quest Chromaticity: A Warbreaker Quest

[Furamirionind They/Any/All]

2 hours ago, Wyrmhero said:

The non-capitalised nature of the rainbow robe doesn't really mean anything as such. It isn't presented as a 'named' piece, as such, like the sculpture or painting are, it's just a bright, colourful and exquisitely made cloth robe. I'm sorry if that implied anything about it, it was not my intention to do so. In general, I'll try not to hint towards any decision for Auguries being better than the others.

Ah, so some items are better than others... 

: P

[xinoehp512 he/him]

7 hours ago, Lord Furret said:

Whoa, this is so cool! I think I'll vote for the painting [X] Gods at Council, as it seems to be the wit focused option. I also vote [X] Understand your Heightening, and [X] Visit another Returned. 

 

Same.

 [X] Gods at Council

 [X] Understand your Heightening

[X] Visit another Returned. 

[Wyrmhero he/him]

On 8/27/2019 at 9:41 PM, Furamirionind said:

Ah, so some items are better than others... 

: P

Well, more immediately relevant .

Though who knows, some might have more meaning behind them than others... >>

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

Exciting. Time to make a place for Songbearer the Wise in the ever-changing pantheon of the Hallandren gods.

The robe sounds cool-looking and interestingly symbolic. However, in the interests of playing devil’s advocate, I advocate for the sculpture:

• We are a new Returned about to enter the political arena of Hallandren. If your name is “the Wise” you ought to be a decently good leader, even if they aren’t necessarily the most powerful member of the court. The sculpture seems to be the choice that most embraces this particular duty of the Returned. Not to mention, it’s a sculpture of Returned, which I would imagine is a subject Songbearer is interested in at the moment.
• Songbearer has an empty gallery. A sculpture is big and permanent, just the thing to start off an empty gallery.
• I like ceramics 

Making Returned friends sounds like a very good idea. Our Returned may not be the most charming but at least they can put in the effort.

I think we should also get to work on the tenants of Songbearer the Wise’s religion. How can we earn the epithet Songbearer the Wise without having wise teachings? Preferably teachings that are put to verse in easily memorable songs 

In conclusion:

[X] Gods at Council - Preferably with an enigmatic remark about how “the colors agree with me” or some similar vagueness. Gotta give the speculators something to do 

[X] Develop Religion - I suggest we start with something fairly simple. A few basic tenets with broad moral applications. However, all of the teachings should be put to song and publicized only in that form. If possible, these will be fully original melodies created either by Songbearer himself or commissioned from skilled artists.

[X] Visit another Returned - Preferably someone known for actually making an effort to help their petitioners every week through mundane means. And/or a clever scholarly type so that they will potentially have something in common.

[Kasimir he/him]

I'm voting for:

[x] Gods at Council

No particular good reason; it just struck my fancy.

[x] Get to know your High Priestess and your attendants

Songbearer is a new Returned and pretty dependent on Hera - and knows pretty much nothing about her or the Court of the Gods. Let's fix that.

[X] Visit another Returned

In fact, let's have Hera suggest someone she thinks Songbearer should see, without particularly giving offense. Having our High Priestess select someone for us might make it easier for Songbearer to make the visit, especially if he's about as charming as the rear end of a Hutt.

[Wyrmhero he/him]

I will be posting the next part in about 11 hours, so vote now or forever hold your peace .

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Week 1, Day 5: The Builder

 

The first part of the day is spent watching the staff install your new sculpture in your drawing room, waiting while books are gathered on Breath and the Heightenings they grant for your perusal.

You sink into a soft armchair by a roaring fire, and take the time to look again at the artwork. All of them spoke you to somehow, a resonance you can’t quite describe, but this one struck the greatest chord within you. You look at it, and can’t help but imagine being in the debating hall, arguing passionately about something. What that thing is, you don’t know yet; you haven’t really been ‘alive’ again long enough to hold strong convictions. But you know you want to help people, however that manifests itself.

“You realise, of course, that You can’t save the artwork every time,” Hera says, as she enters the room with two servants trailing behind her. One puts a set of books on a table, and the other places a tray of biscuits and a pot of tea beside it, and pours you a cup.

“Perhaps…” You admit. “But it seems like such a shame to destroy such a beautiful piece.”  

“I don’t think You would care this much about it if it wasn’t to be destroyed,” Hera replies, as she nods to the servants to let them know they may leave. “Its temporary nature lends it a beauty and value beyond what it would otherwise have. Much like the Returned themselves, some might say," she adds. "But it seems to have captured Your eye, which is good. Returned have a certain capability to see beyond the physical, into the meaning of art.”

“Don’t you want to know why I chose it?” you ask, after a moment to consider her comment.

She shrugs a little. “It’s Your reason, no-one else’s. I cannot gainsay it, nor would I want to. You may not even know the real reason Yourself, so there’s no real need for me to know. It is for the philosophers to debate upon.”

You can’t help but laugh a little. “So… so my opinion means nothing, hm?”

She pauses. “I didn’t mean it like that…”

“I’m joking,” you say, trying to put her back at ease. “Thank you, though, for the books.”

“Of course, Your Grace,” she replies, giving a bow. “I have selected a few I know to be reputable and exhaustive on these subjects. Any aspects that You wish to test, myself and the other servants will be happy to help with. Aside from Awakening, of course,” she adds.

“I’ll let you know,” you reply, reaching out to take the first of the books. “I would also like to meet some of my peers, though I must admit, I don’t know who to begin with. Or even who they are.”

Hera nods. “Very well. While the Court was much larger, recent events have led to the previous Returned moving on. The Court is therefore much younger than it normally would be, and only numbers eight, including Yourself. You are the youngest.”

“In order of increasing seniority, the next would be Quickfell the Diligent, then Fatespinner the Fortunate, and then Brightweave the Creative. Firesoul the Merciful and Coinspender the Generous are more-or-less equal in the time they've been Returned,” she scowls a little as she says Coinspender’s name, “and then Kindsmile the Cordial, and finally Lawmaker the Honest, who organises the debates by the Court by virtue of her relative age. Which of these would You wish to meet first?”

“Well… I was hoping to meet Returned who help people,” you explain. “So it sounds like Coinspend-“

“Do not let His name fool You,” Hera interrupts, and then pauses again. “My apologies.” She says, falling silent. You wave her on, and she nods a bit. “He is… a parody of His name. He believes that if He calls Himself that, people have to believe that He is. The rumour is that He only uses His position to further the merchant business He owned when alive.”

You are quite surprised by the amount of vitriol she shows for another God, and are quite glad she doesn’t seem to show this disdain for you. “So… Not him,” you say. “Who actually helps, then?”

“Firesoul does the most for the people,” she says, “but this makes Her extremely busy, working at Her hospices. I would not be able to arrange a meeting this short-notice. Quickfell and Brightweave are Your best choices, I would say.”

“Quickfell, then,” you decide, “as he is the next youngest. Can that be arranged?”

“Indeed,” she nods, “I shall make the arrangements while you study.”

You thank her and she leaves to carry out your will. In the meantime, you open up the book you took from the pile, though perhaps calling it a treatise would be better, as it goes into exacting detail not just in the mechanics of how Breath works, but the philosophy and culture behind it.

Eventually, you call in a few servants to help you. While you’re already aware of this ability, it surprises you just how easily you can tell between two similar but – to your eyes – distinct hues of red, or how accurately you can tell which notes are being played at which scale. Perhaps being a musically inclined god won’t be so difficult after all, though considering your draw to the name ‘Songbearer’, perhaps you were already knowledgeable in that area. Well, a question for another day.

You finish by practising with the so-called ‘perfect life sense’ that the Fourth Heightening grants, and it surprises you how accurate it is, granting you sight beyond your eyes. Returned must be difficult to assassinate, you assume. You close your eyes and request that the servants move around while you guess their location, which they agree to easily, though they become a bit nervous when you suggest turning it into a game, with you hunting them down.

