EVENT #18: EMERGENCE - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #18 - Emergence

OOC Plotting Post ⦁ Pre-Event Info ⦁ Setting Descriptions

Whether voluntary or by force, you find yourself transported to the Singularity's crater. There probably aren't many resistors - officials have taken great pains to convince you to come voluntarily, reserving force as a last resort - but it's clear that everyone is required for this to work. It takes multiple mages to stabilize the portal, but you make it there in one piece. If you cooperate, you'll be asked to walk towards the ancient relic. If you resisted, you might be forced to do so while restrained. Regardless, a heavy fog soon descends around the area, obscuring you and your vision.

If you have thoughts of turning back, it's too late: for some of you, the second you step across the threshold, a force pulls at your chest and absorbs your psyche at once. For others, a mystical call beckons you to walk a little further before the same effect takes hold. And for a rare few, the call brings you to the Singularity itself, where you're compelled to touch it - and are subsequently swallowed up like the others.

The Horizon doesn't greet you like you might expect. Instead, something far stranger awaits.

Please communicate with your fellow players as needed! We also recommend discussing with us if you plan on a major environmental upheaval. As a rule of thumb, you should avoid changes to the landscape that will significantly alter the established map.

We've also posted comment sections for WORLDBUILDING and HANDWAVED submissions. Instructions can be found at the respective links.

Year 20,879

When you open your eyes, it feels like you've only blinked. If your body has transformed or you're someplace that shouldn't exist, it doesn't strike you as odd. You were always here. Everything around you was always here, and your physical alterations and new abilities - while perhaps not originally there - have been a part of you for a long, long time.

The world of Abraxas isn't completely foreign. Familiar territories remain, as well as the familiar faces of those with long lifespans. But a lot has changed in 800 years, too, especially where the Gods are concerned. Alongside the Old Gods of the Ancient Pantheon and the Cardinal Gods of the New Order, a third class of deities formed from you and your fellow Summoned: the Ecesis Gods of the Iterum Pantheon.

Politics, People, & Gods

Abraxas's political landscape remains complex, with continued tensions over land, worship, resources, and power. Nonetheless, since the Free Cities is no longer intent on destroying the Singularity, conflict over the ancient relic has lessened. All territories agree that the Godlands - and the Singularity - belong to the Gods themselves.

Beliefs and Gods

The active presence of the Summoned confirms the existence of the Gods. As a result, most Abraxans turn to the Summoned and other Gods for aid or protection. Extreme reverence exists in certain areas, especially on the Isle of the Lost and in parts of Solvunn. In other places, though, the Gods are merely acknowledged as a facet of life - a force that helps or hinders depending on temperament and should be respected, much like the sea. The Gods play a crucial role, sure, but so do the rain and stars. This is particularly true in the Feywilds, the Nether, and the Free Cities.

Small pockets of non-believers actively denounce the Gods. They claim the Summoned should be wiped from the world and the Singularity destroyed to prevent future invasions. Labeled dangerous heretics by Thorne and Solvunn, and "regressives" by the Free Cities - whose scientists and philosophers liken such thinking to be as foolish as declaring the sun unworthy or the earth to be flat - these people are shunned from society. In Solvunn, the consequences are more severe: heretics are exiled to the Barren, where they are subsumed by the desert, the Maw, or whichever Gods may punish them.

At the other end, some sects revere the Godlands so much that they believe feeding themselves to the relic will enhance Abraxas' good fortune for generations to come. Such cults are quite rare, but there are reports of mortals throwing themselves into the Singularity's crater and disintegrating as a gesture of their devotion to the divine.

International Relations

Due to the combined change in their priorities, Thorne and the Free Cities are less at odds. The Free Cities believes in protecting the Singularity; Thorne no longer seeks to control it. Nonetheless, mistrust flares on occasion.

While things are peaceful during these three months and have been for a few decades, Abraxas hasn't found a cure for war in the Gods. Conflict has broken out in the past and will again. Eyes are on the Nether as it grows in power, and who knows how long Thorne will be content with its losses? Will they convince the Velan Republic to reunite and turn against the Free Cities? For now, though, the territories have found their stride and appear more interested in progress than fighting.

