GLOGtober '23: Failed Gods and thier consequences

My first entry for this year's GLOGtober is slightly late, I was a bit stuck on this first entry. Now could I have set the first entry aside and first done a different one that was easier, yes yes I could have. For the first entry I rolled a 1, but couldn't think of something that spoke to me, so I rolled again, either as a replacement or something to combine with the first prompt, and got another 1. Damn what a coincidence, so I rolled my d6 again and can you guess what result I rolled that third time?

Challenge 1: Failed Gods and their consequences.

The Heavens do not weep, they bleed. A thousand years ago a being known as the Three Legged Spider attempted to breach the vault of the sky, to take the Throne of Heaven for itself. It successfully cut open the firmament, but itself was greviously wounded. The Heavens ooze thier ichor to this day, slowly cleaning out the wound. The poisoned divinity still drips down to earth, giving birth to monsters like Nothic and Ettercaps.

The Three Legged Spider, is a failed conqueror and a failed god. It lies curled up somewhere deep, deep beneath the earth. If you could find a shrine to it, and if it has any power left in it, these spells might be granted.

• RAZOR LOGIC: select up to [dice] parts of the enemy's stats to temporarily cut out of existence. They no longer interact with that system for [sum] rounds. For example, razoring HP would mean the enemy no longer takes damage or deals damage. If you razored CHA, they can no longer make related checks or hold retainers. At 4 [dice] this effect is permenant.
• BLACK HAND: For [sum] rounds, one of your arms turns invisible. You get an illusory arm on the same side that you can control freely. Small objects, like a dagger, held in this arm become invisible. The arm can interact with ghosts, pass through walls, etc.
• SPITE:  Whenever the target creature would roll a critical success, it becomes a critical failure instead. Target will also feel anxious and irritable for the spell's duration. Duration: 1 [dice]: [sum] rounds, 2 [dice]: [sum] days, 3 [dice]: [sum] weeks, 4 [dice] [sum] months.

Gods are are destributed things, they are more patterns then entities. So what destinguishes a god from the background noise of existance? What seperates one god from another? The answer is the god's dream, each god is/has a dream of world.The Three Legged Spider's dream is a world of descrete objects where each thing is one thing and one thing only. Many gods blur together with thier sisters and have no issue with that for thier dreams are close, but to the Three Legged Spider it is a mark of failure.

We know that the Three Legged Spider lost it's limbs after it cut a hole in the sky, but how exactly that came about is a mystery.

Some say that the five Heavenly Dogs ambushed it and tore off a limb each, at which point it fell into the sea.

Some say that the five Heavenly Dogs each grabbed one of it's limbs, and to escape the Three Legged Spider, severed it's legs itself.

Some say that the four Heavenly Dogs cornered it, and decreed that to answer for it's crimes they will take it's limbs. The Three Legged Spider promised that it will never look upon the sky, if the Dogs swore to each take precisely 'a leg and fourth of that'. The hounds agreed believing that this would leave the arachnid limbless, not realizing that they promised to take an additional fourth of a leg, not a fourth of it's legs. They seethed as the smug bastard crawled into the underworld.

Some say that upon seeing the Heavens open the Three Legged Spider felt guilt for the pain it had caused. So in penance it sewed the wound shut, penitantly using five of it's legs as splints to keep the sky from collapsing.

Some say that it was betrayed. By far the most popular story. It's lietenant, it's closest friend, maybe even it's lover backstabbed the Three Legged Spider and stepped into the wound instead of them.

Five stories, precisely the amount of legs the Three Legged Spider doesn't have. 

They are all wrong.

More Strangers

 Inspired by this post, I decided to make my own post in this style from character ideas I had lying around. Also shout out to Cat Dragon for providing feedback and editing help with this post!

1.Elena Smirt

Most gnomes smell of petrichor and ozone, Elena smells of ozone and charcoal. A doomsayer and heretic, following her own syncretised form of Annitism and Humorism called “Gnomsitism”. Has a habit of ranting like a lunatic. Pissed someone off with her rancid demeanor; who’s she on the run from?

Stats. As a Cultist from The Monster Overhaul (p.19), except her Blight doesn’t recharge if she hasn’t ranted about doom to someone, and are all powered by the element of ASH (fading fire, apocalypse, genesis). By her gnomish nature she can take 1d4 nonlethal damage to create a jolt of electricity, and as a properly raised gnome has the Tinker skill and speaks Gnomish (the language of gnomes, inventors and weather). Knows the Leap of Faith delta (from the Annitism post) and will initiate anyone willing to join her cult.

