Finley smirks at you in return, crossing their arms smugly. "That's right. I am the rage player. What do you want to know?"

Parker shrugs unhelpfully. "Well, one, you can't prove anything. Two, I'll have to think about it. Three, I didn't do anything! I'm not even the blood player here." He spares a covert sideways glance at Pythia.

Finley narrows their gaze at you, silent for a bit in contemplation. "You evidently didn't hear me earlier. We're showing you how to fight later. If you want advice, maybe pay more fucking attention." They tilt their head, staring you dead in the eyes. "It could save you a lot of time."

"Useless?" Finley laughs heartily. "That's rich. Remind me again who saved all your asses yesterday? Oh, right, it must have been you, because you've done-" They spread their arms, gesturing grandly to the entire room. "Such a wonderful job so far! You let me know when your day and a half measures up to what I've learned in six years- And don't come crying when you all get squashed like bugs because the only thing you know how to do is swing an axe and yell at people." They wink at you, propping their hands on their hips in anticipation of your reaction.

Finley stares at you the entire time you rant, head tilted curiously. Once you've finished, they giggle childishly and reach a hand out, tapping you on the nose. "You're not scary when you're mad, if you were wondering." The Thief of Rage launches themself off the ground, corkscrewing and turning in the air, landing on the console in front of the holographic dome. Some of Hale's anger streams off with them- just enough to cool him down for the time being. They clap their hands together matter-of-factly and survey the room. "We've wasted a lot of time already. Pythia and I- but mostly me- are going to give you a quick rundown of everything you need to know about the circle of deities. If anyone disrupts us with an unrelated topic or question, or attempts to leave or ignore us," Their eyes land on Hale for a moment as they finish, "I'll drain the energy to move out of you like a human juicebox. Power-related lessons and otherwise will be had after I'm finished, not before, so listen up. Play nice or I'll quiz you." Hale's words seem to have had no visible effect on them whatsoever. You see the other ancestors in the room watch what happened with a mix of fear and curiosity, dissolving to either beaming pride or sullen misery when Finley ends up completely ignoring everything that happened.

Finley squints at you. "Yes." Pythia whistles. "Do I get to ask the other ancestors questions?" Finley hums. "Only the ones who don't know anything. No asking the adjuvants, though. Adjuvants, keep your mouths shut." Cashel rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. "Adjuvants can explain what questions are failed." Pythia supplies, winking. Finley twists her foot on the console. The holograph changes to a familiar circle with a compass symbol inside. This time, the compass is broken up into sixteen colors, just like the shards you assembled into the same shape. "Sixteen deities. You've heard that before." They begin. "The clocks told me that they told you the bare minimum about the sixteen deities. We're gonna change that." "Each one of them is different, has different history, goes by different names. But before I even get into deities, I want to tell you about followers." "Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, there are four general kinds of followers." "First!" They hold up one finger. "Are the followers. I realize it may seem counterintuitive to make followers a group of followers, but that's because they're the boring ones. Followers just say they follow a deity and maybe do some things in the deity's honor and yada yada." "You'll all probably, with a few exceptions, be just normal followers. You profess a deity and they do you a favor every once in a while maybe." "The other three are where it gets real. Second!" They hold up two fingers. "Worshipers. Worshipers devote themselves to their deity completely, dedicating their life to whatever higher cause their deity enacts on our universe." "Many take an oath of some sort. The fighters from Katanalosi here yesterday were worshipers of Katanalosi." "Cashel would be considered a worshiper as well." They nod to him. "As you can clearly see, some groups of worshipers are more radical than others." "Third of all!" Finley holds up three fingers. "Channels. Channels are conduits for a specific deity. The deity can fully possess them and speak through them, and the deity's essence will slowly take over their body, killing them. The more the deity uses the channel, the faster they die." "I'm a channel for Katanalosi, though technically an incomplete one." They hold up their free arm to be observed. "Unfortunately for all of you, godtiering means that just being a channel can't kill you. I'm here to stay." "There are two types of channels: willing and unwilling. Willing channels are just people that are asked by a deity to become their channel. If the person says yes, well, they become a channel. If they say no, the deity can't use them as one." "Unwilling channels happen over time. The deity sort of infects the person, slowly anchoring the person to the deity and growing to completely control them as a normal channel, in time. It takes longer, but then the person doesn't have to sign off their soul... assuming they live long enough to become a full channel in the first place. I'm an unwilling channel, if you needed clarification." "Fourthly," They hold up four fingers and wince the slightest bit. "My least favorite type, and coincidentally the most rare, controllers." "Controllers, well, control the power of a given deity directly, with their bare hands. The power doesn't flow through them like it does a channel, nor do they bow to it like a worshiper does. They only use it." "Controllers are extraordinarily powerful, and you can't really be one if you aren't born one. It's an innate thing, not a learned or chosen one." "You all only know one controller of any importance. Her name is Lyra." They narrow their eyes at you, taking on a serious expression. "Lyra is a danger to everything. She's thirteen, her home was just destroyed, and she's lying to herself about everything she thought she knew. I can't STRESS how DANGEROUS she is- especially at a time like this, when everything hangs in the balance." "And if that isn't enough to convince you, know this. Controllers can only control power from two deities each- one deity and its opposite. Lyra currently controls power from the All-Mother. You know what that means?" "Controllers are powerful enough that a simple temper tantrum could level this entire city in seconds." "You remember that shattered planet? Mache 027? That's what happens when they TRY to destroy something." "Bottom line: stay away from controllers, and be careful around Lyra if you have to interact at all." Finley rubs their hands together with a sigh. "That's all on followers for now. Onto deities." "Oh, where to start..." They yawn mockingly, stretching. "So many deities." "Oh, by the way, I'd refrain from calling them 'gods'. They get a little touchy about it. Their followers especially. Stick with 'deities'." "So many deities." They repeat, muttering, and wave a hand out. "Someone name a deity and I'll provide information."

