God Boons

[ryslighelpers]

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GOD BOONS

INFORMATION

With the gods at war with each other, they offer tantalizing additional bonuses to their loyal followers -- but these also come with a few strings attached. Will you join a side, or remain neutral in the conflict?

Characters can be recruited in two ways: by the god, or by a god follower. The gods can open their realms to anyone at any time if a character wishes to enter. Followers always have access to their god's respective realms, and can bring in a recruit to swear allegiance.

The gods will not punish a character if they leave their side; that would only solidify their resolve to leave. However, they will remove any boons and bonuses they might have granted them. If the character rejoins, their status with be reset to entry level, and they will need to work their way up in the ranks once more.

HOW TO ALLY WITH A GOD AND RECEIVE BOONS

When a character completes a tier requirement, you can submit the form below to have them receive acknowledgment and rewards. Threads don't have to be finished at the time of submission, but they should be a good way through, and please don't handwave them entirely. You may request as many of the listed tier rewards as you like once you've reached the appropriate tier.

You may notice sections for "Offering Description" and "Reward Description". The table below is just a sample of the boons available and the requirements to get them. You don't have to do or ask for these exact things. You may choose to replace any of the listed deeds or rewards with an appropriate substitute of your own design, and they will be judged on an individual basis.

The gods favor certain traits and actions of their followers. The Fog God, for instance, values strength, freedom, and invoking fear in others. She highly encourages her children to live freely, without the inhibitions of human society. Some examples can include demonstrating the power of monsters to frighten the human populace, killing a rival in revenge, disrupting a serious occasion just for the hell of it, or generally doing things without caring for the consequences.

On the other hand, the Fourth God values cunning, subterfuge, and control. His priorities lie in furthering the technology of the peninsula, introducing progress to the world, and standing up against the Fog God. Some examples of deeds include spreading the secrets of others (especially Fog followers), manipulating monsters and/or humans to work against the Fog, or inventing some new technology.

If a character's request doesn't align enough with these ideals, their god may bestow upon them something more to their liking without warning. This is effectively an IC explanation for a request a character wouldn't make on their own. If you would like to do this, outline your request in the backfire section.

If your character wants to leave a god, you are free to do so without notice or handwave a prayer on the respective god's page. Keep in mind that leaving a god will remove all previously gained boons!

THE FOG GOD The Fog God, so they say, is a usurper of the Day and Night gods popularly worshipped on the peninsula. It is she who brings in unsuspecting souls from other worlds and warps their bodies into monstrous forms. She is capricious and becomes jealous easily. She enjoys the chaos that currently plagues Ryslig -- both watching and causing it. It would mean the universe to her if her monsters would go out and cause some discord of their own. Worship and Pray to the Fog

THE FOURTH GOD The Fourth God is an artificial god created by Dr. Liewen, in an effort to make a being strong enough to combat the Fog. He was imprisoned and isolated by the Fog God, until the actions of her monsters allowed him to be freed. He now possesses a burning hatred for her and her followers, and will stop at nothing to destroy her. He is calculating and distant, and desires control of the peninsula. Worship and Pray to the Fourth

THE KEY TO DYSTER Those who side with the Fog God will be provided with a silver key, old and dull fog-silver. It fits in any lock, no matter the style, and opening a door with it will bring them to Dyster. They will be greeted by the people of the town, who are more than happy to see them. Here, they can stay for as long as they want, and partake in the feasting. This is not the Dyster some arrivals may remember, and people who try to visit it on the peninsula proper will find an empty ghost town. The people in Dyster don't seem quite dead or alive, but they treat any follower of the Fog God like royalty, and they will eagerly accept new followers in their fold. They will provide them with a more than willing human sacrifice if the monster is hungry. It will calm their hunger but not indefinitely. Those who stay for periods of time in the city may feel an unnatural loyalty to the Fog God and her cause, to the point of worship. Characters can leave by using the key against any door in town, and return to where they had first entered.

