"You could create pools of magic, where anyone that bathes in them gets aligned to a specific spell school." The old man suggested, though Jasper shook his head.
"I want to make a fundamental change to the world. I don't think I will get to this level of Worship again for a long time. There are too many bugs in the Empire to leave any time soon, and I don't want to battle another god again, at least not without the Ur-spells, and they are just too strong for this plane. The lowest tier required me and Ewen to work together to fix the rift in reality. Besides, Ewen would probably end up fighting me if I start giving out magic to anyone who wants it." He explained with a giggle, then he paused. "Though a Magical creature might be a good idea. Have you encountered a dragon?"
The old man nodded slowly. "I have encountered a single dragon, though it did not call itself a dragon. It called itself a Lindworm. It was an old creature, but the people around the entrance to its lair called it a dragon. It was located far north, deep in some icy cavern, but I am not sure what you are suggesting. Are you going to create more of those?" He asked, and Jasper tried to access the power that let him know everything that had been written down, while doing so, he adjusted his glasses out of habit.
Text from image:
Omniscient Scholar
Type: Constant effect
Energy usage: None
Full effect: You know anything that has been written in a book, though this is mostly limited to non-fiction books unless the fiction has roots in reality.
Scrolls count as books. A book has to be stored and maintained by living beings to count as being under this effect. You are not able to obtain what is assumed to be lost knowledge through this ability.
"A Lindworm is a different kind of creature to what I am looking for. From what you wrote, it has two heads and is more like a long snake with front legs and wings, right?" He looked over at Erik, who nodded. "I am going to base their design roughly off the Lindworm, though I am also going to add some hind legs. Now, I should get myself a theme for them." Jasper said, already pulling out a pen and paper to write down the brainstorming he was planning.
Erik cleared his throat. "Why do you need a theme?"
Jasper looked up from the notepad and paused for a second. That was a hard question. He couldn't say that players would expect some kind of common denominator between them. As such, Jasper mumbled something about his divine will to have balance in the world, and Erik seemed to accept this.
Together, they went over several ideas. Jasper went over ideas, and Erik asked questions that the god had tried to answer.
Jasper wanted their design to be based on some kind of Divine theme. He wanted the players to instinctively know that the dragons were divine creatures, and tying them to some sort of real-world religion was a good way of using the player's expectations to enforce making these creatures powerful and making them divine would help with ludonarrative resonance, as he expected these to be tough endgame bosses. That would help gameplay and themes meld together.
The first thing that came to mind was some kind of Archangel theme, and while it felt a little strange, it was still something that he worked with. That was until he considered that there might actually be archangels introduced into the world.
Next was the idea of them being tied to some aspect of divinity. He seemed to remember that there were some religions that had represented god through seven aspects of divinity. However, while he was the God of Knowledge in this world, he could not remember these aspects. With the system only working for ingame knowledge, he also dropped this idea.
That did leave him with one thought. He could have them be modelled after seven deadly sins. The idea was appealing and would have international recognition, as he had seen the concept pop up in enough anime to know that it wasn't just some kind of European idea.
However, he didn't like them starting out flawed. There was something more interesting about them getting flawed or corrupted over time.
Jasper tried to remember if there was something opposite the seven deadly sins. He was pretty sure he had heard something about Divine Virtues.
After some back and forth, Jasper finally sighed and wiped his brow. Erik looked at him with a sour look on his old face, though it was spoiled a little by the cloth covering his now black eyes. His eyes weren't missing. They had simply been permanently infected with divine darkness, which was unfortunate.
"Now then, I think what I have is fairly good," Jasper said, making The Scribe clear his throat.
"Are you sure about that, boy?" The old man asked, having tried to talk Jasper out of this setup for quite some time.
Jasper nodded. "Yes, I think it makes sense. I will create seven dragons, call them ur-dragons or elder dragons, or something to that effect. Each of them will represent one of the seven virtues: Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Kindness, Patience and Humility." the god explained.
Erik rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yes, and you do this because you know that at least one of them will fall to corruption, and you believe that they will contrast well with their opposite in what you call Deadly sins." The old man tried to wrap his head around the concept of planning for failure.