Magic & The Singularity

Magic is relatively unchanged and is a vital part of Abraxan life. The small kingdom of Thorne continues to practice Academic Magic. Meanwhile, Wild Magic plays the same important role in the Velan Republic (formally Nott). Meanwhile, the Free Cities has developed New Magic further. The goal of decoupling magic from technology is less of a focus. Instead, researchers are eager to find new ways to fuse magic and innovation, including aspects of the Gods. Portable shrines, for example, are popular with traveling merchants.

High Magic no longer exists as a specific school of magic now that offerings, pacts, and requests to the Gods are a part of everyday life across Abraxas. Solvunn has returned to its roots, using the ancient Academic Magic practiced by the Lunae for standard tasks while turning to the Gods for greater blessings.

The Singularity has been relatively stable for the past two or three centuries. While occasional disturbances rumble, for the most part, the presence of the Summoned has strengthened it, alleviating its displeasure and ensuring that Abraxas - and possibly the universe itself - continues to exist. Indeed, academic writings from Thorne and the Free Cities across time suggest that the Singularity's devouring of the world has considerably slowed. It is now as much of a threat as the eventual collapse of the sun, something that is bound to occur but not for eons.

Of course, this could quickly change if the Summoned or any other Gods provoke the Singularity by rejecting its connection or denying its magic...so all should take care not to upset the nature of things.

Old World, New World

The map of Abraxas has undergone some notable shifts, although many names and places are the same.

Setting descriptions are HERE for your reference.

Mechapolis, the Witchwood, and the Barren/the Maw contain prompts related to the event itself. Information about those areas can be found under "Exploring the Land" in the section The World as the Divine (Month 1-2).

Month 1-2: Submersion

What do you last remember? Well, that depends. You might recall most things perfectly clearly. You might have new memories that don't feel new at all. Or, you might only remember the most recent year or two. Regardless, there is something missing: an important face, a handful of key events...maybe you don't remember having ever lived anywhere except Abraxas. You might find this unsettling, or you might accept it as just the way things are.

You've transcended those old memories, anyhow. You feel a little distant from the person you were centuries ago, and you most likely look different, too. Perhaps you've sprouted giant wings, become a formless void, or you're now a shapeshifter with no permanent appearance. You've gained a substantial amount of power and influence, the type that people of this world attribute to the Gods.

The first half is a more sandbox-like environment designed for scenarios that emphasize CR and personal character moments. Active conflict between the emergent reality and the world will not arise until the second half.

The World as the Divine

The mortals have bestowed you with a title and possibly a new alias. Do you know your mortal name anymore? Some of you might've taken on a new identity, or you might have held very tightly onto who you were. Regardless, your abilities have grown. Your new powers and appearance are as unique as your dominion, influenced by your interests, subconscious desires, or personal relationships.

While in your full God form, you'll move through the world unperceived. Only when you're sought by a mortal - followers, believers, cultists - can you consciously make your complete divine presence known. To be seen freely by all, you'll have to take on a less overwhelming shape to the mortal gaze. Those who have met the Old Gods or Cardinal Gods in the past finally understand why they seldom reveal their true selves, often arriving in hazy visions or speaking through animals.

Exploring the Land

◎ The Witchwood

As the Summoned continued to ascend, their power began to coalesce, creating a new ecosystem never seen before. The dense woods, originally a temperate climate, warmed and grew into a thriving jungle. The air is humid and heavy with magic, the sky locked into an eternal sunset. Reds and oranges filter through the thick canopy. Birdcall and animal cries echo throughout the jungle. Trees and rocks seemingly move at night, meaning the Witchwood is impossible to map. Foolhardy souls who venture too deep are rarely seen again - unless divine intervention prevents a tragic fate from befalling them. Perhaps one of those intervening Gods is you?

The most dangerous beasts in the Witchwood are the demigod spawns. Creatures born from the Summoned, demigods are powerful enough to affect the world around them should they ever leave the magic-encased forest. See Impact & Consequences for more details on the demigods and how, as the Summoned, you can help maintain Abraxas' ecosystem.