THE ARCADE'S KEYCARD Those who side with the Fourth God will be provided an unusually modern-looking plastic card. There's no writing on the front or the back, but there is a hologram of rainbow hues on a black background that flashes wildly when the card is moved around. Insert the card on the side of a door like a slot, and they will be transported to the Arcade when they open it. They will arrive in the grand atrium of an enormous mall and entertainment complex, all in glowing neon and glassy linoleum. Technology from various different time periods is available here, up through the early 1990s – matching the day-glo transparent-plastic aesthetic. The TVs and video games, film reels in the giant-screen theater and ballroom-sized-ball-pit balls, cannot be removed from the complex, which rivals Dyster in size, and the only shopfronts with merchandise seem to be the food court, which is free, and run by robots. It's a significant upgrade from the seedy arcade it was, before October 2022 gave the Fourth God a boost. However, the same set of large red curtains can be found, behind which lies a sterile looking room full of seated humans with strange visors who will not respond to any sort of stimuli. There is a large basin towards the back filled with water, and any time a human is killed or fed on a robot will enter and clean the area. Those who stay for periods of time in the Arcade may feel an unnatural loyalty to the Fourth God and his cause, to the point of camaraderie. Characters can leave by pressing the card against a door and return to where they had first entered.

RESURRECTION

Loyal followers may resurrect in their god’s domain, rather than where their life ended. When they choose to leave, their god will return them to a safe place on the peninsula (at the player's discretion).

To a follower's guests, the environs may seem strange, but no harm shall come to those who awaken here. They're welcome to stay a while to recuperate, but a permanent residency would be frowned upon; eventually, they may find themselves guided out of this realm, returning back to Ryslig somewhere safe - and sometimes just within reach of the person who protected them in the first place.

TIER ONE

Tier one boons are small, and are mainly a way for the gods to give their converts a taste of what they can offer. These rewards are immediately available to anyone who pledges themselves to a god. When initially pledging to a god, it is not necessary to submit a prayer--though, if you would like to handwave a prayer, you are free to do so. Therefore, it is not necessary to include an offering for this tier.

FOG A minor power appropriate to the Fog God (think fear, strength, destruction) Smallest rooms in Dyster (a single bed, no window) Resurrecting inside Dyster after 2-3 days (regardless of fog days) A small aesthetic body modification tailored towards fear and intimidation (e.g. extra/bigger teeth, red/scarier eyes, claws if your monster doesn’t already have them) An instinctive knowledge of how many days they have left before the hunger overtakes them

LIEWEN A minor spell appropriate to the Fourth God (think stealth, control, invasion) Smallest rooms in the arcade (barely a bed and a radio, you can hear the arcade outside) Resurrecting inside the arcade after 2-3 days (regardless of fog days) A small aesthetic cybernetic body modification (e.g. wires, circuit boards, Tron lines) A death counter plugin on their PC that has a little image of their head with an x00 number of lives lost next to it. If a character were to die more than 99 times, it would simply start over.

TIER TWO

Tier two boons are larger, and are the first true rewards for doing a god's bidding. It represents a character being ready to dedicate themselves to a god's cause. A character might reach tier two by sacrificing a human to their god, successfully converting a neutral character, or performing public deeds in the name of their god. They also must be a follower for at least a month.

FOG A second power appropriate to the Fog God A bigger room in Dyster (queen-size bed, windows, storage) Instant resurrection in Dyster after being killed. A major body modification (e.g. flightless wings, large horns, extra limbs) Taking on a new way to feed (flesh, energy, souls). This doesn’t replace your old one, but gives you a second option.

