The Kallisphere

[Siren no Orakio]

It is said, that long, long ago, there were many worlds, and that the stars that shone in the sky were Outside, rather than Inside. It is said that men once wondered what the gods had fated for them, and what their place in the universe was to be. In these enlightened times, however, no one believes a single word of it.

All know, for example, the structure of Our Holy Mother, Kalli. At her center is a brilliant sphere of divine material, greater indeed than the mightiest sun, for which it is death for mortals to approach, known as the Heart of the Mother. About the gravity of Her Heart rotates the hundred thousand Suns and Worlds of the Mother, each World and the Life upon it a tiny piece of Her Body, and each is as known to Her as the hands of mortal man. Beyond the Worlds is the Shell of the Mother, where there grows thick and beautiful jungles beneath Her eternal radiance. Beyond the Shell, there is only death, for Beyond is not the realm of the Mother, but it is instead the realm of the Mad God.

Within the Mother, all life flows from Her, and in the end, all life flows to Her. Without the touch of Her aura, the soul withers and dies. However, through Her Aura, and through the auras of her fellow gods, more than simple living is possible. By learning to draw upon them, those who have the blessing of the gods may create works of magic, both great and minor.

As with life, so too does the Mother define the very laws of nature that govern us. It is by Her will that a dropped object falls down, that the beating wing supports the bird, and that served tea is faster than any other object, even faster than light itself. Yet, she is not consistant in Her enforcement of these laws, and there are places, even entire worlds with in Her where physics itself changes.

(Much more to come.)

[CaptainPenguin]

Interesting.
I will enjoy seeing you continue this.

[Siren no Orakio]

A great host of gods have arisen to aid the Great Mother, and here, we shall give name and body to the greatest of them.

We begin, perforce, with the Mother Herself, the Great Lady Kalli. The Goddess of Life and the Earth, Her body is the very world about us. Kind and gentle, Her first concern is for the life within Her, and it is by Her blessing that Her Worlds are fruitful, so that we may be happy and fruitful. There are those who say that She, in turn, draws Her divine power from our Lifeforce, but all know this to be hearsay, for in matters that concern Life, She is all powerful. From time to time, it is helpful to Her to take a humanoid form, one our minds are far more capable of encompassing. When She does so, She may appear as any living being within Her realm, but it is often Her choice to manifest as an innocent human girl, with short, black hair, mayhap 10 to 12 years of age, and She wears a white dress decorated innocently with lace. It is reported that the sacrilege of assaulting Her wondrous Avatar will swiftly cause it to crumble to dust, but that it will return nigh instantly. Woe to those who attempt this, however, for at Her Will, he is naught but dust himself. Through Kalli's aura, all manner of healing is possible, as is the granting of life, the growth of plants and animals, communication between creatures, and various blessings to ease the sufferings of mortals.

The first of her Assistants is the Lady Ashura, the Organizer of Time, also known as the Chronomancer. It is the Chronomancer's duty to see that the flow of time remains safeguarded, and similarly, it is her duty to see that the flow of history remains unchanged. Her power over the flow of time is absolute, and physics dances as She pulls upon its strings. She appears, when she must, as a slender young woman, with flowing black hair and silver eyes. However, she has many servants, many with lesser versions of her powers, to mainain the correct flow of history. These servants appear as photo-negatives of Herself would. Through Her aura, the hastening and slowing of time is possible, as well as teleportation, other forms of transport and telekinesis. Also, through the influence of Her aura, magical time travel is strictly forbidden.

The second of her Assistants is Lord Enroth, the Warrior. It is His Eternal Duty to see to it that the world is protected from the Creatures of the Mad Lord Fitz. The Warrior takes joy in but one thing: Conflict. He retains at all times a human form, tall and leanly muscular, with jet black skin and a handsome face. At His whim, He has been granted a world within the Kallisphere, and here upon it He has taken up to train any warrior who would spar with Him. Here, upon His Training Grounds, Death is transient, and War reigns supreme. All of it, however, is met to one single goal: To produce another opponent worthy of the Warrior. To date, He has succeeded but once. It is through His aura that great feats of strength and will may be accomplished, and it is His aura that provides the conflict that sentient beings need to grow and mature. Though the Lady Kalli finds this distasteful, She recognizes well the need.