◎ Mechapolis

Heartwood Syndrome persisted in Fomalhaut long after the quarantined population died out. The port city stood as a monument to loss for nearly a century until about 200 years in when the Summoned gained notable influence as Gods. This resulted in a slow but steady acceptance of the Singularity's power as a positive force for potential advancement. New Magic boomed, leading to increased sophistication in technology and the refinement of automatons.

Originally designed to clear and guard Fomalhaut, they were eventually used to rebuild it. Fomalhaut became known as the City of Machines and was renamed Mechapolis. Although humans are barred from entering for safety, the automatons gather soil and air samples for study and perform fishing duties. The clockworks require routine maintenance and must return to a hub city or outpost for recalibration. Clockwork birds are used to communicate with Mechapolis. They can broadcast through the Free Cities's primitive "radio" towers.

You can enhance clockwork performance, boosting the towers or providing additional energy to the automatons. Scientists often have "rituals" when performing maintenance or experiments to earn the Gods' favor, hoping this will prevent their inventions from breaking down.

◎ The Barren/The Badlands

Once contested territory between Thorne and the Free Cities, the Badlands was split into two by a large ravine shortly after Thorne retreated to Hayle. With neither side able to breach the gap, Solvunn naturally laid claim to the western half while the Free Cities retained its eastern half. On the eastern side, the chasm swallowed several well-known bandit camps and the presence of a new entity further drove them away. Bandits now occupy the mountains northeast of Aquila. Due to the entity's threat, the Free Cities increased its military presence in the Badlands to keep careless or foolish travelers from straying too far.

Meanwhile, Solvunn has named its portion of the wasteland the Barren and sought the Gods' assistance to form an enchanted forest. Those who enter are lost forever. Meant for more than just protection, the forest and the Barren serve as a place of exile. Heretics are taken into the woods and left to wander towards the Barren's harsh desert. There, they will face the elements, be devoured by the waiting Maw...or encounter a God.

As a God, you can lead the exiles to their salvation or doom, but choose carefully: the Maw is hungry and must be fed. These exiles want you dead. They don't care for you, and should their lack of faith spread, they might revive attempts to destroy the Singularity - and with it, your home. Is it so wrong to leave them to their fate? On the other hand, saving them might convert them by demonstrating your kindness.

◎ The Maw

The Maw lurks beneath the chasm dividing the Badlands. Named for its gaping jaws, the Maw waits at the widest part of a jagged canyon, mouth open and salivating in the desert heat. Rows and rows of teeth as tall as a man spiral downward into a bloodshot throat. When sated, it retreats deep into the gully, barely visible aside from the shine of a tooth. When hungry, it draws closer to the surface. Hot and heavy winds often carry the putrid scent of its half-digested meals.

Solvunn is not the only territory that uses the Maw. The Free Cities will occasionally march criminals and bandits in that direction, as well, tossing them into the gaping mouth, although this method of execution is much rarer. Desperate exiles from Solvunn will try to cross the chasm despite the danger. None ever make it - at least, not without divine intervention.

Horizon, "Death," and Dormancy

Your domain in the Horizon is no longer constrained by size. How it's changed depends on you. The more detached from your mortality, the more likely it'll have surrealist elements: bizarre statues, physics-defying architecture, odd visual or psychological effects. The Horizon feels like home to all Gods, although you ought to take care not to heed its call beyond reason. Shutting yourself off from the physical world can result in unintended consequences...but completely refusing to enter the Horizon will do the same.

Additionally, Gods are beyond true death, but that doesn't mean you can act with impunity. Engaging in an exhaustive battle with other Gods can weaken you into dormancy. In this state, you will enter an ethereal void inside the Singularity. As you heal, you'll slowly be able to return to your Horizon domain and then the physical world once more. Depending on the extent of the damage, this process could take anywhere from months to decades. For instance, losing your head could take a few months, total dismemberment might take a year, and being vaporized into atoms can take a few decades.

