The God Complex

[Darth Woodrack]

Quote

Thank you Nath.

“No need to bow madam, we are equals here,” Barbados said, then jokingly added, “Except for Ulix, he is morally superior to all of us.

“Baalhan, Caebadar, I seek to build the strongest alliance gods can build. A pantheon. And I want all of you to join it. Ulix, I know you are about to say that it does it fall under your morals, you were invited as a courtesy.”

[Guest Coda]

Phantom frowned. "And our place in the pantheon? I do hope we less powerful gods won't be forced into a minor position." It was a calculated ploy, but hopefully his emphasis on his low power wouldn't be noticed.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Coda
Word choice

[Lunar Blessing]

Chao quickly grows bored of the conversation and slips out of her chair. Deciding instead to inspect the bodies and imagine the chaos that happened to bring them to rest. 

[Darth Woodrack]

"Do not sell yourself short Phantom. You are not as weak as yous say. We would be equals, serving with each other. I can provide resources, manpower, and everything else we could possibly need to fight the complex. We would be the first great pantheon since the greeks of old, and we would not collapse as they did, for we learn from their mistakes. We will not force the lesser gods to go nameless into the night, they would have equal seat as the rest of us, and together, the ignorant mortals of the world will worship us mindlessly, the intelligent ones will seek pacts with us, and the arrogant ones will die beneath our feet. Who shall join me in this?"

[Guest Coda]

Phantom thought for a brief moment before deciding. "I accept your offer," he said. "Stay true to your word and our alliance will be a pleasant one." The implied threat was a matter of courtesy. No one would trust a blind acceptance. That showed inexperience at best and incompetence at worst.  

[I think I am here.]

He looks to her, checks his cheap watch and orders another drink at the bar. She’s sitting with a crowd of her friends. Her laugh is soft and beautiful. He turns and ignores the chatting of his own friends, and for a moment his eyes meet hers from across the bar. They hold the glance, and there’s so much said in just that look. He smiles and she does too.

—

John walked out of the bar, holding his coat close to him. It was colder than he was expecting in Tokyo. Of course, he was only here for a short time. Some sort of meeting. But he couldn’t help but stop at one of the bars and do his thing: matchmaking. The slight pink mist around his hands dissipated as he walked to where he was supposed to.

They’ll have a happy relationship, he decided, thinking on the woman and man in the bar. They were perfect for each other, he’d been able to tell with his power. He’d used a little bit of his magic and even from across the bar a bond was formed between them. They wouldn’t think anything was odd, they wouldn’t even know a God of Love existed, let alone helped them meet their ultimate soulmate.

John sighed. Yes, they’ll have a beautiful and relationship. Lucky them.

The old arena was littered with corpses and he tried his best to ignore them. When he finally approached at the meeting place most of the other gods seemed to be there, the God of Death himself heading the meeting. Something about an alliance?

“Sorry I’m late,” he said unenthusiastically. “Had to do something. What’s this about an alliance? And why us specifically?”

Quietly he walked over to where people were seated and sat down, watching all of the gods here, in their full godly form. Some looked like humans, like him. Looking human helped one not stand out. Looking who he was next to he saw what looked like a teenager. Of course, you could never tell the real age with gods. Immortality and all.

“What a meeting, right?” He said to her. “I don’t think we’ve had a gathering like this for a while.”

@kenod

Edited February 25, 2020 by I think I am here.

[Darth Woodrack]

"Thank you Phantom. John, glad you could make it. Before any of you ask, I make it a mission to keep track of any long standing gods in the world. I invited all the gods, those that didn't come... didn't. I am seeking to form a pantheon to combat our mutual enemy in the God Complex, where we are all equal, and I asked who would join me."

[little wheel]

"I find that blind worship is... wasteful. Many people do so much better, in my experience, when they understand what they are doing. Nonetheless, I agree to these terms," Caebdar said, drawing a few purple squiggles for emphasis.

[Nathrangking]

I raise my blade and banish it in a wave of sapphire light. I close my metallic eyes and all at once a thousand fields of battle flash before me. I see a battle more vivid than the others. Divine power races through the air and the ground trembles. I sigh and open my eyes. 

"I pledge my immortal blade and power to our Pantheon. I am sorry to report that we have a problem. I sense a battle between a god and the complex in the outskirts of London."

[Darth Woodrack]

Quote

Not that it's actually a problem, but to keep the RP from spiraling out of control, try to avoid creating random gods.

"Oh, don't worry. London is my territory to the smelly alleys. My bats are already swarming, and my followers follow."

[old man moomba]

"A pantheon could be good." Sangus said, considering the idea. "From the viewpoint of a god, it has many advantages. We are all vastly different, and together, we will be perhaps the most powerful group to ever walk this planet. I will join this group, but I have some questions regarding specifics, though those can wait if we have other matters to discuss." Sangus nodded, swinging his legs back and forth absently. He glanced back at his daughter, who grimaced a little. 

"I'll join this pantheon alongside my father." Luna said loudly, her voice echoing. "And I'd advise the rest of you do so as well."

[Guest Coda]

Quote

Forgot I had 2 gods for a second. Also, Logos uses it/its pronouns.

