InvidiaRed

It’s known well enough in D&D that powerful elves grow their houses instead of building them. They do this through a variety of means such as wood shaping and tree shepherding. There are two ways to do this. One they set up a foundation and a rough estimate of what they are looking for and then through elven craft warp the tree(s) around the the foundations and bam suddenly a house. Version two requires more potent elven craft but they plant a seed and will their home into being and the tree is the catalyst. Version three is entirely woodshaping and its mastery but essentially through ties, divets and other materials you can force a sapling to into growing into a certain direction and shape with magic easing the downtime of years into mere moments. Version 4. The house is more extra dimensional but the tree is essential the home.As long as no one directly inspects the tree its just a tree. Version 5. The home is its own stable sub dimension and the only way in is to interact with the tree in some manner. Version 6. There is no tree but the home is cloaked to look like one. Version 7. The tree is cloaked to look like a different mundane tree until entrance is allowed. Version 8 The tree itself is its own dimension. Now we got all that said. Depending on what your going for. First off the more natural description. You’re going to have to go for more natural looking shapes rather than the artificial geometries humanity uses. Play up on the lack of mortar. There’s no need when you can make the tree grow and merge its branches into a solid impermeable barrier. Or make the roots twist together into stairs. Ex: Greenleaf thimble-bottoms the third’s dwelling was not simply boorishly built it was grown over the course of years. Its terraces were painstakingly woven from its many branches. Indeed no artless violence of any kind was needed for such a distinguished dwelling. And no the dwarf is not allowed in nor is his axe allowed. Indeed, With the mastery of Greenleaf’s craft is such that the very living wood of the tree itself conformed to his will. The gentle slopes and precise measurements has enabled Greenleaf to craft with tender loving care his own accommodations. As he skillfully hollowed out the larger layers for this decadently luxurious experience while maintaining a healthy heartwood interior. Human: “Its a tree-house.” Dwarf: “Incoming!” – Suddenly the entire dwelling is aflame and Greenleaf unexpectedly homeless and everyone watches as his house burns down. Human: And this is why building is better than growing your house. As even the dullest dwarf is aware stone isn’t flammable

Considering she hunts the dregs of society. She’d probably have the possibility to earn a boon. She is a required part of the ecosystem. Now I got it in my head they should definitely meet.

I swear I wasn’t stealing your dialogue from the future! No, in all seriousness, the characters are different (a jorōgumo and a death god) but they share in that same bittersweet experience of loving someone you know you’ll outlive. That line of dialogue in particular is one I’ll be using in The Spider House, which is to be the formal introduction of Yua and Cody and how they became a couple. It’s what I’ll be working on after I finish the last chapter of WitS. Duncan and Yua would get along. Well at least until she figures out his ties to the underworld. Though I do see a funny moment when and if she ever asks his age and he tells her he’s 299,317 years older than her. Haha. That bittersweetness is related to why he incarnates and changes names.

<3

You shouldn’t compare so much. Your stories are delightful and sweet and we’ll wait with patience for whatever you decide to give us <3

From InBrightestDay on March 20, 2020 Another story featuring a god and his Jotunn! There's an element of somewhat dark humor here. On the one hand, people are dying. On the other hand, well, Duncan basically just got called in to work on his day off (the struggle is real). It made me smile. Another thing I found funny was just the idea of Duncan reacting to Logan's "drink of the gods" line. The image of an actual deity blowing a raspberry is hilarious. Also... "I'm still sore from last night." Duncan's eyes slitted. "Did you enjoy it?" He asked. Logan nodded. "I did-" "Then walk it off." Duncan dismissed. Logan whined. Well, guess they do it pretty rough then. I mean, I guess between a god and a giant, that's bound to happen. "Did you have to throw the javelin so hard?" Is that what they're calling it these days? Duncan responded tersely. "Come now; I was holding back the last one I threw. It took the poor bastard one hundred and twenty years to die. His tomb lies at Brú na Bóinne!" Wait, was he talking about something else? This is the one part of the story I don't quite understand. What is Duncan referring to there, about the man and the javelin and whatnot? Duncan is speaking in Double Entendres. Aka Double meanings or an expression with two possible meanings. Sex and Sparring. Duncan is also giving up a name if you know your irish mythos. Finally, I'm very curious about the name he gave Logan. It obviously scared the crap out of him, which really makes me wonder. Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod (cue Princes of the Universe)? Kidding on that one, of course, but obviously Duncan's gone by many names, so I'd imagine he gave Logan a rather famous one. Or rather an infamous one. If you know your Prose Edda. Both names are massive spoilers but I will give a hint in the sentence after he warns Logan not to ask for another name. When you get them message me. And I’ll confirm or deny.

