Hello and welcome to Priest of God Quest, where you are in fact, a Priest of a God set out on pilgrimage to heal your Deity's hurt pride and ego. This is my first ever quest, so hope y'all will enjoy.
When one thinks of gods, one always thinks of Limbs. No town is complete without at least a small shrine of the disembodied hand, to which the passerby could give a quick prayer. The Priests of Limbs were known throughout the lands, easily recognized and adored by all the people for their works. To the other gods, Limbs was blessed. If a baby was born healthy, Limbs was thanked, when a sick cow made a full recovery, Limbs was praised. When a priest of Limbs came to town, a celebration was held, for with them was brought the gift of health.
When a man was given a gift, no one thanked Geve. Whenever someone continued to live, no praises were given to Maw. The other gods were Jealous of Limbs’ popularity, how people recognized its power and its gifts. It was not Limbs fault they were unknown to the world and they did not blame it for their lack of favor amongst the mortals, they simply wanted favor as well.
So some one hundred and twenty years ago the other gods went into the minds of mortals in major cities and gave them knowledge. Knowledge of their existence and power, of what they could do for them and what they wanted from the mortals. Churches were established and Priestly orders were made for each deity. Their goal: To travel the world doing the works of their god to both gain its favor and spread its name far and wide.
The Priests were raised in the churches from their sixth birthday until their twentieth. Trained and blessed by the gods to perform their miracles and spread the knowledge of their god. These priests set out on a pilgrimage to achieve this goal, to spread their god to the unfortunate, ignorant foreigners.
(1/2)
You are one such Priest, now one the fourteenth day of your pilgrimage.
This is the fourteenth day aboard the Crabby Whore, a trade vessel that whisks you from your home, the desert port Iskth to the land of Forests and Fools to the northeast.
You are
>Male/Female
>A Priest of Maw, the God of Survival. Also the God of Living
>A Priest of Geve, the Goddess of Giving, Taking, and Sharing. Also the Goddess of Sacrifice.
>A Priest of Idall, the God of Discovery. Also the God of Knowledge
> A Priest of Haa, the God of Sleep, Inaction, and Sloth. Also the God of Death.
>Write-in (Name, themes of the god, and (optional) blessings, vestments and misanthropic attributes of the god/priests.
Info on gods: http://pastebin.com/RKHD00vC
>>45558446
>>Write-in (Name, themes of the god, and (optional) blessings, vestments and misanthropic attributes of the god/priests.
A Priest of Eeladt, the God of Dreams, Madness, and Poetry.
>>45558446
Male
Priest of Geve
Male
A Priest of Sargas, Scorpion God of Protection, Truth and Treachery.
>>45558594
Me as well.
>>45558446
>>45558842
Forgot to add
>Write-In.
>Male
> A Priest of Haa, the God of Sleep, Inaction, and Sloth. Also the God of Death.
>>45558842
Second
>>45558842
Third
Since this vote is may be just a little bit important to determining everything about well, everything, I think I'll leave it open a bit longer.
Also y'all come up with fun god ideas
Male, priest of The Unknown, God of Questions, Mysterys, and Foresight
WINNER:>>45558842
Sargas, the Scorpion God of Protection, Truth, and Treachery.
Appearance: A smiling aged man with thinning hair. The rest of his body is a naked, anatomically correct copy of your own body. A dark blue scorpion’s tail juts out of his ass and arcs over his body.
No matter where you position yourself, the stinger of the tail will always be pricking you in the back.
The most Important rule for all living beings is look out for number one.
Be it man or beast, one must sometimes turn on one’s own to advance or survive in this world.
But who feel empathy for the traitor?
Who would feel remorse for the Bitch that ate her pups to survive the long winter?
Who would understand the strugglers of the vizier who poisoned the benevolant king for power?
They are shunned, hunted, and loathed by those around them, for the simple act of doing what they could to make themselves more.
Sargas understands, he grants power and protection to those that betray, he is the traitor god.