Finley sighs and cracks their knuckles. "Alright. We'll do Katanalosi." "Katanalosi's mode of operation is intrusive. She interacts with mortals far more than any other deity, and the other deities have pretty mixed views on this. Mostly, they don't care." "She rarely chooses channels. When she does, she only chooses mortals she finds interesting, with enough vigor to make them at least a little difficult to kill." "She always chooses channels that were completely unaffiliated with her beforehand, and it upsets her actual followers to no end." "Her followers train and beg and pray ever since they started following her for the privilege of being her channel, or just touching her, talking to her, seeing her- anything." "Instead, they dedicate their lives to helping her engulf and destroy our world. That's their only goal." They sigh. "Many Kat followers have been trained since they were children, growing up inundated in this way of thinking until it's all they know." "They don't care how old they are. They fight and die with the rest of them." They shake their head. "Anyway. There are a few big Kat worshipers to watch out for. They're called the Mistresses, and there are four of them." "Each one takes a different one of Katanalosi's names: The mistress of consumption, the mistress of void, the mistress of nothing and the mistress of darkness." "Two mistresses were here yesterday. Consumption and void." "Consumption is pretty nasty. I'd avoid her if at all possible. Nothing is bad too. Obviously they're all bad, but if you're forced to pick between evils, avoid consumption and nothing."

"As far as fighting her worshipers goes, keep in mind that they can only see with their innate vision. The easiest for them to see is life. The healthier you are, or if you're a life player, the more you stand out. Doom players or those near-death are difficult for them to see." "Adversely, if you absorb a bunch of Katanalosi energy, they can't tell the difference between you and another normal worshiper." They wink at Quin quickly. "Any questions?"

They raise an eyebrow at you incredulously. "In general? She does so much shit. Just... why does she do what she does. That's your question?"

"Interesting first question." Finley mutters. "She likes watching us bicker and argue. She fucks with us to split us apart. She splits us apart so we can't stop her. As for why she's trying to suck the life out of our entire universe, well, I don't know. Maybe she just wants a snack, or maybe she thinks she's cleaning up. Maybe she just does it for kicks. Satisfied?"

"Sure, let's go with that. Anyone else?"

"None of the deities stop her. It's against some sort of code they have with one another or something. Their followers, however, are usually allowed to do what they think is right, with few exceptions." Finley shrugs. "While deities may ignore what she does for their own reasons, any deity's followers have their own views, and most fight against her. There might be some followers who have been ordered by either a deity or their superiors not to mess with her for their own reasons, but otherwise it's open season." "To sum it up, the deities don't. Followers can unless told not to."

