Avatar introductions

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Species of the world.

-Human-
Created by All-Shaper Zion as "the greatest receptacle for holding and channeling spiritual power". Sometimes called the Divine Form, humans are the most numerous and far flung race in the world. They consist of two parts: the body, and the soul within. Evey time a human dies, the soul is released to find a new vessel, losing all of it's memories in the process. They hold the most political power, and are the most adept at using Soul Arts.

-The Naturals-
Less a single race, and more a large group of them bound together by a common theme. Also called "Beast-folk", the were Zions first experiment at crafting the ideal form using the native creature of the world. However, he was not satisfied with them as vessels, and so left them to their own devices. They remained mindless beasts until Ravana's rebellion, where the massive loss of life forced desperate souls to enter the only other suitable form available.

Naturals come in a variety of forms, and are well regarded by the majority of humanity now, despite tensions going back thousands of years. Though not as adept at Soul Arts as humans, they make up for this in a a number of different physical abilities based on their race.

-Changelings-
The result of a spirit entering a human child in the womb instead of a soul. This effects of this can range from horrific physical deformities to strange powers. Changelings were not very well regarded by most of the populace do to increased mental instability as they age and the belief that they attract other spirits to the area, and this attitude is only recently changing. Natural in particular have a distrust of changelings. They can not be healed by soul arts, any spirit machine they use has to be custom made for them, and they are incapable of having children. However, their spiritual power is usually far greater than normal because of the stronger brand of spirit that resides within them.

-Mannikins-
The ultimate in spirit forgery, and only a recent invention, Mannikins are beings created and then imbued with a spirit. Bound up by command seals contained somewhere in their bodies so they don't go feral., they are used as a cheap source of manual labor. Coming in a variety of sizes and shapes no one is quite sure what to make of these creatures yet.

-Spirits-
Creatures that inhabit the spirit world. Spirits come in all shapes and varieties, though generally speaking the higher "up" in the spirit world you go, the more powerful the spirits you will encounter. Spirits seem to represent aspects of the physical world, such as fire or light, and this has lead to speculating that the physical world may actually have been created by them.

Spirits are mindless animals that only live to "eat" weaker spirits and grow stronger. The strength of these creature makes hunting them in the spirit world extremely dangerous. By contrast, they pose almost no threat in the physical world, unless they find a vessel.

-Revenant-
A spirit that has bonded itself with a corpse turns it into a revenant. Using the spirit as a power source, the creature will attack anything that it sees. Sometimes, it will carry out the last wishes of the deceased, especially those of revenge.

-Fey Creature-
A spirit that posses an animal or a beast folk in the womb becomes this. Much like a changeling, except mindlessly violent. They will usually be killed within their first hours of life, but the ones that grow up become insane, rampaging monsters.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

The world, as it is know to those that inhabit it, consists of three continents. In the "center" of any map is Endless Green. The most populated continent, as well as the most explored.Endless Green is a bit of a misnomer; it actually has the most biome diversity of any continent known. Lush green fields and deciduous forests make up most of the continent, especially to the west. To the north, it starts to become pine forests, with snow being much more prominent. In the center, past the Enochian mountain range it starts to become more arid, with less rain and more cliffs. Once you get far enough west, it starts becoming green again. The southern tip starts to have rain forests. It is also dotted with ruins and mystery's left behind from the great battle of the gods ages ago.

Four countries exist on Forever Green: Zionis, Thorland, The kingdom of Alise, and part of the Kiddo Free States.

-Zionis-
The center of Holy Wisdom and Spirituality for the entire world, the holy state of Zionis takes up most of Endless Greens eastern half. It's ruled by the Listener, a priest who has trained all their life to be able to "cast their spirit wide enough to hear the word of the gods." Important leaders from all over the world visit Zionis capital city of El seeking the Listeners council, so much so that it is said that the countries main export is advice. Regardless, Zionis is also the center of history and philosophy, as well as the premier place to study the soul arts.

The Zionis Military is small, but elite. Home to the largest number of Soul Masters of any country, the military picks it's recruits almost exclusive from the large number of temples that these Master teach at. The Zionis Military is distinctive in that they always fight unarmed, trying to keep casualties to a minimum. It is said this doctrine has existed since the aftermath of the great war, where a group of Zionis monks single-handedly stopped the infighting between the various cults of the capital without killing a single person by standing in the intersections and holding them for 24 hours. This event is reenacted every year as the festival of the Bloodless Day, where eager Soul arts practitioners stream into the city of El to try and make their way past the countries masters to the main temple in the center.