 

---

 

Eventually, Hera collects you from the drawing room, and after a light lunch (or what passes for a light lunch for a Returned), you find yourself bundled into a carriage with her. The journey is awkward, with her trying simultaneously to not look at you but also not ignore you, so you make it easier for both of you by looking out the window at your surroundings.

It’s the first time you’ve left your domain, but it doesn’t seem very different outside to inside. You never leave the Court, simply travelling from one estate to another. The grass verges are finely cut, the flowerbeds abundant and bright. The road you are driven along is clean, with not a stone out-of-place, and it seems strange to you that such care should be taken for you and the other seven they’ve deemed as Lesser Gods, below only the God-King. In the distance, you see the rest of the city on the horizon, and while it still seems very colourful, you can’t help but notice that it’s darker out there, far more crowded, with vague but constant noise reaching your ear on the breeze.

To your surprise, you are not let out at the front of Quickfell’s home, but taken around the side, along a slightly more beaten pathway. You carry on past the back of the mansion, and out towards a woodland. Near the treeline, the carriage stops, and Hera steps outside to talk to a man in green and brown robes. A short while later, a set of wooden steps is placed before the carriage door, and you step outside, ducking your head to avoid hitting the carriage roof.

“Your Grace,” the man says with a bow, not looking up at you. “We are honoured by Your presence, and humbled to be the first to host Songbearer the Wise. I am Quickfell’s High Priest, Naran, and will serve You in any way You desire.”

“…Thank you,” you reply, after a long pause, while you try to figure out how to respond. “I’m… glad he was willing to meet on such short notice. Though, I am surprised to be meeting him out here, rather than inside.”

Naran grimaces a little, but quickly hides it. “My Lord prefers to be outside. He is a great proponent of an active lifestyle. Please, this way,” he says, indicating a direction with a bow, and then leading you and Hera towards the trees.

As you get close, there is a thunderous noise, and the ground seems to almost jump around you. There is then another. Then, a booming voice calls out “Timber!”, with a loud laugh following it. There’s a crunch as a tree before you collapses onto the ground.

“Chop it up for me,” a tall, broad, bare-chested and muscled man orders, waving a large axe at the fallen tree. He grins at you and calls you over as he heads towards a whetstone. You look at Hera, who gives you a small shrug, and starts talking to Naran about something administrative that immediately goes over your head. Finding no help there, you approach the other Returned.

Even if it wasn’t for his sculpted physique and apparent ease at ordering people around, you could tell this man was another God, your Aura Recognition tells you that easily. You approach from an angle at which sparks aren’t flying as he grinds the blade against the stone.

“You’re the new kid, then?” he asks, looking up at you from his seat. You realise briefly that this merely makes him the same height as a normal person.

“New kid?” you scowl. “From what I’ve heard, I’m only a little ‘younger’ than you. Besides which, since we don’t know our old lives, maybe I’m actually older than you. We’d never know.”

“Hah!” he barks a laugh as he examines the blade, shakes his head, and grinds it down again. “Isn’t that the truth…” he mutters. “But I was called new kid before, so now it’s your name. Best hope someone dies so you can call them it, hm?”

“I’ll start praying,” you reply dryly.

Quickfell chuckles and checks the blade with his fingers. Despite seeming unsafe, he doesn’t appear hurt by this, and nods to himself, standing up. He flips the axe in his hand, catching it by the blade, holding the handle out to you. You can only look at him with a combination of worry and surprise, hoping that the other Returned aren’t as uncaring as him. “You want me to have a go?” you ask.

“Seems only polite,” he says. “You don’t look as weak as most of the others, so I’m curious.”

You sigh and take the handle. Despite being a large axe, you have no difficulty holding it steady in one hand. “Fine… Any tree in mind? You’re aware I have no idea about technique, as well. Best clear the area.”

“I’ll be fine,” Quickfell waves it away. “As for technique, Returned are strong enough that it won’t matter too much. Just need to cut around chest height at an angle, until you’re most of the way through. Then gravity takes care of the rest.”

“Well… Alright,” you say, still a bit bewildered. Should you really be doing this? You look over to Hera, who looks over the situation and then cautiously nods. Wonderful.

Quickfell walks over to a tree, relatively thin compared to the others in this forest, and taps along its trunk. “Here,” he instructs, and then steps back.

You raise the axe and swing, feeling a little anxious. The blade bites deeper than you expect, but you keep your balance, just.

“How are you finding it?” he asks, his voice quieter now, so you can’t be overheard. The bombastic motions and speaking have gone now, replaced by something that might be concern.

“Being dead?” You ask, wrenching the axe out with a bit of effort. “It’s not what I expected.”

“Good,” Quickfell nods. “We all cope with this different ways. Humour works. Throwing yourself at something works. Anything to distract you from the situation.”

“So what do you do?” you ask, taking another swing, and another chunk out of the tree bark. “I was told you help people.”

“I do, but not how most people want me to. We have these petitions,” Quickfell waves a hand, “and they’re all worthless. Can’t see myself ever granting one.”

“That… is not what I expected you to say,” you admit. “Isn’t that meant to be what we’re here for?”

Quickfell grunts, a surprisingly human thing for a God. But then, maybe he had as much difficulty thinking of himself as a God as you do. “I’m not in a rush to die again, Songbearer. And not for some idiot who hurt himself and wants me to fix his mistake. Actions have consequences, and it’d do the people of this city good to remember that, rather than rely on us. A bit lower down,” he adds, and you adjust your aim before taking another swing.

“So how do you help people?” you ask.

Quickfell holds up a hand to stop another swing, and puts his hand on the trunk. He heaves a little and pushes it, the tree toppling over. “Timber!” he yells, and a bird flies out of a nearby tree at the noise.

“So…?” you continue, lowering the axe.

“I cut trees and then build things,” Quickfell shrugs. “Houses, carts, boats. People always need lumber and things made of lumber, and I can collect it quickly with my apprentices,” he gestures towards some of the priests who, you realise, are wearing more rugged robes than Naran. “I might not directly save a life this way, but I improve them. A roof over a poor family's head, a boat for a new fisherman. Maybe it does save a life somewhere, who knows? I’m not the only one that thinks like this either, or Firesoul wouldn’t have her hospice. Though I guess hers is more direct.”

“It’s something to think about…” you agree, considering it in your mind.

Quickfell runs a hand over the cut you made as you think. “Not a bad cut, for a first time,” he says. “Well, if you need something to do, to keep the boredom at bay, you know where I’ll be. Two Returned are better at this than one, yes?”

He grins and slaps you on the back with a loud thud that almost makes you stumble, the attitude matching his larger-than-life appearance again. “Y-yes,” you say, as you regain your footing. “Thank you for the offer, I’ll bear it in mind.”

 

---

 

“…How did that go?” you ask, on the way back.

Hera closes the book she was reading and sighs. “You offended his High Priest, or rather implied to him that You were offended by their choice of meeting place, which could cause problems, but impressed Quickfell Himself, thankfully. I wouldn’t worry too much about Naran, however. He finds fault with everything and is overall too soft. So, I would say that went about as well as I expected,” she says, causing you to wince a little.

“As much as I regret the question,” she continues, “do You still wish to meet the others?”

“Eventually,” you nod. “Why do you ask?”

“If I send out requests now, it will be easier to meet them tomorrow. You have no tasks, and therefore could do so if you wish,” she says. “Perhaps even Firesoul, if I know now. Indeed, it might be best to meet the other Returned in a personal capacity before the Court convenes in two days time, though You won't be able to meet them all before then, I'm afraid. Who You choose to visit, or what You choose to do is, as ever, entirely Your choice.”