LIEWEN A second spell appropriate to the Fourth God A bigger room in the arcade (soundproof, larger, queen-sized bed) Instant resurrection in the arcade after being killed A modified fog form. While an alternate form assumed during fog days is available to everyone, a Fourth follower’s fog form may include cybernetic limbs or other changes appropriate to Fourth. This is a result of the Fourth God attempting to remove the Fog’s influence. Extending the protection of the arcade to a neutral character of the follower’s choosing. That character, upon death, will resurrect in the Arcade after 2-3 days (regardless of fog days). He will never protect a Fog follower.

TIER THREE

You're getting serious. You've got your sleeves firmly rolled up and however much blood you get on your hands in the process, so be it. You've done your action and maybe you balked a little at first, but now that you know what it really takes, you're still all-in.

Tier three rewards are for truly devout followers, and it takes a great act to appease the gods enough to get here. Such acts might include a mass sacrifice of people, the successful conversion of an opposing follower, or killing an opposing follower. (Keep in mind that killing or sacrificing in self-defense, or for their own reasons, does not count - it must be expressly done for their god!)

FOG A third major power, appropriate to the Fog God A house in Dyster (the works) Immortality. Only destroying the brain or the heart can kill a tier three Fog follower. A new, alternate monster form, subject to mod approval. Some examples would include having a beefed-up fog form (go wild on the horror!), or switching at will to a closely related monster type (e.g. gargoyles into dragons). Exchanging the cybernetic modification imparted by the Fourth God for an aesthetic monstrous modification of your choice. Please see common monster traits for details about the cybernetic modification. Increased ferocity and strength and lowered inhibitions while in fog form. Extending the protection of Dyster to a neutral character of the follower’s choosing. That character, upon death, will resurrect in Dyster after 2-3 days (regardless of fog days). She will never protect a Fourth follower.

LIEWEN A third major spell, appropriate to the Fourth God A large room in the arcade (the works) Instantly resurrect via static in any TV or radio of your choice. The ability to teleport from one location to another using radios. Monsters only have to touch the radio, and imagine the location where they wish to go. Note that the target location also needs a radio that is turned on. You can regenerate missing limbs or other body parts while in the arcade, but this will take some time, is painful, and the resulting parts may have a cybernetic look to them. Removing the biological need for conventional food (not humans), sleep, or even breathing. Immunity to the memory loss incurred from multiple deaths. This is not a perfect reward, as Fourth is not a true god and has a higher rate of error for difficult abilities. (This is a loophole in case you still want to play out memory loss.)

PRIESTS

You will do anything in service of your god. You are theirs to use as they see fit. You know you're on the right side of history, and you'll do whatever is in your power to make sure your god prospers.

The priests of each god gain unique and powerful abilities. The abilities favored by each god are explained below, but you may request a different power instead if one suits you better. In order to obtain priesthood, a follower must be in tier three, and have been in Ryslig for at least four months. When asking for priesthood, please explain in great detail the lengths to which your character has gone for their god, and the deeds they have done in their name. These will be judged on a case-by-case basis.

Please do not ask in the god prayer boxes for ideas for a Priest offering. Priest offerings must be something you have OOCly devised yourself. You may submit a Priest form with an offering you have already come up with, request the relevant god somehow prompts your character to perform it, and then (if approved) ICly ask in the god prayer box to receive this prompt. However, things your character does entirely on their own initiative will be more highly looked upon by the gods as proof of their devotion and motivation, and are far more likely to qualify as a Priest offering.

FOG Fog priests are instantly identifiable by their gray capes, made to resemble the Fog God’s long hair. The collar and hem of the cape are frayed, and when the wind blows through them it almost seems like parts of them trail off with it, like the fog itself...but that’s just a trick of the light, right? When priests speak, their voices have a whisper behind them. Fog priests may command the fog as they wish, bringing it forth where there is none and manipulating it around them. Gargoyles and trolls shrouded in fog need not fear the sun, and day-blind monsters have perfect vision. A character with a fog form may freely transform in this as well.