Though it claims that all gods are worshiped equally in the country, it is clear that the Zion cult is the most popular.

-Thorland-
Originally founded by the God Woton as an laboratory to conduct research on the then new art of Spirit Smithing safely, Thorland grew to encompass most of the center of the continent, sharing it's border with Zionis. The mining and engineering capital of the world, Thorland is sometimes refereed to as "The Idea Foundry."  

Thorland is ruled by a council of seven; The heads of the 2 main research laboratories, the Headmaster of the Thor Academy, The president of the countries most successful mining company, and three representatives elected by the people of Thorland.

The Thor Academy, Founded by the first son of Woton, is widely regarded as the number one institute of learning in the world.

The Thorland Military is the most technologically advance fighting force on the face of the planet. To make up for their small numbers, they prefer to end conflicts with overwhelming shows of force using weaponry they refuse to export to other countries, on the basis that it's really the only edge they have. To this end, they also employ the largest number of spies and assassins to insure that this edge is not stolen. It is said that someone who makes a breakthrough in Thorland is never again allowed outside of the country. Accusation of paranoia from Zionis and Alies are met with resounding agreement from Thorland's leaders.

The recent invention of the Mannikin, and the rumor of Thorland "supplementing" their fighting force with them have only increased international tension.

-Alise-
Alise encompasses the fertile fields to the west of the Enoch mountain range. A rabble of warring states brought together under the banner of Queen Alies the Conqueror, Alise is the worlds breadbasket. Alise is the most isolated country on Endless Green, cut off from Throland by the mountain. It's capital city, Spiral Street, is a relic from the time of the gods. Carved directly out of a mountain, the city gets it's name from the long spiral street that starts at the base and winds all the way up to the tip top of the city, where the royal palace resides.

The kingdom is divided up into the fiefdom of nobles, who report directly to the reining monarch. Royal inquisitors make surprise inspection regularly and randomly to make sure they don't overstep their bounds. If one is found to be violating the law, they are dragged before the king/queen herself to defend their actions.

Due to the way it was founded, Alise has the largest military of any country on the planet, drawing from it's large population. They also have a history of expansion, attempting to invade Thorland numerous times and driving the Commodian people off the continent.

Veneration of all of the gods is common, especially Caius and Justine. They also locally worship the late Alise.

[Philote]

This seems interesting, and that you've put a lot of work into it, any plans for what you're going to do with it?

Not sure if you want people posting in this thread while you lay things out, hope this is alright.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

I think so, too, this has a lot of potential.

And it reminds me, I need to post my idea as well. I may post it later on today, or tomorrow, or soon. But again, great idea GV. Very interesting.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Philote wrote

This seems interesting, and that you've put a lot of work into it, any plans for what you're going to do with it?

Not sure if you want people posting in this thread while you lay things out, hope this is alright.

I'm not totally sure, to be honest. I have a few stories in my head that take place in it, but up til now it's been a very amorphous place. Maybe you guys would like to play around in it, once I've got this down.

And I totally want people posting in the thread. Critique, ideas, suggestions. People pointing out things that don't work. Maybe see what Wulf thinks of the mythology I worked out.

-Herculaneum and Commodus-
In addition to Endless Green, there are also two other continents and the Kiddo Island chain.

At the very top of the map is the continent Herculaneum. The smallest of the thee, Herculaneum used to be a part of Endless Green. It was connected by a land bridge to the northwestern tip, until Blademaster Hercule of Commodus sliced it off.

Herculaneum is home to the country of Commodus. A warrior culture said to be direct decadents of Caius and his personal legion, they were the last of the warring tribes that Alise tried to bring under her flag. It is in order to prevent his peoples defeat at the superior number of Alise that Hercule separated the continents.

Commodian culture is big on personal honor, bravery, and battle. It's leader is decided via a 100 day tournament among all those eligible, consisting of wargames, athletic events, and personal combat. The winner is crowned Lord of Commodus by the seven greys, wise advisers. It is suggested the the lord is simply a figurehead, and the greys are the true rulers of the country. The tournament is held after the death of every lord, making it a once in a lifetime event that attracts tourist from all over the world.

