226 Interlude: Cities And Shortcuts (2/2)
Worship Swap: By targeting a soul of a creature who worships you, you can change what they worship for, or rather what they worship you as the god of. This is an extremely handy ability for managing cults.]
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The new powers the god had acquired filled him with an immense amount of confidence. They were very potent abilities, especially ones like ”Worship Swap”, and ”Soul Weapon”, both of which gave him the means to take considerable shortcuts in his journey to acquire more power.
The god quietly generated a single new power, one that syngerzied his power over both music and minds. He then immediately activated it, and the creatures he had just created fell to their knees as a variety of songs began to play directly within their minds.
The deity was still as he allowed his power to wash over the creatures. He had given himself the power to create music that inflicted status effects and otherwise altered his targets, and was now allowing those tyrannical tunes to take hold of the minds of his creations.
The creatures were stunned when music abruptly began to play in their minds, especially since even though the music was purely instrumental it still made them feel sensitive the powers and whims of their creator. His powers were akin to tidal waves that smashed against their wills, and weakened their ability to fend off his mental influence.
The god, still in the form of solidified darkness in the rough approximation of a man, began to issue orders to his minions and worshipers. As he did his voice was loaded with authority, and washed over those who heard it. His voice effortlessly crushed any and all attempts to resist him, shattering wills and overcoming any hint of rebellion that anyone in his presence may have felt, deep inside of themselves.
”I am Althos, your creator and lord. I have created you for one reason and one reason only: to take the world beneath the world of this little planet.” The deity declared, his voice awe-inspiring and immediately causing them to fall to their knees. This was their god!
The god silently utilized his powers over souls to ensure that every one of the beings in his presence worshiped him as a god of law and of one of the seven virtues. This would allow him to gain a shortcut that finally grant him the second tier of influence over the law domain and the purity subdomain.
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Althos' voice entered my mind and it was even more awe-inducing than the music that was ringing through my mind. It made me feel weak but in the most humbling of ways, and so upon being exposed to it I willingly fell to my knees. I kept my eyes closed, even as the god spoke once more.
”You all are the nobility of this city. You are to be its leaders and those responsible for guiding it.” My god and creator, the deity Althos, declared authoritatively. His voice was tremendously powerful. None of us spoke back, but I could hear excited hearts near me, their hearts pounding in the presence of our maker. I could also sense that Althos was telling the truth, and his words left me no doubt of his majesty.
”For now my first true orders for you are simple: go to your homes and get dressed. When you do enter the portal that shall appear in your homes. When you do all of you shall taken to the same place. From there you are to elect a leader. The leader you elect shall be the leader of this community.” Althos stated, speaking in his capacity as a god of law and empires. When he spoke in such a manner his voice was an indomitable force of nature that commanded obedience.
I heard portals whoosh into being, including one that appeared right in front of me. I could feel the heat emanating off of it, and it comforted me. It was a gentle warmth. I considered the god's words, but after a second's consideration I stepped into the portal and began my life.
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The next few hours were busy. That said, they were also productive. Althos succeeded in acquiring considerable power by throwing himself into his work.
The dwarf who kept her eyes sealed shut was elected the leader of this particular community. Althos also built a magical academy in the city and staffed it with people from the magical planet of Retribution, acquiring their obedience by utilizing eldritch powers to drive them to insanity and filling them with a need to educate others in the ways of magic. This meant that over the course of a few hours Althos seamlessly acquired greater power over law, purity, and most importantly of all the domain of magic.
Just as importantly was the fact that whilst he was busy driving retributioners to insanity he acquired the quest to earn the second tier of influence over the terrifying eldritch domain. And it was far from the only quest he earned either.
When the god left the city he had created, he manifested the soul-staff-turned-artifact that was now his first true, personal-use artifact. It was in his hand as he quietly stepped through a portal that teleported him across dimensions and into the realm known as The Heart Of Darkness, where his body awaited him. He seamlessly reunited with his body, soul-staff in hand, empowered and ready to utterly dominate the war he was in with Agustino.
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[Pain Subdomain Passive Abilities:
Greater Pain Inducement: You can now induce extreme pain in anyone but vestiges. At will this pain can easily induce a painful state of unconsciousness. This can easily function as a greater form of your mental-blast power, if you desire for it too.
Pain Suppression: You can cause anyone you want to not feel pain. You can also take away someone's ability to not feel pain.
Pain Generation: You can generate pain that you store for the sake of the pain-transferral ability you possess.
Attitude Towards Pain: As per the active ability of the same name, but now it is a passive power.
Pain Aura: Creatures who come within range of your aura begin to feel excruciating pain, unless you allow them not too.
Pain Subdomain Active Abilities:
None at this tier of influence.]