Jasper nodded. "Exactly".
It took another fifteen minutes of discussion before Erik finally decided that the god was mad, and he himself was mad for following him. The old man nodded to the pair of divine before walking over to Jasmine and picking her up, deciding that the mortals in the room could use some fresh air.
Celeste seemed to be drawing spirals on the ground, so Jasper decided that he should probably start creating some dragons. With that decision in place, he moved down into the hidden area underneath the orphanage, not wanting to bother her.
The maul that Kelllwan had left behind was still sitting in the middle of the room, and Jasper tried to pick it up, only to find that even with his divine strength, the weapon was stuck on the ground. He sighed and walked over to the altar.
With a quick movement of his magical might, he forced the ground to swallow the altar, making it crumble into pieces and get torn apart. Then, he replaced the dark stone around the room with something more neutral and homely. It wouldn't last forever, but by the time he was done, the once gloomy area was actually quite nice and warm. He had created some mage lights that were floating around the room, lighting things up, and the brown and greys worked better as walls than the black coloured stone had.
With the basic things out of the way, Jasper sighed and took a deep breath. "I wish to create a dragon. A creature of myth. Let it be the embodiment of Humility." With that, he poured his Worship into the creation of the new creature and felt the world shudder.
Text from image:
Creation of New Race
Private message: Oh wow! Seems like it has been a long time since you have used this system! And you are starting with a bang! You want to add 7 new dragons to the world, each representing a virtue.
Intent: A new race that is not loyal to you, and does not represent your interests. The creatures will, however, have innate magical powers, and they will help shape the world.
Cost breakdown:
- New race - 16
- Seven beings of this race - 4
- Each containing a virtue - 8
Total cost: 28 Worship.
Jasper swallowed. It seemed like it was within his price range, though he was a bit worried about the way the AI interacted with him. He blamed the large language model that customised the messages and moved on.
He paced out the creation of the divine beasts, taking his time. The first dragon he made was the dragon of humility. In front of Jasper, a large beast appeared with a serpentine tail followed by two heavy legs that seemed to plough deep into the ground, digging furrows like the packed dirt was nothing but mud. The legs soon connected to a heavy body where the scales became visible. Silvery and white, with a hint of blue, the colour of platinum or mithril. Large wings tried to spread but were confined by the narrow space of the former altar room. Then, two more legs and a long neck that stretched far enough that it had to bend to be able to fit in the room. The large head at the end of the neck seemed incredibly heavy, with long horns and deep blue sapphire eyes that pierced the world before it.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"I live." The words were a rumble that seemed to roll through the world, making Jasper swallow hard as the eyes turned to him and took him in. The giant body of a dragon seemed to fold in on itself, and soon in its place was standing a fairly tall man, clearly of Dutch descent. As he seemed to roll his shoulders, he turned his eyes back to Jasper. It was the only thing that betrayed that he was something more than human, as they were sapphire blue and seemed to pierce the god.
The dragon waited for a second before it bowed its head and went into a kneel. "It is a great honour you have shown me to be the first of my kind. However, I see no humility in your heart. Instead, I see pride in what you are. I hope I will never have to fight my maker, but know that if you do not show that even gods can be humble, I will be forced to use your gifts against you." It said, and Jasper was sure he could see a pinch of pride in the dragon as well. He knew this one was going to end up corrupted.
The platinum dragon in the shape of a man stood up, and without even telling Jasper what the god should call him, the man walked out of one of the archways, heading to another orphanage that might need a guiding hand.
Jasper swallowed and adjusted his glasses as he settled on the fact that he might just be creating more problems for himself in the future. However, he continued his work. "If it pleases the dragon of patience, enter this world in your full glory." He said, and as he commanded a new dragon to appear, it did.
This dragon was smaller than the previous one, but not by much. The wings it was sporting seemed more jagged and rough, and the scales on its body were almost red, though they still had a metallic shine to them. On closer inspection, it was like looking at raw iron ore, jagged and harsh, while still strong and sturdy. The dragon's eyes had a ruby-like shine, and long fangs the size of Jasper's entire arm seemed to snap for him.
