Divinity Forge - Competitive World-Building (Inactive)

Game Master Umbral Reaver

(A twin post to the one over in Gamer Life)

Divinity Forge Rules
The World Map

You will need to be able to see the above Google Docs to be able to participate in this game!

Divinity Forge

A lone Entity sat above an empty world, gazing into its untouched wilds and pristine seas. There were no people - at least - no forms of animal life advanced enough to form societies. It was natural. It was perfect. It was BORING.

The Entity decided to liven things up. She reached into the aether and drew forth other things of power - lesser than her own - but enough that they could bring Change to this uneventful planet. And, most importantly, Conflict!

You are a god! You have been dragged from another world, newly formed or ascended from some primitive life by the Entity (that's me!) for the purpose of doing whatever the hell you like on this untouched world. You may create your profile as follows:

It's preferable that you create a character alias for this game, to help me keep track of your posts. If you don't, uh, it's just more work for me to filter your game posts from regular posting activity.

Name: Your godly name. Append as many superfluous titles as you feel is necessary.
Name Code: Choose a recognisable three-letter code to represent your presence on the map.
Domains: Your two domains, chosen from those listed. Feel free to discuss and suggest new domains while we start this up. We won't be starting the game just yet, so there's time.
Race: Your chosen people, created/stolen/uplifted as you choose. To begin with, your race has one advancement of your choice, and one home terrain (choose a biome and elevation they are most comfortable at). For the time being, no rules exist to accomodate aquatic races. Everyone's a land-dwweller.
Race Code: Choose a recognisable two-letter code to represent your race on the map.
Background: Who are you as a god and what are you doing here?

The codes are important. Presence on the map is shown as follows:
<God Code>-<Race Code>-<Number of Armies>,<Number of Population>,<Number of Settlers>

For example: FBM-BM-2 means that Fuzzy Bear Man has two Bear Men armies here. FBM-BM-2,3,4 means that Fuzzy Bear Man has two armies, three population in a settlement and for some reason, four settlers.

FBM-BM-0,3; FBM-LM-2 means that Fuzzy Bear Man has a settlement of three Bear Men and somehow ended up with two Lizard Men armies. I guess that could happen?

I hope this all fits in the map tiles.

You may sign up later in the game, but be aware that you'll be starting out at a disadvantage. Most of the extant gods will likely have a lot of settlements, armies and reserves of power already.

Posting Rules:

You may submit your turn once per round. Don't dally overmuch. The Entity may reward timeliness and punish sloth! I'd like to get one round a day completed.

If you miss one turn, you may generate power from that round next turn (no festival benefits, though).

Make sure your posts are clear about what you want to do. I need to be able to resolve them unambiguously at the end of each round.

Note as well, that the effects of anything you do only take place at the end of the round. So if someone blows up your favourite city, don't worry! You can still use it to do stuff until I post the end of round summary. Then it blows up.

The same is true of terrain alterations. You treat all terrain as shown on the map. It will be altered at the end of the round by the terrain miracles performed by gods on their turns.

You don't roll for battles. I do. Again, it takes place at the end of the round. You just have to move your armies onto tiles you want to attack.

That's probably all for now. Feel free to start making your god and race. Questions?

Note: The Entity reserves the right to mess with the world and its gods in any way she likes. The rules don't apply to her! Nonetheless, she will try to make it an enjoyable game for all.

Signing up, but super-strong headache, so I'll fill out the actual stuff for later. Thanks!

I should note: When you start, you're given one settlement of five population in the tile of your choice. It doesn't have to be in your home terrain, but terrain difficulty may be a hinderance you don't want to deal with early on.

Additional note: The rules may change as we go. I wrote them during a sleep-deprived hour of inspiration, so we may run into kinks and holes that need working out. Don't worry. The goal is not seriousness. The goal is fun!

Name: Yannah-Elishar, the Golden One, the Seeker

Name Code: YAY YAE

Domains: Community, Prophecy

Race: Spirits (and Kami and Fey) - three different aspects of one people. Spirits are the most basic creation; they are incorporeal, inhabit the land, and are one with it. Kami are descended from Spirits who have bonded with a singular chosen element of their home, and are imbued within it; they are physical and inhabit specific locales such as rocks, trees, or shrines (among pretty much anything else). Kami are actually a kind of side effect of the existence of spirits - whereas spirits inhabit a region, Kami inhabit a very specific body (though sometimes that "body" is actually a "region" of land). Fey are the children of Spirits and Kami; they gained coporeality from their Kami parents, and the freedom from specific locales from their Spirit parents.