Commodian swordsmanship is said to be the greatest in the world, and they are widely sought after as mercenaries and enforcers. At the highest levels, a Blademaster can rend miles apart, cut you simply by looking at you, and slice ideas out of opponents heads. They say that their style was passed down directly from Caius himself, and seems to involve extending their spirit energy out onto their weapons. The highest levels of the style are taught only to the Lord and the Greys, because of how absurdly destructive it is. Every warrior in Commodus is taught the styles basics, and must from then on develop it on their own.

The continent of Herculaneum is largely frozen, and covered with all manner of powerful beast. Thus, most Commodus cities exist on the costs. Unable to farm effectively in this type of place, in the past they launched raids against Alise to steal their food. This has been stopped in recent years by Alise paying them a monthly tithe in food and supplies. Fun Fact: the start of the 100 day tournament is actually celebrated in Alise, as there would be no raids during this time, and the end of it is signaled with a day of mourning. Many in the royal court have no love of the tithe, but see it as better than the alternative. A better solution would come, in their opinion, with the destruction of the "backwater barbarians".

There is a lot of bad blood between Commodus and Alise.

The most common form of worship is that of Caius, followed closely by Hercule and Justine.

-The Kiddo Free States-
Existing as a long cluster of islands that dot the sea between the continents of Endless Green and Kogor (as well as several states lining the costs of both), The Free States control the most valuable shipping lane in the world. Connected in some way to every country but Commodus, the Free States freely control almost all international trade. Legitimate pirate attacks are rare (though fake ones designed to spice up an otherwise boring ferry ride are quite common), and a ship is much more likely to be accosted by travailing salesmen in floating shops and eateries.

Called lawless by many, the States are a loose coalition of island bound by a treaty of mutual cooperation. The agreed upon "capital" is the island of Heart in the very center of the chain. One of the largest, it is where the rulers of every island come to meet and discuss international policy and inter island trade. Other than this, the islands may as well be different countries entirely, with the island ruler deciding all laws for that particular island. In addition, the Islands have a strict non-interference policy regarding one another. If any one decides to invade another, all of the other islands are bound by contract to crush the offending island. This works the other way as well, as no island in under obligation to lend aid to another unless in cases of outside attack. This has caused the Free States to be seen as a haven for activities that would be considered criminal elsewhere.

Worship of Kiddo is popular in the free states as well as a local Cult based around the Primordial Serpant, a great sea snake the they believe encircled the world and controls all weather.

The Free States posses the most powerful navy in the world, most likely due to the fact that researchers fleeing Thorland flee for the Free States. Though levels of technology vary from island to island, some of the most advanced can be found on some of the more famous islands. Some notable island include;

Pirate Log: Owned by "Pirate Queen" Betty Bart Anthony. A former pirate, she founded an company to insure others against pirate attacks with her loot. Most of the ferries that come bringing tourist from the continent are insured by her against any pirate attack. She frequently "attacks" anyway. Since the ferries are insured by her, neither she nor the passengers actually lose any money and the ferries that she is know to "attack" are always packed with passengers wanting to be held up by a real lady pirate. The ferry companies kick some of these extra profits back to her as incentive to keep up her theatrics.

Gamblers Den: An island devoted to high stakes games. It's lights are such the neighboring islands have petitioned their removal just to cut down on the glare and ship captains avoid it because it snuffs out the stars. It's most famous attraction is the grand arena, which hosts a variety of bloodsports.

Candle Cove: An island inhabited by an order of monks. A craggy, rocky eyesore of an island maintained as a memorial to all those lost at sea. For every drowned sailor, they light a single candle. At night, it is said that the island sparkles like the night sky. It is also said to be under the direct protection of the Primordial Serpent, who will kick up storms to crush anyone who dares violate the island sanctity.

Maidens Peak: The tip of an underwater mountain, it only counts as an island during low tide. The home "Island" of the mermen.


-Kogor and Fareed-
Kogor is the largest continent in the world, and the opposite of Endless Green. From what has been explored it seems to have only one biome: a large, endless desert that stretches as far as the eye can see. Though the Kiddo Free states have settled colonies along the coastline they have never been able to venture far inland in light of the lack of resources and the terrifying creatures that live, somehow, in it. It seems to be a place that can support no human life. Except, it does.

