[D&D-5e] The Fallen Pantheon (Experimental Campain)

[BarrowB]

Originally Posted by Pseudonymous

Are the Rare and Uncommon magic items supposed to be created by/gifted by our characters, or items that we'd like our characters to start the game with?

Start the game with.

[Ermine]

So if I changed my mind on joining (because I'm considering it), what would you think of me playing a near god-corpse (as in she was dying and losing her power already) possessed by the spirit of a bodiless god (acting as a patron to her), maintaining both personalities? (Asking specifically because she actually has a patron instead of drawing ALL her power from her worshippers)
She'd be another goddess of secrets.

The Eye Name: The Eye Race: Reborn Class: Warlock (Great Old One patron, pact of the tome) 10/Bard (College of Whispers) 4/Cleric (Knowledge domain) 6 Background (of your worshippers): Feylost and Folk Heroes, mainly. She is never spoken of directly, yet somehow her followers still expand. She has a cult called The Knights of The Eye, containing 5 knights of the eye and one oracle, to whom she speaks directly (through her grimoire). Personality: Apathetic, aloof, but also known for bouts of playfulness. Appearance: Usually takes the form of a different god when dealing with mortals - sometimes even among the gods, she doesn't take her own form. When she takes her own form, she appears as a young elven woman with warm undertones to her skin (instead of the green in the picture), black-brown eyes, and black hair. That is, when she wants to be seen. She usually keeps herself hidden until it becomes necessary to show up. Image Domain: Secrets (from dark secrets to secret trysts), Revelry, the Fae Influence: The rise and fall of kingdoms - all secrets were hers to exploit, and those that displeased her didn't last long. And then she herself fell for unknown reasons, leaving her nearly as a god-corpse. Another god, long since without followers or a body, offered to assist her, bringing her back to life through possession, and she has since allied herself with the fae (and their kidnapped), their secret revelries, and the indoctrination of feylost. There are entire rural towns that worship her and don't know it, but there are claves globally that do. Your symbols: The symbols of other gods; her worship is also secret, sometimes from even her worshippers. Uncommon magic item: Cloak of Elvenkind (A gift from an archfey who met her in person. It sees frequent use when she is on the move.) Rare magic item: Ioun Stone of Reserve (Stored: Dissonant Whispers (1st level) x3) Kingdom: Nalapet - A queendom known for its past more than its present. It was led by a devout follower and in fact the Champion of The Eye - a voivode named Marya - for one of the bloodiest wars in its history. She slayed many of her enemies singlehandedly, not resorting to sending armies to kill the leaders. She led with an iron fist, but also a hint of compassion for her people. It is rumored she was a werewolf, but there is no evidence for or against this claim. She is best known for the enslavement of her rival voivodes - who she had invited to a dinner, supposedly for peace talks - to build the palace at the heart of the new capital city she had built during the voivode's reign. This led to the unification of all the parts of Nalapet as a single queendom. The queendom, as a result, contains multitudes of different landscapes. There is the mountainous eastern side, the desert western side, lush grasslands of the South, etc. The majority of the queendom's cities are in the mountains, some actually in the mountains, underneath them, including a port city that expanded downward. A landmark or two: The Zeltenba Wilds - A forest where people are easily lost, usually taken by the fae and returned changed, and frequently indoctrinated into the faith of The Eye. The Grandfather Spire - A tall rock formation that looks like a skinny old man.

[crowmadillo]

I'm new to 5e, but I love your concept, so figured I'd give it a shot. Unfortunately I'm leaving for a week's vacation as soon as I post this; if I'm able I'll try to create an rp example and find a picture reference before the deadline (I got a bit carried away with the kingdom portion of my application.)

