Death, Taxes, and Cookies: to Rule an Underworld - INTERMISSION 2 END

((Side note: Please try to tend towards voting for bigger plans rather than single actions! You don't have to, but it makes it easier for me ~w~))

[X] A New Name
- [X] Location 1 to Storefront, Location 2 to Prep Room
- [X] Failed Minogame to Bronkus
[X] Connection
- [X] Storefront to Prep Room, Prep Room to Location 3

I do a bit of minute fiddling with the specific details of the Underworld. Barold nods at me gently as I decree these strange things, and, even though I'm still far from entirely comfortable being treated like royalty (or, well, even more than that)... some part of me begins to settle in. Just a little bit.

[Result: +1 to Lordship]

---

[X] to Transform
- [X] Location 3
- [X] Make it a large walk in oven
Roll: 67+19=86
Amplified Success

Afterwards I sort of... appear in one of my new locations. I don't move anywhere, at least not in the classical sense, like up, down, forward, backwards, whatever. Though the Underworld is connected now, it feels like some weird instinct of mine just knew there was a shorter way from point A to B - and before I knew what I was doing, there I was.

That's a little concerning. I move on, looking out at the expanse of lavender in front of me - empty except for my divinity. No point in wasting time gawking. I can gawk when there's something to gawk at!

Starting to feel confident in my movements, I point my rod at the empty space around me, and like before, reality shifts. The location is pulled into form by my divinity, as naturally as folding a square of cloth.

Barold said it was furniture that makes a bakery, so why don't we make something you'd find in there? A big oven. Since it's actually a Crucible, it'd have to be something you can walk into. So it's not quite for baking, but close enough, right?

Hm. More skulls, I see.

Well, rough is right, I suppose. I seem to have overdone it a little bit - the "gradient" of divinity inside the crucible versus the outside of it is pretty extreme. I hope that doesn't cause any issues. I also hope I'll be able to enjoy increased control over this process soon...

[Result: Crucible created in location 3. New actions unlocked. +15 to all Transfiguration actions relating to the Crucible. +15 to chance of Demonic Incursion in Crucible's location. +1 to Lordship.]

---

[X] Sparring
- [X] Barold VS Bronkus

Next, I do that weird teleport move again, Barold in tow. I find myself in the newly-named Prep Room, where the similarly nomenclature'd Bronkus seems to be doing a weird mix of waddling and swimming through the void of divinity. I wave to the Minogame.

Well hello! Hah-aaah!

Does the little Lord need something of this old geezer?

Haaah, hah!

Lil' bit.

I then tell them both to spar with each-other, so that Bronkus may learn from Barold. Both of them look at me for a second, before nodding and moving into position. I exhale. For a second I thought they were going to complain! But no - the Aspect of Death ghosts over to one half of the void, eyes flickering with divine power. The turtle with a seaweed mustache, meanwhile, scuttles to the other side with another wheezing laugh.

An even fight, surely.

RollsShow

Barold Attack: 96+30=126 Defense: 56+30=86
Bronkus Attack: 62-9=53 Defense: 85+1=86

As expected, Barold wins easily - it succeeded hard against a full squad of Minogame, how could one win against it? Nevertheless, the fight drags on - if only by my Aspect prolonging it for the sake of teaching the old turtle some new tricks.

By the end of it, Bronkus is notably battered, enough that I'm not sure its' shell will even hold up. Barold assures me the geezer's wounds will recover in time, but as it waddles away, flaking red bits of seaweed, I'm certain it shouldn't see any more combat for at least until that long.

[Result: Bronkus gains 12 Exp, causing it to level up! Bronkus gains trait: Wounded, for this turn and the next.]

---

Barold. Why is everything covered in skulls?

YOU ARE THE GOD OF DEATH.

SKULLS ARE CURRENTLY THE ONLY THING ASSOCIATED WITH DEATH IN THE MINDS OF MORTALS.

