[Cypher] Ascendancy: Requiem for the Gods

[wodine]

Game Name Ascendancy: Requiem for the Gods

Game System Cypher

Theme Reconstruction and Reconciliation

Flavour Dangerous, difficult decisions, survival, with a smoky musk base.

Plot Summary The End of Things In the waning days of mortal reckoning, the world succumbed to a madness so profound that it seemed no more than the natural culmination of the cosmos’ blind and pitiless design. It began not with a roar, but with whispers—insidious murmurs borne upon the winds of a thousand forsaken lands. The whispers spoke of The Unbidden, whispers that curdled blood and silenced tongues. The stars, once steadfast sentinels in the night sky, faltered in their ancient courses. Their light dimmed, flickering like failing lanterns in some unimaginable tempest. The moon, ever watchful, turned a sickly hue of green, its pocked surface writhing as if something within sought release. Across the earth, the seas roared and churned, disgorging dead things better left forgotten. In the libraries of forgotten knowledge, those who dared to read the crumbling tomes and decipher their cryptic warnings spoke of The Silent Spiral, whose infinite geometries unraveled the fabric of time and space. It’s coming was heralded by inexplicable ruptures in reality: doorways that led to nowhere, rivers that flowed backward, and shadows cast by objects that did not exist. Mankind, deluded by their hubris, sought to comprehend the incomprehensible. In their folly, they called forth aberrant truths and gods of all forms. Across every continent innumerable voices cried as the sky split asunder, revealing vast, undulating forms of cyclopean proportions—eldritch behemoths whose shapes defied sanity. These were the servants of The End, ancient beyond mortal and god alike, their presence a blasphemy against creation itself. Cities crumbled into dust; their towering spires devoured by the hungering ground. The winds carried the screams of those who perished in terror, their cries echoing endlessly in the minds of the survivors. Yet survival itself became a cruel jest, for the very laws of existence betrayed those who clung to life. Stone flowed like water; flesh became glass; time stuttered, leaping backward and forward with neither rhyme nor mercy. It was in this hour of ultimate despair that the final sigil was revealed—an incomprehensible glyph etched across the heavens by an unseen hand. This sigil burned with a light not of this world, a color for which no language had words, yet it seared itself into the eyes of all who beheld it. With its appearance, the veil between realms was torn, and from the void beyond voids emerged The Unmaker. The formlessness of the Unmaker was both vast and infinitesimal, a contradiction that shattered the minds of those who beheld it. Its arrival was not heralded by sound or fury, but by the cessation of all things familiar: gravity ceased, light folded into itself, and the very concept of "reality" unraveled like a thread pulled from a rotting garment. In the final moments, as Earth dissolved into a swirling vortex of chaos and unbeing, there was no final cry of defiance, no rallying of courage against the inevitable. There was only the quiet realization that all of existence had been but a fleeting aberration in an endless void—a dream dreamed by an uncaring, alien intelligence, now disinterested. And then, as if it had never been, the world was no more. Only the stars, cold and uncaring, remained to bear witness. Even as they began to wink out, one by one, a mischievous little light twinkled in the empty distance. Dancing Darkness The darkness was bitter and unrelenting, clawing through the dense forest like a predator stalking its prey. Under the evaporating tangled boughs of blackened trees, where the moonlight had once dared not tread, there stood a peculiar hut atop massive, skeletal chicken legs. The hut swayed gently, as if to the rhythm of an unseen lullaby, its windows glowing faintly with a light that was neither warm nor welcoming. Inside, amidst an assortment of dried herbs, hanging skulls, and jars of things best left unexamined, an elderly woman toiled hurriedly. The ancient witch, her face a map of wrinkles and her eyes like twin sparks of fire, stirred a bubbling cauldron with a ladle carved from bone. Her gnarled hands moved with purpose, for tonight, the winds carried whispers of a world in peril. Yes…yes the Spider is clever, a gourd, a gourd will certainly due. Propped against one of the too many corners of the room is a gourd carved from a single, impossibly large calabash; its golden-brown surface polished to a dull sheen that glows faintly in the sunlight. The neck of the gourd curves elegantly, almost serpentine, and is adorned with intricate etchings that seem to shift when viewed from different angles. These markings, subtle at first, reveal themselves as a collection of stories: tiny, intertwined figures dancing, fighting, weaving webs, and plucking fruit from a tree that seems to grow with every glance. The opening of the gourd is sealed with a cunningly crafted stopper, made of woven grasses and spider silk, bound together so tightly that not even a drop of water can seep through. Around the neck, a fraying cord of braided vines loops lazily, as though to mock the practicality of carrying such a