That is pretty much all that is known about Fareed; that it is there. Somewhere. The few Fareed that the Kiddo settlers have interacted with have been very tight lipped about exactly where it is or how they can survive out in the desert even under less than friendly interrogation. There are many rumors; That they live on the back of some great creature, that they are actually natives of this world, that they are ruled by one of the few remaining Marked Ones, that they are ruled by Ravana.

What is known abut the Fareed people has been through observation. They do not seem to posses Spirit Crafting, as they are very interested in items of that nature when they come to trade. They can move extremely silently and seem to disappear at will. They love music, jokes, and stories, and will happily trade you the fruit they grow for new ones. They can grow fruit in the desert. This fruit seems to supercharge the spirit energy of anyone who eats it. They wear clothing that covers their entire bodies, including face masks. However, Kiddo settlers insist that they are indeed human. Though passive to a fault (no Fareed has EVER been seen to raise a hand to anyone) they seem to hate changelings with an unrivaled passion. Any Changeling that attempts to interact with a Fareed is unacknowledged. More subtly, a Fareed will not play music in a changelings presence.

Most Fareed encounters begin with them calmly walking out of the desert in group of two or three at first light carrying baskets and instruments, trading fruit, music, and stories with the settlers, and leaving as the sun sets. They always stay for the entire day. Even when chased out of the settlement they will continue to lurk just on the edge of sight before leaving when the sun goes down.

[Zaleramancer]

Commode?

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

GOD DAMN STUPID STUPID SPELL CHECKER, NOT KNOWING THE NAMES OF ROMAN EMPERORS. YOU'D THINK THAT SORT OF THING WOULD BE INCLUDED, BUT NOOOOOOOOOO. I CAPITALIZED IT AND EVERYTHING.

I am all kinds of cheesed off right now. There is no emocon we have that properly expresses this sort of unbridled fury.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 If I were you, I would have just passed it off as a purposeful spelling.

Woulda been a pretty fun humorous element.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

-Gods and Religion-
God is a bit of a strange term. The pantheon of the world is not static: it grows over time. Any person who makes a significant impact on the world, such that their actions become the thing of myth and legend, are said to become one with the world when they pass on instead of finding a new vessel to inhabit. Those that inhabit the world as a vessel are said to see and know everything that happens, and can influence the world. They cannot do the impossible, but can do the improbable. To use an analogy, imagine you have a sack of marbles split evenly between black and white. A god would be able to insure that you always drew a white marble if you asked them for the ability to do so, but could never allow you to draw a red marble no matter how much you prayed.

The main religious cults of the world, the global ones, center upon the Intrepid Eight; Zion and his seven companions who first discovered the world and shaped the holy human form and who ruled over the age of the gods. Priest of these gods have the gods mark tattooed on their body in order to better commune with them.

-Shaper Zion-
Title:The Father of Humanity
Mark: White lines running the length of his body, sometimes called the blueprint of the human form.
Contribution to the human form: The form.
Domains: Balance, Humanity, Great Undertakings, Soul Shaping
Zion was the leader of the eight and the first of them to break through the Veil to Endless Green. Wise and compassionate, he was looked up to as an older brother by the other seven. Although understanding, he was also an ardent perfectionist. Many stories of Zion are about him not being satisfied with the human form and setting out to find the perfect piece to the puzzle. In one story his failed prototypes rise up and attempt to destroy him for abandoning them. In this tale he is saved by Ravana, who kills the malformed humans then admonishes him for his callousness toward his own creations. Religious scholars have debated the implications and validity of this particular story for ages.

Zion is invoked to aid in great endeavors of creation, such as construction of a building or the painting of a masterpiece. He is also invoked for diplomatic meeting and peace talks. The practitioners of Soul Shaping useually make a pillgramige to Zionis at some point in their lives to study under the master Shapers of Zion's main temple in El.

Zion was killed during the first battle of the Great War by Ravana. With his death the Eight became Seven, balance was lost, and the world fell into chaos.