Who’s she running from? (1d4)

1. Zinlas Smirt, her conservative grandmother and high priestess of Gnome Ann Isle. Elena’s stolen a 10’ Idol of Gnome Ann which grants 1 MD to magics that defy or reinforce impossibility once a day. Pursued by gnomes on lightning skiffs.

2. The Driftwood Papacy, it was inevitable. Elena’s stolen a sacred canister of Hyper-Vomit, which can induce divine hallucinations and megalomania from just a single drop. Pursued by Wind Crusaders and Driftwood Liturgists.

3. The Flints, a notorious pirate crew, feared for its two gay dads and horde of adopted children. She “stole” their boat cat, Bubsy ‘Fatfuck’; in actuality Fatfuck stumbled onto the wrong boat during a night of heavy drinking. Pursued by the Berg Flint, Elena is convinced they are going to gut her like a fish, which is untrue. They just want their cat back.

4. Corniva Smirt, her ex-wife. They divorced in mutual agreement; it was either Elena or the Spiders and Corniva chose the latter. What was not mutually agreed on is that Elena stole the child they crafted together, Horlo Smirt with stats like Robot Servant  (MO: p.301) except he is a fully sentient child, who is impacted by mind-altering effects and is torn between the moral codes of both his mothers. They are pursued by clockwork creatures and plush doll men.

2. Jack Ashtray! The Hurricane!!! The Man with a Suitcase!!! The Greatest Liar in the World!!!!!

A cocky and ostentatious wizard wearing an obviously fake mustache and a candy cigarette in his mouth. Has a seemingly unending supply of paper glasses, prank toys, cheap magic tricks and cards on him. Cracks jokes in the face of terror. Wheels around a suitcase that makes your stomach churn. What’s this guy’s angle?

Stats. 1 HD, has Fast Talk, Raconteur and Rover as a Rake, and the Slight of Hand skill. Knows 1d6 ‘spells’ from this list, which are all utterly fake. Inside the suitcase is a curled up mummy. One of the first liches, horrendously powerful, deeply cursed, imobile. It hates existence but loathes itself too much to die.

This Wretch believes that it’s under a very powerful binding spell, so subtle that it can not even perceive it. Due to the constant terror of being next to such a malignant power, Ashtray is immune to all other fear.

Seriously, what is this guy’s angle?(1d4)

1. I got some real power on my hands, some bonafide sorcery right here. Ancient wizard or not, this thing is a mark if I ever saw one. I could make a lot of money!

2. This old sack of bones thinks I’m a wizard, and you know what? Who’s to say I’m not? Fake it till you make it, baby!

3. My hair is falling out, I can’t sleep due to the nightmares, but I can’t just throw it away. It has promised to make me regret ever being born. I need to get rid of it!

4. Better men have tried to kill it, and better men have failed. But the world could do with less scoundrels like me, and it could certainly do without this horror. While I still have the upper hand, I will destroy it!

3. Crabcules

Not his real name, just the moniker he’s going by on dry land. Believes crabs to be biologically superior beings, but not actively bigoted against any land folk only because he hasn’t ‘figured out the hierarchy’ up here.  A nobleman and martial artist belonging to an empire from beneath the waves, has come to the surface world because to find a worthy opponant.
Stats. As a Giant Crab (MO: p.271) but otherwise as a Knight (p.21). He’s very easy to goad into any kind of contest, and if defeated either fairly or spectacularly swears unwavering loyalty. This is the only way to recruit him. When underwater his shell provides armor as plate and shield because he knows how to breathe good.

Aquatic Martial Arts.(1d4)

1. Practices the Secret Art EXCELLENCE IS UNATTAINABLE as an Artist. Seeks a master who can teach him how to do The Self Remade when one’s musculature is constrained by a thick shell.

2. Learns styles like a Duelist would. The style he already knows is by convergent evolution similar to the Cynical style of Cynocephali, from which he knows a stance equivalent to Aggro and a technique analgous to Humerus. Seeks a master who can teach him the Panache one needs to subdue foes without crushing them into paste.

3. Follows Ways as a Monk would. Has 1 Ki and knows the Ways Roar of the Raging Gale and Grasp of the Broken Mountain. None of these landfolk take his kung-fu seriously, so he seeks a master who can teach him Honor.

4. Has studied an ancient and venerable style, based on the beast known as the ‘Mantis Shrimp’ among land folk. With a turn of meditation can prepare himself to snap his claws so fast that it sends out a shockwave. Underwater this does damage as a cannonball, on land like a wet rubber band. Confident he can figure out how to make it work up here by himself.