Spirits are the First Ones - they predate all other living things, and were built by Yannah-Elishar to bring life to a dead land; thus they are the first creatures in all of existence, and have the appearance of any living creature that exists. At Yannah-Elishar's command, they craft and create all things with the needs of other life in mind, and they are inextricably linked to the land they lived on itself. The most elder and ancient of the spirits gained the ability to manifest briefly, and thus alter the physical world; they are the originators of (most) all other life, whether plant, or animal, which they generally appear similar to.

Eventually, some Spirits became obsessed with specific elements, locales, and parts of existence; frustrated with the constant wondering of all spirits. These spirits petitioned Yannah-Elishar, and were blessed, being fused with the very essence of that which they loved most. Their offspring continued to proliferate into every kind of object or terrain. To their delight, they discovered they were now physical, and could interact with objects from the first in ways that only the eldest of spirits otherwise could do so. Much like their Spirit forebears, they are inextricably linked to the land they live on itself.

Soon, when Spirits and Kami mated, new creatures were born of the union. The freedom and wild nature of the Spirits, combined with the physical and obsessive nature of the Kami, created a new sub-race - the Fey. These beings are less bound to the land itself than Spirits or Kami, but still hold as sacred all that is natural.

Despite their tendency to love the natural, these beings do not reject progress, civilization, or any such thing - instead, they seek all such elements to be in harmony with nature... for the most part. At times life, or death, must come first, and thus they accept that civilization will alter and tame the natural world, so long as it also protects the continuing existence of the natural world. Spirits tend to be the least accepting of "advanced" societies, while Kami tend to be the most; but these general tendencies are only the most broad outlines.

While their favored Biome is Forests (F), which is where they began, they love all elements of reality and the world, limiting them to no specific kind. In truth, their most favored Biome is People (P) - wherever there are people, they seek to settle next to, and then integrate into, their locales. This is to help guide them along their way (and prevent them from altering or destroying the world or terrain too badly, too rapidly), as well as to creature a mutually-beneficial relationship, sharing advancements of all kinds.

They start out with the Integrated Religion (SKF) technology (one rank), which allows them to treat any 1 of a population near them that also has the Integrated Religion (SKF) as if it were part of their own and vice verse, but requires that the other civilization revere spirits and kami, and thus the natural world; they will start in any forest square nearest to any other people (that height becomes their favorite elevation, default to hilly if available); the people they start near will preferably have the Integrated Religion 1 trait.

Race Code: SKF

Background: Yannah-Elishar is "the Great Light" or "the Great Spirit" or "the Bright Spirit"; it is the Thousand-As-One. Yannah-Elishar is literally the sun and is the Fire Circle; it sees the world and brings light of peace and true life to all places.

In some worlds, this is referred to as Taiyosuta (or "Sekai-Taiyosuta").

It is strongly associated with the Inner Light (or "the Inner Light of Yannah-Elishar") which is the living spark of divinity within all living creatures, the opponent of undeath, the source of psionics and divine magic, and the Keeper of Memory and Spirit of all living things.

IMPORTANT NOTES: I am actually quite willing to share, as it were. If someone is interested, I will gladly "partition" my race out into full-fledged different races - either the Fey [code: FEY], the Kami [code: KAM], or the Spirits [code SPI]. Although their story (and starting technology) needs to remain the same (well, mostly), I don't mind if someone else really wants one of these for themselves. For the Spirits, I imagine a Rashemen-style Spirit creatures (such as the Telthor, or the Nature Spirits from Oriental Adventures, and the Spirit of the Land described in the old Monster Manual II); for Kami, I imagine Kami, mostly as described in Pathfinder, but with a far greater variety; for Fey, I imagine Fey, which, much like Kami, are similar to those described in Pathfinder, but of a far greater variety. If you really don't like my doing this, Umbral, just say so, and I'll pair it down to one - I'm not trying to weasel in three races - I was mostly just going to treat them as one race for all purposes.

