Heroes of the Sagas IC [Archive] - Page 3 - Giant in the Playground Forums

Kasanip

2010-05-31, 09:38 AM

Raia

Namasi's thunderous blows were fewer inbetween, as Raia focused her offense. For the giant to be on defense was a weakness, because now it was only time that would be on his side before Raia won the fight.

But his form was open. Weakness read easily, and the frown on Raia's face was disappointment. With another blow she cut the axe in half, and then kicked the giant's other hand. It was smashed, like if the mountain had come down upon it, and so Namasi howled in pain, and dropped his great sword to the earth, where it rumbled, but it was not as loud as thunder, and lightning now flashed with victory above. The rest of the giants were afraid. They were divided, attacked by Tumi and Tengu, human arrows and spears as well as shouts in the night. No, it was over. They fell, and as Raia came upon them, the last tried to flee. And they were slain by the tengu and OneClaw.

And it was finished. Namasi was broken, and Raia had beaten him to humility and pain. She regarded the giant with her level stare, her own sword still in hand. The blood on her arms, face, and robes was not hers. She looked quite frightening, though of those who have seen Aldric, it is not the same. While his is of nightmare, this was Raia, the Goddess of Victory. The Goddess of War when it's nature is made clear. Most frightening, because her own face did not reveal her secrets to them.

However, it was not all of who Raia was. It as not Raia, who was competitive and controlled.

It was not Raia who was merciful and just. She had beaten Tengu OneClaw, and earned his loyalty and held him aloft in reward. She had subdued both lightning and thunder, and held them closer to her in trust and honor than any of the others.
But of those times, such is what is expected of an attacker, to balance the dishonor of such assault.
But here, Raia had been attacked. She was the defender, and for the defender who fights honorably to defeat her opponent, so too justice can be given.

She spoke at last.

"Every battle we fight will always have the same outcome. I am better than you, and it will always be that way. You are a servant to another, and so you know the bonds of loyalty, and of that loyalty I will not interfere. It was not your choice to come here, but you came as a soldier, and not as a general. Such is what is right.
And with that mindset it is not a surprise you lost to me.

You are defeated. A shamed warrior whose command is lost, and whose orders are not finished. Your weapons are lost- I shall take them as my prize. But I give you back your life, for you fought with pride, and I will not send you to Garadiel. Today too many he will have to suffer and guide."

Raia raised her arm and pointed back out, past the two guardian mountains and the pass in between.

"Now go, and do not come back. If you ever return, I will surely cut you down without mercy in the way of the Tengu. You may tell your master what you will about this battle, but I recommend you do not give false words. It would be foolish of him to try and send another."

And as Namasi left, still in pain, peace had come to Toukoku again. The soldiers and tengu were weary, but they were victorious. Now was a night of storytelling...and honoring.
==---==
Acts

1 Minor Act: Increase training - Tengu Warriors
1 Major Act: Increase Domain: War

3 major acts, 4 minor acts, 3 ceremony remaining

Kaiser Omnik

2010-05-31, 11:38 AM

Sovvenia, Garadiel and Raia

"No, we will stay! I can revel in war, too."

For a brief moment, her tone of voice had seemed menacing and her eyes had glanced murderously at Raia. But as soon as she got to her feet, Sovvenia seemed to be back to her usual self.

"I am Sovvenia, an echo of Azura given life as she forgot herself in the forlorn sands of the southern desert. I have changed, but so have you and all our other siblings. I see the thunder and lightning dance for you now. Impressive... Can you tell us what happened in this valley? There were giants fighting here... Do you by any chance know the identity of their master?"

Jair Barik

2010-05-31, 12:49 PM

At the Battles End
As the soldiers began to leave the battlefield Orgo leapt over them to land near Raia's side. Standing upon his hindlegs he bowed down on one knee and looked to the ground as he addressed her, his voice a tone of respect.

"Truly the words I have heard are...true. You must be the Goddess of war, the one who commands the respect of her warriors and who fights in the name of all that is good. My name is Orgo, the red wolf. I have come to offer my services to you as a dog of war."

Earl of Purple

2010-05-31, 03:45 PM

Noth-West Tundra Between Bugbear Mountains & Shore

"If you wish for a tour, I could give you one. Otherwise, we could hunt Giant Ice Worms or Bugbears, or we could leave my land for a Giant hunt. Otherwise, I don't think there is much to do here. I spend most of my time hunting, or helping the Orofolk with their hunting. Especially the giant-hunts, but giants haven't strayed into my territory recently." By the sounds of things, and the look on Phromm's face, he wasn't really expecting them to stay and is thinking of things to do.

Nefarion Xid

2010-05-31, 03:50 PM

In the late morning, or at least as near as one could reckon as Aldric's work now forbade the sun to shine in his valley, the Reaper appears in Deneb's cottage and wakes Pa'am with a jaunty tune. He splashes a bucket of well water into the basin for washing and kneels by the hearth to try and coax up a new fire from the dying embers before adding two new logs. Water and fresh brown eggs go into the pot. He hangs his coat on the wall and begins to take search the pantry, em, ah, summer sausages!

Perhaps the only thing more frightful, more mind shattering than seeing Aldric in battle, was to see the lord of fear himself merrily preparing breakfast in the trappings of a provincial existence. The amusing thought was not lost on Aldric and he supposed, for a moment, that he should have fried up some bacon for Heradi instead of executing him. Deneb enters, lured in from whatever she was doing by the prospect of food she didn't have to prepare. The two exchange a polite 'good morning' kiss and she sits at the table to steal a pinch of the fresh baked bread he's brought in from the nearest village.

"You never cook for me," she begins in a demure, thick-as-molasses, pig country accent. Her words bubbled up her throat like she was speaking from the bottom of a pond. (Well, that's rural French for you).

"I never cook for myself. But, family is here so that's a special occasion."

"Family should come more often, 'ein? I 'aven't 'ad bread in a week."

Kaiser Omnik

2010-05-31, 06:02 PM

Sovvenia, in the Tundra

Sovvenia stared at the barbarian god for several long seconds.

"I never was much of a hunter. I'll let you share old memories with Garadiel while I look for our sister. I have no doubt that the God of Death will be able to catch up."

As she prepared to take flight, Sovvenia caught a glimpe of Garadiel in the corner of her eye.

"Don't worry, I'll leave breadcrumbs."

She laughed and let the north wind guide her towards Raia.

hi-mi-tsu

2010-05-31, 07:42 PM

Bestest Friends

Echo laughs. "You still think in the material, Callie. You are a goddess. The realm intangible, the ethereal, the oneiric and the supernal is yours to command - ah, but I see we have company. Hello, dollies."

He picks one up and sets it in his lap. "I know a lot of stories, too. Maybe a hundred thousand - that I still remember, of course. We knew all of them, once upon a time, but I still know enough. But maybe you know some that I do not know. I would like to hear your stories."

The doll-like servant looks a bit...startled, to suddenly be ensconced on this stranger's lap; he was, after all, a fully-functional sentient being, and far more mature than his creator. At her look, though, he stays, and she smiles, a small smile.

"There was one story...it was my favorite story of all the ones the ladies told me. Before they got taken away by the others, the ladies used to make me clothes, and they told me such wonderful tales..."

Her eyes flicker, with the memory, and she sits up a little straighter; as she speaks, her voice shifts, and with the shifting of her voice comes the shifting of her body. In minutes, she changes from a fifteen year old girl with wild hair and multicolored eyes to an older woman, perhaps middle-age, gray-streaked black hair in a braid down her back.

"Long, long ago, before the town, before we knew there were gods other than Mother Earth and Father Sky, we were barbarians." The voice shifted, to the woman's voice, settling into a cadence of a story; Calantha was gone. For this moment, she was this woman, the memory given flesh and form.

"We killed, and we ate; we fought each other. We rutted in the grass and there was no family, no community, no one helped each other, and you lived and died on your own. It was a terrible way to live, a black way, and we were killing ourselves off.

One day, a boy no one had ever seen came running into the group that had come together to feast on a kill. We were not even a tribe, then, more loosely-knit based on a vague recognition of shared blood; he came to each of us and told us there was magic at the river, and we should see it. And after eating our fill, we did; we came to the riverbank, and we stared in awe. For in the sky were weaver-birds, and weaver-fish, weaver-spiders; they crafted together a shimmering web, rainbow colored, something that shouldn't even exist. They worked together, and because of it they had community; everyone was fed, and cared for, and no one went hungry. And the boy turned to a man, a man who glowed with the fire of the gods, and he told us that we should work together like the creatures did. That we should love one another, and help them...and so we did. We built our village on the river, and in time we learned to farm, and weave...but that is why there are always bright colors in our clothes, in homage to the one who brought us together as a people."

Silence fell, and the woman breathed deep; when she exhaled, she was Calantha again, and she blinked a little, startled.

"...I'm sorry, I...think I went away..."

industrious

2010-05-31, 07:49 PM

Pa'am is definitely feeling better. Upon being woken up, he is able to climb out of the bed-slowly. He manages a smile as he grasps his black walking staff for support.

"What is for breakfast, then?"

Nefarion Xid

2010-05-31, 09:09 PM

"A salty country boudin*... and some sausage." Aldric stares daggers at Deneb who squeaks, suddenly straightens up and returns the venomous gaze.

The two engage in a rapid fire session in the regional dialect, but it's so obscured in slang and idiom that even the godly capacity to innately understand language begins to break down. By the time Aldric has peeled the eggs and brought a plate over to Pa'am, he can't be sure if they're bickering or just talking dirty.

"So, 'ave you de... ahem, have you decided what you'll do once you've recovered? You're, of course, welcome to stay here as long as you like. It is good to have company, and it might be nice to have someone around who can actually beat me in échecs, em, chess."

* Boudin means "blood sausage" but it also used as a pretty vicious insult for women

Kasanip

2010-06-01, 06:11 AM

Raia and Orgo- A Maiden and a Wolf

Raia turned to regard the new arrival as her battle senses flickered. She studied Orgo as he bowed before her. Here was a dog of war... But was it a dog - loyal and obedient? Or was it a wolf, hungry and cunning?
Raia did not know from her look, but this Orgo was a dangerous dog, if he was one. All the same, he was courteous and proper in his greeting to her....though the timing was suspicious. Truly the battle was over...and the 'dog of war' had done nothing to help. Services perhaps were not free...

Or perhaps he was a wolf.

A wolf, a sword, a fist... All could be dangerous. But all could be useful. No, this Orgo had done nothing to earn ill words - yet.
"I am Raia, daughter of Rognir and the Goddess of War and the Battlefield. Forgive the lack of other courtesies, but on the battlefield there is little other hospitality I can offer you." She gestured for Orgo to rise and walk with her.
"You seem the strong and willful type, Orgo. But the word 'service' is one that may have many meanings. For some, it is devotion in exchange for pride. Some trade it in selfishness, and others because of a cause they believe in. Here in Toukoku, 'service' exchanges duty for belief." She gestured to the soldiers who worked about them.
"They believe in me, and worship me...and that is cause enough for them to offer their service. And in return, I offer them myself. I give them training, I give them a pillar of strength, and a model to be. I teach them, and so they improve and become better. That is 'Service.'

I am curious what it is that you would offer me...and what it is I should give to you."

Raia, Sovvenia and Garadiel

As Sovvenia said 'revel in war, too,' Raia's eyebrow raised just a little. But the murderous look was met clearly with Raia's own sharp response. Her robes were stained a darker crimson in blood from the fight, and her sandals and legs were still painted like such. Having seen the look of anger and violence so many times, it had no effect on Raia. But Azura had never given Raia a look like that before... and yet this Sovvenia claimed to be her as well. But changed.

She had accused Raia of the same. But was that true? Thinking of her own memories now, Raia did remember walking about as a human. She had enjoyed it, the carefreeness, and the different perspective. And she was still curious, even after those times, to do it more. That certainly had not been the Raia who had argued with her older sister about war, when Azura had seemed to only care for little things like birds.

But that wasn't the focus here- Raia's focus returned to the ones before her. She gestured for them to walk with her down into the valley.

I can offer you no hospitality here, but if you come with me, perhaps we can make due for now with a walk." Garadiel had been quiet, and Raia looked at him again silently, before continuing.

"What happened here is as you may see. The giants came down through the pass and were defeated. We received word before that the attack would come, and so it has fallen here. The leader was Namasi, Thane of Sulior, who lives to the north with the giants. It is there that my sword will come to someday. They wanted me for a reason I do not understand, but this Sulior and Namasi have failed in their goal." She explained as they walked. The moon was bright now- the clouds were gone. Lightning and thunder had become quiet, though a single spark did dance about Raia's arm occasionally.

"As for you two... This visit is unexpected, though certainly not unwelcome. What is it you have come for, may I ask?"

Jair Barik

2010-06-01, 06:55 AM

Orgo rose from the ground and stood before Raia.

"My service is only that I will aid your cause. I believe that of all the warlords I have ever met you are the only one who seems to intend destruction upon the wrong doers. You do not revel in destruction, only justice. When I first saw you the city you were preparing to attack had been struck by some foul magic. Its defenses were ruined and there was chaos everywhere. But rather than seize the victory you withdrew. I pondered why and it struck me. Should you army have continued in there would be no defense against the invasion, it would not have been a conquest but a massacre, with no chance for surrender and soldier and innocent indistinhuishable from one another. That is why I offer my services to you. As to my worth..."

Orgo pulled a large fang easily half Raia's height from... somewhere, most likely the Earth but Raia could feel some sort of magic may have been involved.

"This is the fang of Chuvebreya, the serpent of the western coasts, scourge of many a sailor and a demon of the seas. It was at my hand that its reign of terror has finally been brought to an end. It is quite the story, perhaps you would like to hear it?"

Kasanip

2010-06-01, 07:58 AM

Raia and Orgo

Raia blinked silently. That was the only sign she was a little surprised. And Orgo's words were kind to her ears though more she was surprised at the analysis. It was sweet praise, but any praise is sweet to one who yearns for it.

Raia didn't- at least not at this time in her story. But she recognized the courtesy of the words and would not speak badly of it.
She did not know why the wolf valued justice, or admired her honor. But maybe that was unnecessary for now. Orgo held the fang of Chuvebreya, and Raia regarded it curiously.

She had not seen the giant beasts in the tales her brothers and sisters had - she had fought giants, tengu, oni, lightning, and thunder itself. She had fought humans, and sparred long ago with her brothers and sisters...but she had not fought a creature with such teeth. It was interesting.
So she nodded her head and gestured for Orgo to continue as she sat down upon the earth to listen.

"That tooth is quite a prize. Surely the tale must have honored you well. I would listen to your story, I have the time."

White Blade

2010-06-01, 08:13 AM

Phromm
Garadiel watched helplessly as Sovvenia went off into the sky. He turned to Phromm and handed him the Nakur flesh. He made a motion toward the swiftly departing Sovvenia and looked apologetic, then he chased after her.
Raia
Garadiel tries to say something in response to a walk, but he just ends up babbling out nonsense for a moment before he stops. He had hoped he had regained his voice. But apparently not. He picks up the glass bowl, which had recovered quite admirably from being dropped onto the floor.

He reaches into his sack as the trio begin to walk. He pulls out a field map, the kind that were used to plan battles. He reaches into the air and called a solid wood board. He spreads out the board on his arms and begins to fumble with it.

Jair Barik

2010-06-01, 10:36 AM

A Wolf's Tail
Orgo smiled.

"Very well then. Let me begin. I am of late a hunter of monsters, I have made it my mission to slay the foul beasts of the world, the vile ones who prey upon the innocent and defil the land. Coming to the western coasts I had already heard the rumours of such a monster, the one they called Chuvebreya. A giant they said he was, though mortal born, his name commanding fear amongst the people of the coast for if they did not pay him tribute then he and his serpentine ilk would pay them a visit, burning what they did not eat or drink but always leaving enough that the settlement would be able to recover and feed their hunger again. I watched from afar the ruined settlements and listened to their stories from the darkest shadows behind the ruins. I spied upon them unnoticed from the forests and learnt of my prey. Why did I not ask them what I needed to know? Well... my appearance, i think you will find, can be quite unsettling for those not used to associating with the Gods themselves.

Having learnt what I needed to know of this snake I travelled north along the coastline, looking for those whose flesh was marked green and whos fangs bore venom. It did not take me long to find them. I found travellers whose wounds were horribly infected, poisons spreading fast through their veins. At the north most point of the coast I found a network of caverns, invisible to the naked eye, but to the nose... well strong as they were they had no sense of sanitation, let me put it that way. Sneaking into the lair of Chuvebreya I came upon the first of his lackies, only two mind, so i dropped upon them and snapped the firsts neck hoping to kill the second before he could raise the alarm. The idiot sought to kill me instead of warning his bretheren and I will admit I have never seen a mortal so fast as he. His fang pierced my flesh but the poison did not slow me in the least and my teeth bore down upon his head. I learnt my first lesson about these snakes from him though, and that was that their fangs are rival in sharpness to any that you possess in your army or anywhere else on this continent for that matter.

I continued on into the caves, tricking the pairs of guards I met into seperating so I could kill them one at a time by imitating the voices of those I had already slain. Through this means I managed to come to the heart of the lair. Once there though I found that my quarry was already preparing to leave. Some trick of his had alerted him to me before my arrival and Chuvebreya and his brood were already headed out to the sea. Taking a running jump I managed to land upon them before they were too far out, the wood splintered beneath my feet and the men with their poisoned fangs of steel were soon upon me. I dodged and parryed their blows with my own flesh, making them catch me where it would do the least damage as I worked my way through their masses. An elbow crushing a skull here, a claw cutting the jugular there, bone and muscle crushing them as I worked my way across the deck. And there he stood, Chuvebreya. Not a giant as you know them here but a true giant of a man. His sword at the ready the pirate king took his first swing at me and splintered the deck with the force. A problem was this man, for though I could tell he was only a mortal and would die as easily as those before him, his fang was long and he was not slow, I could dodge his blows easy enough but whenever I tried getting close enough to land one of my own he took a swing at me and I had to back off. So I cheated. I jumped down into the heart of the ship (by this point there were plenty enough holes) and he followed. Now there was much less room for him to maneouver down there so he had to resort to thrusts more than chops and swings. I made my way to one of the walls of the boat and then feigned injury, tripping over slightly. Taking his chance Chuvebreya took a great lunge at me with all his strength. I rolled quickly to the side and his sword pierced the side of the ship, becoming stuck in the hardened hull. Desperately he tried to pull it free but I was already upon him and with one bite I ended his life. I pulled his sword from the wreckage of the ship, snapping the blade from the hilt in the process. I believe at some point in his life Chuvebreya had made this tooth into his sword having found the discarded fang of some majestic sea creature long since vanished from the waters we know. The fool thought it glorious to make a sword so large but he was not wise to make a sword small enough to be practical.

And that Goddess, is my tale."

Hibyl'smita, before the meeting with Raia
It was coming up to midday. The tooth was indeed wondrous to behold, a great weapon no doubt and sharp too. Very sharp in fact.... Nara had been sitting looking down upon Eridi's town for some time now debating whether or not to go through with this plan. He didn't want his brother involved but he needed Eridi's skills to ensure its success. A part of it though was the reluctance to carry out the task. It would hurt, no doubt about that, but what needed to be done needed to be done. He could only trust Orgo's word so far. With one last sigh Nara came to his decision. Lifting the tooth up into the midday sun he tensed his leg, the bark turning a silvered colour as he did so, and straightened it. With one mighty strike he brought down the fang and winced under the pain. Strapping the fang to his back he picked up the fresh materials and limped down into Hibyl'smita to go and meet his brother. He would have to be out by sundown though, for more than one reason this time.

1MA-Gain ability melee expertise (unnarmed)

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-01, 03:20 PM

Sovvenia

"We have come to warn you of threats to the divine family of Rognir. We cannot say much more, other than we will all need to stand together. To be honest, I don't care about your wars. You do what you need to do. This may even be useful for us, as the hardships of war will prevent the mortals from ever becoming idle and weak. I think that it could also be worth it to get more giants on our side. Maybe they will be able to supply us with information on this thane Sulior."

Earl of Purple

2010-06-01, 03:38 PM

North-West Tundra

As Garadiel runs after Sovvenia, Phromm lets out a truly bestial roar. Should Garadiel turn around, he'll see Phromm riding a Giant Ice Worm towards him. The Ice Worm's mouth is open, and its teeth resemble Phromm's so closely Phromm probably used them as inspiration for his teeth. Either way, as Phromm nears, the Ice Worm alters course and heads past him. Phromm, as this occurs, reaches out to grab Garadiel and hoist him aboard.

The ride is short, but surprisingly smooth; as the Ice Worm slithers it does not rock like a horse would. It only lasts until Phromm reaches the edge of the Tundra, yet takes much less time than walking would. Phromm is silent as he concentrates on steering the Giant Ice Worm and preventing it from burrowing underground, its native home. Afterwards, the Ice Worm heads back North and Phromm bids goodbye; waving just before they disappear over the horizon.

Carden

2010-06-01, 07:50 PM

It was a comfortable enough bed, the best this town had to offer. Sleeping here wasn't at all as comfortable as his bed at home, but he had agreed to stay one more day. Laying back, with his hands behind his head, he mused on the past few days.

--------

Day One
When Airter had excitedly said the next dune was all that hid the town from view, Eridi had urged his mount up it quickly to lay his eyes on the sight he longed for. He had always envisioned the place to be rather grand, thinking Airter's claims it wasn't "anything as wonderful like your town, sir," to be pure modesty in the face of a god. How it had pained him when he didn't see the lost city of his dreams, but what amounted to as a group of hovels shoved together.

The town was a series of mud-brick homes, built close together and behind a small wall. Even the newest buildings were small in stature and low in quality, dusty like everything is this forsaken land. Even the people are dusty, he had thought, they look so pitiful, almost hopeless. The townspeople had come out and followed them as they wound their way up the labyrinth of streets, gawking at the stranger that carried himself like royalty and the set of armor Airter had worn alternatively.

On the north edge of town was a building of note, half built of cut stone, it did seem a relic of the bygone days. Eridi would have pegged it as a temple, but Airter claimed it was the "castle." Here he had been properly introduced to the queen and her family, sharing tales with them for the rest of the day and throughout the night.

It took until the last hour of the night before the god began to talk business. All he asked for in exchange was a treaty of friendship and trade between the two lands, or, should they decline or change their mind, the return of the armor. The queen agreed without a second thought, buying her people's safety with promise of even greater prosperity.

Day Two

He had woken early, as he always did, and wandered outside for a breath of fresh air. Wandering around the town, he stumbled upon their temple, a simple thing surrounded by offerings due to the recent plague of the dragon. One thing, a simple plate with food on it, caught his eyes. It wasn't noteworthy against the backdrop of all the gold and silver, but the design on it, circles filled with pictures, a story played out in each layer, it struck him as brilliant. Picking it up and dumping the food off, he was suddenly glad no one was around. Looking at the details, he whispered to himself, "This, this is what I need! Yes, I thought I was going to have to put runes together, but what I needed was different! Circles! Heh! Here I though hringr was a useless rune!"

People were beginning to wake when he ran back, ready to jot down notes. He almost got stopped a few times, but he quickly side-stepped those pathways before they could get out enough to make his escape impolite. Sitting at his notes, he immediately began sketching out ideas. Shooing away any servants that were sent to fetch him, he had almost completed his new theory when Airter arrived, "S-sir? It's time to go hunt Karalagon and the queen requests your presence." Sighing, Eridi put down his pen and left with the boy. It would be nice to see his creation in action, especially against so fearsome a beast to earn the epitaph "the Dread."

The procession was grand, indeed. Eridi rode up front, in between the queen and Airter. Karalagon had taken to the rocks east of town to build its nest, and that was where all its challengers had perished. Eridi studied the middle-aged ruler, which he had been unable to do the night before with his notes on his mind. It was obvious that she had once been beautiful, but now most of that had faded with age and stress. Her husband's recent death must've weighed heavily on her shoulders. "Don't worry, my crafts won't fail," he said, hopefully reassuring her.

The canyon that Karalagon called home wasn't far, no wonder the people had been preyed upon. When they arrived, Airter looked around nervously. He knew there was no turning back, but this teetered on the edge of insanity, challenging an ancient demon when he had seen it rip others to tiny shreds. But a god stood behind him now, and he wasn't afraid. Nervous, yes, but he knew the god's work beyond reproach. While the rest of the group to his back, he walked down the path to the open area, just as his king had. He banged his sword to his shield, just as his king had. He sung the very same song his king had, causing the queen to burst into uncontrollable tears. He couldn't hear it, though, not above the rumble of his heart, which was joined by a rumble from deeper in the canyon.

Minor nuisances, that's what these loud snacks had become. Whether they come alone, come in groups, or run while being hunted, they were nuisances and food to Karalagon, nothing more. Rising from the canyon, the Dread gave a tired swipe of the claw at this new nuisance. Not truly hungry, it was play time. Or it would have been.Eridi's sword had done one better than parry, it had cleaved through one of the beast's nails. Roaring, the dragon came full over the edge of the canyon, it would feel good to eat this painful nuisance!

Airter was prepared, or, rather, the armor was. With each blow came a parry or a dodge, sometimes moving faster than he could've ever possibly moved without the divine help. Time seemed to slow for the young man, instants became seconds and seconds became minutes. For what seemed hours he did nothing but deflect and dodge, but Eridi saw it as less than a few minutes. Smiling, he silently congratulated himself on his latest invention. It worked like a charm.

Karalagon, however, was the very opposite of amused. This. Prey. Wouldn't. DIE. As it raged harder and harder, nicks began to spread over the surface of the Dread. The dragon was too focused right now to feel them, too focused to feel anything other than primal hatred at this annoying meal. Thus why it barely recognized when the sword plunged through its ribs and into its heart. It fought on for a bit, not quite realizing it had died. However, when the last sword stroke sliced through its arm at the elbow, it realized its doom. Karalagon tried to climb back into the canyon, but as seriously wounded as it was, it fell flat before it could get more than one limb over the side. The Dread extended its wings weakly, perhaps hoping to fly off, away from its fate.

It was not to be, not with Airter there. The boy struck the final blow, even as Eridi approached to fill his empty jugs with part of his payment. "Good fight, my boy!" he said as he looked over the dragon, "It's just too bad you had to put so many imperfections in the beast's hide, I'll have to find a more niche way to use those pieces..." The deity was already skinning, at least as far as he could while holding the jug to the waterfall. "When we get this back, I propose a feast be prepared in your honor, Airter! You, my boy, slayed the Terror of the Sands, the eternal enemy of your people! you're a hero, and you should be celebrated!" Eridi shoved his fists in the air, and even as the young man tried to recant this craziness, cheers rose up behind him. Obviously, the warriors agreed.

The feast was good, and, as was Eridi's favorite part of the night, the beer was better. Eridi had been craving a good pint of beer since Alric's mention of the drink, and now he overindulged. Even as a god, he'd feel the effects in the morning, but now was a time of celebration, and he was going to celebrate like a blind fool. Sure, it led to a bit of carousing, mischief-making, and all around ne'er-do-welling, but he hadn't been able to have just a regular ole' fun time in quite a while. He had to make up for it somehow.

As a final act of good-will towards these people, or, as he put it, "Oh, and thanksh for all thuh beer," before he retired for the night, he let his divine influence spread through the town, teaching them how to work harder metals, build better buildings, and, overall, improve their crafts.

--------

In the morning, Eridi would return home. He had no further demands on these people, he had gotten the materials and trade routes he wanted, now it was time to go home. The tooth was there, and with his invention of the runic circle, he was ready to get to work on the Behemoth's tooth.

Act Expenditure
1 Major - Gain Ability (Formidable Artisan)
1 Major - Increase Domain (Crafts)
1 Minor - Spread Philosophy

industrious

2010-06-01, 11:55 PM

"I...I don't know just yet." Pa'am tucks into the meal, nimble fingers neatly and quickly slicing the sausage.

"I know that I have to establish a greater presence in the world, though. People who can help me maintain Order. The threat that I faced..." he shudders. "could have been prevented earlier. And even a God cannot be everywhere at once."

He chews on a piece of his breakfast.

"Actually, in theory a God can. But the effort of doing so would make them powerless to effect any sort of change."

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-02, 01:08 AM

"Bah..." Aldric says through a mouthful of bread, "Who'd want to be everywhere at once? Just being here is exhausting."

"Merci!" Deneb chirps.

"You... you don't speak any language so good, do you?" Aldric sends a sidelong gaze in witch's direction and she returns the affection by maturely poking out her tongue.

"Have to learn to delegate, that's the thing." He nods sagely while taking a sip of water. "You need quality minions. Someone sharp, responsible, to take care of the minor details while you're busy doing... godly... things." Said the man picking a bit of gristle out of his teeth. Meanwhile a pair of shrieking pigs and their lutin riders go by the window. A third follows in short order, except chased by an angry boar instead of astride him. Once out of view there is squealing from both parties.

"Why would you name him 'Bacon'?! The pig knows! He knooows!"

"Actually, you can have some of mine." Aldric's demure smile is unfaltering.

Jair Barik

2010-06-02, 01:26 AM

Hibyl'smita
Down from the hills the tree man limped into Hibyl'smita dragging something behind him. He limped through the streets his form striking wonderment, perhaps even fear into some of the people. Slowly he made his way across the town headed towards Eridi's forge.

Carden

2010-06-02, 08:28 AM

Eridi had seen his brother coming. The divine aura seemed earthy and wild, and it was new to Eridi. While he didn't know exactly who this was, he went out to greet them. Seeing his brother limping, he ran out to him, "Nara! What's wrong?!"

White Blade

2010-06-02, 08:42 AM

Garadiel, Raia, Sovvenia, and one Hermit Bat
A hermit bat lands on top of Garadiel's display, knocking it over. The hermit bat then begins to explain that Aldric wants to talk to Garadiel, only to be interrupted by a stream of unitelligeble screaming that sounds a bit like Garadiel is gargling spit. He waves at the Hermit Bat and makes gesturig motions at his mouth before making a shooing motion and pointing toward wherever Aldric is.

Jair Barik

2010-06-02, 09:32 AM

Nara smiled as he brother ran out to meet him. With one great heave nara lifted the piece of Silverwood aloft his head... and then fell over. Righting himself with his walking staff he continued on up to Eridi.

"I am fine brother, fine. How are you though? I have not met you since we ascended and it is always good to meet family again. I hear that you run a forge here now. In fact that is actually why I am here..."

Raz_Fox

2010-06-02, 09:37 AM

Heradi and the Herald (and Uninvited Guest)

For a moment, Heradi looks to the East. Then - Of course, there is always a third option. A finely dressed young man steps out from behind Garadiel, his face overshadowed by his fine hat. You can throw yourself on the mercy of your brother... or you can throw yourself on mine. Wouldn't you like to live again, Heradi? Your choices here are all endings.

But wouldn't you like to feel the blood pumping through your veins again? The wind whipping at your skin? A maiden in your arms? Even, perhaps, an end to your pain? It's your choice, but I'm the only one offering life here.

Heradi looks from the newcomer to Garadiel and back, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. an end now? stop. stop running running running.

That's not Heradi speaking. That's the lower soul. Listen to me, Heradi. Everything wants to live, to keep moving, to keep running. To give in to him is to give up what makes you above everyone else. Do you really want that?

Heradi looks back at Garadiel, and then says, no. And the young man smirks beneath his hat's brim.

Bestest Friends

Echo... well, purrs. That's the only real way to describe the sound he makes as Callie tells her story. And he smiles as she does so, rather worryingly wide. As she returns to her normal form, he licks his lips. "No, I enjoyed your story. It was a fine story. Do you know many others?"

White Blade

2010-06-02, 10:11 AM

Heradi, The Herald, And the Man with The Hat
Garadiel's initial reaction was a pretty basic one. This guy was alive, and he was in Garadiel's land without being Garadiel. The only way Garadiel knew how to do that was to follow a soul into his world. It was quite... strange. He feels at the man, was this a god? He wanted to just kick the guy out and be done with it. But he needed answers.

Garadiel then listened to the man's offer. He was telling the truth, to a certain extent. Garadiel was so urgent in his escort of Heradi precisely because Heradi was so dangerous as a god. Heradi, moreover, liked being dangerous. He had been a bully for all of his life. And as to women... In the House in the Uttermost East, Garadiel had watched him leer at their baby sisters. That had been creepy in and of itself. But now that Garadiel knew why he had fled so fast and so far to escape their father's wrath, he was far more disturbed by his memories of the way Heradi had looked at them, sweet Calantha especially.