Review replies are in my review thread. Thank you for the prompt and I just might start fully fleshing out a full story rather than this small snippet.

From ANON - awesome!!! on March 17, 2020 thanks for doing this for my prompt! i liked it and i am curious about duncans other names but i can probably figure them out. Message me and I’ll confirm or point you in the right direction. But I will not give you the outright answer. Its better when you already have the answer like the clever things you all are

From JayDee on March 17, 2020 Talking a lot of sense there about the hoarding, that it shall pass, and the inadvisability of killing the critters during that last plague. Seemed a bit of a dick move to scare his husband though. Logan did ask and now he has to live with that knowledge of that particular name and incarnation. He was advised not to ask for another. Duncan can be a proponent of tough love and is unapologetic in that regard. Very much be careful of what you wish for because you might just get it. . Duncan revealed two names this story. One of Irish mythology and one norse. And both provide an interesting backdrop to the lore.

<3 <3

Done

Almost done <3 with mine.

Sounds interesting. i’m game

If only we could save her. Saint Astrea too. For fate was not kind but I can’t answer that without spoilers hahah. If you want to see more of the culture of the detestable valley, Ghoulneedle and Winterfell do provide snippets. Winterfell does show more about it and does go far more in depth. If you ever want to do a story in this setting. You’re more than welcome <3 You’ll get to see alot more of him next update. Won’t spoil but… Banquet. That’s all <3

