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Iseleti Wellguards
Spring was a season of upheaval for the Iseleti. For nearly a generation, they had lived in complete peace with the outside world. Their world was quiet, only the sounds of the wind and the rain and their own little noises echoed out across a vast and empty world. Now existence was deafening, their world thrown into disarray as the lands melted into water and the skies rained fire across the earth.

The Iseleti had come to experience the artistry of the gods and were horrified! Beyond the tranquil glade surrounding the Well of Dreams the once dead lands now filled themselves with unimaginable danger.  Huge monsters roamed the lands, tearing at leaf and branch and bush, their powerful trunks reaching high into the canopy. They would regularly visit the Well of Dreams to drink from its depths and devour whatever food they could. Unfortunately for the Iseleti, they fell distinctly within that category. Their green flesh and sweet babies were a nourishing meal for the famished wandering hordes of elemelephants drawn in by their sweet smelling flowers.

Even more horrifying, just prior to the End of Peace, a number of Iseleti were visited by a being called “Osella Hrydragyr,” though in time the name became twisted in the common vernacular into Osellahyr, a cursed name spit out with hatred. Claiming to be the creator of the Iseleti, they led but a fraction of the Iselti to salvation and forsook all those who remained to this hell.

Some attempted to flee these lands, but few were very successful. Storms of fire would sweep across the sky, devouring the Iseleti’s flesh and turning them to ash. One group died in their sleep when the ground beneath them became like water, causing them to sink beneath the earth. Another smaller group failed to escape when the air became like the ground, solid and impossible, trapping them like flies in amber hundreds of feet above the ground. And that does not even account for those picked off by elemental spirits, hackoons, spontaneous combustion, wandering dragons, or bears.

Though, some did indeed flee these chaotic lands. Over several scores of Iseleti journeyed west to the montane rainforests upon the slopes of Western Mesortia. Here they found a strange world which was warm and dry near the foothills, but as one ascended the region grew colder and wetter, the grass giving way to a forested paradise, which ultimately gave way to high altitude valleys of moss, lichen, and mountain lakes. There in the lower echelons of the forests they sought refuge from the ever changing world of Eastern Mesortia.
 
Those that did stay were mainly naturalists, though some stubborn primists would not abandon the lands they saw as rightfully theirs. One such Iseleti, a primist during the age of peace, quickly came into power. Numenflos, as they came to be known, was a charismatic leader. While many cursed the name Osellahyr, Numenflos spoke of a being called Laurel, who had plunged the world into chaos along with several others. Laurel and the other gods had inspired Numenflos, and he would lead the remaining iseleti through this time of strife. While at first the Iseleti hated Numenflos, in time they were persuaded, or fled for safer lands. Under Numenflos They became organized, disciplined, and moved as one with a purpose: defend their home. At first, the defense was hopeless, elemelephants would wander into the area and drink from the Well of Dreams, devouring all edible life in the area (and any iseleti who ventured near the waters). Yet in time, the iseleti stumbled across a powerful relic, a blue crystal which whispered knowledge they could not hear. It spoke of a being called “Ohwon” which knew how to tend the lands and the trees. The naturalists came to revere the stone, and the mysteries it contained. It’s secrets were often hard to understand, delivered slowly though occasional words, numbers and fleeting images. These visions were not restricted to Numenflos, as many naturalists came to worship around the stone. The visions came to become religious in nature, but most importantly, one such vision showed a mesh of branches surrounding glint berry plants, with hungry moatgoats trapped beyond. The Iseleti had finally received their salvation! In the coming months, they moved with a fervor, plunging heavy branches into the ground, uprooting and replanting saplings, and weaving whatever plants they could into a living wall around their homeland. While imperfect, and still only a mild deterrent to elemelephants, they had gained something more important than safety: hope.


Iseleti Explorers
From the perspective of the Iseleti, the touch of their god was nirvana. Their shriveled stomachs which had for so long cried out for food which rarely came, grew full and fat with the glorious vines of light that descended from the heavens. Osella Hrydragyr had selected her chosen few, and it was not the naturalists or the primists that were holy in the eyes of god. In that instant, the quarrels of their starving past seemed so insignificant. Unburdened by their petty squabbles over meager nuts and berries, the Iseleti found new solidarity among their fellow chosen ones. They looked at their brothers and sisters, who did not feel the glory of Osella Hrydragyr and pitied their lowly existence. As the shackles of their past fell away, so too did their ties to their unchosen friends and family who were both not worthy enough to receive this blessing, but also could not understand how small their own existence was. In mere days, the one hundred chosen left, few bothering to give terse or even ambivalent goodbyes.

The sweet song of adventure called to them! A heavenly purpose to accompany their newfound vitality and glorious view of a world free of strife over scraps. That siren song pulled them east by northeast, until they found it’s majestic origin, a strange being unlike any they had seen before, Malbazaro! Master of Potent Plants, Herbs, Snuffs And Stuffs, This wingless thing had neither leaves nor flowers, and could go long periods without needing to drink from the skylantern, even moreso than the blessed chosen. He possessed both strength and knowledge like the Isleti had never experienced, and spoke in an odd, but somehow disarming manner. But most importantly, he radiated adventure. He spoke of distant lands beyond the skies, trees and shrubs and plants that inspired wonder and joy in the Iseleti.

They adventured northeast, west from what would now be the the Joyous Savanna, just as the first blades of grass began colonizing the region. Westward, they found a coast. The borders of Eastern Mesortia seemed to expand to encompass this area, the rolling plains seemed to have always existed here, just unknown to gods and the world itself. The elemental expanse flowing into the shallow waters around the yellow sand beach and the smell of salt became heavy on a westernly wind. But this was not their destination, instead, Malbazaro urged them onwards over the open sea, the power of their blessing refreshing them each day, they carried on through the nights. After several days, they reached their destination, a shattered jungle region surrounded by a shallow sea. A single volcano rose up from the center of the region, and the thick tangle of the jungle smelled of danger and discovery.

Malbazaro and the Iseleti spent several months exploring the jungle here in search of interesting plants. It seems the region was once much higher up, and that a vast majority of it had sunk beneath the seas. Stone ruins of an ancient civilization are not uncommon here, though crumbled and ancient, pillars and foundations can be found in what can only be assumed to have been jungle cities, now lost to volcanic eruption, rising seas, encroaching jungles, and the ravages of time.

Still, the jungle itself was dangerous. Strange and territorial disc-like gelatinous creatures lived in colonies among the rocky cliffs. They floated through the air in swarms slowly, but could plummet from the sky with incredible speed towards their target. Eelamander packs also were quite dangerous, roaming the jungle in search of prey. Large reddish web-weaving millipedes spin near invisible traps among the trees. Angry gorillacrabs nearly killed Malbazaro on one occasion. But of all these dangers, the night-black serpents of this land, which are large enough to swallow Iseleti whole, are the most terrifying.

However, it was not the beasts of these lands that proved to be the most hostile, but instead, a minor god! Wruhul, was a wild god who was not at all happy to see intruders in their land. Malbazaro apparently was confronted by them at some point after the expedition’s arrival, and bartered for the safety of the expedition using some of the glory provided. Though he returned to the iseleti, the volcano in the center of the island seemed much more active after this encounter, often shaking the land and spewing smoke into the air.