Tens of Thousands of years ago Sargas was the god of consumption. The gods had made the world and were content to let it go its place, each made a pact ot leave the mortals to create their own fate and live their lives before ascending to the realm of the gods.
Sargas broke this pact when he tried to devour the heart of the world, only partially succeeding before its entire body burst, its vital juices flooding the world.
Its lifeblood corrupted and destroyed the rest of the world. The rest of the gods were unable to stop it, not knowing what had caused the corruption, they were unable to stop it.
With their precious creation on the brink of destruction, Sargas told the pantheon of his crime, and thus Limbs was able to destroy himself and rebuild the world.
Thus Sargas was reborn as the God of Protection, Truth, and Treachery.
He blesses and gives protection to those that Betray. But will only forgive and then bless their works when they come clean about their Treachery.
>>45559414
I like it, so im assuming were gonna be the big bad
>>45559475
You have choices.
You could try to become the big bad
You join the side of good only to betray them for the big bad
You could join the side of evil and betray them to the good guys, think the Jew Hunter from Inglorious Bastards
you could be Revolver Ocelot and have such a convoluted pile of allegiances that who fuck knows what side you are on.
But well, first you need to get off the boat.
>>45559569
I say good when it rewards you and evil when it doesn't.
>>45559569
>you could be Revolver Ocelot and have such a convoluted pile of allegiances that who fuck knows what side you are on.
>>45559569
>the boat
The ride never ends
>>45559414
Man thats gay. Who wants to be a backstabber?
>>45559707
Ya don't have to backstab everyone, but you are one of the blessed of the god of traitors, so it is in your nature.
You can be faithful to some, and you will always be truthful in the end, it is part of your dogma.
Also update's almost done, these first few are a wee bit slow as Sargas was out of left field so a lot of backstory and characters are having to come straight out of my ass.
>>45559817
In your dreams you see an old man, his face old and wrinkled, his hair a light dusting on a wrinkled, tanned scalp.
He grabs your tan hand and pulls you into a close embrace, his other hand patting you on the back in time with the light pinpricks of his tail.
“That was quite the achievement you have managed, young one.
Most do not pass this part of the final test until they are at least twenty three years of age.
To manage it at a mere twenty is a feat indeed.”
“Do not worry, your brothers and sisters of my order will not hunt you.
They are proud, so very proud.
To run off with one of the four great relics of my church warms my heart, if this is your beginning then I can only imagine what great things you will do in my name.”
“However, that does not mean that you will get off scot free, for a traitor that has not come clean cannot yet be forgiven.
The order will not hunt you, but they have not simply let you escape either. But now I believe you should rejoin the realm of the working. Good luck, my child”
Pain spreads through your body as Sargas’ tail tears through your back, piercing your heart,and injecting its poison into your core.
You wake up from a rather peaceful rest in your dreary cabin in the Crabby Whore.
Jumping down from your hammock, you pick up your journal from where it rests on a small wooden table, the sole article of furniture in this room.
Another tick mark in it makes fourteen. Fourteen days since you fled the priesthood with a holy artifect in tow.
Fourteen days since you laughed, cried, and hugged your three co-conspirators goodbye.
So glad to be able participate in such a magnificent scheme for Sargas and his blessed priests.
They are surely dead now, hung by the neck til dead, then put up on stakes and paraded around town as magnificent and wretched champions, to admire their audacity and cunning, but fear the repercussions of such an act.
(1/2)
>>45560180
You know the priesthood will have prepared for you in some such way and that the journey to the land of Forests and Fools will not be as simple as just waiting on ship to reach it.
Your order is crafty, you should know, you think, beaming inwardly with self congratultation.
You close the journal and don your vestments, grey robes with a dark blue scorpion tail going down form the hood to the small of your back.
Looking out the porthole you can see it’s early morning, you might as well go outside and enjoy the sea air and talk with the sailors.
This is a ship to native Iskth, they know you and your kind.
They know you have done something and are fleeing and that it has to do with the box you keep in your room, but they don’t know what.