- First Judge Justine-
Title: The Mother of Law, Lawgiver, Soul of Retribution
Mark: Blue line running across her eyes. Blue chains wrapping around her arms.
Contribution to the Human Form: Conscience
Domain: Law, punishment, atonement, justice, retribution, and oaths.
The Second of the Eight and arguably the most feared. Describes as a stern, cold woman with an unfaltering rational mind often depicted with a spear. Realizing that without an outside threat (Stronger spirits) to keep the souls in check in this new world they had the potential to run wild and destroy it, she created the first system of laws under which all were equal. Her sentences were uniformly harsh and deadly to the unashamedly wicked, but more lenient to those who were just desperate or ignorant. Typical stories of this nature start with her giving punishment designed to teach important lessons to these types of people and end with them, lesson learned, thanking her for setting them back on the correct path. Others display her fearsome side, such as when she slaughtered a rebellious and evil group of marked ones single handed.

Justine is invoked before every trial of law on the planet, whatever the type of trail may be. She is also invoked by those seeking forgiveness of their sins and whenever an oath is sworn. It is said that if you invoke Justine for justified revenge, you are sure to succeed. However, if you are wrong then you will die in the attempt.

She is shown to have a particular rivalry with Caius, who constantly challenged her to test her mettle against his. In most of these tails she weasels her way out of it by tricking him. She also seems to have an older sister relationship to Ravana, although this is not nearly as expanded upon.

It is Ironic that during the Great War she fought both of them. After becoming the De facto leader of the Marked Ones with the death of Zion, she vanquished Caius after carving her way through his entire army to face his in single combat. She also struck the last blow of the war, killing Ravana before succumbing to her own wounds.

- Traveling Scholar Enoch-
Title: The Observer, Catalog Keeper, The Great Explorer
Mark: Yellow eye shapes running down each arm, 7 on the arms with the eighth being in the palms of his hands. Two on the knees, two large ones on the chest and back, 4 additional ones on his temples and cheeks.
Contribution to the Human Form: The ability to learn
Domain: Exploration, knowledge, scholarly pursuits, writing, natural science, philosophy.
Enoch, ever curious and studious, is said to have ranged far and wide in his pursuit of knowledge. Even before having an human form in which he could travel safely it is said he was so fascinated with the physical world that the others would have to drag him back though the veil. In fact, when they all split up to find a creature to inhabit in the world he was not allowed to go alone as the others were. He was followed by Caius, the strongest among them, so that he did not overexert himself and die in the physical world.

Enoch is credited with the invention of writing and the natural sciences. Writing, it is said, came about when he filled his brain with to much knowledge and had to empty it. Wanting to learn more, he beat his head against a stone wall until the knowledge spilled out onto it as writing. Overjoyed by this, he learned the symbols and adapted it to store as much knowledge as possible. Other Enoch stories follow this formula, where Enoch wants to know something, does something stupid, and is either saved by his own luck or another of the eight. He then goes on to get bored what he'd just learned because he see's a new interesting thing, but not before giving the information to someone who could put it to practical use. Enoch stories are particularly popular among young children.

The more serious Enoch stories typically feature him musing on the nature of the world, nature, progress, and a myriad of other topics. The tracts are actually very insightful, and paint a far different picture of Enoch from the bumbling fool he is shown as in many stories. In one particular, he muses on his own foolhardiness and what it is that drives him to gather such extensive knowledge only to never put any of it to use. In the end he cannot answer the question and is left haunted not by this lack of insight into his own character, but by the fact that he know he will now be driven to find the answer.

Enoch is worshiped in most universities, especially around finals. You can find most student on weekend break in Enoch temples, on their knees, begging for some of the information the god isn't using. He is also popular with exploration parties and scientist studying the physical and spiritual worlds.

In the Great War, Enoch is hardly mentioned except in a passing reference to his "Great Ship being completed" in the middle of the war. It is presumed that Enoch set off across the sea in search of newer things. Both Justine and Ravana presume him dead, and both curse him for making them chronicle the war themselves.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

-Warmonger Caius-
Title: Strength of the gods, Lord of War, Father of Bloodshed
Mark: Jagged red lines covering his body like scars.
Contribution to the Human Form: Strength and fighting spirit.
Domains: Battle, conflict, weapons and armor, warriors, violence, blood.