Moreover, if the Hat wearing Man was here to make the offer that meant that he had Heradi's body and had preserved it well enough that it was still attached to Heradi's soul. Garadiel wasn't sure if he could prevent such a resurrection, even if he had the will to. He looked at Heradi... His brother was afraid of him. So very, very afraid. He wanted life back, as badly as Garadiel had when he found his way into the earth before.

Light began to fall radiantly from Garadiel's visage. Here it touched the ground like fire and set it alight with life, flowers bloomed and waking to life felt so near. Here, Garadiel's might was at its greatest, here, the world heard his call. But Garadiel was not Death's Master, whatever his father called him. Garadiel Life-Giver could not change the nature of this place. The flowers withered, the life died. But Garadiel's call had been heard and the Storm answered.

Fire, the fire of the Storm of Souls, lashed out across the shadow world and wrapped itself like a chord around Heradi's neck. His eyes lit with fear... Before he began to feel life returning to him. It drew nearer, and nearer, and Heradi began to hear the call to reincarnation, to a new self, to a new life. It could not take him unless he would go, it was incapable of such force. But it called to him, as it did to the Psychopomps, and it was so near, the choice was so easy. Garadiel stared at the man who had made the offer and watched his eyes. Heradi saw because he was meant to see, because all saw when they touched the storm... Did the man in the hat see?

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-02, 06:50 PM

Calantha yawned, and stretched; she and Echo had been trading stories for quite some time now, a fact that she was only slowly coming to realize. Every three days, like clockwork, one of her brother's little bats would show up to make sure she was all right; after the first few interruptions, she'd posted a servant at the door, with standing orders to tell each little messenger that she was fine and with company, and to give the little bats one of her signature flowers for her brother to have. If that didn't reassure him, nothing would...

But now, now that they'd taken another break to rest and eat, she missed Aldric. She hadn't seen him in what felt like ages; stories were distracting, and had held her attention for a while, but family was important, and she was neglecting hers. She stood, decisively, and threw open the doors to her little home; sunlight flooded in from her perpetually springtime meadow, and she breathed deep.

Now...to get to her brother, the old way, would take days and days of traveling...and she'd be even slower, with Echo, forced to take overland routes, unable to simply fly to him. And that just really wouldn't do. She wanted her brother to meet her new friend, which meant he had to come along...which meant...she needed something. A something that could cross all terrains, a something that would carry her when she asked...

She started with flowers. She felt an affinity to them, and they were easy to mold; as she worked, they changed, from flowers to something serpentine and lithe, in miniature. It was easy for her to work with, when small; she'd make it big when she was done. She gave it bat wings, to fly, that could be folded down against its side when it wished to walk or swim; the feet were clawed, on short, powerful legs, to dig into the ground--no matter what it was. And she gave it gills, inactive when the creature was aboveground, but which gave it the ability to swim whenever it wished. That should be enough; it could fly, run, and swim, which meant it could surpass any obstacle she might face while riding it. Bringing the little figure to her lips, she kissed it; it glowed, crackling red and purple fires dancing over its surface, and began to grow.

When it was finished, the serpentine creature coiled before her, brilliant eyes--one red, one purple--looking back into her face with a canny intelligence; with a snap, it spread its wings, watching her.

"You call, and I ansswer, Misstresss...I am Apophisss." The words were dry, crackling like leaves in autumn, with a hiss of a teakettle layered over the top of them; Calantha clapped her hands in glee, very pleased with what she had made.

"Apophis, I'm Callie, and you're going to be my friend, okay? We're going to go see my brother, now, and I need you to take us..."

"Ass you wissh, Misstressss." The great beast lowered himself, and Calantha rushed back inside; she grabbed Echo's hand and tugged him out, then frowned a little and fashioned a saddle in her mind. As it was created, so it appeared; clambering up onto Apophis's back, she tugged Echo up after her, and they were away.

(Use 1 Major Act: Create Exarch, Apophis, the Winged Serpent)
Largely resembling a Chinese Dragon, Apophis is a creature of all colors of the rainbow; iridescent scales shift with the light--or absence of it--so that he is never the same shade twice. Unbeknownst to Callie, Apophis is all of the darkest hates and angers of the mad goddess given flesh; he is consummately charming, and will obey what she asks of him, but will try to mold her to his own devices.

A day later, the goddess hovered over the dark valley her brother had made his home; she had felt his spark, but couldn't see inside. All the more reason to go diving through the blackness; Apophis's scales picked up the dark, and shimmered darkly themselves, as she landed in the perpetual twilight.

"Aldriiic~! Are you home?"

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-02, 10:30 PM

Apophis' arrival makes quite a stir on the ground. Lutins, (not known to be brave or even rational creatures) scatter, hide or simply run in circles with their arms flailing in the air.

"The pig has POWERS! Lord Bacon sends his wing-ed servant to deliver his wrath! Repent!"

Aldric could hear the sing-song voice of his sister over the commotion and porcine reverence. He removes his boot from his knee, slaps some jam on a hunk of bread and deposits it on a saucer before going to the door.

"On y va..." he says reassuringly to the startled Deneb, clearly more concerned about the sudden appearance of an immense dragon outside their window than he was.

Outside, he holds the saucer aloft and smiles brightly at the long absent Calantha. "Bon jour ma poulette!" he calls from the ground.

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-02, 10:44 PM

Apophis looks down at the groveling Lutins, then at the pig who supposedly summoned him; when Calantha slides down, tugging Echo after, the serpent quickly--and neatly--devours the pig in a few swift bites.

"Aldric!" No sooner do Calantha's feet hit the ground than she winds her arms around her brother, grinning up at him. "It's been ages, forever, longer...it's so...night-y here! Oh, this is my friend, Echo"--she tugs the man forward a little--"And that's Apophis! I made him so I could get here faster...oops...sorry about your piggie. How're you? Who's this?"

The girl peers at Deneb, then waves.

"Hi!"

Carden

2010-06-02, 11:15 PM

Sighing, Eridi shook off his feelings of worry. If Nara wanted to act like a wound that made him limp was no big deal, that was his business. They'd all started to act more focused since their ascension, and Nara had never been high-strung.

With a small chuckle, he started off in a sarcastic tone. "Business, business, always business when you family members come to town. Don't ever just drop in to say 'Hi!' or 'How's it going?' anymore, eh? No, it is good to see you, brother, it's always a pleasure to entertain siblings. But, with your mention of work to be done already, I fear you're in too much of a hurry for entertainment. Come, I'll show you to my forge and we can get down to business." Offering a hand to assist Nara, Eridi proudly leads the way.

In transit, the craftsman explains to his brother that he is well and tells him about his recent adventure with Airter, something that explains the caustic smell of tanning chemicals as they edge closer and closer to the forge. "Well, here it is, home, smelly home. I hope the stench doesn't put you off too much." Opening the door and leading the way inside, he cleared his brother a seat. Eridi changed his tone, more serious instead of the lighthearted one he had outside, "Now, let's talk about why you're here. I assume you have something you need re-purposed?"

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-02, 11:29 PM

"Behold! Bacon's reign of terror is at an end! All hail the Shiny Lord!"

"An 'oo is the ingénue?" Deneb narrows her eyes at Calantha, safely behind Aldric. She wouldn't dare to openly accuse the new girl of being Aldric's girlfriend, but she's certainly thinking it. Not that there's really much one can do once they discover their boyfriend, the god, has a little something on the side. Really, are you going to throw a god's clothes out on the lawn?

"Deneb, this is my sister Calantha. And Callie, this is my hex."

Aldric slips from between the two of them and goes to make introductions with... "Echo, was it? How eh, how do you two know each other?"

He glances back to Calantha, but keeps the corner of his eye on her curious new friend.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-03, 01:20 AM

Sovvenia and Garadiel

Once their meeting with Raia comes to an end, the Lady of Remorse walks alongside her brother Garadiel, fellow herald of the World Tree, in a calm flower meadow. She suddenly came to a stop and took both of his hands in hers - a deeply symbolic gesture considering what happened at the Island of the Tree.

"This journey has fatigued me. Although there is still much to do to prevent what we have seen, I believe it is time we part and make preparations relating to our own domains. We will certainly see each other soon, don't worry about that. I already have an idea to reunite our siblings... We'll see how it goes.

Take care of yourself, big brother. When you are ready, I'm sure your voice will come back."

And Sovvenia left Garadiel to return home.

---------------------------------

Sovvenia, the Anamnesis Oracle

The goddess passed through the heart of a storm to arrive inside her holy sanctum, known to mortals as the Anamnesis Oracle, the Twilight House or simply Memoria. Sovvenia didn't have much chance to explore it since she had left in a hurry shortly after the realm's creation. Fortunately, the many Shades in her service had taken good care of her home. The goddess retrieved the Staff of Discernment and wandered the sanctum's halls. The architecture, like the paintings and statues found scattered in the Anamnesis Oracle, blended the style of all the major cultures of the world, past and present. The art objects, especially, seemed to capture the essence of mortal existence and depict immensely realistic emotions. More recently, though, tropical trees, vines and other plants had spontaneously grown from the floor and unto the archways of the Twilight House, reflecting the new association of the goddess.

As Sovvenia passed through the refectory, shades turned around and left their duties - mainly restoring old parchment and partial memories gathered in the mortal dimension - in order to follow her. The goddess glanced at one of the many tall windows in the room. Most people would see nothing more than a sandstorm on the other side, but Sovvenia and her Branded knew what it really represented: a vortex of thoughts and images leading to the collective memory of all sentient beings. Something not to be treated lightly, as she had recently learned. So Sovvenia continued her walk and entered the library, which doubled as a museum of antique artifacts. Her two most loyal shades abandoned their dusty books and immediately came to greet her. One was once the shaman of a clan of giants, the other a human warrior-king, but those differences didn't matter now, as their echoes were driven by the same thing today: nostalgia.

"What are the news?"

"Not good", said the Giant-shade.
"But not bad", added the Human-shade.

Sovvenia sighed and asked the two of them to come to the main hall. There she sat on the ornate cedar throne, waiting for the shades' explanations.

"It concerns mortals, my lady. Sure, the rumors we spread among the coastal cities and in the central oases have successfully brought people to your shrine; some mystics who seek the Perfect Way, and the Divine Laws, but also regular men and women desesperately in need of guidance from their ancestors."

"Then the recruitement of worshipers is not an issue."

"It is not in those places. However, a tribe of desert dwelling nomads has achieved quite a feat. A number of them have...well...they climbed the Impossible Cliffs and have taken control of the Old Crater. And the Pillar of Storms. Now they believe themselves to be as powerful as gods."

Sovvenia lightly touched the eagle head carved in the arm of her throne.

"I understand. I have neglected the Sky, Azura's domain, since my ascension. This has to change...I will give those Men a reason to respect me."

The goddess waved her hand and the shades left her presence. Her mind was absorbed in deep thoughts until she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a nearby mirror. She noticed a small crack running up her neck. Sovvenia got up, grabbed a scarf and used it to hide the odd scar. She breathed deeply and focused on the task at hand. No need to worry about a silly crack. Her body would heal in a matter of hours. Or so she convinced herself...

She was now ready to go and meet the Desert Folk.

Jair Barik

2010-06-03, 03:29 AM

Nara managed to put on a smile for Eridi.
"It as always good to hear you are doing well. You would be correct in your assumption yes."

Nara hefted the chunk of silverwood up onto Eridi's workbench.

"I need this made into a javelin. No metal to be used but it is to be a mighty weapon with very specific qualities. Do not worry it is not for my use, or at least I don't think it is, and none of the silverwoods were hurt to bring this here."

Kasanip

2010-06-03, 08:17 AM

Raia, Sovvenia and Garadiel

"Threats to the divine family?" Raia said, a certain amount of disbelief on her voice. "This is news that I have not heard." She looked to Garadiel, who had set up his map and stand, only for it to be knocked over by a bat. What was wrong with him? Raia turned to Sovvenia again.
"Is our brother alright? I have the impression you two know much more than you are willing to tell. If you are asking me to fight a war for you, it's rather unnerving and rude to not explain further."

The Maiden and the Wolf's Tail

Raia had listened in attentive silence as Orgo told his tale. To Raia, it was a fantastic story that gave her interest. She had never been one to speak and tell tales eloquently and fantastically. Raia spoke in histories and truths - words that were base and true, but wrapped and cut with politeness and perfection.

Orgo's story was fantastic though. It captured imagination and gave Raia pictures and sounds, smells to go with it. And so, when Orgo finished his story, Raia was quiet for a minute, but she rose again from the ground.

"That is a very good tale. It will live long as a legend, and I must complement you on your skilful play and words. Perhaps sometime you would show me your talents of battle? I will look forward to such a demonstration."

She seemed a little eager, behind her normal masked emotions.

Honestly, Raia had been moved by the story. Namasi had not been enough. He had only warmed her up, and given Raia the desire to stretch her talents. Perhaps there was another way to do that? Certainly if she could, she would not be outdone in competition with Orgo. Who could slay the greater beast? Raia felt the wanderlust she had shared with Garadiel long ago. She wanted to see the world again. Always so soon and so fickle.

Jair Barik

2010-06-03, 08:38 AM

Raia and Orgo
Orgo bowed again at the kind words of praise.
"I assume you approve then? In that case i am at your service. Should you ever need my aid in any war you might fight then you need only call my name at a forests edge and I shall be there. I am yours to command but there is one rule I am bound too. I may fight no God nor against the army of any member of the divine family. I may not fight them even in sport, only in self defence. That is the law to which I am currently bound. I assume this to be no problem?"

Raz_Fox

2010-06-03, 08:40 AM

Garadiel, Heradi, and Hat

The man in the hat turns his head to look at the storm - but perhaps that's just because Heradi did, as well. Then he speaks, again. Very well, take your brother's offer. You'll regret it soon enough. Your power shall be stripped away, and you will be returned to life as one of the lowest. Weak enough to be controlled, to be caged. Weak enough to be unable to fight back against that which seeks to punish you. Go ahead. Take a new life, become reborn. You will regret it soon enough.

He pauses for a moment, and something flashes across Heradi's face. Fear. Pure, naked fear. Which is exactly what the man in the nice hat can use. Or I can return every bit of your power to you. Down to the last miracle. And they won't be able to touch you again. All you have to do is choose me. Your choice. And... well, there's something about that voice. Oily slick and charming, seductive and oh-so-trustworthy at the same time.

It's almost hard to fault Heradi for taking his hand.

Then we have a deal, it seems. Wise choice. My apologies, death-lord, but we don't have all day to tarry here - I'll bid you good day. Or night. Whatever it is down here. Ta-ta.

Eternal Night, Huh?

"She called for a friend and I came. Every child needs a friend, and the lonely more than any other." Why, is that a bit of a dangerous tone in his voice, like a beautiful stream filled with knives beneath the surface? Why, it is. But then he laughs, and shakes Aldric's hand. "Don't worry. I know who you are, sidereal-damned. Callie has told me much about you."

He moves past Aldric, to Deneb. "Well-met, Hex. As Callie said, I am Echo. How do you fare?" He ***** his head to one side, then smiles again. "Oh. I see. Well, it is good that he is gentle, is it not?"

White Blade

2010-06-03, 09:17 AM

Raia and The Heralds
Garadiel looks down at his feet, embarrassed by his display. When Raia comments that it is rude of them to come and talk with her without really explaining, Garadiel sighs. Why had they been barred from explaining?

Hat Guy Gets A Bit of Punishment
Garadiel couldn't exactly stop the man in the hat. He had come so very, very close to beating fate that it made him bitter, though. If he hadn't been mute... perhaps he would have. It didn't really matter now. He couldn't turn things back. He reached out in power, to the fool who had entered his realm and he lashed onto him and began to drain his life. It wouldn't last very long, the man was already departing... But it would sure as hell hurt. Once he's almost gone, Garadiel shouts, Stay Out! at the man in the hat. And then he, along with Heradi, vanish completely from Garadiel's realm.

Aldric, Calantha, Garadiel, Echo, Pa'am(?)
Garadiel tumbles out of the air, falling down next to Aldric from his realm. He looks up at him with bitter and tired eyes and says, "Aldric," and Aldric sees himself as Garadiel envisions him. A young boy, playing with his little sister, a young man, climbing the way to the House with his sister on his back, a demigod, uttering the words of darkness to forge his scythe, a young god, being cursed by their father, a god, fighting Heradi, and then... his head, swinging from a belt. The images are harder for the others to make out. An angry and sad judge perhaps unwise in his mourning, two children at play, furious cursing, a man fighting the wind, and a severed head.

Aldric's ears almost can't handle the stress of the words. Garadiel had just spoken the polar opposite of the dark speech. One word, with so much meaning behind it, as opposed to a thousand with almost none. When they had been in the House together, Agony had taught Aldric an hour long speech that meant only hate. Aldric had thought it was power, then, that it explained in such great detail. But now he saw it didn't. If Garadiel had said the word hate, he would have captured its good parts as well as its bad. Of course, Garadiel did not use his words to shape magic, as Agony had.

Garadiel tries to continue his sentence, but it falters into a gurgling sound. Calantha realizes that her big brother has forgotten how to talk... The sound is baby noises! He's trying to say something, but he doesn't know how. He's crazy, in his own little way, can't find the words he already knows.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-03, 12:09 PM

Raia and the Heralds

"The threats are real even if not all...immediate. Don't worry, you're not the only one who's been out of the loop."

Sovvenia didn't know what to think of that hermit bat's sudden apparition. She had heard about them, Aldric's little pets. She wondered why the request was so urgent.

"Garadiel will be alright, it's only a minor inconvenience."

There are many of your siblings in much worse shape than he is, Raia. I bet you know nothing of Calantha's torture, or of Aldric's grim destiny, she thought.

"You are right sister, we do know more, but we cannot - and I mean cannot - tell you anything more. You can choose not to believe me if you want. You may think that it's one my schemes, but I can assure you that this has nothing to do with what I want. This is about what needs to be done. Someday, everything will be revealed. And then, I hope, we will all join forces for the good of this world and its people. You will fight, I will fight, Garadiel, well..."

Sovvenia turned slightly towards her pacifist brother.

"He'll do it his way, I suppose. All that we ask of you today is to watch for the signs of some dark events to come. Also, to remain in touch with your siblings...and not let petty disputes come in the way of your destiny."

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-03, 02:49 PM

Aldric's fate was to flinch constantly until the end of days, like a marked man living in an overly friendly neighborhood. Every knock on the door makes you think of hurling yourself behind the couch, but it's just Mrs. Johnson with a quiche. His fangs come out at Garadiel's clumsy entrance and his eyes flash with green fire, momentarily betraying his monstrous nature. The visage is gone in an instant, perhaps only a trick of the light in the shadowy realm. But, before he can compose himself fully, Garadiel speaks his name... laying bare the deep magic of the world and literally assailing everyone's ears with a hint a the sum facticity of his existence. Aldric didn't have the time to calmly process what was happening. He knew only that his brother dropped into existence and instantly flooded his mind with images from his life and a gruesome demise. Bitterness and rage exploded within him. He thought the vision to be some sort of cruel trick. Though fearsome himself, he had never once used his powers over the mind against his family. Feeling Garadiel wrest his senses from him, he felt hurt and betrayed. His leather armor creaks as a surge of strength boils through him and he starts to lunge forward to strike Garadiel.

An instant later came the gibbering. The flash of anger bleeds into a sneer and Aldric rubs his gloved hand against the bristly scruff of his own cheek instead of driving it into Garadiel's, then kindly takes his brother by the shoulders.

"What is wrong? Do... do you need something to write with?" he offers hopefully. Garadiel seemed more annoyed with himself than distressed, which assuaged Aldric's fears that he had been hurt... or struck completely dumb.

Echo should count himself lucky that, at least for now, he is no longer the focus of Aldric's attention.

ArlEammon

2010-06-03, 04:17 PM

White Blade

2010-06-03, 04:38 PM

Garadiel shakes his head at the offer of writing things down. It wouldn't work any better than talking. The ancient words he now had to speak in, he also had to write in, so most of his writing was chicken scratch. He then came upon an idea and began vigorously making pen motions, in an attempt to make himself clear. He couldn't write but he could draw. Granted, he was at best an average artist... But Heradi would likely become recognizable.

Soon enough, Garadiel realized he was being unclear again. He had just started to make a paint brush motion when Shen arrived. Garadiel kept his face carefully neutral, wouldn't do to upset such a powerful potential ally, no matter how gleefully amoral or self-righteous they might be.

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-03, 05:23 PM

Unwittingly, Aldric's fingers clamp down unkindly on Garadiel's shoulder as Shen announces himself. While another sudden spontaneous appearance was merely irksome, Shen's words re-ignited the fiery contempt he had just smothered for Garadiel. Garadiel's slight was something wholly unintended and he quickly forgave him for that, though he remained on edge.

"You... lost sight of me?" he releases his raptor-like hold on Garadiel and spins to face Shen, taking a few paces towards him. His black glove flies up and his half clenched fist punctuates his speech, wagging in the air.

"I warned you about using that kind of magic! Are you spying on me or have you just decided to take up voyeurism as a hobby!?"

ArlEammon

2010-06-03, 06:03 PM

"I warned you about using that kind of magic! Are you spying on me or have you just decided to take up voyeurism as a hobby!?"

"Familial respect and hope for safety, Alric. I'm sorry you don't possess the same feelings towards me since before we were kicked from the house." Shen explained. "You are still the same to me since I've left, or in these fifty years, what has changed you so much?"

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-03, 06:38 PM

While Aldric is preoccupied with shouting at Shen and Echo is speaking with Deneb, everyone is too busy to notice Calantha. When Garadiel had spoken, the mad goddess stood still as a rock in the middle of a roaring river; her mind absorbed the images, let them flow over her, pulled them into herself and vowed to let the end never, never come to pass. Her brother...like that...? No. It was inconceivable and she would not allow it to happen.

She opened her eyes as Garadiel was frustratedly trying to convey a desire to draw, to explain what he had tried to say; in a few short strides, the goddess covered the distance between herself and her eldest brother, gripping his face in her hands and gazing deep into his eyes. And it was like she was seeing through him, seeing through his speechlessness and finding the core of what he was trying to tell Aldric. When she found it, she nodded a little, and pressed a soft, compassionate kiss to Garadiel's forehead.

"Hush, now..." Her voice was soft. "Hush up in there, for a little while. Rest...everything is going to be all right. I promise, my brother, who knows too much, who's seen too much, who loves us still...I promise..."

The goddess rested her head against Garadiel's for a moment more before standing upright; her voice is not a shout, but nonetheless cuts through the brewing dispute between Aldric and Shen.

"Aldric, Heradi is alive."

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-03, 06:41 PM

Incredulous, and now flatly angry because Shen was insinuating that his ire was some recently acquired deficit of character, Aldric's voice jumps up a few decibels. He continues storming towards the newest arrival.

"Hang your overbearing saintly concern! Years without a word and you suddenly turn into a mother hen when I go off the map? You were spying on me, so damn your pious, self righteous excuses! I can forgive one irresponsible use of scrying... but after I warned you about using your magic to look in on me? What's more you come, uninvited to my realm. Did you use your magic to go undetected by my sentries as well?"

He hears Callie while taking a breath, preparing to segue into an increasingly vicious tirade. His eyes go cold and the shadows smolder on the edges of his form.

"... what?"

Carden

2010-06-03, 06:58 PM

Smiling, Eridi assumed that silverwoods weren't meant to be hurt. He'd never been one to differentiate between trees, much less one's he'd never heard of, but he'd humor his brother anyway. "Well, that's good to hear, always nice when you can harvest quality goods without too much of an impact. Now, a javelin you say? What is it you want this spear to do?" While he asked the question, he began to look over the chunk of wood. The shape didn't matter for the usage, he could go ahead and start planning that part out.

White Blade

2010-06-03, 07:00 PM

Garadiel was hardly surprised that Calantha understood what he was saying, as far as surprises went, it was hardly the worst he had faced in the last few months, and she so reminded him of the time before the trials now, when she had been the brightest and kindest of his sisters. It was also incredibly helpful and Garadiel was nodding vigorously when Calantha had finished speaking. Heradi was alive again, and everyone needed to be told, now.

Raz_Fox

2010-06-03, 07:10 PM

Raven King and Heradi (Yes, you can read it)

Two gods open their eyes and gasp. They are in rather different positions, and they gasp for different reasons.

Heradi fills his lungs with air again, chest heaving at a dizzying speed. He is chained to a stone floor, and the blue western sky stretches out above him. Around him is carved a makeshift summoning circle, with Runes shaped by someone who'd only heard them described. There is also an incision in his chest, over where his heart should be. Should be, because it's gone.

The Raven King clutches at his head, gasping in pain. Several dead ravens lie on the floor of the underworld now, he's sure. He sits in a throne of carven stone, directly across from the summoning circle. He rises gracefully, though, and smiles at his prisoner-come-ally. He removes his fantastic hat, revealing an obsidian mane of hair. "Welcome back to the land of the sun... father."

Heradi focuses on his rescuer-come-imprisoner, and snarls. "Chains? You're more of a fool than I believed. I thought I had intelligent children." A moment, and the chains have been shucked, and Heradi stands proud once again. It is a testament to his insane menace that he can still stand proud while naked. He blurs across the circle, its weak magics only holding him back for the blink of an eye. Then he's holding the Raven King's throat in one hand and his son's sword in the other. "I'm not going to kill you this time, kiiiiiiid, because I'm alive and that's what's important. But I am going to mess up your face..."

"Oh, but surely you wouldn't be that heartless, father." The Raven King smirks, as a look of dawning comprehension crosses Heradi's face. Then, Heradi slams the Raven King into the stone floor for a moment, roughly a dozen times.

"Where. Is. My heart?" His son's smirk grows even wider, and he chuckles. Heradi releases him, stumbling back with a hiss of pain.

"I have it, I'm afraid. I require your service, and I rather doubted you'd do it just because I returned you to life. Now, shall we talk business, or will I have to abuse the sympathetic link again?" Heradi snarls and paces for a moment, like a caged lion. Then he turns back to the Raven King.

"Once I get my heart back, you're going to die."

"I know. How regrettable. But what I have in mind is well worth it. Just do what I tell you, and you'll be a whole man again in no time..."

Man, Some Awkward Situations Here

"Heradi?" Echo moves back to his mistress's side, a worried frown on his features. "...I am with you. He will not touch you."

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-03, 07:42 PM

Calantha looks up at Echo, and her confusion is clear on her face. From Garadiel's desperation, and her brother's reaction, she had gathered that this...Heradi...was not exactly good, but she'd never met him, and had no idea who or what he was...

"I don't...understand. Who is Heradi? I can see it...everyone's upset...frustration...anger...desperation...but I know not who this person is. Why would I need protection from him? Why do you think he'll touch me...?"

One hand is unconsciously gripping Echo's arm, but her eyes move from her new friend to her brother, who has always kept her safe in the past.

"What is going on...?"

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-03, 07:49 PM

Speaking just above a whisper, he stalks towards Garadiel and narrows his eyes. Shen's existence had been forgotten in light of this news.

"How is that possible? I tore through his heart with Despair... I sent him to the Underworld. No one escapes the Un..."

Realizing just who he's talking to: the man who not only escaped the Underworld, but seized dominion over it. Of course, that entailed that the jailer had just failed. But, that thought only lit briefly on Aldric's mind. The last he'd seen Garadiel was at the battle in Zhang and they'd learned of Heradi's menace together. Garadiel hadn't been around when Alarin was wounded or when Heradi threatened Calantha. What had Garadiel learned in the last few months that worried him so?

Seething, he stares at Garadiel momentarily as if waiting for an explanation. An instant later, after remembering he was dealing with a mute, he turns and throws out his hand; a short lived feeling of dread pulses through the air. In seconds the banshees' ghostly forms appear in the air, only long enough for Aldric to hiss an order at them before evanescing.

"Heradi: You've tasted his soul before... find him."

He wasn't quite sure how to explain things to Callie, but he dared not start anyway, any sort of attempt would only delay Garadiel's own explanation.

White Blade

2010-06-03, 09:08 PM

Garadiel's heart is a whirlwind of worry and fear and something like defeat. Like he had almost tasted victory and had it taken from him. What victory, however is beyond Calantha's ability to discern. It's like trying to pry open a vault with your bare hands. Heradi was... Important somehow, though, and Calantha could see the memory of her niece's statemet about living in slavery to Heradi.

Garadiel then pictures something else, a man in a fine hat carrying Heradi out of the Underworld. Garadiel is far from happy about this, however. He wishes the man in the hat had failed or that Heradi would have accepted reincarnation. He still wants a piece of paper, however, so Calantga doesn't have to translate.

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-03, 09:16 PM

Calantha's eyes flicker, and she turns away from Aldric and to Garadiel again. He's thinking, hard...trying to project and she can feel it, in the peculiar madness that lurks in the corners of Garadiel's mind.

"Say it again..." She steps away from Echo, taking Garadiel's face in her hands once more, and after a moment she nods. "...A girl...in slavery...and a man in a hat. A fine hat...carrying a body out of the Underworld...which doesn't seem possible but I've learned there are lots of impossible things happening in this world..."

She releases Garadiel's face and turns, her own eyes still conflicted, but solemn.

"He'd still like some paper."

Upon hearing this, Deneb backs away from the assembly of gods and disappears into the cottage; she returns with a few sheets of paper and some charcoal, and passes it off. Callie graces her with a gentle smile, handing the implements to her brother.

"Here...this might make it easier..."

Kasanip

2010-06-03, 09:30 PM

Raia: Maiden and the Wolf

Raia nodded and held her arm out to Orgo.
"I shall humbly accept your offer then. I acknowledge your conditions and honor them. I shall not call you to fight against a God or Army of the divine family. This I promise to you by my name Raia." She said solemnly.

Of course, Raia was rare to take oaths herself, because she did not break them- but those mortals that bound themself by oath to her found they were much the same. A pillar of truth that served justice, hidden inside the maiden's eyes.

"Now then, is there anything else that you would ask of me? I cannot offer you much hospitality upon this field of battle."

Raia and the Heralds

Raia listened to Sovvenia's words, though her searching eyes did not leave Garadiel until Sovvenia said "join forces." At that point, her eyes met Sovvenia's again.

"Someday." She repeated once. And then she was silent again. The warnings and the hints were one thing that Raia could take seriously, but Garadiel's condition was worrying. Even if she didn't show it immediately, Raia was concerned for him. Garadiel had been a strong and purpose driven brother...but he seemed so weary and beaten right now. Very hollow, or lost.

At last she spoke again, and nodded her head.

"I withdraw my comment and respect your silence on the issue of your troubling warnings.

I will do as you ask. Certainly it is not my intention to make trouble within our family." She added, a little darkly at the silent warning of Sovvenia. "War is not a petty dispute. Be assured that I will keep watch for the darkness... And if this Sulior is behind the problem, then I will see he is defeated."

She turned and approached Garadiel, put her arm on his shoulder, and looked up at his eyes.
"You are strong, my brother. I know you will master what causes you trouble. Be steadfast, and if you need my help, do not be afraid to call upon me."
She looked over at Sovvenia.
"And to you, my sister also. It is a frustration I cannot do more for you now, but I will be prepared for the time that comes. If there is anything you need, please ask."

White Blade

2010-06-03, 09:56 PM

Raia and the Heralds
Garadiel looks genuinely touched by Raia's concern, and as was his way when they were younger, he reaches out and hugs her with one arm. He smiles at her. He was glad his sister still cared and he was glad that she would stand with them, when the time came.

Living Charcoal
Garadiel begins to draw and soon enough, by divine will alone, shifting colors now occur amongst the charcoal. He makes a scene of Heradi, arriving in the Underworld, a scene of him asleep, a scene where Garadiel wakes him and the mark is clear on his face from where Garadiel had hit him. A scene of Garadiel picking him up and carrying him towards what looks like a sun. A scene now, of the man in the fine hat with Garadiel and Heradi. Another, where Heradi accepts his hand. Finally, the scene where they disappear over the horizon.

Calantha is the first one who hears the nearly silent chatter of the many colored pieces of charcoal. She's the first one who notices that they aren't shrinking with usage. Even before Garadiel. He notices eventually, however, when they begin to criticize his works to his ears as well as to his hands.

"No, no, you have it all wrong, his nose was much more prominent!" one of the pieces of Charcoal insisted, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Be nice to the boy, he's just a beginner," another one said, "Now dear, you'll want to draw it a bit further, there you go and if you move your hand just so," "You're conveying too much reality and not enough of what is, Garadiel" another said.

