Bob
Bob
God of Dinosaurs · God of Wormholes · The One Who Opens the Way
General Information
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Bob |
| Divine Titles | God of Dinosaurs, God of Wormholes, Lord of the Impossible Path |
| Original Domain | Dinosaurs |
| Later Domain | Wormholes, spatial passage, impossible distances |
| Patron Of | Quill of Seven |
| Divine Symbols | A dinosaur skull framed by a circular portal; claw marks around a ring |
| Sacred Animals | Dinosaurs, especially large terrestrial predators |
| Associated Concepts | Ancient life, survival, sudden passage, impossible travel, spatial disruption |
| Disposition | Casual, strange, ancient, unexpectedly practical |
| Typical Manifestation | Humanoid, dinosaurian, or as a rippling circular tear in space |
Overview
Bob is the god of Dinosaurs and Wormholes, an ancient and unusual deity whose original divine authority belonged entirely to the great reptiles that once dominated the world.
Long before his association with portals, dimensional passage, or warped space, Bob was simply the god of dinosaurs.
He watched over enormous predators, armored herbivores, flying reptiles, ancient nesting grounds, and the vast ecosystems in which they lived. He represented survival on a massive scale: creatures built to endure, compete, hunt, migrate, and dominate environments that no longer exist in the modern world.
His second divine domain came much later.
At some point in his history, Bob became associated with wormholes—passages through space that connect locations otherwise separated by enormous distances.
Exactly how this happened depends heavily upon who is telling the story.
Bob generally refuses to provide a satisfactory explanation.
When asked how the god of dinosaurs became the god of wormholes, his usual attitude is that one thing led to another and everyone should stop making it complicated.
This has not stopped theologians from trying.
The Name "Bob"
Unlike many gods whose names are ancient, elaborate, or difficult for mortals to pronounce, Bob insists upon being called simply:
Bob.
There are lengthy theological arguments concerning whether "Bob" is:
- his original divine name,
- a simplified mortal approximation,
- a translation,
- a joke that became permanent,
- or something he chose because he became tired of correcting people.
Bob has never clarified the matter.
When priests have attempted to address him with grander titles, he has been known to respond with some variation of:
"Bob is fine."
As a result, several extremely old and elaborate temple inscriptions eventually conclude with the phrase:
—and thus spoke Bob.
Original Domain — Dinosaurs
Bob's oldest divine authority concerns dinosaurs.
His worship predates most modern cultures, and some traditions claim that his earliest followers were not humanoid at all.
Ancient carvings attributed to his cult depict enormous reptiles beneath a circular sun-like symbol, suggesting that Bob may have been worshipped—or at least acknowledged—during eras when dinosaurs still inhabited vast portions of the world.
What Dinosaurs Represent to Bob
Bob does not view dinosaurs merely as animals.
To him, they represent:
- adaptation
- survival
- ancient memory
- ecological power
- physical magnificence
- life unconcerned with civilization
Dinosaurs existed before modern kingdoms, governments, temples, and most of the magical traditions mortals now consider ancient.
Bob finds this deeply amusing.
When mortals become overly impressed by the age of a dynasty, he has reportedly pointed out that several species under his care lasted considerably longer.
Divine Authority over Dinosaurs
Bob possesses influence over dinosaurian creatures both living and extinct.
His abilities may include:
Calling Dinosaurs
Bob can summon or draw dinosaurian creatures toward him, particularly those connected to places under his protection.
Calming Ancient Beasts
Even highly territorial or predatory dinosaurs may become calm in his presence.
Awakening Ancient Blood
Bob can stir dormant dinosaurian traits within magical bloodlines, ancient creatures, or species with reptilian ancestry.
Fossil Memory
He can perceive impressions left behind in fossilized remains and ancient nesting grounds.
A bone may tell Bob:
- what species it belonged to
- how the creature lived
- how it died
- what environment once surrounded it
Restoration of Ancient Species
Under exceptional circumstances, Bob can restore extinct dinosaurian life.
