of his nation on the continent of Mekoth,"? Did you not threaten our holdings if your "rabble" fomented trouble within them? Yet when Serloth acts decisively to secure his own holdings, not knowing one vampire from another yet knowing that they were causing harm as he saw it, you then demand his mortal representative?

If mortals are only chattel, then consider yours to have wandered into your neighbor's pasture. While it was regrettable that they were put down, though I myself would not hesitate to put an arrow in a wolf among my flock, there really is no fault here. Unless you think the rest of us should place the value of your followers above our own, as it would seem by your demands for the prophet.

[Tepes]

I'm unsure of your implications, God of Nature. Are you suggesting that Lucien Lachance would resort to impassioned and unreasonable murder in a similar situation? Let me assure you that is not the case, for while the presence of travelers may warrant suspicion and question, it never warrants immediate execution. No matter the circumstances. Again, and please pay attention this time, the travelers were not trespassing in a claimed village. Gimbutas claimed this village after the fact and was in the middle of proselytizing. Territory is not a justification here. And yes, Velt, it is regrettable. Therefore, justice will be had.

[Mynaesos]

Would he not? You said all means necessary. From your tone in this... council, I would not expect leniency from him. There was no talk of tribunals beforehand. Perhaps if you had spoken less peremtorally and belligerantly beforehand, your words would have been more easily construed.

Regardless, you beg the question by saying the killings were unreasonable. Could Gimbutas expect a fair trial at the hands of Lechance when his master shows such bias? No, Serloth might as well kill his prophet himself. So, despite your protestations that mortals are chattel, you place the lives of two of your common followers over that of a prophet.

It does not matter if the territory was unclaimed beforehand. Since it is his now and you do not appear to be contesting that, Serloth either had an interest in the village or its people align themselves with him. I'm sure Serloth could provide some small recompense for your loss during the acquisition, but I cannot countenance a god asking for another's prophet, nor do I think any of my brethren would.

[Tepes]

Really Velt, I am surprised at your paranoid assumptions. Why, and for what reason, would you not expect leniency from Lucien Lachance? You quote a warning of mine. The phrase “All means necessary” is not synonymous for an immediate execution akin to that employed by Gimbutas. “All means necessary” does not imply abstention from a reasonable course of action such as discussion or imprisonment. No, your mind has made these assumptions without any solid evidence. Clearly my tone has upset you; have any of my actions justified your paranoia?

Come Velt, let us examine my warning again, closely and with clear explanation, so that your delusional mind will refrain from its wild speculation: "King Lucien is prepared to use all means necessary to assure the security and autonomy of his nation on the continent of Mekoth." To begin with, and this should have been abundantly clear in context, the only threat I thought existent against the security and autonomy of Lachance’s nation was the remaining Rebellion, and thus was this warning intended only for them or their protectors. I assumed on good faith and from lack of evidence that my brothers and sisters would never be a possible threat. You can see here Velt that you have taken quite a large leap in logic; that you have unconsciously projected your own untrusting mind and ideas onto me, that you have painted me in your mind to be some image or concept that you have no concrete evidence for. It would appear that your paranoid mind has projected its own evil nature onto me, Velt, and that any horrid things you are suggesting I would do are really ideas of your own and not mine. Thus when you ask me if Gimbutas would receive a fair trial, I think to myself: where has this strange idea come from? Why, and for what reason, would Velt assume that Gimbutas would receive otherwise? – is it perhaps because this idea of an unfair trial is an idea that Velt has himself and is projecting onto me?

[Mynaesos]

So now you resort to insults? Paranoid, delusional... projecting? And Evil?

*laughter*

Very well, then, God of the Mind. I had only thought to tell you how your words here are construed by your fellows, who don't know you from Ahura Mazda. I had thought to say that while you deserved some sympathy for the loss of your followers, a prophet is an unreasonable demand. Not that you would recognize reasonable if it slapped you in the face, since you fail to notice how your own appelations cast doubt on your impartiality. I also notice that you will not state that your own followers are also merely chattel.