So it went on. By the time Garadiel was done drawing, he put the pieces of charcoal down where they turned and danced in place, drawing on the ground. It is only then that he really sees the humor of the situation and begins to laugh.

1 Minor Act to Create The Artist Charcoals, which shift colors and guide and teach drawing. Perils of trying to depict things when you're destined to use true speech.

ArlEammon

2010-06-03, 11:25 PM

Shen Zhi Shu
Shen Zhi Shu facepalmed, both for himself and for Aldric. "Fine, Aldric, I'll just go. I've wasted so much time. Faretheewell. . ." He turned to Calantha. . ."It was wonderful seeing you again." He said, suddenly disappearing. It was going to take a while to go all the way back, but then again, he didn't know anything about the Hat man just yet, so he had no reason to stay.

Jair Barik

2010-06-04, 03:33 AM

Raia and the Wolf

"It seems there is not much else to be said then. I will depart for the woods, when we next meet may it be upon the fields of battle. Not against one another though. Farewell, or perhaps I should say, until we meet again Raia."

With one last bow Orgo turned and departed across the field of battleleaving Raia alone with her army.

Eridi
Nara looked at the piece of wood and massaged his leg for all the good it would do. "It's purpose is to kill a God. It cannot harm any mortal flesh but there is one of our family I fear may turn against us. He is the one who killed Garadiel in his mortal life, it is he who attacked Alarin. He is not strong but he is hardy, this wood however is a weakness of his. I will not keep the weapon mind, I will entrust it to a greater power, one that can decide wether its use is necessary, when it is necessary and most importantly who should wield it."

Raz_Fox

2010-06-04, 08:44 AM

Banshees

It's funny how mysterious the West is, isn't it? As the banshees search for Heradi's soul, they find that it is somewhere in the West, but past the western edge of the central continent the trail becomes disjointed and random, as if some greater power were veiling Heradi's whereabouts.

Big Disjointed Family Reunion

"My lady," Echo says quietly, "I will explain his identity soon enough. Know only this now: he has no love for you or anyone in your family. Don't worry, I am here."

industrious

2010-06-04, 10:49 AM

Pa'am

The weakened God of Time looks at his younger siblings. Being away from the mortal world for fifty years seems to have changed their relationship. Or at the very least, exacerbated their previous feelings. He had refrained from intervening with Shen and Aldric's argument, as it seemed rather...passionate.

"I see that our family is no longer as civil to each other as we were in Father's house."

White Blade

2010-06-04, 10:55 AM

Garadiel hears Pa'am's comment, so thoroughly understated, and begins to laugh even harder. Not that Shen wasn't getting what was coming to him, of course. But the plain statement of the increased inter-family conflict was deeply amusing to Garadiel. Why, precisely, was something of a loss, even to him. Perhaps he was just letting off accumulated stress.

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-04, 03:25 PM

Aldric had been distracted by the antics of the animated pieces of charcoal. "A man in a hat... and a snappy dresser. Well, it's not exactly much to go on..."

He smirks, a genuine sense of humor and warmth returning to him as he hears Pa'am from the doorway. "I return exactly as much civility as I'm given. Wait until you find Shen's using his magic from a continent away to peek in on your business. You saw that great bloody head that appeared in the sky! If he's capable of that little manifestation, image what else he can do. And I don't, for a second, buy that he's only looking in on me out of the goodness of his heart. I don't even know what kind of magic he's capable of wielding, but I'd expect more discretion from that kind of power. Eridi created an artifact just for scrying, so damned if I know where Shen gained that ability. Heh. The stories say he slaughtered thousands to take control of Zhang... and that was fifty years ago. He's sat in his great palace every day since; all the pomp and power slowly stuffing up his head."

He taps his temple and grins at Garadiel. "Think I'll install a door ten miles out just so people can start knocking."

"Back to the subject of 'familial concern', I'm going to head out on the Nightmare and see if I can't pick up Heradi's trail. Any objections? Anyone want to come with?"

Meaning, flying west until he stumbled into something... and he was asking for volunteers.

industrious

2010-06-04, 03:55 PM

"I will join you. A city I once freed from slavery lies that way as well. The City of Gears."

Pa'am is no longer leaning on his staff as much. His fingers tremble, and his skin still looks paler than normal, but the God of Time has a familiar stern gaze. No more weakness; the stern, strict older brother is back.

"As for Shen...I will talk to him. We are still family; we need to be civil to each other. Even if you believe he does not deserve it, Aldric."

White Blade

2010-06-04, 04:55 PM

Garadiel is split on whether he should go. On the one hand, Aldric could use the help and he himself was the best suited for the role of tracker. On the other hand, the Underworld had proven woefully under-fortified. He was like an islander who had just discovered the enemy had better ships than him. He knew he was doomed if he just stood back and let it happen again. His siblings would soon be breaking down his door, resurrecting the dead willy-nilly and breaking even the bitter fairness of his cycle.

In the end, there really is only one valid choice. He shakes his head at Aldric and, standing up, makes a slamming motion and mimes locking a door, trying to convey that he intends to fortify the underworld and keep any more unfortunate escapes from occurring.

Garadiel called the charcoal to him again and picked up a piece of paper. He begean to draw something, which in the end looks like Phromm with razorsharp teeth, and the charcoal criticizes all the while. He then takes another piece of paper and rapidly draws a map to Phromm's present location. The charcoal has no criticisms to offer now, for Garadiel is a great map make.

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-04, 06:06 PM

"No." The word is said forcefully, and the young goddess glares at her new friend; over the heads of the gods, Apophis looks up, eyes crackling with an eldritch fire.

"You will not explain 'soon enough', you will explain now. On the way to wherever this person is, because I'm coming too."

She had seen that vision...seen her brother's head, hanging from the belt. Whose belt, she knew not...and it didn't matter. She was going with him, and she would see this "Heradi" person for herself, and if he was the one who was in the vision...the young goddess's eyes darken with anger, and above her head Apophis snorts, twin jets of flickering multicolored sparks dancing above the heads of the assembled populace.

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-04, 07:43 PM

Aldric takes Garadiel's map, claps him on the shoulder and wishes him luck in his endeavor. Pa'am gets a eager nod from him when he announces his intent to join him and Calantha only gets a smirk and a wave. Why fight it? She was coming with or without his permission. What was he going to do, tie a goddess to a chair? Before he departs, he takes Garadiel aside and quietly asks him to check on Rafa in the Underworld, perhaps only to see if she still remains. Secretly, he doubts her soul will ever move on.

Doting Deneb prepares a pack and stuffs it with food for her boy toy, despite his vehement protests in multiple languages that he won't need it. Meanwhile Aldric fetches some of the things the party will need. First, a memento of his last battle, Heradi's dagger, still caked with its master's blood. Second, a heavy wool coat. And lastly... a towel.

The coat gets handed off to Pa'am without an explanation. The swift arrival of the Nightmare in her wyvern form should suffice. She makes one pass over the valley at speeds normally reserved for small aircraft before landing in the clearing and slinks towards Aldric... unfazed by the icicles clinging to her skull and wings.

"Perhaps you'd better ride with Calantha. I'd still wear the coat..."

industrious

2010-06-04, 08:00 PM

Pa'am accepts the coat, and looks at his younger sister as if she were a viper in the grass. Cautiously, and with a great deal of hesitation.

"Would that be acceptable, Calantha?"

Raz_Fox

2010-06-04, 08:11 PM

Echo's Apology

Echo seems taken aback for a moment, but shakes his head. "I am so sorry, Calantha. I believed would be ill-seeming to tell out of turn... but very well, if this is your wish." He looks to Aldric for a moment - or at least, that's what it looks like - and licks his lips. Then, he helps Callie mount Apophis, while telling her his story.

"This is what we know. Once upon a time, there was an orphan. He raised himself, and learned how to run. In time, he sought out his father, and learned he was the son of... your father.

He grew up, much like you, taking a new name. We know it not. But he... fell into darkness, taking the name Heradi. Make no mistake. He is as cold as the void, and as merciless as your sire. Were he to come upon you alone... he would slay you, or worse. I-we-I will not let that come to pass."

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-04, 08:23 PM

In response to Pa'am, Calantha simply nods, and whips up a third saddle in her growing chair; Apophis could handle the extra weight without a problem.

"You'll sit behind Echo." Her voice is very carefully controlled, for once; even when she was...normal...she and Pa'am had never really gotten along. He was one of the few she could say that about. But she did not have time to dance on glass around him, not now.

In response to Echo, the girl's eyes darken; for a moment, there is a great and terrible form around her, brighter than the brightest sun and more colors than any rainbow. It fades, swiftly, but the way her hands clench on the reins show it is only barely controlled.

"I may be mad...and I may be frightened. But if he tries to kill me, he will find I am not weak. Not...any more."

Raz_Fox

2010-06-04, 08:34 PM

Echo Continues to Apologize

Echo thinks for a moment, then reaches beneath his vest and pulls out a rose, which he tucks into Calantha's hair. "I know. We mad do not fear death. I just... is this not the way friends act, with concern? I am still learning."

White Blade

2010-06-04, 08:59 PM

Garadiel Departs The Assembly
Garadiel nods to Aldric. He'd make sure to check on Rafa. He then goes over to Calantha and, if she doesn't show much sign of freaking out, gives her a hug. He looks at the pieces of charcoal and, realizing that he can't take them with him (as they were alive and he, at least, did not excessively transgress his lands), offers them to Calantha, as a gift. If she does not accept, he gives them to a noisy lutin nearby, snickering at their helpless protests.

He glares at Echo. Who was he to speak so of his father? His father who had won the war, who had made the world and sharpened himself against them, who had birthed them and made them strong, both in his opposition as with Kylfa-Madur, Ateris, and Heradi, and in his support, as with himself. But really... He couldn't exactly make that argument as a mute.

He waves a hand, the others experience a sudden silence ad he disappears. As the sound returns to their ears, they realize that he has entered the Underworld.

Garadiel with Rafa and Tarik
Rafa and Tarik were in the Wastes, where Garadiel had left them from the time of their arrival, not more than a few years prior. He leaned over them and spoke, just twice, their names.

Rafa. Tarik. he says, speaking their names in the tongue of the most ancient of all things. And they awake shrieking, clawing at their ears, ripping them to shreds in moments. Aldric, who had heard and spoken words of dark speech, was pained, but Rafa and Tarik had flirted with that power far more terribly and now it brought them agony to hear Garadiel's words.

They saw their torture of Calantha, they felt their deaths before Aldric, they knew the names of those mortals they had slaughtered and their families and their joys, they heard their darkest words like nails on a chalkboard, they felt their dark conspiracy as a foolish mistake, they felt blood so deep on their hands that they knew nothing but misery. They tore at those too, angry and wrathful, but soon the pain became too great for those who had surrendered to death to escape fear and they stopped. Rafa tried to speak but Garadiel had stolen their tongues before awaking them. That would be the kind of problem that... well, would not do.

So they glared at him. The fools were so weak of will and heart, Garadiel beckoned them stand up and they stood. He beckoned they follow and they followed, lest he speak more of the hideous tongue that was so much worse than the one they spoke. They followed him across the river, lest he call to them, and they left the land of satisfaction without complaint . Now they were on the mountain and they began to exchange glances. They need only slip off now. Monsters that didn't have names were assailing them and Garadiel was beckoning them on. But they just smiled and laughed. They didn't need THAT! They could stay here and ply their trade away from whatever horrific punishment he had awaiting them.

He tried to beckon them, but they saw now that he wouldn't force them. So they stayed there, on the mountain of Struggle, for a great span of time.

Carden

2010-06-04, 09:45 PM

Holding up his hand, he stopped Nara before he could speak anymore. "Wait a second, you say that Garadiel has died? That one of our brethren killed him? That this same sibling attacked Alarin? And you think he MIGHT turn on us?! Brother, have you grown daft? He has turned on us!"

The last Eridi had heard of Garadiel, he had been talked to by Aldric. He hadn't heard anything about Alarin being attacked, so he rashly assumed it had been recently. He shook his fears off, Nara had mentioned Garadiel's death explicitly and had no reason to hide if the same fate had befallen Alarin, so he had to believe his little brother was well. "That minor detail aside, I'll gladly help you make this. It won't be painless, not in the least bit, but it'll do the job."

Jair Barik

2010-06-05, 03:26 AM

Nara looked almost shocked by Eridi's reaction.

"You had not heard of Garadiel's death? He wandered the mortal lands and then died, he managed to claim his mastery over death and now he walks in the land of the living again. This was long ago brother, before we all ascended to Godhood. I will gladly put myself into forging this weapon with you. I hope the creature in question sees the error of his ways and reforms but I find that I must doubt that."

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-05, 04:11 AM

Aldric hoists himself up onto the back of the Nightmare. There's no saddle to speak of, but instantly tendrils of shadow wrap around his legs and hold him tightly in place as he positioned himself across her shoulders with his knees tucked in as one would ride a camel. Another chain of ethereal blackness springs to his hand, connected to the back of the wyvern's viper shaped head. Besides being a vicious and unruly creature, the Nightmare wasn't an colossal beast so there wasn't much room on her back for a passenger; sort of the motorcycle of godly mounts instead of a family sedan. From shoulders to hips, she measured only seven feet long. Apart from the lack of space, Aldric's decision to ride unaccompanied was, in part, due to his concern for Pa'am's health. As a masterful rider (indeed, without peer in the family at horsemanship) Aldric could anticipate the wyvern's movements and compensate by shifting his weight... a passenger, lacking such foresight, would have been at the mercy of physics. Of course, Aldric didn't foresee any need for aerial acrobatics, but the Nightmare was not a tame beast, and so, even on an uneventful journey, she would try to loose her master (to say nothing of the violent contempt she might display for a passenger).

"Stay close," he commands the group readying to depart on Apophis. "Phromm is almost due north of here. He's the best tracker there is, better than Nara or Garadiel. Let's just hope he isn't afraid of heights..."

With a single leap the Nightmare explodes into the air like a frog and soars above the valley. She screeches to her kin and two calls echo back. The drakes Rancune and Méchanceté fly into formation with the Nightmare to provide an escort.

-2 Minor Acts: Create Greater Servants Rancune and Méchanceté (Spite and Malice).
1 Major, 1 Minor, 2 Ceremonies left.

Spite and Malice are a pair of particularly strong and ill tempered male wyverns. While wyverns are normally solitary hunters, these two work together in a way that just isn't quite sporting for their prey. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't enjoy it as much as they do.

Carden

2010-06-05, 06:20 PM

Shaking his head, Eridi realized his mistake, "No, I haven't heard from hardly any of our siblings. Aldric, Alarin, Calantha, and Sovvenia, who was once Azura, are the only ones beside you who've visited. But, I digress, we've already established you're in a time crunch here, so let's get to work."

Eridi already had the shape in his head, the plans fo what the spear would need to look like. Most of the wood went towards the part that would be the shaft, but when all was cut, there were far more pieces to make the head with. Grabbing a vial of the dragon's blood, he pointed to some withered plants and explained, "I collected this when the boy killed the beast. If you look at those plants, you can see how poisonous it's proven to be. The enchantment'll be made with this."

Eridi knew his brother didn't want to spend the week or so he'd need to figure out how to do this with his new array system, so he stuck with the basics. With his powers alone, the barbed blade would poison any living thing, a painful, burning venom. It would be sharp enough to pierce a solid foot of steel, enough that any god would feel it. If his brother wanted to add any magics, he was welcome to, but, as it was, the thing would serve it's purpose well enough.

Act expenditure
1 Ceremony - Create Artifact(Nara's Spear)

Jair Barik

2010-06-06, 03:32 AM

Nara nodded and listened well to what Eridi said. Of course Nara's own magic was already infused into the weapon. It was once a part of him and so his own divine power still ran within it. Just as important as Eridi's own magics and enchantments the weapon was silvered. Once the process was completed he would take it from this place and offer it up to the one who he hoped would know what to do with it.

1 Ceremony spent

Raz_Fox

2010-06-06, 04:35 PM

The Divine Hunt

There are three divine... well, "hotpoints" might be the best way to put it, in the West. The first is very far off, but its power is such that once the riders are close enough to the other two to sense it, it is palpable as well. It is old, and majestic, and tastes of cold metal and smoothened stone. It is dangerous, too, like the scent of a dragon in heat, or a pack of wolves in winter.

Trying to pin down the second is like trying to stab mist - an exercise in futility that will incite divine headaches if attempted for too long. Constantly changing, constantly shifting, now to the north, now to the south, now right above you (and yet, all that can be seen then is a lonely raven on the wing).

But the third is moving fast southwards. Fast being as fast as the wind. Gosh, who do you know that moves that fast? Tally ho.

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-06, 07:18 PM

"Hot glass..."
"Wheat and ragweed..."
"Sweat drenched linen..."

Sang the three banshee sisters in turn, floating in the air before Aldric. The Nightmare hovered, waiting for Apophis to catch up while her master convened with his ghostly advisers. Aldric turns to the east long enough affirm that his sister is keeping pace. The telltale signs of annoyance are on his brow; not because he fears Apophis too slow, but because he worries the astonishing speed of the Nightmare would not be enough to catch their prey, even with her enchanted bands.

"What an unpleasantly apt description of Heradi," said while turning back to the sisters with a bemused sneer. After a moment of painfully rolling the matter over in his head, he announces, "Tell the others I'm going ahead south. Advise they remain here and try to pin down whatever or whomever is... running interference."

Their cryptic, half sighed words weren't exactly an overwhelming affirmative, but it was enough for Aldric to spring into action. What else could possibly move that fast?

Aldric takes a wary look around the air, half expecting something to pop out of the clear blue. He'd felt the presence dancing around them for miles now... something weaving in and out, always just out of sight. Was it trying to confuse them? Or were they just being played with? Aldric decided not to give the spirit any more chances to interfere, it couldn't be in two places at once. Arrogant and proud, he didn't want the others around as a liability when the battle began and Despair came out. He wished it were night, and not for the last time...

With a whisper, the Nightmare and rider blur into living shadow and streak southward.

Carden

2010-06-06, 09:11 PM

Today was a special day to Eridi. It had been a little over a week since he had helped Nara back out of town and he'd finally gotten around to helping the city build. It had been furious work, but they had finally finished the first round of improvements. The homes now commonly stood two stories or greater, the smithies had long since eclipsed his own. Bathhouses and a simple sewage system had done much to improve life in the town, or, well, the smell that life tends to produce.

He had ordered the taps open before going on his customary morning walk. Whenever he returned to the village, the spirit of celebration had been palpable, and it wasn't even noon yet. Today, he thought, is a holiday. Even with my help, getting to this point in a matter of months is a miracle. The redundancy of that statement was lost on Eridi. It wasn't often he thought of himself as a god, not even when he wove divine magic.

That evening, when the light had grown dim enough to bring the torches out, the feasting had begun. Not one of the smells wafting through the street could be thought of as anything but delicious, even if your stomach was already to the point of bursting. The best smells, however, came from Eridi's own ovens, built hastily outside his home to accommodate extra cooking. He had undertaken the job of cooking the dessert, and a multitude of pies baked in his carefully heated pits.

When the last torch went out and the last verse was sung, Eridi went to sleep satisfied. These people, they were kindhearted and good workers. He had brought them from stagnation into something greater, shown them visions of how they could improve themselves. Yes, he had pulled them to where they were, but now they knew there were no limits. He was satisfied that they could keep climbing themselves, maybe not as fast, but tenaciously.

The next day, when Eridi hadn't returned from his morning walk and the sky began to give way to darkness, Jin'Thul had entered his home to investigate. The wizened man had found the usual clutter replaced by an odd sense of order. Moving throughout the property, the strange scene continued to near perfection. Finally, he opened the door to Eridi's bedroom, clean like it had never been before. Upon the bed, made for once, was a single note.

Jin'Thul, my dear friend,

Recent events have led me to believe a shift in the way I have acted recently is in order. The changing of the winds, that's the message fate sent me in the desert boy. Thus, I am going to leave you be for a while, you and our people. That and I've learned of some troubling news, but I'll explain more on that when I return.

First off, I have books I must return to my father. This shouldn't take me long, but I fear the next part will. I will be traveling around, establishing for us trade routes and resources, opening paths to make our people richer. I think that's the path I should walk for now, uniting more and more under promise of trade.

Until I return, I expect you to lead the peoples well. Know that any who seek business with us are welcome. Keep Hybil'Smita safe, for when I return, I have even greater plans for our city.

~Eridi

Putting the letter down, Jin'Thul sighed. "Stupid boy, you couldn't have waited another day and explained it all in person? Tha people aren't gonna understand this, not at all." Shaking his head, he continued to sit on the bed. Even with the letter, they would chalk it up to some superstitious belief, probably thinking he had left them there because they weren't worthy or some such nonsense. "Stupid boy," he muttered as he collected his thoughts.

Elsewhere

In the middle of the woods, Eridi was preparing a runic circle. He had done this twice in his own home, but he wasn't quite so sure whether or not it'd work this time. He had found that certain runes prepared in this way were able to teleport him to his anvil, but it took plenty of time to prepare that circle. He knew there was a similar object at his father's house, another smith's tool that his own blood had been spilled upon, but from only a smashed finger as a child. No, he wasn't sure it would work, but he was going to try anyway. Grasping his pack tightly, he finished the final rune. At first, there was nothing. Then, suddenly, that same damned feeling of being shot a long distance. Oh, how he hated that feeling.

Landing in his father's forge, he quickly picked himself up. Grasping his pack firmly, he moved to where his father was. The halls didn't feel so distant this time, but they still didn't hold the warmth they had when he was a youth. Knocking, he announced himself before entering. "Father, it's me, Eridi again. I've come to return your books."

Act Expenditure
1 Minor - Expand City of Hybil'Smita

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-06, 10:18 PM

When Calantha finally catches up with the banshees, her eyes narrow at the distinct lack of her brother with the ghostly messengers and the ill-tempered male wyverns. Upon hearing the message left--Aldric's sorry, he's gone ahead, find the other interferences--the goddess throws back her head in fury and screams to the heavens; Apophis's roar echoes his mistress, and the flames that jet from his mouth are the same eerie, multicolored rainbow as the lightning that crawls across the sky, never touching the ground. That scream, and that effect, would be heard and seen for miles around, and common mortals would herald it as a portent of trouble or doom.

Panting, fighting to control herself, Calantha grips the reins in front of her so hard her knuckles are white; she exhales, slowly, then sends Apophis towards the ground. The wyverns follow her down; when she lands, she slides off Apophis's back and approaches Spite, first. Gripping the wyvern's head in both her hands, she stares into its eyes for a long, long moment, then lifts her hands and waves them at the beast. A harness and reins settle on the creature, and she stares at it for another silent, furious minute before turning and repeating the same process with Malice.

"Phromm, if you would be so kind." The goddess's words are clipped, tightly-controlled; she barely remembers this sibling of hers, but it does not matter. "Apophis will fly faster with the weight of only two, and speed is currently of the essence, here. You will ride this one..."--she taps Spite's flank--"and you, Pa'am, if you are feeling up to it, will ride this one." A gesture to Malice. "If not, then Echo shall ride Malice, and you will stay with me. And they will behave. Won't you?"

The wyverns nod, and she waits, impatiently, vibrating with anger and a subtle madness; this has been a very stressful day! She expected a normal visit, perhaps a nice lunch with her brother, and got evil gods rising from the dead and her brother taking off...again.

Her fingers reach into the pouch she'd crafted, when Garadiel gifted her the Living Charcoal; she brushes her hand over them, hearing them rustle. At any other time she would have been delighted to receive such a gift...what was this world doing to her...?

Jair Barik

2010-06-07, 03:28 AM

Once the spear was complete nara trecked across the world back to the tree at its centre. He did not do this in one day though. First he hid the spear in the heart of a tree by the shoreline and returned to the same tree after the business upon the fields of war was complete. Once again Nara rowed out to the island and once again he did not step upon the soil of the world trees island. He was not worthy to do ssuch a thing. Not yet. Instead he addressed it.

"I have returned but I have only begun to attone for the deeds of the wolf, I have much more to do before I will come here again. I have accepted that trying to leash the wolf has only ever made things worse so I am instead seeking to direct his anger and blood lust to more noble deeds. That said I also accept that his heart is black and wicked, he is likely to betray me and betray the family. He is not the strongest of our kin but he is still a powerful foe. For this reason I have sought out Eridi to build this."
Nara pulled out the spear from the bottom of the boat and held it in his hands, feeling its power flowing through his fingers.
"Should Orgo become too vile to let live then I accept my failure and wish that you give this to whoever you see fit to carry out the task of hunting him down... and destroying us both I will next return when you call for me."

Nara placed the spear flat, gently upon the nearest rootsbeing careful to not touch the island itself.

Raz_Fox

2010-06-07, 09:19 AM

Aldric's Hunt

The trail leads around the horn of the southern continent, then into the savannahs of the southern continent. The trail is very... erratic. Sometimes, the quarry stops for no reason at all, or doubles back on his trail, or meanders along a riverside.

It's faster, but the Nightmare is taking the shortest route between point A (where you are) and point B (where he is). And soon enough, Aldric gets close enough to sense the particulars of his divine aura.

Lightning, fire caught in the wind, sunlight trapped in glass. The taste of dried blood is no longer palpable on the tongue. As he tops a hill, he sees his quarry, a golden blur on the desert sands. If he rides the Nightmare hard, he can catch up, probably.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-07, 12:52 PM

Sovvenia, Southern Desert

Sovvenia chose not to fly directly to her destination from the Oracle. Once again, she would endure the hardships of the waste, exactly like those humans who had claimed the rulership of the Old Crater. On the way, images of the tribe's journey came to her, and she felt for them. Never had she considered killing them for their arrogance; in fact, the goddess was extremely impressed by their attitude and their resolve in the face of adversity. Finally, she arrived at the base of the Impossible Cliffs and saw the massive camp set up by the desert dwellers. According to the Shades they were nomads, but this city of tents led her to believe their way of life was changing. It wasn't the only thing her servants got wrong. The humans had not climbed the extremely perilous cliffs as first thought. No, instead they had domesticated great birds of prey living in secluded aeries, the fearsome rocs, and rode them to the summit. It may not have been what she was expecting, but it was still no small task; this species of birds was reputed too wild and proud to ever be tamed by Man.

Sovvenia hid the brand of the Tree under her scarf and walked to the nearest tents. She was quickly surrounded by men-at-arms pointing their spears at her.

"I wish to talk to your leader."

"The sheikh and the captain are at the sanctuary, where sky and earth meet. You shall not meet them, until they decide they want to see you. What would they do with a strange girl wandering the desert alone? Either you are an orphan from another destroyed clan or a crazy mystic."

"I am the spirit that watches over you, even if you are no aware of me. I am the first conqueror of the Cliffs, but my legacy has been lost. You will become legends with my guidance. However, only one can claim the Mastery of the Skies. I have my own meeting with Fate."

A moment later, Sovvenia was gone. The men-at-arms looked around and saw her next to one of the nests. The rocs were ready to tear the intruder apart with their razor-sharp beak, until they met the goddess' glare and suddenly relaxed. Sovvenia took a step forward and brushed one of the female avians' neck with her hand. What happened next mystified the humans; Sovvenia's chosen bird grew in size, its feathers taking on more reddish and orange hues.

"Dawn", she named her.

Before the human guards could react to the situation, Sovvenia climbed on the back of the roc and flew to the Old Crater.

Turn one roc into a divine mount, Dawn (1 minor)

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-07, 02:53 PM

Heradi could keep running, but he was a rabbit on the open plains and Aldric was the hawk. While Aldric's eyes were not the keenest, he knew the glimmer on the sands was his prey from the peculiar olfactory arrangement. While not literally what Heradi smelled like, it was a close artistic approximation. Finally catching sight of his quarry, he leans forward and sends the Nightmare into a long dive. She flaps furiously, then goes into a free fall with her wings tucked in. Though, the act was more aptly described as "maintaining ballistic trajectory" than "falling" due to the sheer speed the Nightmare was capable of thanks to Eridi's invention.

If they succeed in catching up with Heradi, Aldric sends out a wave of slender shadowy tendrils to ensnare the mercurial god. Damn fairness; he wasn't here to fight... just to perform the execution.

industrious

2010-06-07, 03:09 PM

On the ground, Pa'am stares at the chase going on before him. Weakened as he is, he would not be able to give pursuit on foot. Neither, then, could he simply freeze time and continue to track them. Time was his to command, but time was also his master and burden to bear. To stop time in one place would have repercussions that would reverberate throughout the entire cosmos.

"I thank you, sister, for your kindness. But I am not as invalid as I was yesterday. And even if I was...then I am bound by custom and law to stand on my own. I must see what Aldric is up to, what he is up against, for Time is mine, and if it is abused, then I must stop it. Let me see this God of Speed, therefore. And let him pray to our Father that he is not intruding on my domain."

He remembers a poem written by a younger brother, and smiles as he extends his arms.

"But at my back, I always hear..."

It is a chariot, and yet not a chariot. It whirs and ticks to the sound of the intricate pattern of fully functional gears made out of silvered metal that are its side and front guard. Continually moving as the second flow, the gears would rotate faster and faster as Pa'am increased its speed further and further.

The railing is made of a dark wood, as deep a blue as the midnight sky. There are no wheels; instead, it floats on wings of the faintest clearest white; almost invisible, even in the brightest day.

And it is not horses that drive the chariot. Pa'am's four chronovores are attached to the yoke; perfectly obedient, and far faster than any horse.

Mounting Time's Chariot, Pa'am snaps the reins, and ascends once more into the sky. He cannot keep pace with his brother's Nightmare, though. Even the Chariot's top speed, he is losing ground to the two.

Therefore...he cheats. Or more specifically, bends the rules. At least, to one who has not grasped the Secret, he has. If any dared to tell him that he was bending or breaking or abusing the rules of Time, they would be stricken down, made never to exist by the force of his rage. He used the rules of Time to his advantage.

Time was not a perfect series of gears, each one spinning in a cohesive whole with the next. It ebbed and flowed and rippled like waves upon the sand, like a fish through the waves, like the ripples on the water. He could bend time to his will, but he only had so much to work with. To move Time from one area to the next created the opportunity for disruption. Therefore, it was only in the smallest amounts that it could be done. The purpose of the chronovores was not to destroy Time, to devour it. Rather, it was to save it, store unused and useless seconds and minutes, to be conserved and used for later.

Now was such a moment. The gears in the chariot began to tick faster and faster, and the Chariot surged forward, began to catch up with Aldric's Nightmare. He still went the same speed, the same number of leagues per minute. But he had accelerated his own personal time and that of the chariot; for others, he had doubled in speed. For himself, he had unwound one extra minute for every minute the outside world's frame experienced.

He could not do this for long. But he hoped he could continue for long enough.

Used 1 Major Act: Created Artifact: Time's Chariot.

Kasanip

2010-06-08, 07:08 AM

Raia

After the departure of Garadiel and Sovvenia, Raia was left to think alone on the battlefield in silence.

It was a series of ominous events. First the giants had come, and then Orgo had appeared beside her to offer his aid and loyalty. After that, Garadiel had appeared but could not speak. And Azura had become Sovvenia... and was also sharing knowledge with Garadiel. They had warned her about a far off threat, and she had promised to keep guard.

But she turned back to the valley of Toukoku now. To be a guardian who had allowed her foes to come even this close to her home- that was a foolish thing that could not be repeated. Surely there had been no chance for her opponent's victory, but Raia could not allow such a thing to happen to one of her brothers or sisters.

They were the children of Rognir, and though they were very powerful, bad things could still happen. Aldric, Garadiel and Azura had been changed by it. Shen was nowhere to be seen, though the people who worshiped him had suffered during the war before.

And Raia? Her army had been deceived and been made a fool of once already. Certainly she had no intention of it happening again.

The mountains of the Tengu and Tumi were fortified, and the humans who lived in the valley grew stronger and improved their training. OneClaw saw to the new guard, and Raia turned her eyes towards the north.

The attack had come from the giants. Raia did not know of their kind so well, but she knew which way to travel.

~*~

Ayehe - Shiuk Steppes

Traveling to the north, Raia left the veiled mountains and the valley of Toukoku. To the north the mountains descended to steppes for a good distance before they became mountains again. These steppes were the home of another clan of people known as the Shiuk. They were skilled in the art of horse riding, and were nomads who held dominion over the steppes and plains. They were master archers, skilled from shooting on horse, but they had not known the children of Rognir.

And Raia found herself drawn to them in curiosity. She admired their tough lifestyle, but she also admired that they could laugh all the same. Though they were an unorganized and wild type, they were loyal to their clans and leaders, and Raia sought to bring them to her.