Mortals cannot achieve this level of damage, even if they seemingly "succeed" in striking true. Only a God can weaken another God into dormancy. If a mortal removes your head, you can merely pick it up and put it back on.

Impact & Consequences

In the early years of your ascension, you might've wondered why the existing Gods seemingly intervened so little. Why did they not demonstrate their powers more blatantly over the thousands of years? Is it apathy? A desire to watch rather than act? As you come into your abilities, you realize that the Singularity and the universe are significantly more delicate than you thought. You begin to understand why the Gods have behaved the way they do.

Of course, whether you care to keep the world (and yourself) in balance is another story, but to be sure, some of the other Gods and the Summoned do - and you may have to defend your choices.

The equilibrium mechanic is described in OOC terms HERE. The Singularity and a character's ascension will not inherently sway them one way or the other. Any temptations will result from individual personality and development.

Instability Effects

To maintain the universe's equilibrium, you need to be cautious of when and how you interfere when using your status to alter the state of the world. Conversely, you'll also need to take care not to withdraw entirely. Several Gods have undergone periods of instability, though others haven't. Which category you fall under is up to you. It depends on who you are, your experiences, and your desires.

◎ Should you refuse to ACKNOWLEDGE your Godhood or enter the Horizon, you'll find yourself losing time. You may forget how you got from one place to another, or names you knew yesterday slip your mind. Lapses in memory or time can be temporary or permanent, but one thing they are is certainly confusing. With magic building inside you and nowhere for it to go, your power will begin to spill over, causing the Singularity to exhibit bursts of power that spawn demigods in the Witchwood.

◎ Should you give into the temptation to OVERINDULGE your Godhood or retreat to the Horizon for excessive periods, you'll lose more of yourself and your history. You may make decisions that feel unlike you, forget larger chunks of old memories, or struggle to distinguish what's real. Unrestrained use of magic will cause you to absorb yet more power, causing the Singularity to lose power in brief spurts, which can spawn demigods in the Witchwood.

These effects can be halted or even reversed in some cases. You might need someone's help to bring you back or convince you there's another way, or maybe you're the one seeking others out to assist. What you do soon understand is that your ability to manage your powers and stabilize your connection to the Horizon directly affects the Singularity and Abraxas...something that may have been true the moment you were summoned.

Demigod Spawns

Under the red haze of the Witchwood, monstrous creatures known as demigods or spawns emerge from crimson waterfalls and claw their out through the mossy soil. Born out of instabilities caused by careless actions from all Gods, they're usually contained to the Witchwood. For the most part, the older Gods - and the Summoned, if they choose - keep the demigods from leaving. However, now and again, one or two might escape, damaging towns, destroying villages, or causing ecological destruction in ways that are similar to natural disasters.

Demigods are not sentient. How they look can vary, but their appearances are often corrupted and disturbing: twisted animals, amorphous blobs, or alien-like parasites. They may resemble a monster you recognize from home.

Defeating one is possible but a challenge even for the Gods. Most crucially, you cannot kill your own spawn. Another God must deliver the killing blow, so working together is imperative. Should too many demigod spawns be allowed to invade the Witchwood, they will overwhelm and disrupt the Singularity further. Culling them is the only way to maintain stability.

You can submit demigod spawns you create to the WORLDBUILDING section if you want. Similar to using character powers, just keep the scale of destruction at a reasonable level.

Hearing Echoes

Echoes are a form of prayer that resonates through your connection with the Singularity. Solvunn has dedicated a monument to where the "First Echo" was heard, though the accuracy of this is debatable. Like the Network, you can hear an Echo regardless of where you are and can shut them out with concentration. However, your ties to Godhood may compel you to listen every so often. Mortals can entreat you through more formal methods (rituals, offerings, seasonal ceremonies) or in a moment of duress or desperation. They may seek you specifically or call to any God who will listen.

You can answer or ignore these cries for help as you like, but your choices carry consequences. Answer too many too eagerly, and your increased interference in mortal lives can upset the world's equilibrium - and the Singularity. Ignore your impact on the world, and your refusal to accept your ascension will equally destabilize the land as prayers go unheard.