Expediency became the focus, and in a few short weeks, the expedition returned with several tropical plants. Sweetvines were the first, a thick vine which grows well the jungle. It requires a lot of water, but is quite sweet. The iseleti would cut it into pieces and chew on it until the sweetness faded. Next is the jungle bean which grew large beanpods as long as an iselti arm. The pods contain starchy somewhat sour bitter beans. Next was the volcanic orchid, a rare plant, even in the jungle, which exhibited medicinal properties that might be useful in fighting some fevers. Yet these plants paled in comparison to the remaining two. The first was the biting squash, an animalistic plant that the iseleti had been delighted to discover. These lumpy gourd-like creatures were supported by woody legs, and according to Malbazaro were “hateful little monsters.” Allegedly, he had suffered more than one of their painful bites. The last was something he called the White Jewel. When he first brought it before the Starlight Odyssey, he did so in a reinforced glass case covered with a cloth. When he removed the cloth, it revealed a plant that was clearly magical. It was a single pure white sapling. It had no bark, it’s inner wood revealed, but had no grain whatsoever. It’s small branches seemed to reach towards Malbazaro as he moved about the plant. “Now what we have here is an especially unique specimen, the kind quality and like of which could have only been secured by a master flauralogist such as myself. This here, it’s a one of a kind. Doubt that Wruhul even knew it was still out there in those ruins, else he would have been more delicate with his islands. I can speculate as to the origins of such a creature, and I do mean creature, but its clear this plant is the handiwork of a higher power. And not a nice one at that! Now, I thought about leaving it behind, but as a certified snuffmaster and member of the arborer’s guild, it was my duty to reclaim this beaut. The long and short of it is, that thing’s got a real mean streak. Now, there’s no telling what it wants, but it’s magic enough to want something, and magic enough to kill for it. A lesser herbalist would have been eaten alive, metaphorically, pretty sure it doesn’t actually eat you when it kills you. Anyhow, that’s the long and short of it. I thank you for your patronage, make sure to tell your friends about my services, and I hope to see you all again real real soon.” Malbazaro then bowed dramatically and made his exit, leaving you with a collection of dozens of samples of each plant, and the White Jewel.

This of course left the Starlight Odyssey with nearly one hundred iseleti who were radically different in opinion than their fellows. They did not care for Laurel or Ohwon, and still looked down upon their kin who had not been chosen, despite the blessing of their god beginning to fade. They had seen the world and the bounds of the Well of Dreams and the local politics were pointless to them now. They lived separately from the other iseleti, who they now referred to demeaningly as unleti, and it seems quite likely that they will leave again in the near future in search of a better place to live.


The Dragons
A while after the region’s biome stabilized, Vahrani created the first race of greater mortals: the Dragons. These giant creatures were reptilian in nature, having powerful muscular limbs and massive wings. Each one sported shimmering scales which caught and reflected light for some time. This gave them a glittering effect that was pretty on its own, but majestic and awe-inspiring when thousands of them joined together to form a near impenetrable armor across the massive body of these beasts. These original dragons all possessed blue iridescent scales, though some sported rings of golden yellow scales around their necks, like necklaces of fine jewelry. Others possessed accents of reds, greens, blacks, silver, and other colors, but each was ordained with the same blue as their creator.

It took little time for them to take to the sky and the resulting effect was breathtaking. Around two hundred dragons flooded the air over Western Mesortia. Each soared and swirled and flew through the air, tasting the sky for the first time. Soon they began to roar and spew lightning in exhilaration as the flew over their domain. The resulting electricity charged the area and gave rise to a massive thunderstorm which drenched the lands. The dragons reveled in the thunder and lightning, flying in and out of the dark clouds as they roared. This massive event was visible to some mortals, specifically the iseleti refugees and some oppe'un and would later enter myth as the Dragon Storm.

Soon the dragons returned to the land, some hunting for small game such as the giant moths, and bad-winged salamanders. Others hunted horned mountain geckos among the peaks. Some even took to fishing in mountain lakes, patiently sitting along lake beds until an eel drew too close. It was here that some encountered the Salagon. For all the pride the dragons possessed, they dared not contest the beast of the lakes.

Some dragons traveled east into Eastern Mesortia, and found a land that was both treacherous and rewarding. Elemelphants made for a challenging hunt, their larger size, tusks and bony ridges offering protection against both dragon tooth and claw, while their naturally high tolerance for elemental effects and rudimentary earth magic made for a good defense against their breath. This required a large amount of skill on the part of the dragon to make the kill, and elemelephant tusks and plates came to be the first treasures hoarded by the dragons.

Other prey was easier, the goat-like graal who travel in herds across the plains. They fought and struggled against the claws of the dragons as they were carried off to lairs across Western Mesortia, but could do nothing against the might of the dragons. Bears were slightly more dangerous, and best slain and eaten locally.

Ultimately this was a time of relative joy for the dragons, who lived mainly independent lives. Some more social members of the species would occasionally swim in mountain lakes or hunt together, but for the most part, the species had no reason to change much about their glorious existence.

The Graal
Born of by the sweat and frustration of Tharix, the Graal were a hearty stubborn race. They had come into existence in a land that unpredictable and wild, and if not for their tenacity, surely would have perished. Their lowerhalf, somewhat like a goat and somewhat like a horse, was well suited to roaming the plains of Western Mesortia. They often galloped through the prism grass, herding together to better defend against the dangers of this land. Of which, there were many. Many graal were lost simply to the nature of this place, but unlike the Iseleti, they did not know of the time before the gods. To them, this simply was the way the world was, there was no point in complaining about it and no sense in running from it. Nor did they find wonder in the less destructive shifting of the elements, for to them, it was quite normal for lakes to be as hard and solid as stone, or for fire to dance across the sky like lightning, or even for the earth to flow in rivers. This simply was how the world was.

Those that did not die to the shifting elements, had more pressing issues to deal with. They were not alone on these plains, and vigilance was necessary ere the refractlions grow hungry. Their natural stubbornness and strength led them to often stand their ground against these foes, banding together for safety and strength. As such, they became a more communal people, their existence and safety dependant on the horns to either side.

Yet this did little against their ultimate foes, the dragons. The Graal had not existed long before the first dragons descended from the mountains in hunting trips. These massive beasts the size of elemelephants were unperturbed by the powerful headbutts of the Graal, which could often break the bones of bears and refractlions and even gave smaller elemelephants pause, though the latter rarely came into conflict with the Graal.

As a culture, they came to hate the wretched sky beasts which would snatch up their loved ones and carry them beyond the horizon to the west.

Yet despite all their strife, a rudimentary culture began to develop. They were a resilient culture, who saw no point in complaining. They were direct, forceful and clear both in their words, but also their actions. Males and females alike would often spar to determine who would be guards, and who would gather food as they roamed across the plains. They developed a certain amount of organization, despite having no clear leader. Each graal knew their place, for they had earned it in a contest of strength and will. The strong would encircle the many, and the many would work for the betterment of all. It was a simple system, one that fit the stubborn folk well.

They had few interactions with other mortal races. They would occasionally spot iseleti flying through the air, but were not welcome in their sacred forest, which seemed to be of particular interest to the elemelephants. This suited the graal fine, they had no special respect for trees and cared only if they contained fruits or nuts within reach. 

On several occasions however, they did come into conflict with elementals. Often in areas around the massive crystals which dotted the land, they would encounter living beings of stone or fire or water. These beings were not like the beasts of flesh, or the skybeasts. They did not hunger, and their presence signaled that the area they were in was particularly unstable. While direct fights were uncommon, they did occur when the elementals were either unnoticed by the Graal or manifested nearby. In time, they came to recognize them as omens and steered the herd far clear, which generally led to less deaths to various kinds of elemental chaos. 


Holy Rabbits
These were the first monsters created by the gods. Unlike the pliable souls of mortals, the souls of these bunnies were dark and malicious. And this shown through in their behavior. They were voracious, supernaturally hungry, and surprisingly good at murder for a being of their size. Speed was their advantage, able to move swiftly and make tight turns, the holy rabbits were surprisingly dangerous.

When they first came into existence in the Paradisal Expanse, they were met with a land of plenty. Despite the low biodiversity, the area had had plenty of time to flourish without any animals to devour the plants. And thusly, the holy rabbits quickly ruined that. Their unnatural hunger pushing them to eat, then mate, then eat, then mate in an endless angry cycle. In what seemed like no time at all, they had multiplied in number into thousands. The Paradisal Expanse simply could not take this number of holy rabbits, and was completely devoured.

The Paradisal Expanse has been destroyed.