Enroth's success is the third Assistant, the Lady Arathena, the Storm Queen. Like Enroth, whom She has taken as Husband, the Storm Queen is almost always found in human form. Her body is lithe and muscular, Her skin a deep, brown tan that could only form under arc light, though Her face is scarred and unattractive. Her domain is over the weather, particularly its more vengeful forms. Like Enroth, She brings the neccesities that the Lady Kalli finds too distasteful to do Herself. When not sparring with Him, She also protects the Kallisphere from those who would harm it, the wizard to His warrior. So too has She found Herself the Queen of Righteous Vengeance, and those deeply wronged pray to Her for matters to be settled. Through Her aura, all manner of weather magics and destructive magics are possible.

Mention must also be made of the Mad God Fitz. He has rejected the teachings of the All-Mother, finding joy in tweaking the laws of life to bring forth ever more powerful monsters, seeking to learn the secret of the actual creation of divinity. He has been cast Outside, and from there, His creatures assault the Mother, ever seeking to feed upon the life within. From His aura comes great intellect.. and great madness to accompany it.

So too, are there a myriad of other gods, men and women who have arisen from mortality to become servants of the Mother: Luc, the Hero. Erik, the Just. Galli, the Machine. Susiyuki, the Shadow Lord. Bellda, the Lovebringer, and dozens more.

(Much more to come)

[Siren no Orakio]

Composed as She is of many Worlds, one must ask the question: How do you travel between the Worlds of the Kallisphere? While there are those few with such immense blessings from the Lady Ashura that they can travel directly from World to World, they are few and far between. The grand majority of mortal creatures must travel by ship.

Technology is at an interesting state within the Sphere, for on many Worlds it is grand and high, yet upon others, men have just learned to crash rocks into one another to ignite their fires. However, one thing is universal in world to world travel: The Faster than Tea Drive. No matter how the ship is shaped, the essense of the swiftest travel available is the service of tea, for you see, the Mother is most fond of the drink.

Created when Luc strapped his butler to the hull of a ship and ordered him to serve tea to another world, the drive is generally a computerized version of that same butler, permanently attached to the hull of the ship. Space is then mystically warped ever so slightly beneath the ship, shortening the distance it must travel, while the act of service itself provides the propulsion.

There is no limit to the mass this system may drive, so long as the ship does not leave the Mother. But, who would want to leave anyway? The speed of the drive is determined primarily by the generation, each succeeding one coming closer to perfection of replication of the original butler.

[Siren no Orakio]

The Heart: Situated at the center of the universe, this 'world' contains the divine essence of Kalli. What no mortal being realizes is that within the Heart is more than just the Mother. Here, should one have the ability to withstand the immense concentration of divine power, one will find the sprawling tunnels of Ashura's home, the base from which She regulates the pulse of Time itself. So too do many of the lesser Goddesses take residence here, where the Mother may take pleasure in their company. Here, the world that is percieved is always softly illuminated, the blue pastels of Ashura's complex matched by field and forest locked into an eternal spring.

The Training Grounds: Situated uncomfortably near to the Shell for many mortals, this large World is the only one that revolves about its particular sun. The distance and shape of that orbit, however, mostly depends on how hard it's been hit recently, and from what direction. While the actual climate is usually dependant on recent devestation, the surface is always torn by vicious earthquakes and horrendous storms that flash from horizon to horizon, easily shredding unprotected or unhardened flesh. Scattered across the surface are literally thousands of half-shattered military bases, among which a million men fight, die, and rise again, all to refine their skill and power. Situated at the 'north pole' of the Training Ground is the only safety throughout this world, where warriors come to rest from the bitter battles of the world, and where the come to this world and leave it. Enroth Himself often takes the field of battle, sweeping across the face of the world as an angel of chaos, seeking a new foe. It is an honour to be chosen by him, and an even greater one to survive the opening blows..

Mersos: The home of Reno and Asuka, the patron deities of mercenaries, professionals, and orphens, anything can be had here, if the price can be met. Society here is powerfully corporate in nature, and the best way to get something is to know someone. Here too can be found the Sphere's largest orphanage, run by the Lady Asuka herself. By tradition, unaccompanied children of any age are granted free passage here, where the Lady raises them, and then eases them into society here. It is important to note that almost nothing is produced on Mersos, but rather, hundreds, if not thousands, of corporate headquarters are located here.

New Golom: Situated on the inner side of the Shell rather than upon a World, this kingdom is one of the oldest in the Kallisphere, despite its name. Here, the mideval life is still followed, a fantasy realm beneath the eternal rule of Galli, who is half woman, half machine.