gourd. Yes, yes I hear your yelping Ma’ii, Προμηθεύς and your fire are already raging beneath the cauldron. The fire beneath the cauldron roared with divine energy, little pockets of stone and coal floating in the light like islands in a brilliant red sea. No. No there’s no time to save the wolf. Oh don’t cry. Fine, I’ll try but I make no promises, but I won’t slay him like your father we’ve more important things going on than Ragnarök. The crone waved a gnarled finger pointedly at the empty air. Oh dear, yes your egg, the egg – We don’t have time to wait, I’ve got a turtle here now, no dragon, oh a chicken that’s like a phoenix, a… uhh… what has one horn…. No time to be picky dears, Cernunnos’ pet will have to due. A thundering crash of nothing shook the foundations of the hut as the ravaging undoing of all that was raged outside, tearing into the magic holding the cabin with the cavernous inside together. Moments passed as the old woman hurried finished her spells and machinations, the world around her collapsing into the void of The Unmaker. Even as her magics failed and the hut began to join the rest of everything becoming nothing, the old woman smiled a knowingly dangerous smile. The witch’s old and liver spot marked hands twitched, and with a final, terrible groan, the hut and the witch crumbled, falling apart into the nothingness. The remnants of its bones shattered into dust, scattering across the faltering wooden floor. Even as the last vestiges of her body turned to dust, her untamable consciousness fought to linger. An ethereal wail echoed through the lost woods, a sound not of sorrow, but of rage—a final attempt to defy an inevitable end. Yet, there was no more energy left to fuel her tether to the world. The ethereal scream faded into the shadows, and with it, the last remnants existence. Silence fell. Where once there had been an immortal being who defied death, now there was nothing but a mischievous little light twinkling in the empty distance. Life After Nothing It has been an hour. A Day. A Week. A lifetime. An eternity. Since Nothing. Wake Up. Nestled in a quiet bay, far from the bustling centers of the world, lay a small and serene village. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the cobbled streets that wound their way through the village like veins in a body. The scent of saltwater mingled with the fragrant aroma of wild thyme and rosemary that grew in abundance along the rocky hillsides. The village was isolated, a place where time seemed to slow, untouched by the hustle and strife of larger city-states. The settlement had been founded long ago, its origins obscured by the veil of centuries, but it had found a peaceful existence. The settlers had come seeking new lands, driven by the hopes of prosperity and the quietude that came with distance from the political turbulence of the great city-states. Here, in this secluded corner of the world, they had built their homes of white stone and red-tiled roofs, their lives simple and unhurried. The scent of fresh bread often wafted through the air, carried by the soft sea breeze that rustled the olive trees in the orchards below. The villagers lived in harmony with the land, working together in small fields where grain and grapes flourished, and where fig trees stood heavy with fruit. Wake Up. In the mornings, the sound of the waves breaking gently against the shore provided a peaceful soundtrack to the village's activities. At midday, the sun was at its peak, casting a golden light over the land, and the colony became a place of rest. The villagers would retreat indoors, gathering around tables to share bread, olives, and wine. The air grew still, the only movement the occasional flutter of a bird's wings or the distant sway of the olive branches. Children played in the dust, their laughter a soft, innocent sound that echoed through the streets, and the elders sat in shaded corners, exchanging stories from a bygone era. There were no great conflicts, no battles to be fought—just the passing of days, each one marked by the rise and fall of the sun. Wake Up. Evening brought a quiet serenity to the colony. The sky blazed with the colors of the setting sun—fiery reds and soft oranges that bled into the cool blue of night. The village settled into the rhythm of dusk, and lanterns were lit along the streets, casting a soft glow that flickered like fireflies in the evening air. The distant hills, dark against the sky, seemed to embrace the settlement, offering protection and solitude. In this place, untouched by the noise of war or the weight of ambition, the village existed as a small but enduring island of calm—an oasis of serenity where the passage of time was marked not by the rush of events, but by the steady, unhurried beat of a peaceful heart. Wake Up. Your eyes open. You see for what seems like the first time. A mischievous little light twinkled in front of your eyes. A sparkling crystal in aether. A memory or a dream from the passing night or a passing lifetime. It fades from your vision and suddenly you are Aware. It is time, time to meet the queen. Up until this morning, you didn’t even know the village had a queen – but it wouldn’t due to keep her waiting. Welcome Hello and thank you for reading my wall of text. This is a game application thread for a Cypher game inspired by the rules found in