Once all the food was gone, the rabbits turned to the only food remaining in this area: eachother. The entire area was filled with a massive cycle of cannibalism and fornification. The rabbits would breed and eat at a pace that was sickening on many many levels. This took its toll on the species as natural selection happened at high speed, along with high levels of interbreeding. Bigger stronger rabbits could fend off smaller weaker rabbits, and thus bigger stronger rabbits lived longer to produce more big strong rabbits. Which in turn, then bred with big strong rabbits and ate weaker smaller rabbits. They began to suffer maladies as their genetic diversity dwindled and soon they had grown large, twisted, and stupid. Yet their malice and hunger remained, driving them ever forward. By the end of the season, those that had not fled the area had transformed into the twisted Fel Rabbits. Some of Spring’s energy had sunk into these rabbits, or perhaps it had slowly amassed in them via biomagnification. They had developed hunched forms with powerful front legs ending in sharp claws and now move in a loping giant akin to a gorilla. Their front teeth had now transformed into cleaving fangs, which were better at holding prey. They had lost their tails and their ears had shortened dramatically, becoming harder for rivals to damage. Riddled with imperfections, their bodies were often twisted or cancerous, but this did little to stop their unending hunger. Truly, they had become monsters.

Though, some holy rabbits did venture outward, drawn to the elemental plains that were developing in the region. Many many rabbits died in excruciating and interesting ways. Some plunged into the earth as the ground decided it was now like air, others found the air turning to water in their lungs, some burned alive as water began to eat as fire and the morning dew slowly consumed them. Of course other kinds of elemental manifestations occurred, many of which were wondrous and beautiful. The rabbits did not care. Few could survive here, their lives short and their lines only continued due to their rapid breeding.


The Mirkir
While much of Eastern Mesortia was now attempting to survive in an ever shifting land of elemental forces, the Crucible had its own unique flavor of extravagant death. The Mirkir were a race of white grubfolk, and were tossed wholesale into the Crucible as their ancestors had once been thrown into all manner of dangerous tasks. Though this fact was unknown to these particular Mirkir, they managed to impress even their ancestors. Their arrival occurred somewhere around the same time as the waters of Sheawesh, with many Mirkir watching in awe as the sky opened and waters poured from the heavens. A great number were swept into the rising waters, doing their best to swim to shore as the ocean grew higher and higher, and even more as the waters began to boil and evaporate. The vast majority made it to the shore, and hardly any boiled alive. This lead the majority of mirkir to end up on bowled volcanic shores, rather than upon the islands on the bowl’s bottom.

The bottom of the Crucible was a boiling salt lake which often produced a toxic yellow haze. The Mirkir that were unlucky enough to find themselves upon the volcanic islands quickly learned of it’s deadly nature and sought cover in magma tube caves and other cracks in the ground. Those who didn’t perished. Life on the islands was incredibly sparse and populations here quickly dwindled, save for one group who managed to survive due to the early discovery of a downwind facing cave high above the water level that also had a large pool of relatively non-toxic water. Here they subsisted off algal slop which grew in abundance in the salty water. It was not a particularly interesting or pleasant existence, but still, some managed to cling to life on this island.

The mirkir which found themselves upon the shores of the Crucible fared much much better. Here the acid fog was but a rare occurrence, and the number of pools and water reservoirs was much higher. In time, edible pools took on a blackish color as the sea grapes colored the water, clearly marking them as sources of food for the Mirkir to eat from. Fresh water was hard to come by, but occasional rains made their way over from Western Mesortia.

In contrast to the east, the Crucible was incredibly stable and predictable. Sure it was a wasteland of sulfur and obsidian surrounding a boiling lake of brine, but at least it stayed that way. Life quickly became a cycle of slop eating and rain drinking, with the rest of the Mirkir’s time being spent sheltering from the volcanic heat in whatever caves they could find. Dragons only occasionally flew over the area once they realized there were better hunting frounds to the east and that the caves here were naught but small lava tubes. Still, occasionally some did pass through in search of an easy meal. All and all, surprisingly survivable for a decent number of the grubfolk.

This gave the Mirkir a great amount of time to develop as a culture. They quickly took to long periods of rest, conserving as much energy as they could as they waited for the sea grapes to grow and the rains to come. Though when the rains do start to wash over the lands, an astonishing sight occurs across the region. If one were to look from above, as the gods do, they would see a completely barren land without a single mortal in sight. But once the rains appear, hundreds of white maggotmen swarm out of caves all across the land and begin slurping at rivulets and puddles until their bellies swell with size and the rains pass. Then just as quickly as they appeared, the region returns to utter stillness.

The rains ultimately came to hold religious significance for the Mirkir, who had been born among the great flood. They came to honor the sounds of thunder and the flash of lightning as heralds of life. They came to see young dragons as trickers, who would send lighting across the sky and trick the Mirkir out of their caves in search of rain.



The Oppe’un
The Oppe’un arrived in a strange world, though to them, it was the only world they had ever known, and thus entirely normal. But compared to the rest of the world it was a very strange land. They found themselves upon a barren worthless rock in a sea of nothingness that stretched far far down beyond the reaches of the greater sky orb.

The many islands, various in size and shape, drifted loosely across the nothingness. The pattern was chaotic, and from the perspective of the gods, quite interesting to watch. Islands would drift around slowly, occasionally bumping into each other, which would alter the paths of the two islands and change the steps of this incredibly slow dance. The largest islands hardly moved, while the smallest traveled quickly enough to be observable by mortal eyes.

It was the slow movement of the islands that allowed many Oppe’un to travel to Lichen Reefs. The race began scattered across the region, but as the lichen reefs were more common and larger in the south, they drew in more of the Oppe’un. Of course, hardship was common, and the deep pangs of hunger became well known to these many-eyed mortals. However, they persisted, subsisting upon various kinds of edible lichen.

Ultimately, it was a simple existence. Rains were occasional here, and less important than in the Crucible, since water could collect upon the various islands, rather than roll downhill into a dangerous brine. Much of the time of the Oppe’un was spent resting beneath lichen plates, their shade serving as one of the few escapes from the hot beating sun.

Dragons occasionally visited the area, and picked off many Oppe’un, instilling a fear and hatred for the monstrous creatures. This reinforced what the Oppe’un were already doing, which was mainly, waiting on lichen to grow and avoiding heatstroke in any shade they could find.

In a time before time, the gods awoke...

Mesortia

At the center of the world of Goc, many gods are born from the swirling surging energy that pervades this world. They instinctively knew the name of their birth place, Mesortia, for it and their newfound existence were deeply intertwined. The region of Mesortia is a realm naturally vibrant with the divine energy from the birth of several deities. In time this energy would sink deep into the rocks, soil, and all that lived in the region, creating a vibrant and flourishing region. This great influx of energy gave rise to a number of features, but also a variety of flora and fauna in an incredibly short period of time, and setting into motion a cycle that would come to define the region in the coming age: the seasons of the gods.

With this grand influx of energy, manifesting life into existence from whence there was naught but barren rock and soil, this first season would be Spring.

As the gods emerged from their wombs, or descended from beyond the stars, they could feel the buzzing energy in the air. A vibrancy that pervaded the region. While small features, each coinciding with the location of a god's birth, had flourished with a few species of life, the vast lands between them saw little in the way of biodiversity. A few pioneering lichens, mosses, and other similar simple such life sprung up, but much remained as simple soil and stone, filled with possibility and power from the birth of the gods. It is likely that a biome of some kind will appear during Spring, or perhaps in the following Summer.

Not long after their awakening, a stone tower rose from a peak on the western end of Mesorta. A single spiraling tower of grey featureless stone bricks and unnatural architecture. It descended from the mountain peaks, revealing that it was supported not by foundation, but by four massive arms that carry the tower at great speed across the land. It's bulbous base ungulated back and forth as the tower galloped, it's stoic tower unaffected by the motion. It reached the center of Mesorta shortly, the arms fusing together, back into a steep mountain for which the tower to rest upon. A deep sound, akin to a gong if gongs could suffer, rang out across the region. It bellowed three times, and the tower appeared to bow, though did not move, and then slowly began to ascend into the sky.

Thus marked the stewardship of the Oeconomi over this world. While powerful in their own right, they have neither the creative or destructive powers of the gods. While the gods are artisans which build upon the fabric of reality here in the physical realm, the Oeconomi are stewards which maintain the underlying fabric of reality. Beyond esoteric, but innately just and righteous, the Oeconomi rarely interact with the world. Instead, they each serve a purpose, often for their godly cousins. Of the three, the Arbitrator deals the most with the local divine hierarchy, serving as the overseer of divine claims, and judge of disputes between the gods. Next, the Elaborator, the grand exclaimer of exposition. It has many duties, but they mostly involve keeping record of the events, creatures, and features of the world. It may be commissioned to provide more information on a topic. Lastly the Revisionor. While the other two are unnerving to both god and man, the Revisionor is another beast entirely. One may only hope it is never seen to move.