Also, I went with a technology that doesn't exist predominantly because it felt exactly like what Spirits and Kami are (again, let me know if you don't want me to do this, Umbral - it basically requires another race agreeing with me to work in the first place, so I didn't think it was un-balanced). While the Fey generally seem (and feel) devoid of specific religion, but just felt really right in terms of the children of Spirits and Kami, as well as generally sharing the "harmony with nature" outlook of those two races. On that note, I didn't choose the Nature domain because, despite that, none of these creatures are really prone to altering their environment. Instead, they tend to simply adapt to whatever is currently there.

More referencing of the Integrated Religion (SKF); 1) obviously, if my "race" is no longer the SKF, the Integrated Religion will become something different, though I would suggest it's always both "S" and "K"; 2) if another race chooses Integrated Religion (SKF), they gain the same benefits as I do; and 3) the SKF religion is generally defined as a respect for life, nature, and goodness in general. This does not make all spirits, kami, or fey good - instead, it makes them delight in good over evil in others, though each of them have their own alignments (either according to their kind or their personal choice). Additionally, in a given turn, a race with Integrated Religion can benefit from a total number of domain boons equal to their total ranks in Integrated Religion. This ability might be capped at "five".

For further development of the Integrated Religion, I suggest that each rank increases the effective population by "1" for worshipers of our religion, to a maximum equal to the population the other race has. Additionally, it allows us to take the Integrated Society (SKF) advancement; the Integrated Society (SKF) advancement allows us to share one ability or the benefit of Miracles, at a cost equal to 1/4 what the other paid, up to a number of "traded" advancements or miracles (or, Umbral, would you prefer something more like total societies instead?) this way equal to our lowest total ranks in Integrated Society. Further, if we can't already, Integrated Society means we can share a single tile, and both live there, effectively gaining the benefits of both societies in that tile. Additionally, whenever a Settler is created, it's created for (and has the full effects of) both societies, though the cost might only be paid once (or might be 1.5 times?); this may be limited (at Umbral's discretion) to a total lifetime number equal to the number of Integrated Religion advancements owned. It's possible that this last benefit is optional - if a deity doesn't want to spread the integrated society themselves, perhaps they can "opt out" when they make a Settler?

Finally, if we really want to work together, I might tend to recommend one or more of the following domains: Discovery (all Integrated societies benefit from this; I didn't choose it because it didn't make sense), Nature (very on-theme for this sort of thing; I didn't choose it for reasons I noted above), Peace (I just tend to really like that sort of thing) or Protection (because we want our societies to live! ... I choose neither because Prophecy seemed more suitable), or Travel (it makes sense that being "spirits of the land" wouldn't be limited by terrain; I didn't choose it because Kami don't seem terribly mobile).

As a note on Technology, it's possible that Seafaring rank 4 means that you can "live" (gaining half benefit) on an aquatic tile, while rank 5 means you get full benefit from living on an aquatic tile; alternatively, rank 4 allows you to live on shallow water, while rank 5 allows you to live in oceans.

EDIT: once to add a note to Integrated Societies about living on the same tile, and again in Integrated Societies to talk about Settler costs.

Where I'm starting:

My idea is that I start in the nearest forest square... including sharing a forest square, if that's possible. Umbral, what do you think? Is sharing an okay thing to do?

If it is, you can share the tile with me! That's awesome!

If it's not, I note below where I'd be starting, base on where you'd be starting. If I note forests independently, that means there are nearby forests, so we can both be forests!

It's likely one of the following areas:

E3 or 1F (the starting race is a forests, barren, scrubland, or wetland race)

D6, F8, G7, G8, H9, H10 (the starting race is in forests, jungles, craters, barrens, or scrublands)

G15 (the starting race is in jungles)

I16, J16 (the starting race is wetlands, forests, or craters)

J14 (the starting race is craters, jungles, or barren)

L11 (the starting race is barrens or scrublands)

L13, L15, M15 (the starting race is forests, craters, or barren)

M13 (the starting race is scrubland, craters, or barren)

P4 (the starting race is wetland)

Hmm. Neat ideas there, but it does present quite a few difficulties in that your race does not interact with the ruleset conventionally at all. How would you create settlements and build armies? I want to keep the rules from becoming overcomplex, and everyone should work by the same ruleset to keep that fair. I appreciate and respect your ambition, but I have to say no to that concept. Maybe we could work something out after this game finishes and I tighten up the rules for a second one.