Firstfall: Situated near the Heart, this world is rumored amoung the heretics to be the first that that was taken into the Sphere, when time was young. Here is the ancestral home of the Firstborn, an elder race marked by their golden skin, metallically shaded hair, and a penchant for mystic capability. Despite their sentient status, the Dragon is the favored housepet here.

Hero: This planet was aptly named by Simon and Luc, the patron deities of Heroism. Courage and Bravery are the prime qualifications for one who would dwell here, and oddly, intelligence is not particularly respected. Luc and his father, Simon, often leave on various Quests of Valor, leading whoever they think would help to right the very few wrongs within the Sphere. It is perhaps fortunate for them that Simon's father, Erik the Just is there to keep them in check, though it drives the Patriarch to drink. Here too can be found the universes greatest legal library, kept by Erik to ensure that the laws of all the lands are just and right.

These are, of course, merely some of the most interesting of the thousand worlds of the Mother. Nearly any clime and culture may be found within her, from savage lizard tribes deep within choking jungles, to the Dragon worlds of the Hot Zone, where the great beasts sun themselves beneath hot white sunlight and bathe in pools of lava, to the frozen peaks of the Arctic Zones, where the intelligent descendents of bigfeet and yetis hold discourse over the number of bubbles in a bottle of champaign.

[Kassil]

So, are you going to relate the full tale of the origins of the FTT drive?

[Siren no Orakio]

Once, many millenium ago, it was said that there were two seperate schools of magic, the arcane and the divine. Divine magic drew upon the power of the Gods and their blessings, while the Arcane drew upon the power innate in the universe itself. Many years ago, however, mortal man challenged the will of the Shadow God, and defeated it. In vengeance, however, he stole away the ability of man to tap the primal forces of the world about them, depriving all and sundry of the power of magic. In response, Lady Kalli and her Companion Gods extended their aura, their divine power, throughout the Realm of the Mother, and taught their children to tap into this aura freely.

By drawing upon the appropriate Aura, a priest or magi, for now there truely is no distinction, may create magical effects. Because they must draw upon the God's power, they must first know the God who's realm they would draw upon. To ask Lady Kalli to slay a man is abhorrent to Her, while to ask Her to heal is divine. In the same manner, a man would not ask Lord Enroth to throw a fireball, but one would ask Him to strengthen his sword arm.

Second, the magi must not be in the exceptional disfavor of the deity they would call upon. While few are actually fully barred from a particular power, to continually draw upon the Storm Queen's power for destruction may well draw the anger of the Mother, and likewise, to go too far in the prevention of chaos will draw the ire of the Storm Queen. Magi who lean too far in one direction find that they have difficulty or a weakness in performing other effects, leading in many cases to a sort of specialization. There are also those, of course, who have succeeded in irritating enough Gods with their abuse of magic to be stripped of power. These are exceedingly rare, and indeed wretched, creatures.

To channel the power of a God is a stressful thing for a mortal. It depletes the stamina of the body, and tires the mind. To go beyond the limits of these is to court injury, and potentially even death. In general, an over extended mage will begin to develop bruises, particularly about the face and neck, and then greater and greater portions of internal bleeding. It is very possible to die by channeling too great a power for the body and mind. Still, from time to time, this does not happen, the strength of the channeled Aura so great that the body warps and shifts in order to accomidate its power. One famous example of this is what is now known as the Lance of the Stars, in which a mercenary drew so deeply upon Reno's power in order to smite his foe that his very body became the weapon that struck the killing blow. Now a black, crystalline lance nearly 9 feet in length, any who pick it up may commune with the man the weapon once was.

A short, non inclusive list of Gods and spheres:
Kalli: Healing, communication, growth, life.
Ashura: Time, Space, Psionic-like abilities.
Arathena: Weather, Chaos, Destruction.
Enroth: War, Strength, Stamina
Theni: Tranquility, Balance, Stability.
Reno/Asuka: Money, Willpower, Contracts, Armed Combat
Luc: Heroic Deeds, Protection, Fortune
Eric: Justice, Restraint, Punishment
Jeeves: Order, Service, Tea.
Bellda: Love, Devotion
Sessoro: Shadow, Secrets, Stealth
Sakura: Theft, Assassination, Misdirection.
Jinnai: Madness, Desire -> To draw upon Jinnai's aura is forbidden. Will cause insanity.