LIEWEN Fourth priests do not have any set outfits, but they are given a unique marking on their hand when accepted by the Fourth. It may be a power symbol, a pattern of wires, or even a symbol from the character’s home world. Whatever it is, it will glow when other Fourth followers are near. Fourth priests may temporarily stop time in their vicinity, affecting anyone who does not follow the Fourth God​. They can also access the rsdos network at will without use of a laptop.

SUBMIT FORM

<b>Character Name:</b> <b>Alignment:</b> (Either the one you already are or the one you're shooting for) <b>Offering Description:</b> <b>Link:</b> <a href="LINK">Here.</a> <b>Reward Tier:</b> <b>Reward Description:</b> <b>Backfire (for abilities characters wouldn't ask for ICly):</b>

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Comments

APPROVED

[ryslighelpers]

We're sorry for the delay! Mello's request has been granted! The actual context in which they receive their boons will be given separately.

APPROVED

[ryslighelpers]

Kurumi's request has been granted! The actual context in which they receive their boons will be given separately.

APPROVED

[rysligmods]

We're very sorry for the delay - these conditions look perfectly fine to us! Yuri's boons will be granted, with the IC context coming slightly later.

[ryslighelpers]

As night falls, a faint breeze begins to blow. Within seconds, the speed intensifies until it’s nearly a gust, and it’s clear Kurumi is at its center. Soon, it surrounds her completely, blocking much of Kurumi’s environment from view. The sensation in her horns starts as a burn but quickly develops into something more painful as the bumps start to form. Much lower, her feet grow heavier, harder to move.

And then, both sensations and the gust are gone. Having never spoken a word, the Fog God has left behind her gift. Kurumi will gain the powers and physical transformations as requested.

[ryslighelpers]

Before we can approve the request, we’d like to ask for a few clarifications! We’d like to know:

- the specifics of what Blue could find, such as what would qualify as "danger";
- how wide of an area his abilities could detect;
- whether the magic "map" is something he sees in his head, or a paper he draws on which becomes magic;
- if other people are able to see dangers moving on the map, or if he the one able to inform them.

To be clear, none of these questions are qualifiers or things we would reject the request on; we'd just like to know exactly how the power works before we make a decision on it!

[ryslighelpers]

i want to show you something

The words appear after a slight buzz emits from Mello’s laptop (on a day of your choosing). The background is black, making the white words stand out in harsh contrast.

come to the arcade okay

Without a flash, the screen returns to normal. When Mello next goes to the arcade, a machine is already on, the message clearly written.

play with me :)

It’s only after he approaches the machine and grabs one of the sticks to play the pinball game that the Fourth God continues to speak.

you hurt the man who was hurting my friends im glad.
i want to help you too

A small tingling sensation travels along Mello’s body. For now, there’s no obvious change, but when the next Fog rolls in, he’ll no longer change into his usual form. Instead, his body will be covered with tattoos that resemble glowing electric wire, though these changes will only happen at night and during the fog. He’ll also gain the requested abilities.

lets keep playing
stop anybody who would hurt them

The pin ball machine lights blink, though the game continues a second later. However, the Fourth will no longer respond.

APPROVED

[rysligmods]

Under the condition that holding his breath could last for a maximum of fifteen minutes (and that combat/drained energy levels would lower this number), everything looks fine for approval! Your IC granting will be posted to Noa's prayer box thread.

[noasark]

Thank you so much!!

[ryslighelpers]

On a night of your choosing, whether the weather reflects it or not, fog will billow in under the doors of whatever room Yuri is in. It will become so thick that it'll be hard to see more than a foot in front of him, and a woman's voice will be heard as if she's standing right beside him.

"I always enjoy the gifts my pets leave me."

The fog grows more dense, pulling away from the edges of the room and surrounding only Yuri.

"Let me give you something in return."

When he next breathes in, all the mist around him will rush into his system at once, causing him to pass out. Upon waking he'll find himself in his new home with all his things moved and his new power in place. As for the carapace, it will have started growing - and the rest of it growing in will not be painless.