Caius was the strongest of all souls, even before receiving a body. While still just a soul, it is said he fought and killed many lower spirits. Prideful, he tried to venture farther upward than any soul before him and was soundly defeated by what lurked there, barely managing to avoid being eaten. It is said that it took much convincing by Zion himself to convince him to travel with the 8 in search of a new home.

Caius was the first to breach into the physical world, having shattered the veil with one last mighty thrust. Upon receiving a body, he dedicated his life to making the Human race strong. Tales tell of how disgusted he was with the first children born, at how much weaker they were than the Marked ones and the naturals. He went to Woton and collaborated with him on devices that would make them stronger. Thus, the first weapons were born. He lead his chosen against the naturals and the creatures of the world, and so the first army was born. Most other stories show Caius attempting some great physical feat, only to fail do to his stupidity, as he was the least clever of all the gods.

Caius is invoked whenever blood is going to be shed and whenever a weapon is being forged. He is also invoked for most contests.

It is said that with the death of Zion, Caius could no longer be held back. He lead his chosen against all the armies of the world, his mind completely consumed with the thrill of battle and the need to test himself. He did more damage in his rampage, it is said, than Ravana's forces ever did. He was eventually killed by Justine, along with all of his forces.

-Spirit Smith Woton-
Title: Engineer, builder, Inventer
Mark: A pattern of interconnecting gears.
Contribution to the human form: The ability to create.
Domains: Engineering, architecture, applied sciences, invention
The most mellow and down to earth god, Woton was said to be happy so long as he was building something. As such, the stories of Woton always have to do with invention and how things came to be. Most often, he is paired with Enoch as he takes what the other god learns and puts it to practical use. Another famous story is that of a lecture he gives to Thors, his apprentice. One of Caius's men had used a weapon forged by Thors to strike down 20 human beings in a brawl. Thors, appalled by this, took the weapon and was going to destroy it. When Woton asked him why, he replied that he regretted ever creating it. To this, in the only instance of anger ever show by the god, Woton struck him across the face. "It doesn't matter what you create is used for," he tells his apprentice, "you, at least, must love it."

Blacksmiths, engineers, architects, and inventors all pray heavily to Woton hoping to receive some of his divine inspiration. He is also honored before all attempts at Spirit forging.

It is said that, seeing that Ravana would capture him and force him to create something he would truly regret, he killed himself and blew up his entire workshop. The crater left behind by this explosion is now Woton Lake, in Thorland. It is the largest lake in the world.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

-Kiddo the Trickster-
Title: The good wind, the Trickster, Tricksy Lord, Mr. Legitimate
Mark:Twirling lines, representing wind, on both cheeks.
Contribution to the Human Form: Wits
Domains: Cleverness, tricks, travel, business, youth, lying, money

Kiddo was the youngest and swiftest of Zions followers. Like Enoch, he was enamored with he Physical World, and would push himself to explore it, though he at least knew his limits. His motive, however, was different: Enoch would go over a mountain to find what was up there, Kiddo would climb the same just because it was there. This is a running theme with Kiddo; trying to push boundaries. Any boundary he could.  This extended to people. Kiddo always knew where to push and prod to make them fly in incoherent rage, then use his speed to swiftly escape punishment.

Many places in the world were first discovered by Kiddo's flights and wanderings, including the island chain named after him and the continent of Kogor.

Paradoxically, he also founded the first system of commerce and business as an unintentional effect of tricking people into giving him goods for rocks. After realizing how seriously people had taken to it, he bought a quarry with a sack of pebbles and proceeded to collapse the market. This got him run off Endless Green to the Kiddo island chain, where he remained until his death.

Kiddos worshiped by business owners, explorers, actors, and anyone who doesn't want to be caught in a lie. He is particularly loved by children, who enjoy the stories of him making fools of the other gods.

During the conflict with Ravana Kiddo escalated all sides with false messages, presumably trying to see if the world could take the conflict. Upon finding out he was the reason no one could get any accurate news, Ravana hunted him down and skinned him.

-Lopto the Songbird-
Titles: Child-minder, Father of Love, The artful one
Mark: Thick purple lined around the eyes and lips.
Contribution to the Human Form: Love and Reproduction.
Domains: Love, art, children, music, stories.

Lopto was a experiment in extremes; demure and gentle at one moment, wild and passionate the next. Crying his eyes out, then screaming in rage. He intentionally never controlled his emotions, allowing them to run wild and control his every action. He is credited with the invention of art as a concept, drawing, sculpting, creating simply because mood struck him. He also invented song and dance, supposedly right after the eight realized the physical world was safe.