And so a girl of Toukoku traveled north until she made herself known to the riders, and they welcomed her in. Their leader was Ya-un-Konru, who treated Raia well, and agreed to let her stay with them so long as she helped and made herself useful. Raia agreed, and she began to win the hearts of the people through her focus and drive.

But Ya-u-Konru had a son, Ya-un-kurumi, who was troubled by all that Raia had brought. In the eyes of the son, there was great unknown still ahead. Some say perhaps even the winds of Sovvenia had spoken to him, and under the starry sky Ya-un-Kurumi looked for guidance. The ill omens of the north wind, and the coming of Raia to them was ill-fortuned.

Still, Raia had come to love the people, and this was seen by Ya-un-Kurumi in the smile she wore when she pulled herself upon her horse, and the look she wore when she watched the other women playing their weaving and songs. But Raia's words were the calling of a people to war and service. It was a bond that would forever change their lives, and there would be many sad times and lost lives in that path. In war they would fight with their horses and they would die. In his dreams the thunder and crying would wake him from nightmares. At last he thought to himself 'I must have a plan!'

And if the inspiration of Alarin had come, so Ya-un-kurumi decided he must do something to persuade Raia. As the summer days passed, Ya-un-Kurumi fashioned a bow of horse-hair and wood, and he put all of his skill into the craft so that it would shoot better than any other bow of his people.

And he went up to the mountains on his own to seek the aid of an old seer.
"Revered sir, what can I do to please the lady Raia, because she brings us closer to war and danger with her presence?" Ya-un-Kurumi asked. The seer was long in thinking and he responded, the secrets perhaps coming from Sovvenia's winds.

"There is only one way perhaps. You must challenge her and beat her in a match." He responded. Ya-un-Kurumi bowed himself in dispair.

"Such a task is impossible, for she is of divinity. I cannot win against her." He spoke in despair. The seer shook his head and told Ya-un-Kurumi to rise.

"Though she may be divine, her form she wears now is mortal and in flesh. Look at her form and you will see she is of the Toukoku clan. They are fair, strong, and skilled in war. But they are not horsemen. Truly you will have but one chance, for what a goddess may see, she will quickly learn to perfection. You are a lord of horses and nomadic folk, whose lives depend on the bow and on the saddle. Challenge her at this, and you may win her favor."

Ya-un-Kurumi saw this wisdom and gave his thanks, and rode in silence back to his clan as he prepared his plan.

And so the summer months had come to closing, and Raia had prepared to continue her journey after unifying the clans. But on the day before her leaving, Ya-un-Kurumi came before the maiden.
Raia's eyes fell upon Ya-un-Kurumi and saw in him an earnest spirit. His posture seemed both humble, and yet strong as he presented his challenge to her.
"I offer this challenge to you, fair Raia, that we should compete in the style of our people. As an outsider you have come and been welcomed here, and you have proven yourself many times. However, as a lord's son who represents my ancestors and people, I cannot easily give up my responsibility to them. If you fair Raia, can beat me in this match, then I will humbly set myself beneath you."

Raia was a Goddess who loved the thrill of challenge, even as she controlled her emotions. And she was one who loved humans very much. Living with the horse-riders for that summer, she had become attached to them, like she had to the people of Toukoku and Zhang. So when Ya-un-Kurumi stood before her, Raia was dressed in their style, and she was moved to agree.

So the clans that were gathered watched from afar as they began their match. To shoot targets in the manner of the horse-riders, Ya-un-Kurumi made a rule that it was a two shot competition. Each rider would shoot twice at their target, once backwards and once while standing, as they made their circle at fast speed.

So the two prepared- Ya-un-Kurumi holding his carved bow, and Raia with a simple one loaned from the chief. Raia now sat upon her horse, a small smile on her face, as the crowd cheered from their horses, as Ya-un-Kurumi rode out. He saluted them and stopped next to Raia with a salute to her, who returned it.

"And now we must draw our lot, for who will first ride." Ya-un-Kurumi said, as he held out two sticks of grass. Raia drew, and it was short, so she took her bow gracefully and rode out. The crowd cheered, and she hurried her horse, and turned gracefully with a shot. The arrow was within the target, and the elders who stood judge announced this. Raia looked at her shot as she returned to Ya-un-Kurumi.
"A graceful shot, my lady Raia." He praised. Raia shook her head humbly.
"But much may be improved. Graceful action is unnecessary, should the action fail it's purpose." She said. Now it was Ya-un-Kurumi's turn, and he rode out. Turning and firing at the target, his shot was in the true center, and the crowd roared in excitement. He rode back in exhilaration. Raia gave him a fair smile and a nod of her head.
"A magnificent shot. It is your turn to ride first now." She said. Ya-un-Kurumi nodded and took a deep breath.

The riders were famous among their foes for their skill, and it was this that earned them much praise around the lands. Ya-un-Kurumi hurried his horse, and then stood upon the saddle at a gallop. He did not hold the reigns, but drew his bow and fired. The shot was exactly within the center, and the crowd roared with excitement. He had surely won! Ya-un-Kurumi rode back to Raia, who nodded and patted her horse on the side.
"A most difficult shot. It is clear why your ancestors are proud." She remarked. Ya-un-Kurumi bowed his thanks, and pulled his bow beside him.
"I am afraid to beat that shot may be beyond a mortal." He said. Raia shook her head.
"I don't think that there are limits to mortals. If you believe in yourself, it is clear you can do anything. Even tie a Goddess in war games." She remarked, and then hurried her horse as she stood upon the saddle.
Raia drew the arrow gracefully, and then she balanced on one foot, and shot. Her arrow hit the true center, and split Ya-un-Kurumi's arrow. The crowd cheered and fell silent. For each had won a round. And Raia rode back to Ya-un-Kurumi, who was silent in shock. He remembered the Seer's words, and now felt regret. But Raia rode next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"You have done well to tie me in such a match. It was the first time a mortal has done so well. So be proud." She said softly to him. Ya-un-Kurumi held out the bow he had carved.
"This is the prize of my loss." He said numbly. Raia was silent and looked at his eyes for a minute, and then accepted the bow.
"Then accept this as a reward for our tie. I will withdraw my claim to rulership of your people. But I will give to you hereafter the blessings that I may give. You will be a great lord, and you will lead your people well. War will come to you, but I will be with you. Serve your people well, and you will be serving me. So be proud, Ya-un-Kurumi- one who has tied Raia, Goddess of War."

That night during the celebrations, the girl from Toukoku disappeared, but the people of Ya-un-Kurumi were united and great strong with Raia's blessings.

Acts:

[Major Act: Create Exarch - Ya-un-Kurumi, the Heroic Horse-riding archer]
[Major Act: Create Bow- The Ten-Thousand-Arrow-Bow ]- The gift of Ya-un-Kurumi to the Goddess of War.
Major Act: Gain Ability- Ranged Combat: Bow

[Minor Act: Create People - Shiuk Riders]
[Minor Act: Fortify Toukoku]
[Minor Act: Improve Training]

Raz_Fox

2010-06-08, 08:20 AM

Hunting... Heradi?

So, the shadowy tentrils trip up Aldric's quarry, but fail to completely ensnare him completely. It's still worth it to watch him stumble, flip and skid for half a mile, before he comes to a stop in a furrow of sand, face-first.

As Aldric approaches him, he clumsily flips over onto his back, revealing... well, that he's lost age and scars, not just the red coat. The lines on his face are gone, his lips are unblemished, and overall he looks rather dashing. Pun totally intended.

"...Do I know you?" He says, looking rather terminally confused as the Nightmare swoops down on him.

At the World Tree

For a moment, there is only silence. The moment stretches on longer, until the branches of the tree rustle.

Though the roots don't move, Nara knows that the Tree has accepted the spear.

Jair Barik

2010-06-08, 08:30 AM

Nara bowed to the tree, turned and sailed away. He would head back to the forests for the time being and then maybe to Zhang or possibly to try and find Alarin or Raia. It had been a long time since he had spoken with many of the family and he had much to catch up on. And then there was the task of making reperations to the world. A great forest perhaps? A forest dedicated to those who had died in the conflicts of the world and to those who had needlessly been murdered and killed. A forest that represented peace and prosperity.

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-08, 02:05 PM

Aldric is visibly taken aback, he looks as if he's been the victim of a cruel prank. It's Heradi all right, but a man decades removed from the one he slew. He absently waves for Pa'am to land, subconsciously relieved for the support. While he didn't want his siblings around as a liability during a fight, he was glad to have a second hand now that it appeared there would be no battle at all. Incredulously, furious, he looms over Heradi's prone form for a moment, his prey now ensnared in threads of shadow and firmly anchored to the wyvern. The Nightmare hissed at Heradi, her way of letting him know her master wasn't one for snippy rhetorical questions, then stretched out her wings dutifully to provide shade.

Aldric descends on Heradi in a flash, ripping away his coat and shirt to get a look at the man's chest. If this body was the same one through which he drove his scythe... well, no magic could have erased all trace of that wound.

Jokasti

2010-06-08, 02:35 PM

Jazze
A man is walking down a road.
His hair is tousled, a medium dark brown, and his skin is a tannish cocoa. He's smiling, not with his mouth (well, a little with his mouth) but with his eyes, which seem to be changing color from verdant green to stormy gray to oceanic blue.
"So, I'm supposed to travel the world, and get various tokens to represent it? Doesn't sound that hard. But I'll need a walking stick."
He goes over to a tree, and yanks off a branch that is the right size. Jazze then whips out a switchblade and starts carving and shaving it as he walks.
"Looks like my first token, in this forest, is already done. One down, the rest of the world to go!"

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-08, 03:39 PM

"Fine. Fine, fine, fine!" The goddess throws up her hands in frustration, then takes a deep, slow breath and sits herself down on the ground; in seconds, a small patch of brilliantly-colored flowers blooms up around her, with perfect, tiny birds no bigger than her thumb flitting from petal to petal. They make sweet, crooning noises, and come to nestle in her hair and on her shoulders; this calms her, and she lets her eyes close as she focuses on breathing deeply, and on relaxing. Being angry never did anyone any good, not ever, she knows this...

One of the little birds zips away, with a message for Aldric's ears alone.

You know, my brother, if you keep leaving me behind like this I'm going to think you don't like me any more...Keep my little friend with you, for now. At least then I'll be able to know you're safe.

Another few deep breaths and moments of calm, and the goddess inhales; she flattens her hands out, and the small patch disappears, the birds along with it. Uncrossing her legs and standing, she glances up at Echo.

"Ride Malice, please? We're going to go after this fluttery spark."

Once everyone is seated, she rises up into the air, then glances over at Phromm.

"Can you track it...?"

Raz_Fox

2010-06-08, 03:55 PM

Aldric's... Hunt?

TA-DA! The scar's... gone!

"You know, I had that shirt for the better part of a day, and I was getting to like it. Do you just have some insane vendetta against nice shirts? I mean, honestly, is this any way to get to know someone?"

Calantha's Hunt

Echo complies... after pulling a rose out of nowhere and tucking it in her hair. "For luck," he says.

Eridi Returns Home

There is a room in the House at the end of the world, where a thousand charms and trinkets hang from the ceiling and the walls. Here, Rognir measures the well-being of the universe from every divine focus, every carefully-crafted trinket showing him the balance and the ebb.

"Ah, my son, come in. Be careful not to disturb my works as you do so."

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-08, 05:34 PM

"NGHAAA!!"

His thumbs nearly slip around Heradi's throat, but he restrains himself, and decides to just shake him violently. It was, by comparison, a polite alternative to what had briefly flashed through his mind... which was to drag him across the desert with his one leg still tethered to the Nightmare.

"Heradi! You'd better remember me like your life depends on it! AGH!" he strikes Heradi squarely in the nose before getting to his feet. One boot remains planted on the man's ribs.

"Pa'am... help me bind him. Dead men are surprisingly uncooperative."

His fangs were out and it would have been increasingly hard for anyone to meet his terrible gaze. While he didn't intend to kill Heradi today, he had no reservations about casually driving his magic into his head. The damned wise cracking fool would learn to fear him.

Aldric offers a Ceremony to keep Heradi restrained. Crystalized shadowstuff imbued with temporal magic will bind to his hands and feet rendering him weakened and slowed.

Carden

2010-06-08, 05:35 PM

Eridi spoke as he carefully moved through the devices. He'd always admired this room, so many little things made for specific purposes."It's good to see you again, Father. I came here mainly to drop back off these books. I made a copy of the 'Ort-Freg' in case I need to look up any runes I'm not familiar with, but, other than the dictionary, I've improved on the theory greatly, so I no longer have any use of those references. Perhaps, Father, you would like a copy once I find the time to scribe a new one?"

Raz_Fox

2010-06-08, 05:45 PM

Aldric's Hunt

"Now..." Heradi says, seemingly nonchalant and half-crazy just like everything else he's said, but faster so he can get it all out before Aldric kicks him in the face again, "I was fine with random strangers coming and tearing my shirt open, because those things happen. I was even fine with the breaking my nose thing, but I. Don't. Like. Being. Bound."

It would have taken hours for any other god to pull themselves out of the tendrils, but Heradi at the top of his game takes about... oh, maybe the time it'd take to blink twice. And then he strikes Aldric in the face, gut and groin. Simultaneously. About twenty times.

And then he's instantly apologetic. "Sorry 'bout that, didn't mean to hit you so hard, just wanted you to let me go because I have a love of not getting bound, you know?" He looks over at Pa'am and shrugs with a sheepish, childish grin.

Rognir and Eridi

Rognir... smiles! And it's the smile of a very, very proud father. "I was right to trust you, my son. Yes, I would love to see what you have written, my son." He strides over to Eridi, carefully and not disturbing one trinket. Then he opens his hand, and a small hammer sits there.

"This is for you, my son. I made it when I was very young, and it will protect you from harm. You have earned it in your actions, Eridi."

industrious

2010-06-08, 06:08 PM

Pa'am is about to accept the ceremony before Heradi breaks free of the tendrils. His attitude is does not match what the God of Time had been expecting.

"I will offer an explanation. According to my younger brother, you are supposed to be dead."

Carden

2010-06-08, 06:26 PM

Taking the trinket, Eridi inspected it at once. It was a magnificent piece of art, but it brought dark thoughts to his mind. "Thank you, Father, I'll keep it with me forever." Looking at it, a shiver went down his spine. "But, tell me, what dark portents do you see that I do not? I bear no wounds nor have I told you of any danger." Sighing, he clasped his hand tightly around the new charm, hoping it's magic would work now. "I haven't told you about the beast-god that killed Garadiel and attacked Alarin, of which Nara, goodhearted Nara, came begging me for a weapon with which to slay it, nor have I told you of the fleet-footed-one that hunts others of your children. Father, please, tell me why we're in danger. I fear only with the knowledge of that which wishes me harm can I be truly safe."

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-08, 06:28 PM

Aldric simply wasn't used to pain. That actually hurt! More bracing than his injuries was the fact that Heradi had slipped his bonds and landed a blow on Aldric at all. Wide eyed, he staggers back on the sand and doubles over. Not the ideal position to catch your breath, but he's afforded a second as the Nightmare screams and tries to bite off Heradi's head.

"Don't explain! Just kill him!" His vision blurred and he tasted blood on his breath. What was with everyone always talking when they should be fighting? He just got his ass kicked and Pa'am wanted to apologize for the rough handling!

In a fleeting moment of brilliance, Aldric decides to remove Heradi's advantage of swiftness of foot... by taking away his footing. Despair comes out in a wink and he slams the tip down into the sand. For a second, it appears to be a futile action. As the earth starts to rumble, Aldric spits out a jet of blood and leaps into the air with a haughty (though very pained) grin. For a mile around the ground buckles, then splits open. He has turned the area into an enormous sinkhole; rock, sand and all give way and plummet towards the abyss with a deafening sound. Aldric, however, catches the talons of the Nightmare while wielding Despair one handed.

Minor Action: Create Sinkhole
1 Major, 2 Ceremonies left.

industrious

2010-06-08, 07:01 PM

Pa'am's lips curl at his younger brother's tone. Heraldi was not acting as one who merited such actions, and Aldric had obviously lost all sense of rationality. The only sensible thing to do was to stop the conflict.

Pa'am sees the sinkhole, is too slow and weak to stop it. As Aldric dives, he grabs his younger brother's sleeve.

"Stop this, the both of you. There is something going on beyond whatever history the two of you have had."

Raz_Fox

2010-06-08, 07:25 PM

Aldric's Hunt

Heradi looks rather confused as Pa'am speaks. "Well... um, well, I'm not dead. Obviously. What, did he try to kill me before?"

And then Aldric hits the ground, surprising even Heradi with the wide range of the sinkhole. So, Heradi leaps for the closest thing that isn't currently sinking into the ground. Pa'am's legs.

"You have such wonderful legs, you know that?"

TheDarkDM

2010-06-08, 07:53 PM

He knelt in the snow, the barren hill rising before him. An east wind ruffled the borrowed furs and his blood red hair, but to the casual onlooker Faolan would otherwise appear as a statue, perhaps some chance chiseling of windswept rock into the form of a man. Day passed into twilight which passed into night, and as the howls of wolves carried of the taiga Faolan finally stirred. Picking up the weapons that had lay beside still hands, the red haired hunter slings the longsword over his shoulder and nocks an arrow in his longbow before proceeding up the hill. It was an old thing, jutting from the forest like an exposed rib, and from the crevasse in its side came a sound not unlike thunder. Whispering a silent prayer at the mouth of the cave, Faolan dives into darkness.

The cave was dark, darker than the blackest night. Had Faolan been mortal, he would have lost his footing a dozen times, plummeting into the many dead-falls that bisected his path. But Faolan was the spawn of a godling and darker things, and in the black his amber eyes glinted crimson. Climbing for what seems like hours, perhaps even days, he delves deeper into the hears of the earth. With ever passing moment, the sound of thunder becomes louder, until it is not so much a noise as a reverberation, as much part of the cave as the stone. And beneath the age old smells of dirt and age comes something else - a wrong smell, the smell of something that did not belong in this world, the smell of hate. Faolan blanches then, so hostile is this new scent that wafted through forgotten halls, but gritting his teeth he continues on, unwilling to abandon his last hope. Eventually, a deep blue light begins to seep into the dark mausoleum of rock, and Faolan beholds his quarry.

In the forging of the world, many beasts were laid low, chained to secret prisons for their terrible crimes against existence. One such monster was the ice wyrm Axavan, a dragon bereft of flight who slithered through the deep places of the world, crushing all that came before him in diamond jaws, bursting forth from dead ground to terrorize the mortal tribes. Rognir had chained him here in a pit of adamantine, cursing him to forever flail about looking for escape. One would have to be a fool or a madman to seek out such a creature, but Faolan was neither. Faolan was a man on a quest.

Standing above the pit of Axavan, the light emanating from the beast's eyes illuminates the entirety of its body, over one hundred feet long, beginning in ravenous, oversized jaws and ending in a deadly spiked tail. The great wyrm paces restlessly, but has long since given up thrashing against the walls. The last thing it expects is a voice, but that is what echoes off Axavan's walls as Faolan issues his challenge.

"Wyrm of the north! I am Faolan Half-Breed, of the house of Rognir Hundred Named! I come to give you challenge, and a release from the torture of your existence!"

For a moment, silence falls, before Axavan's deep laughter fills the chamber, a hundred times more potent than the voice of the godling.

"Come then, godling, and face the terror of the Ancient North!"

To be continued...

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-08, 07:53 PM

"Agh! Let go of me you fool! He nearly killed Alarin! He escaped the Underworld! Don't you see he's dangerous!?"

Aldric tries to shake Pa'am free so he can scramble onto the Nightmare's back or at least regain use of the hand clutching Despair, but he realized there was no sense in asking his brother to just 'take one for the team' and crash into the rocks below. The fall (likely) wouldn't be fatal for a god, but it might incapacitate him. So, he signals to the Nightmare, still hovering, who shakes the chain of gods back forth before hurling herself into a dive. This has the effect of inverting the order, putting Heradi at the top and flailing as the Nightmare drags them down.

"Touch my scythe and think of home!" he screams as the wyvern whips the chain around to slingshot Heradi and Pa'am towards the rocks hundreds of feet below. "I swear it will be all right... please."

While Aldric and Heradi were forbidden to return to Rognir's Halls, Pa'am was not... and his scythe was still attuned to the place; a one way trip home.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-08, 08:32 PM

Imagine, if you will, this playing in the background (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3PRXFLJYcw&feature=related).

With a cry, Faolan dove into the pit, firing arrows as he went. A wiser man may have tried to slay Axavan from the high vantage point, but such dishonorable tactics were not Faolan's way. As he fell, three arrows glanced off Axavan's hide, irritating the monstrosity but accomplishing little else. Landing lightly with the assistance of his free hand, Faolan sped around the wyrm, desperately trying to avoid it as it's maw crashed into the wall where he had been standing not a second before. Two more arrows sped through the air only to ricochet off diamond scales, and then Axavan's tail was whistling towards him. Diving into a tight roll, Faolan ducked the catastrophic blow and regained his footing. Seeing the weaker, more flexible scales where tail met body, Faolan released a quartet of screaming arrows that finally found their mark, burying themselves deep in the tail joint. To a normal animal, even one such shot would have been fatal, but to the abomination that was Axavan they were put pinpricks, enraging the beast further with the memories of long forgotten pain.

Roaring with renewed ferocity, Axavan sweeps round the chamber, the speed of the creature taking Faolan by surprise. Though he managed to dodge the jaws that could swallow an elephant, e was nevertheless struck to the ground by an impact from the snout. Thrown to the ground, he coughed up a spattering of blood before regaining his feet. Above him loomed Axavan, grinning mockingly down at him.

"Foolish man-thing. You cannot harm the devourer of mountains. Now die!"

Axavan's jaws spread wide to devour Faolan, but the godling had some life in him yet. Rolling aside just in time, the impact of the wyrm propelled him to his feet, but as he dodged an angry swipe from one of Axavan's claws, Faolan realized something was wrong, the bow. Glancing desperately around the chamber, he saw it smashed to kindling where Axavan had tried to end him, and realized he had lost his best weapon. Nearly screaming in frustration, he drew the longsword from its scabbard on his back, an old, beaten thing that was uniquely ill suited to slaying ancient monsters. Nevertheless, with a bestial roar he charged around to flank Axavan, and as the deadly tail sped towards him he did not dodge. Rather, he leapt on, and held for dear life.

Clinging desperately to Axavan's tail spikes, Faolan hacked in vain at the creature's tail, With each strike, the sword chipped and bent a little more, and it was soon clear that it would break long before the beast's scales. Thinking at the speed of panic, Faolan finally decided that if the head had no weaknesses, there were none to be had, and bounded from the raised tail onto Axavan's back just as the wyrm brought it whistling down to dislodge the pesky hunter. Running along the beast's spine, Faolan nearly lost his footing once, then twice, but with a last frantic dive he grasped one of the horns that ringed Axavan's head like an icy crown. As the ancient being thrashed to dislodge him, Faolan catapulted into the air, coming down on the beast's skull with all the force he could muster. Time seemed to slow for an instant, as the sword blade connected, tensed, and shattered. Shards of metal exploded, cutting thin wounds all along Faolan's body and throwing him to the ground. Groaning in pain, he could not suppress a scream of agony as Axavan's talons dug into his shoulder and lifted him aloft to be level with the baleful blue of the creature's eyes.

"Well fought, godling, but you are not your progenitor. I suppose I must thank you though - you mill make a most satisfying morsel."

To be continued...

industrious

2010-06-08, 08:55 PM

TheDarkDM

2010-06-08, 09:34 PM

Hanging defeated in the grip on an inhuman foe, Faolan nearly gave in to despair. But there was something else inside him, beyond the spark of divinity that had led him this far, something older, more primal, an it rebelled at the thought of surrender, of defeat. A howl rose through the very roots of Faolan's soul to escape his lips, and as his eyes burst open he felt a renewed vigor, an unknown strength in his limbs. Eyes flaring red against Axavan's blue, Faolan attacked with the only weapon he had left, his hands, driving them deep into Axavan's eyes. The beast roared at this unimaginable agony, but in that moment of surprise released Faolan. Surging with the momentum of the shrieking's wyrm's head, Faolan dug deeper into its skull, rending nerve and flesh and brain, and with each thrust of his hands the thrashing slowed. An onlooker would have noticed the bestial shade that had overcome Faolan, that his hands were progressively becoming claws, but he and his opponent were locked in one last deadly struggle. For what seemed like ages, Faolan tore at the wyrm, until it lay still. His hands coated in crimson ichor, Faolan leapt to the ground and grasped one of its diamond teeth, pulling it fre with a scream of rage that finally dispelled his preternatural strength. Slumping to the ground, he watched as Axavan's body melted into pure water, leaving behind black diamond bones and impenetrable scales of milky white.

Faolan slept then, and after time unknown he woke, his wounds already on the mend. Looking down at his prize, he beheld a tooth almost as long as he was, darkly beautiful. Yet Faolan was unsure if it would be sufficient proof for his unknown grandfather, and so retrieved one of the smaller bones from the wyrm's talons, this one taller than himself but thiner than the fang. Finally, he collected as many scales as possible into a satchel, slinging the two other grisly trophies over his back with some rope, and pondered how to escape. No being could climb the smooth walls of Axavan's chamber, and no mortal could have jumped the distance. Even a godling did not have that power, but a beast might. Reaching within himself for the rage that had saved his life, Faolan grasped it and let it slip into his legs before taking a running leap at the far lip of the adamantine bowl. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a painful impact near the top and a quick slide back to the bottom. Frustrated, Faolan tried again, and again, each time coming closer to the lip, until finally he managed to grasp the lip and pull himself over. Climbing back through the lightless caverns, Faolan could not have noticed that the way was not the same, that somehow he was proceeding down another path than the one he had come by. Finally, after another eternity of groping in the dark, Faolan saw sunlight, and felt a salty breeze on his cheek, and knew something was amiss.

Emerging into the light, Faolan beheld the sea at sunrise. Covered in both his own blood and the blood of his foe, he was a ghastly sight, but Faolan payed no mind to the fisherfolk who saw him on the promontory he had emerged to. Instead, his attention was held by a beacon to the east, brighter even than the sun to his eyes, and he knew that was where he must go. Faolan was no sailor, and not other could carry him to his destiny, so he quickly decided on a course of action. Stripping off his matted furs and leathers, Faolan strapped his prizes securely to his torso and dove naked into the crashing waters below.

The swim was easy at first, for Faolan's divine endurance gave him strength beyond mortal men. However, as the hours passed and the shore behind slipped away, the burdens on his back began to drag against Faolan. A small, seductive voice at the back of his head began to whisper, abandon these trinkets and turn back. What use do you have for an old man's blessing? Faolan pushed the voice back, redoubling his efforts, but every time he began to tire the voice would return, until Faolan swam not only against the current of the churning seas but also against this doubting side of himself, this side that cared not for divine ancestry. He could feel that this voice was coming from the same dark place as his timely savagery, that for some reason it was familiar, but Faolan refused to accept it as he had the rage. Instead, he suppressed it under a current of focus, a determination. No one can say how long Faolan swam, or how he avoided the beasts of the sea. Some say the predators of the deep saw a kindred spirit in Faolan's savage half, but however it came to pass Faolan eventually found himself on the shores of Rognir's home isle. Looking down, he realized for the first time how long he had been swimming, saw how any hint of softness had been burned away with his trials in earth and sea. He also saw that while most of the blood had been washed from him, his forearms and hands were perpetually stained crimson by the blood of Axavan. This was disturbing, but Faolan pushed doubt from his mind and ascended to Rognir's door.

Reaching his seemingly puny hand to knock at the door of the lord of creation, Faolan struck three times and exclaimed to the open air,
"Grandfather! I am Faolan Half-Breed, son of your daughter Ellisena. I have slain the great wyrm Axavan, and come to claim my birthright!"

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-08, 09:40 PM

Pa'am's hesitation costs Aldric dearly. The centripetal force combined with the weight of two men hanging onto his other arm rips Aldric's left shoulder out of joint and his grip on the Nightmare's claws fails. He'd have been flung off except for the wyvern's own supportive grip of his forearm... though muscle and sinew are shorn through by her razor talons, leaving something mangled and bloody in her grasp. Tears spring to his eyes and he mouths a scream of agony. Only a terse gasp escapes as his body goes limp and Despair slips from his hand...

Aldric wasn't unconscious, but he wished he was.

industrious

2010-06-08, 09:46 PM

"Oh."

Pa'am calls his own chariot, and as lets go of Aldric's arm. The lack of weight won't help the injured God, but it won't make the injury as bad. An awkward, and highly dangerous little maneuver.

Pa'am focuses on Time once more as he falls, trusting his new creation to save him from the incoming impact. In a small corner of a forest thousands of miles from the two gods, a newly dropped oak seed sprouts tendrils into the ground, forms roots, grows high and mighty, withers, fades, and dies, all within the span of a second. The resulting opposite reaction allows Pa'am to reverse the course of time in an extremely localized area. Namely, Aldric's injury. Which in the arm's frame of reference, never happened.

Minor Action: Heal Aldric.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-09, 02:57 PM

Sovvenia

Sovvenia flew on the back of the majestic roc, Dawn, to the the sanctuary between earth and sky on top of the ancient extinct volcano. The clouds gathered above the plateau of the Old Crater had a distinct crimson color. As the goddess approached the central plaza and the Pillar of Storms, she noticed a high stone wall that was not before, as well as training grounds and an area for the tribe's rocs. The humans had been busy the last few months...

Dawn landed in the aviary, dodging a few stones in the process. Sovvenia dismounted under the watchful eye of nearby warmasters, who were barely hiding their bemusement. How did a maiden acquire such a steed and how did she dare show up unannounced like that?

"Why have you come woman? Speak, or else we will have to scar your beautiful face!"
"I am here to challenge the ruler of this place and claim mastery of the Sky."
"Do you hear that, brothers? She thinks that because she can ride a roc, she should be given the crown of a king!"
"Oh, I certainly expect it to be more difficult than that."

Sovvenia walked among the desert warriors dressed in their chitin armor; she was completely unarmed, yet showing no fear at all! And when the confused and angry men came close to her, to stop her, grab her arm, or intending to violate her, they were assailed by the memories of the loved ones they lost to the hardships of the waste. And they cowered before her, the Storm Witch, as they would come to call her.

"What is this commotion about?"

Sovvenia was only a few dozen feet away from the sacred Pillar when the sheikh emerged from his tent followed by the captain of the guard. The former was a tall and gaunt dark man, with grey eyes and a short braided beard. The latter was a sturdy veteran, with such deep orange eyes...burning with unnatural resolve. Two men joined them, carrying a large object wrapped in cloth.

"I am Sovvenia, Goddess of the Anamnesis Oracle, Lady of Remorse. I am impressed by your progress. But those titles...you cannot simply make such claims to the Sky without somebody noticing. In this case, you are fortunate that I was the one who answered. Some of my siblings are much less forgiving than I."

She turned slightly towards the captain, even if the sheikh was the one she was addressing. These eyes...

"Rognir's children are not at home in the waste", said the sheikh Ibrahim. "Even the Painted Jackal, Lord of Death, couldn't bear to live his existence in the Far South, where we come from. We have carved our own destiny in the rocks of these cliffs. We have shared the Shimmering Elixir brewed from the tears of the Coiled Serpent. Divinity was ours to take, and we accepted the gift from the Heavens."

It was true that a shape in the cloudy sky resembled a coiled dragon. But Sovvenia continued to watch the silent one. She had to know why his presence felt so familiar. Thus the goddess tried to read him subtly. Much to her surprise, the mind of the captain resisted and shoved her out - but not before she could catch a glimpse of one memory. A memory that involved her! The muscular warrior frowned, then smiled, revealing fangs much like those of a snake...or a wyrm. Sovvenia took a step back as she almost lost her balance.

"Mifasetz! This is not your friend; this man has been possessed by the spirit of the very same demon that once trapped me!"

Before she could react, the captain of the guard gripped the Hammer of Heaven Binding carried by the two men at his side and hit her so violently she was thrown against a nearby stone. Mifasetz, in his human guise, laughed at the bloodied and defenseless goddess at his feet.

"This woman is not a goddess", said Mifasetz triumphantly. "Look at how easy she fell before me. She is simply crazy. Bring her to my tent in chains. You don't have to worry about her anymore, Ibrahim."