THUS. YOUR OUTFIT. MY APPEARANCE. THE DEFAULT APPEARANCE OF YOUR CONSTRUCTS.

ALL ARE AFFIXED WITH SKULLS.

I... see? So how death is perceived affects everyone's appearance?

YES. AMONG OTHER THINGS.

THE PERCEPTION OF DEATH IN TURN IS AFFECTED BY A HOST OF OTHER THINGS.

WHAT YOUR CONSTRUCTS LOOK LIKE. THE ANGELS YOU ADORN YOURSELF WITH.

MORE BESIDES.

CHECK THE BOOK OF THE DEAD.

Huh... Affinities - Food, Failure, Turtles?

Sounds like a bad translation of a restaurant menu.

INDEED.

But why didn't I see these earlier? Like, when Bronkus joined us.

AFFINITIES ARE SPECIAL.

BEING BASED ON POPULAR MORTAL PERCEPTION, THEY ARE SLOW TO CHANGE.

Oh.

YOU CAN EXPECT AN UPDATE IN AFFINITIES EVERY FIVE YEARS.

Oh, okay.



W-what?

YOU CAN EXPECT AN UPDATE IN AFFIN-

I know, I know!

You're... saying it's been five years since I started doing this?!

NO.

...

IT'S BEEN A MONTH INSIDE THE UNDERWORLD.

TIME IS DISPLACED BETWEEN THE UNDERWORLD AND THE MORTAL WORLD.

A WEEK IN HERE IS ONE YEAR AND THREE MONTHS THERE.

...

I sit down, slowly, curling into a ball again. My hands are shaking, and I let the rod of Death fall out of my grip and roll along the floor. I feel my lips quivering, and grit my teeth to stop it. Suddenly, everything feels really, really heavy.

Too much... this is too much. A month? I've really been doing this for a full month?

It feels like its' been an afternoon.

And - in the Mortal World - my home... It's been half a decade. Five full years. Technically, I'm 18 now. And my brother is 22. And my mother... and... the garden...

As if picking up on my thoughts, Barold wisps a little ways away, out of my peripheral vision. I still hear its' voice, though. I jolt up at the words.

IF YOU ARE FEELING STRESSED, I ADVISE YOU TO REST.

BEING A GOD IS DIFFICULT.

...

Then why'd I have to be one?

The Aspect doesn't reply.

[Results: Stress gain doubled.]

---

Turn 4

Time passed since death: 1 month Underworld 5 years Mortal World

the Book of the Dead

- Lordship Actions -

[ ] to Create - An Altar of Creation, the Aspect called it. Something like your unnamed wand-thing, but bigger, and more personalized. This should allow you to refine your control over your divinity.
Result: Create an Altar of Creation at a specified location, which unlocks more Lordship actions. Low Risk.
- [ ] Select location to place this construct.
- [ ] (OPTIONAL) Describe, roughly, how it could look.

[ ] to Judge - A Hall of Judgement, the Aspect called it. Much less flashy than its' name sounds, it would merely be a place where you could store dead souls - once you start collecting them, that is - and decide which part of your underworld they should be sent to.
Result: Create a Hall of Judgement at a specified location, which unlocks certain Lordship and Omen actions. Low Risk.
- [ ] Select location to place this construct.
- [ ] (OPTIONAL) Describe, roughly, how it could look.

[ ] Death the Gardener - You can make inanimate objects with divinity. Maybe you can create life, too, despite the, ah, reason you have that divinity in the first place. A garden would be nice... Result: Create a Garden at a specified location, which lowers Stress gain slightly and unlocks ??? next time you take the Relax action. Obtain Nature affinity. Below Average Risk.
- [ ] Select location to place this construct.
- [ ] (OPTIONAL) Describe, roughly, how it could look.

