Contents Realm Your Deity His Summons His Demi Gods His Harem Becoming Forestborn Ranks Tributes Follower Relations Blessings Cursings The Shrine is Open
It's quiet. That's the first thing you notice. There's lush plantlife, golden flowers and such a sense of life that you'd expect there to be noise - animals, plants, followers. But it's still. No breeze. You get the sense that the forest is waiting, almost. It doesn't know you yet, so it doesn't know how to react. For whatever reason you have come to the realm of the God of Life Cycles - and what a realm it is. A huge forest tucked away, an impossible expanse. His nickname - Prince of the Forest - suddenly makes more sense. But how are you to find him here? You've only come a few metres in and already everything looks the same...Hm? Movement. Your hands tighten, almost worried - but it is only a light. A glowing, floating light that comes to hover in front of you. You reach out, and it floats forward.
A guide, you realise.
And so you follow your guide to a lush glade where the Prince awaits. It’s not the stereotypical ‘peace’ that you feel as you enter his glade – the kind of enlightenment people always preach about churches, cathedrals, mosques. It’s a density of - not so much the air, perhaps – but of feeling. It’s not hostile, but neither is it welcoming. Simply a sense of something more - not judging or weighing – it doesn’t even feel sentient - but you get the feeling that somehow, if you were to try and harm the Prince, they would know.
Usually you’d attribute it to the guards that have been posted everywhere, now that the cursed have become more and more vicious. Only – nobody ventures up here. Even the guards discourage visitors – not actively of course – but you get the idea that for all their praise of their Forest Prince….he lives a lonely life. But then he is a Neutral God - you might never know what mood you catch him in. As you enter the glade, he turns and smiles. Unlike his followers, it’s not a smile of a predator, the flash of fangs that is as much lazy threat as amusement – a constant reminder that they allow you here, and that at any moment they could take that back. It’s there, certainly, in his tanned skin,thickly muscled limbs, the four clawed paws that could rip you to shreds in a single movement that you could not hope to follow – but he is covered in small herbivores, the prey that the others hunt. Yet, on his tail (ridiculously fluffy, the small rational part of your mind notices – how is it so clean? And where did that gene come from? All the other felitaurs have normal tails – well normalish…) lies a fox, a carnivore, and not a few feet away from it a small monkey chewing on a leaf. There is something else about these animals too. They all have gold pupil-less eyes. And as the prince raises his hand to wave, you notice his lack pupils too. Shining, endless pools. You raise yours too, waving back at the religious icon of the forest, the deity, the living god, and you find yourself glad that you've caught him in a good mood.
His dextrous front paws sent the falcon upwards, boosting it into the skies and as it cries it’s lonely cry, the prince shuts his eyes, and for a moment there is something of that missing enlightenment – but before you can grasp at it, it fades, and you are left with the feeling of missing something. You grasp at it, trying to wrap your mind round what it is - but before you can do anything else, he speaks.
“Thankyou for coming, visitor.”
He smiles at you again, and you mumble something pathetically embarrasing as a reply.
“You must be curious about me. Come, sit with me a while.”
Against everything – embarrassment, anger, fear, a nagging feeling you can’t identify – you find yourself doing so, resting on the Prince’s haunch as you sit in the glade. He curls his pillowy tail around you, the fur protecting you from the occasional gusty breeze that chills the forests. Most of the animals slip away into the trees. As he speaks he gestures with his hands, the dust-motes playing in the light that penetrates the canopy. You find yourself watching them as they sparkle in the light. You can almost see the figures as he speaks of his tale dancing in the shimmering pinpricks lit by the foreign sun.
Doubt is left behind. Rationality is having a break. Suddenly everything that was missing before is here in full force as his hands weave patterns in the air, as the forest breathes with his breath. You barely notice as the animals from before return, as the falcon lands with it’s cruel talons a hairs breath from your neck, as a tiny, spindly fawn emerges ghostlike through the trees and lays it’s head upon your lap.
The story has begun and you are enthralled, helpless to resist it’s call.
“The forest is unique, young Pockettu. You no doubt have already felt it, seen it. Everything here bends to my will.”
You know this, you spoke to other pockettu before coming. You’d scoffed a little at first, though - even for a god, how could he control such a large expanse? - but scepticism has been leeching away slowly – and now it seems to have vanished entirely, blown away on a curl of lazily heated air.
“If I wish I control everything. There is nothing here that escapes my notice - even a small pockettu, curious but unsure."
He pauses, shuts his eyes. The figures pause as he breathes in and out, motes hang in the air motionless. Everything awaits his next words – even you.
He sings.
His voice is not what you would imagine an angel’s to sound like. His vocal cords are still part feline. A rough, rumbling sound that’s not quite a purr accompanies his words and the tune is a child’s rhyme, a nursery – nothing deep, nothing moving -
So why are you crying?