As the Tower of the Oeconomi rose into the sky, the gods could hear the tonal sermon of the Arbitrator ring out over the land. It's sonorous voice was a harmonic and low sound, deeper than the voice of the mountains, but spoke quickly and without doubt. While the native tongue of the Oeconomi is the base language of the universe itself, even the gods find it incredibly unwieldy, and few ever learn to speak it. Still, it's meaning is always clear to the divines.

In this instance, the Arbitrator, declared Mesorta to be too large to be a region without special consensus from the local divinity. The Arbitrator's ruling split the region in half, it's somber sermon a blunt blade which cut not the land itself, but something beneath the land, until they were two separate things. Until such time rightful rulers can assent, or the acquis communautaire of the world demands as such, Mesorta is to be two regions. 


Western Mesorta

Western Mesorta slowly rises from the lowlands and plains of Eastern Masorta into the expansive highlands which comprise the majority of the region. A land of sweeping valleys and breathtaking mountains, the moors of Western Mesorta hummed with the possibilities of Spring. This area is defined by it's high altitude, and thin air. The weather here is fairly wet, giving rise to frequent light precipitation. Fog and drizzle is particularly common in the morning, but as the day wanes on, the afternoon sun can occasionally feel as though it is far too close. Especially high peaks in the region may be snowcapped year round, white topped bastions against a deep blue sky. Snowmelt creeks mix with rainwater, forming small tributaries that either flow down into Eastern Mesorta, or collect in various mountain lakes.  A chilly region on the whole which grants beautiful views and sweeping moors, in exchange for thin air, wet-ish climate, and occasionally grey weather.

Furthest west, one can find Hearthspire, a vast oblong geode of an unusual white stone that is not found anywhere else in the highlands. Partially buried beneath a volcano, the interior is entirely hollow, lit by the hot glow of magma which stirs in rivers that course through the caves below. While the caves beneath are blisteringly hot, the interior of the main cavity is only sweltering, and the exterior of the mountain being warm to the touch. Steam, and occasionally smoke, rises off the mountain, giving rise to a perpetual flock of low hanging clouds that meander through and around the nearby peaks, occasionally dipping low to graze across the highlands proper.

In the southeast of Western Mesortia, one can find an incredibly deep lake nestled high among the hills. There lays Ulkolac's Lake (Ulkolake as it is will someday be dubbed in the common vernacular). It is surrounded by a glade of incredibly sturdy trees, greyish of bark with dark green foliage which will someday give way to hot red and vibrant orange in Autumn, and then rust and brown in Winter. The trees, birthed of divine make, have grown hundreds of years in the span of a day, feeding off the energies of the birth of the region. The lake itself is perfectly round, though if one were to gaze into it, one would see many tunnels leading into, or perhaps away from Ulkolac's Lake. Much of the surrounding hills are riddled with caves and passages and small hollows, often ending abruptly, but occasionally connecting into the wider network of tunnels which pervades this area.

Lastly, in the northeast, near to the border with Eastern Mesortia, where the highlands have given way to low foothills, but before flattening into the wide plains of Eastern Mesortia; one would find Foundational Flat. Being near the northern border of Western Mesortia as well, it is a particularly large and level mesa, surrounded on all sides by a sweeping valley. While the walls of the mesa near the base are rough and uneven, littered with boulders which extend far into the valley, they slowly become smoother and uniform as they rise above the earth. When viewed from a distance, it almost looks as through it burst forth from the earth, or perhaps fell from a great height and became lodged here. Striking and unnaturally perfect in its measurements, being perfectly square despite its vast size, it strikes a bold silhouette as the evening sun cause it's shadow to reach far down the mountain slopes, patrolling the plains and foothills it oversees.


Eastern Mesortia

Eastern Mesortia is the expansive plains which stretch out beyond the horizon of Western Mesortia, stretching into the distance far to the east. A land of wide open plains, and small shallow rivers which snake across the land before feeding into large lakes. Much of the region is host to forestlands, which conquer large sections of the plains, often following the path of a river or surrounding a lake. They stand like islands along the expanse. Though one would call much of the land plains, it is not entirely flat. Low rolling hills, ranging from five to twenty feet in height, stretch across the land in the west and southwest. The sun here rises high into the sky and beams down upon the land. Drier than it's western neighbor, the region is often swept with a cool breeze which helps with the afternoon heat. A dry region on the whole which offers plentiful land and many small rivers, but is occasionally struck by powerful weather events and high winds.

In the southwest, just beyond the foothills of Western Mesortia, there lays the Paradisal Expanse. A rich area of sweeping valleys nestled among bald domed hills. Plentiful stone lay waiting beneath the hills, while the valleys collect water and nutrients that flow from the hills, and from the slopes to the west. Filled with the energy of Spring, this area has grown rich in plant life, despite the biodiversity of the region being very limited at this time. The fertile valleys serving as a perfect nursery for young forests to sprout in, filling in the area between hills with branch and leaf. Though if one is not careful, one might find themselves wandering into areas which contain poisonous water, which seeps up from deep beneath the earth. Though the signs of which areas are safe, and which areas are not are very subtle, one learned in the ways of this land could navigate them with ease.

In the northeast, The First Tree stands tall above the surrounding woodlands. Located deep at the heart of the largest forest in Eastern Mesortia, the First Tree is a tree unlike any other, with gnarled bark and sturdy wide branches and roots thick enough to raise the earth and drink deeply of waters far below. It is believed that from it, the lesser trees grew and spread, until a vast forest had sprung up around it. The light in the Forest of the First tree is green and wild, with shafts of bright white sunlight piercing like spears between gaps in the canopy. Here the air is more still than upon the plains, where it runs wild and free across the lands, which gives the area a quiet somber reverence.

Lastly in the south, away from the rolling foothills of the border, but not so far that one does not occasionally encounter a lone hill, one can find the Starlight lake. The largest lake of the region, it stretches far enough that the distant shore of the far side is not out of sight, but close enough so that one must squint and refocus their eyes to see the far side. Its waters are exceptionally clear and still, the water flowing and bubbling up from below, rather than from rivulets or streams. Parts of the lake are exceptionally deep, though when the light hits the rising bubbles just right, one might believe to have seen shimmering pearls glittering upon the lakebed.


Iseleti
While several of the newly self-appointed deities of this land possessed a race of mortals, only the children of Osella, the Iseleti, had been granted stay upon the lands by another local lord. These, firstborn of the mortals, were a mixture of bird and plant. Having long winged arms with long feathery leaves stretching downward from the limb, the Iseleti were capable of flight. While capable of some photosynthesis, this was a far cry from the sustenance the race needed. Instead, it spurred them to be more active during the day, rising and setting with the sun. 

In this sleepy morning of the history of the world, the quiet peaceful moments as the gods stirred and yawned and looked out over their domain, the Iseleti were alone to enjoy the quiet. Their life during this period was one not of isolation, but instead of optimism. They looked out across the lands, gazing into the distance as they flew across Starlight Lake and over the surrounding plains of Eastern Mesortia, and saw all that there was. They came to know both types of trees, and the three grasses, and even discovered a moss. The world was simple, and it was utterly theirs. Their culture turned inward, and became introspective, for their solitude must have a meaning. They began to shift towards smaller communities of close knit individuals as time went on. To the Iseleti, the bounty of the land was theirs, though meager as it may be during this period, and they soon split in half a dozen tribes or so, each claiming areas surrounding the lake, especially those which were woodlands rather than plains. However, there was little food at this point in the world, and many resorted to more sessile lifestyles, spending much of their day with wings outstretched to absorb the sun. Others starved, unable to adapt to a world that was not yet prepared for mortal habitation.


The various tribes of the Iseleti each began to diverge in beliefs as this calm period progressed, however two main psuedo-religions have begun to form.