It was Lopto's suggestion that the Marked bodies be given the ability to reproduce as the creature of the physical world did, and so he felt responsible for the tiny children that were born from it. It is said he viewed all normal humans as his personal offspring, and was fiercely protective of them. In fact, the presence of humans always seemed to mellow the god, calming his violent mood swings.

Lopto is preyed to as a fertility idol. Young children often have an Icon of him somewhere in their room. He is also invoked by the artist and songwriters of the world, as well as those seeking love. Churches of Lopto officiate most weddings, and many of them also operate as daycare or battered spouse centers.

It is said Lopto was one of the first of the Eight to confront Ravana, and be killed by her.

-Traitor Ravana-
Titles: Corrupted, Terror Arms, The Eight, Circle Breaker, Mother Ravana
Mark: Black circle crosses out with an x emblazoned on her forehead.
Contribution to the Human Form: Memory.
Domains: Memories, betrayal, secrets, fear

Ravana is perhaps the most interesting of goddesses. She was not selected by Zion to accompany he and his followers on their quest, but instead followed them herself. When discovered, she processed that if they didn't want her around, they would have to kill her. Zion relented, and agreed to let he newcomer accompany them. So was it the seven became the eight.

The effect of Ravana's contribution to the form were not apparent until the first of the humans began to die. When the souls entered their new vessels, it was found that their memory was suppressed and they began life anew. When the problem was discovered and Zion confronted Ravana, she said in her defense that they had only come so far because of their fear of destruction, that the souls would stagnate and fall into listlessness for lack of need, that no creature was built "Endure Paradise." Despite this, she was banished out into the wastes of the newly discovered continent of Kogor an instructed never to return while Zion worked to correct the ''horrid defect'' she had inflicted on his design.

When Ravana returned hundreds of years later, she had changed, twisted herself into an abomination of the holy form with twenty arms and twelve hideous faces, bringing with her an army of fleshcrafted monsters and revanants to lay waste to the world. 85% of humanity, and all of the marked ones, were killed in the ensuing war. Whether she did this out of spite, or as a logical outcome of her philosophy is not known and widely debated.

While Ravana worship is looked upon with suspicion and distaste it is not outlawed and she even has her own temple in El. Such people generally by into the Ravana's Lesson school of thought, which states that the Goddess intentionally became the monster that would be whispered about like the great spirits the souls feared. In addition, she is preyed to by those looking to induce fear in other, as wells those who wish to keep secrets hidden. One of the practices of the Ravanan cults, a day in which people put on frightful masks and scare one another, has made it's way into the mainstream culture.

Naturals view Ravana differently, venerating her as the mother of their consciousness. It is only because of the great swaths of humans killed by Ravana's forces that the Naturals are inhabited by souls, being the only vessels that could contain them.

-Other Gods-
Since it's believed that anyone can potentially become a god, there are many more than just the Eight. Most great leaders are venerated in some way. Both Alies and Hecule are worshiped as gods in their respective countries.Some of the other notable ones are:

First of the Dead Grigori: The first Marked one to be killed by Ravana, and is said to guide and protect the souls of the dead into new bodies.

The Primordial Serpent: A great beast defeated by Kiddo, believed to have been to lord of all the oceans in the world. Such was it's size that it can change the weather and tide even in death.

Thor: Founder of Thorland, son and apprentice of Woton. Inventor of spirit forging.

The Big One: The god of a religious sect that believer that the world be inhabit it in actuality a massive spirit. They believe that it sleeps at the bottom of Spirit World, and that the Veil is it's skin. When it wakes up, it will rise to the top of spirit world and do battle with the spirit residing there. When that day comes, all life within it will either be enlightened of eradicated.

That's all of them, sorry it took so long. Wulf, Zale, you're myth savvy. How did I do?

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

So, some major concepts.