 

---

 

Longer chapter than intended, but we've met another Returned, and you have your first look at the new Court of Gods, and the people within. The next day is a clear day with no guaranteed events, but after that there will be more things happening, such as petitions or politics.

 

Free Time

What will you do tomorrow? Select two. The top two will occur. As before, the following list is just a set of suggestions, and is not exhaustive, and you may suggest approaches to these tasks as well.

[X] Visit Fatespinner the Fortunate [Charm]

[X] Visit Brightweave the Creative [Charm]

[X] Visit Firesoul the Merciful [Charm]

[X] Visit Coinspender the Generous [Charm]

[X] Visit Kindsmile the Cordial [Charm]

[X] Visit Lawmaker the Honest [Charm]

[X] Ride through the city

[X] Develop your religion (you may suggest new tenets) [Spirit]

[X] Take up a hobby (suggest which)

[X] You may suggest others, not on this list

 

Results

 

Current Augury In Effect: Gods at Council

Gods at Council: 4

Rainbow Robe: 1

Kalad's Phantoms: 0

 

Action 1: Visit Another Returned

Ask Hera for advice/visit a helpful Returned

Charm Roll: 8-1 = 7, Partial Success (just!)

 

Action 2: Understand Your Heightening

Greater understanding of Perfect Pitch, Perfect Colour Recognition and Perfect Life Sense gained, which may lead to alternative options or results in events.

 

Visit Another Returned: 5

Understand Your Heightening: 2

Hobby: Leatherworking: 1

Develop Religion: 1

Get to Know Your High Priest/Servants: 1

Edited September 30, 2019 by Wyrmhero

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

Bravo, that was quite well written.

I am tempted to take one of the more open-ended options like poking around the city or starting a hobby. I strongly suspect that going about the city will reveal something interesting.

Also, meeting another Returned would be interesting. It seems pretty natural for our new Returned to be questioning how each of the others deal with being enshrined as gods. Firesoul is the most clearly good Returned and probably worth talking to. Lawmaker is probably the most influential and experienced, which is also fairly important. Coinspender would also be an interesting meeting, even though I am lead to believe it would be more of a “known thine enemy” kind of meeting than anything else.

Also, it might be a good idea to talk to Hera before meeting with a bunch of other Returned, because she clearly has a better idea of what is going on and also generally because having a good relationship with one’s high priest is important.

Also still in favor of developing the religion of Songbearer the Wise (and accompanying songs). As far as basic tenets go... You kind of can’t beat the golden rule XD I would prefer not to just rip that off though. I’m also kind of curious if Songbearer could get away with publishing teachings about the nature of the Returned themselves.

In short, many interesting options. Hopefully there will be opportunities to meet all the other Returned in the future. My picks are:

[X] Talk to Hera to get some kind of basic understanding about who is who and avoid any grave offenses, as well as just generally building rapport with the person who’s job it is to put up with everything Songbearer chooses to do.

[X] Research more about Returned. In particular, I am wondering if we can read about the rumored ability to change appearance, maybe start the first steps of learning how to do that, if that is allowed. The possibilities of exploring the city without looking like a Returned are very interesting to me.

[Kasimir he/him]

I'm lazy, so I'm just going to repeat my previous vote:

[x] Get to know your High Priestess and your attendants

Songbearer is a new Returned and pretty dependent on Hera - and knows pretty much nothing about her or the Court of the Gods. He's narrowly averted a mild disaster with Quickfell, but also offended Quickfell's High Priest. Time to lean more on his own High Priestess to figure things out. (Probably a good time to start team-building with his priesthood too. Build trust and a like of their god.)

[x] Find out about the other Returned from your priesthood

Let's try some intelligence-led approaches here. His priesthood must know something about the other Returned. What is it?

[+Sorana she/her]

I am curious regarding this Firesoul person. He seems like one of the more important player on the board, and I think we could profit if we met him. Then again, we are really inexperienced, and I am not sure, if it would be wise if we approached him now. Maybe it's better to wait, until after next meeting of the court, so that we can judge Firsoul's behaviour there and afterwards make sure our approach is fitting.

In general, I think we should try to find out who is important and holds how much power and who values which attributes/ actions. Therefore I also vote for:

[X] Talk to Hera

 

Additionally I'd like to suggest an option, that isn't on the list at the moment. We have no idea about our surroundings, including our own palace. I know it might be a bit unusual for a Returned, but I think we could profit from knowing possible exits and places to hide. Maybe I'm simply a bit paranoid, but we don't know what will happen next and even a mere fire could kill our Returned at the moment, as he has no idea where he is. If we had at least some kind of orientation, an idea where we can leave our palace and which way is the shortest from the court itself, it can save us at one point. Therefore I suggest to

[X] Explore the palace and the court

Edited September 3, 2019 by Sorana

[overlord stick]

I'm curious about Firesoul as well, what motivates them to put all that effort into helping people? I vote for 

[X] Talk to Hera

and also, 

[X] Ride through the city

If we are to be a god to people, they should know of us, a ride through the city could easily accomplish that, and we know more about the outside.

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Week 1, Day 6: Thread and Weave

If your meeting with Quickfell has taught you anything, it’s that you don’t really know what you’re doing. Whoever you were before clearly wasn’t a sociable person. It’s perhaps telling that your reaction is to delve back into research to solve this, but even that irony isn’t enough to stop you preferring it to actually trying to talk to another Returned before you know more about them.

Unfortunately, the general priesthood aren’t forthcoming with information on them. Whether because they don’t want to offend you or talk about the other Returned, or even just that they don’t feel right talking to you, it’s like getting blood from a stone. Instead, you are directed to the drawing room, and a pile of books is brought to you.

It’s a somewhat eclectic set of books, containing all manner of information about the Returned. ‘Comprehensive’, or ‘broad’ would be good descriptions of it, though perhaps ‘random’ and ‘daunting’ would fit just as well. Nevertheless, you sit down in your armchair, fire roaring beside you, and start reading.

The book that most piques your interest is a slim volume containing information about all the Returned currently in the Court of Gods – Currently being a slight misnomer, as it doesn’t contain you. No doubt a new and updated version of the book is being written and sold to the masses even as you read this one. Regardless, it is quite informative despite its modest size.

You read about Quickfell even though you have already met him, and honestly it doesn’t tell you much you don’t already know. He is a hard-working and honest man, not given much to the political games that the Returned sometimes play. He is thought of well by everyone, but not considered a particular ally by any. He would be termed a ‘wildcard’, except for the fact that he is consistent and forthright, and most will be able to predict where he falls on any given issue.

Fatespinner is quite the opposite, a political and playful Returned. She is known for enjoying games of chance and skill, and her religion’s tenants encourage people to think of life in similar terms. The portrait accompanying the text is of her relaxing on a chaise longue, and it seems that her appearance is tailored to distract her opponents. She does not hear petitions, but holds tournaments each week, with the winner pitting all that they own against her Divine Breath in a final match. Needless to say, she hasn’t lost yet.

You can’t help but smile at the image of Brightweave, as it reminds you of someone you can’t remember. A grandfather, perhaps, or an old teacher. His hair is white and wild, and his beard is bushy and speckled with salt-and-pepper colouring. His eyes are blue and mischievous. In his hands, he holds two wooden crosses, with many coloured threads hanging down to a marionette. He only hears petitions from children. Indeed, he also seems to regret needing their Breath to live, asking that any child that does so remain in his mansion for a week, with front-row seats to his puppet shows.

Firesoul seems to be the epitome of a no-nonsense matron. Her portrait is set in her hospice, unlike the others, which are set in the Returned’s home. Hers is an active image, commanding the chaos around her in the otherwise sterile, white-inked room. Perhaps she didn’t have the time to sit for a proper portrait? Regardless, it’s certainly a striking image. She doesn’t hear petitions, but it is noted that no Returned for quite some time has done as much to save lives. Perhaps her time is her sacrifice.