If you want to play a cooperative race, it's probably best to offer miracles to help the lands of allied players. Perhaps as a nature god (half cost for terrain miracles) to make lands more habitable for them. In exchange, they can offer favours such as military action against aggressors. Think of this like a game of Diplomacy. You can have allies, but always remember: There can only be one winner.

That way, cooperation isn't just a mechanic that occurs automatically, but is the result of two gods actually working together for each other's benefit (while also trying to squeeze ahead for advantage when the inevitable betrayal occurs). It sounds like you would be able to achieve something like what you want with the Nature and Peace domains. With those, it's costly to attack you, and it's cheaper for you to terraform for yourself and those you want to help. Does that make sense for a race of natural spirits?

Prophecy is a two-sided coin. First, everyone knows you get advance warning of events, some of which may be catastrophic! You can keep that information to yourself or barter it for favours. Or even lie about prophecies to mess with people. It makes it easy to be a bad guy. ;)

Also, god codes are three letters and race codes are two-letters. This way, we can tell instantly if we're looking at a god code or a race code.

Sorry for the trouble! I want this game to run smoothly and enjoyably for everyone.

No problem. Mostly, it was the idea I came up with, but I was and remain willing to dump it entirely.

If it's not really allowed to be cooperative, I'll probably drop the above idea altogether - it was built with the concept of "cooperative" in mind, so it's not really that gripping to me, otherwise. Others can feel free to use the basics, though! EDIT 2: In part, this is because I'd entirely forgotten that there was a "winner" here! Even though I was looking at the document!

It's also really no trouble - and on the race codes, I actually read the 3/2 dichotomy, I just forgot!

Anyway, please rescind the Yannah-Elishar entry. I'll think of something else! :D
EDIT 2: And, just to be clear, I'm totally fine with this! I haven't come up with another race, yet, but I'm actually entirely cool with the fact that my first idea didn't work. :D

EDIT: oh, hey, what did you think about the Seafaring suggestions?

EDIT 3:

I'm wondering if I should be evil in this one. It's so hard for me to be evil, though...

I've got something like half-a-dozen ideas. Blaaaaaaaaarg. Kids are distracting! Can't concentrate! Later!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarg!

Had my entire entry deleted when it signed me out and sent me to "http://paizo.com/#newPost"

>:(

Trying again...

EDIT: the only thing I had copied/pasted at the time was "[b]" - and I wasn't even trying to submit, only to "preview"! Arg!

Okay, so let's try this again...

Since my first idea didn't work out, GM, let me know if this one is any better! I'm very open to changing things if it doesn't work. I've got plenty of ideas. :D

Trying something a bit darker (literally!) this time...

Name: The Dark Seer, the Hidden One, the Lord of Shadows and Secrets

Name Code: TDS

Domains: Community, Prophecy

Race: Shaecubi

The Shaecubi are a race of powerful, intelligent, seductive, shadowy shapeshifters literally crafted from the blood of the Dark Seer, as he fell from the darkness beyond the world, forged in a volcano (either E7 or K14) from whence they crawled. Though they were the first, the foresight of their master knew that others would come forth, and thus they were born to be able to appear as the most beautiful, most alluring, most powerful of those races.

In their native form, appearing as sensuously beautiful humanoids of obsidian skin and hair, flowing with shadows and laced with blood-red and volcanic-looking veins, large cloak-like wings; sensuous but powerful and prehensile tails, exotic ears, and eyes that glimmer mostly purple or gold (male and female, respectively) run through with veins of glowing red, and pronounced, powerful canines; these creatures have the ability to become attractive to most any creature, changing their appearance at whim and hiding their otherworldly attributes in whatever they might suspect the other creature desires.

They begin with Religion technology.

Race Code: SC

Background: An enigmatic and strange being violently cast from darkness beyond this world by events and powers unknown for mysterious "sins", crashing destructively into the depths of a volcano and bleeding forth the first of its children; the Dark Seer claimed the power of darkness, secret knowledge, and the forbidden as its own.