[bombflowerblond]

Sorry about not getting back to you sooner mods, almost forgot I had this to do...


So the map is drawn (not in his head), making the paper magic so to speak. Only by casting the scanning spell on the paper periodically can Blue detect danger, which is being defined as traps and hostile non-sapient entities. Danger on the map would be registered as stationary at the time of casting. Therefore.. since the scope of the scanning would be limited to a large room-sized area immediately around Blue's position, it already be the moment for either fight or flight by the time a hostile beast crossed into the power's radar of detection.

The scope of the entire map itself would be within the limits of the existing minotaur navigation sense, like a city-sized area (or something, that's within your discretion mods) before the mental image is too blurry to draw. So hypothetically speaking, dungeon crawling would still be quite a lengthy and exciting adventure.

Also, Blue would only be able to have a single active "dungeon" map at a time. To make a map of a new building/outdoor area, he would have to destroy the old one. This also means he would have to remember to keep a lot of paper and writing implements handy.

So yes, Blue would still have to inform his adventure party of what he discovers with this spell, such as scribbling onto the map the location of a spiked pit trap for example.

[ryslighelpers]

We’re very sorry for the delay! Before writing out the specifics of Marco’s ability, we’d like to run the idea by you first to make sure it would be something you wanted.

In keeping with the preaching theme, Marco could gain the ability to hypnotize but with a twist: while his abilities will work very well with large groups of people, it will become less effective the smaller the group becomes until he finds it not working at all on a single individual. For example, with one person, it would be no different than his normal conversations, a couple of people would find him hard to ignore even if they don’t necessarily agree, three would begin to take more seriously, and so forth.

Additionally, if you’d like it to work through the network, the ability would become weaker. While he can still somewhat sway opinions, Marco won’t actually be able to give out orders and find them followed.

If you think this fits with your ideas, let us know, and we’ll write out a more detailed description!

[peccatore]

Whoa man I was about to go to bed WHAT A NICE SURPRISE

This sounds awesome! Thanks a lot. o7

APPROVED

[ryslighelpers]

The Fourth god will come to Blue when he tries to power off his laptop (at a time of your choosing). Instead of turning off, the button will send a small shock throughout his body, a sensation more strange than painful.  The screen does finally change to black, but soon, an ASCII map begins to form , and Blue will feel a certain connection, as if he understands what he’s seeing.

Once the full map forms, it disappears, only to be replaced by words.

thanks a million

Once the words disappear, the laptop powers down like normal, and Blue will find himself granted the requested abilities.

[operadiance]

Character Name: Yuzu Hiiragi
Alignment: Fourth
Offering Description: Boxquest. Or: by request of the Fourth God, Yuzu "broke into" Liewen labs (by walking in the front door) and stole a Secret Artifact from Dr. Liewen's office. The whole mission involved a great deal of Creative Applications of the Truth, Careful Dodges, cautious alliances with other members of the Fourth's roster, and letting Kurosaki do all the creative brawling with spiders.
She has also been a follower for ~16 months, and in that time got other characters aligned (though no longer in game), but also showed a great deal of #loyalty when a couple of her dear friends (temporarily?) bailed on her due to the whole Not Saying She Was Aligned thing. She's a good kid. Reward the good kid.

Link: Boxquest. The box has been recovered (Thread with Marco/God), and transport to the arcade (in progress) is in the thread with Kurosaki.
Reward Tier: Tier 3. Tiers 1 & 2 were granted here
Reward Description:

OLD BOON RETENTION:

♪ Ice breath (Gargoyle adept boon)
(I forgot, okay.)

TIER 3 ADDITIONS:

♪ Radio teleportation
♪ Telecomm Resurrection (+backfire)
♪ Arcade Regeneration
♪ Larger room (super mega ultra fancy)
♪ Third spell

Backfire:
Instantly resurrect via static in any TV or radio of your choice → I would like to blend this with Tier 1/2's "Resurrect in the Arcade in 2-3 days, or instantly", in that when she dies, one of the three resurrection types will trigger as suits the moment. (Sometimes you just want to keep a girl dead for a couple days so you can clear out your backtags.)