Mifasetz started walking towards the back of the camp when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around to see Sovvenia standing right there, with no sign of weakness or harm. She took the Hammer from his hands, threw it as far as she could and in the same breath, punched him, forcing him to recoil. The possessed human wiped some blood from his mouth and looked up at the goddess. Sovvenia was the one grinning now.

"You fell for another memory charm Mifasetz. How predictable. You are so terribly arrogant, it wasn't hard to make you believe you had beaten me again...but that was in the past. Things are different now."
"Bah! You won't destroy me, unless you want to annihilate this entire people. I fed these humans my life force. Their fate is linked to mine. Brilliant, isn't it? Not only have I created a fiercy army of superior humans, but their worship of the Sky also strengthens me. In a short time, I should have amassed enough power to ascend to godhood."
"I will find a way to save them. I heard warriors prove their might in these parts by hand to hand combat..."
"I'll take you anytime!"

Mifasetz and Sovvenia stared at each other. For him, this was an opportunity to finally accomplish his lifelong dream of becoming a god. For her, it was the chance to fight old demons and move on. The goddess' fists crackled with electricity. Mifasetz summoned unholy magic and charged Sovvenia with unnatural agility and speed. When they first clashed, a great thunderclap shook the heavens. The clouds above swirled, mimicking the intensity of the fight below. Sovvenia may had not had the desert demon's brute force, but she could certainly handle herself thanks to a unique defensive fighting style, evading most of Mifasetz's most vicious strikes, turning his strength against him, and harassing him with thunder shocks and blasts of wind. As the two supernatural beings traded blows, rocks shattered around them in the plaza and rocs shrieked. Mifasetz lept towards Sovvenia; the goddess rolled on the floor and stood up just in time to stop a kick. Having grabbed his leg, she made him fall prone. But as she bent over, the demon successfully kicked her pushing her several feet away. Sovvenia found herself back to the Pillar of Storms, a broken but raging Mifasetz now advancing menacingly in her direction. She had to end it fast - her own energy was severly drained - but how? Mifasetz punched with his right hand and Sovvenia grabbed his fist only a few inches to her face. He tried another punch from the left, but the goddess also stopped it. She knew she couldn't stay like this for much longer; she felt hersef slowly accepting defeat at his hands...but then she recalled the burning sensation of the Tree branding her as an Herald. The fight was not over. Suddenly, a flight of rocs swooped and grabbed the demon. Mifasetz tried to fight back, but they were too many and too strong. The Lady of Remorse took a deep breath. She calmly walked to the agonizing Mifasetz.

"Stop", she asked of the rocs. And on her order they recoiled. Sovvenia knelt beside him. "You are right. I cannot kill you. I will preserve your essence. I could torture you for all eternity, but it would bring me no satisfaction. Instead, I will have your mind relive the same memories over and over again, while it is imprisoned away. You will be so close to godhood each time...but after this fight, you will be back to your first memory, with no idea that you are actually stuck in an infinite loop. You will forever dream, never attaining what you seek, but never suffering defeat and oblivion, either. Consider yourself lucky it is not Aldric you crossed path with."

Sovvenia grabbed a fragment of rock and inscribed it with glyphs. She brought it to the man's forehead and stored his consciousness inside. The glyphs burned bright for an instant, then disappeared. She flew to the edge of the plateau and threw the stone away to be forever lost, before returning before the tribe's elder. However Mifasetz would not be forgotten, as Sovvenia made sure to illustrate his story on the very Pillar of Storms he so coveted. She also took care of breaking the Hammer of Heaven Binding to make sure it would never be used against her again.

Ibrahim gave Sovvenia the sacred handshake of his Brotherhood. "We of the Stormseeker Tribe recognize your power, Maiden of the Sky. None but a true goddess could have inspired such respect in the rocs."

The goddess smiled. "You are worthy of being my champions in this world. You already achieved many exploits on your own, but I promise that you will become legends now. Here is a gift for all of you, to seal our alliance."

A bright light pierced the mantle of clouds and bathed the rocs. The entire race grew in size, became hardier, fiercer and acquired superior intelligence.

Claim the Sky domain (1 major act)
Greatly enhance the Rocs (now equivalent to a 1 major act monster race, with 5 or 6 intelligence in D&D terms)
The Humans of the Stormseeker Tribe are empowered by elemental magic (1 major act)
Spread her philosophy, starting with the Stormseeker Tribe (1 minor act)

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-09, 03:02 PM

Now unencumbered and injury free, by some miracle, Aldric scrambles up the side of the Nightmare while she tries to level out despite still falling at a dangerous speed. He spares a split second glance to his left arm, still fighting phantom pains and not quite believing it was whole again. Then, springing out onto the wyvern's neck he calls Despair to his hand only to hurl it down towards Pa'am with the last of his strength. He was unsure if his brother's chariot would reach him or be able to gently arrest his fall in time... they were quickly running out of pit.

"It's a totem! It'll take you home!" was all he could get out over the cacophony of breaking rock. The Nightmare beat her wings and struggled to slow her fall. For Aldric and his mount, they'd met the point of no return and had chance of reaching the two hurtling towards the bottom without meeting the same fate. Aldric could only look on, grim and desperate. Silently, he begged his brother not to be prideful.

Jair Barik

2010-06-09, 04:49 PM

That day around the city of Xiang Jian the grass was unusually green. Almost eerily so. A young man was walking towards the city gates but from the way he stood, so thin and gaunt, many would have thought him to be very old indeed, to some extent they would be correct. He did not bare any weapons and was no God, bar his cloaks and a small pouch on his belt his sole possesion was a walking cane upon which he stumbled along, almost unable to bare its weight. And then he stopped. Putting one hand deep into his pouch he pulled out a handful of seeds and scattered them to the winds. Then a second handful thrown to his other side. A third hurled weakly at the city and a fourth dropped at his feet.

"This seed i scatter by my own hand. May it grow and prosper as is the will of Nara. So it is said, so it is done."

A roaring sound echoed around the city, not the roar of animal or man, the roar of the earth itself. From the soil around the city mighty oaks and elms, trees of all kinds sprouted from the ground forming a mighty forest that encircled the city. The trees did not encroach upon the city walls but they surrounded it on all sides, a deep woodland with only the main road from the city leading through it untouched.

The man looked around him and thought of the nature God's words.
This is not the true way, not the way of nature, but these times force us to roll with their blows and adapt or die. A tree, a flower, a plant for each soul who has died unjustly by murder, war or torture. A symbol of peace in times to come.
And now the second part of his task. Hobbling onwards the man approached the city gates and stood, awaiting the summons that would inevitably be sent for him.

1 minor act-create the forest of Xiang Jian

Raz_Fox

2010-06-09, 05:05 PM

Aldric's Hunt

"Or, we could just STOP." As soon as Heradi says it, Pa'am - and Heradi, who is still clinging to him - ceases to fall. Or at least, that's how it seems. Given several hours, they would probably fall into the sinkhole, but for now they're suspended in mid-air. "Interesting. Didn't actually think I could do that. Well, live and learn, as my ma once told me." He waves at Aldric and grins.

Faolan at the House at the End of the World

"Why would you want the blessing of that old fart?" A man, far too old to be calling others old, sits by the door. His clothing is ragged and filthy, and there is a blindfold over his eyes. "He's sequestered himself in his library, seeking a cure for death or something of that nature. No one goes in, and he'll never come back out. Best to go, child. You wouldn't want his blessings anyway. They're always a double-edged sword, and they cut you deeper than they cut your foes. Go, child, and make your own name in the world."

Eridi at the House at the End of the World

Rognir sighs, then gestures at the room of trinkets. "Everything ends. Even I will, Eridi. One day, I will not be there to drive back your enemies, to keep the borders and align the lines of magic. After me there will be a sword-age, a wolf-age, where brothers slay each other and the world trembles. I have seen it in the stars.

Perhaps I can no longer go forth and slay every one of your enemies, but I can protect you in this way. Remember it when the wolf-age comes, Eridi." He stops, then, as an afterthought: "Make a room like this for your own, Eridi. When you understand how the world moves, you will be able to guard it against They Who Wait Beyond."

Earl of Purple

2010-06-09, 05:50 PM

Somewhere, Location Currently Forgotten; West, I believe

"Yes, I can." Phromm, previously perched upon one of the wyverns of Aldric, jumps off (when they are close to the ground, obviously) and roars. Shortly afterwards, a massive, white, worm-like creature bursts out of the soil and roars back, revealing a large mouth filled with many rows of very sharp, shark-like teeth that closely resemble those inside Phromm's mouth. Phromm jumps aboard, and the Giant Ice Worm and its rider head towards the other, moving towards the fluttery spark. "Sorry if this slows you down; I find it easier to track from the ground than from the sky."

Whilst his siblings could sense the divine sparks using senses that were analogous to other mortal senses, Phromm's divine sense was most like that of scent, as befitting the God of Predators, many of which used scent as a major part of hunting.

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-09, 06:15 PM

Above, Aldric crouches on the back of the wyvern with unblinking green eyes, his arm still outstretched. The Nightmare's wings hang frozen in a downbeat amid a sea of suspended debris. Despair crawls through the air, moving fractions of an inch every second; the slowing circling scythe the only discernable movement in an otherwise perfect snapshot.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-09, 06:48 PM

Faolan spins towards the old man, disbelieving. His mother had said nothing of this, only that his birthright - his answers - lay with Rognir. Shivering in rage, frustration, and exhaustion, he nearly screams.

"Who are you, old one, who knows the workings of my grandfather? Why should I be denied a chance to learn of my mother...of my nature?"

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-09, 07:02 PM

"It's all right. If we go slower, we can enjoy the scenery." The goddess smiles, and sends Apophis into a low glide; the two wyverns follow the large serpent's lead, hanging low over the giant worm's head. She would have had Apophis run alongside the worm, but was uncertain as to how the wyverns were on the ground...it would be better, besides, to fly. More angles, and she could see further...

"We follow you, Phromm...wherever you take us..."

Raz_Fox

2010-06-09, 07:45 PM

Faolan at the House at the End of the World

"I... am the Gatekeeper. And I have served your Grandfather long enough to tell you this: he is a jealous, hateful god. You want nothing to do with him. Go! Live a full, happy life, without knowing how he wooed a mortal to his bed. Is it not enough to know that you are divine? Surely, you have been given power beyond any mortal. Why are you still here? Do you really want to learn about your grandfather, even with all that I have told you?"

TheDarkDM

2010-06-09, 07:52 PM

Faolan looked down at this blind old man, and while a part of himself desired to simply take the world in hand, it was the savage part. And thus he decided.

"A happy life is beyond me gatekeeper. My very nature rebels against me, and my spirit is set against itself. I cannot accept power over others before I have the power to rule myself. And without knowing the root of this part of me, without seeing my family's true nature with my own eyes and understanding it, I will never be free."

ArlEammon

2010-06-09, 08:07 PM

Shen Zhi Shu And The Library Of Xiang Jian
Shen Zhi Shu had wondered why it was that he had not left Xiang Jian. He longer directly ruled the place, instead it was ruled by another King. He had decided it was time to let the people grow without his direct interference, despite being an administrator to the place for decades. However, as Shen Zhi Shu was an official at heart, he had decided that he would work towards one of his life long dreams. That of the permanent educational superiority of the Zhangese region. Scholars from all over the region visited Shen Zhi Shu at his abdication. "Shen, we will miss you." Shen Zhi Shu rolled his eyes and gave a reasuring phrase,"I'm not going anywhere." He answered."I'm not leaving you, I have just decided it is time that I no longer treat you all like children. You are now more like teenagers, Xiangians." He smiled.

"I have greater services for you all. My Branded and I have begun work on a great library. Nothing in Zhang will be like it, save for the Shrine Of Himiko, my dear daughter." His mind wanders for just a moment. "Think for a moment what it would be like if people from all over the world would visit Xiang Jian not for it's beauty, but because of it's wisdom and knowledge."

"I'm going to construct the greatest works of knowledge and written wisdom the world will ever know."

3 Minor Acts to Create the Library Of Xiang Jian

industrious

2010-06-09, 08:11 PM

Pa'am reaches up and grabs Despair. He looks around at the slowed world around him; at the chariot inching towards him as he moves by infinitesimal increments back towards the ground.

The instant the scythe touches the God of Time, though, a chill runs through his body. Might have beens and maybes flow through his mind; grim possible futures that had never happened. But in Pa'am's mind, they have, all of them, all at once. He releases the scythe, and gasps for air.

"Let us talk, then. Did you hear what I told you earlier?"

Raz_Fox

2010-06-09, 08:21 PM

Aldric's Hunt

"The part where Guv here is trying to kill me because he thought I was dead? Didn't seem to make sense, like hatching eggs from birds. But... well, how can I convince you I'm not his man? Hell's bells, I can't even remember last night, much less him."

Faolan at the House at the End of the World

The Gatekeeper smiles, and rises from his seat. "If that is your wish, then I shall tell you whatever you would know." As he stands upright - and suddenly, he seems a lot taller than before - the rags fall away from him, and his beard changes from white to greying black. He pulls back the rotting band from one of his eyes, revealing it to be bright and cunning. "I am your grandfather, Faolan Half-Breed. Some call me Pan-Lung, some Oski, or Monoc. And if you are so determined to find answers, then they will be given to you. Speak, and be answered!"

TheDarkDM

2010-06-09, 08:33 PM

Faolan stands stunned for a moment. Since learning of his own divinity, he had never truly given though to what this moment would be like. Now, presented with the power of the all-father who was his grandsire, he felt foolish and small, standing naked with trophies that, while impressive to any mortal, likely meant little to the being who had imprisoned Axavan in antiquity. Faolan fell on one knee, and bowed his head.

"I have many questions, grandfather, but few of them seem important now. But I must know, what am I? My mother spoke of abandoned divinity, of being your issue, but if so how could she be ravaged by the beast that was my sire? And with the blood of that beast flowing in my veins, am I truly a divine, or something else?"

Though he did not realize it, Faolan began to weep for the first time, overcome by the questions that had gnawed at him since his birth. Raising his head, he met Rognir's cunning eye with two wolf's eyes.

"Am I alone, grandfather? We heard tales of great heroes in the lands to the south, but even if they are gods as is said, am I worthy to be among them, a child of rape whose education in divinity was accompanied by slaughter." The last words were bitter, for even if his mother's passing had slain his tormentors, that village had been Faolan's entire world. Staring into Faolan's eyes, Rognir saw amber flecked in scarlet, the momentary flash of flame, and beneath all the roiling power of Faolan's nature a boy who had never known a father, and desperately longed for the truth.

industrious

2010-06-09, 10:15 PM

Aldric's Hunt

"He claims that he has killed you previously, after you nearly killed our younger brother. And that you were broken out of the Underworld by someone he only described as 'wearing a hat.'"

Pa'am considers Heraldi's statements for a nanosecond.

"As for convincing me...there is no need. I hold no opinion as to whether or not you are whom you claim to be. Some sort of mental scan should confirm Aldric's theory. I would suggest that the three of us relocate to my own domain. I believe that there are answers for all of us there. I give you my word that if you agree to come peacefully with us, that you will come to no harm until we are able to determine exactly what the situation is."

ArlEammon

2010-06-09, 10:34 PM

Foreshadowing ?

Somewhere In The Garden Of The Xiangian Archive, between the four buildings, songs could be heard from a fair maiden. A blessed, white face with dark blue, within blue eyes and darker, but black hair. As she sings, she turns a well-known poem into a song. All within the library are enchanted, literally, with something that seemed more than magic. Mingzhou, dying Mingzhou, asked this famous Song Maiden to come from Zipang and sing to him in the Garden before he had died of old age.
Xiangian poetry: (Cookies For Reference)

The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom
And his language shall be spoken in judgment
Blessed is he who suffers temptation
Since he, with approval, shall receive the crown of life
Lord, fire divine, have mercy
Oh how holy
How serene
How kind
How pleasant
Oh, lily of chastity!
Lord, fire by divine, have mercy
Oh how sacred
Oh, How serene
How bevolent
How lovely
Lily of chastity

As she finishes, her face emerges from the shadow, shinging in the Sun. Shen Zhi Shu awakes as if struck by Raia's lightning. "HIMIKO!"

Carden

2010-06-10, 12:42 AM

These were troubling notions, and Eridi heeded them well. But one thing, that one last thing, stuck in his mind as the most important. "They Who Wait Beyond, Father? Who, or what, is that?" The mentioning of family in-fighting had scared Eridi, but these things, just their title sent shivers down his spine.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 02:24 AM

Sovvenia

The goddess of the Sky, arms wide open and her eyes closed, stood at the edge of the Old Crater. She rejoiced in the cold embrace of the mountain wind while channeling magic through the Pillar of Storms. Then she thought she heard croaking. Sovvenia opened one of her eyes and saw a familiar silver-cloaked crow perched on the branch of an ancient stone pine. She smiled and addressed her old companion:

"Crow, I am happy you came. I remember... We last saw each other here, on this very spot. It seems like an eternity ago... What have you been up too?"

"Oh, you know, the usual! I've followed travelling merchants and explorers, advised princes and witches. They never do thank me for my hard work! They always resort to name calling. Like it's my fault there turned out to be a secret clause in the summoning contract of a magma elemental! Or that the caliph really had an hidden daughter that could legitimately claim the throne too! Some people can really hold a grudge."

Sovvenia couldn't help but laugh.

"Very well, crow. You may remain in my company. No mortal will dare harm you if you are protected by a deity. I even have a gift for you."

The goddess stopped what she was doing and focused her mind on the crow's form. Then all of a sudden, his body morphed and took on the appearance of a human. He had skin the color of ebony, thick, wild hair with a few platinum streaks, and a short beard. With his muscular body and chiseled jaw, one could even say he was quite awesome - expect for his crooked nose, which betrayed his original form. He wore only a long wrap-around skirt, in addition to bracelets decorated with feathers and a necklace exhibiting eagle claws.

"Not too bad, my friend. But how shall we call you? Crow doesn't seem adequate for attending social occasions in this guise."
"Korvo will do."

Sovvenia nodded. She turned her attention to the now empty plaza, with the Pillar standing proud in its center.

"What are you doing now?", asked Korvo.
"A very novel idea. I will explain soon, but watch now! I asked the tribesmen to leave the plaza for this..."

The Storm Maiden, Thunder Bird as she was known to some of the desert folk, summoned the spirits of the air to her side. And soon, the sons and daughters of the Four Winds answered her call. There came three flamboyant spirits of the searing and dusty Wind of the South. The creatures of the Eastern Wind were next, elders among their kind, slow but powerful enough to topple mountains. Then arrived the three ill-tempered spirits of the frozen Wind of the North. Last but not the least, were the three lovely but careless daughters of the Western Wind. Together they laughed; together they bickered and fought. But Sovvenia was able to instill some order in them, and she gave them one command, one and one only, for the time being:

"Gather the materials, use your imagination, work your magic... And build me a tower taller than every other. It will stand on that spot, built around the Pillar of Storms. It will be a monument to the greatness of humankind. A place for the ambitious to test their skills and determination. And it will also be a sanctuary offering spiritual awakening for those who seek through their actions to understand and practice the Perfect Way.

Let it be known to everyone that this was Azura's dream. Her legacy lives on!"

Immediately, the jinns went to work. Giant boulders were ripped from the surrounding cliffs and the foundations of the Tower of Enlightenment were erected.

Gave the silver-cloaked crow a human form (1 minor act)
Summoned the 12 jinn, major spirits of the air (minor)
Started the construction of the Tower of Enlightenment (minor)

ArlEammon

2010-06-10, 07:14 AM

It Had To Be Nara

The dream with Himiko still lingering in Shen's mind, he nonetheless had to deal with Nara. He knew it had to be Nara. After all, he was the god of Nature. Wondering what to do with Xiang Jian in this pristine state, he was afraid that Nara may be encroaching on his territory. Using his scrying ability, Shen Zhi Shu saw Nara's head. . . "Nara, we need to talk. If you are here, please show yourself."

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 08:08 AM

nara was not there to hear Shen's call though. It was only a human that stood before the city gates resting upon his staff. A mighty briar wolf prowled the ground behind him but the man stayed it with a single gesture of his hand.

He looked up into the sky not seeing Shen but knowing where Shen saw him and, turning to face the god of magic, he spoke his voice calm and collected as if he were addressing his fellow man.
"I am not Nara Shen. And I do not come to this city to seek war or conflict. I am here for quite different reasons. War is a terrible thing Shen, and death from unnatural causes equally wrong. My master and protector feels that such things between the Gods themselves are worse a thousand times more. You have my word that I stand here solely for reasons of peace. Will you speak to me Shen, or will you sit in your city and speak at me?"

ArlEammon

2010-06-10, 08:11 AM

Shen Zhi Shu
"I shall meet you." Shen replied. He appeared in a magical flash in front of the man bearing the staff. "What is it that you have come for? I am interested in why Xiang Jian is surrounded by such natural beauty." Shen was no longer angry, but still curious. He looked at the man with the staff and waited for an answer.

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 08:44 AM

Raz_Fox

2010-06-10, 09:12 AM

Aldric's Hunt

Heradi looks about for a moment, then says, "You won't try to tie me down and stop me moving, right? Because you saw what comes over me. But as long as you won't bind me, I'll come willingly."

Faolan and Rognir

"I will answer, then - though I have sired many children, their blood is always tainted from their birth. Mortal blood mixes with that of the divine, and if the divine blood is not awakened by mighty deeds then the mortal blood will win out. Your mother chose a mortal life, for it was easier to bear than the hard life of a god. I do not hate her for that, but only weep that she did not rise to greatness.

But you chose greatness, Faolan Half-Breed, despite being a wolf's bastard. Thus does my blood run bright through your veins, burning out the blood of mortals. You were a god, Faolan, from the moment you won out over hardship.

Your second question I will also answer - no, you are not alone in the cosmos. Sons and daughters have I, and from what I have already seen of your exploits you are worthy of standing among them. Slaughter I have seen before, and I have carven my blade through many a foe; do you still find yourself unworthy of standing proud? Then this I will tell you - that even the wolf's bastard may find himself glory beyond all other gods, should he chose the hard path."

Eridi and Rognir

"Know only this, Eridi: they are mistakes, memories and dreams that have lived past their time. They hate everything that has form and shape, and I and my blood most of all. One day, they will break through the walls I have set about the world, and in that day... you must be ready."

Calantha's Hunt

Tracking the elusive prey is like trying to track an entire den of rabbits at once. Who have had an hour's head start. And were smart enough to lay false trails. Even Phromm can smell half-a-dozen trails, in a dozen different directions.

Worse, the longer they search, the more it feels like some malignant power is addling their minds, blinding them, removing memories of which way to go and which trails they've searched, leading them ever onwards in a merry chase.

ArlEammon

2010-06-10, 09:15 AM

The man smiled. He appeared young yet also afflicted with some terrible form of wasting, his frame thin and shrivelled.

"There is more to beauty than meets the eye Shen. A lion may be a creature of immense nobility and beauty but that does not mean I would be willing to touch one. But I am not here to give threats, I am here to give hope, to offer peace and to bring warnings. Nara fears for you Shen, he fears you have become isolated, paranoid, locked away in your fortress of fire and stone shunning the outside world. What do you think of these claims?"

Shen Zhi Shu
"They are unfounded. I tried to visit Aldric, but he had thought that I was spying on him. I actually plan to leave Xiang Jian soon, but I have had a premonition regarding my adopted daughter Himiko. I cannot leave Zhang until that issue is resolved."

TheDarkDM

2010-06-10, 09:38 AM

Faolan smiles at Rognir's last point. Standing with newfound surety, he gave a short laugh.

"The hard path is the one I have always walked grandfather, for any other path is void of benefit. I think I shall go see more of this world of yours, meet these aunts and uncles you mentioned. But first, I find myself without arms or armor, a sad state of affairs for a warrior. Do you have any suggestions as to who might help me with this predicament?"

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 10:03 AM

Raz_Fox

2010-06-10, 10:04 AM

Faolan and Rognir

Rognir smiles. "Seek out your brother Eridi, lord of the forge and master of all crafts. In the south he resides, and if you prove yourself worthy he is certain to forge weapons and armor worthy of a warrior."

ArlEammon

2010-06-10, 10:10 AM

The man nodded,showing a clear approval for this.

"Much blood has been shed here unnecessarily Shen. You siblings mustered against you and we feared that a war between the God's would be inevitable. No one holds Nara in contempt though. He wishes for peace and will not raise his hand against any ofg the divine family regardless of what they have done. For this reason he has had me raise this forest around the city. Any woodland could be a path into the great forest and this one is no different. You should not go seeking the gates to the forest within these trees but know that any who bring the steel of war beneath their boughs are likely to find it. Nara wishes to protect his brother, but he does not wish for you to muster an army of your own."

Shen Zhi Shu
"Xiang Jian, thanks to Alarin and I is a city of culture, art, music and learning. It is not meant as a mighty, super powered regime to conquer the world. I built Xiang Jian to be a place of righteousness, so that the people could protect themselves. Now that the people of Xiang Jian are more than human, at least in the sense of power, I must bring the blessings of Xiang Jian to other mortals. Perhaps one day, even the giants."

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 11:10 AM

ArlEammon

2010-06-10, 11:16 AM

The man nodded but a solemn look was on his face.
"This is true and good but know that your brother does hold pity and empathy to the mortals as well as the divine. The city was built upon blood and bones. This does not sir well with him and though he tries to forgive you he has asked me several times what good magic has brought to the world. He wishes to forgive all that the Gods have done in the past but he asks you, this gift of magic you wish to spread, is it to make men better or to make men stronger?"

"What does Nature do? Does it make men better or stronger?" Shen Zhi Shu retorted. "No, Nature can do both. It is as the way of Magic. Magic, when used correctly, will protect those who know how to use it in good conscience. Furthermore, think for a moment, about what the city was built on. Not murder, but on the defenders of liberty."

He continues. "Not only that, I plan on teaching mortals magic other than the destructive arts one day. Now is not the time."

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 11:24 AM

"Perhaps it should be though."

The man turned and began to head back into the forest but, before he passed beneathe the boughs of the trees he turned to face the God one last time.

"I do not seek to force you to change your ways Shen, nor does Nara, but remember these words. The man who makes no enemies need not defend himself. The man who builds high walls in defense invites his enemies to war."

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 12:14 PM

Sovvenia

While the jinn were busy completing the Tower, Sovvenia mounted Dawn and, alongside the silver-cloaked crow, flew swiftly to Nara's sanctum in the North Wood in order to see her brother... It had been so long. Apparently Nara was changed by his quest, and much like her, was punished for his arrogance. Maybe, then, he would be ready to accept her as she is. Not Azura reborn, but Sovvenia...

ArlEammon

2010-06-10, 12:21 PM

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 01:12 PM

Shen
"No. You must work out what it is best for you to do. There are many ways to help a man without resorting to violence," and with that the man vanished without ever giving his name, his form there one minute then gone the next as the trees about him shifted. If Shen looked hard he would realise that the place where the man had been standing was not the same place that stood before him now.

Sovvenia
Nara was not surprised when one of his siblings came upon him in the forest. Shortly after she had come beneath the shadows of the trees on of the Briar wolves had picked up her scent and come to inform nara of the visitor. The grove he stood in was full of all manner of beautiful flowers and at its centre was a strange stone totem overgrown with vines and wildflowers. No, not stone, but some divine metal taken from the house of Rognir. Nara stood flanked by two briar wolves, a number of druids moved around behind him and a young yet gaunt man stood at his right hand. Nara was not the man Sovvenia would remember him as being. His toes were roots, his skin bark, his hair moss and his eyes were like gemstones. He was wounded too. A mighty scar ran across his chest long healed but never to leave him and a newer wound anointed his leg still in the process of healing.

"Hello sister," his voice was calm and sad, not the voice of the nara she once new. Gone was the passion and energy of that voice, he had indeed changed.
"Sister...is that right to call you so? You are my sister I am certain but I cannot name you. Long have I been from home but my memory does not fault me. I know you but I don not know you. It does not matter though, all are welcome within the great forest so long as they do not stray here in the day or spend too long within. It is day now but you need not fear for my kin are always welcome here."

Another two of the briar wolves lurked in the shadows behind Sovvenia. They had long been shadowing her to make sure no harm befell her.

ArlEammon

2010-06-10, 01:19 PM

Shen Zhi Shu
Shen Zhi Shu returned to the library. Noticing a woman with startling appearances, similar to Himiko, almost identical, if not so, he rushed forward, and spied her, listening to her song, the voice was exactly like Himiko's. He had seen her face, and he gasped, it looked exactly the same. He wondered how it was possible that she could be. "Himiko." Shen said lovingly. Suddenly she turned her head and saw him. "You. . . who are you?' Mingzhou would have bowed, but he couldn't, as he was too old. "Hello Master Shen. What occurence has brought you here." Mingzhou asked, not hearing Shen call the girl Himiko.

"I am not Himiko. I had thought that Himiko was dead." Yet Shen had shaken his head. "You are Himiko, I can tell. You have her voice, her appearance, and I can even sense who you are." Yet she shook her head in another response. "I am Chei. Not Himiko. Why would you mistake me for your adoptive daughter?' She wondered aloud.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 01:36 PM

Sovvenia and Nara

Korvo had chosen his human form to accompany Sovvenia in the North Woods. The perfume of the glade brought many memories to her mind, of couples pickniking in flower meadows and children playing hide and seek in the forests of the western continent in autumn...and of a crimson wolf stalking the countryside after nightfall. She tried to focus on the present.

"Hello Nara." Like him, her voice was different, it didn't sound as young and arrogant as before; there was something old and nostalgic about it.
"I am your sister, your flesh and blood. I was born from one of Azura's memory, shortly before she disappeared into oblivion. I am the goddess of the Anamnesis Oracle and Queen of the Sky. This is my friend Korvo. I am happy that you accept to welcome us in your magnificent home.

There are dire things I need to talk to you able." At that moment, she brushed her fingers on the brand on her left cheek. "But I also wish to know you better, the new you; know about your changed nature and your interests, but also your plans for the future. Let us talk of family and dreams before we speak of dreadful things."

Carden

2010-06-10, 01:41 PM

"Thank you for the warning, Father, I'll be ready. I'll be ready and waiting. I'm afraid, however, I can't stay any longer, not with this ominous new development. I'll be sure to get you my new theory books as soon as I can, perhaps they can be of use to you here." Giving Rognir a parting hug, Eridi left the house with much more on his mind than when he arrived.

It was here he paced for a bit, drawing the same runes that had brought him here in the sand. He messed one up with his mind as fluttery as it was and had to start over again. Really, he thought, what's wrong with me? I know more coming out than I did when I came, so why does it seem like I know less?

Finally, after two more tries and dawn quickly approaching, he finished his circle. this one would take him to his totem, the anvil attuned to him. He had brought it out into the wilderness with him and had left it buried under his campfire.

Arriving after his jolted trip, he calmly sat down on the same log he had made camp earlier that night. Thinking on where to go next, he decided that his father's cautioning needed to be thoroughly considered, so he would go and secure those trade routes for now. His father's worries were dire, but if his people couldn't live through the onslaught, what use was there in fighting it?

Packing his cart, he walked beside Noss for the first day. This would be a long, hard trip, and it was no use tiring the animal with his weight as well.

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 02:49 PM

Nara sighed. "These are indeed troubled times we live in when every meeting between our kin is for matters of business and omens of dread. Azura... do you still go by that name? It hardly matters in the grand scheme of things but still. I hope that between us, all of us, we can forge a peaceful future for this world. One where brother does not fight with brother and kin with kin. As for my change in nature, well... I believe you said we didn't wish to yet speak of dreadful things. Shen seems well and is readying to leave his sanctum at last, Garadiel was doing good the last time I saw him but that seems long ago now, Eridi is forging a good future for himself and his people, not one I approve of entirely but it is good and his intent seems to be peaceful for the time being." "Not like Raia and Aldric, oh no..." the whisper was quiet and seemed to echo in Sovvenia's ear. nara kept talking, seeming not to hear it. "Those I have met seem not to have changed, not in the same manner as you and I." "but scratch the surface and the old Nara still lurks in easy sight" "I have visited the world tree, it seems to prosper but there is a great intellect that see's all beneath the bark there." "If it is anything like men then all that lurks beneath the crust is the darkness of the blackest night, evil lurks everywhere you go, even within the deepest reaches of your own soul.""But what of you? Have you met with many of our kin?"