Coinspender is a disappointment, after the selfless portrait on the previous page. He reclines in a chair, entirely uncaring. The book takes great care not to call the gold and silver colouring of his robes ‘garish’, but instead ‘striking’ or ‘unique’. Surprisingly, he does hear petitions, but he doesn’t offer his Breath to those in need. He instead offers money to those who he feels have conveyed their case well, whether for medicine or for a new business. Regardless of the reason, he takes a cut of future earnings in return. The book notes that this has helped many people when they had nowhere else to turn, and has improved many lives, but you can’t help but keep Hera’s thoughts about him in mind, and wonder if anyone else sees this as shrewd and calculating rather than generous.

Kindsmile’s portrait initially surprises you, and you wouldn’t think he would be known for his friendliness if it wasn’t for the broad smile on his face, though you aren't surprised to find that he has a dark sense of humour. Rakishly thin and pale, he looks more like a Lifeless than a Returned. He is known for hosting a banquet for people from the city once a month, and invites both the rich and the poor, though it has been noted that, regardless of wealth, these people are usually fairly influential in their spheres.

Finally, there is Lawmaker. Her sketch is less serious than you were expecting, more understanding. She is apparently more personable when met socially than she comes across in the Council, which makes sense when you remember that hers is the unenviable job of herding the other Returned into making a decision. She requires her petitions to be examined by her priesthood first, and only hears those that meet her rigorous standards.

You flip back through the book as you finish your initial skim-read, and a thought strikes you as you flick through the portraits. Quickfell is the very image of a hard-worker, both physically and in personality. Fatespinner is carefree and playful. Firesoul is stern. Most Returned seemed to be, to a greater or lesser extent, physically similar to their personality. Hera mentioned that a Returned’s body is a perfect physical specimen of some kind or another, but what if it wasn’t quite that? What if it was reflective of the personality, of how the Returned saw themselves?

You pick up one of the other books that you skimmed before, the one about the God-King. Susebron has his own book almost entirely to himself, but that seems fair enough to you when he’s lived 50 years and is the ruler of this entire country. But ironically, it wasn’t for him that you were searching through his book for, but his wife. Ah, there it is. Her hair, the ‘Royal Locks’ as Idrians call them, changes colour. Supposedly, it is a legacy of one of their ancestors being a Returned. Did that mean that Returned could change their hair colour? Or perhaps more?

Nothing you had read had explicitly stated this, but it seemed like a logical conclusion from all the information you had available to you. You itch to try it out, but perhaps there’s a reason it’s not been in any book you’ve read yet. Maybe it’s something that has been intentionally hidden, or maybe it’s just unknown and kept secret by Returned who discover it.

You reach over and pull a rope, which rings a bell. Hera appears duly, giving a small bow. “Your Grace?”

“I would like the servants to run a bath, please,” you instruct her. “And I wish to bathe alone, no servants with me.” That would give you the perfect excuse to have the privacy to test this without worrying about others finding out.

“Very well, Your Grace,” she says, stepping outside of the room. You can just about hear her telling some servants to fetch hot water, warm towels, new clothes and scented soaps and all manner of things that she seems to think you’ll need for a bath. She returns shortly after. “It will be ready soon. Was there anything else, Your Grace?”

You hesitate for a moment, wondering how best to ask this. “I asked some of the other priests for information about the other Returned, earlier,” you say, “and they seemed reluctant to say anything. Why was this?”

“I suspect that they did to colour Your opinions about the other Returned,” Hera explains, “for good or ill.”

“You were quite willing to talk about them to me, though,” you point out.

“I live to serve You,” Hera replies. “I cannot do that if I am not honest.”

“Hmm…” you nod. “That’s true. Though when you say you ‘live to serve’ me, I can’t believe that’s really true. You haven’t known me for even a week. And it’s not as though you would feel religiously obligated to serve me, my religion didn’t even exist before me either.”

“Ah…” Hera says, thoughtfully. “I think I understand why You say that, but, and as long as I am being honest, I think You have misunderstood what your position is.”

“It’s quite possible,” you freely admit. You indicate a chair opposite, and she sits in it after a moment’s hesitation. “Then please, clarify it for me.”

“Perhaps it would help if I explain that you are not the first Returned I have been High Priest of,” Hera begins. “Indeed, I have been High Priest for one other, and served another one before that. This is not uncommon; some of the other priests here have served another Returned, though most are new to serving a specific Returned rather than being a member of the priesthood. Many priests will choose a new Returned to serve when their current one grants their Breath to someone, though most priests will retire, and return to working in the city.”

“There must be something I’m missing, then,” you say, carefully wording your thoughts on this. “Why are you happy to follow the religions of multiple Returned? Isn’t each new one a betrayal of the previous one?”

Hera shakes her head. “No, Your Grace. Your ‘religion’ is more of a… viewpoint. A way of looking at life. Each Returned has their own perspective, and each perspective is a part of the Tones. Just as a cloth is woven of many threads, the Tones are made up of the beliefs and philosophies each Returned creates. The Returned may give up their Breath and pass one, but their tenants and teachings remain. They build on each other, inexorably moving us towards a better life.”

You nod a bit. Was it daunting that you were expected to leave such a lasting mark on this country, or diminishing that it would only be a small part of it? Perhaps that was another question of viewpoints.

“So it’s not a betrayal, because they’re all the same religion?” you ask. “They’re all threads, but the weave is what you follow as a whole?”

“Saying that they are the same religion is correct, but there's some more nuance to it in my opinion,” Hera replies. “I am not the same person I was ten years ago, or five years ago, or even five days ago. The Iridescent Tones are always changing, always evolving. But they are a part of me, as much as each Returned I have served has left a mark on the Tones, so they are both the same and not the same. More threads have been added, which changes the weave, but it’s still the same cloth regardless of which Returned add to it.”

“I see…” you nod. “So, if most priests retire when their Returned dies, why have you stayed on to your third?” you ask.

Hera thinks about it for a moment, hesitating, and then seems to come to a decision. “It’s nothing too special,” she says. “It’s simply that while many priests might believe in their Returned, I would say that I believe in the idea of Returned. Of what they mean, regardless of the specific Returned. And,” she smiles a little. “I’ve discovered that I quite like being the High Priest.”

“Ah, I see,” you say, smiling. “You like giving people orders. That explains a lot.”

“Your Grace!” Hera protests, “I merely like ensuring that things are proper and orderly.” She looks around and, seeing no-one else is around, she smirks. “Though, if I was pressed, yes, that is a part of it.”

“I thought as much,” you say, sharing a conspiratorial grin.

The moment passes though, and Hera returns to her more serious expression as she stands up. “Your bath will be prepared now, Your Grace. Please, follow me.”

“Very well,” you say. “What’s happening tomorrow?”

“The morning is Your own,” she says, as she leads you through the halls that are slowly becoming familiar to you, “but the Council will meet tomorrow. Previously the Main Assembly, as it is usually known, would be a much grander affair, but with the few number of Returned we have currently, it is much more austere,” she explains. “A list of motions being put forward by the other Returned will be with You by tonight.”

“I can’t put forward any myself?” you ask.

Hera shakes her head. “As this is your first meeting, no, but if You wish to suggest something for next week, that is possible. Remember that you need to convince others to vote for any proposal You make as well, though, and they may require You vote for theirs as well. Be cautious when agreeing to anything, Your Grace.” You arrive at your bathroom, and she opens the door for you. “If you require anything, please ring the bell.”

“Very well, thank you,” you say, stepping inside. You look around as the door closes behind you, and find the floor-length mirror. You move it towards the bath, but still a distance away to stop it from steaming up quickly, and settle down for a relaxing soak and, hopefully, to try and change your hair colour.

