Who made this?

[emet_sulk]

Type: Text
Sender ID: emet_sulk (Emet-Selch)
To: Public
Subject: Who made this?
Warnings: Cursed horse

[ It's just a photograph taken of one of this month's bounty targets and presented with nothing more than a simple, terse message: ]



Who made this?

Comments

[emet_sulk]

If there are other creationists here then I have yet to meet them. And if there are, I would like to know how they can Create when I cannot.

That creature is most assuredly not a saint in any way, shape, or form.

[withermarked]

You used to create things?

If you're saying that, I'll take it you're from one of those worlds where that term means something very different to mine. Unless you're certain that thing was never a person?

[emet_sulk]

I can hardly speak for whether it was once a person or not. All I can say is that its arms all appear to have subtle differences. I would call it a chimera, not a saint. 'Tis the sort of thing I would expect from a youngling's first foray into Creation.

[withermarked]

[ ...Which might mean more than one person. ]

I think I've heard that term, but only here. What do you mean by Creation?

[emet_sulk]

Amongst other things, my people could create creatures out of aether. I suppose facsimiles of them would be more accurate. They did not possess a soul like true living things until the star deigned to grant it to them.

A fair few made it their life's purpose to craft a new and novel creature to add to the star's ecosystem.

[withermarked]

[ He's not sure he's following all of this, but he's also not sure if he likes it or not. ]

Alright, first off: aether?

[emet_sulk]

Aether is the basic essence of life and matter in my world. It governs the currents of the star and is the foundation of every living thing, be they plant, animal, or man. Without it, we would not exist.

[withermarked]

Is that so?

Well, in my world it's not unheard of to give something life through prayer marks, but that power still comes from the gods.

[emet_sulk]

I'm not a god and we did not pray for it. It is something anyone can do with enough talent.

Less so with the current state of my star, that said. But it used to be almost impossible for mortals.

[withermarked]

I suppose that's not that strange, now I'm used to this place.

The state of your star?

[emet_sulk]

It has been sundered at the aetherial level, its essence divided into ten and four parts. Like a pitcher of water with its contents poured into thirteen cups.

[withermarked]

I'll admit that still means very little to me. Do you mean your world, or the sun there, or something else...?

[emet_sulk]

No. I mean the physical state of our own star. I don't believe any of the stars beyond were affected. The shards exist in a...pocket of space apart from the original. An almost insurmountable barrier separates them all.

I suppose it would be hard to imagine without seeing it for yourself.

[withermarked]

[ He's really not sure what a star means here if it's neither of those things, but he's not sure if it's worth trying to iron that out. ]

It certainly seems to be.

[emet_sulk]

Visualise it as another world which is connected to the original via a near-unbreakable bond then.

Imagine something being copied thirteen times over, with each copy taking substance away from the original. That is essentially what I mean when our star was 'sundered'.

[withermarked]

I suppose I can imagine something like that. How did it happen?

[emet_sulk]

We had summoned a god, Zodiark, to help us renew our star after a devastating calamity. A woman, with the help of her associates, made herself into another god in order to stop Him, and decided that all of our existences must be struck apart the same.

[withermarked]

I can't say I'm surprised if adding more gods wasn't the best solution. Even if they can be made use of at times.

[emet_sulk]

There were no gods before we made them. And in the years hence, I've yet to observe anything which would change that reality.

[withermarked]

Is that so? I suppose it could be the same where I'm from, but there's no way to be sure.

[emet_sulk]

Perhaps. As I said, I've yet to observe anything truly worthy of the title. Every self-proclaimed god that has emerged has been slain by mortal hands.

[withermarked]

How easy are your gods to kill?

[emet_sulk]

That would depend on their attributes, the amount of aether used in their creation, and whether or not their mere presence can temper mortal minds.

Not terribly easy, all told. I said they were slain but I never mentioned the price paid to do so.

[withermarked]

I suppose you didn't, no.

It's not unheard of where I'm from, but it's not so clear cut when they're really dead either.

[emet_sulk]

Are your gods Creations as well? So long as a single person has the idea of it in their head, they can be brought back numerous times.