"Ah! Eyja. Eyja is all about eternity and mechanical devices. They have a ton of islands and sanctuaries scattered around planets. They've been around forever and they'll never go away." "Worshipers of Eyja are surprisingly few and far between. It's a hard deity to dedicate yourself to. Devout Eyjic worshipers have extended lifespans. I've seen what look like children that are actually Keepers of the Islands, thousands of years old." "They're good with mechanical shit. Anything even remotely engineered can be made and fixed by a follower of Eyja. I've heard that they end up with a gut feeling of how things around them work, and can hone this feeling to precision." "If you're ever looking to spot a follower of Eyja, some things to look out for are glowing red eyes, isolationist tendencies, and a possible unhealthy obsession with steampunk." "It's probably wise to mention, also, that Eyja is generally credited with being the strongest of the deities, as far as it goes. You don't EVER fuck with Eyja." "Any questions?"

"Lady Luck! That's a fun one." Finley snaps their fingers. "She generally does not give a shit at all what her followers do or believe in as long as they aren't boring." "You'll probably never, ever see a group of Lady Luck followers, for reasons that are pretty easy to understand." "They do what they want and take what they want. Following Lady Luck can grant certain abilities that make whatever they're best at easier. Temporary invisibility, natural charm, inherently seeming trustworthy, the list goes on." "Those who choose to worship Lady Luck have ridiculously increased benefits. They dedicate themselves to stealing things from other people and getting what they want how they want it. It's much more like a fun, exclusive club than a monastery." "These people run the biggest casinos and are the biggest names in intergalactic theft you'll ever hear." "However, it should be noted that most other followers and deities hate those of Lady Luck, though it depends on who you are." Finley glances at Cashel, who has been frowning disapprovingly for the past few minutes. "So the pendulum swings either way. Questions?"

"Incredibly few and far between. Channels are used by deities to enact things the deities want done directly, and Lady Luck rarely wants anything other than a good show."

"Various reasons. Mostly, she lacks any sort of direction, and some people think being a worshiper should involve more, you know, worshiping."

"The Lotus." They nod, glancing to Candra. "Firstly, unlike most other deities, the Lotus always has at least one channel active." "Those of the Lotus dedicate themselves to learning and growing, whether helping others learn and grow or exploring their own self." "Perks include making plants grow, and even talking to animals, if you're good." "Chances are that unless you directly oppose their philosophy of growth, followers of the Lotus will always be willing to help you."

"Lotus likes to keep an eye on what's going on, and make sure their followers know that they're always here. They don't like being seen as an idle deity, because they aren't."

"The Tidekeeper is a respectable deity. Their 'worshipers', notably, don't worship the deity. Instead, Tidebound- those who closely follow the Tidekeeper- dedicate themselves to protecting the already existent unstoppable forces of the universe. Oceans and moons are important to them, and so is knowledge. They defend knowledge from both destruction and getting into the wrong hands." "Of all the followers possible, I would most recommend avoiding fights or arguments with the tidebound. They train practically their whole lives to be physically and mentally unstoppable."

"As with most worshipers, they're split into ranks, or different specialties. Warriors, scholars, and healers. Masters are any rank that has achieved mastery in their ways in the eyes of the Tidekeeper."

"The Watcher! Another interesting one. They're known alternatively as the Silent Hand. Their worshipers never speak, only see and act. Speaking is seen as an unnecessary waste of time to them." "There are a few different factions within them that have different beliefs on what exactly not speaking means, but it shouldn't be important for your purposes."

Finley raises an eyebrow at Quin, but continues. "The average follower isn't required to completely give up talking, it's only discouraged. The Silent Hand are generally incredibly well trained in stealth combat." "They know how to knock someone unconscious in a single numbing blow. So, don't piss them off."

"Metra is the deity of packs and hives. Friends, togetherness, all that. If you're alone, and you follow Metra, you're fucked. Following Metra grants all sorts of group-oriented perks. You think and feel with your teammates involuntarily. If one of the group is hurt, all of you are hurt. Of course it's easier to move as one in some cases, but be careful." "If you anger or hurt one follower of Metra, the rest of their group is in line to come after you, and they hit hard. Unless you can take them all out, permanently, avoid that." "The larger the hive, the more of a need for a queen there is, so to speak, so keep that in mind too. Worshipers of Metra are no different, they're just even more connected to their friends." "As for your other two questions..." Finley narrows their gaze at Finn with a smile. "There is no such thing as a temporary channel. If you're a channel once, you're a channel always, even if you don't know it." "Even willing channels can sometimes forget their deal, but the deity can still simply take total control of the channel at any time they want for whatever reason they have."