Zeno Name: Zeno Race: Human Class: Sorcerer (Shadow) 20 Background (of your worshippers): Charlatan. While the occasional philosopher or scientist may publicly worship Zeno, most of his devotees are sophists or grifters of one stripe or another - politicians, merchants, lawyers, gambling hall owners, con artists, and the like - who worship him in secret. Personality: A gregarious recluse and agreeable contrarian, Zeno firmly believes he has no firm beliefs. Delighted as he is by contradictions and incongruities, the god is naturally drawn to sentient creatures as the ones most responsible for creating and maintaining such things. Always willing to engage in conversation, he naturally takes the role of “devil’s advocate” in most debate. Appearance: Zeno appears as a young gentleman of modest means, utterly reasonable in dress and manner, with a winning smile and bright, eager eyes. Domain: Paradox, contradiction, fallacy; Duality Influence: Zeno has inspired countless scams, delusions, and false beliefs on scales grand and small. Study of his paradoxes and the attempts to disprove them have also resulted in the occasional breakthrough in understanding for scientists and philosophers. His latest prophet leads a rapidly expanding and immensely profitable cult utilizing the world's first multi-level marketing scheme. Your symbols: A Penrose triangle is his main symbol; those few who openly worship him may use this or depictions of other impossible objects. Symbols for more discreet worshippers include spirals, circles, and variations of triquetra and endless knots. More rare is a canine set within or on top of an angluar geometric shape - actually a symbol of Zeno’s faithful “hound” Tindalo. Uncommon magic item: Slippers of Spider Climbing Rare magic item: Helm of Teleportation   The Quaglands, aka the Kingdom of the Quags. Wetlands with coastal mangrove forests; as one moves inland these transition to cypress and hardwood swamps, peat bogs, and finally reedy marshes. “Quags” - silent and inscrutable fungoid creatures of various shapes and sizes - tend and protect these lands from harm. Mirelings - intelligent hybrid fungal creatures - are responsible for diplomacy and trade with foreign powers. Though referred to as a ‘kingdom’ by some outsiders, in actuality it’s ruled by an oligarchy composed of representative mirelings from each region of the nation. Quags cannot survive more than a day or two outside the boundaries of these wetlands, while mirelings may leave for more extended periods, depending on the progress of their infection (see below.) Citizenship by Infection. Something about the environment of these lands has given rise to and sustains a ubiquitous parasitic fungus which infects only sentients. If treated in the initial stage of infection - a period of anywhere from 1-4 weeks - no lasting harm is inflicted. After this it begins an irreversible process whereby the host is slowly transmuted over decades (or in some instances centuries) into a fungal creature that cannot survive outside the environment of The Quaglands - a quag. Once this transformation is complete, little if any of the creature’s original personality appears to remain. The progress to quag is widely varied, as are the end results of the transformation. Some might appear to have molds and mushrooms slowly sprout from and cover their bodies; others might transform into single, motile fungi of unusual size; still others may have their flesh simply transition to fungal matter while retaining much of their original shape and appearance. Mirelings are not contagious - infection occurs only from direct exposure to The Quaglands. Those past the initial stage of infection but not yet quags are known as mirelings, though they are of many different original species. Most live in small villages and work as fisherfolk, farmers, lumberers, or hunters, though a few choose to continue following pursuits from before their infection. Mirelings may leave the geographical boundaries of The Quags, but will slowly weaken until they either return or perish. Mirelings in the early stages can survive upwards of a year away, those in the middle stages 2-3 months, while late stage mirelings can last only 1-2 weeks before expiring. Early stage mirelings may bear children; regardless of the infection status of