They are simply waiting, curiously until you come clean, as they know a Priest should.
>Stay inside, inspect your artifact for traps again for the fourteenth day in a row, avoid the sailors.
>Go outside, continue to pretend like you are simply going on a pilgramage without first part of the final test of a Priest of Sargas, that is one that has NOT betrayed the order.
>Go outside, bring the artifact, come clean to the sailors.
Now, what the fuck did you steal?
>Amulet of Transference
A thin amulet made up of a small ruby triangle encased in gold with a silver chain.
If it pierces the still beating heart of a man then pressed to your temple, you will gain some of their skills and knowledge.
>The Edict of Control
It appears to be an ornate scroll. If you have someone willingly sign it as a binding contract (so you'd have to write a contract on it) then you gain dominion over them.
Commands can be resisted by individuals with greater will than your own and controlling groups at once can be taxing when you are weak and inexperienced with it.
The scroll reverts back to blank form whenever a contract is completed or a day after it has been written on.
>Write-in
>Amulet of Transference
Now on the blessings of Sargas
All Priestly Orders have some method of healing, or they would quickly die off on their pilgrimages. Also it makes them more accepted in societies, as others are able to forgiven the 'slight eccentricities' of the priests, as they know they are able to heal and help out.
The Priest of Sargas can use Sargas' poison. By laying their hands upon a wound a priest creates an oily, clear substance that can heal most any wound or cure most any ill. Their healing abilities are only weaker than those of the Priests of Geve and Limbs, as both of those can basically recover someone from the brink of death. Yours takes a little time and thus if someone has been I don't know, decapitated, you're not gonna be able to save them by putting the head on the neck and keep your hands on the cut, they're not gonna survive.
The trick? Shit's poison, you are putting some of your own, Sargas blessed essence inside them. Heal an arrow to the arm and you'll be able to control their arm if you wish for a short while. The greater the healing, the greater the control you gain and the longer it lasts. It stacks and cannot be resisted.
The healing only works on willing targets.
The other major miracle the priests have is the ability to manipulate magic, rumors, and beliefs.
However the bigger it is, the harder it is to twist.
You can try to twist a spell someone cast to turn on its creator, a fireball to fly back at its caster, a barrier to only let attacks in and trap its occupants.
The world may try to help your schemes along when you try to convince people of things or change the truth.
The blessing of Sargas is the protection of the traitor.
When plotting and betraying you and those with you are blessed with greatness. You will be somewhat stronger, healthier, luckier while scheming.
However after you come clean you, your partners, and your victims are all blessed. Each will receive a reward to their station in the events that took place.
If anyone's still here, I need votes to do anything.
I'm sorry about the big infodumps right at the start, but they really should be a one-off thing.
Rolled 31 (1d100)
>>45560354
Lets go outside and lie to the sailors
5min warning til the vote for action and artifact is closed.
>>45560596
Second
You keep the amulet in its box under your bed.
It is simply too valuable and well known an artifact to be seen with amongst your own kin, they will know of your crime.
A crime you are not willing to admit to, your action was a grievous crime against the church, what if the sailors were to turn on you for such an action?
You sling your satchel over your shoulder and put your sheathed scimitar on your belt, the sole accessory you have.
You've got an alright stash in your satchel:
five pairs of two-way communication stones, a flask of your poison, a sealed dropper of normal poison, your wallet, fattened during your escapade.
You left the day of the crime, news had not spread yet and thus the sailors would have no way of knowing what you did.
So you will cover your betrayal with a lighter one.
You betrayed the organization by not betraying them.
Leaving for your pilgrimage without destructively proving yourself worthy.
Sure it is dumb and roundabout, but pure-hearted.
The weakness of the story is made up for by
You know the goody-two-shoes aspect of it.
They will believe it because it will make them happy to believe it, regardless of how flimsy it is.
Breathing in and out to calm yourself, you climb the ladder to reach the top deck, mentally preparing yourself for the ordeal.