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-10, 02:53 PM

After half an hour, Calantha was growing impatient. An hour, and she was nearly seething. Two hours, and the goddess was at the end of her--admittedly short--rope. She could only hold herself together for so long, and keep all of her mind focused on the same goal...but Phromm had been leading them down trails that ended, suddenly, or twisted into somewhere else, or went straight up, and there was something here that was meddling with her...

"That. Is. Enough." The words left the goddess after another trail ended up dead; she looked up, and there was that meddlesome raven, flying above their heads, taunting her.

The goddess flung her hand up, and though there was no physical manifestation, she threw a bolt of concentrated mental energy at the bird. Energy that was meant to confuse, disorient, subdue...the energy of madness. Above her, she heard a startled Aaarwk, and the bird's wings crumbled; she caught it as it fell, and drove Apophis into a steep dive, landing in front of the Giant Worm.

"Phromm, this thing could possibly be a source of some of the flickering power we've felt. Does having it help you...?"

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 03:13 PM

Sovvenia and Nara

Sovvenia frowned slightly when the whispers reached her ear, but she decided not to bring it up to her brother. Korvo seemed anxious even though he tried to hide it, and he was said not be to scared easily.

"Just call me Sovvenia. I am not Azura and she is not me." Nara noticed some kind of crack running up her neck. It was partially concealed beneath a scarf. "I have indeed met many of our kin since my ascension to godhood. First Alarin, Aldric, Calantha and Eridi. Calantha has changed, and Aldric too because of it, but it is neither the place nor the time to discuss it. I have spent some time with Garadiel. He has become mute, but I believe his speech is slowly coming back. We, too, have visited the World Tree. And under the roots...no, I've already said too much. Nobody should see what we saw, but at the same time, it was needed... Today we are the heralds of the Tree, such is our fate. I have recently met with Shen, who I've tried to get to trust his siblings and go outside that sanctum of his, and Phromm, a greatly successful hunter in the distant North, and also Raia, as beautiful and brilliant and deadly as ever.

To every one of them, I said to trust in family and in our combined strength. Not to let petty disputes get in the way of our destiny. While I have come to accept the reality of war, I believe like you that a peaceful future is a worthy goal."

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 03:23 PM

Nara nodded. "Peace. On that we can all agree. I have already heard of Calantha's... condition. You do not need to speak of that matter here, I am sure you do not wish to discuss matters such as that. It saddens me to hear of Garadiel's fate and a pray he recovers quickly." "Pray? A god prays to who? All the more reason to do away with the lot of them. God is such a foolish title, better to embrace freedom and live as you chose to live. Notice how all the troubles of the world have fallen upon the shoulders of God's! You never suffered like this before your ascent. None of you did! And yet I am the only one to see this truth!""Tell me Sovvenia, what else do you wish to speak of? Company such as yours seems so rare now that it is a gift to be treasured and well spent." "Do you have the wolf inside of you Sovvenia? Do you yearn to break free and live again? The wolf lurks in all of us if you look hard enough. You need only will it to be free. Of course there are quicker methods to such a freedom."

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 03:39 PM

Sovvenia

Sovvenia looked around. Her gaze returned to Nara. The goddess smiled faintly, although she was visibly troubled. I cannot be free. If only that thing knew...that if all memories are set free, echoes of ages past, it will be the end of everything.

"I hear you have been busy. You have even planted a forest on the southern continent? I would like to know more about the plans you have for protecting the natural world."

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 03:48 PM

Nara smiled and shook his head.
"I have no plans. Nature cares for itself, to interfere is something I rarely condone and to fight is something I abhore. If people seek to destroy my woodlands... then so be it, who am I to stop them? Men need wood for so many things, it would be a fools errand to try and stop them from taking it. No the great forest is the only place I seek to protect from harm and for good reason too.""Ohhhhhh there are things within these woods that he does not want released upon the world...""If any are fool enough to threaten the great tree I will go to its aid, but I will not take up arms, not unless-ah! but that is not important. As for the other woodlands they all lead here sometimes and in that manner they are nearly safe but were I to kill each soul who trod on flowers, cut down a tree or lit a fire then what would that make me?""a monster....""No, I will have no bloodshed. That is not the way."

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 04:52 PM

Sovvenia

"So...I take it you consider yourself simply a caretaker? That's alright. As for me, well, I'm slowly gaining influence in the southern continent, hoping that humans are led to greatness by my actions. However, is it not something that can be forced. My sanctum is also the repository of all memories, of stories, tragedies and epic sagas alike. You are welcome to come take a look whenever you want, if that interests you. But beware, not all memories are meant to be known by everyone."

She stopped to thing for a minute.

"I think I have nothing else to tell you about the threat I mentioned, except... except maybe to watch out for a shadow whose tentacles extend underground...

Whatever happens, I know you will be a beacon of hope for the rest of the world, when the darkness threatens everything we hold dear."

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 05:10 PM

A mournful look comes across Nara's face.
"Memories are not something I wish to find. I know you mean only kindness but your words are only ash to me, they offer no comfort for the coming darkness."

The thin man steps forwards.
"Master Nara. Darkness is fast approaching..."
"Thank you Barnadine... I am well aware of that." nara seems almost unwell, he appears slightly sickly now and his condition appears to be getting rapidly worse.
"If you need any company to see you out of the forest you have the aid of any of my allies. Barnadine or any of the briar wolves will gladly travel with you as far as you need go and converse if you feel so inclined."

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 05:27 PM

Sovvenia

Sovvenia sighed.

"Very well brother. Don't worry, I can find my way myself. I think my friend Korvo is eager to go anyway."

The goddess started to walk away. Then she suddenly came to a stop, and without turning to face Nara, she added:

"I know much about mourning and remorse. And I can assure you that it is possible to overcome it. Not by living in the past, nor by ignoring one's faults...but by sharing one's suffering, building on past experiences and trying to create new, better memories to focus on with our loved ones. You don't have to keep everything to yourself Nara. What the children of Rognir need is not only an alliance...what we need is a renewed familial bond. We need to act as One. Our strengths, our weaknessess...our joy, our pain... Individually, we are powerful, yet so shortsighted. Together...we are unstoppable.

Father has taught us many things, but he can't bring all of us together. He sent us to the world, scattered and lost. He probably knew there wasn't another way. We had to know our self before we could hope to become something more...a Pantheon. He took a great risk. We all took risks. In the end, it's our job to make sure they were all worth it.

Today is not the day...but I still have great hopes for this Pantheon. I also have hope that you will tell me more, and I will be able to help you, and so will you help me in return. But I understand this is not yet that day."

TheDarkDM

2010-06-10, 05:30 PM

Faolan lay down the remains of the great wyrm at Rognir's feet and turned away, walking back down to the sea. Taking a deep breath, he plunged back into the churning ocean, somehow the return to mortal lands seemed far swifter. Within what seemed like no time at all for the young god, he had returned to that small fishing village that overlooked the trackless sea. As he walked upon the land, he heard the screams of the villagers, for some few recognized the blood red hair and stained hands of the madman of the cliffs. However, Faolan eventually managed to catch one fleeing villager and beg some clothing off of him, all the while fighting the rising urge to simply steal what he needed and be off. Finally, clothed in simple roughspun, Faolan made his way back to the crack in the earth and descended once again into darkness, for every blacksmith needed materials, and Faolan knew that mortal steel would not suit him for much longer.

After another eternal trek through the heart of the earth, Faolan came upon the chamber that had for so long held Axavan, and was shocked at what he saw. At the center of the bowl lay a tranquil lake, radiating blue light, not large but daunting in the gravity of its presence. The blood and spirit of Axavan were still unable to escape this place. Proceeding down into the cavern, Faolan found a trio suitable bones (for going to a blacksmith without payment was a foul insult indeed), and gathered far more scales than before into a pair of rucksacks the villagers had kindly "gifted" him. Thinking he was nearly finished, Faolan began seeking another fang, only to see dark blots at the edge of the lake. Going closer, Faolan saw fragments of the adamantine walls around him washed up at the edge of the lake. Peering within, jagged cracks were apparent, the remains of countless minuscule stress fractures that alone had amounted to nothing, but with the rage of Axavan's passing flowing into them had finally given way. Leaping at the chance to collect so rare a metal, Faolan stuffed several large shards into his rucksacks. Returning to his search, he located one of Axavan's fangs underneath the still standing ribcage, and leapt out of the pit.

Making his way back into the light, Faolan found himself back at the peak of the desolate hill where he began his journey. Walking back to the dead village, he saw the forest move around him, dark shapes flitting between pools of shadow. Coming to a glade bathed in moonlight he stopped, prepared to fight off whatever attack might come. S he stood, eyes glinting in anticipation, the wolves began to materialize out of the forest. First a few, then a dozen, and soon over a hundred great northern wolves surrounded him. But rather than attacking, they bowed their heads as one, and somehow Faolan could smell their humility, their desire to serve. He walked through their ranks unafraid, feeling an odd sense of kinship for them. As he continued his walk towards his village, his shadows followed, no longer threatening, but comforting.

At the village Faolan found the wagon he was looking for, the wagon that was necessary for the increased load he was bearing south. With the only horses of the village dead or escaped, he loaded his precious cargo and began to drag the wagon himself. At first it would not budge, but ever so slowly he began to move, progressively faster, until he was speeding south, the sounds of howling wolves in the air.

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 05:35 PM

Nara lifted his head up and looked at Sovvenia once more. A smile, a rare smile from her brother.

"You are wise indeed Sovvenia. Death has made a genius of you and Garadiel both but I think for now I will stay a fool than join you in that respect. Course, it could likely be that death would make a number of people better than they are. Tell me.... Sovvenia? yes Sovvenia... What do you know of the far west, and of the trees tales, tell me more about this underground shadow. It sounds.... in-ter-est-ing. Sounds mysterious. Sounds.... dangerous!"

"Nara? I am sorry Sovvenia but I believe you should be leaving."

The smile on Nara'sface had widened and he looked ecstatic, happy even, and it was then that Sovvenia noticed what big teeth he had.
"Oh nonoononononononono. No. All are welcome at the house of Nara! And what a fine house it is too! A rival to even the house in the utter most east I'd say!"

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 05:45 PM

Sovvenia

Korvo smiled nervously.

"You thought of seeing a doctor about those teeth? They seem...off somehow. Hehehe!"

Sovvenia sent her companion away; he turned into a crow and flew out of the Wood. The goddess now turned around to face Nara.

"Thank you druid, but I think I will stay; it is indeed becoming interesting. You don't have to worry for me, I am a goddess even here... Now, creature, who are what are you? I am not stupid. The whispers...I hear the same tone in your voice. This is not Nara."

She crossed her arms and waited for the thing before her to respond.

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 05:59 PM

'Nara's' hands shot up to his face and ran down it drawing blood, not sap but blood. They were more claws than hands now and the moss about his head was more fur.

"Ohhhhhhhhh but if you new.... if you all new it would destroy him! Not the old him, oh no! Old Nara would love it, old Nara would thrive and prosper! But new Nara, sweet innocent loving new nara.... we he would die of shame and grief!So tell me Sovvenia... how much do you want to know? Cause you see... there are rules, really important rules... but the thing about rules is they have loopholes, and me? I've had a lot of time to work those out. So then sister! How far are you willing to go down this path? Cause nature? Nature aint green trees and pretty flowers. Nature, nature is red. Red in tooth and claw."

Barnadine had vanished as had the other druids but the wolves were all there, every last one of their number standing at Sovvenia's side their teeth bared and anger in their eyes as the roots of Nara's feet curled over into razor sharp claws.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 06:19 PM

Sovvenia

Sovvenia's eyes were now full of understanding.

"Ah, Orgo...how could I forget. Garadiel's murderer. Sire of many monsters. I know much about you. Yes... And the knowledge I lack, you probably don't know either. A caged puppy, that's all you are. Savage, cruel, deceiving, desperate to get out...not my first choice of business partner.

So the game is...guess what you are. The aftermath of a primordial curse? An integral part of Nara's psyche given form? I'd bet on that last one. The only thing I need to know is wether he is stuck with you until his death or if your apparition is the result of something that went wrong, and if with the right help he may be able to cast you away. Would you like to know what is it like to become nothing more than an echo, wolf? It is much worse than being trapped inside another's body."

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 06:29 PM

The transformation was almost complete now, the thick red fur concealing even the deep gashes on Nara's chest.

"Oh dear sweet Sovvenia... If only you knew the half of it. A bit of the first yes I think so, a man's soul does not simply wrench itself in half without good cause, but on your actual guess? Its almost amusing how wrong you've got it, I mean the irony of it all! Hehehehehheheheehhe. But don't worry, I'm getting out of this you see, can't share a body forever now can we. You should be thankful for it too, cause of Nara hadn't made that deal with me, then right here, right now? Welll I think we'd be looking at the new God of the underworld in a few minutes, or does that only happen the first time? Perhaps an experiment is in order no? And always underestimating me! Is there some vain belief amongst you Gods that only those of divine blood have any sense of cunning and self awareness? I know more about me then is probably healthy. Names? No not names, needed pops to sort those out, but knowledge? Oh knowledge is something I'm swimming in! Wasn't an accident that I knew the lycanthropy would spread."

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 06:37 PM

Sovvenia

"So, you're not a complete fool then. Very well. How do you estimate your chances of survival in the long run? What do you hope to achieve? You seemed interested by my stories...maybe you believe that if the children of Rognir are beaten, you will be free to roam?"

Jair Barik

2010-06-10, 06:45 PM

Orgo looks at Sovvenia incredulously.
"Or maybe not. Now you see this is the part where I assume that you wil ldie here and now and so divulge all the little inticacies and secrets of my existance, all my hopes, my aspirations, my plots and plans and then you manage to escape or you turn out to be surprisingly adept at combat or the cavalry arrives and so on and so forth. Or it would be if I was some sort of an idiot. Up till now? Its been a nice little conversation, nothing gained nothing lost, I've found out some interesting little facts, know a bit more about you, bout how you think, bout how you manage to hide yourself behind little words trying to demean a foe you think can't hurt you. Overall I'd say this is a pretty productive start to the night. But really, really I don't see why I should talk to you any longer. the forest are mine woman, I can come and go as I please, so what are you going to do to try and keep me here to carry on speaking with you, I mean we both know that i am clearly vain enough to inadvertantly spill a secret sooner or later if you can keep me talking now don't we?"

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 07:01 PM

Sovvenia

The goddess laughed.

"Leave. Stay. Do whatever you want. You are simply a tool anyway. I will find a use for you. I always do."

She stared in the beast's eyes, and he saw the heart of the storm in her own.

"You are incomplete. A failure. Even with that many children, even with your history of murder. Your legacy will be null. Trust me. Now I will respect your wishes, and let you be."

Incomplete...as am I. Our Fate may be the same, in the end.

And Sovvenia disappeared to her divine sanctum.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-10, 07:38 PM

Faolan had made his way to the coast in the space of a few days. As rumors spread of the great pack that foretold his coming, offerings were left to forestall his wrath. Though he passed most by, he did claim one of the many offered bows, and one particularly timely offering of carpenter's tools, always careful to leave a single wyrm's scale in their place. Under his direction, the wolves harmed no one, and the people of the north marveled at the music that came from hundreds of lupine throats when night fell. Slowly, tales began to spread of the great being that ruled the pack, that he had the shape of a man, and the legend of the Wolflord began without Faolan realizing what an impression he'd made. When he arrived at water's edge, Faolan paused to build a raft around his humble wagon, jerry rigging two oars from wyrm bone and planks of wood. As night fell, it seemed all was in readiness. Yet, something was different that night.

Faolan had begun to sense the divine sparks of the other gods as he made his way south, but they had been faint while alone. He sensed a great gathering to the west, but that did not concern him overmuch. But when the presence of two gods to the southwest began to shift as night fell, Faolan dropped the load he was carrying. In that presence, there was a scent, a hint of deepest memory, a flash of red, the screams of humans, the taste of blood on his tongue. As he stood, staring into the failing sun towards the oily corrupt essence he felt, the wolves surrounding Faolan began to growl, his anger washing over them. With hundreds of throats the call to the hunt was raised, and Faolan nearly lost himself in the rage. But cutting through the instinct of memory was his own will, and the two forces grappled in his mind. For minutes that seemed like hours the battle raged between Faolan's nature and his will, until the blood lust was subdued and he collapsed to the ground. Looking up towards the presence that was becoming fainter, he spoke a single word. "Later."

As dawn rose, the pack dispersed and Faolan set out in his makeshift raft. pulling against the ocean current, he went south, drawn by the scent of the forge and raw metal.

industrious

2010-06-10, 08:23 PM

[QUOTE=Raz_Fox;8669878]Aldric's Hunt

Heradi looks about for a moment, then says, "You won't try to tie me down and stop me moving, right? Because you saw what comes over me. But as long as you won't bind me, I'll come willingly."

"Then would you kindly lessen your enchantment, and allow us to descend gracefully? Traveling to my domain requires concentration, and a foothold upon solid ground would be more comfortable."

Raz_Fox

2010-06-10, 08:33 PM

Aldric's Hunt

Heradi gestures to the sinkhole directly beneath him. "Um... that look solid to you?"

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-10, 08:51 PM

As the Word of Sovvenia spread across the southern continent, two sects, two modes of worship emerged. One was limited to the coastal cities and the few smaller settlements farther inland. It was defined by a strong ritualistic element and a form of ancestral worship. The other one was shared among the desert dwellers and involved a much more individualist view of the religion, with warriors heading into the waste, facing storms and monsters alike, to walk the fine line between life and death. Thus they felt they could experience enlightening visions of their past lives.

Carden

2010-06-10, 10:14 PM

Silver, gold, mercury, mithril, jewels and granite. Each town Eridi went to had something different to trade, and trade with them he did. For this venture, he had assumed the guise of a wandering merchant. In between towns, he would create his wares, always selling out at the next town and spreading the idea of the "wonderful craftsmanship and richness of Hybil'Smita." He would then walk around, showing off his own wealth supposedly earned with trading to and from the city. It worked like a charm.

In between towns, Eridi would explore. Mines, rich, deep mines with veins larger than he had ever seen dotted the landscape to the north of Hybil'Smita. Each one was marked, along with the appropriate symbol for it's main product, on his now growing map. Iron, silver, coal, gold, mithril, many samplings of ore traveled with the craftsman now. He'd even found one cave filled with gemstones, which he had carefully marked on his map. Should anyone other than him read it, they would read the symbol for sulfur, but he knew what the real meaning behind the word was.

All in all, it took quite a bit of time to make his round of the savanna. His cart had turned into carts, each heavy laden with riches, and had further turned back towards where his anvil lay buried. He had meant to go see some of his other siblings, but the thrill of the metal-filled depths had set him in a mining passion. His siblings could wait for a bit, especially when he was learning so much about where and which metals congregated together. Ah well, he thought to himself, it'll be nice to be home for a bit before going off again anyway.

Act Expenditure
1 Major - Gain Domain (Metal)

TheDarkDM

2010-06-11, 03:45 AM

After days of pulling against hostile seas, Faolan finally saw the shore of the southern continent. Mere hours later, he had landed, re-affixed the wheels of his wagon, and was off towards a place that radiated the presence of a god. Though Faolan could sense the true spark of the god as a focused pinprick of light, this haze of presence must have indicated his home, and it was only polite to allow his uncle to finish whatever business he was on. Thus, Faolan soon regarded the craft city of Hybil'Smita, a wondrous place for a being who until then had only experienced the impoverished villages of the north. Pulling his wagon into town, Faolan drew stares from the various inhabitants of the wealthy city. Though they had experienced divine visits before, this newcomer was clad only in rags, with hands and hair the color of blood. Most disconcerting were his eyes, for when mortals gazed into the, they could feel the deep seated conflict, the violence that threatened to break forth at any moment. However, Faolan paid them no mind, and followed his godly sense to Eridi's forge, strangely humble amidst the assembled splendor. Parking his wagon, he knocked upon the door thrice, and settled back on his haunches to wait.

Meanwhile, in the north the story of the Wolflord spread like wildfire, eventually reaching even to the lands of the Orofolk. With each telling, Faolan grew more monstrous, until he was a specter with burning eyes haunting the night, accompanied by hellhounds and winter chill.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-11, 01:12 PM

At last, the Tower of Enlightenment was completed. The jinn admired their work, the tallest structure ever erected, with inbuilt aviaries for the rocs.

Finish the construction of the Tower of Enlightenement (think Tower of Babel) (minor act)

Earl of Purple

2010-06-11, 05:05 PM

Phromm, Echo & Calantha in the West

Phromm smiles at Callie, revealing his large and pointy teeth, oh-so-similar to those of his Ice Worm. "It might do. Thank you, Calantha." Phromm then goes back to tracking the dissappearing trail, utilising some of his energy to try and counteract the confusing aura.

1 minor: Cut down on the confusion of the trail to aid hunting.

Orofolk Tribes

Strange how stories travel; it's almost as though they do not require people to tell them. The Orofolk heard of the Wolflord, and treated him as a mythical figure. How they learnt of him is a mystery; the only reason why it is not common knowledge that the Orofolk practice anthropophagy of non-Orofolk tribes is because very few people can escape those who were taught the arts of hunting by Phromm himself, although most people try not to stray into Orofolk territory because of the Giant Ice Worms and Bugbears that also dwell there and are much easier to identify as dangerous.

The Orofolk, due to their diet of large predators, being hunted by the same predators, and their nomadic natures, combined with the patronage of the savage god Phromm, changed them into creatures that weren't quite human. They were slightly faster and stronger, with a much more advanced digestive system capable of getting more nutrition from flesh.

1 Major: change the Orofolk from humans; now they are purely carnivorous beings slightly stronger and faster than true humans, as well as being resistant to some ingested poisons

Raz_Fox

2010-06-11, 08:31 PM

100 Years Of Solitude

A hundred years pass. It is so easy to say this, to write it down, to explain away a hundred years of progress, of stories.

Things change. In some places, change is slow. The Western Metropolis goes on as it ever did, arming itself for the coming war against the heretic and the false gods. In some places, change is swift. Kingdoms spring up across the three lands, petty kings setting themselves up against the blessed lands of the gods. Most fall, only to be reborn a season later.

More ominously, some changes are darker. Calantha, sister of Aldric, has vanished for a century, as has Phromm the Hunter, vanished within the western mists. Furthermore, new gods have begun to rise to take their place, most notable among them Faolan Half-Breed, the Wolflord.

It has been a hundred years, two mortal lifetimes. How has your world changed, children of Rognir? How soon shall it end? Storm clouds gather in the West, and the king of the East grows ever weaker.

Everything changes; the center shall not hold.

TURN 5 BEGINS

The Whereabouts of Calantha and Phromm

Finally, Phromm's track-cunning and Calantha's fury lead them to a small island, notable only by its unusual size and its unusual terrain - for all but a tenth of the land is arable, the rest being rock and mountain. Small keeps dot the island, carven out of the living stone itself, inpenetrable but for the flying mounts of the gods.

And there he is, waiting for them, the man in the fine hat. He wears fine black clothing, and leans upon a cane, and his face is shadowed by his very fine hat, leaving only his grin visible. It reminds Phromm much of Heradi's smile.

"Ah, children of Rognir! Welcome to my humble abode, with all proper respect." His hand flies to the brim of his hat in a mocking salute. "Whatever brings you so far from home, fair maiden and hunter puissant? You have flown very far, and it seems to me that you could only have come on pressing matters."

Carden

2010-06-11, 10:47 PM

In the Past

The craftsman had seen Faolan approaching his forge for days now, the newest spark edging closer and closer. It didn't feel like any of his siblings and when he scryed the young man, it was obvious that it wasn't. Eridi had already prepared one of his runes to escape to his father's home if this character showed any malice, but, hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

When the younger god knocked, Eridi was sitting in his chair, ready for this newcomer. "You are welcome to come in," he said to the newcomer, "All who come here in peace are welcome."

TheDarkDM

2010-06-11, 11:14 PM

Faolan entered when he heard Eridi's invitation. Leaving the lion's share of his cargo behind, he took a single adamantine shard with him. Bowing with his hands held out from his sides, he then straightens and presents Eridi with the adamantine.

"I am Faolan Half-Breed, forge god, son of your half-sister Ellisena and some crimson beast. I have traveled to the house in the Uttermost East and spoken with Rognir Hundred Named. I have come to introduce myself, and to beg a boon from you. In proving my divinity, I slew the ancient wyrm of the north Axavan. However, in doing so I lost all I owned. I have brought the bones and fangs of the beast, as well as many of his diamond scales and the adamantine of his prison, as payment and material for a new panoply, if you would honor me with your craft."

Carden

2010-06-11, 11:39 PM

Listening carefully to each word he said, Eridi believed the boy. If he did bring such wonderful gifts, who was he to turn him away even if he was the God of Perpetual Lies? "Of course, Faolan, I'm always willing to help family, even those I've never known. And you have brought me quite a challenging metal to work with, not that I mind, but it should present quite a challenge to mold."

Turning the shard over in his hands, he stood up and motioned Faolan to follow him. "Come, walk with me to my forge so we can discuss this in a more suitable place. You can tell me what you want on more detail, I can get started inscribing the basic runes, and, while I work, I can fill you in on inter-family relations, or, at least, those I know about. Father never was much of a talker, at least never much about other people, so I'm sure a basic education is in order"

OOC
Seeing as this is still concurrent with turn 4, I offer my ceremony for that turn.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-11, 11:58 PM

Faolan smiled at the welcome of his uncle.

"I would be honored to hear of our family, and to see your forge. As to the weapons and armor, the bones of the wyrm are both incredibly strong and flexible, so one of those might serve for an impressive bow, and carvings from the fang will create uniquely damaging arrowheads. The scales from his side are, to my knowledge, impenetrable, so they would make a formidable shirt. Finally, the adamantine will make a peerless blade, as well as chasings for the rest. However, for helm, gauntlet, and greaves, none of these are malleable or light enough to serve. What is your opinion?"

While Eridi and Faolan spoke, an old wolf felt the call of destiny. Dragging itself from its lair, it loped towards Hybil'Smita.

I'll also chip in my turn 4 ceremony.

Carden

2010-06-12, 12:34 AM

Eridi smiled, the boy knew his stuff. "Good, Faolan, good. It's always nice to find someone who knows how to make good tools, and you're even better than some of those I've taught myself! Mithril! I recently came upon a large vein of the white steel, and it's what you're missing. Light and supple, strong but surprisingly sturdy, it's perfect for the missing pieces."

Walking into his workshop, Eridi already had it planned out in his head. "A week. that's how long it'll take me. I should be able to finish it at a rate of a piece a day, starting with the sword for today, so you can begin practicing with it as soon as possible. Never had the patience to learn how to fight with that tool, takes too long to master it. Anyway, I digress, it's time to get started, isn't it?"

During the week, Eridi told Faolan everything he knew about his family, holding hardly any secrets. He did, however, stay faithful to his promise to Aldric, never speaking of his curse. He also stayed true on his promise of quick craftsmanship.

Each day, around the time dusk approached, a new item was presented. First, a broadsword, tall as a man, weighing heavily upon the young god. Until the next day, when the strength-improving gauntlets came out, it was a struggle to lift the beast of a weapon, much less swing it.

Then a bow with enough tension to put an arrow through a small boulder, deadly arrows and a drake-skin quiver that they automatically returned to after three more had been fired, a helmet with clear, diamond eyes so as to not restrict vision. The shirt could not be pierced, not even by the bow. And finally, the greaves, lighter than a feather, they allowed for protection of the oft-attacked shins while making positioning even less of a hassle. Not to mention how they gave their wearer the ability to jump three-times as far as usual.

Presenting the last item, Eridi knew he had outdone himself. "So, how do you like them? Do they suit you well enough?"

Act Expenditure
1 Ceremony - Create Artifact (Armory of Faolan)

TheDarkDM

2010-06-12, 01:18 AM

The ancient wolf appeared near the end of the first day, walking through Hybil'Smita, sending villagers scattering. It stood tall as a pony, its pelt a granite grey even in the twilight of its life. It walked into the smithy as the sword was in the finals stage of forging, and as Eridi moved to quench the molten adamantine,, the old wolf dove from nowhere upon the blade. Before either god could react, the bade had been quenched in the great predator's lifeblood, adding a red sheen to the black blade. Though shocked by the incident, Faolan was possessed by a strange feeling. Working side by side with Eridi, he skinned the beast, applying his godly powers to tanning it into a fine cloak, replacing the eyes with two borrowed rubies.

At the end of the week, Faolan bowed before his uncle. During the week, he had taken a whetstone of pure adamantine to the broadsword, thinning the blade while maintaining length. The weaponsmiths of Hybil'Smita had watched the increased speed of this refined blade, and would later copy it to create the first Bastard Swords. The wolf cloak had been affixed to the helm, with the upper jaw hanging over the clear eyes in a terrifying plume, with the remaining pelf stripped of limbs and cut down the spine to wrap around Faolan's shoulders and held with a broach made of what was left of his adamantine whetstone. He raised his eyes to regard the forge god.

"Thank you uncle. This panoply is undoubtedly the envy all the armories of all the world. You have shown me a kindness I have never known in this past week. My family sounds truly great, but divided, much like my own soul. I must go and meditate on this, perhaps lay the foundations to aid them. For now, I wish you peace, and I promise I will return later to return the kindness you have given me."

With that Faolan stood, and Eridi saw he had grown. In fully accepting his godhood, he had been forced to accept a measure of the savagery i his nature, and while he was still lithe, he had become as hard and sinewy as a great wolf, standing nearly seven feet tall and with the broad shoulders of a warrior. Turning, he began walking from the forge but stopped.

"The blade is not your style, uncle, for it can be used only to destroy. However, I fear a time may come when we all must take up arms to defend this world, and so I have some advice of my own - while a hammer can serve to create, a smith's hammer can be fortified to sunder armor and bone as well as raw metal. And now, I go in peace."

Faolan left Hybil'Smita then, and he would not return for many years.

Actions used:

1 ceremony used to complete Faolan's armory.
The Sword Maraigh
The Bow Cruinneas

1 major action used to gain the ability: Melee Expertise (bastard sword)

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-12, 03:45 AM

"Takes a hell of a man to be a wyvern rider, I reckon."
"Shows what you know... most of 'em are women!"

Elmdore Castle: Present Day

"You're going to get eaten, you know that right? No one can ride the Nightmare! That's why she's called The Nightmare!"
"For your information, she's called the Night Mare because she used be a black horse. And since wyverns are elementals, they don't technically need to eat, they're sustained by the Crystal. ... and she used to have a rider."
"... doesn't mean she can't eat you. Wait, someone rode the Nightmare?"
"A long time ago, yeah."

The crescent moon reflected in the lily pond, the placid water so perfect a mirror of the sky above, you could count the stars. The sun's light never shone here; a bleak sounding prospect to outsiders. But, it was the magic of the valley that blocked the sun also gave them an unfiltered and perfect view of the heavens. Those who grow up here look at the night sky elsewhere in the world and wonder why they see so few stars. From the balconies above, the white lilies on the pond looked very much like stars.

Lucien paused abruptly and Simone nearly crashed into the side of her companion as their stealthy trek along the rose covered back wall of the courtyard was suddenly arrested. Usually it was Simone leading her friend around on a short leash, but today Lucien was on a mission... though he had apparently stopped to smell the roses. Or, at least one rose in particular. The silver star charms hung on their short chains attached to his blue bandana as he leaned over to study the one brilliant white flower. His hands folded behind his back, afraid to touch the petals, lest he damage them.

At length, Simone broke the unprompted silence with, "What is it?"
"It's fantastic..."
"They all are, though." True enough. The rose a the end of Lucien's nose was one of thousands. And every single flower in the garden was white.
"This one's special though."
"It's just like all the others!"
"... there are hundreds of brown eyed brunettes with shoulder length straight hair in the Vale, but you're special."
"Lucien... you're so frustrating!"

His hurt and confused look said it all.

"I don't want to love you!" her voice was exasperated, shrill, nasal. He'd forced himself not to notice for months. Words came spilling out from both sides; a torrent of hollow pride, regret and dashed hopes. Lucien broke and cursed at the girl using every foul name he knew. In truth, she'd earned them and had never deserved the boy's pure love because she never truly loved him back. Even after that, they remained together on the grass for some time, hating one another, but to miserable to be parted from any human company. At last, Lucien lay alone in the garden, methodically crushing the one rose in his black gloves. One by one, the bruised petals fell to his chest.

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-12, 01:06 PM

The Present

There is a house in the North of the world (though by no means the Uttermost North) that once sat in the middle of a plain caught in perpetual springtime. Once, it had been bathed in constant sunlight, and once there was a whimsical house there, painted rainbow colors, that belonged to a whimsical goddess.

