The Fortuneteller immediately scoffed at Red’s idea in Sammy’s head. ‘Pointless. Pantheons and other gods never work out. This is a waste of time.’

“You mean like saving Redberry was pointless?! You clearly don’t know everything.”

‘New connections are rare, especially cross-source. It was unexpected, and she is one of ours now and forever. It has already impacted the future. But to what ultimate end? None, other than novelty. She cannot and will never be part of The Hand. It’s as impossible as a cup of wine becoming a new source spring.’

“You think she’s a cup of wine? Aww… a-anyway! Okay, if she can’t be a card or whatever, consider her the support structure that helps me even get to the others! And what do you mean ‘cross-source?’ I don’t get it.”

‘She was spawned originally from a shard of a [Lover] incarnation, as opposed to us.’

“Oh. But she’s from this world. The Mirror Demon? Shit. That happens when they die? Why did she come back in the same world in the first place, by the way?”

The Fortuneteller didn’t answer, simply vanishing as she often did. Sammy cursed viciously within herself at the virtual one-sidedness of their ‘conversations.’

“Damn you! I know you heard me! Answer me!”

Redberry was sipping her wine and studying Samantha with her eyes squinted, obviously detecting some strange internal deliberations occurring. “Any trouble, Moth?”

Sammy played it off. “Hmm? Oh, sorry! Just some realm nonsense to deal with, hehe! No, no, everything is fine. All cleared up.” She cleared her throat and drank some more delicious mead. “So. Pantheon. Can only two even do that?”

“Every bigger one starts somewhere, hmm? Yes, two is all that is needed. It has a significant energy investment, but then we both would get access to a shared pool that effectively rebates a portion of it. The benefits for you are significant, and I shouldn't have to state how important and precious you are to me. Your strength is valuable to all. Everyone will win. And… if you really want to recruit more, I suppose I have several suggestions.”

“What? Really?!”

The nature goddess shrugged and leaned back on the stump, which proceeded to grow a ‘back’ of wooden root loops to accommodate her. “Not necessarily advisable suggestions, just possibilities for the bold. There is always that idiot Zadkiel, though I suppose that is especially unpalatable with the war he’s waging lately.

“But moreover, you have a talent and building skill at making friends, Moth. Some illusive entities might hear you. The Serpent in the Water around the Iceborn in the northern seas. The Primal Mystic of the Otherlands. You could also awaken the tree god, wherever he is these days. The treefolk might help, now that they are inclined to awaken themselves.”

“A water dragon — a primal mystic — a tree god?!” Sammy’s excitement made her voice rise higher and higher. She almost blurted out about the Great Oak, wondering if that was who she meant, but she managed to just hold her tongue, for Jacka’s sake.

Fuck… I need to repair that whole relationship now. Things are different… surely many can be reconciled to her, now?

Redberry grinned at her enthusiasm. “They hide their names, making communication difficult, and each holds dangers, though at least exposure to the Dominion seems unlikely for their spite of them. It may be easier with the tree god — a demigod, by the way. I don’t compel the treefolk to reveal their secrets but they may aid you freely. Take note those here are mine, but their ties while in the world were extensive, including with their elder cousins.”

Sammy looked out at all of the still-dancing fae. The treefolk were there, swaying around standing tall above the others, somehow awkward and graceful at once in their simple movements. Old people getting their groove on with the youth! Heh. “It’s just nice to know other deities survived.”

“Those who were very old and good at hiding did. Or those too remote. The gods of the giants are all gone. The naga are gone too, aside from maybe one.”

“Oh, well, yes actually. I met her! She is very isolated in a temple expertly separated from reality. We use the name ‘Goldy’ for her.”

Redberry raised her eyebrows. “Truly? News to warm the heart. That is another of the great failures of the Seven Sages, then. They were determined to eradicate them. Perhaps in the distant future, I can conspire with her to forge new children of the naga. I know they are humble entities, however.”

“Yeah… it would be great just to have a world that accepted her and she could actually live in.”

“We have to build you up, then. Accelerate your growth and make you the most formidable force on the planet. All of the resources of my realm are yours. Then double it, because I am about to reinvigorate this land. I’ll name you — or this false persona of yours — my daughter and successor in full. By the time it no longer matters… you can take your real mantle and perhaps this false persona will become not so false.”

Sammy blinked at her. “You mean… create an actual demigod?”

Redberry sipped her wine and smiled widely. “In a hypothetical world of victory and plenty after all the rest, why not?”

“Now that you’re healthy, you seem to go hard for the long-term, Red.”

A shrug answered her. “Don’t blame the sprout for rising up high when you were the one that beamed the sun down on it.”

“Ha. Touche’.”

“Consider my involvement not just out of love, but for investment. Our success is bound together. We are symbiotic.”