A cool breeze brushes your face as you push clamber out of the trap door and onto the deck.
But before you have your footing, you are yanked into the air by the the back of your robes.
Bor, a sailor nearly your height and half again picks you up and deposits you on the deck.
The gigantic man smiles at you and heartily slaps you on the back.
"Ho little priest, good to see you out of your box again.
We are always honored to have one of your kind with us. We hope we can entertain you more than your little box during this voyage."
He looks at you, grinning innocently as he tries to get you to come clean yet again.
You close your eyes tight, inhale, and look him square in the eyes.
(1/2)
>>45561820
His face grin widens, exposing two rows of gold teeth.
Turning around he shouts,
"BOYS, GET DOWN FROM YOUR STATIONS, THIS BITCH CAN SURVIVE A FEW MINUTES WITHOUT YOU'RE TENDER MINISTRATIONS, OUR PRIEST HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!"
The sailors crowd in front of you, all eagerly waiting for what they know will be the grand story of your betrayal.
"Sailors of the Crabby Whore, I have a confession to make. I did not take the test. I have no money, information, or magic I have taken with me, nothing for you take, or take part in. I have betrayed my order by not betraying them.
I could not bare to hurt those that have raised, loved, and taught me. So I have been unable to do what they wanted. It is my great shame, but the shame I bare in my rising to a priest."
I hope you can understand and forgive me, I know you all must have had high hopes for me, and I hope I have not disappointed you too much"
The crowd is silent.
The sailors look to one another, the air thick with disappointment as they go back to their stations.
Bor looks down at you, a mixture of pity and regret on his face.
"Kid, I know that must have sucked to say, but I'm sure ole Sargas is blessing you right now for telling us.
And well, there's something you should know, down in the hold there's something you should see. It's in the bright blue barrel with the broken seal. You should know, even if you cheat, the Order is always ready to give the final test.
You go down into the hold, in the back behind crates of fish and fruits is the barrel.
You pop open the broken seal and look inside.
Your eyes go wide in horror.
Those magnificent bastards.
Those utter, magnificent, cunning bastards.
The barrel is filled to the brim with meat infused with gold, the stuff reeking of magic.
Sea Monster Bait.
>Panic
>Go Back up to the Deck and Panic
>Get your necklace, go up, and tell the truth (Panic optional)
>Get your necklace, hide it on your person, and go up to Bor (Panic optional)
>write-in
>>45562147
Also roll 1d20 for the shit that you know is about to down
That 2k word limit per post will be the death of me
Rolled 13 (1d20)
>>45562147
Man the fuck up and use the bait
>>45562258
Oh no, the bait is already set.
To the big beasties of the sea this ship smells delicious.
The ship is basically one, big, slow, defenseless meal in their eyes now.
You've got sea monsters inbound
>>45562289
Can I use my roll for prepare to fight?
>>45562310
Yeah (though the roll is both preparations AND monster, so funny things could happen on crits)
Best highest/crittiest roll will be used regardless of what the choice is.
I kinda need votes for actions
If anyone is here that is.
I'll give it 20m, if nothing then I guess it's dead.
It's time to
>Get our necklace, hide it in our person, and go up to Bor
and
>Panic
>>45563275
You run straight through the hold, clamber down the ladder, and straight to your cabin.
The time for subtlety is gone, this boat is a floating meal for sea monsters, and you are just one of the many hors d'oeuvre. You rip apart the box and take shove Transference into your satchel, you may need it to day. You muffle the thought might have needed it the past thirteen days as well.
Scrambling onto the top deck you spy Bor ordering about other sailors, the deck now filled with men carrying nets, harpoons, acid vials, and all other sorts of equipment, the ship quickly becoming ready for battle.
Frantically smacking Bor on his forearm gets his attention, he looks down, letting loose a quick chuckle at your shaking, sweating form.
"Y-Y-You knew this, you knew we were on a sheep that would be a feast for beasts!"
You stammer out.
Bor just looks at you and smiles.