He does not generally do this casually.
Bob is very aware that introducing a thirty-foot predator into a modern agricultural district creates what he calls "administrative problems."
The Acquisition of Wormholes
Bob became the god of wormholes much later in his divine existence.
The transition appears bizarre until one considers migration.
Dinosaurs moved.
Herds crossed enormous territories.
Predators followed prey.
Species spread across continents.
Bob had always possessed a relationship with movement through the world, even if travel itself was not originally part of his formal domain.
Over time, this concept appears to have expanded.
Distance became negotiable.
Then irrelevant.
Eventually, Bob learned—or acquired the divine authority—to fold distant points together.
Thus began his association with wormholes.
Wormhole Magic
Bob's wormholes are not ordinary portals.
They are localized distortions of space in which two geographically distant points become temporarily adjacent.
To observers, a wormhole may appear as:
- a circular distortion in the air
- a dark opening surrounded by brilliant light
- a shimmering ring showing another location within it
- a swirling tunnel lined with stars
- a perfectly ordinary doorway that definitely was not there a moment ago
Bob's portals tend to be extremely stable when he creates them personally.
Others attempting to imitate his abilities may experience considerably less reliable results.
Divine Wormhole Abilities
Folded Passage
Bob can connect two distant places directly.
A traveler may step into a doorway in one country and immediately exit hundreds or thousands of miles away.
Long-Distance Transit
Bob can bypass conventional travel almost entirely.
Mountains, oceans, borders, and many forms of magical barriers are irrelevant if he can establish an endpoint.
Spatial Rescue
Bob can open portals beneath or beside individuals in danger and pull them somewhere safer.
This ability has contributed heavily to his role as a patron deity.
Spatial Displacement
In combat, Bob can redirect attacks through wormholes.
A projectile aimed at him may disappear through one portal and emerge somewhere entirely different.
Pocket Passage
Bob can create small temporary spaces disconnected from ordinary geography.
These are useful for storage, shelter, or hiding something no one else should be touching.
Impossible Angle
Bob can create openings that ignore ordinary directional logic.
A person may enter a portal horizontally and emerge falling upward, sideways, or from underneath an opponent.
He finds this much funnier than most people involved.
Dinosaurs and Wormholes Together
Bob's two domains interact more often than anyone initially expected.
The most obvious example is that Bob can open wormholes large enough for dinosaurs.
This has occasionally become a problem.
A very large problem.
There are old stories of enemy armies preparing for battle only for a portal to open behind their lines and release several prehistoric predators.
Bob considers this an entirely legitimate use of both domains.
He has also been known to relocate endangered dinosaur populations through wormholes, transporting them to isolated sanctuaries where they can survive without threatening mortal settlements.
Some of his sacred lands are accessible only through his portals.
Patron God of Quill of Seven
Bob is the patron god of Quill of Seven.
Their relationship is unusual even by divine standards.
Bob does not approach patronage through constant solemn instruction or ceremonial distance. His involvement is more direct, occasionally irritating, and frequently inexplicable.
He protects Quill, watches the paths around him, and occasionally intervenes in ways that make sense only much later.
His connection to wormholes makes him particularly suited to a patron relationship centered around movement, escape, impossible journeys, and arriving where someone needs to be rather than where they expected to be.
Bob's patronage of Quill also reflects something deeper about the god.
For all his strangeness, Bob is extremely protective of those he claims.
He may joke.
He may vanish for long periods.
He may answer serious theological questions by producing a small dinosaur and refusing to elaborate.
But when one of his chosen people is genuinely threatened, Bob becomes considerably less amusing.
Bob and Quill
Bob treats Quill with an unusual mixture of:
- fondness
- exasperation
- protectiveness
- amusement
- genuine respect
He does not expect Quill to worship him through constant obedience.
Bob has been alive far too long to find unquestioning followers particularly interesting.
He values adaptability.