 

---

 

Good grief, that power cut could have been better timed. Two hours writing, without saving, and for what? Losing it all for a cut that didn't even last a second. I'd say I've learned from this, but let's be honest, I haven't . I'm not quite as happy with the second half of this as the first half as in my initial draft, but sadly I can't remember how I phrased things or ordered things to reproduce it. Regardless, I get to espouse some half-rambling philosophy and interpretation, so I'm happy .

 

Free Time

What will you do tomorrow morning? Select one.

[X] Visit Quickfell the Digilent [Charm]

[X] Visit Fatespinner the Fortunate [Charm]

[X] Visit Brightweave the Creative [Charm]

[X] Visit Firesoul the Merciful [Charm]

[X] Visit Coinspender the Generous [Charm]

[X] Visit Kindsmile the Cordial [Charm]

[X] Visit Lawmaker the Honest [Charm]

[X] Ride through the city

[X] Develop your religion (you may suggest new tenets) [Spirit]

[X] Take up a hobby (suggest which)

[X] You may suggest others, not on this list

 

Council

Once a week, proposals will be put forward for debate and then voting. Each other Returned has things they favour, things they dislike, and things they are indifferent about. Your ability to convince people to vote the same way as you will be dependent on your Influence. You can also now use your visits to other Returned to convince them to vote for a proposal you put forward, using your Charm, or just to gauge their opinions on next week’s proposals. Bear in mind that while you can vote for, against or abstain from any or all of these proposals, other Returned may take offence if you vote for a proposal they dislike, or against one they like! The proposals are presented below, but there will not be a vote until the following Day.

 

Proposals up for the next vote:

• Tax on clothes dyed a Returned’s colours – Coinspender
• Impose new safety regulations on dockworkers – Firesoul
• Build a new library near the slums – Brightweave

 

Results

 

Action 1: Talk to Hera

You've learned new information about your High Priest, and achieved a bit more of a friendlier relationship as opposed to a working one.

 

Action 2: Research Returned

You have gained more information about the other Returned in the Court, and have theorised that you might be able to change your appearance. No luck yet, but it feels like you're getting somewhere.

 

Talk to Hera: 2

Research Returned: 2 (Due to a lack of a clear winner for the second Action, I combined the two Returned options together)

Explore the Palace and the Court: 1

Ride through the city: 1

Edited September 30, 2019 by Wyrmhero

[DrakeMarshall he/him]

Well, this continues to be interesting.

I'd say lets go ahead and [x] develop a religion. The whole "being revered as a god" thing is undoubtedly uncomfortable, but people still expect it from us, and in the absence of actually having the knowledge to tell people about Shards and what have you, at least a good teaching could benefit people. I have no idea what the impact of this will be, it just feels like one of the more practical duties of the Returned.

I propose that the core teachings shall be thus, in order of priority:

• Treat others well.
• Follow your conscience.
• Enjoy living.

Seems like a decent-ish set of tenets to work from as a starting point. /shrug

Also, and this part is important, they shall be presented to the public musically. Preferably set to tunes that are catchy and easy for people to remember. Ideally pieces that Songbearer has commissioned for this purpose, if we have the resources for that.

 

In terms of council proposals:

[X] Tax on clothes dyed a Returned’s colours – Coinspender

Well, there's something like seven Returned, with two colors each. There are only six major colors, with a great multitude of individual hues falling within those major categories. So, it depends on what Hallandren legally considers to be a color.

If it's only taxing the exact same shades as the heraldry of a Returned, as distinguished by the third heightening, then that is actually fairly reasonable, as it only effects those who explicitly want to support that Returned in the first place. However, I am also hesitant to align with Coinspender, so in this case, play it safe and abstain.

If, on the other hand, this proposal uses a broader conception of what constitutes a particular color, than this is basically slapping a tax on the use color. Considering that color clearly bears huge cultural and religious significance in Hallandren, restricting access to it is almost definitely not a good idea, so in this case, against.

 

[X] Impose new safety regulations on dockworkers – Firesoul

I am inclined to support this simply by virtue of the fact that I trust Hera, and Hera seems to trust Firesoul to a greater extent. But also, I want to play it safe. Especially since we haven't actually met Firesoul, and don't actually know anything about the situation of dock laborers. Abstain.

 

[X] Build a new library near the slums – Brightweave

We are a bookish Returned. We like libraries. Also, an educated populace is in general a good long-term investment. Also, of all of the proposals, supporting this one seems by far the least likely to offend anyone. Support.

[overlord stick]

I agree with Drake completely, nothing more to say. 

[X] Develop a religion

[X] Tax on clothes dyed a Returned’s colours – Coinspender

Abstain/against.

[X] Impose new safety regulations on dockworkers – Firesoul

 Abstain.

[X] Build a new library near the slums – Brightweave

 Support.

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Thank, Drake, I hope it remains that way with some of the ideas I have

 

And sorry Furret for any confusion, there's no need to vote on Council stuff now, though do feel free to talk about stuff, as that will influence how Songbearer interacts while on the Council. Originally I was going to have you vote now, but I've changed my mind on that until the other Returned have made their cases to you.

Edited September 9, 2019 by Wyrmhero

[Kasimir he/him]

Hmm.

Haven't decided actions yet. I'll return to vote later. Nevertheless, I'd regard Songbearer as being default abstention unless there's something that catches his eye or some reason to vote for that proposal. It'd be interesting if he's cool with the safety regulations proposal though. Some stirring of a connection with the workers he can't possibly articulate, since we've already mentioned his past...

Wait. @Wyrmhero, can we receive petitioners? As an action?

[Wyrmhero he/him]

6 hours ago, Kasimir said:

Wait. @Wyrmhero, can we receive petitioners? As an action?

Not as an Action, but you will. The hearings will take place every five days, beginning Day 6.

[Kasimir he/him]

Ah, okay. Then I'm going to go for:

[x] Be a Tarachin superstar Play a game of Tarachin with a few of the gods

Ideally with the gods that are putting forth proposals. I mean, it's a way for them to get to know Songbearer and try to manipulate backstab get the newbie to vote with them, right?  

Why not?  

Edited September 12, 2019 by Kasimir

[+Sorana she/her]

I like the idea. A good game never hurts. Best case we can have interesting conversation while playing, and maybe cann see who of those that put forth a proposal to vote on tries to influence us.

[x] Play a game of Tarachin with a few of the gods

Edited September 13, 2019 by Sorana

[Rushu42 she/her]

I'm going to jump in here (awesome plot, by the way) and say that Songbearer should either play Tarachin as a way to get to know the other gods, or develop his religion. If we can only pick one, I'd be more inclined towards developing the religion, as that seems to fit more with his character as I've seen it, but really either sounds useful.

[X] Develop Religion

And, if possible,

[X] Play Tarachin with Other Returned

[Wyrmhero he/him]

On 9/12/2019 at 0:46 PM, Kasimir said:

Ah, okay. Then I'm going to go for:

[x] Be a Tarachin superstar Play a game of Tarachin with a few of the gods

Ideally with the gods that are putting forth proposals. I mean, it's a way for them to get to know Songbearer and try to manipulate backstab get the newbie to vote with them, right?  

Why not?  

Just to confirm, this will still count as 'meeting' them and testing against your Charm, but it might be a better way of getting to know a few gods, as your Physique score might help you here in a physical game .

 

Thanks for the kind words, Rushu. Just to point out, only one vote this Day, I'm afraid, so I'll be taking Develop Religion as it's first, unless you change it.

 

I will post the next Day in two days time. At this point, basically just Sunday-Sunday for a Day, I guess :P.

Edited September 13, 2019 by Wyrmhero

[Kasimir he/him]

18 hours ago, Wyrmhero said:

Just to confirm, this will still count as 'meeting' them and testing against your Charm, but it might be a better way of getting to know a few gods, as your Physique score might help you here in a physical game .