The first is Iseleti Primism. The Iseleti are alone in this world, and all which this world contains is there to sustain the Iseleti. The Primists by nature of their own virtue, expansionist and looked to gather as large a supply of resources as they could, growing in number as they expanded into the areas of other tribes, or taking from their neighbor's so that they might stave off starvation for their own. They were the most active of the Iseleti as well, making trips in many directions, but failing to cross the grasslands (which could not sustain them) to find greener pastures.

The second, the Iseleti Naturalists, were quick to see the similarity between their feathery leaves, and the leaves which grew upon the woodland trees. They came to believe that they were not so different from the trees, and came to view them as relatives of sort. In the eyes of the naturalists, they had not been given the world, but instead the world had been given them, so that they may watch over the woodlands and care for their cousins, the trees. The Naturalists were smaller in number and less active, spending much of their time photosynthesizing in forest clearings, with each tribe having a preferred clearing. In time, they came to line these areas with stacks of stones, marking them as semi-religious / semi-culturally important areas.


The Birth of Mesortia has triggered cyclical seasons which will affect the region differently every turn. The seasons are not tied to the region itself, but the slumbering and waking of the heavenly lords and thus may persist for many years. This cycle can be interrupted and dispersed if four or more landed gods contribute 2 Glory each towards this effort. Wild Gods may see small additional bonuses to their actions that synergize with the current season.

It is Spring in Mesortia. Life flourishes during this period and will take to the land quickly at this time. Actions which create new life may see their creations spreading across wider areas, multiplying more quickly, or better adapting to a new environment. Barren regions are more likely to spontaneously generate life, and life is more likely to spontaneously adapt or evolve during Spring.


The colonization of a new world is an uncommon event in the grand expanse of worlds ruled by various heavenly beings and thus can draw in a number of spectators and interested onlookers. The world of Goc rests quite close a lightriver, which makes it quite a bit more accessible to the wider universe than most other worlds. This translates into a relatively stable influx of interested parties from across the multitudes, whether it be deities peddling wares, or powerful gods seeking to expand their territory, or even mortals and monsters cast adrift into the wider cosmos by calamity or neglect.

A missive from the Elaborator, scratched upon the tanned hide of a particularly leathery sea snake specimen, explains that an official event to celebrate the christening of a new world would greatly increase your reputation and standing within the local neighborhood. Exhibits and events, social gatherings and galas, and other such festivities would generate Glory if they impressed attending deities, as well as increase the reputation for the responsible host. Such an event will occur in three turns time, during the Mesortic Winter, unless otherwise canceled by consensus.

Still, even this swiftly, some local or lucky divines were close enough to witness the creation of the region and the rebirth of the world. It seems a spattering of them have wares or offers.

First is a deity named Arumba, a minor goddess of sand from the nearby water planet of Sheawesh. While most of the world is ruled by wild or oceanic gods, Arumba and several others belong to faction of autocratic nobility. She is a light pink in color, draped in shifting flowing yellow garb, trailed by long white hair. Upon closer inspection, both her clothing and her physical form are composed entirely of millions of tiny grains of sand. Her voice sounds as though one has one's ear to a conch shell. Newfound Lords, Ladies and other Lieges, I congratulate you on your formation and ascendance. Truly your world holds much promise, and the Autocracy of Shallow Sheawesh has long awaited the rebirth of this world. The majority of our world belongs to the Deepwater Front, which has long been increasing the water level of our entire world. Even now, the skysurface grows ever more distant, and the light dimmer as the deepening water blocks more and more of the sky lantern's glow. Whilst our nation drowns, yours is wholly a desert, both without the necessary amount of either water or salt to give rise to proper life! Surely there we can assist each other in both these perilous moments! I only ask for a feature slot with which to deposit the a large body of water from our planet. While I know this must be offensive, seeing how desperately this dry rock needs much more than that, that is all which I have the power to move at this time. I apologize for that, but with luck, it will buy my faction enough time to turn the tides away from Shallow Sheawest and we can negotiate a more sustainable solution in the future. Her petition complete, Arumba bows and stands aside for the next petitioner.

This one is a lesser being, perhaps once mortal or a powerful spirit, but no longer. Yet, they're not a minor god or other similar lesser deity as they have naught control over the forces of creation and destruction. This is not uncommon, and many such beings exist. Though due to their varying nature and origin, they are often simply lumped in with other minor powers without strict classification. Their stature is tall, but with good posture, their meaty limbs moving with purpose as they float forward. Dressed in leather garb of divine make, with clear eyes filled with swirling speckles of silver and viridian. Hail regents of realms new, I, Malbazaro am a pervasive purveyor of potent plants, herbs, snuffs and stuffs. Malbazaro bows dramatically. Now, onto business. I have had suspicions, and maintain such, that this world of yours, Goc I think it where, has within its ancient lost regions a right cornucopia of unusual herbs. Now, and this is a bit of a trade secret I'm about to let you in on here, abandoned worlds have flauralogical marvels like you wouldn't believe. And I have it on good authority, from a trustworthy, reliable, and anonymous source, that there's a ripe find here for the picking. Now, as I know you've got a lot on your plates, got a world to run after all! I, Malbazaro, can head an expedition beyond the borders of your region here, and take the worries of the wider world off your shoulders so you can focus on what matters most. Now, there's just the mater of funding, and while most unsavory influencers and backwater hagglers would charge you a continent and moon for such a service, Malbazaro is but a simple honest businessman. My business is based on word of mouth and repeat customers, and soooo, I can keep my prices low because I know my customers recognize quality service. A measly six glory will fund an expedition, guaranteed to bring back interesting plants for your majesties. With one final flourish and bow, Malbazaro stepped back.

The final guest was not nearly as pleasant as the previous. A titan, cousin of the gods who's powers over creation are less refined, but have a certain proclivity for destruction. This appeared to be a nasty one, a Bog Titan. A soggy skeleton of massive proportions, to which bog iron armor has been welded onto haphazardly. The carry upon their back a wicked axe of with a rusted blade and handle made from the spine of what can only have been one of the wielder's victims. It moved slowly, and with the kind of poise that a warrior comes to possess after surviving too many battles. It points at your world. Rest a while? It then nods, and takes position with the other petitioners.

The divines of GoC4 are not stagnant, but a constant reflection of their actions and of the beliefs of their followers. As a result, you might occasionally be given the opportunity to change your character to better suit your needs as the game progresses. Or on the other hand, you might find followers and vassals looking elsewhere for leadership if they find your rule in conflict their own beliefs and personality.



Glory and Other Currencies

The primary currency of GoC4 is Glory*, which is the rough summation of how influential you are in the world. This includes standard god-like things such as how many devoted worshipers you have, but also other factors like how many realms you control, or how influential your creations are on the current fate of the world. Players receive their glory income at the start of each turn. Glory can then be spent on all kinds of actions.
 *I’ll likely abbreviate this as both “G” or “g”, this is just a heads up that they both refer to Glory.

While Glory is the primary currency of the gods, there are several other resources and currencies that might play a minor role. Typically these will be related to particular factions or regions and serve a role in the world at large. Other currencies will be mystical or divine in nature, tradeable to mysterious forces for unique and powerful prizes.

For this game, I don't have terribly set prices. In other words, most things are a "get what you pay for" deal. The average price for most small items (plants, animals, small acts of god(s), curses or artifacts) would fall between 5 and 10 Glory. For larger creations (Mortal or monstrous races, artifacts, miracles, regions, ect.) you're going to be looking at 10-20 Glory. I recommend price checking regularly, but in general my philosophy to this kind of thing is to try to reflect your intent as best as possible, with the amount of Glory provided.

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Regions and Region Slots

The world of GoC4 is made up of distinct sections called Regions. Regions can be of varying size and type.  Regions originally belong to their creator. Region ownership has many benefits for a player, granting them free reign to act within the region without undue influence from other players, as well as the lion-share of glory from the region. Other players can establish footholds in regions they don’t own through various means, allowing them greater influence in the region and eventually, if their influence grows great enough, make a claim on the region.

Each region has several “slots” which contain the features of the region.

-Biome slots refer to the kind of ecosystem that exists within that region, or section of a region. These are almost always mundane, but more fantastical options are possible at increased cost.

-Feature slots are notable assets within your region that indicate special points of interest in the region. These can be natural features like a mountain ridge, or large river. They may also be large settlements, such as cities, sweeping farmlands, or other mortal made places of interest.