Gods of the Fall supplement. You will take on the role of a fledgling god whose power is derived from a fragment of a former god of earth, whether Zeus, Thor, Hathor, Amaterasu Ōmikami, or other. You have lived your entire life in the small village of Corcyra. You have never left. No one has ever left, but that’s normal. Isn’t it? Will you be able to put the world back together or will you fall to the Nothingness that even now rages to destroy the remnants of humanity that have been squirreled away by beings of immense power and unknowing reasoning? Where the Story Begins: You have lived in the city of Corcyra your entire life. You are farmers, shepherds, bakers, soldiers, chandlers, making your simple life in this small seaside village. Life has been hard but not unkind in this isolated land but there has always been food, water, and the ocean has provided a bounty here. You awoke from a night of slumber, perhaps you were too into your cups or perhaps the nightmares plagued you again, but it was not a restful sleep. The time for Apaturia was fast approaching, the celebration of the founding of the village. But something weighed heavily on the heart of our godlings. They would soon be face to face with forgotten histories come to life. The heroes, though mighty and strong of will could have never predicted that they would soon be given the chance to rise to the rank of demigod and to save humanity and all the realms from the insidious Nothingness. The heroes will discover their divinity in a small prologue adventure and then they will be off to salvage reality! Cypher System Thanks to open licensing, the Cypher System Reference Document, exists in various forms and you can download a quickstart reference from Monte Cooke Games. That said, please don't let the rules intimidate you - I welcome new and experienced cypher players alike. It is your quality of intent that I care about, not your mechanical know-how. DM Application Hi, I’m wodine and I’m really excited for this game. This is an idea that has been rattling around in my brain for awhile and I’ve put a lot of work into finding a game system that I thought would support it well. Cypher was the perfect setting agnostic choice that is dynamic with player rolls and agency, but I wanted something easier than a system like GURPs or Mutants and Masterminds. I am newish to Cypher, I’ve played a few games but I’ve never run it before. That said I am an experienced Game Master who has had the good fortune of completing games here on RPGx as well as maintaining long running games, most notably The Founding which has been going strong for over six years now with over 3700 in game posts. #ShamelessPlug I mention this because I want my players to know that I bring dedication to my games and as long as everyone playing is enjoying themselves, I'm in it for the long haul. I’m looking for interesting and creative characters and players who want to develop their characters into Beings worthy of becoming the new pantheon of the world they manage to salvage from the secured secret lands hidden by the gods of old from the swarming villainy of the Nothingness and the Choir of the Unheard. Please feel free to ask questions or talk about your ideas. And as always, thank you for your interest in wodine gaming. Character Creation Player Application Adventurer's Name: Adventurer's Pronouns: Adventurer's Physical Appearance: Describe your adventurer's physical appearance. (An image is nice but not required.) You are primarily human shaped for now, you may grow into a more divine image of yourself as you gain power and understanding of your nature. Adventurer's Cypher Character Statement: <Adventurer Name> is a <Descriptor> <Type> who <Focus> Alternately, describe your concept for this character, and I can help you with the Character Statement. It might be helpful to try out the new Monte Cook Character Builder Character Background: Who is your Godling, and what is their background in the village? Even though it is clearly a Greek setting, this will change quickly - feel free to not fit in, at all. Potential Story Arc(s): Link to a list of example Character Arcs What will be your dominion? You are <Adventurer Name> a <Descriptor> <Type> who <Focus>, God(dess) of <Dominion>.   Air Archery Assassination Chaos Craft Death Destruction Disease Dryads Earth Evil Fertility Fire Goblins Good Healing Home/Hearth Hunt Joy Justice Knowledge Law Love Luck Messengers Moon Music Nature Night Prophecy Protection Revenge Road Rulership Sea Secrets Serpents Song Storm Strength Sun Thievery Trees Trickery War Water Winter Wisdom From what God does your character derive their power and are they related? How much does your character know? I ask my players to try and post at least once a week, are you able and wiling to keep up with this pace and do you promise to let us know when you cannot? What about this game draws you to apply? Notes Many of the descriptors for generic Fantasy settings are appropriate as well as some of the others including horror, superhero, and fairy-tale. Feel free to be creative, but modern genre settings are likely not going to fit as well. Think about how much your hero actually understands about themselves. Have they always felt special? Do they deny their destiny? Were they born for greatness and heroics or will it be thrust upon them?

