160 Rewards (2/2)
Goblins eyed her leaving and seemed saddened by it. I turned my attention to them in full and began to speak once more.
”Goblins... You have been loyal to me and obeyed my teachings.” I told them, smiling serenely at them as I spoke.
”You have been kind to animals, and you have prayed to me during difficult or lean times. I have fed you and protected you, while carefully watching you.” I declared, speaking with a kind sternness, a gentle solidity that conveyed my protectiveness of the goblins to the ones who could hear me. They began to smile back at me as my kind words filled their heads.
As I spoke I began to activate an ability of mine. And then another. As well as one final power.
I quietly activated my eldritch aura, which caused creatures near me to begin to lose their sanity. My aura was strong enough, thanks to the worship of countless beings I had accrued over the course of my life, to spread out over every goblin who was in the tribe. I watched it seep into and then past them, a smile on my face even as I spoke.
I also activated my power to induce obsessions and I targeted the goblins as well. I infused them with obsessions with pleasing me, so as to ensure that they would find pleasure and joy in obeying my teachings. I felt their minds change as I activated these powers, and as I began to draw them towards the edge of sanity. Merely my eldritch aura wouldn't really drive them insane, but it would push them closer to service-oriented insanity and that was enough for now.
I began to quietly create food for the goblins, which phased into existence behind the creatures. Eating the food would result in them falling further under my influence, and it would sustain them while they began to prepare for the changes I wanted them to enact.
”Children... Listen to me once more.” I began, a sinister smile on my face as I spoke.
”The time has come for you to begin to form a unique goblin society. One that uses my teachings to create a stable home for goblins throughout Puerto Rico, and beyond.” I explained, slowly beginning to reveal my plans to the goblins.
”I have deemed you worthy of learning more from me and in exchange using that knowledge to spread your version of the faith I inspire in others. You shall be some of my chosen servants, and in exchange, you shall live in peace and be protected so long as you keep the faith.” I informed the goblins, speaking serenely.
”That said... First you must do things on your own.” I explained, slowing down my speech to make it more direct. The eyes of many of the goblins widened when they heard this and they all responded to me simultaneously in shock and fear. I let them speak until they began to quiet down and when they did I spoke again.
”Calm yourselves children...” I responded, speaking soothingly and infusing my voice with my powers over sloth and exhaustion, thanks to my physics-based powers over sounds. This caused some of the goblins to close their eyes for a moment as a sudden and unnatural exhaustion threatened to knock them down. They managed to stay on their feet, but only barely.
”The first task you shall be given is a simple one. In the days to come you shall select a goblin from amongst yourselves to lead you. You shall do this by vote, and the goblin who receives the most votes will receive a dream where they learn my machinations. They shall be advised by a number of goblin clerics, including Mawby and Xiax, as well as goblins I shall pick and elevate to the cleric class in the days to come.” I explained.
The truth was that I had been planning to do this before Ava's death. It was one of several ideas I had on my mind in the later days of my time in my tower. It's just that in the wake of Ava's death I had to move quickly to begin to stir things up to keep Morehammer distracted, and also to prevent him from making every dwarf in the world his unwilling ally.
Now that the dwarf-god couldn't actually forcibly convert dwarves into his servants and I had begun to slander him, and would slander him more in the days to come, I could afford to make other, equally important moves.
Goblins were a useful source of faith for me and they were simple-minded yet hard-working creatures who once awed would serve me faithfully so long as I appeared to keep my promises to them. I enjoyed their simple-minded yet pious prayers and I actually legitimately liked more than a few of the goblins in the tribe. I was sincere in my stated desire to protect them.
”You have served me faithfully. I am proud of you. Continue to please me and be rewarded for your piety. Remember my teachings and keep them in your heart. So long as you do that, and you select the goblin you feel best possesses the ability to both lead you and serve me, you shall be fine and be happy.” I informed them, sensing their admiration for me gradually increasing the more they stood in my presence. That made me happy, even though I knew that this was partially due to my powers.
”Now goblins... Turn around and eat! Feast to your heart's content! Celebrate your piety and the soft spot in my heart for you by eating your fill.” I told them, still smiling. The goblins audibly cheered, and it was while they were cheering that I received a sudden notification. One that made me sigh and think snarky thoughts.
I suppose I ought to fix this. I think it's been long enough. I mused, after reading the notification. It was one that to a less powerful god, or a creature who wasn't an elemental overlord might be concerning. But not to me.
After all, I possessed great, though unpracticed, power over ice, and the environment as a whole. I quietly figured that learning through practice was the best way to learn. I prepared myself and began to act in response to the notification that had just filled my mind.
In a way the notification was egging me on, urging me to act. It was time for my powers as an elemental overlord to finally get a chance to shine.
________________________________________________
[Alert: Climate consequences
The hours of raging volcanic activity have warmed the planet. Though it is true that in the long-run volcanic activity of this scale would normally result in dramatic global cooling as a gigantic ash cloud blocks out the rays of the sun, in the short term the planet's coldest points are actually heating up dramatically right now from the force of the volcanoes you unleashed as a global superweapon. Glaciers and other frosty places are melting, and entire communities are in immediate danger.
There are other consequences of your potent powers, but in the short term it is possible that even hundreds of thousands of lives will be lost as the planet reels and begins to try to adjust to your imposed will. How will you act? What will you do?]