 

Thanks for the kind words, Rushu. Just to point out, only one vote this Day, I'm afraid, so I'll be taking Develop Religion as it's first, unless you change it.

 

I will post the next Day in two days time. At this point, basically just Sunday-Sunday for a Day, I guess :P.

It's called physique-al negotiations, storm it  Let's get physique-al, physique-al... (I don't think I can link the song here as it's not PG-9 but close enough )

Edited September 14, 2019 by Kasimir

[Wyrmhero he/him]

Week 1, Day 7: Gods at Council

 

Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise you that you can simply request musicians whenever the fancy takes you. Everything else is provided at your request, so why wouldn’t that be as well? Though in this case, it doesn’t seem as though they have been dragged up from the town, at least; you recognise some of them as being your Priests, and all are dressed in the same robes.

“Was my staff chosen based on my name?” you ask Hera, while they assemble.

“Partially, Your Grace,” Hera replies with a small nod. “When Your priesthood was first created, a number of positions were left open, to be filled at my discretion according to your needs. There aren’t too many musicians among them, but I ensured that the more common instruments and vocalisations have been covered.”

"That makes sense," you agree, and return to tapping the sheet in front of you with your pen. It seems familiar to you, the patterns, but also not too familiar at the same time. You know how to write on it, at least. Perhaps you were more of an improviser, or had a less formal education in these matters. “Are you musically inclined?” you ask Hera, casually, as you wait for inspiration to strike.

“Not especially,” Hera admits. “I have an education in these matters, and enough Breath for Perfect Pitch, but I am out of practice, and have never written my own compositions. Though, I have been re-educating myself on this since You chose Your name.”

“Huh…” you reply, thoughtfully. That makes a little sense. Her poise and speech does suggest the kind of education that only the more wealthy families could purchase, especially with the number of Breaths she seems to have. “Well, I suppose I’d better start composing, then…” The question was, would it be wrong to start simple, or should you go with a grand ideal?

The flash of inspiration hits you. Why not both? There is no simpler idea than to be kind to others. To follow what you believe. To enjoy life, for not all will be lucky enough to have a second. And yet, these things are difficult. They are grand ideas to aspire to.

Before you realise it, you hand a sheet to Hera, ink carefully placed on the lines. Even as you look at it, you can hear the music in your head, each note chiming like crystal.

Hera simply stares at you, as if unable to process your sudden fugue. Eventually, she takes the paper, with rather more reverence than you’ve seen before. It occurs to you that this is the first time you’ve actually acted the part of a god. It feels… good. Exhausting, but productive.

She takes the sheet music to the assembled priesthood band, and they start to play. You’re surprised at how well they play and sing, and from their aura, you have to assume that they too have Perfect Pitch, though their souls don’t flare as bright as Hera’s. You’re also quite taken aback at how well you’ve written the music. Considering this is your first time doing so, it’s good. Though it most likely isn’t actually your first time, you realise.

It’s also a bit embarrassing, now you’ve heard it. The words are indeed simple, and the song doesn’t contain any great purpose or concept. But it doesn’t feel like a song to teach children, more just to teach anyone who hasn’t yet understood the concept of 'kindness' yet. There’s quite a few adults who could stand to be reminded about them, after all.

You clap at the end, as it only seems polite to praise them for their work. Then you turn to Hera again. “It’s not… childish, is it? As a first tenet for my religion, is simply saying ‘be kind’ enough? It doesn’t exactly add to the cloth…”

Hera considers the question, and then shakes her head. “I think that if more Returned began their religion with that concept, the world would be a better place.”

You can’t help but smile at this, and take another sheet of parchment. Taking up the pen again, you once more dive into the act of creation.

 

---

 

You are surprised when, a few attempts at composing later, you are not the only one who claps along with you.

Standing by the door, leaning against the wall is a familiar, stick-thin man, smiling broadly.

“Kindsmile?” Hera mutters, looking at your priest beside him, who looks worried, and sheepish. It’s clear that she would have liked a little more warning of any Returned paying you a visit.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Kindsmile says, and Hera flushes as she realises that he heard it. He holds is hands out in a calming gesture. “There’s no need to stand on ceremony, we’ll have enough of that later. I simply wanted to meet the newest god in a less formal manner before the Council.”

“Of course,” Hera says, forcing a smile and vacating her seat. She indicates it to him. “Please, take a seat, Your Grace. I will send for some refreshments.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Kindsmile says, “I don’t intend to stay too long. Some privacy, however, and music, would be appreciated.”

Hera gestures to the musicians, and they start playing. She’s less willing to leave your side, but eventually does so, standing some distance away, where you doubt she’d be able to overhear.

“So, Songbearer…” Kindsmile begins, with a small grin. “It’s good to finally meet you. I’ve heard you’re something of a recluse.”

“I’ve been… finding my feet,” you say, defensively. “I need to know what position I’m in before I meet other people, who understand everything far better than I do.”

“Perhaps,” Kindsmile allows. “I prefer to dive in, as it were. No better way to understand your position than to meet people who can tell you what it is.”

“I’ve got my priests for that,” you point out, and he frowns.

“I wouldn’t consider your priests your friends,” he says, carefully.

“What do you mean?” you ask, and now it’s your turn to frown as he doesn’t respond.

Instead, he looks back to the band, pensively. He listens to their song, and just before you prompt him for an answer again, he replies. His timing throws you a little off-balance, but not as much as how disconnected his comment is. “You’re a good songwriter,” he says.

“Sorry?” You ask, blinking. “You can’t change the conversation after saying something like that.”

Kindsmile gives you another grin, though this time it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ve had no training in these matters since you’ve become a god, have you? No, of course not, why would you learn something you already know so well? Your skills, and your name… They come from your previous life. Were you told what it was?”

“No,” you say, wondering why he’s asking. Surely it was the same for him? “They said they couldn’t tell me.”

“Ah, but ‘couldn’t’, or ‘wouldn’t’?” he asks, sitting back in Hera’s chair. “There’s the problem, isn’t it? A good friend wouldn’t hide such things from you as your past. They discourage us from looking, from being complete. It’s the one thing that any priest will deny us, their gods. It makes you wonder why, doesn’t it?”

“I’ve been told because it doesn’t matter,” you say, slowly. “That it has no effect on who we are now. And so we don’t abuse our position, to use our new status to unfairly help people in our old lives.”

“Oh, don’t be so naive,” Kindsmile sighs. “Everything I’ve heard says that you’re quite intelligent, so it would be a shame if you blindly accepted their reasoning without a second thought.”

You try not to show your irritation, but consider the question. “They don’t want us to know,” you say, puzzling it out as you speak, “because they don’t want us to have a connection to our old life. It’s partially about not abusing our godhood, I’ve seen how Coinspender’s less savoury actions have been thought of…” it clicks into place. “Oh. It’s our Divine Breath. They want us to be more willing to sacrifice our Breath for them, and not having any attachments make it easier for us to do so..”

“Quite,” Kindsmile smiles. “They pamper us, give us everything we want, partially because we’re gods, and partially so we don’t have to do anything. We don’t earn anything, we don’t own anything. Our only contact is with other Returned, who are going to sacrifice themselves eventually, and our Priests, who keep us at arm's length. We are disconnected from the life other people live, even if they dress it up as simply honouring their ‘gods’. But in the end, they want us to die.”

“So… what, then?” you ask. “What’s your point about all of this?”

“No point, I suppose,” Kindsmile shrugs. “More questions, than answers.” He looks back to the band as they start another composition, this time one of your own from earlier in the session. “Your songs have a theme of following your conscience, hm?” He taps the chair’s arm, and stands up. “I think we should follow our sub-conscious, if anything.”

