Beta Wave 2 - A Different decision and a different result.
DONNA'S POV
I hummed a tune in my head as I looked over the prompts before me. My tune went from slow and monotone to fast and excited as I read the first line.
[Welcome to the Star Rings]
'I made it' I sang in my mind. This was the most difficult of all steps. Getting in Hildelith's universe. Everything from here while not exactly easy was still at least attemptable and was something. one could act on.
[Please select your Deific physicality]
Now this had me pausing. Like other players, I had researched everything I could from the streams of the Alpha testers. There should have been races, not physicality. What was this? My tune dropped to a confused one as I looked over the options.
[Daeva]
[Djinn]
[Celtrak]
[Ordaeus]
[Daeva]
[A god rejected by reality and shunned from making or acting physically on any mortal land. These manifest their greatness through signs, nature, and the ethereal]
[Djinn]
[Gods who have sacrificed their freedom for the chance to interact with those of the flesh. Their powers while not weakened are restricted by laws]
[Celtrak]
[Chaos gods. If ever there was an evil alignment then it would be them. But of course, the lines between good and bad are not that clear. Unlike Djinns and Daevas, Celtraks are in no way restricted by anything. Only the Absolute keeps them from descending into a mortal plain and shredding reality]
[Ordaeus]
[Unlike the Celtrak who are more inclined to be either good or evil or neither the Ordaeus are strictly order aligned. While powerful enough to contend with Celtraks, the Ordaeus have a weakness which is the Cwltraks can exploit]
I mentally crossed out both Daeva and Djinn, not because of any reason than the fact that both looked boring. My interest lay in the Celtrak though. While Ordaeus looked good, I didn't desire the pull for unseeded goodness or order. Besides the description never said anything about the order being good. What if genocide was a way to keep order? Did that still make an Ordaeus good or now evil order?
I selected the Celtrak and hummed as the next options appeared. 'Hmmm. interesting' I sang as a list of races appeared. There were some weird symbols but I didn't bother myself with them.
[Please select your race from the list of available ones or mow yours]
[Races]
[Zeskos]
[Avaran]
[Raqus]
[Vadin]
[•°•°•°]
[•°•°•°]
[°•°•°•]
[Zeskos]
[Pure destructive Lightning beings with little to no restrictions on the manifestation, control, and command of their very elemental essence.]
[Avarans]
[Forged and given life from the primordial waters of creation. Their lifeblood is tainted due to their chaotic nature and their breathe wreaks storms]
[Raqus]
[Embodiments of destruction. Raqus are known for their love of destruction. With an essence of fire flowing within them.
[Vadin]
[Voided. Born of the dark space and having astute control and affinity over its vestiges]
It was like the choice had been made for me. I wasn't exactly a pyromaniac to love fires nor did I think just throwing lightning would cut it in this game. As such my choice was predetermined.
[You have selected race Vadin]
[As a Celtrak you have the option of double physicality]
[Creating Ring Core]
[Creating mini Ring Core]
The pain was harsh. Like the lightning I had rejected had returned to smite me for the audacity. It was a fast tingle that went through me before abating as quickly as it had struck.
[Ring Cores created]
[Ring Cores of a Vadin Celtrak alligned]
[Please name yourself]
'Names, Names. Names. I wonder.' As a new god of chaos, it is something that doesn't seem to surprise me. 'Wow, I must have been desensitized by those streams.'
'Irony, hmm. Muse. Nope, what of, what of... hey. How ironic would it be for a chaos goddess to love music and excitement? Hmmm. I know. What better than a goddess who ponders over life, yet also sees inspiration from it for her actions'.
'Muse. In both senses of the word'
[Name selected - Muse]
[Name resonating with Celtrak physicality]
[You have gained Ability - Songster]
[You have been gifted Divine Relic - Harmona's Taschengeige]
[Songster]
[Your hum of beautiful tunes has borne interest. By composing songs you give meaning and intent to their lyrics. Songs and lullabies bring effects to reality. Songs not composed by you will have less effectiveness and songs tweaked or rewritten will gain 20% effectiveness.]
[Plus 50% effectiveness with Chaotic related options]
[Harmona's Taschengeige]
[As a Muse you have touched on the higher goddess of Music's sector. As a gift for your beautiful hums, the goddess grants you the relic - Harmona's Taschengeige crafted by the goddess of Tech as a gift. The Taschengeige boosts all songs and all tunes uttered from your lips. All lyrics used are memorized by Harmona's Taschengeige for later use. Playing Harmona's Taschengeige without lyrics and intent powered by one's chaos causes strife and confusion.
Gives Boon of The Stalwart]
[Boon of The Stalwart]
[You and allies share a clear mind from all confusions and mental status effects. You remain unaffected by effects from other reality-warping powers of Celtrak gods and others.]
[To Receive Gift you accept to bring drama and excitement to Harmona's boring days]
[Warning while this does not puts you as a subordinate to the Higher Goddess Harmona it does make it clear you have received a blessing from her and are as such affiliated in a lesser manner to her. Other higher gods will be privy to this and such affiliation can only be lost on subordination to another higher god]
'With great gifts comes great annoyances'.