4. Flesh Fairies

These fluttering, cat-sized sisters were all born in the same ‘litter’ of a Fleshive, designed to be healers. They have a telepathic bond with each other, and a more distant one with the hive that spawned them.

• Pich: Cherub-faced and sanguine. Talkative and curious, wants to be friends with everyone and has telepathy-inducing saliva. The human interpreter with a good bedside manner.
• Vert: One-eyed and choleric. Small-dog energy, wants to protect her family from all conceivable threats, and has numbing saliva. The anesthesiologist and lookout.
• Holi: Toad-faced and phlegmatic. Lethargic but precise, wants to study novel organisms and has flesh-sculpting saliva. The surgeon and secret keeper.
• Mori: Large-mouthed and melancholic. Agoraphobic, wants to take a nap and has antibacterial saliva. The pathologist and nest builder.

Stats. As Skeeters (MO: p.212), but they act as one and only get one attack that inflicts a chosen saliva on a failed CON save. They have 7 morale together and 2 morale when alone. Outside of combat, they can serve as excellent physicians and maids if you're not squeamish. 

If they like you enough they will offer to brew you healing potions. To make one they need diverse organic materials and a day of downtime. They are selective about who they give their potions to, because in addition to the usual effects the imbiber must save against gaining a random mutation. After saving, roll a d8. If the result of the d8 is equal or lower than the amount of mutations obtained from these potions, the imbiber becomes a child of the Fleshive with all that entails.

What the fuck is a Fleshive? (1d4)

1. An ever-bubbling pot of the soupborn, these sisters were born in a tribe with a very advanced understanding of the brewing arts. The girls are on an adventure to see the world, and ask for souvenirs and stories in return for their services. Pich is charming enough to rope her sisters into escapades, and can somehow fit in any social setting.

2. A floating colonial organism, basically a giant sky-bound siphonophore. The girls got separated during a storm and ask for help finding their way back in exchange for their services. Vert took responsibility for this mission. She can predict the weather and hates sky-whales in particular.

3. A creation of a flesh cult, a living breathing temple. The girls are out on missionary work, and ask for conversions or donations in exchange for their services. The sisters look to Holi for guidance, for she is a well read religious scholar.

4. Once a dragon now something like a tree, with roots that dig deep into the veins of the earth. The girls are on a diplomatic mission, and will exchange their services for someone who will put a good word in with the local authorities. Mori can burrow as fast as she flies, so she’s the envoys’ pathfinder on top of making sure her sisters brush their teeth regularly.

Discussion:

There is a sensible amount of hyperlinking that can be put into a post, i think I have gone to far.

Elena is an old PC from the August Synod mini-campaign from a while back. She is an utter mess, it was wonderful remembering her.

Ashtray was a character from an abandoned web comic project about a road trip across America in the SCP-verse. This project was going to have 6 main characters. 4 humans each with ties to one of the GOIs, the Wretch and a sentient minivan. Jack was planned to be a Gamer Against Weed, who used to be a part of AWCY?, until he got away. So his deal is sort of like Journey to the West if Xuanzang followed dril instead of the Buddha and Sun Wu Kong had zero redeeming qualities. The project stalled and eventually my intrest into the SCP-verse died. When I heard of Mob Psycho 100, I instantly fell in love with Arataka Reigen, but was also upset that someone wrote the premise of 'fake wizard pretending to be a real wizard' so much better then then I though of it.

Crabcules is a character from a failed shonen webcomic project. He is composed of three 'jokes'. Joke number 1 is a combination of the carcinzation meme with the stock shonen badguy motivation of being obsessed with strength and considering themselves the ultimate being. Joke number 2 is the visual gag that while everyone else is drawn in a cartoony style, Crabcules is rendered as a photorealistic crab. He would still do absurd anime nonsence like flash-steps and what have you, but as a visually utterly un-anthropomorphic crab. Joke number 3 is based on this tumblr post:

Where a weak non-combatant main character says to Crabcules "Yeah you could kill me, but that's not hard. I bet your so weak that you can't build a house." To which Crabcules responds by running off to learn carpentry, and progressively the non-combatant character tricks Crabcules into learning cooking, poetry, non-lethal combat and ballet. This eventually leads Crabcules to gain enlightment which allows him to do that that Jojo scene with the frog, and of course learn the power of friendship.

The illustation for the flesh fairies is uncolored becouse coloring is hard, and thier illustration is already the most difficult one to do. Thier origin will remain undisclosed to the public, if you manage to guess it correctly, you will earn my eternal terror.