Soul Arts

I already described these back in the Magic thread. Soul arts is the art of focusing and projecting the soul within you. Since the body and soul aren't completely joined, the Soul can be forced out and manipulated like this. Soul Arts falls into three categories;

Aura: This is when some forces part of the soul outside of their body. This results in something called an aura, and allows the user to supplement their physical strength with their spiritual strength. Most Auras only extent to a layer slightly on top of the skin, although dedicated practice can increase the amount a person can bring to bare. Using Auras in combat is common, the Aura acting as not only a strength enhancer but another layer of armor. There are risks, however; throwing the weight of your soul against something and losing can result in permanent damage to not only the body, but the mind.

Shaping Arts: Much more common than Aura. Healing Arts works via someone projecting their soul into another person and using it to manipulate their body structure. The process is painful and invasive, and a practitioner can use it to take someone apart or perform miracles feats of healing. However it is falling out of favor as a healing agent with the advent of medicine and surgery. Many places still have a Shaper on standby in case of emergencies, and the healing they do is complete.

Projection: Projection is the art of completely leaving ones body as a soul. Souls are invisible and intangible to the material world without a vessel, making the art perfect for spying. However, every sojourn is on a time limit: the longest any soul has been without a body without falling to pieces is seven minutes. Projection is required to enter the spirit world, and is practiced by Spirit Hunters in mass.

Spirit Forging
I also described this back in the old Magic Thread. Spirit forging is the process by which Magic Items (Which I need to think of a name for) are created. The spirit is captured and forged alive into a needed object. Once that is done, a Human or Natural may rpush slightly into the object with Soul Arts in order to aggravate the spirit, causing it to flair up and produce the desired effect of the Forgemaster.

Magic Items: Can be anything and can do anything. Ranging from weapons, to household appliances, to the large railway trains that connect Zionis, Thorland, and Alies, and the paddle ferries that go everywhere else, to the Mannikins of Thorland. Each has an angry spirit inside that is released into the world when the object breaks. There has been some worry about this, but everyone knows that spirits are no threat to the physical world.

Spirits: I suppose I should talk about them, some. Spirits are essentially wild beings of pure elemental energy that only desire to devour other spirits and grow stronger. The spirit world, on the other side of the veil, exists as a constant rising expanse of space with the Veil at the bottom, as it's floor. The higher up you ascend, the more dangerous the spirits become.

Cracks: Places where the Eight busted their way through the Veil, and the points for most easy entry. Typically where Spirits wander in from, and where Spirit Hunters set up shop. Crawling with Fea creatures and mutated by the energy leaking from the crack, they are some of he most dangerous areas of the world.

Spirit Hunters: One half of what makes the manufacture of Magic Items possible, Spirit Hunters project themselves into the spirit world to hunt Spirits. They typically travel in groups of 50 or more, and work to wrangle the spirit through the crack and into a waiting vessel created by the Forgemaster. In the chase they resemble a pack of wolves, using distractions,hit and run tactics, and their superior numbers to herd the spirit they want. Although it is agreed upon that the Spirit Hunters are the elite of their craft, casualties are still high in their line of work. However, the pay is substantial. More than one has retired to live like a king.

Forgemaster: the other half. Prepares a vessel of desired material, request the desired spirit, and waits until the slab of material is delivered to start his work.

[Zaleramancer]

Sorry for the lack of input.

I'll give this a look over.

[Zaleramancer]

Alright.

This is very interesting.

So, how many of the Eight remain alive?

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

None. It was a real twilight of the gods situation, with the lot of them doing their own thing and each one dieing. Zion got killed by Ravana in the first battle, Enoch might be alive but he vanished off in a ship, Caius was killed by Justine because he went crazy and started fighting everyone, Woton committed suicide rather than craft for Ravana, Kiddo was killed by Ravana for causing trouble for all sides with his misinformation campaign, she outright murdered Lopto when he tried to reason with her, and she and Justine killed one another in the final battle.

[Zaleramancer]

Shouldn't they come back?

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

In all likelihood. If your religious, they became one with the physical world and now watch over everyone. If you aren't, then their souls are circulating just like everyone elses. But Ravana made it so that a soul can't remember it's life when it's inside of a body. Taking away the souls "immortality" like that is what got her banished in the first place.

[Zaleramancer]

So, did the Eight hold more actual power or political?

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Both. Every marked One was incredibly powerful, both politically and pure strength, and the Eight were the most powerful of all. Normal human beings are just imperfect shadows next to them.

[Zaleramancer]

So, that's more a result of the bodies the live in than some intrinsic quality..