[wodine]

Applications:

Player	Character	Descriptor	Type	Focus	Flavor	Inspiration	Dominion
wodine	Example Jane	Swift	Explorer	Exists in Two Places at Once	None	Janus	Hidden Paths
kanly	Oyama Taro	Tough	Explorer	Abides in Stone	Magic-Using	Oyamatsumi	Mountains
Kaiya	Nysa	Graceful	Explorer	Moves Like the Wind	None	Hermes	Messengers
DahliaHawthorne	Zeltzer	Weird	Explorer	Takes Animal Shape	None	Quetzalcoatl	Serpents
Imveros	Markos Miniades	Weird	Adept	Builds RobotsForges Automatons	Technology	Hephaestus	Crafting
zebedee	Isasc	Mad	Adept	Travels Through Time	None	Kairos	Timey-Wimey
Drifter One	Leviticus Pale	Craven	Adept	Made a Deal with Death	None	Hades	Death
ihinka	Delphina	Beneficent	Speaker	Sheds Her Skin	None	Astraea	Innocence

Frequently Asked Questions Is this really as awesome as it sounds? Oh yes. Yes it is. What is the application deadline? Unclear at this point, I will update after I see what the response is, but it will likely be after the New Year. Midnight (PST) 03 January 2025 What if I don't know how to play Cypher? That's okay! It's not too complicated and I'm happy to teach and learn together!

[kanly]

