The Gods II

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This Chapter
Mana Sources in Era Omega
Special Rules for Era Omega
Becoming Supreme Deity
The Denouement
If Supreme Deity is a Loyal God
If Supreme Deity is a Demonic Ally
If Demons Destroy Heaven and Earth
Demons

The final struggle for dominance, Era Omega is when the fate of the universe will be decided. Demonic hordes from the distant Void (an abstract group represented by no players) stand poised to attack Heaven and Earth, while a few key demons (actual demon players) prepare the way. Meanwhile the gods compete among themselves to determine who will be the Supreme Deity who will lead the forces of Heaven to victory. Without a Supreme Deity the gods are destined to lose and be destroyed by the forces of Nothingness.

Era Omega is divided into two portions. The first part of the session is Ragnarok. The second part is the Denouement, in which the details of the new universal order are determined by the Supreme Deity or by the demons. The Denouement begins whenever a Supreme Deity is chosen or one hour before the scheduled end of the era, whichever comes first.

Century- and Era-End Mana Sources during Era Omega

Era Omega is considered to last a single century on Earth (a 17th century of Earth time after the 16 centuries of Era Centrum). This century ends precisely halfway through the era. While activity may continue on Earth after this point, there will be no further mana from century-end mana sources and no actions not directly inspired by the gods. The only reasons for gods to use history powers during this time are to gain mana from events, to influence pantheons for purposes of becoming Supreme Deity (see below), or to fulfill goals or objectives.

Since mana provided at the actual end of Era Omega would be useless to the characters, era-end mana sources are actually calculated and distributed halfway through the era, immediately after the final century ends. After this point, the only mana distributions are from event sources.

Special Rules for Era Omega

No Surrender: During Era Omega, gods and celestial spirits no longer have to accept surrender from their opponents. Any combatant may choose to ignore a surrender and simply kill his opponent.

History Powers: History powers may be used in Era Omega just as they are in Era Centrum. However, there will be no further centuries, so any effects which take place in the "next century" will have no effect.

Completion of Goals: Since there will be no following transition phase, mana for goals completed in Era Omega is awarded during the game session. After completing a goal, a player should find a designated gamemaster at the first opportunity and receive her mana.

Buying New Sphere Cards: Gods can purchase new sphere cards from the sphere pool during Era Omega. A referee in the Hall of Doom should hold all of the cards and sell them to any player who can provide the price. Cards are sold on a first-come, first-served basis to whoever can provide the mana costs listed under Buying Sphere Cards in the rules for transition phases. Optionally, the referee may hold an auction, if there is a run on certain cards at the beginning of the era. Characters who gain a new sphere card in the middle of the era immediately gain use of all appropriate powers. However, they do not gain any of the mana sources which would normally come from the extra card.

Becoming the Supreme Deity

Before a god can become Supreme Deity, he must cast the Candidate power. Once that is done, he may become Supreme Deity at any time by fulfilling any one of the following conditions:

• Be elected Supreme Deity by unanimous vote of the Great Council. All members of the Great Council must be present at a Council meeting to do this. Furthermore, the Council must have at least seven members. If there are less than seven Council members, then this condition cannot be met. No powers may influence a character's decision when voting on selection of a Supreme Deity; each player/character is free to vote any way she wishes.
• Possess 25 mana for every god character who has ever existed in the game (including those who have left the game or been obliterated).
• Be the favored god of the mortals. To achieve this condition, there must be at least 600 mortal population units on the Earth, you must have at least 25% in all pantheons, you must be the sole member of pantheons representing at least 25% of the world's population, and your total number of worshippers (apply your pantheon percentage to the population total of each race and add them all up) must be 90% or more of the world's population.
• Be the sole greater god.

If no character has become the Supreme Deity by one hour before the scheduled end of the final game session, then the demonic hordes of the Void sweep in and destroy Heaven and Earth.

Demons

Though demons can exist in the game as early as Era Aleph, Era Omega is the time when they are most likely to appear in large numbers.

Demons are the personification of entropy, nothingness, and negativity. They stand as the opposite of all positive forces, the ultimate evil, the perversion and reversal of all that the gods represent. Their goal is the annihilation of all thought, life, matter, energy, space, time, and concepts. To the demons all existence is anathema, the target of their hatred. Presumably, if they succeed in destroying the gods they may even go on to annihilate themselves in order to achieve the true nothingness for which they long!