“What do you mean?” you ask, looking up at him.

“If you want to know who you are, rather than being told who you are, Songbearer,” Kindsmile says, quietly, “follow your dreams. It will terrify your priests, and that will tell you everything you need to know about them.”

“I’ll bear it in mind,” you say, with an unsure nod.

Kindsmile’s face quickly turns into another smile, as Hera approaches to provide an escort to see him out. “It was nice meeting you, Songbearer. I look forward to our next conversation. My door is always open to you.”

                                                                                                                 

---

 

You make your way to the Council chambers with Hera after midday. Kindsmile’s comments still weigh on your mind, and you distract yourself by looking out the window, at the new sights.

It’s the first time you’ve been out from the Court of Gods, and it’s almost jarring how different the city you travel through is compared to the majesty of the Court. It’s not an ugly sight, but you’re quite aware that this is simply because you’re not travelling through the less affluent areas of the city. You’ve thought about it before, but it takes that thought to really consider strange it is that you’ve been given such wonderful accommodations and waited on hand-and-foot for simply being lucky enough to Return.

The Council room isn’t what you expected, though. You expected a small but affluently-decorated chamber, closed off from the world for the affairs of government, but it is the opposite in almost every way. In fact, it’s more of a closed-air amphitheatre, a large and open space, with a circular table and large, colourful, comfortable chairs in the centre, with some smaller ones beside them, and raised seating tiers set back all around it, giving a good view from any position. Already there are a good number of people sitting in them, and you feel self-conscious as you walk in.

When you approach the centre, you see that it’s obvious where you are intended to sit; a large chair has been draped with your colours. In fact, the smaller chair beside it has been too, and its purpose quickly becomes apparent as Hera takes that seat as you sit in yours and removes a notebook and pen. All the chairs are marked with a Returned’s colours, except one: The largest chair around the table has no smaller chair beside it, and is marble rather than the fine wood of the others.

Only one other Returned is present when you arrive, a woman you quickly recognise as Lawmaker. When you approach, she’s in discussion with an elderly woman wearing the same purple and grey robes. Like Hera, Lawmaker’s High Priest has a book out in front of her, and is ready to take notes.

Lawmaker smiles a little at you, and pauses her conversation to nod in your direction. “Songbearer,” she says. “It’s good to finally meet you.”

“And you,” you reply. You aren’t sure what to say, but thankfully you don’t need to say anything, as Lawmaker returned to her conversation. You aren’t sure what they’re talking about, but after a little while, you realise it’s simply going through all the boring minutae of the meeting ahead.

The other Returned filter in less punctually, though none are actually late, even if Coinspender cuts it close. The portrait in the book you read was perhaps a bit flattering, though he isn’t greatly overweight. You greet them all shortly as they arrive, and are greeted somewhat formally in turn. Perhaps it’s the setting that makes even Quickfell seem stiff compared to normal.

Coinspender’s appearance and sitting down marks the beginning of the meeting; the marble chair remains empty. Lawmaker quickly gets things underway, her voice practised and clear, carrying throughout the room. It’s perhaps as you could have expected; a formal welcome to you, followed by a quick summary of events that have happened of note. None of it means much to you, the context missing from their previous decisions. But then, finally, it’s time to discuss the new laws up for voting this week.

Coinspender seems quite happy to begin, drawing himself up as best he can on his chair, and taking an imperious tone. “My fellow Returned,” he begins, “I understand that most of you will be against my motion before we even begin. My reputation is not the best, but I have only the best of interests at heart here!”

There’s a scoff from Firesoul at this, and he offers her a smile before continuing on. “Simply put, we Returned are our colours. We wear our colours, sit on chairs made up in our colours, and our priests are in our colours.” He gestures here to the man sitting beside him, who looks more like an accountant than a priest, even if he wears gold and silver robes like Coinspender himself. “To allow others to wear our colours is to allow them to implicitly call on our authority for their actions.”

“So you’d rather tax them, of course,” Fatespinner says, leaning forward. The movement draws a few eyes. “Well, I can’t say it’s a bad idea. I could always do with a bit of spare change.”

Coinspender smiles an easy smile at her, and you’re somewhat surprised to see that his eyes don’t wander, as some others have. Perhaps you’ve underestimated him. “Well… I feel this would be a more palatable solution than simply banning colours without our authority. This is a disincentive, not forbidding them.”

“There are a few things that would need clearing up,” Kindsmile says, leaning back in his chair. The motion calls to attention just how thin he is, practically disappearing behind the wooden frame from your angle. “There are questions about shades, and our own priests. In reverse order, would the tax affect our priests? That would seem like a good way to skim money off the top…”

Coinspender shakes his head. “Not at all. While I would call this a tithe for those devoted enough to wear our colours, there’s simply no point in charging our own priests for their work. As for shades, well…” he picks at his robe. “This is a specific shade, is it not? As I said, this isn’t meant to be a tax, just a disincentive.”

Overall, you’re somewhat surprised by his reasoning. Certainly there are arguments against it, but it seems as though he’s given it some thought. Perhaps he isn’t as bad as Hera implied. But a thought rises in your mind, and you have to ask.

“I’m not sure how useful a law like this will be,” you say, looking at Coinspender as you raise your point. “The wealthy are the only ones who will be able to discern the specific shades, and they can pay this tax. Other people either can’t tell they’re breaking the law, or can’t pay any fine. Also, people will just wear slightly different shades to avoid the fine anyway. Most people who see them won’t be able to tell.”

“Perhaps,” Coinspender shrugs. “But a different shade is enough to be able to point out that we don’t actually support these people. And trust me, even if you are wealthy, the thought of paying anything extra to other people will still irk them, even if it’s easily affordable,” he says with a wry smile.

The debate draws to a close, as Lawmaker looks around to check no-one else has any points to raise. Only then does she speak.

“For the benefit of Songbearer, and others who are watching the Council for the first time,” Lawmaker says, “I will ask you all to vote on these slips of paper,” she says, handing them to her High Priest, who gets up and passes them around. For an older woman, she seems quite spry, and to your eyes, the reason is obvious. While almost drowned out by the brightness of the souls of the other gods around you, the woman herself is a small light, similar to your own High Priest’s. “You will them pass them to me. I will not confirm the results until the end, to ensure that further votes are not compromised.”

You write your vote down on the paper and pass it back. Firesoul takes a more upright position, ready to begin her own proposal.

“The docks are dangerous,” she says bluntly. “I’m tired of having to put yet another dockworker’s broken arm in a splint. We need a proper set of processes in place to prevent people hurting themselves. Rules and regulations that must be followed to ensure that work can be carried out in a safe manner. If the merchants aren’t in such a rush, aren’t so callous in their disregard for lives in pursuit of profit, then we can save lives without needing to treat anyone. Prevention, rather than cure.”

“Dockworkers are paid quite handsomely for their work,” Coinspender says. “They knew the risks when they signed up.”

Firesoul sighs, and it’s a weary sigh. “We both know that often a person has no choice when offered work of any kind. Besides which, it’s hard for someone to judge risk when applied to themselves. They simply don’t consider that they could be hurt.”

“I disagree,” Quickfell says, his booming voice cutting across the room. “You aren’t the only one who talks to the manual labourers. I see many asking for my Breath to cure their injury, to return back to work. I’ve spoken to them, and they know the risks. Most know someone who has had a close call, or an accident of some kind. It’s something that they all know.”

“Know, yes,” Firesoul replies, “understand, no. Statistically, there is a clear lack of care being taken by the workers, and a culture of efficiency over safety imposed by the employers. A conscious effort has been made to sacrifice peoples’ well-being for the sake of profit. That should end.”

“What’s life without a little risk?” Fatespinner smiles. “It seems as though everyone in the arrangement is happy enough with it, or it would collapse. Or are you simply saying you know better than them?”

