Gathering those Plot Bunnies [very end of week two]

[ninjayeehaw]

Alright, so - never thought I'd be sayin' this, but - thanks t'Zed, I think I got a workin' idea 'f what's been happenin' behind the scenes here.

'cos without him, Yakumo wouldn't a' gotten turned back into an Investigator. First thing he done did was find me an' tell me how the Titans're throwin' a coup a' the gods. He ain't got too much info yet - turns out storm spirits ain't got the greatest sense a' focus - but at least one a' them's a Traveller, that English wizard guy.

[you know, the other one]

An' Galen, Tachibana's overlay, said that when he went t'go talk t'em earlier--

[And a memory of Galen's voice, sullenly furious, speaks.]

"Something has bewitched the gods and dulled them to blindness. For the barest fleeting moment there was intelligence in Apollo's eye, but it dulled like embers in ice, leaving only disinterested arrogance in its wake."

[And then back to Kinji's own.]

--so they're doin' somethin' directly t'mess with the gods an' make 'em complacent in their own demise.

So here's where it gets tricky. Yakumo thinks he can get me an in with the Titans - the storm spirits seem t'have all taken a likin' t'me, and they're already in on whatever the hell this plan is with the Titans, so unless there's any volunteers, I'll be goin' an sneakin' into that.

An' that means somebody else oughta try goin' back up the mountain t'try an' talk some sense into the gods. An' I reckon y'all might be able t'do that with some kinda skill that can clear their minds. I know there's a Song fer that, I can pass that on if'n someone needs it, but there's gotta be other ways that work better. If teleportin' or climbin's too far, I can make some kites an' Yakumo an' the other storm spirits can fly people up the mountain. It ain't too safe but it's a right sight faster than teleportin' or climbin' on foot.



...so. Thoughts?

Comments

[not_the_question]

And just how do you plan to clear the minds of gods? They're gods, isn't the point of being a god that you're stronger and better than everyone else?

[That's usually how people define the Doctor when they call him a god.]

It's not like they're a computer and you can just turn them off and on again. Unless... they are a computer and you can do that.

[butthemiracleneverhappen]

By convincing them that they stand to lose more from remaining as they are than by acquiescing to some reasonable demands.

Admittedly this is improbable.

[not_the_question]

Then you haven't actually answered my question, have you?

[ninjayeehaw]

[Kinji immediately dislikes you sir]

Pretty sure I already gave some ideas fer that part a' the matter. Just ain't no guarantee they're gonna work, but it's still better than nothin'. Y'all ain't exactly offerin' solutions here either.

[not_the_question]

[It's an ongoing problem.]

Well, there's a reason for that. I can fight monsters, I can't fight physics. It's entirely possible that all of this is simply the way the world is working. Or it could be a reaction to a change in the moon's position, or the moon's weight. But no one here thought of that. Everyone just immediately jumped to gods and magic.

[butthemiracleneverhappen]

Antifantasy.

(There's the psychic equivalent of a sigh.)

If the Gods have the powers they claim, regardless of their source, then there is a way to gain or to transfer that power. This world's Apollo is laid low, thus the sun goes out of its moorings. Does it matter if the cause is orbital mechanics or a flaming chariot if addressing Apollo solves the problem?

That's not rhetorical. I'm honestly curious.

[not_the_question]

Of course the cause matters! How can you properly fix a problem if you don't know the reason why the problem happened in the first place?

[He can't really believe he has to explain that.]

[butthemiracleneverhappen]

Ahaha!

Forgive me for comparing you to Battler earlier. It took him five games to grasp that point.

Could there be a mundane method to have befuddled the gods? Tailored infection or poison of some kind? Lotus-eating would be so damnably appropriate.

And it seems, from other conversational threads, that the fall of the Gods was intended to happen. If so, how would we make the landing graceful?

[not_the_question]

[The Doctor doesn't care about critiques or compliments. Of course he's right. You don't become billions of years old without learning a thing or two along the way.]

That could be possible, but it depends on what the gods actually are? In my experience gods are rarely gods. Usually aliens looking to take over the planet.

[Wait what?]

Have you considered that maybe if the gods were meant to fall, that maybe they should be allowed to fall and without grace? Helping them to fall gracefully might just start the whole process all over again.

[butthemiracleneverhappen]

Allow me to clarify.

How might we ensure they fall, but not on top of innocents or mortals?

[not_the_question]

Sometimes that can't be helped. I'm not saying I want the humans to die. I'm usually first in line to defend them. But being first in line also means that I know better than most that they can't always be saved.

I just want people to think before doing anything that might make a situation worse.

[acapriciousthing]

Usually it's that you thrive on belief.

Even beings more fundamental than gods can go mad.

[not_the_question]

That doesn't make you a god. All kinds of creatures thrive on others believing in them. Even humans do that to an extent.

You mean even gods can go mad. Of course more fundamental beings can go mad. I'd argue that anyone can go mad. But madness is often an interpretation of what's normal. So the very definition of madness can change over time.

[acapriciousthing]

Gods need belief to exit. Otherwise they fade into nothingness. That's what makes them gods rather than some other kind of near-immortal.

The very definition of madness is the fundamental being who went mad. An aspect of the universe itself.

[not_the_question]

So does Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Faery. I've never hear anyone calling them gods.

Madness, like most things is a construct relative to everything else of the one that is being identified as mad.

[acapriciousthing]

That's just because they're old gods who found a loophole to get a little more belief. Nothing likes to die off, after all.

Actually, really, a lot of the time madness defines what sane is. We all work like that. Destruction defines creation, I define life, Dream defines reality.

[not_the_question]

Really? Nothing? I've met a thing or two that wanted to.

[The only reason why he doesn't want to is he's done it enough already, thanks.]

They all define each.... Wait. You define life? So, you're Death, then?

[acapriciousthing]

Generally they want the pain to end, they don't really want to die. Life's a funny thing. It's a habit you get into.

I am. Not to be confused with the one among our hosts.

[not_the_question]

Well, that explains most of your perceptions, then. So which Death are you?

[acapriciousthing]

The one for the universe with all the superheroes. Tommy's the only one of mine currently here though.

[not_the_question]

Is there only one with superheroes? Because I made a superhero once. It was an accident, of course. A kid swallowed a gemstone.

[acapriciousthing]

A few people I've spoken to have worlds with superheroes. They seem particularly abundant in my universe though.

[not_the_question]

Then telling me the world with superheroes isn't as descriptive as you made it sound, is it?

[acapriciousthing]

It's the most distinguishing feature. It's just unfortunately not entirely unique.

[not_the_question]

Right. So, back to topic. Why do you care?