Still, I wouldn't let up on such a beautiful gift, as such I accepted without wasting time. 'Now what?'
[Random spawn activating]
[As a Celtrak Vadin your spawn location will be determined by area of affinity]
[Spawning...]
*
HOMER'S POV
Unlike many would think I did not wish to head for the Star Rings. Yeah, it was popular. Yes, its creator was the strongest of all. But there was this theory of too much speed leading to stagnation at the top. After all, it was harder to climb but easier to fall.
I wanted a universe that had not seen the light of popularity. One that would be the underdog so I could then build it into supremacy. The classic underdog tale.
But alas my plans were not to be. Simple change of plans.
I ignored the first two as I believed none would be foolish enough to fall for such a trap. One restricted your powers, how was yet to be known. The other kept you from descending. Everyone knew that gods were known for coming to the mortal world to perform feats that would both gain them followers and create tales and lores. But if you were unable to descend then what was the point?
I wasn't a goody two shows either but also knew how lethal chaos could be. But order was a good power for my plans. 'Ordaeus it is then'.
[You have selected Deific Physicality - Ordaeus]
[Please select your race from the list of available ones or make yours]
[Races]
[Zeskos]
[Avaran]
[Raqus]
[Thortes]
[Desiso]
[•°•°•°]
[•°•°•°]
[°•°•°•]
[Zeskos]
[Pure Lightning beings with little to no restrictions on the manifestation, control, and command of their very elemental essence]
[Avarans]
[Forged and given life from the primordial waters of creation. Their lifeblood is the tides of the sea and they breathe the storms of the skies]
[Raqus]
[Embodiments of Purgation. Raqus are known for their love of destruction. But as an Ordaeus fire gives more heat to the cleansing of chaos.]
[Thortes]
[The embodiments of creation. Given inspiration by a colossus that lives beyond reach]
[Desiso]
[A being of pure wind and air. Rarely seen and rarely found.]
I barely thought as I chose. All the races were good but I was clear on these all being mediocre. The symbols had to carry better powers. But of course, it was difficult to choose them.
'A motivation for us to grow' I realized before looking back to the others. Air was gone, it would be disastrous but not instantaneous. Lightning was instant and was probably going to be my choice. But while I wanted more defense for what I intended to do, the fire was obviously the best for an Ordaeus like me.
I was then between both at the final point. 'Lightning or fire. Both had AOE attacks. Both were destructive. One is faster and mostly unavoidable than the other.' In the end, it all went down to using fire. Lightning would give me speed, possibly, but fire was uncontested in pure destruction. Plus, there was the obvious description that it would be more effective against chaos gods.
[You have selected race Raqus]
[As an Ordaeus you have the option of double physicality]
[Creating Ring Core]
The pain was harsh but not blinding.
[Ring Core created]
[Ring Core of a Raqus Ordaeus alligned]
[Please name yourself]
'The Founder' it was instantaneous and without thought. Names like Daedalus, Jean, and Gertrude the heroes of the Ending War had inspired mine. I wanted something unforgettable. Something that gave meaning and also displayed what I planned and when I succeeded would show to all that I had.
[Name selected - The Founder]
[Name resonating with Ordaeus physicality]
[You have gained Ability - One God]
[You have been gifted Divine Relic - Eye Of God]
[One God]
[Your plans have been laid bare, your desires seen through. The Absolute considers and professes interest. Your commands are absolute to those lower level than you, your aura commanding fear. As a One God, you possess authority over the fires of Order. Your intent is carved into being. Your flames create tools to aid.
Tools not made by order's flames are -80% effective.
[Plus 50% effectiveness in Order related options]
[Eye of God]
[As a One God you have touched on the authority of an administrator. As a gift for your bravery yet punishment for your audacity the God grants you the relic - Eye of God forged from the very •°•°• of the administrator. The Eye of God lays bare all secrets within an inch of the mortal plains. All powers seen with affinity to Order have a 20% chance of being copied.
Gives Boon of The Judge]
[Boon of The Judge]
[Your sight condemns all who gaze on it. Possibility for those who are looking within to be stripped of 50% of all powers when found wanting. 5% effective against chaos gods]
[You have Received Gift - Eye of God]
[Warning while this does not put you as a subordinate to the administrator it does make it clear you have received a blessing from him and are as such affiliated. Other administrators will be privy to this. Such affiliation can't be lost on subordination to a higher god]
'What the hell?!' I was as shocked as I was enraged. While everything was good I hated the realization that now I was in debt to a higher being whether I liked it or not. Now any achievement I performed or feat gotten would always be under their benevolence.
'Calm down Homer. Calm.'
I began thinking of the advantages. At least with the eye, I had an advantage, though I wasn't gullible enough to think that only I received a gift from an administrator. Still, there were only five known administrators of the Star Rings. While I didn't know which of them gifted me I knew only five other gods could have gifts from them too.
'Wait who says they can only gift one of us? Who even knows what's going on.' It was true. While we got gifts none knew why we got them and what plans the higher and administrator gods had.
'Focus. First steps.'.
[Random spawn activating]
[As an Ordaeus Raqus your spawn location will be determined by area of affinity]
[Spawning...]