It is amusing. You ask if we are enemies, and I tell you I can give you the benefit of the doubt. But as soon as I disagree with you... You have in turn been boastful, arrogant, demanding, and now insulting. Does deceit or aggression come next, I wonder?

Carry on with your petty squawking, then. Don't expect anyone else to sympathize with you, though. And I wouldn't let my followers wander too close to the woods, were I you.

[Agapé]

Ever the mediator, Agapé. Very well, from henceforth all exploring vampires will feed on animals to avoid further misunderstandings.

I am glad to see you are receptive to chivalry and reason.

However, the over-reactivity and murderous impulses of Gimbutas remain inexcusable, and thus he must face trial. From this demand, I will not sway.

Does deceit or aggression come next, I wonder?

*bows*

mil-rd Undeath and mil-rd Nature, please...
...read on.

Would he not? You said all means necessary. From your tone in this... council, I would not expect leniency from him. There was no talk of tribunals beforehand. Perhaps if you had spoken less peremtorally and belligerantly beforehand, your words would have been more easily construed.

It has come to my attention that negotiation would most likely have been rigged anyway, should Gimbutas have tried. These two followers of Tepes coerced Roth, the one who was initially with Gimbutas when they confronted the vampires feeding on an unKnowing victim. He was unable to fight off the charisma they turned upon him; he became their slave. Not only did Gimbutas and the others who then joined in have to fight the vampires, they had to battle one of their own...

No Tepes.
Should Gimbutas have taken the time to speak before he killed, Serloth may have lost him for his own anyway.

I say it now. I will be forthright in open negotiation in this...council, as Velt described it. I will always seek a compromise, if one is available that is acceptable to all. It is my hope, Tepes, that you will be forthright as well, and not attempt to sway the description of what actually occurred with...omission.

*bows*

[Tepes]

Velt, these words are not to be insulting, I was merely bringing to light your unconscious perceptions of me. Every mind is, by its very Nature, constitutionally driven to hasty judgments and delusion – this is not something to be insulted by.

These two followers of Tepes coerced Roth, the one who was initially with Gimbutas when they confronted the vampires feeding on an unKnowing victim.

Agape, I am not aware that my vampires coerced anyone. The way the events were shown to me it was Roth and Gimbutas who coerced my feeding vampires.

As to the rest of the Pantheon, I’ve always and ever assumed there was never animosity between us. Perhaps, as Velt has pointed out, my appellations have made you to consider otherwise. I will seek to rectify this fact in the seasons to come, beginning now: Serloth, while the interaction between our followers was entirely regrettable, perhaps I made my own hasty judgment in demanding your Prophet be delivered to me. Is there a more reasonable course of action you would suggest to arrive at restitution?

[Serloth Lorekeeper]

Indeed, Your Vampires did coerce. They exerted their Will upon my man Roth, turning him against his companions and even compelling him to seek the life of My Prophet. In the strife which ensued, your vampire was slain, as was Roth. I assume that the vampires are most favored of Your people, just so are the ScrollSworn Mine. As each of Us has lost one of Their Chosen, I would be amenable to calling the ledger balanced.

In the future, I would be willing to instruct My people to enter not within Your mountains, in return for Your pledge to hold Yours from My lands. And for those places where neither of Us holds sway, You have already pledged Your vampires will feed upon animals as Our sister Agape suggested, and for this courtesy I do thank You, but My people believe that abrogation of one's mind is the gravest of sins. As I am forbearing from even sending folk into the mountains to villages where You are not yet worshipped, I ask in return that Your vampires not exert their Will to compel the inhabitants of villages outside of Your mountains to You. If they make that choice of their own accord, that is another matter entirely, of course.

[Tepes]

Indeed, Your Vampires did coerce.

As I said, this is not the information I received.