Logos pondered. The advantages were clear. A place in a pantheon, power, a coalition. Useful. However, it probably didn't need these things. If it refused, the god would probably be offended. Best to accept. "I will join this pantheon," it said. 

[Nathrangking]

I turn toward Sangus.

"Sangus you are the wisest of us. I vote that you create the spell which will bind us as a Pantheon. Greece, Rome, and countless others fell because of betrayal from within. If we desire to stand a binding of more than simple words may be necessary."

 

[+ZincAboutIt]

There was a cold wind in Tokyo, and two men sat smoking on their break outside a crowded restaurant. One of them cracked a smile, said something under his breath; the other sneaked a glance back into the kitchen. The clatter of pots and pans and the shouts of kitchen staff filtered out. The second man laughed, softly, and the first joined him. They laughed and smoked in the little alley, and the cold breeze stirred the detritus of such alleys into a small, whirling dervish. Their laughter echoed over the walls, perhaps a little too loudly. They did not notice, or if they did, they pretended not to, as mortals are wont to do. The wind moved on, and their laughter faded as they headed back to work.

Caeli rode a current of her own making, snaking between people on the streets, ruffling hair and tugging at awnings or flags. She smiled, or would have done, had she been visible. There was something electric about a big city, and Tokyo was one of the biggest. She felt the rhythms of a thousand bits of laughter, the sounds of horns and the rumble of cars. Somewhere, a bass drum beat out a steady, low growl. It echoed even through this cacophony.

She was late to the meeting, but she didn't much mind. Things always became more interesting if you showed up a little late. Not too late, though. Some of these gods were old, seriously old. Older than she was, and Caeli had very little idea of her age anymore. But it was saying something - that she knew. Anyone older than her would be packing some serious power, especially if they had the juice to summon a whole cadre of immortals into the city. She touched down outside the designated meeting spot and formed into her other shape, running her hands over the illusory fabric of her dress. Caeli liked this body - she'd spent quite a while designing it, and she considered it one of her better efforts. She'd kept it for over a millennium now. It certainly did the job; even other gods rather enjoyed looking at whoever they were speaking to.

Caeli pondered this as she entered the bunker, reading the carnage on the floor with a practiced eye. She'd been the wind over many battlefields, and plenty of men laughed in war. She wondered if any of these men had laughed as they died, drunk on pain and battle madness; she'd have liked to have seen that. Mortal laughter was a glory in all its forms. Caeli took a seat and nodded to the others, just in time to hear Sangus and his little bodyguard declare for the alliance. She didn't miss the rather blunt threat at the end of the girl's words.

"And if we decline this alliance," Caeli asked, blinking blue-green eyes at Barbados and showing a sliver of very white teeth. "Are we free to go? I'll be the first to glory in the ruin of this God Complex, but why now? Equality and power and worship sound excellent, but will we be donning crowns, or shackles? Many of us are not accustomed to working with others, and indeed have done well on our own for millennia. What makes you think this time is different? Have you caught a glimpse outside of time, perhaps?"

This possibility intrigued her, and she thought of any number of gods who indeed had command over Time. Had one of them told Barbados something of the future? A new wind rising?

@Darth Woodrack

Edited February 25, 2020 by ZincAboutIt
Assumed location of character

[Nathrangking]

I face forward again and sit back. I watch as the next goddess makes her way into the chamber and joins us. Her presence here confirms what I suspect. Barbados has summoned many deities from the corners of the globe. However, he has not accounted for many things. An accord of this sort would indeed make us powerful. However, it is not without risk. With Myself,  Caebdar, Chao, Sangus, Caeli,  and Leila, providing voices of wisdom we may perhaps do that which others before us failed to accomplish. 

I turn to Caeli. 

" Caeli is it? When did we last see each other? I believe that it may have been the skies above Paris 1942."

Edited February 25, 2020 by Nathrangking

[+Invocation]

Quote

Just for the record, at the moment Sij is not quite in the room. 

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by Invocation

[old man moomba]

Sangus smiled. “I would be happy to weave the ties that shall bind us together, though I cannot be the one who knots them.” He nodded to Caeli, who had just appeared. “I do share your concerns, but I believe it would be wisest to unite together, even if it could cause some... issues among us. However, if we build a stable foundation, we will be able to accomplish more than any other pantheon has. Certainly more than the usual so-called ‘alliances’ between deities. Barbados was fortunate in that the first gods to answer his call were perhaps the best that could have. I see few gods here who are totally malicious in intent.” Sangus chuckled, “Besides perhaps Barbados himself. No offence, my friend.”

[+ZincAboutIt]

4 minutes ago, Nathrangking said:

" Caeli is it? When did we last see each other? I believe that it may have been the skies above Paris 1942."

You know my name, you bloodthirsty lizard. I've seen you above many a battle, and you've ridden my wind with gore on that sword.

Caeli turned to face Baalhan, taking in his form and his armor. For all his appearance suggested, he could be a subtle creature. She smiled wider. 