Interacting with Other Gods

The Old Gods and the Cardinal Gods are an equal part of this world. For the most part, you coexist peacefully, though personal pacts and tensions can play a role. Each of you is aware of the impact of your actions on the Singularity: extreme displays of power are reserved for substantial transgressions, considering the price it carries.

Further, the older Gods have also walked the earth for centuries before you came. To them, you're still young, and rising against one of them won't end well for you. Nonetheless, many older Gods are more interested in giving advice or guiding you, ensuring the health of the Singularity and the universe so as not to doom all of you - Gods and mortals alike - to the void.

You can REQUEST AN INTERACTION with a God. Interactions will be brief but informative.

You will not be able to request a specific God. For logistical reasons, we have curated the list of Gods available ahead of time. However, we'll do our best to pick one from the pool that suits the purpose of your request.

Month 3: Awakening

Over the past 2 months, you've existed in the emergent reality without question. As you enter the third month, however, everything you've known over the past many centuries begins to shift. You might decide to investigate further, wondering if there's more out there that you aren't seeing. Alternatively, you might choose to ignore it, believing that your awakening is damaging the world and your life.

Catalysts

A catalyst can occur at any time through any circumstance. Do you see a familiar face you've forgotten in the eyes of a stranger? Do you recall a moment in your past while watching the mortals? Has a friend approached you specifically to try and remind you of the things you've forgotten?

With each memory returned you'll gain another piece of yourself. Depending on how much you've lost and how hard you'll cling to this reality, the effect may be clarifying or it might cause you distress and confusion. You might begin to encounter temporal cracks: buildings or areas that normally don't exist will flicker in and out of existence, or your reflection will briefly show an image of you from before your transformations took hold.

If you allow yourself to doubt your abilities or divinity, you might have trouble controlling your powers. If you've made alterations to your Horizon domain, it might start to revert to its original design.

These cracks are difficult to ignore, but if you bury your head, you can make them disappear - briefly, at least.

Shattered Skies

The effects go beyond the individual. As more of you and your fellow Gods reawaken, the sky also begins to form cracks that spread like broken glass. Through the fractures, you glimpse flashes of lightning and a swirling fog. The fissures only grow larger.

Soon, you realize you can see the Singularity itself, reflected upside-down in the crater. Disconcerting though it is, it may serve as proof that something is very wrong. Of course, you can also refuse to acknowledge this disturbance, closing your eyes to the crumbling sky. Doing so will let you remain unaware to the very end, but your friends who are seeking the truth might find your denial distressing.

The sky won't hold, though. Eventually, it does shatter completely - and you awaken abruptly, your body and others scattered several feet away from the Singularity's crater as if you were physically thrown out. The fog begins to dissipate. The lightning has stopped, the unrelenting storms fading across Abraxas. Whatever you went through, it seems to have done exactly what the territories hoped: stabilize the Singularity.

Characters will be returned home afterward. They will be thanked for their assistance regardless of if they cooperated.

Resistors will not face any consequences, as long as they don't cause excessive trouble upon their return. Officials will issue an apology for the heavy-handed action, stating that they saw no other way to keep the world safe. With the portals and weather returning to normal, it does seem to have worked...even if characters may not find the method agreeable.

---

Comments

I subscribe to this belief, yes

[bealufull]

Kaz has been guilty too of not paying much attention to the cat, though he also wasn't unkind towards it. He has a soft spot for those that roam, whether on two legs or four. Though as Mara appears behind the man, Kaz's dark, glittering gaze shifts as if the human had lost all interest to him.

Not that he isn't acutely aware of anything they say or do.

"A petitioner of mine, actually. I just feel the need to see for myself how he holds his words. In this case, I can see my petitioner was right. His words are twisted like knots and he blames others of playing the games he does. The deal is the deal after all, and if a man can't be held to his word then what does he have left?"

A brow arches though. "Is he one of yours then? Do you protect him?"

If another has plans for this mortal, so be it, but if not he's fair game.

[blackeyedprince]

Mara nods slowly.