From InBrightestDay on March 07, 2020 Alright, more world building, and the plot moves slowly forward. I liked the interaction between Adala and the Harvest Queen. It gives an interesting look at the history of the world, and how, like in Greek mythology, there was a dynasty before the gods, though in this case it was Fae instead of Titans. It's also interesting to hear that things may be different in other solar systems. Contrasting that with the Mother of Angels wore a galaxy as a dress, and that Adala throws immortals who break the sacred rules into stars, one would assume the gods have a wide-ranging sort of authority, but perhaps not. Maybe there are different levels of gods, and the uppermost ones like the MoA have authority over multiple solar systems, but the lower levels are more restricted. MOA isn’t even on the hierarchy in the mortal universes. She’s beyond them altogether but yes. She’s truly a multiversal tier. Mortal universes are destroyed when she attempts to visit them.She’s simply too immense. Think of this world as the local setting. There are definitely others but they are separated not just by distance but by expanses of space time far too large to be quantified. Existence/ reality reacts strange around the gods. Who may or may not be consistent. For a holier than thou goody two shoes goddess healer of the world on one world may also be The merciless murder happy tyrant queen on another. Aka. Might be Sailor Moon on earth. But Führer Von Sauron on the world next door. Or they will always be essentially the same person of the local sapient analogue. Typically, a Galaxy will favor one of the lesser powers over the others. The rules of the reality will favor a type of power above others giving them a immense power boost. But even that isn’t entirely universal. A small difference in space time may mean one world may be ruled exclusively by dragon lords and the world next door ruled only by tentacular lords of ancient evil. Or even five worlds ruled by fae but their moons are the exclusive property of Archangels and Oni Shoguns. There are Small islands in a single galaxy where every lesser power is supreme might be vast expanses of space or just the size of a single solar system or even just a planet/moon. And within those islands even the gods must bow to their decrees. When the gods won the war of creation. An inescapable consequence of their multiversal victory that is stamped on every mortal universe is that should the gods decide a world is of interest. The lesser powers will sooner or later lose that power boost leaving them almost always at the top. Anyway, back to the Harvest Queen. In spite of the Fae being pushed back (and, it's implied, not having been the nicest rulers to begin with, what with Adala having been forced to suffer and bleed as tribute to them), it's nice to see the sense of mutual respect between these two, with Adala coming to Queen for wisdom, and the Queen entrusting her daughter to Adala's tutelage. Old Age’s wisdom is not to be underestimated. Though Spring being assimilated by life at its peak prime. Summer. And Winter vassalizing Autumn. Autumn exclusively has the venerable wisdom of the elderly without the debilitating effects of senility. Its also much more than mutual respect the queen was Adala’s old flame. And even now with her court slowly succumbing to Winter. The Harvest Queen’s wisdom continues to bear fruit. Then we reach a place you've mentioned before, and that I know features in your other stories, but that I don't think I've ever seen before: the Detestable Valley. So, level with me here: how much did Lord of the Rings influence you with this locale? While LOTR will always be near and dear to my heart. The Detestable Valley is more a monument to Blight-town (Dark Souls) And much more Valley of Defilement (Demon’s Souls) But, I cannot deny Mordor is one of its inspirations. If you mix it with Silent Hill. haha.) I only ask because the Detestable Valley is a Place of Evil with a black gate in front of it, and in front of that is a dead marsh. Mordor is a Place of Evil with a black gate in front of it, and in front of the black gate is the Dead Marshes. It could be a coincidence, but I didn't know. Now apparently our new character is in the area, but we don't get to see him yet. Instead, and correct me if I'm wrong because I may not have read this correctly, he or she conjured a sphere of water and turned it into...basically blades, with water being fired out under such high pressure that it cut through the plant's the Witch's aspect, and apparently Adala's aspect as well. For the record, I'm still getting used to the aspect thing, because I freaked out for a moment at the image of Adala getting sliced in half before remembering that that was just a tool. Like I said, I'm still getting used to it She got minced. Adala now knows what it feels like to be thrown into a woodchiper and or thrown into a blender. She was innately powerful enough that her divine power held her together much longer than instantly becoming mincemeat like Beldam. But even divine power cannot heal a vessel that’s been subjected to overkill. And while the deep sea whirling water cutter was excessive. He did manage enough control to trim the grass. While one may think it was an excessively vicious attack. There is however no excuse to have unkempt grass in one’s domain even if one of the intruders was indirectly responsible for its sudden appearance. Adala didn’t bring her divine shield and didn’t bring reinforcements. Now she’s familiar with what being minced alive feels like for her lack of caution. Now she has to be cautious. The Godling in question just casually one upped The Lich King himself by taking out two aspects at the same time. That’s not a paper tiger at all but a definite show of strength. He might be a godling but he’s got access to real power. Even Adala ignored the warnings but do note he didn’t attack until after his taboo was broken. Anyway, presumably next time we'll get to meet this mysterious new godling! Massive spoiler for Ghoulneedle and Winterfell