“Deep within the forest green, Lives a God, rarely seen, His eyes are gold, his fur ne'er the same, and if you scorn him, fear his name, Laithnu carries the cycle of life, death, birth, mind like a knife, he may bless or curse thee, he may take you in his arms, but be careful be careful, when the forest wind calms~" ”
A child’s song – you’ve heard bits of this, you realise. Children skipping in the forest – the figures show that too. But before that, you protest. Somehow I knew before that. And even though you don’t voice it, Laithnu smiles as he continues the tale.
"I am strong. I speak and the forest listens, they say.
They tell of how I divert waterfalls, of how I prevent disease.
How I cure the sick, make plants grow when the stocks run dry.
And yet-“
And yet he lives up here, alone. The felitaurs fear him as much as revere him. They discourage visitors. They make a sign to ward off bad luck whenever a visitor mentions him.
“And yet they tell other tales too.”
The falcon shifts – you are suddenly away of how sharp those talons are. The deer stretches, and you see the sharp nubs of horns on it’s head, tiny but deadly –this world carries many poisons.
“Tales of fear, of horror. Because the forest listens to me, but I must listen to the forest. The forest is paradise. But paradise is impossible.”
A butterfly alights on his flank, it’s wings flap delicately and you see a tiny dust spread into the air. The wind blows it into a spiralling shape as it dissipates.
“That dust can be refined into toxins. If a child touches the wings, it becomes sick for three days. In the concentrated way, it is a potent poison for killing prey."
You are frozen – the dancing lights in the air spiral madly, the figures bend down, pray.
Laithnu closes his hands over the lights and smiles sadly at you.
The falcon launches into the air, the deer melts into the forest. The animals slip away and Laithnu stands up, freeing you. He offers a hand to help you up, but you are fixtated on a warning one of the felitaurs gave you.
“ The prince is the forest, the forest is the prince. And the forest takes as much as gives.”
You wonder if maybe visiting was such a good idea after all.
TL;DR
Laithnu governs over a large forest which he can bend to his whim! As a Neutral god it's always a tossup how he'll react to intruders - though those bringing tribute are always welcome~ There's plenty of legend and superstition surrounding the forest, and any wanton destruction of his realm is going to be met with anger - however there are plenty of dangers in the forest including natural disasters and poisonous plants and creatures - in short, you always have to be alert when in the realm! His own 'shrine' so to speak is a large, cleared glade.
Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:21 am
Lord of Life Cycles // Prince of the Forest // Laithnu
Laithnu is the Lord of Life Cycles, and his powers relate mainly to it. His grasp over 'Death' is tenous however, due to Luk's control over the domain, and likewise, should a god of 'Life' spring up, his control over that would likely suffer too. No, what Laithnu truly excels at is Change. - the moment of death, the instant of birth. Growth, aging, breeding.
Perhaps connected to this is the changing of his coat colour - gold for summer, cream for spring, brown for autumn, and white for winter. His coat also changes for 'aspects' however - if he is blessing something his coat is liable to be cream or gold, whilst a cursing will be brown or white. Likewise, it is always cream at a birth and white at a death. The coat colour will also affect his mood and general demeanor - Laithnu during Spring is far more likely to bless a breeding than Laithnu in Winter.
Perhaps related to how his domain is about change, Laithnu is very concerned about Balance. Whilst his words are generally kind, actually getting him to act upon things is very difficult - and once he has made up his mind about things, it's incredibly difficult to get him to change it. Indeed his way of thinking can be very black and white - if you can get him to make a desicion at all.
In general, Laithnu comes across as a pretty nice guy - and he is very dedicated to his followers. Any attack upon them will be met with as much force as he can muster - and that is some force indeed. When roused, he's a force to be reckoned with - but it's rousing him that's the issue. Laithnu far prefers to reserve judgement then to deal it out.
The Honour Guard // Fashioned in his Image // Felitaurs
Fashioned in his own image, the feline centaurs - or felitaurs for short, are laithnu's personal honour guard. He often dotes upon them more than his other followers - but on the flipside, he expects them to behave 'better' - ie. more balanced that his general followers, and is stricter upon them when they fail.
Four legs lends these creatures good agility and their claws excellent climbing ability - unlike their lord, they don't have hand-paws however, and must rely on their torso pair to do detailed work. Another difference is the scaling present on them, and the long whiskers, along with the more feline faces. This makes them formidable fighters - the thick scaling allows them to take hits with almost no damage to their softer insides, and their animalistic attributes lend them both speed and strength, whilst their human arms allow them to use weapons or shields and grapple effectively also.
Not to say he wants them to be fighters - whilst their default posistion is honour guard, he encourages them to find and pursue their own interests, even if it means they don't want to be in his guard at all, or if it takes them away from their guarding. Despite his reluctance to change things, Laithnu truly cares for all his followers.
Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:23 am
Domain-Bringers // Power Holders // Family All The Same
Demi gods that choose to join Laithnu are expected to follow his tenets whilst within the forest boundaries - including no wanton destruction for evil demi's, and no over-active acts of healing for good-aligned demis - no interference, so to speak! Outside the forest he is less controlling of their behaviour however - as it is in their nature...which is part of life, after all. Demi's serving under Laithnu are given a lot of independence to do as they will unless he assigns them a specific task - though should they wish to do a specific job, he will of course encourage and help them to the best of their ability. As a Neutral God, Laithnu can accept Demigods of any alignment.
Current Demigods
Peregrine - Demi of Destruction An Evil-Aligned Demigod, Peregrine embodies Destruction in all it's forms, and takes on a draconic form. He also looks after the tributes, though occasionally I do have to remind him that it's not a hoard, and to stop piling things up! Despite his alignment, Peregrine is more on the mischevious side of evil than the outright malicious - though as his domain implies, he simply adores destruction, the darling.
The first thing you should know about Laithnu and Courting is that he's really, really bad at it. He stumbles and bumbles and loses all composure when it comes to trying to court someone - which means he rarely does it. Combine this with his familial love for all his followers and you have a God which it is quite difficult to get close to romantically. That isn't to say it isn't possible - but it might take you a long while.
In contrast, Laithnu is very much happier to have kids with you. He ~adores~ cubs and will happily have them with anyone as long as they'll look to be a good parent(s). He understands finding love can be hard, and that sometimes finding someone who wants to settle down and have kids with you is hard - he also understands that sometimes you want kids but your partner is uncomfortable with helping make them. It's okay, he's here for you.
On that subject, Laithnu adores kids of all kinds, and should any of his followers have kids he wants to see them and adore them!
Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:31 am
Joining the Forest // Praising the Prince // Becoming Family
To become a member of the family involves a pledge to Laithnu and (depending on his mood) usually a hug or two. The only time Laithnu is likely to not accept a follower is if they're connected to one of the gods he's not in favor of, or if they're disrespectful in his realm. Of course any liasons with the cursed make a follower right out too! But otherwise he's open to any kind of pockettu - good, evil or (ideally) in between.
The tenets he asks his followers to live by are as follows:
Respect the circle of life, and try not to interfere with it. Do not damage the forest in which we dwell unless you have a good reason such as clearing space for a home or the suchlike. You may of course hunt for food and the suchlike. Don't fight with each other too much - no matter our differing views, we are family.
[size=18][color=green] I can hear the forests call...[/color][/size] [img]pockettu img[/img] [b]Name:[/b] [b]Why they wish to join: [/b] [b]Rank they wish to be:[/b]
Who do you want to be? // Positions of Honour // And of Neccessity
Unlike other gods, Laithnu doesn't require anything to move up in ranks - or indeed, even to apply for them - all he asks is that you do your best~! (The exception is the Honour Guard.)
Honour Guard
Nobody! :c
Laithnu's Personal Guard, this is a rank for the elite of the elite - or those who like to think they are. It's also a rank for those who like to get up close and personal with their god. Demigods usually take on this position, as do Felitaurs.
Guardians
Nobody! :c
In a sentence, these are those who look after others. Mothers, Fathers, Aunts and Uncles of the 'Family', they're always fussing over others. For more evil-aligned pockettu of course, this could just mean being ~super~ possessive....
Protectors
Nobody! :c
The general fighters and guards of the forest, this is the bog-standard fighters rank, including assassins along with brawlers!
Herbalists
Nobody! :c
This is a rank for healers and hurters alike - anything to do with concoctions or potions, bandages or burrs....both benign and malign plant-related business!
Cultivators
Nobody! :c
Those who are particularly drawn to the forest are suited to this role - they tend the village gardens and herb beds, make sure the more dangerous plants stay out of the shrine and the village.
Tenders
Nobody! :c
These tend the wild beasts of the forest - again, keeping the more dangerous ones from the village borders, but also healing or putting down injured animals.
Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:33 am
Gifts // Gains // Gatherings
Tribute is a great way to gain favour in Laithnu's eyes - as well as catch his attention! He treasures each gift, and will log them here.
Despite his Neutral status, Laithnu's Domain means he holds certain things above others, and whilst upon meeting other gods might change his mind, so far his opinions on the Gods (and therefore ehis followers interactions) is as follows:
Luk // Willow // Ant // Syr
Highly esteemed, these (super)natural forces are pretty good in Laithnu's books! Followers are allowed - nay, even encouraged to form alliances with these Gods!
Venezia // Hex
Laithnu has no opinions on these gods - though what he's overheard of Hex sounds like she should probably be higher on the list, for now he's reserving judgement. Followers are allowed to liase with either of these gods!
Tyche
NOPE. Whilst Laithnu hasn't met the god in question, his domain unsettles and even borders onto unpleasant for Laithnu. Whilst interaction with his followers or even the god himself might change this, for now Laithnu wants to (and his followers to) stay well away.
Cursed Gods
Do I even need to cover this? A definite NO!
Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:34 am
bold text // Italicized text // Underlined text
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