the other parent, these children are always born as early stage mirelings. Mireling oligarchs are usually in the early to middle stages of transition, allowing for reasonably lengthy diplomatic visits with nearby nations if needed. They also still possess the drive to plan, profit, and socialize; the nearer to quag one becomes the less concern one has for material or worldly affairs. The City on the Hill. The capital of the kingdom is Hillock, where the oligarchy resides and officially hosts any dignitaries. A walled town in the nation’s cypress swamps, it overlooks the area from atop its namesake, and is a surprising sight to first-time visitors. Cunningly constructed from uncut stones in a unique architectural style, it stands as an apparent oasis of civilization amid the untamed wilderness. It’s said the quags which occupy the surrounding swamp maintain the buildings and walls, hauling stones great and small from the muck and fitting them into damaged architecture with uncanny precision. This stands in stark contrast to their usual habit of destroying any artificial structures that impede the natural processes of the swamps. In the center of the Quaglands lies the Deepmire, a shadowy and treacherous swamp even mirelings avoid. It’s said unseen beasts hunt anything that moves amid the looming giant mushrooms and brackish water, and tales abound of truly terrible and bizarre quags being glimpsed within its depths. Whatever the cause, most explorers who dare the Deepmire do not return. Mired in Commerce. The nation’s main exports are shellfish and hardwoods. Methods of travel vary by region, but are mainly circuituos guided overland travel (there are no roads), rafts, and boats. Mireling merchants rarely travel farther than adjacent nations to ply or purchase goods, while foreign merchants and explorers who venture into The Quags must have a skilled physician or healer in their employ to counteract infection, lest they become permanent residents. Some specialists have been known to construct elaborate masks and bodysuits to protect themselves from exposure while inside the borders. Tales From the Bog. There’s speculation the Quaglands have been slowly expanding for centuries, but as official borders with neighbors have been put to maps only within the last 50 years, the claim is impossible to verify. Visitors claim sightings of monstrously large frogs and toads which feed on similarly sized insects. The strange and uncommunicative nature of the quags, even to mirelings, has given rise to a wide variety of theories as to their true nature; but whether they possess a communal hive-mind, communicate via spores and pheremones, are the avatars of some forgotten swamp-god, or any of the scores of other explanations offered over the years, none yet know - perhaps not even the quags themselves.   Torimadar, the City of Birds. A century ago Torimadar was a thriving island port, its sea walls protecting a dozen or more trading vessels daily. It was famous for the king’s menagerie of birds, collected and brought to him from around the world. Unfortunately for the king and his subjects, the sea walls were no more than a bump in the path of the great tsunami that struck, shattering the city. Few residents survived the disaster, and those that did returned to find the city destroyed, great sailing vessels scattered amongst the ruins like the forgotten toys of a titan. Today the ruins are home to millions of birds of all shapes and sizes nesting in the tumbled wrecks and hollow shells of buildings and boats - the descendants of the king’s menagerie. In the absence of any natural predators they have flourished, feeding on the island’s abundant wild flora and the fish and other marine life brought in by the tides and left stranded behind the remains of the sea walls. Often viewed by passing ships at a distance; few venture too close for fear of being swarmed by thousands of agitated avians. The Troll Caves of Apwich. These caverns feature stalagmites worn into shapes suggestive of monstrous forms and faces, but are otherwise safe. Local townsfolk bring their children here to frighten and amuse them, while young adults use them for discreet trysts or dare each other to brave their depths at night. A sample of your post, describe a typical day of your god: Hope to get one up!