Spell Descriptions // follow-ups:
Since I didn't assign spells during Tier 1 & 2 approval, I'm throwing them all down here. Because her main canonic "image theme" is music based, I'm going with sound-based abilities. (Music abilities seem specifically tied to certain monster types, and I'd rather not go that route.)

① - Eavesdropping

Ability to hear what's on the opposite side of a single wall. By placing her ear or her hand(s) against one side of a wall, she'll be able to hear any sound on the other side as though she were inside the adjacent area

② - Sound-throwing

Takes a sound... and puts it somewhere else. Basically it would allow her to "steal" a sound from one place and change its apparent "source" location. Sort of higher-function ventriloquism, she could throw her own voice or footsteps to a different hallway, or redirect which nearby ear heard those whispered sweet nothings. She could for a short time "capture" a sound like this (for instance, silently break a window and then set off the crash of breaking glass on a different floor a couple minutes later), but it would "sound off" within 5-10 minutes if she hadn't set it off herself before then.

③ - Sound mimicry

Ability to duplicate any sound she's heard, minus human/monster voices. Animal calls, musical instruments, nature sounds, television soundtracks, etc — if she's heard it, she can create it. She cannot, however, to impressions or mimics of other people's speaking voices, so she can't pretend to be someone else in conversation. (She could mimic the particular sound of their footsteps or their signature cough, but that's about it.)

jazz hands

[raidraptors]

I figured I should ask before I start writing up anything: Was Shun's involvement with boxquest strong enough to qualify him for Tier 3 or should I look into another way to get him to ascend?

[rysligmods]

Based on Shun's previous interactions with the Fourth God, his involvement in another character's quest could qualify him for Tier 3. If he was aware that this quest was in service of his god and willingly chose to participate, it counts. However, if he chose to help his friend without knowing what for, or had to be forced into it, this would not count as deliberate service and would not qualify.

[raidraptors]

Excellent, thank you!

[raidraptors]

Character Name: Shun Kurosaki
Alignment: Fourth God
Offering Description: Playing muscle and shady distraction for boxquest!
Link: Recruitment + Boxquest
Reward Tier: Tier 3
Reward Description:

- Larger Room
- Radio Teleport
- Arcade Regeneration
- Imperfect Memoryloss Immunity
- Major Spell: The ability to assign familiar status to one animal. That familiar starts to live around him and as time passes Shun is able to communicate with it and assign it missions (like to spy after people, follow them around, ect.). If the familiar dies or he has needs for a different animal, he can re-assign the familiar status to another animal, however he won't be able to use it until he has built a relationship with it.

Backfire: nah

olesia and I would like to request that Shun and Yuzu get promoted together, if possible!

[oracledriven]

Character Name: Noel "continuously making really bad choices" Kreiss
Alignment: Fog
Offering Description: Joining. As per the answer to my questions a little while ago, Noel will be told in a dream that Yeul is going to be in trouble soon, and that the Fog God is able to give him power to protect her. His nymph form is a lot weaker (in his mind) than he was as a werewolf, so he'll feel like he has no choice but to accept her help, especially since Yeul is infected. Side note: this will also result in him inadvertently recruiting Yeul, since they're two peas in a pod.
Link: I'm setting up a log now, and I'll edit when I have the link
Reward Tier: Tier 1

Reward Description:
The usual stuff (small room in Dyster, resurrecting there after 2-3 days regardless of fog, knowledge of how many days remain before hunger overtakes them)
Minor power: I'd like to give him enhanced strength
Aesthetic body alteration: as a nymph, this'll be vicious-looking thorns growing along his arms/vines (though they're brittle, so they don't actually give him any fighting benefits).