"Yes, there is a way to check if you're a channel, but you won't like it." They glance at Hale a little smugly too, just for good measure. Parker's ears flatten back.

"You don't want to know. And you don't need to, luckily. I take it you're worried about that little stunt you pulled earlier with Metra?"

They wave a hand dismissively. "All that happened was the deity using you as a sock puppet, or more accurately, a boxing glove. No anchoring whatsoever. Whatever other mortal you were boxing with, on the other hand, is probably dead by now."

Finley stares at Finn a moment longer with an unreadable expression before moving on, turning to Maia instead. "Kavas is all about a strong moral compass. Kavas followers can be incredibly dangerous, since not only are they unpredictable, but they are entirely devoted to their cause. They don't follow any rules, and only do what they believe is right, no matter what it is." "If a follower of Kavas believes that killing children is the right thing to do, then they'll kill children for as long as they live without ever feeling a speck of guilt." "It does go both ways, but generally, just be careful." "Worshipers of Kavas usually stick together in groups according to a set moral guide and do what they believe in as a group." "Kavas followers are also one of the most liable to be dual followers- followers of more than one deity."

"Natural talents and strengths of the followers will be enhanced. In addition, I've found that it is freakishly difficult to lie to them, and I'm pretty sure that's not natural."

"That's right. Pakhet followers honor the hunt and bloodshed. Some are careful and precise about it, but the more nasty ones just prefer to shred whoever, whenever, for whatever reason."

"No, not at all. Pakhet has nothing to do with packs specifically, they just fall into groups sometimes. Some packs end up tearing one another apart. There's no companionship like there is with Metra, even if they do group up."

"They can track anyone that they've caught the trail of effortlessly. If they get on your track, the only way to get rid of them is to kill them." "They can move unnaturally quickly and silently."

Finley snorts quietly. "The Lone is an interesting one. As the opposite of Metra, they're all about being alone, predictably." "Interestingly enough, followers of the Lone are not required to be alone. Generally they find solace in it, but being a follower of the lone is just professing an oath of self assuredness. No follower of the Lone can ever ask for help with any task. They can receive help, but only if it's given without asking and without them granting permission." "The oath of the Lone professes that you can take care of any problem, fix anything you're presented with, defend yourself, fight for what you believe in, everything you do, all on your own." "Serious worshipers of the lone ARE required to be alone in their endeavors." "Perks of following the Lone include a more intimidating presence and usually stronger mental and physical traits." "Rumor has it they can also sense when other people are near. It's annoyingly habitual for them." "Zo what about zhe Ztormbringer?" Navy asks loudly. "Stormbringer! One of my favorites. I used to want to follow them." Finley winks at Navy. "Not a bad choice. They're all about chaos, causing problems on purpose for pure fun. No other rhyme or reason, they just like to watch things burn." "They take pride in tearing people apart, breaking up groups, causing discord. That's where the golden apple comes from. Eris is a facet of Stormbringer." "Their followers don't really work together unless they're causing a big problem. They're generally carefree and float around, only aiming to cause trouble." "Their worshipers devote themselves to wanton destruction. Luckily, they're few and far between."