“Okay… so for now, you want to leverage your Follower base and resources to funnel prayer into… Greenleaf? Stillwater? They’re technically supposed to be the same entity.”

“It’ll hardly offend Southlanders to realize a goddess has two or more faces, dear. This is not unexpected. The elves and the more cultured in general will appreciate the specialization akin to you honoring them. So… both, yes, as suits the targets. When we are in a Pantheon it will be all the easier to shunt more energy to make available to you. I quite simply don’t need it, having a massive, squandered surplus for so long without even trying.”

“How do we start the Pantheon?”

“Contributing Faith Energy, for one. And then more, gradually, while building interconnection under the edicts prescribed — which can be quite simple — or through Followers directing prayer and the like to potential other members, as extra activity. That is how I will handle the bulk of what is required. There are two goals. 1,111 FE from each deity’s Follower efforts, and then 7,777 for the Pantheon.”

Sammy grimaced. “That’s a hell of a lot.”

“We can accomplish this in perhaps four days, and certainly shy of a week at worst. Anyone can pray in extra, 30 minutes for an FE in a day, or 2 hours for 2. Hearing a teaching for an hour, from another deity, while not opposed to your beliefs, contributes another. Vaguely working towards edicts provides another. So on. You’ll get all the info. But suffice to say… I can accomplish much more than my share, even as diminished as my realm is now. It’s still large enough.”

Sammy took a swig of her mead and nodded along, pondering. “Let’s do it, then.”

Sammy smiled faintly at the message and continued, “So, maybe edicts first… uhh… Fight against tyranny and oppression?”

Redberry pointed her finger. “Perfect. And… support independence and self-sufficiency.”

“Oh. Good! For individuals and for communities, huh? I don’t want to replace one empire with another, per se. Loose laws of decency at most… if even necessary.”

“For a third… perhaps we should go with the spirit of your ways, hmm? Which I admire. Something about reconciliation, peace, friendship…”

“Well. Simple enough… ‘Promote mutual good, understanding, and friendship between the reasonable.’ How’s that?”

“As altruistic as I imagined, with at least a little caveat.”

“The intersection of the edicts is the balance. We’ll try peace where we can and a big stick over the head where we can’t.”

“Very well, but now we need to come up with restrictions, or to be godly about it: anathema. What no one must do to stay in our good graces.”

“I’ll just throw in spilling innocent blood… er, of sapients, that is.”

A lopsided grin answered her on Redberry’s face. “Just think of all the poor, innocent, cute bunnies you’ve doomed with such stipulation.”

Sammy grunted. “I should tell Floofa what a mean, predatory killer you are.”

“She’d never believe it. Regardless… we need another with cost to it, or the System will reject it. Do you understand? A Pantheon has its own kind of System-enforced judgment, and will mete it out on violators, while we’ll be expected to accept and support that on some level or risk becoming anathema ourselves.”

“Ah. That’s heavy. Hmm. ‘Work in support of a tyrant or a tyrannical system?’ Just reinforces the edict hardcore, but could bite our asses…”

“Even if it doesn’t, it strongly holds our own feet to the fire. That has certain pact-like power and benefits recruitment. But I wonder how much room for interpretation there is…”

“Right. System, what is your definition of tyranny?”

Cruel and oppressive government or rule.

“Would what I suggest fall under this basic meaning?”

Yes. ‘Work in support of tyranny’ is a more concise form of the same interpreted meaning.

“I guess I’ll go with that… so, would this apply to individual cruelty?”

No. There must be some systemic aspect such as that delivered by a ruler or governing body, though the specific requirements of people and systems affected are not concrete. It would remain case-by-case, and weighted by intent. For example: pretending to or temporarily tolerating tyranny with the intention of undermining it is acceptable.

“Seems reasonable enough, eh, Red?”

Redberry nodded. “The System is not like a demon when it comes to interpreting such things. It will obey the spirit of the meaning. Nature may be cruel, but the other systems I see specifically governed within it under my jurisdiction aren’t.”

“Hmm. System… hypothetically speaking, would a County or Duchy under the Dominion, and those governing it be working in support of tyranny?”

Not by default. It would depend on the actions of the specific governing body. If this body were under control, then it might be thus under tyranny itself, with the controller at fault.

Agatha is good, right? She’s trying to do right by her people, anyway… “Eh. I think we’re good, Red. Let’s go for it.”

“Sending for review… take note that Domains and Iconic Skills were not selected, they just developed. That’s the starter.” Momentarily, a form flashed into her head…

Sammy gasped. “Holy forkin’ shirtballs, we get domains?!”

“Simmer down there, dear sister in divinity,” Red said wanly. “You don’t get the powers, just the clerical spell access. Hopefully the next is something original for both of us, but I can understand why this is the ascertained starter from our edicts and such. Now, think about what is important, hmm? The name.”

“Oh… hmm. That’s a bit of a tough one…”