When a player's character is obliterated, rather than leaving the game that player gets to play a demon. Players should note that a demon is not a continuation of their previous character but a completely new character with completely opposite objectives.

Demons have three types of powers. First, all demons share a set of common demonic powers. Second, each demon has two random demonic powers chosen from a deck of cards in the Void. Whenever a demon is killed he must discard his current random powers, shuffle them into the deck and draw two new random powers. (A demon does not get to choose new powers if he is killed twice within a 30 minute period.) Third, each demon has a unique demonic gift power. This power must be chosen by the player when he first starts playing the new demon character. New demons may not select a power already chosen by a previous demon, unless there are more than 12 demons. No more than two demons may have the same demonic gift power unless there are more than 24 demons, etc.

If killed, demons follow rules different from those of gods and celestial spirits. During transition phases, demon players may write myths and choose goals and objectives just like other characters.

Demon players should note that their central objective is inherently negative. They can only win by preventing the other players from achieving a certain goal. Unless there are large numbers of demons, their only hope of doing so is to sow dissension among the gods. Demons must be subtle and tempt the gods into becoming dependent on demonic aid; the demons are rendered almost impotent if the gods unanimously refuse to deal with them.

The Denouement

From the instant the Denouement begins, the characters may use no further powers and may not attack one another. All non-permanent power effects (those with a set or triggered ending) come to an end. All effects of persuasion powers cease. All dead characters return to life. All movement restrictions are lifted. In summary, all game mechanics no longer work; the remainder of the game is pure politics and role-playing.

All gods and celestial spirits must gather in the Hall of Doom. All demons must gather in the Void.

At this point, the course of the Denouement depends on how Ragnarok ended. There are three possible outcomes for Ragnarok. First, a god who is not a demonic ally can become Supreme Deity. Second, a god who is a demonic ally can become Supreme Deity. Third, if no Supreme Deity is chosen then the demonic hordes destroy Heaven and Earth. Follow only the instructions for the ending which occured.

If a Loyal God Becomes Supreme Deity

If a non-demonic ally becomes Supreme Deity, then the Supreme Deity immediately leads the gods and celestial spirits into the Void to destroy the demonic hordes. Any demonic allies among the gods are revealed. All demons are annihilated. (This can be actually acted out if your location allows a swarm of players to troop from one room to another and act out a great battle. Otherwise just say it happened and invite all of the doomed demon players to come to the Hall of Doom and observe the actions of the winning side.) For each demonic ally, the Supreme Deity must choose to either annihilate him or sentence him to an eternity of torment (after being stripped of greater god status); no leniency is allowed. All of the following actions may be performed in any order.

The Supreme Deity must perform the following actions:

• Parcel out any cards in the sphere pool among the gods. He may give no more than three to any god (including himself).
• Assign the three Council offices to any three gods or celestial spirits he wishes, not including himself.

The Supreme Deity may perform any of the following actions unilaterally:

• Promote any lesser god to greater god if there is a vacancy in the Council. (The Supreme Deity is himself still considered a member.)
• Declare one god or celestial spirit to be his enemy. The enemy is banished from Heaven. The enemy must choose one of three fates: 1) descend to Earth and live among mortals, 2) eke out a meager existence skulking about the fringes of Heaven or in his demesne, or 3) set off into the Void in search of a better universe. If the enemy is a greater god he may no longer vote in the Council, though his seat is not actually vacant.
• Declare up to six gods or celestial spirits who have his "favor" and up to six gods or celestial spirits who have his "disfavor". These are undefined situations, but generally mean that the favored get extra popularity and perks in Heaven, while the disfavored are shunned and never get an even break.
• Make up to three willing celestial spirits into lesser gods using a greater sphere card from the sphere pool rather than one of his own.
• Allow other greater gods to make willing celestial spirits into lesser gods (using spheres they possess).
• Revoke any Council laws.
• Use his powers to create sweeping changes on Earth. Basically, he gains about 25 mana to spend on creation powers and about 100 mana to spend on history powers. Rather than count up every detail and point, use these numbers as a rough guidelines and just let the Supreme Deity change the world in broad strokes.
• Repudiate without penalty any divine oaths he may have sworn in the past.