He didn't move, though as the dragon shifted into a human form, it took the shape of an old woman with mocha skin as if she was of South Indian descent. Jasper was surprised to see her pouting.
"Aww, you are no fun. Not even a little yelp out of you." She said, in the same tone a grandmother would use.
Jasper liked her. He hoped that she would not fall to corruption, as there would be nothing worse than the wrath of a grandmother. He had once experienced his grandmother cussing someone out, and the verbal smackdown was something that still haunted his memories.
He realised she was staring at him, taking in his every move, as he tried to refocus. She seemed perfectly content on waiting however long she needed for him to return to the conversation. She was the picture of patience.
"I am sorry about that. I have had a couple of long days. But thank you for at least trying to cheer me up." He said, hoping that had been her intent.
She shrugged, her wrinkled face smiling at him. "I wasn't trying to, but I am glad you think the best of me. Please remember that just because we have a virtue does not mean we are without flaws. The seven dragons, like man alone, are weak. But together, they form a whole entity." She said, Jasper couldn't believe his ears. That sounded like a reference he knew, but the AI shouldn't have access to any pop culture. It sounded like something that he would have to investigate.
"Thank you for your advice, miss... do you have a name, or should I give you one?" He asked.
The old woman shook her head before answering. "No, no... After all... Only by hiding one's identity can one truly be known."
With that, she headed off to an archway, intent on taking over one of the orphanages. Jasper was left behind with narrow eyes, adding another bug to his growing mental list of things he needed to take care of.
Jasper cleared his throat once more, focused on the world around him, stating his intention to create another dragon.
"I call forth the dragon of kindness. By the word of the first god, by my word, by the word of the world itself: Exist." Jasper called out, and as he did, the world around him seemed to shimmer for just a second.
Instead of the gradual creation that the other dragons had gone through, the dragon just appeared from a glowing orb of divine light. The dragon of kindness had a deep bronze look to it, the kind of sheen that could only be obtained with constant polishing, and yet it seemed to be no larger than the one made from iron. The tail had a wide fin, allowing the dragon to swim quite efficiently if needed. The spikes along the back of its neck ridge were much more defined, and the eyes it levelled at Jasper shone with an amber hue that made everything feel warm and cosy.
"I thank you for the kindness you have shown the world. You could have bound us to your will and forced us to perform your deeds, but instead, you have granted the universe the boon of our divine virtues. Sharing is indeed caring. And what great kindness you have shown." The rumbling of the dragon made the earth shake.
Jasper swallowed hard as the creature transformed into a humanoid shape, though he was surprised to see a dwarf stand before him. It was the first real dwarf Jasper had ever seen and he couldn't help but admire how bushy the beard was, and the posture was something else. The amber eyes glowed with delight as the squat little creature walked up and hugged Jasper. The god of magic quickly returned the hug, though it was rather awkward with the height difference.
With that out of the way, the dragon walked off, and Jasper started to see a pattern emerging. The dragons would probably each take over an orphanage and guard the way to the sanctum where Kelllwan's hammer was stored.
Jasper called out again, knowing he was past the halfway point in his dragon creation scheme, though this was still taking much more effort than he had expected. However, he didn't quit. With a strain, he summoned the dragon of diligence.
The dragon itself was a bright silver, and while Jasper had seen the bronze scales of the dragon of kindness and had thought them to be highly polished, it was nothing compared to the almost mirror shine that the dragon of diligence was showing off. The dancing mage lights around the cavern make the dragon beam dazzlingly bright. The dragon gave a big toothy smile at Jasper as it preened in the attention it was getting.
"Isn't that a little prideful?" Jasper asked, and the dragon scoffed.
Its voice was warm and hearty as it answered. "There is nothing wrong with taking pride in your work. Do not let my brother tell you otherwise." The cyan eyes it levelled at Jasper made the god think of diamonds or aquamarines.