[ ] Renovation - You're thinking of a new look for one of your locations. Your control of your divinity is still low, but you think you can create a good aesthetic regardless... Result: Change how a location in the Underworld looks, roughly. Free action (Colin can perform another action even if they take this one, and can take it multiple times).
- [ ] Select a location to renovate, and how, roughly, you change its' appearance.

[ ] Deconstruction - The old must give way to the new - maybe that should be part of what Death represents. Free action. Result: Remove a construct from a certain location.
- [ ] Select a construct in a location to remove.

[ ] Connection - If you want to get things going from one place to another, you gotta connect your locations. You and the Aspect don't have to care about the pathways between each of your underworld's locations, but everyone else does. Alternatively, you could sever said connections. Free action.
- [ ] Select two or more locations to connect, or select connections to sever.

[ ] Relocation - You should put these somewhere else. Result: Move an angel or angels from one location to another, granted they have the ability to move to said location from where they currently are. Free action.
- [ ] Select angels to move, and where to put them.

- Grip Actions -

Adviser of Grip: Barold

Pick 1

[ ] War Changes - A new Adviser must come into the fold. Result: Select another angel to be your Adviser of Grip. Free action.

[ ] Harrowing Hell - The time has come to expand. More locations, more angels, more of the Abyss to be placed under your dominion. Death must be more ineffable, more unyielding than almost any other thing in existence.
- [ ] Pick a direction. Any direction. Even ones that usually don't exist.

[ ] Sparring - The most classic way to gain experience in fighting, is by fighting. So let's have some fighting! Result: Pit two angels against one another for one round. Both gain experience, with the loser gaining more. Variable Risk.
- [ ] Pick two angels to fight eachother.

[ ] Halt! Who Goes There? - Just as you and your angels could invade the Abyss, so could the Abyss invade you. Let's make sure that's not a thing that happens. Result: Set an angel to guard the Underworld, combating any would-be incursions.
- [ ] Pick an angel or angels to patrol this turn, including your Advisor.
- [ ] Pick locations to patrol. Note: The more locations an angel must patrol, the harder it is for them to do so. Additionally, some locations are more vulnerable to attack than others.

- Omen Actions -

Adviser of Omen: None! (Please choose an adviser to be able to do actions)

[ ] Aging Mages -  A new Adviser must come into the fold. Result: Select another angel to be your Advisor of Omen. Free action.

[ ] Luck Charm - The most basic of spells - as well as the least effective. At least you don't need an Altar of Mists for this...! Result: Add +1 to another action's roll this turn.
- [ ] Action to aid.

[ ] Transfiguration: Awakening - Demons aren't the only being that can be useful to the Underworld. A once-mortal servant can be useful indeed... Result: Turn a Shade of Potential into a Reaper.

[ ] Transfiguration: Form - Your furniture isn't the only thing you can change the appearance of, now that you have the Crucible. Though... you can't change THAT much right now. Result: Change the appearance of a non-Aspect Psychopomp slightly. Low Risk. Free Action.
- [ ] Psychopomp and what to change.

[ ] Transfiguration: Infusion - Maybe your divinity can be used to assist one of your servants... Result: Give a Psychopomp +(Lordship/2) to a stat this turn. Taking this option multiple times in a row will have consequences. Low Risk.
- [ ] Psychopomp and stat to infuse.

- Misc Actions -

[ ] Relax - I've been feeling unwell lately. Maybe I should spend some time with my thoughts, lest they grow dark. Result: Lowers Stress. Taking this option too many times will have detrimental effects on the Underworld.

[ ] Q&A With Mx. Barold - Curiosity burns in my mind. I should talk to the Aspect about this. Result: Ask a question or questions to Barold, who will answer as best as it can. Free action.
- [ ] Ask a question, or questions, to the Aspect.

[ ] A New Name - I've come up with a great new name for something! Result: Rename something, from the Aspect, to an Angel, to a construct, to a location, the Book of the Dead, to even Colin themself, and more things besides. Free action.
- [ ] What do you rename, and what to?