[rhaiber]

Ok, my application is finally finished. Happy to hear any feedback if you so choose.

[voodoozombie]

My application is finished. If there is anything that needs changed, please let me know.

[OsmundCinderholt]

Good luck everyone!

[BarrowB]

If anyone is still interested,
There are 24 hours left to closing the applications.
(Aaaaand a bit of waiting, before I make my choices.)

[Ermine]

Yeah, I think I'm done with the non-optional parts of my application. I may or may not add a sample post.

[Chylopan]

Rescinding my application.

I think this was more a fun concept experiment for me.

Great game idea, but I don't believe I have the mental capacity for another right now.

May all the other Deaths fair better than I!

[Ermine]

Aww, I was looking forward to the chance to RP with you again.

[Effete]

Also need to pull my application down.
Feel free to use the kingdom and landmark if you want, though.

Good luck everyone!

[TheOneTrueClone]

There's always someone coming in last minute, isn't there?

Application Name: A’gria Race: Custom Lineage Class: Fighter - Echo Knight Background (of your worshippers): Entertainers. Many of A’gria’s followers claim that the deity danced the world into being and seek to emulate this example. A’gria’s shrines are places of merrymaking and song, open and welcoming to all. Personality: Joy is A’gria, and A’gria is joy - loud, bright, and unyielding. The epitome of the eternal optimist. Kind and compassionate, A’gria truly cares for all mortals, regardless of kingdom or creed. All need hope, and it is A’gria’s pleasure to provide. [b]Appearance: A’gria is a chimerical deity, combining the features of several creatures. It is reported that they have the head of a bear, the horns of a bull, the tail of a leopard, and the feet of a lizard. They most often garb themself in bright colors. [b]Domain: Creation, Hope, Joy [b]Influence: Some say that at the dawn of creation, the first noise heard was the footfalls of A’gria’s dance. Whether true or not, A’gria has always been a positive force in the world. They bring comfort to the desperate, happiness to the downtrodden, and peace to the afflicted. Your symbols: The Twin Swords - oddly, A’gria is well known for carrying a pair of swords. Though rarely used for violence, they are an integral part of their owner's great dance. The Hummingbird in flight - quick, sometimes unnoticeable creatures that represent the joy that A’gria brings. Uncommon magic item: Ring of Water Walking [b]Rare magic item: Ring of Free Action Kingdom: Amongst the weaving peaks of the Azure Sierras lies the misty kingdom of Bizmirth. Built both on and within the mountains, Bizmirth has protections that few other lands can match. The people of Bizmirth follow an ancient philosophy that dictates all that they do. From their occupations to their living quarters, all is assigned by the tenets of their law. Marriage as it is known elsewhere is non-existent. Outsiders rarely visit, as the ways of the kingdom seem foreign and incomprehensible. The ruling body is known as The Five, each meant to embody a different aspect of their faith. Though not currently hostile, a core tenet of their creed demands the conversion of others. Only once everyone in the world follows the same path will true peace arrive. And if violence is the only way to achieve that peace, then so be it. A landmark or two: The Orb from Elsewhere - a large, silver orb that shines like glass. It floats slightly above the desert ground where it is located. Sound is dampened around it, and light seems to bend strangely. Water-like ripples spread across it if it is ever touched. Sometimes people and animals near it will just suddenly vanish. There is no one, neither god nor mortal, who can say where it came from. The House of Rest - a monastery located on the edge of a great forest. Any and all are welcome to come and escape the cares of the world. Hot springs and healers are just some of what can be found within. There is a strict no weapon policy. As a site of peace and neutrality, it has been used many times for treaty signings and negotiations. Even the bitterest of enemies are expected to act as friends while at The House. A sample of your post, describe a typical day of your god: Dawn. The start of a new day. A’gria opened a single eye and looked over the world. There were many bright spots to be seen, which pleased them. But still, there were just as many dark areas, where the people lived without hope. This excited them - for what greater joy could there be than to spread light to those without it? There were many places to be, many lives to touch. A kind word here, an encouragement there. As ever, it was the small things that got most mortals through the day. As Agria watched, the many prayers of the world washed over them. All would be answered. Whether or not the supplicant would be aware of it was another matter. Hope was often hard to find. But it was also never far, and echoes of it lived in the heart of even the most wretched. It had to be kindled like fire. Joy was it’s twin, and the two were rarely seen apart. But sometimes a push was needed. A dance had to be had. It was time. Taking a deep breath, A’gria readied themself. And moved, like few others in the world could move. This was the great dance. The steps were well known, and had been performed a thousand times before. It began in the heavens. Step. A’gria was in a palace, helping to deliver a long awaited heir. Step. A slum, where a child was eating for the first time in days. Step. A great battlefield, the men laying down their weapons in celebration. At long last, peace was declared. Step. A wedding, encourging the musicians to play ever so sweetly. Step. An oasis, the water quenching travelers after a long journey. Step… The dance took all day, as it always did. As A’gria moved, they also sent echoes of themself out. Thus was more joy spread. As the sun came to its rest at the end of day, so too did A’gria return home to the heavens. Exhausted, yet satisfied. Many lives had been improved this day. And many of them would go forth and spread hope amongst others. Thus has it always been. Pleased with the day, A’gria closed their eyes and rested. They would need all their godly strength, for tomorrow the dance would begin anew.

[Pseudonymous]

Turns out I won't be able to finish my app in time for the deadline, so I'm gonna have to drop out too. Have fun everyone!

[BarrowB]

The invitations to the game were sent.

If any of the players decide to drop out, I will invite someone else in their place, as there are still some really good applications.


If noone has anything against it, I'm going to use the world-building bits of those not chosen.

[Ermine]

Go ahead and use mine. I mean, obviously editing out the parts about my goddess.