The dragon transformed, and Jasper had to almost shield his eyes as the dragon became a tall woman with the most dazzling smile he had ever seen. It was like she was trying to sell him something just by smiling. Her long blonde hair had been tied up into a thick braid, something that must have taken a long time if it had been done by hand, and she gave him a pair of finger guns before heading out to another orphanage.
Jasper was slightly stunned by the interaction, though he quickly composed himself and focused on creating the next dragon. He spoke once more, commanding the existence of a new dragon. "World of Kalish, see that I have created four of seven. Grant me the power to create the next in line. From nothing, birth the dragon of charity."
As he spoke, a much smaller creature appeared. Instead of a single ridge of fins along its spine, it had two and was sporting another set of wings as well. It was the size of a cart, instead of the lorrie-sized beasts that had appeared before. The golden colour of the scales made Jasper smile, and he bowed his head ever so slightly as shifting opal-coloured eyes met his own.
"The gift of life is more than anyone expects to be given. A charitable act more than anything." The voice of the golden dragon was soft and not as filled with bass as the others had been. Jasper paused for a moment, unsure of something.
"How are you different from the dragon of kindness?" He asked, unsure if that was even an appropriate question.
The dragon gave a toothy smile, and its body seemed to shine for a moment before it transformed into a bald human with a Korean facial structure. The dragon in disguise was still smiling.
"Charity and Kindness do overlap slightly. However, all charity does not need to be kind. Giving something that is not wanted but is needed is not kind, but it is done with good intent, and as such, it is charity. The other way around is also true: kindness can be done without giving someone anything material."
Jasper thought about those words as the golden dragon headed towards the orphanage where Celeste was working. The god of buff magic hoped that his wife wouldn't do anything stupid, but it was too late to warn her. Instead, he focused on calling forth the next dragon. "The world has seen what is to come. Let the project draw to its end with the next dragon. I call forth the dragon of temperance."
The dark colours of the dragon that appeared surprised Jasper quite a bit, though this wasn't technically a dragon, but rather a drake. The lack of wings ensured that it wouldn't be able to fly, but it still had a characteristically long neck. A massive horn sprouted from the tip of its nose, and it was only thanks to this horn that Jasper realised what colour the scales were. "Adamantine", He whispered, and the dragon gave a toothy smile.
"You are correct. I am the dragon of temperance, something that is directly opposite to most divine. How can one show restraint if one's power is unlimited? When your very nature is that of excess, the amount of self-control and discipline needed to achieve temperance is also unlimited." The dragon rumbled, it didn't seem angry, not hostile, it simply seemed resigned to the fact that Jasper would be in its way at some point in the future, the amethyst eyes showing just a hint of sadness.
Jasper didn't even see the dragon transform. His thoughts consumed him, and when he was ready to respond, he found himself in an empty room. Grumbling a bit, he turned his attention to the creation of the last dragon. "The last of the elder dragons are waiting in the beyond. Let it see the light of the realm. I call upon you, dragon of chastity."
Instead of the blinding light that appeared all around the room with the last dragons, there was silence, and in the next instant, the dragon was simply in the room. It was a copper colour, a more chestnut brown than the deep polished darkness of the bronze dragon of kindness. The emerald-coloured eyes found Jasper and the head bowing. "I fear that I am the lesser of my kin, but I am grateful that you still found it in your heart to create me." It spoke, the voice much akin to the dragon of charity. Light and soft, instead of deep and bass.
"You are not lesser than your kin. Chastity is not celibacy," Jasper said, and the dragon lit up. The world shifted as the dragon shifted form. It took on the form of an elven man. Slender and long. The dragon seemed to almost be too tall to stand, which gave it a creepy-looking feel.
"You are right, chastity is respect for the self. Purity of spirit and being able to determine your own boundaries, not imposed by others, but rather the boundaries within your own moral code." It said, and Jasper nodded, letting the dragon leave for the last of the orphanages.
Left behind, Jasper created a seat from the earth. He felt exhausted. Even with his Endurance Domain, the mental exhaustion just seemed to build. He was starting to look forward to getting back to work outside of the game.