Application WIP Adventurer's Name: Might Pool 17/17 Edge 2 Speed Pool 10/10 Edge - Intellect Pool 12/12 Edge 1 Armor Physical 2*/Mental 2* Oyama Taro Adventurer's Pronouns: He/Him Adventurer's Physical Appearance: Taro looks to be a tall, powerfully built young man of about 18, with perfectly strait, shoulder length hair and a broad square jaw. However his main distinguishing feature is that his Hair, skin, eyes, and yes, even his insides when they exposedentire body is the same flat gray of slate. Almost as a rebellion against the uniformity of his body, his clothing is always of vibrant colors, usually reflective of the season, white and silver for winter, pale yellow green in spring, deep rich greens and browns in the summer and reds and orange in the fall. Adventurer's Cypher Character Statement: Taro is a Healthy - Add 1 to the points you regain when you make a recovery roll Resilience: - You have 1 point of Armor against any kind of physical damage, even physical damage that normally ignores Armor. Enabler. Skilled - You’re trained in Might defense actions. Tough, Blessing of the Gods - As a servant of the gods, you can call up blessings in their name. This blessing depends on the god’s general demeanor and area of influence. Heart of the Mountain (Earth/Stone). You are trained in climbing, stonecraft, and spelunking. Enabler. Mountain's Endurance (Desire/Love/Health 3 Intellect points). With a touch, you restore 1d6 points to one stat Pool of any creature, including yourself. This ability is a difficulty 2 Intellect task. Each time you attempt to heal the same creature, the task is hindered by an additional step. The difficulty returns to 2 after that creature rests for ten hours. Action. Closed Mind - You are trained in Intellect defense tasks and have +2 Armor against damage that selectively targets your Intellect Pool (which normally ignores Armor). Enabler. Entangling Force (1+ Intellect point) - A target within short range is subject to a snare constructed of semi-tangible lines of force for one minute. The force snare is a level 2 construct. A target caught in the force snare cannot move from its position, but it can attack and defend normally. The target can also use its action attempting to break free. You can increase the level of the force snare by 1 per level of Effort applied. Action to initiate. Improved Edge: Intellect - Choose one of your Edge stats that is 0. It increases to 1. Enabler. Equipment Clothes Weapon - Maul (Heavy) Weapon - Crossbow (Heavy) Weapon - Dagger (light) Bag of Heavy Tools (Expensive) Signal Horn (Moderate) Backpack (Moderate) Iron rations (1 day Inexpensive) Torches (3 Inexpensive) Crossbow bolts (24 Inexpensive x2) Magic-using Warrior who Golem Body - You gain +1 to Armor, +1 to your Might Edge, and 5 additional points to your Might Pool. You do not need to eat, drink, or breathe (though you do need rest and sleep). You move more stiffly than a creature of flesh, which means you can never be trained or specialized in Speed defense rolls. Furthermore, you are practiced in using your stone fists as a medium weapon. Enabler. Golem Healing - Your stone form from the Golem Body ability is more difficult to repair than flesh, which means you are unable to use the first, single-action recovery roll of the day that other PCs have access to. Thus, your first recovery roll on any given day requires ten minutes of rest, the second requires an hour of rest, and the third requires ten hours. Enabler. Abides in Stone Character Background: The Oyama's are obviously from somewhere other than Corcyra, but no one really knows where that might be. As long as anyone can remember they have operated the quarry outside of town and served as masons inside it, so they were involved in making the vast majority of buildings in town in one fashion or another. When Taro was born, he was a happy healthy boy, the spitting image of his father except for one minor issue, a small grey birthmark around his navel. Despite having very little appetite, Taro grew like a weed and put on weight like a child who ate at least twice or maybe even three times as much as he did, and he was strong as an ox. Once as a toddler, when a toy had rolled under a heavy stone bench, Taro lifted it one handed to retrieve the toy with the other. By the time he was 10, Taro was already stronger than most full grown men and started working for his family business. His strength and work ethic did much to endear Taro to his fellow workers, though perhaps even more was the fact that he frequently gave away most or even all of his lunch to whoever he was working with that day. He often had others fighting to get him on their crews for the day, and so he learned almost everything that there was to know of stonecraft, but never really specialized in any one thing. At the age of thirteen, along with all of the normal changes puberty brought about, an unusual change started to happen to Taro's body, the small grey spot on his belly started to grow. It was not fast, but steady. Soon, to stop unwanted questions, Taro took to dressing in long sleeves and pants even on the hottest days, but never seemed to break a sweat. At the same time Taro started to have night terrors, which he barely remembered in the morning, just some vague recollections about a great emptiness. To combat these, his mother sat with him at night and began to teach him the art of meditation, to build a mind palace from which he could defend against any threat. The night before Taro's 18th birthday, he sat in meditation as had become his habit, but could not empty his mind. This morning, for the first time, he had noticed the grey creeping up the underside of his chin, where his collar could not reach to cover it. Where he would be exposed. He fidgeted restlessly as he tried to calm himself enough to enter his mental palace, but couldn't. Getting up to fetch a glass of water, he was amazed when his bedroom doorway didn't open onto the familiar hallway he had known his entire life, but rather a series of rough-hewn hand and foot grips carved into an otherwise sheer cliffside. Without many other options, Taro decided to climb the cliff and see where it lead. He climbed for what seemed like forever and yet no time at all, And when he faltered or his grip slipped it was almost as if the mountain itself held him close until he recovered. All at once, he came to a deep fissure in the wall which opened into a twisting series of caverns and tunnels. When it seemed like he must have reached the very heart of the mountain where he found an old man sitting still as a statue at the end of the tunnel with eyes closed and his hands loosely laying in his lap. Taro approached tentatively, and just when he was about to ask the old man one of the dozens of questions racing through his mind, the man's eyes snapped open. Turning his snow white gaze on Taro he said in a voice that sounded like two walls of granite grinding together, "Well, you certainly took your time getting here, grandchild. Sit and listen. I have much to say and not much time to tell it." With that, the old man proceeded to tell Taro much and nothing, all at once. Taro awoke with a start. He had been dreaming of... something. Something old and powerful... but it was gone. Whatever it was, couldn't be important. Today was important. He was 18, and he was going to meet The Queen. As he dressed, Taro noticed that his skin wasn't just the color of stone as it had come to be, but cold and hard like stone. But that was just as it was supposed to be, no cause for alarm right... Potential Story Arc(s): Develop Coping Strategies (It's not easy, being stone...), Defense (it seems likely that out home is threatened, and Taro isn't the sort to let the danger come), Develop a Bond (Taro knows the benefits working as part of a team). What will be your dominion?: God of Stone and Mountains. From what God does your character derive their power and are they related? How much does your character know? Oyamatsumi Taro doesn't know anything specifically about gods or the void, but he has very obvious magic/strangeness going on in his life.