Quill's ability to respond to circumstances, continue forward, and survive things that should reasonably have stopped him appeals strongly to a god whose oldest creatures survived through strength and adaptation.
Bob occasionally refers to Quill as "my little disaster."
Whether Quill appreciates this title is a separate matter.
Appearance
Bob has no single permanent appearance.
Humanoid Form
When appearing humanoid, Bob often chooses a form that is deliberately unremarkable at first glance.
He may look like:
- a casually dressed man
- an older scholar
- a traveler
- someone who absolutely should not be standing where he is
His eyes are usually the giveaway.
They may contain:
- reptilian pupils
- distant stars
- rotating rings of light
- the reflection of somewhere else entirely
He tends to appear relaxed, sometimes to an inappropriate degree.
Dinosaur Form
Bob can assume numerous dinosaurian forms.
He has no strong preference for only one species.
However, enormous predatory forms are particularly associated with him in temple artwork.
In some depictions, the creature's scales contain star-like patterns, while circular distortions of space appear around its body.
Divine Form
Bob's true divine manifestation is difficult for mortals to interpret.
Witnesses describe a colossal silhouette combining reptilian anatomy with impossible spatial distortions.
Parts of his body may appear in different locations simultaneously.
His tail may disappear into one portal and emerge from another.
His eyes resemble distant astronomical bodies viewed through deep space.
People attempting to describe this form usually give up.
Bob recommends that they do.
Personality
Extremely Casual
Bob's manner is famously informal.
He does not behave with the solemn grandeur mortals often expect from gods.
Someone may summon the God of Wormholes and Dinosaurs expecting thunderous revelation only to receive:
"Yeah?"
This does not mean Bob lacks divine presence.
He simply does not feel obligated to perform it constantly.
Ancient Perspective
Bob is far older than most civilizations.
He has watched species rise and vanish.
He has seen continents change and cultures declare themselves eternal shortly before disappearing.
Consequently, he has little patience for arrogance based purely upon age or political power.
Protective
Bob's casual nature disappears quickly when someone under his protection is threatened.
His anger is rare but spectacular.
A god capable of opening spatial passages anywhere has very creative options when dealing with enemies.
Curious
His acquisition of wormhole authority reflects a deep curiosity about movement, distance, and impossible connections.
Bob enjoys seeing what happens when things that should never meet suddenly do.
This occasionally explains why a bewildered dinosaur may appear somewhere entirely inappropriate.
Strange Sense of Humor
Bob thinks spatial displacement is funny.
He thinks dinosaurs appearing unexpectedly are funny.
He thinks the horrified expressions of overly serious priests are extremely funny.
His followers eventually learn that asking him whether he is joking rarely produces useful information.
Worship
Bob's organized religion is relatively small but surprisingly persistent.
His followers are most common among:
- travelers
- explorers
- portal mages
- archaeologists
- paleontologists
- dinosaur keepers
- dimensional researchers
- people frequently stranded somewhere they should not be
Temples
Bob's temples tend to incorporate two distinct aesthetics.
One half often resembles an ancient natural sanctuary filled with:
- fossil displays
- dinosaur carvings
- enormous footprints
- stone arches
- preserved bones
The other incorporates circular architecture representing wormholes.
Doors are especially important.
Many temples contain doorframes leading nowhere.
At least some of them occasionally stop leading nowhere.
Sacred Symbols
The Ring and Claw
The most common symbol of Bob consists of a circular ring surrounded by three claw marks.
The ring represents a wormhole.
The claw marks represent his ancient dinosaurian domain.
The Fossil Gate
Another traditional symbol depicts a dinosaur skull within a glowing circular opening.
It is particularly common among scholars and explorers.
Sacred Creatures
Bob regards all dinosaurs with affection, though not necessarily equal patience.
Certain species are considered especially sacred.
Large Predators
Represent power, survival, and decisive action.
Herding Herbivores
Represent community and endurance.
Armored Dinosaurs
Represent protection and stubbornness.
Bob is particularly fond of stubbornness.