"Indeed," she mused, an unseen wind playing through her silvery hair. The slightest echo of high, maddened laughter echoed around her, like the aural memory of war. "The mortals know how to put on quite a show, do they not? Such sound in the air, such wind!"

She looked back over her shoulder at Sangus, cocked her head, and considered. "'Not totally malicious,' why, Sangus, that's almost a compliment. They do say words are wind, but then, perhaps that only makes me fonder of them."

[Nathrangking]

 I turn toward Phantom and examine him. I sense that he is hiding secrets. I will have to watch this one. He seems to be a holder of an object of power. He could be an asset but only time will tell.

"Tell me from where do you hail?"

 

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by Nathrangking

[+Ark1002]

Quote

CHARACTER TIME

Sunshine

Spoiler

Name: Sunshine

Primary Domain: Flowers

Appearance:

human form

main form

monstrous form

Secondary Domains: War; as in the act of actual battle, disease; as in death bringing plagues

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Goals: Reduce the entire world to either opium addicts too stupid to do anything, his cultists, or corpses.

Manifestation of Power: The flowers manifest as... flowers. He can grow them from near nothing, create new species, control their shape, etc. When he brings about bloodshed, all of the flowers on his body turn violet, and his eyes grow bright red (if he has them). When he manipulates or creates diseases, the flowers all wither, looking frail and sickly, and his eyes become pure black (if he has them). In monstrous form, when he makes flowers, they get added to his body as well, and he grows bigger. In addition, the disease leaves only some flowers sickly, and leads to throny branches growing on the body. The bloodshed leads to redvines skull like patterns of red flowers and dark green vines growing. Over time, his monstrous form gets bigger and bigger as different layers are added, and skeletons are incorporated.

Forms: Human form. His original body, more or less, though the flower costume has now become part of his body, and living. Main form. The form he spends most of his time in, and appears to his worshippers in. Monstrous form. Battle, intimidation, and also, his truest form. If he is in pain, he reverts to this. It is his instinctive form.

Weakness: Can be killed only by five year olds who love snakes to an unhealthy degree.

Origin: As a child, Sunshine was an odd boy. Picked on by others for his love of flowers, deemed "girly". But despite this, he continued to dress up in various flower costumes, and do weird dances in the front yard. As he grew older, this obsession grew stranger and stranger, and he stopped being picked on, instead feared. Anyone he saw who picked a flower, he attacked. Anyone who angered him at all, he attacked. As an adult, people would watch as he sat in his parents lawn for hours, doing flower dances. Strange people began to think that Sunshine was doing holy rituals, and learned to join him, also wearing flower suits. This following grew larger and larger, and the city watch kept clearing out the people sleeping there. But he continued, day after day. One day, he became deathly ill, and took to the hospital. They thought there was nothing they could do for him. They had never seen this disease. So they sent him home to die in peace. His followers surrounded him in his last moments, promising to continue worshipping the flowers as he died. But instead of dying, Sunshine was transformed. A massive evil flower, and he ate on that spot all of his most devoted cultists, and his parents. With his appetite sated, he learnt to control it, learnt to change to his other two forms. To mask his insanity. And to create opium. He used this to spread, becoming a drug lord of sorts. He was the god of flowers, bloodshed, and plague, and he became a force to be reckoned with.

Also, he was scared of snakes and little children.

 

 

[Lunar Blessing]

Having examined the corpses Chao morphs her form into a cat. Walking back over to the table she hops up to perch on Baalhan’s shoulder.

 @Nathrangking

[Nathrangking]

A wry grin settles on my face as I turn my head to look at Chao. I look around at the assembled gods and goddesses for a moment before I produce a pendulum of sapphire energy which floats around in front of her. 

"Caeli, Caeli, Caeli, you know well that words sometimes have great power. Do you recall the prayers that ascended on the eve ot Agincourt?"

Edited February 25, 2020 by Nathrangking

[+Invocation]

A voice rasped from the shadows of the side, unused to talking and far from adapted to this modern language, accented heavily. "Make...your...deals. I gain...always."

Sij Hawm stepped out from their viewing nook, almost pleased to see a coalition coming together from among the closest thing they had to peers, despite the...age difference. A pantheon would involve deals, and deals were their domain. A grin that seemed too wide to fit on their head grew as they came closer to the deity-dense portion of the room. "I will...witness."

[Nathrangking]

3 minutes ago, Invocation said:

A voice rasped from the shadows of the side, unused to talking and far from adapted to this modern language, accented heavily. "Make...your...deals. I gain...always."

Sij Hawm stepped out from their viewing nook, almost pleased to see a coalition coming together from among the closest thing they had to peers, despite the...age difference. A pantheon would involve deals, and deals were their domain. A grin that seemed too wide to fit on their head grew as they came closer to the deity-dense portion of the room. "I will...witness."

"Ah Sij. You have come. I recall that yours is to not just witness but also to you is to seal. Will you seal the ties of this Pantheon?"

[+Invocation]

2 minutes ago, Nathrangking said:

"Ah Sij. You have come. I recall that yours is to not just witness but also to you is to seal. Will you seal the ties of this Pantheon?"

"From outside...yes. Nothing have I seen here...convinces me to join."