When he goes back to being a werewolf, I'd like for him to gain some height and body mass to appear more ridiculously intimidating. This won't actually give him any extra strength apart from the enhanced strength I'm requesting here

Backfire: None for this one; his CR has enough backfires built in (Fang torching their house in rage, Yeul joining along with him, horrible things coming with a Fourth follower friend. actions have consequences? who'd've thought?!?)

[imperialpredation]

Ok so this is a long and potentially slightly weird question, but it's related to the Tier 3 options for an alternate monster form.

So I was considering for Yuri's tier 3 fog boons whenever he gets them, since a lot of faerie-like monsters cross over with other monster types, the possibility of him getting a form based on his ace monster, Starve Venom Fusion Dragon. As you can see, despite the name, it's far more insectoid than it is dragon, down to having mandibular jaws, insectoid legs and extra mouths, and the "wings" actually being more extra mouths that extend off its back to attack (that one's not a good picture but you can see the weird extendy part of it). While it wouldn't have the faerie advantage of flight, the end of its tail is bladed and functions somewhat like a whip, and its shoulder gems can create an energy attack, though the other question there would be whether the energy attack would be plausible for just coming with the monster form or whether it would have to be his tier 3 spell.

So basically, would Starve Venom, despite ostensibly being a dragon, be a valid basis for a faerie's alternate form, and would the energy attack have to become his tier 3 spell?

[ueteribus]

Needing some clarification for a tier one request: it says regarding boons "You may choose to replace any of the listed deeds or rewards with an appropriate substitute of your own design, and they will be judged on an individual basis."

Since Lucius isn't particularly interested in most of the tier one standards (the room, resurrection ability, or the death counter) would it therefore be permissible to ask for multiple spell type abilities as substitutes, so long as they're all acceptably low enough to qualify for tier one?

APPROVED

[rysligmods]

Days pass after Marco's sacrifice, then weeks, and finally a full month. During this time period, Marco will hear nothing from the Fourth God, no matter how he prays. On August 21, a full month after his offering has been made, he will hear a young boy's voice in his sleep, blurred and electronic:

Marco... can you hear me?

Please, come here.

I want to see you.

When Marco uses his card to open the door to the arcade, he is greeted not by the familiar robots and lights, but by silence. This is not the arcade he is used to - it feels more like a shed skin than anything, empty prize cabinets and blank arcade screens. No matter when he goes, or who he goes with, he will arrive to an empty arcade, alone. As he explores the dark room, emergency lights barely providing enough illumination to see, a hidden door will open behind the prize counter and an old, ugly robot will wheel out on antiquated treads. It will approach Marco directly, but it will not talk. Instead, it hands him a few things - a black card with his name and a tie embossed on it, a capsule containing a bouncy ball and a chocolate candy, and an ancient radio - before politely backing away. The hidden door remains open, lighted maintenance tunnels and a stairway clearly visible beyond.

As Marco looks, the radio crackles to life, and the Fourth God's voice comes through - his real voice, no digitization or blurring past the static of the radio.

"I was thinking what I should get you. I had to think for a really long time. I'm sorry." Ripples of static extend from the radio, flowing through Marco's arm and up his body. "You've done so much for me, and all you want is for people to listen. With this, you always know that I'm listening. And I think I can help with the others..."

The static reaches his throat, and with it Marco will taste something coppery and sharp - like he'd licked the end of an electrical cord, or shoved his tongue in an outlet. It takes a few moments for it to subside, and the Fourth God hums quietly as the pain fades. Finally, when Marco feels as good as new, the robot will beckon to him and turn back towards the counter.

"I want to show you something. But you have to promise to keep it a secret, okay?"

The robot wheels in past the door, then waits patiently for Marco to step in. The air is old and musty, the distinct scent of mildew carrying up from the staircase before him. Once he steps in, the hidden door seals behind him, fading away into the concrete until it's not clear anything was there; however, the robot does not move, and it will stop Marco if he tries to move any further. The air will begin to clear up, the mildew replaced by the unmistakable scent of air conditioning, and the walls will gradually shift their color as well.