The Supreme Deity may perform any of the following actions if the action is supported by a majority of the Great Council (seven or more).

• Transfer control of any demesne to or from any gods, as long as at least one of the current controllers also agrees.
• Banish any number of gods from Heaven. Banished gods must choose a fate as if they were an enemy (see above).
• Strip any god of one (but no more) sphere card, returning it to the sphere pool. This may not be done to a god who is an archteype or a primal being.
• Pass new Council laws.
• Grant titles, authority, and duties to gods or celestial spirits. These can be just about anything, from Lord/Lady of the Underworld to Mucker-Out of the Guardian Beasts' Den.
• Free any minions from their obligations to any or all lords.

The Supreme Deity may perform any of the following actions, in any order, if the action is supported by near-unanimity of the Great Council (all but one member must vote yea).

• Strip any god of greater god status, removing him from the Council, freeing his minions, and making his Council seat vacant.
• Sentence any god or celestial spirit to eternal torment.

It should be noted that the Supreme Deity cannot obliterate a character (other than a demonic ally) or return an obliterated character to life.

If a Demonic Ally Becomes Supreme Deity

If a demonic ally becomes Supreme Deity, then the Supreme Deity immediately leads the demonic hordes into Heaven in order to consolidate his rule. Though Heaven and Earth are not destroyed, they become dark and dangerous places in which the demons run wild and both gods and mortals live in constant fear. The Supreme Deity disbands the Great Council, ruling as a tyrant, enforcing his decrees through his tenuous and uncertain command over the demonic hordes.

The Supreme Deity must perform the following actions:

• Take up to five cards from the sphere pool for himself.
• Hand over all remaining cards in the sphere pool to the demons. They do not become gods and the cards are held collectively, not individually.
• Revoke all Council laws.
• Repudiate without penalty any divine oaths he may have sworn in the past.

The Supreme Deity may perform any of the following actions unilaterally, in any order:

• Declare up to six god or celestial spirits to be his enemy. Enemies are annihilated and eaten for lunch by the demons.
• Declare up to six gods or celestial spirits who have his protection. The demons may not harm those under the Supreme Deity's protection.
• Make up to three celestial spirits (willing or unwilling) into lesser gods using a greater sphere card from the sphere pool rather than one of his own.
• Use his powers to create sweeping changes on Earth. Basically, he gains about 25 mana to spend on creation powers and about 100 mana to spend on history powers. Rather than count up every detail and point, use these numbers as a rough guidelines and just let the Supreme Deity change the world in broad strokes.
• Transfer control of any demesne to or from any gods, as long as at least one of the current controllers also agrees.

The demons may, by majority vote, perform any of the following actions, in any order:

• Annihilate any god or celestial spirit. Players of annihilated gods do not get to play demons.
• Use their demonic or sphere powers to create sweeping changes on Earth. Basically, they gains about 25 mana to spend on creation powers and about 100 mana to spend on history powers. Rather than count up every detail and point, use these numbers as a rough guidelines and just let the demons change the world in broad strokes.

Each individual demon may perform any of the following actions.

• Sentence one god or celestial spirit to eternal torment.
• Grant himself a title and authority over the gods and mortals.

If the Demonic Hordes Destroy Heaven and Earth

The demon players and demonic hordes immediately sweap into Heaven and annihilate all gods and celestial spirits who are not demonic allies. (This can be actually acted out if your location allows a swarm of players to troop from one room to another and act out a great battle. Otherwise just say it happened and invite all of the demon players into the ruined Hall of Doom to announce their victory.) Players of annihilated characters do not get to play demons.

For each demonic ally, the demon players must choose by majority vote whether to treat him as an equal, enslave him, or banish him; demons are notorious for backstabbing their allies. If a demon ally is banished he must flee into the distant Void and wander eternally without companion or home.

Other gods and celestial spirits may also be considered to have survived the destruction of Heaven if before the demons won they used powers which would allow them to escape into the distant Void, abandoning Heaven forever. The exact parameters of this option are up to the gamemasters.