-Finally, subslots are nested within feature slots. These are the lowest level points of interest within a region. Subslots are used to explain what functions are occurring within a feature. For example, a mountain feature might have a mine subslot, as well as a trading post to export ores and finally a hamlet to house mortals.

Empty slots of all kinds tend to fill themselves given enough time. Pioneer species eventually colonize a biome, mortals eventually move in and create settlements, and naturally build buildings. The smaller the slot, the more likely it is to naturally fill up or change as time goes on. Leaving slots empty may allow you free benefits, but also leaves the slot exposed to nefarious actors and cruel twists of fate.

Creating New Regions

Creating a new region is no small feat, and is most often the result of careful planning and savings, or co-operation between multiple gods. While expensive, new regions are a good investment towards increasing your per-turn income. Though there are many other ways to gather glory, few as are as dependable and consistent as ownership of regions, and the places within them. In addition, creating a new region is a serious expenditure of Glory and will often result in small extra events for the creator.

Each new region created increases the cost of creating a new region. As does owning a region. Region creation therefore becomes progressively more costly as the world grows and your budgets increase. New regions by default have one biome slot and two feature slots. More slots can be added after creation for twice the cost listed.

Region Price Guide
Base Price: 10G + 1G per Existing Region + 1G per Owned Region
Additional Biome Slot: 10G
Additional Feature Slot: 5G
Additional Subslot: 2G

Exploring Dark Regions

While much of the world is shapeless and unformed, some regions predate your reign. These are called dark regions, named so because the gods can neither see within or act directly upon them until they have been explored. Exploring a dark region grants a smallsum of glory, or minor event. However, this is rarely a simple task. Monsters, mortals and minor gods may have prior claim over a region, and any treasures within. Without your divine powers, you'll have to rely on your mortals and minions to explore these pagan wilds.

After a dark region is explored, it becomes conquerable. This is a special state where any god can put forth a valid claim on the region, and attempt to take it under their own control. Gods who explored the region have particularly strong claims.

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Mortals and Cultures

Regions can be populated by a wide variety of plant and animal species, but of all the creatures in a region, often it is mortals who are of the most interest to the divines. Mortals can be almost any sapient and self-aware species that is not sustained by divine or excessively magical means. However, the true hallmark of a mortal comes in their soul, which is small and bright. It is these tiny beacons that make mortals especially easy for the gods to focus on, as well as allows them to efficiently produce Glory for their deity through worship. Monstrous races similarly have powerful souls, making them more difficult, but workable subjects.

Attunement
Attuned is a catch-all term for mortals that are particularly connected to the heavens. While some mortals have naturally high attunement (often unknown to the individual until a deity reaches out in search of a servant or champion), individuals of power also naturally attune to the gods. This is the result of the same processes in the human soul that lead to the production of glory. As leaders and individuals of note are often the target of many more thoughts and emotions than regular citizens, they receive micro-doses of Glory, which ultimately better aligns their souls into attunement with the heavens.

This makes these mortals much easier for the divines to observe from afar, as well as allowing for more direct communication. Attuned mortals could therefore be thought of as a special subset of mortals who are naturally sensitive the divine. This does not necessarily make them obedient, in many cases the opposite. As their proximity to the divine has categorically demonstrated their importance to the universe, this rarely shrinks the ego. Regardless, mortals are fickle beings and often need to be bartered with or otherwise persuaded to devote their existence to an unknowable higher power. In many cases, attunement can become hereditary.

As a note on the un-attuned, from the realms of the gods, they appear much as the realms of the divine appear to them, as very dim stars in the distance. While focusing on a single one of these may be possible, it is rarely relevant and difficult to maintain. The winds of fate rarely allow a mortal of note slip past without some amount of attunement.

Culture
A culture is a shared identity between large groups of individuals. Cultures in this context include the particular customs, beliefs, lifestyle and similar common features of a group of mortals overseen by one or more player. Cultures in this way reflect the general information of how a group tends to act, whether that is in their particular way of life, or architecture, or common social customs. Moreover, technological advances are shared via culture, their implementation and use slowly disseminating from one member of the culture to others until it is a common aspect of life for that culture.


Cultures are far from static modifiers and represent the state of a group of people in both how they have developed as a people, but also how they are actively progressing, or regressing, and changing as a result of the evolving nature of the world. Typically cultures will have a cultural head or small group of individuals who are considered the leaders of a culture.

Cultures will develop naturally from any collection of mortals, given enough time. In addition, cultures may divulge and speciate due to many factors, such as: political climate, outside influence, cultural hybridization, geographical foundries / distance, shifting environmental factors, and general strife. As a result, understanding the culture of an individual as well as the trajectory of that culture, is very useful information in deciding on courses of action.

Cults
Cults are very similar to cultures, in that they're a set of people who all have similar beliefs and practices. Cults regularly spring up and disband as the balance of power in the world changes, occasionally because of the direct actions of a cult. Cults do not follow the normal practices and methods of organized religions, often using occultism, mysticism, and heretical rights to express their devotion. Cults tend to center around a purpose or a particular deity (especially if that deity's worship is banned in the area). Cults can be powerful tools in the subversion of an enemy power, or can bring about the creation of monsters and artifacts if they become powerful enough. Independent actors for the most part, it will be much more common for your cults to petition you, than for you to have any directions to give them.

Directing Mortals
Each turn the owner of a culture may direct the development of their culture in some way. This might be to encourage them to research a particular technology, or to develop practices of work or worship. Directives given in this way can be slow, depending on the size of the culture, but allow players to mold and guide the cultures under their rule in a wide variety of ways.

Similarly, mortal leaders of features may be given directions on how to develop, maintain, or expand their domain.

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Religions
In addition to cultures, mortals often have a religion and pledge their faith (and often more) to a god or a pantheon. Religions in this game are generative and dynamic, representing the shifting faiths, opinions, and beliefs of the NPC masses of the world. You might find that your have various religions with you as their head, which all believe very different things about the world as well as your character. Managing these expectations, working within them, and slowly altering them to fit your needs is part of the fun of this world.

Religion Type
Religion type is an overarching category that indicates the nature of the religion. At the start of the game, most faiths will either be tribal or wild faiths, but as the game progresses, domestic, warlike, and other types of faith will certainly arise. The type of faith describes who the worshipers of the faith are and general expectations of those followers.

Religion Aggression
The aggression of a religion indicates how hostile it is to other faiths, with very hostile religions launching crusades and holy wars often, whereas peaceful and accepting faiths will be pleased by long periods of peace and prosperity.

Religion Traits
Most religions will have a series of traits that explain beliefs, practices, and other information regarding that faith. These modifiers further elaborate on the nature of the faith, beyond just the religion type, and often reflect the specific needs and religious practices specific to that faith.

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Objects of Power
In addition to the creation of mortals and other lesser life, the power of the gods can be used to create beings and objects of power. The application of power in this way is so widely varied and free-form that this will serve more as guide than an exhaustive list of potential options.

Artifacts
An artifact is any small object of divine make that has been inbued with an innate power of some kind. Artifacts can provide all manner of boons and maluses to the holder of the object as described during their creation. While incredibly flexible applications of influence for a player, they lack wide-ranging effect. Artifacts typically affect a small area, an individual, or a particular target of some kind. As such, they're best thought of as tools that can be used to push agendas through other agents, rather than intrinsically. Artifacts originally belong to their creator, but theft, adaptation, and or corruption may open the door for additional claims.

Relics
Relics are a special class of artifact that are not created by the gods, but instead manifest naturally in the world. These are special objects that appear often as a side effect of larger events. These are objects of influence without direct claims from the players, with the rightful ownership claim either being non-existent or belonging to an NPC.

Holy Sites
Holy sites are special buildings or features that have a religious significance to one or more gods. These cannot be created directly but will regularly appear in areas with large amounts of divine activity or with religious significance to mortal followers. Holy sites are very useful buildings, often providing some kind of advantage to their owner, or a boon to the feature or region they can be found within. However, their relevance to their owner also makes them a particularly attractive target to bad actors, and losing a holy site can have wide-reaching consequences for the followers of the owner.