Preparing its children for the powerful competition they are likely to face, it cements an ironclad faith in itself and its abilities to know and change the future, binding its progeny together into a cohesive, group-oriented culture of mutual cooperation and benefit for personal gain.

Hope that one works out better! Let me know, though! I've got several other ideas that I can front instead, too! As you can see I continued with the Community and Prophecy domains - I liked the idea of them together so much, I wanted to make a very different divinity built with those in mind! Despite the descriptions, I'm still not convinced that tDS is actually evil... hm...

Making a mark here. Third world to keep an eye for? Uh... Why the work takes so much time leaving me with so low supply of energy for the rest of the day.

I might even create an alias for this...

Name: The Red Scaled One, The Dragon-God, The Slumbering Fire, The Sire Of Wyrms.
Name Code: DRK
Domains: Community, Discovery.
Race: Kai-Tang, the Apefolk. Uplifted by the divine whim of the Red Scaled One from the local apes. They are native to jungle-covered hills - 1J (apparently making D8 their home region) and begin the known history with advancement of Survival.
Race Code: KT.
Background: Shall be provided in the future...

This sounds fun, hopefully I'll be able to keep up if I come in, I'll try to put up an idea over the weekend on the nature of my divinity, If I fail to do so I will take it as a sign and not join in.

Sweet! Challengers have arisen!

More entries! Hurrah!

Looking good so far. Interesting to see one entry going for Volcanic. That will present some unique challenges and advantages. It will be hard to expand into the greener territories, but it's just as hard for others to try to assault your volcanic fortresses!

This game takes a fair bit of inspiration from things like Populous and Master of Magic, as you might have noticed. I hope it goes well. :)

The Shaecubi race makes me wonder if there should be an epionage tech, but I don't know how that would function. Prophecy does pretty well as a domain of secret knowledge, though.

On seafaring: Settling coastal and undersea tiles might be a thing for later. We'll see how the game goes. I might introduce the possibility during the game as I think about it.

I keep forgetting to use the GM alias. Is there a way to set default alias for a thread?

Not that I know of... just a Default Alias in general.

You might want to ask on the website feedback section, though! Maybe they know!

After I decided to use Kai-tang I started to think about race that would pick starting terrain of -2W... It could allow for really advanced spread and settlement without entering into meaningful conflict with the rest for longer time.

Does the terrain difficulty influences combat? I need to check.

There are no aquatic races, at present. thus, -2W is off-limits.

EDIT: What I mean by that is that she's stated the rules currently don't support the ability to have a race of aquatic creatures. I suspect for the very reason you noted, they'd be considered "imbalanced" and thus not subject to being made. I had considered something similar, before reading that part.

Terrain difficulty does not currently impact combat. Maybe it should?

Alright. We'll give this a try: During combat, you reduce your attack and defense by the difficulty of the tile. This makes survival and/or terraforming more important, but that's probably fine.

Also! It may not have been clear before, but I'll say it here:

You don't have to alter biome all the way to wetland before sinking a tile into the ocean. Dropping elevation below 0 automatically makes the tile water. If raised again afterward, it will be wetland.

This may be a tiny advantage for wetland-dwellers, but I don't want to have to keep track of what each tile used to be on previous turns.

Edit:

I put Drejk on the map.

Tacticslion, do you want Volcanic Hills (E7) or Volcanic Mountains (K14)?

Edit 2:

I've added an information tab to the map page.

Name: The Lord Yogga
Name Code: YOG
Domains: Community, Destruction
Race: The Phorax
Every Phorax starts it's life when it is released from the alchemical tank in which it has been constructed. In this initial for they are roughly humanoid in appearance, with typically translucent overlay upon their mechanical components. All young Phorax will live in this form until their actions distinguish them in some field and they return to their people to be attached to a specialized rig. The small soft larval Phorax being installed in a hardened chassis of war, a high efficiency construction frame or a managerial posting block.
The Phorax prefer lowland (El:0) Barrens (B) Where the mild climate and lack of natural life are least inhibiting to their operation. However frequent contact with living things and their innate adaptability has allowed them the means to survive in a variety of locales (Starting Advancement Survival)
Race Code: PRX
Background: Under the guidance of their lord the Phorax seek to remove all inefficient and troublesome organic life from the world, replacing it with their own sort of artificial existence.