Small Feathered Dinosaurs
Represent curiosity, intelligence, and adaptability.
Religious Teachings
Bob's theology is less complicated than scholars would prefer.
His major teachings include:
Adapt.
The world changes. Survive it.
Keep moving.
A blocked road is not necessarily the end of the journey.
Distance is negotiable.
This may be metaphorical. With Bob, it may also be literal.
Old does not mean useless.
Ancient things still possess value.
Do not assume extinction means forgotten.
If the obvious path fails, make another one.
Theological Interpretation
Priests have developed elaborate explanations for the relationship between Bob's two domains.
The most popular interpretation argues that dinosaurs represent life's ability to dominate physical space, while wormholes represent the transcendence of physical distance.
Bob's response when told this theory was reportedly:
"Sure. Sounds good."
The theologian who had spent eleven years developing it was devastated.
Divine Relationships
Other gods frequently find Bob difficult to classify.
He is ancient enough to command respect but informal enough to undermine divine ceremony without apparently trying.
Gods of travel generally acknowledge his authority over impossible passage.
Gods of animals sometimes dispute whether extinct species remain under their jurisdiction or Bob's.
Bob generally resolves this by asking whether they would like him to send them several.
The argument usually ends.
Strengths
| Strength | Description |
|---|---|
| Divine Spatial Control | Can create stable wormholes across enormous distances |
| Ancient Authority | His dinosaur domain predates many modern civilizations |
| Dinosaur Command | Can summon, calm, relocate, and protect dinosaurian life |
| Spatial Defense | Can redirect attacks or remove threats through portals |
| Mobility | Extremely difficult to contain geographically |
| Patron Protection | Highly protective of Quill of Seven |
| Adaptability | His domains demonstrate an unusual ability to evolve over time |
Limitations
Bob's wormholes still generally require him to understand or establish where he is connecting.
Places protected by sufficiently powerful dimensional barriers can interfere with his abilities.
His casual personality may also cause mortals to underestimate the seriousness of his warnings.
Additionally, Bob cannot solve every problem by relocating it.
He has tried.
Apparently this lesson involved a dinosaur.
No further details have been provided.
Sample Dialogue
"Yes. Bob. That's the whole name."
"I was the god of dinosaurs first. Wormholes came later."
"How? Long story."
"No, you may not have a tyrannosaur."
"Quill, that's not what I meant when I said find another way in."
"Technically, it isn't trespassing if the door didn't exist until I made it."
"People get very dramatic about distance."
"Dinosaurs survived for millions of years. Your empire has existed for three hundred. Be humble."
"Don't touch that portal."
"You touched the portal."
"Fine. Stay there. I'll come get you."
Bob and the Nature of Divine Change
Bob is notable because his divine portfolio expanded significantly after his original emergence.
He began as a god of dinosaurs.
Wormholes came afterward.
This demonstrates that divine domains are not necessarily fixed forever. A god may acquire new authority through experience, circumstance, cosmic necessity, or some event significant enough to fundamentally alter their divine nature.
Bob refuses to explain which of these applied to him.
There are numerous theories.
None have been confirmed.
The only statement attributed directly to Bob is:
"There was a hole. I figured it out."
Scholars remain dissatisfied.
Legacy
Bob occupies an unusual place among the gods.
His name lacks grandeur.
His personality lacks ceremony.
His domains initially appear absurdly unrelated.
Yet beneath the humor is an extremely ancient deity whose authority encompasses two fundamental ideas:
what survives the deep past
and
how to reach what should be impossibly far away.
Dinosaurs represent ancient life, adaptation, and endurance.
Wormholes represent the refusal to accept ordinary limitations of distance and space.
Together they make Bob a god of something broader than either title suggests:
survival through impossible change.
He is the ancient keeper of creatures that once ruled the world, the opener of paths where none should exist, and the patron god of Quill of Seven.
And despite centuries of theologians attempting to give him a more appropriate divine name, he remains perfectly satisfied with:
Bob.
Gallery