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Claims, Claimants, and Ownership
As previously discussed, the world is composed of regions and nested within those regions are various other features, buildings, and biomes. Ownership of each of these grants some small amount of Glory passively. While each location produces a miniscule amount of Glory by itself, as one collects more and more, or increases the quality and content of those they already own, players will see their income begin to rise. Further, ownership of a culture will grant you glory based on the size, influence, and achievements of that culture.

In addition to the income gains from locations and cultures, ownership also determines what actions a player can take towards a particular thing in the world. There are several main states of ownership:

- Complete/Tacit Ownership: This is the state of ownership that creators of locations enjoy immediately upon the creation of a location, object, or species. You are unhindered in your divine powers, and may influence these things wholesale without limitations or additional fees.

- Split Ownership: Split ownership is a stable state of ownership in which two or more players have reached an agreement on how to share a single slot. This ultimately reduces the income of the slot by 25% as well as reduced stability. Each owner has a strong claim to the property.

- Sub-Ownership: A specific type of split ownership where one player entirely owns a sub-element of another player and pays a tithe to the owner of the larger property. 25% of the income is paid to the holder of the above slot. However, actions taken by the higher owner towards the lower slot, without the permission of the lower owner, cost an additional 50%. Each owner gains a weak claim on the property of the other.

- Contested Ownership: Contested ownership is an unstable state of ownership where two or more deities have a legitimate claim upon a part of the world. The owner (who had a prior claim) and the claimant (the one making a claim on something), may either negotiate a split ownership contract, or if unable or unwilling to do so, begin an ownership dispute for the thing in question. Direct actions upon an area with contested ownership do not cost an additional fee for claimants, but do provide 50% reduced glory income until the conflict concludes. Non-claimants pay a 25% additional cost to directly act in contested areas (25% less than the normal fees for having no legal claim).

- Ownership Dispute: This special stage refers to a domain or part of a domain that has an active claim dispute. A time period, normally five turns, is established, during which all claimants can act as if they have complete ownership of the object for the duration. After the period ends, the ownership is reevaluated, and the god with the stronger claim at that points gains ownership, while the weaker claimant retains a lesser claim of 'rightful ownership', they cannot press this claim again for same duration as the dispute. During that period, it is as if they have no claim.

If you have no claim whatsoever, regardless of the ownership state of an area, direct divine actions targeting that area cost 50% more than the base price. These additional costs represent overcoming the entrenched power a being has sunk into an area. Using your own divine energies to alter a region or other thing requires you wrestle against the existing divine energies of another, and thus require more effort and are rarely the most cost effective solution.

The Art of Indirect Influence
While the associated costs of acting upon that which you do not own may seem draconian or at least budgetarily painful, these fees only apply to direct divine actions. Such a brutish path is rarely the best option, useable mostly when the difference in power is great enough to justify the additional cost. Or if you wish to directly assault the realm of another.

As a result, the majority of actions taken against the property of other players will be well within the realm of subterfuge. There are untold ways one could go about this, and I encourage you to think outside the box and ask questions if you're unsure on this front, but here are some basic guidelines.

There are two primary goals for undermining another god's authority in their own domain:
- Establish a foothold in a region to serve as a basis for a claim. This can be done subversively through the establishment of cults to you, one of your aspects, or a being within your service.
- Stealing Glory. Subvertly pushing an agenda within the realm of another is quite embarrassing for the ruling deity, as a result, you can siphon off portions of the glory they would receive from that place/people.

Normally, these are side-effects of pursuing a larger agenda, but are ultimately the mechanical way in which one subverts the influence of a rightful owner. Of course, this is just an overview and there are many other ways you could achieve the above that aren't listed here.

The Art of Direct Influence
While there are many benefits in operating under the radar within the realm of another, there are more trackable and overt options available to players which are more suited to direct action. While using your divine powers directly incurs additional costs, the actions of mortals and minions under your control do not incur such costs.

Returning to our two primary goals, establishing a foothold and stealing glory, there are a few main ways to achieve these goals overtly. One might release monsters or invasive species into the realm of another, wreaking havoc on the area. You might launch an invasion of mortal forces or launch a crusade against another player, attempting to take the region by force. Or alternatively your culture or mortals might naturally migrate into new regions, given enough time and spread, this in itself might be enough to justify a claim.

The goal remains the same, increasing the amount of influence you have within a region, while simultaneously diminishing the control and authority of the current ruler. However, they may also provide your opponent a casus belli, or a justification for declaring war.

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Casus Belli and God Wars
While rare, all-out wars between gods are possible under the right conditions. These represent no-holds-barred conflicts between gods, capable of wreaking havoc across the lands in incredible displays of power. This is often a last resort between two gods who have engaged in territorial conflict, or are opposed their happenstance or the result of conflicting goals and agendas.

A God War requires a casus belli, or a justification for war. Casus belli can be petitioned for at any time, but require the petitioner to demonstrate the damage or impending damage to their domain. During which petition, the petitioner will write up a short petition expressing the grievances, damages, and potential threats caused by another player and submit it to the GM. This is a low barrier to entry, and normally will be granted if the danger or damage surpasses the regular levels of infighting between players.

God Wars
God wars are major events that allow all participating gods to act freely within the disputed territory. When a God War is declared, specific parameters are set that describe the battlefield. This is often a region, or a set of regions belonging to the defending god, but may include areas belonging to the aggressor, especially those from which the aggressor is attacking from. In addition, the player declaring the God War may make demands, such as reparations for damages, or abandonment of claims or actions in the region for a set amount of time.

Next, both players in question must agree to participate in the God War, or acquiesce to the demands presented with the declaration of war. This may result in additional negotiations and bartering in the hope of avoiding a god war. Assuming no agreement can be made, war is declared. At this point, additional players may join either of the sides, or choose to remain neutral. When joining a side, a small agreement should be made outlining the contribution of allies, and their rights to the spoils of war.

At this point, the God War begins. All additional costs for actions within the realms of participating gods are lifted, and gods may act in them as if they were their own. This applies not only to the disputed region designated in the declaration of war, but also all regions belonging to the participating gods and their allies. Needless to say, this is a very dangerous endeavor and removes the normal cost limitations that deter other players from outright attacking your domain.

God Wars persist for five turns, during which time additional Glory will be rewarded for successfully defeating opponents, destroying the property of others, and other similar feats of victory against the opposing side. If no side surrenders, or the expressed goals of the war declaration are not met, the war ends and the gods take ownership of whatever they have control over at the end of the war. If the war goals of the declarer are met prior to this point, they can sue for peace against their opponent, allowing them the option to end the war early. Similarly, the primary combatants (not allies) may broker a truce and end the war early. God Wars ended in this way return all non-contested areas to their rightful owner.

After a God War ends, and it is not draw or true, a victor and a loser are announced. The victor will gain a large amount of glory from the defeated party and their allies, often requiring the defeated party to pay war reparations for several turns. 

God Wars are major events and are endeavors that should not be taken lightly, it is one of the few things that can completely eliminate a player or reduce their holdings to the point of negligence.

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Magic
The world of GoC is filled with mana of all kinds. It can be found in living things, in fire, in the earth, in the sky and elsewhere one might seek it. Mana in its natural ambient form is raw energetic potential, without direction, form, or quality.

Objects and phenomena can serve as vessels (natural containers of mana) as well as conduits (natural channels of mana). When mana condenses within a vessel, or passes through a conduit, it gains form and quality becoming one of the ten forms of mana.

Mana and magic are related, but very separate.


In its natural state, mana exists in ambient amounts of all ten forms. This ambient mana courses through the world without any structure or direction. That is what magic is, methods for directing mana to create phenomenon.

The first step is to create a Magic Foundation. This is the underlying premise which a god has engrained between the fabric of reality, and the world itself that allows mana to be channeled a certain way. The base cost for such a feat is 10 Glory.

Once a Magic Foundation is created, one might then consider what is built upon the foundation. Often called a tree of magic, all of this refers to the type of phenomenon created through the use of this particular magic foundation. A foundation related to channeling red mana into fire magic would be referred to as the tree of pyromancy, and might perhaps contain different branches for explosion and combustion spells. Creating new branches of an existing tree of magic is also quite difficult, with also a 10 Glory cost.