"The secret is... you already saw the secret," crackles the radio, and the wall behind him will slide open to the regular arcade.

When he steps out, he will still be behind the counter; before he can leave, the robot accompanying him will guide him to a small intercom system. "SPEAK AND THEY WILL LISTEN," it bellows in an almost rusty voice, and when his voice broadcasts across the arcade he may be surprised to note every head - human, monster, and robot alike - turning to pay close attention to him. In the silence, the radio crackles one last time:

"Spread the word. You're my preacher now, okay? Find me more friends, and maybe we can stop the fog."

POWER WRITEUP

[rysligmods]

Marco will gain a preacher's voice! More specifically, the more members of his "congregation" are present (read: within mundane hearing range), the more powerful his words will be. With only one person present, no magic will be carried in his voice at all; with thirty or more people in range, his voice will be as powerful as full-on hypnosis for humans. People must stop and listen in order to be affected by his hypnosis; humans will feel a tug towards this behavior, so it should be simple enough to get a crowd going.

While his hypnosis power is very potent, it is restricted by the very size of it. No individual commands can be given; if Marco gives a command, the entire group will obey it as one unit. This can be used to great effect or great detriment, and we're looking forward to seeing it in action!

This power does work over the network, but has a few significant drawbacks. For one, the powers (as always) work variably on monsters; some characters just won't be affect by it. (This allows other players a way out if they aren't up for mind control shenaniganry.) Additionally, his powers reach a sort of cap on the network, and he'll find that he can do a very good job of rationally convincing people - but he can't make them do things that go against their basic instincts.

One last note: the radio he was given does not always make noise, but any time Marco says something into it, he will always get a small response from the Fourth God (even if it's something as small as "thank you" or "can we talk later.")

[peccatore]

THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THIS RAD STUFF it was definitely worth the wait! o7

Quick question, since I'd like to stick with spells increasing hunger and whatnot: is it alright to assume that, the more intense a "preaching session" is, the hungrier Marco will feel afterwards (perhaps to the extent that, say, if he just full-on hypnotised a crowd of like 40/50 humans, he will feel the need to eat Immediately)? He will absolutely not hold this against the Fourth God and will instead assume it's that damn Foggy fighting back.

APPROVED

[ryslighelpers]

On a day or night of your choosing, his dream is a blistering storm. Wind howls through the trees, hurricane gales, with a coldness and a ferocity that cleaves straight to the bone. Wood cracks; animals scatter. The night is cold and the air is thick with dust, debris, a fog kicked up from the loose earth. Any which way he looks is dust, and dirt, blasting into his eyes and cutting his cheeks. In his dream, the wind pulls at the foliage of his body, stripping the vines from his back and the leaves from his arm. His feet are fastened to the ground with ropes around his ankles, damaged and frayed, but no matter how he pulls, the rope does not release him.

And try he will — because even obscured by the storm and the shrieking winds, he can't mistake Yeul in the distance. Hurt. Powerless. In danger. The storm steals her face, but it carries her voice — carries his name.

No matter how he struggles, no matter how he fights, the weak ropes hold him back, the wind pushes against him. As the storm grows louder—human voices, thunderous rolls of weapons, the wet destruction of living bodies, trees snapping and falling—Yeul's voice becomes more frantic, more faint. He won't reach her in time. He's going to fail. He isn't strong enough. He isn't going to be strong enough.

"My child... can you be satisfied with a fate like this? Don't you desire the strength to save her?"

He may wake before he answers; he may not. The question will linger in his thoughts until he gives an answer. Once Noel truly wishes for the Fog God's strength, whether it be in a dream or in the waking world, he will feel a gentle breeze sweep against his back. With it will come a warm heat to his muscles, and the feeling of enhanced strength.