“We’re gods, are we not?” Firesoul asks. “Yes, I do.” Her priest, in red and white, hands out sheets of paper. “These are the records I have made over the past month. They show clearly the level of danger workers in this sector are under, compared to others.”

Everyone takes a look at the notes. They paint a fairly grim picture.

“I’m convinced,” Quickfell says simply, letting the sheet drop back to the table.

“Well, I’m not,” Coinspender says. “The businesses there that unload the ships have low margins. You take away their profit and they’ll fire people until they’re profitable, if they ever will be. People will lose their livelihoods, and that could lead to all manner of things. You might starve as many as you save.”

“So your opinion is that it’s better to maim people for the sake of financial gain?” Firesoul replies, harshly. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Firesoul, please,” Lawmaker interjects. “This is an emotive topic, I understand, but such a strong reaction helps no-one.”

Firesoul grimaces, but sits back, hands uncurling from the fists they had found themselves forming. Coinspender, for his part, looks chagrined.

“I think they will adapt,” Brightweave says, his voice calm in the council room, but no less clear and reaching as the others. “Things have always changed, and we will always adapt and overcome them. Short-term, perhaps, there will be some difficulty, but it will be better in time. And what are we here for, if not to steer this country towards long-term success?”

“Perhaps we should vote?” Kindsmile suggests. “I think everyone has said what they wanted to say.”

Paper is passed around again, and you mark your vote on it. Then, finally, Brightweave speaks up.

“I see a lot of children at my puppet shows,” he says, sadly, “and I know that many of them will never escape the poverty that has trapped them, and their parents, and their parents’ parents, and so on. They are punished through no fault of their own, or anyone’s, just trapped.”

“Dockwork used to be a way out,” Coinspender says, his tone measured. “Who knows if it still will be, hm?”

“Education is the way out,” Brightweave replies. “A library would help them to have a better life through improving their knowledge and their skills, even if it will be hard work. It’s more of a chance than they have at the moment.”

“Agreed,” Firesoul says. “It is a long-term strategy, but that is what we are here for, as you yourself said. And it doesn’t need to only be children that benefit from this. Medical textbooks could save lives by educating people on first-aid and disease prevention.”

“That’s assuming they’re ever used,” Kindsmile says. “You’re talking about a cultural shift, more than anything. The slums are rife with crime, it could just end up being ransacked. Though I think it’s worth a try, in any case. I know some people that could help make sure it’s not troubled.”

“It’s a risk worth taking,” Fatespinner simply comments. Then she shrugs. “But it does feel odd to vote on something that won’t have any noticeable effect until long after we’ve given up our Breath.”

“Then I suppose it’s down to me to be the bad guy, yet again,” Coinspender huffs. “May I remind you that a war was narrowly averted recently? And that this was done by sending Kalad’s Phantoms themselves to hunt down our own, subverted, Lifeless? We have no army! We can’t be frivolously spending on vanity projects until that, at least, is rectified. And a standing army, or mercenaries, don’t come cheap.”

“We have Kalad’s Phantoms themselves,” you point out. “They are still present, and useful, and everything that I’ve read about them suggests that they are quite a powerful force. Stone warriors that feel neither pain nor exhaustion are strong alone, but they can also be repaired and rebuilt in new statues. Why would we need to use people in war?”

“Because the God-King is just one man,” Coinspender says. “You are new, so you may not know about recent events, but recently he was kidnapped by his own staff, and apparently couldn’t stop them without the sacrifice of two of us. What happens if he is kidnapped again, and cannot break free? Or an assassin kills him? Like us, he might be hard to injure, and immune to poisons, but all God-Kings have died before him. He will not be any different.”

“The God-King was captured because he had no ability to Awaken,” Firesoul says. “Lightsong the Bold gave away his Breath to repair his tongue, so he cannot be captured as he was before. Murder is another matter, but we are hard to kill in the first place, and he is protected by guards who also have Perfect Life Sense, like us. The God-King’s in particular is very strong, as he has Tenth Heightening. There is no concern that he will be assassinated, I feel.”

There is a pause, and Lawmaker speaks up again.

“If there are no other points to raise, then we shall vote,” she says, and paper is handed out. For a third time, you place your vote. Then, as they are returned to Lawmaker, she starts to tally the votes for each motion. The results provoke stronger reactions in some, more measured ones in others, but Lawmaker’s stern gaze cuts them off.

“This meeting is adjourned,” she says. “Please have any motions that you wish to raise sent to me by tomorrow evening at the latest.”

You leave the room with the others, and climb into your carriage with Hera. “So… do I have any plans for tomorrow?” you ask her.

She nods. “Yes. Your day will mostly be taken up by Petitioners, so I’m afraid anything you wish to do will have to wait until the next day. ...If they are still possible,” she adds, after a moment.

“Ah.” Kindsmile’s words return to you. They want us to die. “I can’t wait.”

 

 

 

Council

Vote ‘For’, ‘Abstain’ or ‘Against’ for each of the following motions:

Tax on clothes dyed a Returned’s colours - Coinspender

[X] For

[X] Abstain

[X] Against

 

Impose new safety regulations on dockworkers – Firesoul

[X] For

[X] Abstain

[X] Against

 

Build a new library near the slums – Brightweave

[X] For

[X] Abstain

[X] Against

 

You may also suggest one proposal to be put forward for the next Council meeting, though you don’t have to. Depending on the nature of your proposal, it will change how other Returned feel about you slightly.

 

---

 

And there is the first council meeting. My thoughts are that it’s somewhat like a cabinet meeting in British politics now, except there’s no parliament, just the cabinet. And the monarch (Susebron, in this analogy) hardly ever shows up, rather than never shows up, but there's no Prime Minister… Actually, it’s quite different, now I think about it . But anyway, it’s more modern and personal than the previous government, though most of the simple proposals are still debated by the Priesthood rather than bothering the Returned about them.

You have also obtained your first stat increase. Your Spirit was boosted, in this case, for performing your first three 'spiritual’ actions – Understanding Breath and Heightenings, learning more about the Iridescent Tones and Hera's interpretation of it, and developing your religion.

As an aside, you guys have been very fortunate with your rolls >>.

 

Results:

 

Develop Religion

Wits Roll: 2d6+1 = 11, Full Success

You succeed in developing many simple and memorable tunes and songs, which your priests propagate through the city.

Your actions in understanding Breath, the Iridescent Tones, and in developing your own religion have given you a greater sense of introspection and spiritual identity. Spirit UP.

 

Develop Religion: 3

Play Tarachin: 2

 

Unexpected Meeting With Kindsmile

Kindsmile invited himself to your home. He seems interested in you, but doesn't particularly like you yet.

Charm Roll: 2d6-1 = 9, Partial Success

 

Council

You spoke up a few times, and offered some opinion on the motions, though your lack of knowledge and context for recent events has hindered you.

Influence Roll: 2d6-2+1 = 7, Partial Success

Edited September 30, 2019 by Wyrmhero

[Kasimir he/him]

Off the top of my head:

Abstain for Coinspender, aye for Firesoul - let's work in some possible emotional connection to a worker past, even if SB can't remember, since we did make that choice to begin with, and aye for Brightweave. New Court, new policies.

Oy vey, Coinspender's gonna hate us  Somehow, I think we can live with his disregard.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Kasimir

[Rushu42 she/her]

I'd say that Songbearer would probably be rather hesitant to take action at first, and would probably mostly abstain at this point. Still, I think that the library would appeal to what I've seen of his personality and intellect. Therefore, my vote is as follows. (On a side note, isn't it interesting that we have to vote on what we're going to vote?)

Tax on colors:

[X] Abstain

Safety regulations on Dockworkers:

[X] Abstain

Build a library:

[X] Aye