"But of course sweaty priest, for we are all in men Sargas, you revealed your truth, so we came clean with ours, did we not!"
"Our treachery is laid bare, for we promised you safe passage, did we not!"
"But Sargas smiles upon our betrayals and beams upon our truths. He would not let such a beast come upon us until we have laid out selves bare, no?"
The ship begins to rock harder, the water around it frothing and churning much harder that it had been moments before.
"So calm yourself, for today we will bring great honor to Sargas and wealth and glory to ourselves!"
"MEN LET US BECOME KINGS OF THE SEA"
Sailors all around, ones netting the water, ones manning harpoon cannons, ones patrolling with various weapons, all begin to cheer.
The boat suddenly rocks backward and stops.
Something is blocking the ship.
Out from the water bursts a poor facsimile of your ship. It is the size of a man, and groans like a man.
What do you do?
>Write-in
You can always stab someone and use the amulet to try and take some of their abilities, physical and/or learned.
The sailors will listen to you.
Rolled 8 (1d20)
>>45563820
Stab a sea monster and try to learn what I can from it
>>45564004
This is a wonderful chance, this odd beast may be a threat to the yourself and the ship, but the power contained in the it could soon become yours.
Truly he has given you a wondrous gift.
You run across the deck of the ship the tip of the prow, where the man-sized "ship" waits,
The sailors watch to see what you do before acting.
Watching a priest in action is a rare treat.
A vertical slash of your scimitar splits the skin and white blood oozes out of the wound. Several more slices to the wound create a hole of torn and bleeding flesh in the bulbous mount of flesh that had once been a ship.
You take out both the amulet and the poison dropper. putting one in each arm you jam your arms into the flesh wound, hands reaching around until you feel a quickly pulsing muscle.
The amulet grows warm in your hand and you pull back that hand as you squeeze the dropper empty with the other.
You press the amulet to your temple, and feel power come to you.
The power of disguise, to make yourself appear, sound, and smell like something that would attract or disarm your prey. The knowledge behind this magic floods your being.
>Gained the Illusion spell
Priests of the traitor god do not deal with weak poison. The bulbous decoy limb sloughs off in bloody chunks, as does the now-visible antenna that lifted it out of the water.
A massive fish, with tarnished grey scales bursts from the water. The beast, sporting a half-melted, bleeding forehead, a misshapen maw filled with countless sharp teeth the size of short swords and bulbous eyes looking back and forth for the cause of its agony. Its teeth latch onto the mast, digging great rents into it, while its pointed fins flail about cutting four sailors to pieces.
Actions?
>Everyone, charge the beast!
>Let me show you the power of a Priest. Use your diguise to try and goad it into letting you heal it, with such a wound you could surely take control of the beast.
>write-in
Rolled 19 (1d20)
>>45564455
Lets try to take control of the beast and use it to fight the other monsters
>>45564767
>19, time for fun
You walk toward the beast, a plan forming in your mind. This is what you have trained your life for. It is time for power, glory, and money.
You smirk as you instruct the soldiers to hold their positions and do not harm the beast.
The air around you ripples and discolors as you channel your newfound power.
Where you were is now the center of a near identical fish as the one on the deck. You stow your amulet away while the sailors cannot see you.
The illusory fish floats through the air, the illusion clipping through parts of the boat, until you reach injured beast.
It sees 'you' and stares, making rumbling whimpers.
You will the illusion to comfort it, to promise it safety and health.
Sailors look on in wonder as the monstrous fish with a half melted forehead whines to an identical, albeit uninjured fish that coos at it while clipping through the deck as the ship bobs up and down.
The beast quickly relents and you walk up to it and climb up its teeth, placing your hands on its melted forehead.
Sargas' poison covers the wound and soon the beast is made whole once more.
The beast calms down and stops thrashing, looking at your illusory self with the utmost gratitude.
Smirking you break the illusion.
"Hello, dear pet. You are mine now."
It mouth opens wide as it prepares to lunge and devour you.