Of course, beyond the Realm of the Mother, there is nothing to draw upon, except perhaps the Mad Scientist Fitz. It is likely that he must extend his aura so that his twisted creations may survive, and tapping it would probably grant the ability to manipulate the laws of physics and biology to a degree, yet what may the price be?

[Siren no Orakio]

There's no way to really couch this in quasi-IC terms, so I'm not going to bother. A 'God' in the Kallisphere, outside of the very most major, is not comparable to a God in the traditional RP sense. Instead, any character who has amassed suffiencent power to step beyond traditional mortality, and who has begun to project an aura that can be tapped.

These characters are not invulnerable, and can be destroyed by more powerful forces. Further, sometimes the mind is not capable of dealing with the power, or more commonly, not capable of dealing with the concept of eternity. These poor creatures slip into a madness, attempting, futilely, to reject their responsibility and immortality, leaving others to deal with the effects of their madness.  

When a character ascends, those traits most dominant in their personality and skils come to the forefront, becoming the abilities they are able to grant to others through their auras, thus there may be a certain level of overlapping. There are also areas of the human experience left to claim, including those the established gods would prefer to leave unchampioned. While these outcast gods are usually destroyed, their essence scattered to the wind, from time to time, a cult is able to deeply establish itself, and it is often left to the mortals to root them out, at least once they are headless.

[Siren no Orakio]

Though the gods themselves are quiet and secretive about it, not all worlds within the Kallisphere have their health. On some few worlds, a plague has begun to slowly encrust the world. No one exactly understands the source, though a bizaare micro-organism has been associated with it. Whatever the cause, the plague is the same from place to place: The plants of the region fall first, twisting and browning even as they develop strange tendrils to feed from the blood of animals. Soon after, the earth becomes dry and blasted, depleted by the infected plants and by masses of a tough, poisonous, fibrous fungus-like thing that growns beneath the surface.

Creatures who eat of the plants or drink of the water that has passed over and through the infected soil become ill, first fevered and debilitated, and then they appear to recover, yet they are mentally warped, violent. Should they successfully breed, their offspring are horribly mutated things, showing an enormous variety of both enabling super-abilities and crippling debilitations.

Given enough time, this can settle into a bizzare sort of planet-wide ecosystem, displaying a kind of violence and desperation that is absent other places. As of yet, the Gods have found no cure, a thing which deeply troubles the Mother. Instead, She is forced to encapsulate infected worlds, in order to stop the spread of the disease: a thick, hard shell of rock and ropy, white strands forms about the world and its sun, cutting it off from the Kallisphere in a starless limbo. So far, She has managed to keep it from spreading epidemically, but the possibility yet exists.

[Siren no Orakio]

Lord Enroth, Lady Arathena, I bring you this summary from the Lady Ashura, so that you might know some of the foes you face, and breif your warriors well.

The Fifth Lord: Born of a fusion of four elemental gods who ruled before the Mother became All, this creature displays a nigh-complete mastery of the four elements of reality, as well as a disturbing level of spatial manipulation abilities. He lurks beyond the Mother for now, but may hatch a plan and strike at any moment. Of late, he has chosen to use lackeys, rather than to bring his own power to bear directly: Perhaps he fears his own destruction, or perhaps he fears the destruction of a great deal of what he desires to possess.

The Scorned: Betrayed in marriage, her children slain, Qiri's sheer hatred of the man who slew his own sons was sufficient to ignite the spark of her aura. She represents the twisted ideal of vengeance, and those who seek her out seek to bury the pain of their hearts beneath torn flesh and flowing blood. Those she passes near are filled with hatred over even the smallest of slights, inflamed far from proportion. Still, she distains combat, urging the 'wronged' to strike from shadows, with plots and poisons. Her aura has grown strong enough that the center is masked, strong enough that dark cults have begun to arise about her. Left unchecked, she will bring a paranoid chaos to the Mother. This cannot be allowed to pass.

The Rotten: We do not know from whence he has come, nor what he desires, but this foul creature appears to be at the center of the Star Rot. Where it passes, worlds are infected, and begin to die. The Lord Eric believes it to be a creature of Fitz, yet none of Fitz's aura is there. Indeed, the Mother is not even certain he is alive. With no aura, no apparent lifeforce, no warmth, no soul, we cannot even find it within the mother. Destroying this thing is your highest priority - Eliminate it before it kills us all.