"Windwing followers are fickle. They like heights and being loud, personal freedom too. They hate being told what to do, so don't do that. It's best to just give them their space." "They talk a lot. All of the time. It's generally hard to get them to stop talking." "Their morals can vary so much that it's hard to tell what will and won't offend them. They're all pretty individualistic, but they like traveling in groups anyway. Many roam for fun, but there are cities of them too." "Windwing are just about the hardest people to understand, generally. But hey, only the basic perks include lower bone density and higher flexibility." “They like beauty. Pretty things, stupid things, arguably. You're more likely to get away from an angry one by running and dropping a particularly shiny coin than doing any actual harm." "What about the All-Mother?" Painon finally speaks up, though somewhat softly. Finley nods to Pythia, who straightens from her lean and continues for them. "The All-Mother is difficult. A cult of hers, partially worshiping Silverbreath as well, has been set up on Eden for a long time. It was taken over by Simon Machent when he established himself as the impromptu leader. As far as we know, this is the largest collection of her worshipers currently existing." "She usually avoids gathering worshipers. There are some, but they don't stick together. Eden is a wild card to be sure. She even has a channel there at all times." "The All-Mother, as she is known, believes that her presence should be as light-handed as possible, as opposed to her opposite's direct interaction." "It's a point of contempt between them. One of many." "It's likely that Eden only exists in the first place because, first of all, they also worship Silverbreath, meaning they aren't completely dedicated. Second of all, they keep themselves isolated, so they don't affect outside manners." "This was proven only a few short days ago to not have worked. Since the All-Mother didn't directly care about Eden at all, they had become a cult, and not even the fun kind. Her only real influence there was her channel, and she still barely used them." "Instead, the Edenites fell completely into the hands of Silverbreath." "As for actually following the All-Mother, if you choose to do so, you'll have more natural energy and be more readily able to see the truth. Your own light can shine through Katanalosi's illusions, if you know how to focus it." "Then what about Silverbreath?" Painon tilts his head curiously. Pythia glances to Finley, who nods. She continues speaking. "Silverbreath is the best deity of death, objectively. It revolves around peaceful, quiet death, respect for the dead and their bodies, unlike Banshee. They generally never do any painful harm. Any death they cause is painless, if they do cause death, and they take care of bodies a certain way as their code demands." "They're most liable to go after those who give people unjust or painful death, or those who mistreat the dead." She glances over the room quickly.

Pythia leans against the console again and Finley resumes speaking. "Pinga followers are generally pretty nice, but they sure as hell aren't required to be. They're healers, so if you find one and can convince them to be on your side, they're a valuable asset to have." "They're one of the hardest people to find. They seem like normal people in every way, and don't ever use their abilities in flashy displays or anything like that. They do have a tendency to hang around clothes, though- laundromats, tailors, fabric stores. They like being able to hold and touch and change things." "It's also worth noting that Pinga followers are the most likely to be parallel followers. They have a certain way of sliding their beliefs along with Pakhet's and using both to their advantage." "If you find yourself in any of the previously mentioned places, and the lights are dim, and things around seem blue, you're probably in the right place." "Worshipers of Pinga do sometimes make their own enclaves, wherever that may be. They heal those who need it and who aren't total assholes to them. I happen to know that if you entertain them, they're more likely to like you." Etoile mutters something to Parker. He snorts, quickly covering his mouth to conceal his laugh. "Pinga has been known to have channels before. She mostly just uses them for keeping an eye on things, traveling around helping where they can. Claims have been made before that Etoile is a channel of Pinga..." They raise an eyebrow at her. "But this has never been proven." "There's no evidence to back up these baseless rumors." Etoile confirms somewhat smugly. "Only one left, and I doubt anyone else will request it." Cashel sighs faintly. "Tell them about the Banshee." "The Banshee is... scary, admittedly. Thank whatever deity you follow that there are no large enclaves of their followers." "Banshee is all about life after death. They don't care about the body, only the spirit, unlike Silverbreath. That's why you had better hope that you never run into any dual followers of Pakhet and Banshee. They're known for only one thing, and that's dismemberment." "Of course, it's still possible to follow, not worship, the Banshee and be a decent person. It hypothetically just means that you respect spirits after they pass away. Would I recommend it? Hell no, but that's your choice." "Pythia told me earlier that she came across someone who had died in a Banshee trap. Traps like these are probably the most dangerous thing you'll have to worry about in your travels." They glance over at her, and continue. "These traps are places where the Banshee manifests particularly intensely. Their energy will trap virtually anyone who goes close to one, pulling them in and slowly drawing their life force out of them, leaving an empty body behind, completely separated from the spirit." "If you see a place with a suspiciously large amount of people laying down, don't approach them." "Banshee followers are the only ones who can go into these traps with no risk of dying. Other people, case by case, can do it, but there's always a chance that they'll fail." "I think that's all! Questions, ask now. You CAN ask later while we're doing other things, if there's anything you don't remember, but now is easier."