[Hotshot lasgun]

I'll try to play a godling of destruction

[DahliaHawthorne]

Never played Cypher before, but I'll do some reading and maybe apply later! Love the concept of this one!

[wodine]

Originally Posted by DahliaHawthorne

Never played Cypher before, but I'll do some reading and maybe apply later! Love the concept of this one!

No Cypher experience required, only a quality character concept and a love of telling collaborative stories!

[Drifter One]

Adventurer's Name: Leviticus Pale

Adventurer's Pronouns: He/Him

Adventurer's Physical Appearance: Leviticus Pale, or Lev, has always been skinny, under-weight and often malnourished, his rib bones often visible on the rare occasion he takes of his shirt. He looks dirty, his hair long and unkempt, his skin dotted with blemishes and mud, for he is a general labourer in the village, although not a very good one. He often walks with his head low, staring at the ground as he walks with a distinct lack of confidence. He looks as though he always wishes to hide away from the gaze of other people. He lacks confidence, lacks strength and lacks stamina, and is generally a forgettable "bottom-feeder" of the village. Although, under the grim and dirt, if you could actually look at him long enough to see it, he does have handsome features, although his dark and lightless eyes would put you off staring t him for too long.

Adventurer's Cypher Character Statement: You are Leviticus Pale a craven Adept who Made a Deal with Death.

The concept is that after years of bullying, Leviticus finally snaps and ends up accidentally killing his oppressor. He discards the body in an old cave in the bay, and nobody suspects him because he is so frail and weak. He then becomes obsessed, both through fear and curiosity and keeps returning to the body, watching it decompose, fascinated with the cycles of nature.

Character Background: Leviticus Pale had never fit in the community. He was a disappointment to his family and the few friends he had, for he was weak and lacked motivation and preferred his own company to other peoples. Why was that? His father was a Cooper, and his Mother was, well, nobody really knew what she did, but there was little coin to be had and little food on the table. As the youngest of three, Lev would be the last to be fed with whatever was left, which was often the stuff nobody else wanted. This created an odd relationship with food; He didn't like it, so he didn't eat it. Well, just enough to keep him alive, but he took no joy from it. As a result, he never really built up any muscle mass, which was detriment to the laborious nature of the work in the village. He found he could only really do menial tasks, such as sweeping paths, fixing the odd fence or just running general errands for people. It was a lonely and unfulfilling life.

It was made worse by the other youths from the village. His brother and others often bullied him over his appearance and generally picked on the weak, making his existence even more drab. The only confidant he had was the eldest of his siblings, his sister Abigail. What he didn't realise was the power he harnessed deep within his slight and boney frame, the fire in his heart, the supressed determination he had buried far down in his consciousness. All it took was one event to unleash his true self...

Background Reading:There. There it was again, the little ripple under the water when the sandworm moved, hoping to capture some morsel that the sea had offered. It shifted momentarily and then was still. Watching. Witing for prey to casually pass by. The predator waiting for its' prey. Yet, then, in but a moment, the hunter became the hunted. A vicious looking claw buried itself into the sand where the worm hid, snapping sharply and purposefully before retrieving its meal from the place in which it hid. The victorious crab scurried off to a nearby rockpool to devour its quarry.

The cycle of life had always intrigued Leviticus, as well as many other mundane things, but life itself was one of the existential planes biggest mysteries. He was fascinated by it, obsessed even, and found far more joy watching the wildlife than wasting time with the people of the village. They hated hi anyway.

His reverie was disrupted by a sudden splash in the water next to the rock where he was perched.