"Yes," he confirms. Why else would he be here? "And no."

They don't come to him for protection. They come to him for power. The man in question has paid his price in blood for what he has been granted, but Mara is not a patron of trade. He doesn't dabble in commerce. He deals in sacrifice. One needs to want strong enough to attract his attention.

"I do not shield them from the consequences of their actions."

Mara gaze slides over the mortal. Terrified and flustered, completely unaware his fate is being weighted by the divine this very moment.

"I answered to his ambition, but sadly, he seems too much of a coward to make good on it. I'm disappointed with such squandering of my gifts."

Which is another way of saying the gives Kaz free hand in how he wishes to deal with the man.

[bealufull]

Kaz settles back in his seat with a hint of rustling of his feathers. It's more for show than anything else, an affectation he's taken on. Like use of the wings themselves. His head cants slightly, listening to Mara's words while his gaze falls to the mortal between them.

He knew that without the influence of Jesper, there's a good chance he might well have fallen to the other side of things. To have been a God to bargain in other ways that would have delighted him just as much when he held them to the sort of bargains that came with a different sort of covenant.

It's a business just like his own, and it came with vows as well. Just in so many different ways. Like this one.

He tsks as he raises his gaze to Mara.

"Why would he waste such a thing? All that work for nothing, and wasting your time as well. Even in that he couldn't keep his word," he sighs, sounding so disappointed despite the gleam in his eyes as he brought his fist down against the game board between them.

It wasn't all that hard, a soft thump, but the pieces scattered as if they'd come under a blow. Silver rings along his fingers glinted in the sunlight as that sparking gaze lowered to the mortal once more.

"Whatever shall I do with you?"

[blackeyedprince]

Mara shrugs.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Some people like to think they want power, but in reality they don't. They just delude themselves making grand plans for what they would do if they had it, but they lack character. When it comes to them, they break and run away. It's sad."

At least it's not a complete waste for him. Mara likes watching other gods work. There are always stories about such event later later. Stories that he likes to collect, or occasionally write himself. Or Jack will. If neither of them can find a retelling that satisfies them.

[bealufull]

"Sad, or weak?" Though he supposes it's a bit of both. Either way, there's no forgiveness in him. Not when he's used that power and delighted in the torment he caused others. Had he done it cleanly, without lies, Kaz would have left him to his business.

But now more than one has turned to him about the deceit and he's not willing to stand back any longer.

Kaz rises from his seat, a black cane with a gilded crow's head materializing in his hand. He had no physical need for it, no lameness to his step. Not that he remembers a time when there had been. He moves to stand beside the man, his shimmering gaze on Mara rather than the mortal caught between them. Slowly he sinks to kneel on one knee. For another it might have seemed supplication. For him it is in devotion to the words he will speak, as true to his words as he wished others would be to their own.

"You never intended to honor your words, and the powers of a god's blessing weren't enough. You wanted others to be beneath you, to prove you were better than them. I suppose then you'll need to prove that with your words. Your true words as that is all that will ever pass your lips. No twisting of truths, no carefully constructed lies that sound promising but are as hollow as your heart."

He lifts his cane, bringing it down with a thump against the man's chest. "Always your truth, or shall your tongue bleeding. Including should you turn to another God to lift this, you'll find yourself unable to admit anything but the truth as to why."

Being cursed to speak the truth shouldn't be harmful to many but some, some had to learn.

[blackeyedprince]

"Both."

Mara saw a gleam of this potential in this man. He's slow to give up on his projects. It's the only reason he allowed for it to drag so long. What he mourns is the potential squandered. Mara might be a fickle god, but he is slow to anger. Sometimes he thinks he shouldn't be so eager in giving the mortals second chance when they disrespect his gifts. He wants them to better themselves. What he does not approve is when they turn around and squash those that just a mere moment before were their equals, gloat now that they are above them.

This man has burned enough bridges, he had turned his life into a smoldering ruin, and in his despair has called to Mara for mercy. For a chance to right his life again, for power to do it. He had paid his price in blood, pain and humiliation. Enough to makes his god believe he's worthy of the gifts.