Community is pretty popular, huh?

Pick a tile and I'll add you to the map.

Edit:

I realised the 'create people' miracle was stupidly cheap. Its cost is now six times the square of the number of settlements you control. The intent of create people was to allow a 'comeback' after being almost wiped out but still having power left, not to replace the standard settler mechanic.

Six times the SQUARE of the number of settlements you control? That seems ludicrously expensive, although without knowing how the power generation works perhaps I shouldn't talk...

Anyhow start me in N14 that looks like a good bit of badlands.

As a community god, it'll be half price. Think about it this way:

On the first turn, you generate 3d6 power.

Creating a new settlement adjacent to your current one using 'create people' would cost 8 (6 x 1^2 + 1 (for distance)), or for you, 4. That's pretty cheap. It ignores tile difficulty, too.

And, you're added!

Handy-dandy reference page added to the map! It's the third tab.

While we're here, I'm curious:

Does anyone think any of the domains, miracles or whatever are too powerful? Too weak? I'd like to hear your thoughts!

Another addendum!

There's a chat function in google docs. If you see me logged into the map, feel free to open up the chat tab and say hello! I'm pretty sure you can do this as an anonymous user, too. Just click on the speech bubble toward the top right.

Community is pretty popular, huh?

I'm actually rather surprised myself. I thought it looked really cool... but to have three of us go for it... interesting indeed.

Tacticslion, do you want Volcanic Hills (E7) or Volcanic Mountains (K14)?

I didn't specify because I didn't know.

The Shaecubi race makes me wonder if there should be an epionage tech, but I don't know how that would function. Prophecy does pretty well as a domain of secret knowledge, though.

I'd be all over that!

Alright. We'll give this a try: During combat, you reduce your attack and defense by the difficulty of the tile. This makes survival and/or terraforming more important, but that's probably fine.

That's actually what I thought it did in the first place. I didn't realize that they were separate.

RE: seafaring... sure, okay. Sounds good!

And, hm... let's see if I can do some recruiting...

It's prohibitive because I meant it to be an emergency option for someone almost booted out of the game, to prevent total elimination. It's not made as an expansion miracle. Don't worry. Community still gets some cool tricks! It's cheaper for you to get extra actions out of your forces and cities, and that is probably quite important.

If it turns out to be too costly, I can reduce it later. For now, I'm going to leave it as is.

Other news of minor note: I added an entry for myself in the information tab. At some points throughout the game, neutral hostiles may appear to guard valuable locations or randomly rampage for some reason. They are the Cosmic Heralds (CH). Gods of prophecy will get to know when and where they will manifest two turns in advance, since they count as an Event.

Edit: Added your Shaecubi to the map! They're pretty close to the Kai-Tang. Will their vast differences in preferred terrain lead them to share the continent, each taking the parts that are most suited to them, or will they try to destroy each other for their differences?

Recruits requested! (I asked, like, 30 people, but expect a "yes" from, maybe, "2" :D)

Understood! That works!

Thanks!

Oh sweet, thanks! :D

Also! I added more info to the map pages. No new rules, just helpful references and stuff to make things clearer.

Also also! There's a chat window! Since I've made talkytext at people when they log in and received no responses, I'm starting to wonder if anonymous accounts don't see the chat window at all. I'm on right now, so open up the map and try chatting.

I didn't specify because I didn't know.

After much deliberation... I'll... er... go... with... uh... egh... E7?

Shooo! Go find your own volcano to worship!

You could just try to destroy each other! :P

But be careful. An early military effort may leave your nation developmentally stunted, while the phorax expand in peace on the southern continent.

By the way, none of these places have names. If you want to name the continents, regions within and settlements, you are free to do so. If different races end up calling the same thing by different names, I don't mind.

To anyone reading this thread: Entries are not closed! If you're still interested, come in and take your place in the world.

If I have at least four players by the end of the weekend, I'll start the first round. Players are still welcome to join after that.

The maximum I'd like to handle is probably eight or so players.