"Dammit!" came a shrill cry, followed by another splash as stones began to rain down upon Leviticus. He looked up and could see the laughing figures of Jon, Angus and Cassius, lobbing the missiles from the crest of the dune nearby. One of the projectiles finally hit Leviticus in the shoulder.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing the soreness from his arm. He looked up at the trio of boys, confusion in his face before he retreated up the beach.

"Get him boys!" Jon shouted with a giggle as the three of them roared their battle cries and charged down the dune towards Leviticus.

His heart sank, for he could not even find solace down by the beach on the far side of the bay. This was his peaceful place. His safe pace. His revered place! Spoilt by the usual crowd from the all-too-small village. He started to run, his skinny, spindly legs not providing the speed or agility he needed to outrun the large, older boys. He began to slip and stumble as he traversed the mix of loose sand and pebbles, his poorly made sandals often catching a rock, causing him to trip. He finally gave up his escape when he ran out of stamina near the cave mouth, and he turned onto his back, sucking in air to his lungs as much as he could, his boney chest rising and falling rapidly.

The panting of the boys could also be heard as they approached, still laughing.

"Hit him Jon!" Give him the boot! Angus encouraged and Leviticus whimpered in pain when the requested kick landed. The pain was sharp and prolonged and tears began to form in his eyes as the three boys surrounded him.

"Why?" he sobbed. "Leave me alone!" Right now, he just wanted his mother

"That!" Spat Jon. "Was for looking at my sister funny!" And then kicked him again, the other boys joining in. "And for being the village idiot! And for being poor!"

"And useless!" Piped in Cassius.

"And lazy!
"
"And ugly!"

On and on it went, until Leviticus stopped sobbing, for the pain had now been replaced with numbness. It felt like an eternity, but the blows ceased and there was silence. Until one of the boys, Cassius, looked at Jon.

"Erm, is he ok?" he asked, a tone of concern in his voice.

I think so, said Angus. Jon, I think we went a bit too far this time. He added, looking at their ringleader, wearing an expression of shame on his face.

"Shut up!" Jon spat. "SInce when did you two become such wimps!?" he seethed, his fists clenched and his face angered.

"But Jon," Cassius interjected.

"Jon nothing!" the boy screamed. "If you two have lost your nerve, then bugger off! Go on! Scarper!"

The two lads knew they had taken things too far this time and turned and skulked away back over the dune. Jon, still stood over the prone form of Leviticus, turned his gaze back down towards the injured youth.

"Now then, I'm gonna teach you a lesson once and for all!" he hissed. Jon crouched down and shoved a handful of wet sand into Leviticus' face before gripping his neck around his ganrl hands and began to squeeze. Leviticus spluttered, desperately trying to gasp for air, but he could not fill his lungs, and Jon just squeezed tighter and tighter.

As Leviticus frantically scrabbled on the sand, he felt his hand grip a hefty stone. Without even thinking, his thin fingers spidered around the stone and with the last ounce of strength he had, he raised his arm and struck...



What will be your dominion? God of Death.

From what God does your character derive their power and are they related? How much does your character know? Although Leviticus knows nothing of his power or potential, it is a derivative of Hades.

[UngainlyFool]

Working Space removing for now. Original inspiration was fictional. Seeing if I can pivot.

 

[kanly]

Originally Posted by Drifter One

Placeholder.

Quick Question - I assume that being peoples that will reach the echelons of the divine, this will mean pantheons of all alignments?

I ask, because although I have no interest in CE or NE deities, a LE does appeal to me.

Unlike many RPGs, the Cypher System does not require players to explicitly choose or track their character's alignment.
The system emphasizes creating a character concept with specific descriptors and foci, which can indirectly convey a character's moral leanings without alignment labels.
The Cypher System prioritizes the story and the player's choices within the narrative to shape a character's moral standing, rather than relying on an alignment system.

[Drifter One]

Ahh, cool thanks!

Sounds right up my street!