Very well, these ScrollSworn appear to be as dear to you as the Vampires are to me. And as we have both grievously lost, so shall we consider the matter settled.

I will also agree to the idea of mutual closed borders. However, I fear you misunderstand the nature of vampire persuasion. It is not a form of mind control. No, it is akin to the magnetic ability of a prophet to speak persuasively to a crowd. Persuasion is not something you or your people need fear, Serloth, so long as their minds are resolute in you.

[Cobalt]

"Zuzu"

My heart swelled as I heard my name called. I had eagerly waited for the hunter to call on me, to serve the Great God, UrUk. The Spirit of Lake Gal told me that the Hunter was the true Voice of the Great God, Creator of all the World, and I trusted it when it spoke to me. Hand on my basalt throwing axe, I stood to receive the Great God's words. The patterns painted on my rawhide jerkin and pants glowed fiercely in the firelight. Bold red lines intersected blue circles, and black thunderbolts were on the shoulders. My black hair, long to my shoulders, was tied back with a rawhide thong. My face was clean shaven, a chip of flint used this morning. I moved easily to the Hunters fire, standing next to Ir-Nanna, Amurritum and Blessunu. Of the other three, only Blessunu was a Clan-mate; the Eagle feathers in my hair matched the ones in hers. Ir-Nanna and Amurritum were both Raven Clan.

I followed the Hunter closely, as the other eleven did, walking silently through the tall grass towards a large mound silhouetted in the darkness. The walls of the sweat lodge were tightly woven branches, piled high with torn debris from the surrounding ground. I was ushered in last, and closed the door behind. The lodge was big enough for us, but only barely. We each sat with our backs to the walls, in a circle around a large urn in the center. Made of clay, and backed with a smooth finished, it was also painted with blue circles and red lines. It was filled; Mint, Rosehips and toadberries floated in clear Gal-water. Surrounding the urn was a low trench dug into the earth, and filled with coals. The humidity was oppressive each time the Hunter took a dipper-full of the water and poured it on the coals. Already my head was swimming. I could hear the deep, tonal music from the campfires. The Hunter produced a long stemmed pipe with an elaborate sabertooth base. It tasted spicy and, for some reason, immediately after my shoulders started to itch. As we passed, the Hunter spoke to us telling his story as he knew to be true.

"The Great God, UrUk, breathed his daughter Sky into life. He was very proud of his beautiful girl, bright and blue.
Then he struck his son, Great-Fire into life. He was very proud of his boy, pouring heat and light into the world.
Sky and Great-Fire created the Earth. Great-Fire shaping the ground and mountains, Sky pouring the oceans and forests onto the ground beneath.
Then, on the third day, the most special of days, The Great God created Animals.
Men and Beasts soared in the skies, and they lived together as one.
However, the Great God, in his business, did not see the Demon slip into the world he had created.
And the Demon wreaked great havoc.
Possessing many Men and Beasts, he turned Brother against Brother, and ravaged the Garden the Great God had created for us.
Of the Men and Beast, each told their mightiest to go forth and slay the Demon.
Filled with the Powers of the Great God, they fought the Demon for an entire cycle of seasons.
At the end, exhausted and badly injured, the two banished the Demon from where it had come from.
Generations later, the Demon has returned, and we are ready to return to our Garden, and the ways he taught us so long ago.
The Great God calls us to arms, to banish the Demon
and return to the way it was so long ago!"

The last syllable was lost in loud howl, full of ancient frustration. It rebounded inside my ears, doubling again, and again, untill I felt like I would explode. My shoulders itched very much. I stood, grabbing the wall of the lodge. My vision was blurry, but I could make out the door. As I fell through it, my stomach emptied, and my head spun. A suddenness pressed my chest into the ground so tight I could barely breathe. It felt like there was a man sitting on my shoulder blades. I thought one of my fellow chosen-mates had fallen on me. As I rolled over a strange sensation touched my face.

Feathers?

My world went dark.