One hundred years of emptiness had done little good to this whimsical house; a plain shrouded in sunlight had become a plain constantly covered in the gray twilight just before true dark, a blot on the tundra that was conspicuously avoided by traders and huntsmen alike. The house itself had shuttered against all visitors, doors and windows completely disappearing; there were whispers, rumors that even now ghostly servants still haunted those halls, a great beast that no one had seen except for the once, when their grandfather's grandfather claimed to have caught it soaring overhead. But no one was brave enough to enter the twilight, and so no one knew exactly what laid at its center; the few heroes who had sought to discover what laid there returned completely mad...or not at all.

In the Past

The Whereabouts of Calantha and Phromm

Finally, Phromm's track-cunning and Calantha's fury lead them to a small island, notable only by its unusual size and its unusual terrain - for all but a tenth of the land is arable, the rest being rock and mountain. Small keeps dot the island, carven out of the living stone itself, impenetrable but for the flying mounts of the gods.

And there he is, waiting for them, the man in the fine hat. He wears fine black clothing, and leans upon a cane, and his face is shadowed by his very fine hat, leaving only his grin visible. It reminds Phromm much of Heradi's smile.

"Ah, children of Rognir! Welcome to my humble abode, with all proper respect." His hand flies to the brim of his hat in a mocking salute. "Whatever brings you so far from home, fair maiden and hunter puissant? You have flown very far, and it seems to me that you could only have come on pressing matters."

"You." The word echoes against the walls, the carven rock face taking the layers of the goddess's voice and reverberating them back through the meeting. She is weary, and it shows...but she is also angry, and that shows as well.

"You have been mucking about in my mind. You're not allowed in there, how dare you? I do not invade your mind, though I could if I wished, because I can see it like I see you, like I see the hate in this room..."

She pauses, and composes herself. "Why? Did you think we wouldn't find you?"

TheDarkDM

2010-06-12, 01:28 PM

The Past

Faolan made his way back north, drawn by the incessant pull of a task left half finished. Through storm and shadow he passed without incident, before finding himself once again on the shores of the cold seas. Passing through the forests, Faolan was instantly put on edge by the preternatural silence - something was wrong. As he passed deeper into the forest, he began to hear the sounds of battle. Breaking into a run, Faolan saw a small vale before him, a village nestled in the open air, and realized it was not battle he heard, but slaughter. A small band of Orofolk had moved farther east than normal, and had chosen to play the predator to the helpless village flock. Such despoilment filled Faolan with rage, for it was an unnatural challenge to the peace of the region, a threat none of the villagers had sought or anticipated. Drawing Maraigh, Faolan leap amongst the tribal beast men, a whirling dervish of god forged steel. Amber eyes blazing through diamond lenses, he seemed a demon made flesh, severing massive bundles of muscle, tendon, and bone as though they were the air before a thunderstorm. No blade could touch him, and as he moved amongst the hunters they knew they had become prey. As the font of his rage was tapped once again, the familiar howls of Faolan's court came through the air as a massive tide of wolves descended on the village, tearing Orofolk limb from limb. Eventually, Faolan reached a massive pile of corpses at the village center where he found the Orofolk chief, a hellish bear given the form of a man. With a guttural yell, the chieftain lunged with a staff of calcified bone, only to be caught by the throat in Faolan's bloodstained hand. Faolan sensed no remorse from the man, no feeling for these people save hunger, and as his anger grew his nails blackened and lengthened into claws, until the Orofolk was bleeding from the piercing of inhuman talons. With a howl that stilled the battle surrounding him, Faolan struck at the dangling chief bare handed, breaking bone and lacerating flesh before smashing in his bestial maw and throwing him to the waiting wolves.

Standing on the field of slaughter, Faolan began to calm, and as he did so his features returned to normal. Freed from blood rage, he noticed a small pen holding children, a dozen in all. They had been stored as cattle, and regarded Faolan with the wide eyes of both terror and awe. Cleaning his weapon in the surrounding snow, Faolan stalked towards the cage and ripped it from the earth. To the children below him, the blazing amber of his eyes had dimmed to a welcoming glow, and they saw the human features beneath the nose guard of his helm. They stood there for a moment, surrounded only by the silence of wolves and death, before the boldest of them stepped forward. The girl was thin, almost frail, but with a bold eye, and asked clearly, "Who are you?" Faolan smiled at the clarity of her question, and suddenly knew what purpose had drawn him back north. Kneeling down to look the girl, Faolan removed his helm.

"I am Faolan young one, sometimes called Wolflord. I cannot offer you back your home, but I will protect you if you wish."

"...please."

Faolan smiles, and takes the girl's hand. Standing he motions for the children to follow him, and begins moving towards the barren hill. As they moved, the children were surrounded by the pack, wolves holding back and supporting those children who tarried. Soon enough, Faolan and his ragged band stood before the fissure in the earth that led to Axavan's prison. Turning, he saw the children had pulled back, gazing with fear upon the black heart of the earth. Squeezing the small girl's hand, Faolan addressed them all, "Children, I know you have dealt with terror this day, and that this seems a cruel reward for your bravery. I swear to you though, take my hand and you shall no come to harm."

Soothed by Faolan, the children linked hands and followed him down into the depths. while Faolan's original trek had been fraught with peril, this path seemed smoother, gentled by Faolan's concern for his young charges. Even as the dark closed in, they were comforted by the scores of yellow eyes glowing around them, the pack remaining faithful even unto death. Eventually, the group reached the glowing blue lake at the center of the adamantine prison. As they stood at the lip, stairs began to form, guided by Faolan's will. As they watched, the walls began to twist as well, chambers and alcoves opening in the rock overlooking the adamantine, the ledge on which they stood extending around the entirety of the chamber. In the blink of an eye, a citadel was forged in the heart of the earth, a den to hide adn hold Faolan's faithful, all illuminated by the icy blue lake and the gemstone stars that studded the domed ceiling. Leading the children down to the lake, Faolan motioned for them to drink. As they did, he gathered a dozen scales from the lake's shores. After they had drank, the children stood before the Wolflord and he pressed a scale to each one's forehead. As they were held, the scales melted into the children's brows, the crystalline shards becoming a tracing grey tattoo of a snarling wolf. As he finished, Faolan stood and addressed the children.

"You have survived the worst kind of ordeal, my children, and for that you must be thankful. But there are others in the world who will not have the good fortune to be within range of a wandering god. We must work to safeguard this world, to shatter the forces that would tear the world asunder. You will live here with me, and be the foundation of my Grey Watch, the shield that guards the world of men, the light against the darkness. Now tell me, what are your names?"

The children were in awe of Faolan, and as their eyes darkened from blue and green into amber, they felt in the whole of their being the need for this, the importance of their mission. The first to come to her senses, the girl stepped forward.

"Eithne."

Actions used:

1 minor action used to shape the Den of Twilight

1 minor action used to create the Grey Watch (12 followers of moderate power)

2 major actions used to create a Realm, the Den of Twilight. The totem is the broach that holds Faolan's wolf pelt, and takes the form of his sigil.

Faolan's sigil (the mark on the Watcher's forehead, the totem)
http://www.gamesetwatch.com/dlz_1.jpg

Jair Barik

2010-06-12, 01:59 PM

Orgo ran through the night, almost dancing in his movements across the ground. He felt like the king of the world. Well, not literally, he had no such grandiose plans but the point was that he felt great. One hundred years had almost flown by and the hunting had been good. Who knew there were so many monsters in the world? Nara had mostly let him be but he had recieved some stern words about that little incident with Sovvenia and evidently Aldric had decided that he had better things to do than look for old Orgo. He was not so vain to believe he had evaded the fear God. He had hardly been trying to be subtle in his actions after all and he was pretty certain by now that if Aldric had really wanted to find him he might have done it by now. There had been lots of wyverns around (creatures that he had reason to believe were Aldrics creations) but they never seemed to bother him, though he had entertained the thought of trying to bring one down, they did look pretty monstrous after all. The current think that played upon Orgo's mind though was this self proclaimed 'wolf lord' he had been hearing about. The nerve! Still, the wolf lord seemed even less subtle than he was so it was no hard task finding roughly where he was. And then there was the spark. He had felt a new spark, fast rising in power, on a number of his little excursions. This would normally have been little interest to Orgo had it not been for the fact that it felt oddly familiar. Perhaps the two were interconnected this spark and wolf lord. Well, either way the answer would soon be found.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-12, 02:53 PM

The Present

For the past century, the Grey Watch had grown. As they reached maturity, the dozen children had trained under Faolan's watchful eye, raised by the young god and the wolves that followed him. Blessed by the essence of the earth itself, they ceased aging at their physical peak, and left the Twilight Den by secret paths. All over the continents of Rognir's children, fissures opened in the rocky places of the earth, contorting into the form of Faolan's totem, the open maw leading to deep roads. As one chosen each traveled through to the lands of humanity. Wherever they went, they rescued the abandoned and bastards of humanity, sending them through the deep roads. Within those lightless catacombs the children were tested, hardened, and those that survived were welcomed with a baptism in the lake that came to be known as the Wyrm's Eye. They also trained, and went out, until at the end of the hundred years the grey cloaked Watch was well known in the fringes of society. Appearing from the wilderness to intercede in the attacks of Orofolk, rogue Wyverns, Oni, and Giants, the Grey Watch never remained for gratitude, always melting back into their secret refuges. Thus, they acquired a reputation as both the harbingers of and protectors from doom.

Meanwhile, Faolan had remained in the Twilight Den, meditating on the Wyrm's Eye, training with the tools crafted by Eridi. He came to feel at one with the root of stone that supported his refuge, and the wolves gathered in grater numbers. Soon, the largest and strongest wolves began to drink from the Wyrm's Eye, and were changed, growing larger, stronger, and night indestructible. Eventually, these Dire Wolves bred true, resulting in a race of wolves as large as war horses, with skin as strong as steel, their diamond fangs capable of piercing even plate armor. Dire Wolves were one of the few predators to hunt Ice Worms, Bugbears, and Wyverns in packs, without ever preying on human settlements. From time to time, dire Wolf packs would be seen assisting the Grey Watch, adding to their fearsome reputation.

As his power grew, Faolan knew that he would soon need to re-enter the world at large and seek out the remainder of his family. But first, he felt a spark approaching, and in the stillness of the Wyrm's Eye he saw a flash of crimson.

Actions used:

I'm assuming we hit turn 5. If not, these are retroactive upon 5's arrival.

1 major action to gain the earth domain

1 major action to create Dire Wolves

1 major action to gain the ability Ranged Combat (longbow)

Earl of Purple

2010-06-12, 03:43 PM

The Past

When the hatted man smiles, Phromm smiles back. No matter how threatening the man with the hat's smile is, Phromm's smile is much more intimidating. A mouth full of razor-sharp teeth helps alot in that regard. As Calantha speaks, Phromm changes. He grows much larger, soon taller than most of his siblings, although most of the increase in size went outwards and behind; Phromm is now a muscular beast with a lot of resemblance to a Bugbear of the heartlands of his territory, except in the head area; that resembles a Giant Ice Worm. His eyes have not changed, and he still has those formidible teeth. In one of his hand-like forepaws Phromm still grasps the crude bone staff that serves as his totem. "Why did you bring Heradi back?" Or, at least, that's what the divine gift of language seems to interpret that growling coming from Phromm's throat.

Jair Barik

2010-06-12, 03:47 PM

"Oh I could dance, a bloody dance
A bloody dance
A bloody dance
Oh I could dance a bloody dance,
From here straight to the moon.

Oh I could kill, a wolf with ease
A wolf with ease,
A wolf with ease,
Oh I could kill a wolf with ease
Could wrestle a typhoon.

Oh I could hunt, a wicked hunt
A wicked hunt,
A wicked hunt,
Oh I could hunt a wicked hunt
Think this hunt will start soon.

Oh I can smell, a wolf lord
A wolf Lord,
A wolf Lord,
Oh I can smell a wolf Lord
Perhaps over this next dune.

Oh I can sing, a funny song
A funny song,
A funny sonf,
Oh I can sing a funny song
They all think me a loon!"

Orgo finished singing and broke out into coarse laughter that echoed through the night. He smiled and grinned and looked on at the land ahead of him. Yeeeeees. The spark was getting closer. With a great howl to the night Orgo raised his voice and shouted at the distance.
"Wolf Lord! Ohhhhh Wolf lord! I know your out here somewhere!"

TheDarkDM

2010-06-12, 03:57 PM

As Orgo crested the rise, the tree beside him exploded into splinters. Buried in the innermost heart of the tree was a red-fletched arrow, mere inches from Orgo's head. Across the valley, at the peak of the next hill, stood Faolan, illuminated in the rising moon. At his feet lay a trio of dire wolves, gazing at the crimson beast unafraid. Slinging his bow behind his back, Faolan walked alone into the shadowed valley, eyes shining in the moonlight. When he reaches the center, he calls out.

"I smelt you as well beast. In your presence, I sense what I struggle with daily, and I know another name for you - father."

Jair Barik

2010-06-12, 04:25 PM

Orgo ran down the hill and up the next so that he and the Wolf Lord were closer to one another. The smile never left his face even when the arrow hit the tree.

"Father? Well thats a new one. I've been called a lot of things in my life, Orgo, the red wolf, you monster, fiend, arrrgh stop that, beast, demon, oni, monster, you complete and utter ba-*****, please stop, fool, idiot, abomination, monster and many others but father is certainly a new one to me. Still if that is the case then you seem to have me at a disadvantage. You seem to know who I am but all I know about you is that you go by the name of the Wolf Lord. Are you sure your not one of Phromm's? I hear he does that sort of thing."

TheDarkDM

2010-06-12, 04:33 PM

Faolan narrowed his eyes.

"I am Faolan Half-Breed, beast, and I was born some miles east of here, to a mortal child of Rognir. You raped her and left her mind to slip into madness. I will know why. Why did you choose a formerly divine peasant to spare? What are you?"

Jair Barik

2010-06-12, 05:04 PM

Orgo drops his face into a frown and then quickly pulls it back up into a smile.

"Me? Me? Who am I indeed? Wait no... That is not what you asked. What am I. Why a monster if you listen to half the things people say. A devil beast who sired the lycanthrops, a monster in the image of a wolf they say but the same can be said of many creatures can't it? Humans for one. And Gods too. But I'm sure you find my words as empty as my soul don't you. You look at me and want to see a monster so a monster is what you see. Really I am nothing more than a free spirit, not bound by the foolish obligations that your father has bestowed upon you. Now you junior. Chip off the old block! What are you? A God? yessss I can feel that much. You reek of the divine sent of Rognir. But more than that, what are you? What niche have you carved out for yourself? Something interesting I hope, not like Alarin with his music or Sovvenia with her precious memories. You are the son of a warrior, I hope you have achieved something suitably impressive."

TheDarkDM

2010-06-12, 05:17 PM

Faolan drew his sword slowly, planting its tip in the ground.

"All creatures must struggle with their nature, father. I feel the violence of your spirit in mine whenever I am roused to anger, whenever the sweet taste of battle is in the air. Vengeance is my domain, vengeance paired with the infinite patience and devotion of the earth. I earned my divinity by slaying the diamond wyrm Axavan with my bare hands. Now that I see you, I finally begin to understand that well of savagery I possess. I do not hate you for your nature father, nor do I judge you for it. It is your willingness to submit to your nature, to proceed without reason or ambition, that I judge you for. And unless you have a reason of unimpeachable logic, I must hate you for the rape of my mother. So the question is father, do you have a reason to avert the judgement of the god of Vengeance?"

Jair Barik

2010-06-12, 05:29 PM

A wild glee came upon Orgo's face and he nodded vigorously.

"Oh yes. A very good reason actually. Because you see I have rules now. And I intend to follow them. And one of those rules is that I cannot lay a hand upon any of the divine family, which you happen to be a member of I might add. So go on. Hit me, cut me deep, stab me and pierce my body with your vengeance coward because right here right now I cannot touch you. So lets see what sort of God you are. I bet I know, oh I know so well! The look in your eyes is one I have seen before. Slayed a wyrm you say? Well what a fine little quartet we make then!"

TheDarkDM

2010-06-12, 05:44 PM

Faolan's hands clenched as Orgo spoke. The wolf could see the glow in Faolan's eyes going from gold to crimson, his bloodstained hands lengthening into claws. Faolan's human mouth began to lengthen and contort, fangs pushing their way through. A cry rose from his mouth, a cry that became a howl, before the changes were pushed back by his force of will. driving his sword into the ground, Faolan caused a fissure to open between himself and Orgo. Releasing the blade, he leapt across.

"I will not fight you while you are hobbled Orgo - I do not struggle with helpless prey. I would release you from your oath so we could test ourselves against one another, but I sense that such an exception may displease whoever you are sworn to. Eventually though, we will have to settle this."

Jair Barik

2010-06-12, 05:48 PM

Orgo pushed his face up close to Faolan's and snarled menacingly.

"Settle it now then while you have the cance coward. I may not be able to touch you but I can easily kill your pups!" Orgo eyed up the direwolves licking his lips then spat in Faolan's face. "No wonder your mother never loved you. You are a coward and a fool! Given the chance for vengeance you make a flashy show and then back down. Am I supposed to be afraid? Now Aldric, there was a man who knows about fear but you? You are pathetic. Pathetic."

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-12, 05:53 PM

High in the tower rookery was the lair of the Nightmare. Even other wyverns gave the beast a wide berth. Occasionally, and apparently only out of boredom, she'd been known to descend on the biggest drakes and throw them from the sky. It wasn't that she had to prove that she was the boss once in a while, she was just restless. To say that a wyvern is mean is generally redundant, but when it comes from someone who rides one for a living, it is truly to convey just how malicious and foul tempered the beast really was. Lucien knew better.

It had been forty years since Lord Elmdore last ascended the tower steps and set out on some important errand. It was the same with dogs; if you don't let a dog do what it was bred to do, don't be surprised when he acts out. No rats to kill? Little wonder the terrier eats your shoes! The Nightmare had been the noble steed of a god and remained the fastest thing in the sky. But, for years she'd gone without task, forgotten. There was nowhere to be, nothing to hunt, no challenges for her.

If Lucien had been a different young man, he'd have been there to challenge her, seize her by the neck and ride her whether she liked it or not. Aldric Elmdore had never broken or tamed the Nightmare, he'd only proven himself too strong and too damn stubborn to be rid of. Their relationship had been more of a rivalry occasionally set to a common goal instead of a true partnership. Lucien didn't come to her lair with powerful magic or even a rope or any hopes of subjugating the beast, though he hoped still to ride her. No, he only took with him his broken heart and a pocket full of sugar cubes.

Initially, he was met with a perturbed look of, "You must be joking." But, when Lucien advanced, she screamed a warning at him and snapped her teeth. He flinched and let out a startled gasp, but he didn't turn to run. It would have been a lie to say he was unafraid, but heartache gives a man the mettle for epic stupidity. Trembling, he reached into his coat pocket and produces three sugar cubes in his gloved palm. The Nightmare stared down the intruder and he didn't return her gaze, only held out the sugar at arms distance and cowered. She sniffed the air and stretched her neck out, but it wasn't the sugar she smelled. Pressing her muzzle against Lucien's forehead, she snorted and drew in his scent, then craned around to sniff his pony tail. She knew that smell, a dot of clove oil brushed into his hair.

Lucien opened his eyes and discovered he was not yet dead, so he reached up cautiously to rub her head and again offered the sugar which she quickly snapped up with her tongue. Victory, he thought! Why hadn't anyone else simply tried being nice to her? Little did he know it was not his kindness that had spared his life, just his fortunate choice of cologne.

Raz_Fox

2010-06-12, 06:40 PM

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-12, 08:01 PM

"Wyvern Rider is a bit of a misnomer anyway. You don't so much as ride them as you just hang on and pray they do what you want 'em to do. Same with taking 'em in to battle. They're the fighter, you're just an extra set of eyes and hopefully the smart one. Which isn't to say the Dracliers aren't capable warriors... their business just isn't war, ya know? No, if they've reason to kill you, heh, you won't see 'em coming. Just drop out of the sky one night and... squick!"

Rogue wyverns are far too dangerous and feral to accept a rider, so the Dracliers have a monopoly on the vocation. Only their magic and trade secrets will get you onto a wyvern's back and keep you alive. They continually search the land and recruit the best horsemen into their ranks... though more than half of their numbers are female. Though it means leaving your life behind for Elmdore Vale, many teenagers across the world aspire to join the order as it has all the prestige and style of being a modern fighter pilot. Ninety-five percent of all Draclier missions are simple recon and routine patrols. The remaining five percent falls under the category known ominously as "Threat Interdiction." The rivalry between roc and wyvern riders is intense, but seldom violent.

***

Elmdore Castle: Rookery

"You can keep her," said the darkness.

The skin of Lucien's neck pricked and he watched as his and the Nightmare's mingled breath became visible in the sudden chill.

"No one owns her... that's what you always told me."
"No, but she's given herself to you already, of her own volition. Far better to be loved for what you are than to demand or bribe. She wasn't lured in with your sugar."
"You heard what happened with Simone then." Lucien's voice dropped an octave and he fought the lump in this throat.
"She wasn't as pretty as you thought. You should find a girl like your mother, someone with big..."
"Dad!"
"Heh heh heh... I'm old, I'm not dead."

A few gray hairs were all Aldric had to show for the last century. Not a sign of his advancing age, only proof of his declining spirit. He seldom showed his face in his own castle.

"It's good to hear you admit it. So... you mean she'll let me ride her?"
"Only you. She let me borrow her for a few years, but she was waiting the whole time for someone like you."
"What do you mean 'like me'? I'm not even the best rider here."
"No, but you will be."

Create Demigod: Lucien Valere Elmdore (-3 Major Acts)
Create Servants: The Dracliers (-1 Minor Act)
1 Major, 2 Minor, 3 Ceremonies left.

White Blade

2010-06-12, 08:19 PM

Garadiel... is an uncommon kind of god. His eyes roam with the ambitions of one who believes. It is hard. Hard for a god to be plagued by mortal concerns, to be burdened by centuries of duty, by ancient responsibility, by worry. Worry for their baby sister and brother. Worry for the world. Worry for their realm. Worry for their father. Worry for their dreams. Worry that comes when the day feels like air, where all belief becomes vapor. Worry at what was missed.

The man in the blindfold... He was a danger, Garadiel knew. He had pondered suspects for centuries, and it always came back to the same. To the secrets known by the world's elders and death and memory only. He had been a fool not see it, he thought. He had been too carless. A century of worry. And Calantha unfound.

He had not been slothful in that time. He had gone to visit his father many times, just to see him and get to know Rognir the Victor. He had worked night and day, awaiting Heradi's return. He poured out the world's fire and forged a prison to hold off the gods. He had drunk of the River of Life and seen Death's Gate.

He had mastered the true tongue, spoken by the first of all things. He had plotted for the day when the sky burned, he had drawn up mighty plans for the day when true war came. He had smiled on mortals and blessed them. He'd been praised. Hail to Garadiel! Hail to Sethimbaol! Hail to The Painted Jackal! Hail to The Great Guide! Hail to the True Speaker! The praises of mortal kind rang in his ears.

But Garadiel was a brother. Given reason, he was perhaps Rognir's most ambitious son, but he was not disloyal. The secrets of the world were not altogether hidden from Garadiel's sight, but his sister... She was lost. He had lost her once before and he had lost her again. He had been sleepless, but for now he simply worked on the Underworld, trying to reach its satisfaction.

The sky of the Underworld had shifted. Cunning black lightning played across its peak. Wild, unbound death. Garadiel had shifted the abyss to the sky, and it would hold safe the Underworlld without being quite destructive enough to do away with souls (save if Garadiel willed it). But any unfortunate trespassers, even gods, would most likely die. It is best not to trespass a furious and despairing death god.

The land of it was different as well. The ground had many roads cut into it, bridges had been built over the river of dispassion, there were paths in the mountain of Strife though it was still a place of terror. Rafa and Tarik had spent a century taming the wild monsters there and using them to prey on mortals. Of course, the beasts Garadiel's father had slain weren't any more changeable than mortals, so they'd go rogue and try to off Rafa or Tarik after a couple of days and never learn their lesson from Rafa or Tarik's beatings. That always made Garadiel's day.

He smiled and beckoned souls onward. He chased them up the cliffs, too, if it was needed. Some still stayed in the Underworld, but relatively few. When he spoke, he was truly persuasive. Life endured and flourished beneath his hands. Barren lands and wounded men found hope with him.

Today, he forged a weapon in the Underworld. It was a special task and, true, it was not as good as Eridi's might have been. But he needed this one made here, and so... Well, there weren't many options were there?

He had spoken the words of True Speech over it and called it Final Resort. It was a special sword. Whenever used, it was incapable of killing. Anyone struck by it would not die from it's wounds, or even complications thereof. It might permanently maim, but not beyond the skill of a God to heal with relative ease. But, in keeping with Garadiel's dualistic nature and his goals, it was crafted for the final day. When the sky burned, it would take a life for every one it spared. Though Garadiel was weary of making the weapon, it was crucial to the final battle. It would not be useful for any intent against which he stood, save if the enemy acquired it on the last day. In anticipation of that, he had made it so that when Aldric died, it would return to his side.

At last, Final Resort was done. He hefted it. It was a fine blade, worthy of a god's craft, though it was not of Eridi's workmanship. It glimmered faintly with his might and the Psychopomps would understand it instantly. Nothing to be done about that if the enemy was a psychopomp, though. He needed to test it. And he knew just how. For sometime now, he had heard tales that the great dragon Ligbryne had awoken on the Western Continent. A mighty dragon, Rognir had bound it in sleep. Now it terrorized mortal kind. This served two purposes, one that Garadiel had meant to master the hottest fire of the world, which a Great Dragon's fire was, and he would need the blade to do so. So he exited into the living world.

The Taking of Ligbryne's Fire
Ligbryne lived on the Western Continent. He lived on the highest mountain there, he had been formed for a specific purpose, long since met its use, but he had not been an ill servant to Rognir in his time, so he had been spared from Rognir's hunts. He represented the ravaging fire of the world, however, the sweeping destructive fire that burned down forests.

Garadiel caught sight of him quickly. This was no God, no. He could not hide from Garadiel's searching unlike his sister's captor. He was a sight though. A terrible sight, so far as sights go. His scales were like white hot steel, flexing and shifting with snake like ease, scalding to any mortal, immune to any form of attack by mortal blades, and when there was a momentary split in the scales, smoke boiled out. His wings spread out, formed of smoke like membranes that was difficult to distinguish from the actual smoke. His claws were sharper than the talons of a roc and made from metal that had no peer save in his tail's vicious spike.

He was a terror to behold. Garadiel, however, was not overly afraid. He called out to him, Ligbryne! Fight me! Ligbryne heard all the stories that Garadiel had heard of and seen flash before his eyes, a representation of him, and the challenge was a true insult, a jeer. He swooped down, trying to scorch Garadiel with fire.

A swift roll made light work of that. Garadiel may not have been the strongest of the gods, but he was quick. The dragon tried again and again. Garadiel escaped again. So it went on, till Ligbryne at last tried to fall down on Garadiel and stab him with his spike. Garadiel dodged the spike and though it burned his hand, he climbed up the dragon's tail. He clambered onto its burning, smoke plagued back and drew Final Resort. He moved toward its center and began to cut.

Ligbryne thrashed and flailed against Garadiel's blade cut. He took the sky and did rolls and turns and spins as Garadiel held on for dear life, every spare moment cutting into the chest. It hurt Ligbryne deeply. Soon, it would have died. Would have. But the blade's magic worked. Garadiel smiled. He carved deeper. Ligbryne thrashed. Garadiel saw what he had been cutting for.

Ligbryne's heart was pure fire. He went around it with his blade, severing it's cords. He drew it out of the beast's chest on Final Resort's blade and grasped it in his hand. It burned, it burned so hot. It nearly charred Garadiel's hand. Then he cut it and drank it dry. His throat burned, his headached, his eyes smoked, he very nearly died. But then his power won out. Life survived again. It changed. It took on a whole new aspect. Fire blazed in Garadiel's eyes. He had what he had come for. He jumped down from the dragon and fell swiftly to the ground, a vicious grin on his face. He would go to see his father soon, to show him the fire in his own eyes.

As the dragon cooled and fell, it cried out to him, "Son of Rognir, kill me! What is a fire without it's heat?"

A Light! was Garadiel's reply. Then he returned to the Underworld.

1 Major Act: Create Final Resort
2 Major Acts: Increase Life and Death Domains
2 Major Acts: Ward Entrance to The Underworld
1 Major Act: Gain Ability (Fire Mastery)

I'm done with Ligbryne. But he has potential to be a future antagonist or a good servant, if someone would like to claim him.

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-12, 09:59 PM

Wyvern riders weren't an uncommon sight in the south. In fact, they didn't seem to much mind where they went or who claimed to be in charge. They even had the audacity to snatch up the best cavaliers from both sides on the night before a battle between two kingdoms. A frequent stop for the Dracliers was Hibyl'smita, but they were always on their best behavior here. They needed the continued good graces of the city and its artisans to keep them themselves well stocked with the finest arms and beer in the world. Besides being good customers, the riders liked to sell spices and curios from all over: curved blades, jade jewelry, glass, saffron, habanero peppers, silk, pearls, and once a year... real rock lobsters from the northern shores! While the crustaceans were impressive, the news they brought was vital. A thriving trade hub, the merchants of the city were ecstatic to hear about the price of tea in Zhang nearly more than a week before anyone else.

So, the arrival of a lone rider wouldn't have been anything to get excited about... except that the master of the city knew at once of his handiwork returning to him. The enchanted anklets the Nightmare wore bore the mark of Eridi's magic and toil, and it was not a presence Eridi had felt in fifty years. His brother had returned after a long absence!

TheDarkDM

2010-06-12, 10:29 PM

Faolan reached up and slowly wiped the spittle from his face. In a flash, he was holding Orgo by the neck, lifting the Crimson Wolf into the air.

"I will not kill an unarmed opponent. But you have threatened my children, and thus you must be chastised."

Faolan hurled Orgo towards the far hill face, and as the beast was in the air motioned upwards. As the wolf was about to impact the ground, a slab of granite shot from the ground. Orgo impacted with a crack, shattering the slab and plowing a furrow through the hill face. Leaping after him, Faolan landed next to the impact crater, and seized Orgo's leg, whipping him out of the crater and sending him flying back towards the valley floor. Another granite slab met Orgo's flight, and shattered again. Hundreds of eyes, both Wolf and Dire Wolf, gathered to watch their master's rage, and their superior's beating. Once again, as Orgo dragged himself from the crater he found his son waiting, each blow landing like an avalanche, each grip that of a closing crevasse, the destination of every flight a slab of hard stone. Faolan never struck to kill, restraining himself, holding back the blood rage that was nevertheless rising. After an hour, Faloan summoned great spurs of rock to hold Orgo upright, binding his arms and legs. As he spoke, Orgo could hear a second voice under Faolan's, a voice much like his own, only untempered by the challenges of a cursed existence.

"I told you, I do not kill helpless opponents Orgo. But know this - threaten my lands or my people again and I may have to chastise you even more strongly. Return to me when you are relieved of your restrictions, that we may better test each other, father."

With that, Faolan motioned south west, and the stones binding Orgo began to grind in that direction, taking him back towards where his essence was strongest. As he left, the pack dispersed, and Faolan knew that the time had come to re-enter the world. Motioning the first of the Dire Wolves to his side, he mounted and began riding south, towards the smith's paradise of Hybil-Smita.

Jair Barik

2010-06-13, 03:38 AM

Out of knowhere Faolan was knocked from his mount. Before he could react he was pulled up from the floor by his neck razor sharp claws pressing against his jugular.

"Oh you should not have done that my son."

Orgo dropped faolan to the ground the whipped his hand through the air to Faolan's right, grabbing his hand and twisting it back with a snap. Before any of Faolan's own could come to his aid the earth rumbled beneath him and stones flew up forming a great cage around the two combatants.

"Like father like son."

Kasanip

2010-06-13, 08:58 AM

ooc: This is my last post of such a size. Most of it was written long ago for first Turn...but did not use.

Raia

War had been quiet for the last 100 years. Raia had started in Shiuk, as a girl of Toukoku, when she had met Ya-un-Kurumi and received his Bow.
And then she had disappeared. She went north to learn more about the Giants, but as she traveled, her consciousness shifted. The girl of Toukoku became a girl of Shiuk, and as the nomads had their own fights, so she also saw them.