[Hotshot lasgun]

lets go good old shadowstorm

shes a hideous monster who reaps the whirlwind

I'm basing her off Kali from hinduism, the whole death and rebirth, destruction and creation and time stuff

I'm feeling she starts out as a burn victim and then will gradually metamorphose into some big demon thing with four arms

[Kaiya]

Application Adventurer's Name: Nysa Adventurer's Pronouns: She/Her Adventurer's Physical Appearance: Nysa is a tall woman, with lightly tanned skin. She looks about 18 years old (though such appearances can be deceptive where divinity is concerned). She has long blonde hair, which somehow never gets in the way during athletics. Her eyes are ocean blue. She has a healthy physique, born of daily, rigorous exercise. On most days, she wears a plain and practical chiton. Adventurer's Cypher Character Statement: Nysa is a Graceful Explorer who Moves like the Wind Character Background: Nysa has never quite found her place in Corcyra. She drifts from job to job like a restless breeze. Sometimes she's a shepherd, wandering the open plains. Sometimes she's an acrobat or dancer, entertaining tavern patrons. Still other times she's a volunteer guard, practising her archery. She can often be found delivering goods or missives across the village. Anything to keep herself active. She's out of synch with her home's lazy pace. Everyone else seems content to stay suspended in amber. Nysa, by contrast, has explored the whole of Corcyra from top to bottom. Despite being her whole world, it feels so small. The idea of leaving has never occurred to her, of course. Nobody ever leaves. And yet, the existential itch persists. There has to be more to life than this... Potential Story Arc(s): Explore; Rescue Dominion: Messengers From what God does your character derive their power and are they related? How much does your character know? Hermes, Greek God of messengers. Nysa is his forgotten and abandoned daughter. She's never known nor cared about the identity of her father. I ask my players to try and post at least once a week, are you able and wiling to keep up with this pace and do you promise to let us know when you cannot? Yes and yes. What about this game draws you to apply? Basically everything. I'm already a fan of Godbound: A game about fledgling demigods trying to prevent the collapse of reality itself. So this game is definitely in my wheelhouse.

[DahliaHawthorne]

Application Adventurer's Name: Zeltzer Adventurer's Pronouns: He/Him Adventurer's Physical Appearance: Zeltzer is a young man in his early twenties, with bronze skin that's a bit ashen thanks to spending too much time indoors. His chin-length hair is near black, and tied into an unkempt bun with stray strands constantly escaping. His clothes are in a similar state, as though he put them on while half-asleep, and their pockets are always full to bursting with strange knicknacks and spare pens. But the most striking thing about him are his eyes, which are a vivid yellow with narrow reptilian pupils. In snake form, his eyes are no less striking, and are complemented by lime-green scales and a pale underbelly. Adventurer's Cypher Character Statement: Zeltzer is a Weird Explorer who Takes Animal Shape. Character Background: The nicest way one could describe Zeltzer is "harmless." He's not malicious, as far as anyone can tell, but it's quite difficult to tell anything about him at all. He spends most of his time in his apartment-slash-laboratory, which he rents out in exchange for making sure the complex is always free of rats and other small pests (many suspect that he eats them and actively choose to never bring it up). When he does venture out, it's usually to corner some poor soul at the local tavern and rave about... snakes, mostly, but occasionally giving insights into what he does in that lab of his. Potential Story Arc(s): Transformation, Learn What will be your dominion? Serpents, of course! From what God does your character derive their power and are they related? How much does your character know? Zeltzer's power comes from Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec Feathered Serpent. He's not quite a reincarnation, just a small, very disoriented fragment of the god. Zeltzer has always had an affinity for snakes. In fact, he thinks he IS a snake. Or maybe he was supposed to be a snake, but he got put into a human body on accident? The fact of the matter is that he very much wants to be a snake, should be a snake. He can already turn into one temporarily, but he wants something a little more permanent... Maybe he'll throw some feathers in while he's at it... I ask my players to try and post at least once a week, are you able and wiling to keep up with this pace and do you promise to let us know when you cannot? Yep and yep! Only in one other game currently, so I got plenty of time for posting. What about this game draws you to apply? I really like the idea of gods being destroyed, and their last remnants having to save all of reality... Lots of potential variety for characters there! And I'm never going to turn down an opportunity to pore over mythology. And the Cypher system seems very interesting.

[wodine]

@Kaiya We're not going to use the Gods of the Fall book per se, so I changed Nysa from destroyer to explorer. I hope that's alright.

[Kaiya]

Originally Posted by wodine

@Kaiya We're not going to use the Gods of the Fall book per se, so I changed Nysa from destroyer to explorer. I hope that's alright.

Yes, that's fine. Archery skills weren't an essential part of her character.