Clarification about chat: If you want to chat, go to the MAP page, not the rules page. Sorry for the confusion!

A revision, suggested by Drejk on the Map Chat: Death domain now grants power when you destroy population, not just when your own is destroyed. This should make it suck less, and encourage Death gods to want people to die.

Since we haven't started yet, feel free to change your domains. When we start, you're stuck with them.

I will make background change - Kai-Tang aren't uplifted but evolved sapience without divine intervention. It was their intelligence that attracted The Red Scaled One to them.

Alrighty. :)

Heh. It looks like two of the currently settled races are going to gradually scour the world of its native ecosystems as they expand. Volcanos and barren expanses everywhere!

Alrighty. :)

Heh. It looks like two of the currently settled races are going to gradually scour the world of its native ecosystems as they expand. Volcanos and barren expanses everywhere!

I expect lots of craters at the borders... Does any of them have Destruction domain? Yes, one of them has. Now we need God Of Sudden Death with Death and Destruction and favored terrain Craters.

Alosvalophos - Lord of the Spangled Sky, Sky Father, the Lord on High, the Celestial Patriarch, the Broad-Reaching

Name code: ALV

Domains: Travel, War

Race: Centaur

The Centaurs are half-man, half-equine humanoids. This dualism of form is maintained in their culture, which is equally known for its human traits of rationality, wisdom, and the arts, as for their bestial aggression and expansionst tendencies.

Code: CEN

Home Terrain: Flat scrubland (OS). (Start position: 3G?)

Advanecment: Agriculture.

Background: Alosvalophos is a figure of lordly, patriarchical power. His is the wide open sky, reaching from horizon to horizon, and the wealth of stars are his thousands of wives. He takes what is provided, and lords over all that he sees. He is often depicted as wearing a mantle half of sky, half of midnight blue, being crowned with a crescent diadem, and holding a solar sceptre--all symbols of his heavenly domain and dominion over day and night.

He has inspired in his people, the Centaurs, their famed desire to range abroad and to subdue those who would stop their advance. As the sky streteches unhindered, so too shall they spread.

Added to the map!

Now there are four. We'll start the first round at the end of the weekend. Remember, you can still join late!

Discussion Thread Is Open!

Idea for a possible invention: Magic - placates spirits and deities increasing cost of using hostile miracles on any tile occupied by the race (settlements and forces) by its rank. Altering terrain in direction opposite to race's favored terrain is hostile unless done by their own deity.

That's basically what the protection domain does. Not exactly, but similar anyway.

Okay, this looks mightily interesting. I've been a big fan of Master of Magic (best game evah!) since it came out and a Civilization and Europa Universalis addict. I'm going through the rules right now and will post my entry later!

Hurrah! Welcome aboard!

Also yes, huge Master of Magic fan here.

Fans, Umbral Reaver, Fans...

It is so tempting to copy a Rjak-style god and civilization .. and have you played King of Dragon Pass? If not, you should give it a try. It's a tribal simulator in a rich RPG setting. It might give you some inspiration to boot!

Name: Prexus A'marha Xolanthi, He Who Is Within and Without.
Name Code: PAX
Domains: Travel, Science.
Race: The Iremae. An Iremi is quite similar to a human. His physiology is nearly identical: two legs, two arms, a head and similar organs. It is in the faculties of the Iremi and his experience of what is life where lies the difference between the Iremi and humans. It is currently unsure whether the Iremae are humans who were elevated by Prexus or if they went on their own evolutionary path many generations ago. The more orthodox segment of the population refuse to do research on this topic, feeling the fear that they might find answers that will rock the core of their civilization, while the more progressive segment wants nothing more than to know where they came from. One does not know what path he is walking if he does not know where the path started.
The Iremae are looking for knowledge and wisdom as this brings them closer to their God and it is this what their God is looking for. Wisdom is within and can be found at home while knowledge is without and requires an Iremi to go forth and find it. This somewhat paradoxical philosophy is the very core of Iremi civilization.

Advancement: Seafaring 1
Biome: Wetland
Elevation: Flat
Race Code: TI

Background: coming!

I'll add you to the list. There are quite a few flat wetlands scattered about. Pick a grid coordinate and I'll add your first settlement to the map!

I-14 :)