From InBrightestDay on February 11, 2020 Well, we have some important world building here. Thank you I like the idea of the forum where the gods meet, and that they only do so reluctantly. I am interested in the exact nature of the Nine Divines. The Noble Nine. Nine Divines, Are Adala’s pantheon. She’s 1/9th. Their preeminence is the result of back breaking work and constant vigilance. Others tribes and pantheons view them range from staunch allies, to view them with envy, jealously to outright hatred. They’re not resting on their laurels. In the game of civilization. They’re winning and they’ve chosen not to hide that fact. The waypoints, way stations and roads they’ve encouraged mortals to build is simply too useful. The age of the wilds and the daunting wilderness is ending. Every road, every bridge, every junction, highway in some small way is an announcement of that fact. in a all roads lead to Rome sense. The fae will not go silently but they are going and they’re bleeding power,strength and numbers. Some are resigned, some are defiant but all know they had their apex, their age of supremacy within which they could even cow the gods. Not with a bang but a whisper. Unfortunately, for some they’re reaping the rewards of the ascendant gods. Who remember every insult they’ve been forced to accept. And the reckoning is not in the fae’s favor. Given the number of gods in Mortane, are they part of the nine, or are the nine only one small group of deities, the gods of order and civilization, who attend these councils, and the others don't participate? The noble nine are just one pantheon. The gods of order and civilization are the ones who tend to gather at the forum. The gods of dark tend to be loners. Well at least until a pantheon or tribes likes them enough to adopt them into the fold. Kinda like how extroverts adopt introverts. I love the imagery of the Mother of Angels wearing a galaxy as a dress; that's such a cool idea! It's also nice seeing her affectionate attitude toward Adala, sort of similar to Adala's attitude toward Trias. Similarly, I liked seeing the impact Trias's choice to worship Adala had on Adala herself; that it's flattering to her that Trias chose her out of all the deities she could have been a champion for. Imagine being chosen out of every human that exists. 7 billion people but out of those. You were the lucky one. I'll admit I wasn't sure how big the Mother of Angels was supposed to be. She produces the Angel of Death in the palm of her hand, which made me think she was huge, but then at the end she hugs Adara, which makes her seem roughly human size (or the same size as the other deities, anyway). Granted, as a goddess, she could just shrink or grow as the situation requires. The Mother Of Angels is deliberately holding back. Those divine senses can only do so much. She towers over them not just in a physical sense but a metaphysical one as well. The galaxy dress is the only hint she’s giving. She’s measured in light-years at the least. In Theopolis, She’s the closest one comes to true omnipotence. Her power is such that it hobbles her more than it helps. She can’t visit mortal universes even with aspects they are profoundly beyond her reach. Lest every star simultaneously supernova, the universe ruptures and the nothingness dissolves everything in seconds. Total vacuum collapse. So she mostly wanders the multiversal cosmos tending and visiting her angelic children. It is draining to hold back so the angel of death eventually just does the talking/ambassador duties. I feel like some of the stuff in here, like the weird moon, is a reference to the other stories in this universe, like Ghoulneedle and Winterfall, though as I haven't read those yet I can't be sure. Not required reading but there will be major spoilers for those in the coming chapters. I am curious about the "thrown into a star" thing. The wording was a little vague, so is that Adala has thrown local spirits into stars for breaking the rules, or that the Mother goddess has thrown younger deities into stars over that? Adala is being an unreliable narrator on purpose. It’s standard procedure to imprison nonmortal beings but deliberately imprisoning them in the heart of a star borders on inhumane. by the time the star dies in the billions of years that would take quite effectively removes them and their influence on the world permanently. Death is messy for nonmortals and lesser powers and can pave the way for their resurrection and greater power. Imprisoning them somewhere where they’ve been rendered powerless is a much better deterrent. Adala doesn’t pull her punches. And really is sapient sacrifice worth billions of years of crushing pressure and excruciating heat while the only thing you can do is scream? Next up, it looks like the gods of this setting are somewhat limited in what they can see, so Adala's going to need evidence to get the other eight deities to go to war. That means she's going to need some help, and we'll find out about this new godling next time. Looking forward to it! The gods see the world most clearly where their influence is greatest. Where every sense radiates for miles around it tapers off into a blurry fog of war of indistinctness. They can see landmasses as a map but this sense can be blocked by hostile to unfriendly deities and lesser powers. Where foggy nothingness is shown instead. The Mother Of Angels saved her from embarrassing herself. Going into the meeting riding high on emotions and little evidence. She has evidence. What she’s looking for is the smoking gun. The factual proof that she needs so the other gods will be forced to listen. All it takes is a little guesswork but its out there. That last place anyone would look. The shrinking frontier or the dead marshes before The Detestable Valley.