The divines find working with mana directly difficult, as it is so far removed from their own divinity. Only when vast amounts condense into motes do the gods generally find any use for it.

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Research
Researching new technologies in the main method of advancing your civilization. It is wise to research often as it is the main method at the player's disposal for steering their civilizations.

Researching new technology is very simple. Anything you could want your civilization to do, to build, to understand, or to think can be researched. In that way, ideas like 'democracy' and 'mathematics' are equally viable research topics as more concrete technology such as 'plate armor' or 'chariots'. Methodologies such as "horseback riding" or "iron smelting" are also topics that can be researched. Finally, new buildings and units are also produced through the research process.

Here is a template for pursuing a research topic:

Name:
Glory investment:
Description what the technology is: (A general description of what the technology looks like. If it is a physical object, a description of what that looks like. If it is an idea or methodology of some kind, then just a blurb on what the idea is.)
Description of what the technology does: (A general description of the intended goal of a technology and how that goal is achieved. In other words, what does it do and how does it do that).
Underlying technology: (If you are progressing from one relevant technology to another, such as upgrading a building, or advancing a trade. Basically, if you can draw on one of your other technologies to help figure out this perspective one, list it here)

The gentle swaying of the land beneath your feet is strange at first, an unusual slight swaying as the godbeast slowly moves down the leyline. There is something comforting in that motion, a growing familiarity. It ceases occasionally, every few months or so, when the godbeast rests. Or grows erratic when something attracts the interest of the godbeast.

The godbeast picked up some rolling hills and placed them far to the west of you, patting them smooth enough for grasses to quickly overtake them.

A large monster attacked the godbeast! A large six legged reptilian beast, it attempted to bite the godbeasts legs. It takes a large bite out of the left middle leg. The godbeast retaliated with deadly precision, pincering the beast. The godbeast is wounded.

The godbeast rested, many find the stillness unpleasant. All are relieved when it began walking again.

The stars align, the Merchant Constellation is dominant in the sky. Until the end of turn 5, Gods will be able to trade resources directly.

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Maroon Team

The Abcubi grow quickly accustomed to their strange mushroom forest, setting up a primitive camp in the fields on the edge of the forest. It is not great lodging, but it keeps the elements away. They have grown accustomed to this strange land, venturing into the mushwoods to forage during the day, only to dust off clouds of spores, which accumulate during their days work, upon returning home. A new prowling grounds is set up to the west, among the sunrise shroom trees. It is a good place for hunting wild game, though little is known of what beasts and other life inhabits the area.

The social structure of the Abcubi grows more rigid as leaders begin to emerge. Small community groups select leaders, often through voting, and share small parts of their soul with their chosen leader. Several leaders with only a handful of followers crop up, forming small gangs of Abcubi. Relations between different gangs varies, but violence between the Abcubi is rare.

A strange sickness has infected some abcubi, causing fevers, coughing and strange rashes. The cause is currently unknown, as the number of species in the area occupied by the Abcubi is quite large.

While the Abcubi work, the gods are busy with the creation of two hero classes for their mortal foils, the Callers and the Media. Twisting maroon and white mana, each of these twin classes calls forth extraplanar beings. The seeds of these abilities scattered among the Abcubi, granting some of them them an innate talent for navigating the interplanar geography (planagraphy) of the multiple realms metaphorically around them.

Other Abcubi have begun experimenting with different methodologies for growing buildings out of mushrooms. They theorized that mushroom wood could do twice the work of normal wood, but extensive testing has shown that buildings built with half as much wood as required are very structurally unstable. However, as a result of their testing, they discovered that a large quantity of mushrooms could be used to replace wood as a general construction material.

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White Team

The Jargons have begun to come together as a people. With the assistance of Orderly Builder, a primitive camp was erected to house your mortals. While it is the simplest of housing, it keeps with warm rain drifting off the lake away from your people. There is much interest in laying claim to a section of the lake, and quickly the jargons claim the territory. The lake is a good source of food, providing much needed fish for your village.

Little has changed as far as Jargon society is concerned. They are a social people, who often gather to talk in their oddly technical manner, postulating and discussing the finer points of things, at least, from their perspective. While the gods decide on their course of action, they wander the area, gathering what food and resources they can find.

Two heroes are blessed by the gods! The first demi-gods to walk the earth, each serving at the behest of their gods. Ime the Jarless was first, a molten eye composed of slag, with numerous spirit tendrils. The jargons find it's visage terrifying! Ime does not care. Ime has seen things that cannot be unseen. Ime serves those things. Ime has been ordered by their master, Malorath the Eyeless, to investigate a cave discovered on Jargon land. Ime enters the cave, venturing deep inside. Next was Jomon, who went to explore P4.

Lastly, Panoptic Rendering Entity researched Hunter-Gatherers, units with large baskets to gather numerous resources.

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Green Team

The Elysians have grown accustomed to their arboreal home, living among the trees. The forest is incredibly vast, and the Elysians wonder what secrets can be found beyond the boundaries of their small encampment. A primal camp, constructed in haste by the gods, passible, but sparse. Plus, it's a bit drafty. It resides on the beach beyond the forest, where the Elysians look out over the the sands, and in the far distance, the ocean.

While other races were content to allow heroes do the work, the Elysians took matters into their own hands. Most of the population is quickly trained in the ways of the forest, learning to track, to shoot, and to sneak through the woods. Now, two hunter squads are ready to begin their duties.

The gods then turned their attention towards improving their societies through advancement of technology. They instructed their mortals on the creation of wooden bungalows, and offered insightful advice, sagely wisdom, and strange perspectives on hunting grounds. Lastly, the seeds of magic are scattered among the Elysians. Elysians with musical talent and hard work ethic may become Idols, masters of musical magic in the three styles of the Green Gods.

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24 hour notice for Turn 1 Actions.

ActActAct: Roboson continues in the overgrown cave.

The gods awake to see their faithful steed rising from the ancient wellspring, a massive beast carrying an entire region upon it's back. As it climbs forth from the realm of mana, born of the same magics as the gods themselves, each of the divine families lay claim to portions of the beast. Here they plant their seeds, civilizations that will grow and blossom into proper empires. This miniature world of theirs already so strange, the gods place their roots close to eachother, gravitating towards the northwest section of their divine kingdom. The lands around the godbeast are a fair forest, ripe with wood and game. Ancient ruins mark your cradle, remnants of a civilization long past, worshipers of magic and other older gods. Perhaps their descendants still live nearby.   

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Maroon Team

The Abcubi appear from the demonic contamination that had seeped into the wellspring, the magics of the demon realm mixing with the primal plane, creating both the Abcubi and their divine relatives, C’thun and Caporegime. They immediate found themselves among the fungal forests clinging to the edge of the godbeast. Strange cream colored mushtrees rose high above the heads of the Abcubi, adorned with blue caps. They would make for a good wood replacement. Another giant mushroom, orange and pink in color, was found to be moderately for wood, with small gills that are passably edible. Large red mushrooms can be found in one area of the kingdom, and seem to a good source of food, but are difficult to collect. Tall purple and blue mushrooms can be found in the north, but only seem barely useful for wood.

This area is strange and not well understood. It's likely there is much that is not immediately apparent about the mushroom forest, and some research into the various types of mushrooms might yield more information. Similarly, the mushwoods are dense and mysterious, much could be gleaned by exploration, though, such a task is not without danger.

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White Team

The Jargons appear to the south of the Abcubi, straddled between the northwestern corner of the mountain range and a massive lake. The jar-gons, golem-like beings composed of jars which house their souls, find the area to be rather pleasant for the most part. To the west is a deep cave, which is a decent source of stone, however without exploring it, its unclear what may lie deeper within. Still a large amount of stone litters the beach nearby the cave. Others turn to the forest, a very good source of wood, though the east beach also has a small supply of palm wood. Little can be found on the southwest beach however.

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Green Team

The Elysians appear amid a thick jungle, their eyes wide in the green twilight beneath the forest canopy. Much of their land was covered in dense forest, good sources of wood. Others found an massive tree stump of incredible proportions, providing some food and some wood. Though a few did make their way eastward and located a beach, which has no resources.

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