And then he ruined it all by giving in to his old ways the first moment his feet were out of fire. So fast, Mara had hard time believing - right until the other god arrived - that this is the same man who shone so bright with ambition, determination and sheer, unbendable will. All this he chose to cast aside the moment he realized that instead of pushing through with those lofty goals he can just use Mara's gifts to make his life easier.

Mara watches the ceremony in silence. Listening to the verdict given, he can feel its weight fall on the man. It is a fair and just sentence. It might just be what the man needs. Some thrive only in hardship. Yes, this might be it. He knows now what to do next.

"You are more merciful than I am." He bows to Kaz. "I have learned a lot today."

The man between them has no way of knowing, Mara has not forgotten about him. Though he might quickly wish that he did.

[bealufull]

Kaz knows he could do so much worse, but he has watched over the years of how others have reacted when faced with the error of their ways and he's always done his best to make the punishment not only fit the crime, as it were, but wanting to ensure that the lesson is learned in the long run.

He can't help but to smile at that comment, not feeling merciful at all.

"Oh, I'm not sure he would agree with that in the last. In this moment it might seem merciful because I could do so much worse and in an instant but this? He will live with every day. All the lies he's built his life on are about to start crumbling and decaying until it falls out from beneath him. Lies about who he's slept with, the business he's doing, even the easy lies that he doesn't need to say will be truths now."

That thought only makes his smile grow. "He'll lose his business. His wife. Maybe even his family. If he can't learn to change, and I doubt he can, he'll find himself living in a constant state of anxiety, unable to trust even himself because what he thinks and what he says is never the same. What I do could be crueler, but I admit I like the poetry of it. It will destroy him because he isn't likely to change, and therefor there will come a day when he can trust no one, not even himself, and he'll tell others as much."

And that, truthfully, makes him smile.

[blackeyedprince]

"I don't think it's cruelty when you guide things back into balance."

Though Mara more often sits on the extremes, he too is well aware that this is the ultimate principle that binds and governs even the gods. Nothing and none touched by Singularity can escape this law. There were years, long time ago, when he was still inexperienced and unsure in his powers that Mara leaned this way or the other. Those were the dark days. Keeping balance is still his greatest struggle.

And he has faith in his mortal followers. Why else would he keep giving them second chances? They are more adaptive and resilient than other gods give them credit. They just need the right incentive, right guidance, right lessons in the right conditions. Kaz might not see a future where this particular man can learn and change his ways, but Mara does. He just realized he might have awarded his gifts a tad too early. There's more work to be done. Mara can be as stubborn as he is fickle. He does not give up on his projects easily.

"What he has built, now he will lose, by action of none other than himself."

His words are as much statement of the fact, as they are a sentence. What was given will be taken away in equal measure. May this be a lesson that opens his eyes.

[bealufull]

"I like that, honestly. It really is just balance, isn't it?"

Kaz hadn't thought about it that way before, but he can see now how that is and how it can change and shape things. It was something he would consider going forward.

In the end, their boons and gifts to the mortals were left in their own hands. If they found balance as well, it could easily guide them to success and a bright future. Sadly greed often clouded a man's judgement and removed his focus. Kaz truly couldn't stand that. He might be greedy at times, but never enough to let it cloud his judgement.

"If not for him though our paths wouldn't have crossed and I am glad they have. We should have perhaps spoken sooner but life is as it is." Even this life as gods that, as far as they knew, might go on forever.

[blackeyedprince]

Since it is something he has so much trouble with, Mara has done quite a lot of thinking on the matter. He's fickle and impulsive, his passions easy to ignite and as easy to quell. In that they are polar opposites. Maybe that's the reason he's always felt strangely drawn to Kaz.

"It is. Our precious Singularity is a delicate thing. Both our actions and the mortal affairs can disturb her."

It's no secret Mara treats his connection with the worlds source of magic very personally. His eyes trail from Kaz to the cursed man whose blasphemy has been the cause of their meeting.

"I am glad myself. Perhaps this blunder of a man has managed to still serve a higher purpose."