Your grin simply gets wider
"No, bad pet. You follow my orders now. Poor, poor foolish little one."
You snap your fingers and the beast flops once.
"Now go, do not sully this ship with your awful body, we desire... gifts. Go, get us the bounty of the see"
The rest of the voyage will be clear now, you now have the best bodyguard one could want for sea travel.
What do you want to do with the fish? You have total control over it for the rest of the journey, but it will break its bonds soon after.
>Let it go back, it would be a tale for the beasts of the sea
>Have it sacrifice itself to you, get its power.
>roll 1d20 for its fishing
>>45565232
Sacrifice
Rolled 7 (1d20)
>>45565678
The high of gaining dominance over such a beast doesn't last long, as you nearly collapse after taking two steps, leaning against a barrel to stay vertical.
You created gallons of poison to dominate that beast, far more than you ever attempted to create before. In fact that is the hardest you have ever stretched your miracle muscles. You feel less like the king of the sea monsters and more like soggy bread. Well, physically at least.
You catch your breath before raising one fist to the air and triumphantly proclaiming
"MANY A GOD AND MAN MAY CLAIM THEY HAVE SLAIN A SEA MONSTER, BUT WHO CAN SAY THEY HAVE TRICKED AND BENT ONE TO THEIR WILL?"
"None but us and Sargas, we are the kings of the sea monsters, kings of the kings of the sea! Now let us enjoy our tribute!"
The men cheer and the beast bursts from the water spitting live fish all over the deck.
The rest of the trip is peaceful but hectic as the sailors attempt to find a way to store the tons of fish your beast spits onto deck.
Unfortunately, it seems that your little debacle has scared off any of the more dangerous specimens of the deep, leaving you with a harvest of delicious fish, but no monsters.
You're treated like a king by the men, all of you feast and imagine what you'll do with the tidy fortune you will get from the sea's tribute.
On day of the journey you command the beast to jump back on deck.
Looking it in the eyes you give it its a final commands
"Do not move."
The fish freezes in place, it gills, fins, and eyes all unmoving.
"Now show me your belly die for me, slowly"
You order a sailor to fire a harpoon cannon straight into its exposed stomach.
The harpoon sink in deep, and when retracted, rips out massive chunks of flesh.
The beast stays perfectly still throughout all this.
You pat the man on the back and walk toward the beast. Putting your hood up you climb in the hole, scimitar cutting away flesh until you see its heart.
It is beating, but is clearly slowing down.
(1/2)
>>45566184
You pierce the amulet through its heart. The ruby warms in your hand and glows softly.
You press it to to your forehead and wonder as the life of the monstrous fish.
>Gained monstrous maw. You can temporarily transform your mouth into a jaw of the deadly ship fisher. The jaw is about the size of your head and can bite through trees.
You grin to yourself and bite through the fish as you work your way out.
You grin at the sailors and they quickly go to work carving it to pieces for materials.
A few hours later, cleaned off fish gore you step off the ship and onto the harbor.
A before you is a fairly decent sized city of white stone.
Bor gives you three full pouches of coins, the entirety of the ship's current coffers, a small fortune, enough to buy a small house, as thanks for the great fortunate you have bestowed upon them.
You have reached the land of forests and fools
Here none of these people know of you, your god, or your order. To them the only Priests are the healing Priests of Limbs.
What do you do first?
It is midday, and you know that while the sailors will be busy emptying the ship until nightfall.
That means news of your actions will not reach the majority populace until morning at least.
>Go find an inn for the night
>Go get drunk at a bar
>More men means more power, although you are unknown today, go to the local guild hall to see if anyone needs a Priest.
>write-in (this is a smaller, but successful port city, you'll be able to do/find most city activities/places here)
Rolled 2 (1d20)
>>45566556
Hell lets get a home (with space to further build above or below groung) since were going to be here for a while
>>45566652
You can stay here and build yourself up or you could get your money and blow out of town, the choice is yours.
>>45566698
>blow out of town after confessing to stealing the artifact then find another town while maintaining an illusion