The battlefield was changing. It always had been that way- first with her arms...then with a sword. The bow had come and changed everything, and now it was the horse.

And for 100 years, Raia had walked the lands that were in war. Kingdoms had grown and fallen during the time, and Raia had seen them all- sometimes as a squire, sometimes as a flag-bearer. Sometimes as a soldier. But always the Goddess of War worked more hidden here.

Raia's name had been sealed into legend already. Wherever her named was announced on the battlefield, her opponents soon threw down his weapon out of fear or respect. Who could fight the Goddess of War?

People prayed to her now, to come to them and aid them in their fights, and now Raia was truly a goddess. But she was also her normal, serious self. So to witness the battles and guide them with her hand, she chose to do so in a way where she could still be close to the mortals that she held the most love for. In this way she might still be able to pass on teachings and guidance, in the form of one of their own.
And so the wise in many lands would listen, if a young woman would come to them and speak of war.

the Empire of Derest and Kingdom of Cael - Shieldbearer Maiden watched impassively

Even as the spears formed and the drums were beat, Raia stood with her arms folded across her chest. Across from her lay the rest of the army of Derest, still thousands strong. The men of Cael brandished their shields in quiet and control, even while the men of Derest yelled curses and insults and banged their shields loudly. And in front of the Cael people, Raia stood. The good King armand and his guard looked on their foes grimly, even as the opposing generals came forth.

With a howl, one of them pressed the charge to the king and bellowed his own name in challenge to single combat. and the king sent his horse forward, grabbed his spear, and clashed with his foe. For one hundred passes they crossed again. And then, pausing only to trade for new horses, they battled again, all while Raia watched in silence, her hands resting on her sides.

With a cry, the man of Derest fell from his horse, and king Armand brought himself around. though sweat and tiredness was on his face, he yelled his own challenge to Derest.

"Bring out your emperor! Face me in battle!" He cried out. But Derest's emperor was afraid now, for he doubted his men and himself. Raia had seen already his mistakes and his sins. And in her a silent gaze, there was a threat Derest thought.

But Raia's gaze only told truth. For all kingdoms that are mighty, someday they will fall in fire and war. And War brought by the weak on the strong was no different to Raia than the War of strong on weak.
There was no place for doubt on the battlefield. The winning blow was struck, and though the emperor could choose wisdom and cowardliness, to retreat and surrender, he could also be foolish and brave and rally his soldiers.

But the Emperor chose neither of these roads Raia had offered him. He chose to order his troops for battle and watch from behind, as he still waited to make his choice.

the war drums beat, and the spear lines marched, and the war cries shouted. Commanders held swords and archers had their bows.
and King Armand looked to Raia with a grim look.

"I am sorry, my lady, that it has come to this." He apologized. Raia waved it away with her hand and rested her other on the banner of the flag, held by the soldier next to her.

"Do not be." The maiden replied. "Should this battle have ended here, it would only be your name in glory. You are a skilled warrior and a just ruler. But now your real battle will begin- the battle you will fight for the rest of your life."
The King thought on these words carefully, as he tried to find the truth in her words.

But this was a battlefield, and Armand had Raia as his herald,but Time was the matter of Pa'an, and over it Raia had no influence. Only the power to use the preciseness of timing to her craft. Armand turned to his generals and gave the signal.

And the Cael people let out a roar that was like thunder as they charged and clashed with the men of Derest.
And even as the battle would turn and struggle, here and there Raia would seem to be- the young maiden who held the banner, and a look of calm water to herself. And the Cael people felt their hearts full of strength, and the men of Derest lost hope.

The Emperor of Derest, being not there for his troops, watched as his army ran, and soon he felt despair, and turned to run. But it was too late now, for King Armand had charged and now came before him.
Pressed from his foes, the Emperor looked here and there, but with no choice he had to move forward. They passed once, the King Armand, and the Emperor of Derest.

And the Emperor fell from his horse, and like him the Empire fell.
Coughing blood and dust, the shaking Emperor looked up to see a pair of silent, sandal-ed feet standing in front of him. The maiden of war looked down on him impassively, even as he looked up. He could tell in this moment it was Raia, and he struggled with words. Maybe to call and plead for mercy. Maybe for aid. But Raia's serious gaze was not moved. Realizing this, the Emperor let out one cry and passed into Garadiel's hands.

And the maiden of war stood silently, watching as the battle ended. She did not talk to the King again, for he had much to do. Peace had been won. But peace was a reward, and it would be lost in some time. It would be earned again, perhaps by a different people, for a different reason. Such was the way of war and Raia.

Acts

1 Major Act: Increase Domain- War (4)
1 Minor Act: Create new 'Class' - Raia's maidens - young priestesses who channel Raia.

2 major act, 3 minor act, 3 ceremony remaining

Carden

2010-06-13, 11:25 AM

A hundred years. It had really been a hundred years since last he left Hybil'Smita, now simply called Hyb by this short-tongued, new generation. Now, here Eridi was at the outermost gate again, much farther out than when he had left to build this trade empire. Holding onto the trinket of his father helped him remember the past century, he had, after all had it with him the entire time.

It all had happened so fast. Calantha had gone missing, along with Phromm. Then Jin'Thul had died. Eridi regretted not making the man into his Exarch, but there was nothing to it anymore. Noss had gone the same way, and, eventually, even the children that had made the trip here with him had passed to Garadiel's land. Each had left an indelible mark, however, so they would always be remembered in this town.

Trade had grown exponentially during this time. Every city on the southern continent sent raw material to Eridi's town now, and each were repaid with peerless tools and riches from parts unreachable to them. All the while, the crafters of Hyb raked in precious metals, spices, and, most importantly, knowledge. Recently, this has caused quite the Renaissance, each man out to improve on what his rival had made was quite possibly the quickest way to invention.

War had touched Hyb a few times, all attacks coming from the west, north, or east and never breaching the walls. Trapped fields had thinned the lines greatly when the armies had approached and the gargoyles... Their method of fun was greatly disturbing in those instances they were unleashed. The wall sentries had taken to leaving their posts while the beasts were at play, hiding where they would only have to deal with the clean-up. Thus the word spread of the Guardless Wall of Terror. No, after that, armies had thought twice about attacking.

To the south, there was peace for Eridi. Airter had, indeed become king, ruling a long, kind, and fitful monarchy. With Eridi as his ally, he had become another force on the southern continent, conquering a large swath of land all the way to the sea. Now his great-grandson ruled, not quite as grandly, but fairly.

No, now was not the time to be here, but to leave. His father's words weighed heavily on his shoulders, mostly because he had done nothing about them in the past century. Now he needed to study the world, to understand it and feel how it, as Rognir put said, moves. Zhang. He would go see his brother Shen Zhi in Zhang. A good place to start, if nothing else.

Looking to the skies, Eridi had made up his mind. Today, he would leave the city alone. At least, he had until he saw the Nightmare. It had been quite some time since he'd last met with any of his relatives, since Faolan all those years ago. It would be nice to see Aldric again. Moving quickly to the rookery, he went up to meet his brother. Opening the door to the level he saw the divine beast enter into, he spoke joyfully, "Truly, Aldric, it's nice to be able to welcome you here again!"

TheDarkDM

2010-06-13, 11:28 AM

Faoln was caught off guard by the sudden attack. Held by his father in a stone cage, he whispered but one word, "Better."

Gathering his legs beneath him, Faolan leapt upwards, aided by his own strength and the magic of Eridi, taking Orgo with him. Head butting backwards to break Orgo's grip, he twisted in the air to right his arm before planting a boot heel in Orgo's face and sending both gods to opposite ends of the cage. Drawing his sword, Faolan leveled its point at Orgo.
"I'm glad to see you were freed from your oath. Let me guess, you were forbade from attacking, but not from fighting back when attacked?"

Jair Barik

2010-06-13, 11:46 AM

"Well obviously. How proud you must feel to work out such a simple simple fact. Of course as you may have already realised I hold to the belief that physical violence is not the answer to everything, words are just as deadly a weapon. That said..." Orgo lifted his back up keeping his head away from the sword blade but moving both legs in to kick, planting one clawed foot firmly in Faolan's jaw and the other in his chest, staggering him backwards. When he recovered Orgo was back on his feet.

"...I do like me a nice bit of violence."

TheDarkDM

2010-06-13, 12:12 PM

"Well then, father, let me indulge you."

Faolan moved to attack, his sword flashing with incredible speed. However, he was always careful to strike only with the flat of the blade, and while that left welts and shallow cuts in multitude, he never resorted to killing or maiming blows. Faolan would not be the first one to turn this confrontation deadly.

Jair Barik

2010-06-13, 12:34 PM

Orgo laughed. He was enjoying this! He had no weapon of his own so he relied on speed and guile, dodging blows with his speed, keeping Faolan on the defense when possible with rapid flurrys of his own blows and swipes and blocking with his arms when he needed to do so. Locking the blade between both arms he shoved his head up close to Faolan's to speak.
"Holding back are we? Well your not the only one. We both know your no match for me boy! I could kill you if I really wanted to because unlike you I have a lot more experience of the world. And not just fighting, but every, single, aspect. Worldly pleasures are something I have had my fill of, but what about you boy? How much have you experienced? I'd be willing to bet you haven't had a single one with so much vengeance on your mind. Why to take a woman would be to become like me would it not? You know your mother never loved you, just looking at you she would have been reminded of me, and of how she could never live the eternal life her siblings had!" and with that he jumped back across to the other side of the arena, readying himself for Faolan's next assualt.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-13, 01:32 PM

Faolan barked a short laugh when Orgo finished speaking. He dropped into a ready position, easy to defend with, easy to attack from.

"There is some truth to your words father. I doubt I could truly defeat you without becoming exactly like you, and where would we be then? You dead and a younger, more dashing version of you free to roam the countryside. So, what do you propose? Should we spend the next few days locked in epic combat before one of us finally makes a misstep? Or can we drop the pretensions to vicious superiority and wrathful self righteousness, at least for a little while?"

Jair Barik

2010-06-13, 02:21 PM

"Oh come now. Your already starting to sound like me! The fancy words, the cringeworthy vanity, the speach rife with sarcasm! Why it seems you have some brains after all! Either that or your a rampant sociopath. Personally if I were you I'd be surrendering pretty soon and running home with my tail between my legs. Cause you may be able to match me pretty well blow for blow, but you forget that unlike you i have nothing else at stake here. Go on I'll give you one chance to yield and I wont harm your little pack."

Orgo quickly closed his eyes for a second then snapped them open just as fast. The earth around him rose up jagged like knives facing Faolan and then one of the stone blades shot out and smashed into the wall behind Faolan's head.
"I could have aimed for your head but thats not the point, point is theres a lot of these on the other side of the wall too. You've shown some mastery over earth but do you think you can stop every single one of these things without somebody getting hurt or worse?"

Earl of Purple

2010-06-13, 02:39 PM

Past/Present - West; Phromm, Echo, Calantha

Phromm, stung by the man's response, forces himself back into his usual form. Or almost; he still has claws at the end of his fingers. "Heradi. Why did you choose to disobey our brother Garadiel and bring him back?" Phromm has a bit of difficulty talking, because his teeth aren't yet normal-sized; still a bit too large.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-13, 02:43 PM

Faolan's eyes narrow as he re-sheathes his blade and spreads his hands at his sides.

"Really father, threatening my pack to get to me? Tactically sound, I suppose, but using the same ploy to bait me as to force my surrender points to a lack of imagination. Nevertheless, I will not allow my vanity to endanger those that follow me. So, now that you have my rapt attention, what do you intend to do?"

Raz_Fox

2010-06-13, 03:00 PM

The Past-Present

The god in the nice hat turns his attention back to Phromm again, his fingers tapping on the hilt of his thin blade absent-mindedly. "Heradi? The Red South Wind? I haven't seen that... man of ill-repute in years, and I'm all the better for it. And I certainly didn't spring him out of whatever prison you placed him in."

Jair Barik

2010-06-13, 03:30 PM

Orgo frowned.
"Hmmm. You do have a point there. Should have just killed them all and then taunted you about how useless you were that you couldn't save any of them. Ah well, there's always next time. As for what I intend to do it really is as simple as I intend to just walk off into the horizon and leave you be. I found the answers to my questions, proved that you are weak and had a good fight. So I think there really is nothing left for me to do but walk off and leave you here. Anticlimactic isn't it? But thats the way the world works kiddo. You win some you lose some and sometimes your opponent decides your not worth fighting and decides to let you go. Funny old world isn't it?"

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-13, 03:52 PM

The wyvern made the customary, abrasive landing; gliding in with her wings slightly tucked in and the scrambling to keep her footing as she unfurled them like a parachute. The rider would always lean forward and hug his mount's neck to keep from being jettisoned. It was never a graceful landing, but wyverns were not naturally inclined to land on stone floors after shooting through tower windows. Still, that's how they did it back home and that's how they did it when they came to pay a visit to the master of Hub (the northern pronunciation and spelling of Hyb).

At first, it seemed Aldric had adopted a different wardrobe, something just like the other riders: a wool, double breasted, short tailed greatcoat, gray with a high black collar and broad black cuffs. Buttons were invented in the last century and the coat was trimmed with dozens of brass ones. The Draclier frequently embellished their otherwise drab attire with bandanas, sashes and colorful scarves and exotic jewelry; a way of preserving their own cultures or showing others the far off places they'd visited. A blue sash was tied in with the doubled sword belt about his waist and a broad blue bandana was fitted over his brow. Both featured several silver charms sewn on or attached with delicate chains. The rider had the same eyes as Aldric, the same jaw and noble brow, even the same hairstyle and cocky swagger, though his pony tail was cropped shorter than Eridi remembered. But, he bore a long red scar across the bridge of his slightly upturned nose and his aura gave him away at once. A good likeness, but it wasn't Aldric.

Dismounting, the rider smiled and after bowing or saluting (whatever was customary in Hyb) he began to unbutton his collar.

"Close, but I'm afraid not, uncle Eridi. I am Lucien Valere Elmdore and I am honored to meet you."

TheDarkDM

2010-06-13, 04:27 PM

"Indeed it is. Though something tells me we'll encounter each other again, father."

Faolan waits for Orgo to leave before remounting. He was battered and bruised from the confrontation, but a part of him sang at the confrontation, the same part that he had struggled to keep in check the entire time. All along the ride towards Hybil'Smita, he brooded on Orgo's words, and on how much truth lay in them. Faolan truly had isolated himself from the humanity he once possessed in the past century - it was past time he see the world. As he reached the coast, plinths of stone rose from the ocean floor, forming a temporary bridge that sank back down once he'd passed. As the seas crashed around him, he sent out a message.

"Eithne, first among the Grey Watch, I have left the Twilight. I ride to Hybi'Smita, and require your service. Inform lord Eridi of my coming."

Outside Hybil'Smita

Eithne was meditating in the hills around Hybil'Smita when she heard the call. Faolan had kept part of his bargain with Eridi as soon as the Grey Watch was formed by sending his best to watch over Eridi's city. Eithne had grown strong in her time at the Twilight Den, and to the people of the south presented an exotic beauty. As happened with some who drank from the Wyrm's Eye, her hair was the color of spun silver, which gave her wolf's eyes the impression of gold rather than amber. Her features were sleek, and she moved with a feline, predator's grace. She was first among the Grey Watch, deadly with both longbow and bastard sword, and was unique in the order in that she had regular contact with the civilized world, coming in to trade with the armorers of Hybil'Smita every decade for the arms and armor of the Grey Watch. When she heard the message, she smiled, for it had been many years since she's seen Faolan. Mounting the Dire Wolf sent to her by Faolan himself, she rode into Hybil'Smita, sending panicked craftsmen before her as she approached Eridi's forge and knocked on his door.

Fan

2010-06-13, 05:04 PM

Ganrei, the King of Heroes, crouched down in the land of the Tumi, formally known as the Oni, the gravel of the mountain crunching loudly beneath his feet, but the sounds were all but silenced by the dull roar of fire ahead. He had journeyed across the sea, and from the west he had come on a hunt. The hunt for the source of fear, of misery, and of despair.

To the land of Raia, the War Goddess, and the Goddess who had wrestled thunder, and lightning itself, and mastered it. Here he had come seeking a spirit who understood courage, and the will to fight against despair..

As he contemplated this, he crested a mighty hill, taking his time as to ensure no foul step were to be his doom so early on this quest, and here he saw the devastation that a mere skirmish of the Tumi could bring, Giant carcasses littered the field, most surrounded by a scattering of Tumi, and Human corpses yet riddled with arrows and spears were each giant corpse, indicating each one had been a difficult kill that had taken many soldiers to attempt.

However, the smell of the dead had not yet set in to the battlefield, and the bodies were not yet decayed, or set in with the grip of death in their bones.. On this field, he saw a lone man, guiding apparent survivors.. though they be pale in complexion. He decided that he would likely need directions to Raia as a War Goddess must surely be mobile, and constantly on the look for new battles to fight with her army, and new territory to conquer.. Thus, he approached the man, and waving from afar he called.

"HELLO! I'm new to this land, and am in need of direction. Could you spare a second of your time to help me?'

White Blade

2010-06-13, 05:53 PM

Garadiel's hand was on his blade. Final Resort was far from likely to slay, of course, but he was a dangerous opponent, even for a demigod. He had heard that the Metropolis in the West had lost one of its princes, and when he had found Ganrei, he knew from the style of dress that he was the man or one of his followers.

The ghostly dead that were gathered here were of the usual disposition, confused but not overly hostile. He usheredthe last of them into the afterlife and turned to Ganrei.
Ateris is your father, correct? Garadiel said, speaking true speech.

The first thing Ganrei understood was that Garadiel was speaking the most ancient of all tongues. The second, that he had deeply mixed feelings about Ateris, There was a picture of a noble young warrior besides a mighty tyrant, and the images blurred together until Ganrei became confused. But that was an expression of Garadiel's confusion. He saw his father, standing beneath the sky at high noon, his armor and weapons keen. He saw him caked with blood, the blood of Garadiel's siblings. He saw him and Kyfla-Madur in a paradise world that seemed strangely lacking. Then the question came, and Ganrei saw Ateris holding him in his arms and Ganrei's mother raising him alone simultaneously. Garadiel did nit know the circumstances under which Ganrei might have been raised.

Fan

2010-06-13, 06:11 PM

When Ganrei realized that the man was not a Man, but one of the few.. true gods of the world, he was taken aback at first.. not really knowing how to react towards someone who had essentially been demonized his entire life... However, the visions that proceeded from then.. when the Psychopomp spoke, invading his mind with so many confusing, and well.. life changing visions in an instant that for many moments..all he could do is sit there and grasp his head in shock... such things.. he was unused to..

However, Ganrei was a demi god, the son of the god of strength, and the manifestation of courage, and he recovered quicker than any mortal.. He stood then, and when the question came he answered in a clear, strong voice.

"I was raised by my mother, my father deemed , and always has, his children to be "Woman's work" to handle, and raise. Who are you who possesses such power as to use such powerful, ancient, speech, and what do you seek to gain by tormenting me with it?"

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-13, 07:40 PM

City of Jiseth, Southern Continent

The last hundred years had been rather uneventful in the region under Sovvenia's care, even if the goddess herself had remained quiet and in seclusion. The coastal cities prospered, even in the face of the rapid expansion of the Emirates of Storms, a loose coalition of tribes founded by the late sheikh Ibrahim. A peace accord between the merchant cities and the desert dwellers was achieved relatively early in the last century, although skirmishes are frequent in contested areas. In that time, the story of the Tower of Enlightenment built by jinn and blessed by the divine hand of Sovvenia spread across the continent, to Hybil'smita, and even beyond. Few were able to brave the perils of the waste, earn the trust of the Stormseekers and pass the tests of the Tower, but those who were successful returned completely changed by their quest.

Life in the middle city of Jiseth was pleasant. One tavern, the Laughing Swordfish, was renowned for its wonderful entertainment, day and night without interruption - it even had a small sanctuary dedicated to Alarin, Prince of Bards, built as an annex. It is no surprise, then, that Korvo spent most of his evenings there, showing off to young women his magic tricks, which were actually power he "borrowed" from a jinn. Granted a several hundred years lifespan thanks to Sovvenia's spell, he intended to enjoy himself all he could; and he did enjoy his human existance very much, sometimes wondering if he still had the soul of a crow. However every time he felt distress, he changed back to avian form and flew over the cliffs of the Bay of Spears. And then the freedom he experienced was unmatched by anything of his human life, and he pitied the land creatures.

One fateful day, his little "show" was interrupted by a sudden and very violent storm, a very rare occurence in that time of year, that far inland. Knowing what this meant, but hoping otherwise, he looked through the window. How odd, exclaimed the women, the clouds are shaped like a spiral. Like an eye, replied a bard. More like the Goddess' signal for me to get back, thought Korvo. Why do I feel she will not be in a good mood?

Korvo excused himself and exited the tavern. Once outside, when he was certain nobody was looking, he changed into a crow and flew towards the eye of the storm, not without difficulty. As he approached, a great thunderclap was heard and Korvo was gone.

-----------------------------

The Anamnesis Oracle

Korvo walked around in the halls of the divine realm in search of Sovvenia. It had been some time now since he last saw her, and he wondered how her health had gotten. She never told him about her condition, but he had found out about it his own way. Once he arrived at the doors of the goddess' inner sanctum and saw the commotion - frenetic Shades were a strange sight indeed - he understood that something was wrong with her.

"Let me through, I'll make some sense out of whatever is happening in there."

Korvo entered the throne room; the doors closed right behind him. He found the inner sanctum overrun by bubbles, big and small, in every one of them the retelling of a memorable event from a mortal or even an immortal life. He had observed a similar phenomenon a while ago, a spell used by Sovvenia to inspect a given memory more closely; but never more than one of these bubbles at a time. Korvo wasn't attuned to the past like she was, yet he greatly shaken by the overwhelming and sometimes contradicting emotions emanating from the room. He could not begin to imagine how the goddess felt in this environment. Korvo heard sobbing, and as he maneuvered between the memories given shape, he found his Lady kneeling in a corner. "My dolly...where is it? And my brother? Anyone?" She suddenly vanished, and as the man turned around, he saw her through another bubble, this time visibly enraged. "You shall suffer a million deaths for THIS!!!" Flames lept from the bubble, almost frying the crow-turned-human to a crisp.

"Hey watch it!"

Then all the bubbles burst at once, unleashing a tempest of shouts and cries, blood and sweat. Once it was all over, Sovvenia stood in the center of the room.

"Korvo..."

The man sighed and walked closer to the goddess, just glad that Sovvenia did not decapitated him thinking he was some long dead soldier in a forgotten war. Now it was impossible for her to conceal the scars on her body...cracks in her physical shell, which barely held her divine essence together.

"I am terribly sorry. It has been some time now... Go to the dining room, I'll join you. Don't look at me like that. I don't need help to go from one room of my sanctum to another. "

Korvo gone, the Lady of Remorse reached for a wooden chest under her throne. She opened the lid and gently brushed the spherical object inside. Sovvenia then quickly returned the chest to its place, and after taking her scarf with her, left for the dining room.

-----------------------------

Sovvenia and her crow friend sat around a large table, in a mostly empty room. Meals were an important part of mortal existence, daily rituals bringing families and communities together. As such there were millions of precious memories shared that involved collective meals. Yet the goddess' own dining room didn't reflect that. Beside Korvo, only Shades sat at this table, and never ate. There were no laughs, no cheers. Only an awkward silence. Sovvenia took a sip of wine, then stared at her crystal glass. She finally spoke:

"I was not meant to be. I am not meant to live long and prosper. I know it. And now that my power over memories has grown over the past century, it has been increasingly difficult to control. My physical form was of my own design, but it is failing me. In order to withstand all that I experience through the memories of all sentient beings, not only my mind, but also my body needs to be stronger. I was not made to last and endure - that is the problem. The world needs me still; I am an Herald. So I will have to change, to find a way to endure my terrible burden until the time my presence is no longer need. I need to be able to watch as a neutral observer and remember...everything. If not, the mortals are doomed. I must change..."

Wracked by a sudden and sharp pain, Sovvenia suddenly collapsed. Her eyes, however, revealed something more than suffering: understanding. The Lady of Remorse tore open a portal to the mortal realm. She looked at Korvo then at the quicksand-like hole.

"Of course, why didn't I think of this sooner!"

The goddess asked Korvo to stay there and gathered all her strength to throw herself in the portal.

-----------------------------

Hybil'Smita

A fierce sandstorm hit Hybil'Smita. It left a strange thing on its wake: the crippled, but breathing body of a goddess at Eridi's doorstep.

Secret project (1 major act)
Up Memory domain (major)

industrious

2010-06-13, 09:15 PM

The Past

A flicker of irritation crosses Pa'am's face.

"Very well."

Pa'am makes no gestures, nor does he speak any occult prases or burn sacred herbs. Instead, he continues to softly descend, and does nothing. He waits, his black staff softly humming in the silence. And the universe changes.

No longer are the three headed towards the sinkhole. No longer is there sky or earth or wind. A blank featureless plane, the color of the night sky. If one was to look closely at the surrounding area, they would see that the dark blue was not completely uniform. Outlines of gears, slowly moving to the tick of the universe. The gears do not move at the same rate; some turn almost continuously, their shape seeming to be that of a perfect circle. Others seem to not move at all. The air thrums with possibility, with words unsaid and deeds undone.

This is the place that Pa'am was wounded by, the place he came to to defend the world against the ones Outside. The moment between now and then, between past and present.

"Welcome to my sanctum, brothers. We have much to discuss here."

The Present

The city of Oukt was not a very prosperous one. Located in the mountains east of the island of Zhang, it saw little actual traffic. Zhang was not a city-state most would trade with; others felt its god-king held an ill reputation.

Throughout the hundred years, Oukt had maintained a strict policy of non-interference with the outside world. None within its walls had ever left the mountains. But they did not worry about the outside world. Ever since they had been freed from enslavement one hundred years ago, the inhabitants of the City of Gears had focused their attentions inward. Not just in the towering spires made of crystal, or the intricate gearworks that decorated the fronts of homes and made up the city square, but towards themselves. For each of them contemplated the nature of Time, the steady progression of cause and effect. For while the outside world changed, and the city changed, and they themselves changed, time was always constant.

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-13, 09:53 PM

Aldric wobbled and blinked vacantly until his world stopped spinning. Teleporting didn't agree with him, he preferred to fly... though it didn't seem one could reach this place on a wyvern. One second ago he'd been on the back of the Nightmare and Despair had just left his fingers. Now he was... elsewhere. Setting his still hazy eyes on Heradi he reaches for Despair, but it wasn't waiting in the shadows, it wasn't even in this world. Then Pa'am spoke and his frustration peaked. He didn't mean to entrap Heradi, he really had brought them here to talk things out.

"There's nothing to discuss! Pa'am, I brought you with me to execute him and he'd be dead right now if it weren't for your bumbling! Did you not see Garadiel's face? He threatened to rape Calantha! He's dangerous! Whose side are you on?"

Pa'am had done nothing short of save Heradi's life on two occasions already and Aldric was rightly furious. Unfortunately, he had little power here and he wouldn't stand a chance against Heradi in a fist fight.

"Kill him now Pa'am! If you have any love for your family just listen to me and put down this monster..."

Carden

2010-06-13, 10:06 PM

"Ooh, twice an uncle now, huh? Seems like your father, go off and have a kid and not tell anyone until years later. Come, I'm sure we have plenty to discuss and there are far better places here than in the rookery." Leading the way down the stairs, Eridi talks small talk with his nephew, nothing important until they reach his home.

Eridi's home had grown, but not in any sort of useful way. Over the years he had picked enough random materials up that he had run out of place to store them, so he remodeled. Basements full of junk, siderooms full of trinkets, and a couple extra floors more cluttered than a landfill, there wasn't more room in the house, just more things. He hadn't had many visitors in the past century, so he didn't really have a reason to clean up.

Arriving quickly despite the crowded streets, they were just in time for a show. Eithne was standing outside the door when a sudden sandstorm hit. While all were busy covering their eyes from the blast (Or, in the case of many of the vendors, their groceries.) when the body of Sovvenia fell from nowhere on the poor girl. Rushing to her aid, Eridi easily lifted her in his arms and took her inside. "Hurry," he said, "Follow me in, Eithne, Lucien, and close the door behind you." He worried partially because of the sandstorm, but mostly because he didn't want anyone to see Sovvenia in this state. Rumors had a way of affecting people's minds, and that affected business. What sort of rumors would fly at a broken goddess appearing on Eridi's doorstep?

Clearing the nearest couch with his foot, he laid Sovvenia there. Entreating the other two to take a seat, he sat down himself. "Three... 'Omens come in threes'... Tell me, each of you, why're you here? It seems my days of peace are at an end, and I'd rather like to know why."

White Blade

2010-06-13, 10:34 PM

TheDarkDM

2010-06-13, 10:38 PM

Eithne, had moved to assist Sovvenia as soon as she fell, but reeled from the sandstorm. Being mortal, she had only just recovered as Eridi scooped up the goddess of memory and brought her inside. Following, she stole a glance towards the dashing wyvern rider, but kept her mind on her mission. As soon as Eridi turned to her, she knelt on one knee.

"I have come bearing tidings from my lord. Faolan has left his hundred year meditation in the bones of the earth, and is coming to pay you his respects, my lord Eridi."

Meanwhile

Faolan saw the southern continent as the waves crashed against the shore. His godly eyes misliked the sudden swirling sandstorm above the coastal cities, and the flash of divine pain that followed spurred him into a frenzy. The Dire Wolf below him broke into a loping sprint, clearing the last of the stone plinths at a earth shaking run. From hundreds of miles away, mortals saw crystalline flecks fly out in Faolan's wake, and within the space of minutes Hybil'Smita had come into view.

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-13, 11:12 PM

Eridi's Home

Sovvenia opened her eyes, lifted her upper body up and grasped Eridi's collar with her right hand. Just like her face and neck, the sand-like skin of her hand was deeply cracked.

"I am broken, brother!"

As she used up most of the energy she had left, Sovvenia fell back on the couch.

"I am sorry. I wished our meeting would have been in a happier occasion. But I need your help. It is rather...urgent...

She caught a glimpse of the other two in the room. One of them was strikingly similar to Aldric, but he was no god. Neither was the girl. She didn't want them to see her like that, but there was no helping it.

"My body cannot sustain much more. I need you to...fix it. It should be a suitable challenge for you, wouldn't it, my dear Eridi?"

Nefarion Xid

2010-06-13, 11:35 PM

"I can help!" Lucien blurts out before his brain has time to intercept his mouth. Instantly bashful, he regretted the outburst the instant it left his lips.

"I... I've read your treatises on enchanting, Master Eridi. I actually came to ask to be your apprentice..."

If he was half as cunning and talented as his father, that would have been impressive, but if he'd read half as much as he boasted, that made him thrice the scholar Aldric ever was. Eridi's expert eyes saw the star charms on his brow and he knew at once that they were not mere trinkets. He wore the mark of the northern witches and he would not have come by those baubles easily. In fact, Eridi had never seen a man wear those charms.

The look from Eithne didn't go unnoticed. Lucien's emerald eyes glinted in the light and the corners of his mouth began to draw into a smile. But, now wasn't the time or place.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-13, 11:54 PM

Faolan sped through the streets of Hybil'Smita, barely controlling the wolf beneath him. The panic he'd felt had subsided, but he still felt the diminishing of a divine spark, the intangible feeling of wrongness. Seeing the other Dire Wolf before the smithy, his concern only grew, leaping off and leaving craters in the ground where he landed. Pushing on the door, he almost threw it off its hinges when he entered, only to stop cold at the sight of Eithne, some boy he did not know, and Eridi standing over a wounded god, the source of the spark he'd felt. Throwing off his helm, amber eyes met gold and he understood all he needed to - that Sovvenia was in imminent peril. Striding over to Eridi's shoulder, he looked in shock at the wounds covering Sovvenia's body.

"What is going on Eridi, and how can I help Sovvenia."

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-14, 12:14 AM

Sovvenia looked genuinely surprised to see Faolan. And it had been an eternity since anything surprised her...

"I do not...know you. How? You are not of...my generation. You must have ascended later..."

While her eyes were normally swirling with dark mist, today there was only a slight glimmer on a black background.

TheDarkDM

2010-06-14, 12:32 AM

"I am Faolan, son of the wolf Orgo and a mortal daughter of Rognir. I am a god of the earth, and I may be able to help once I know what is afflicting you."

Carden

2010-06-14, 12:41 AM

The burst of Sovvenia had been an awakening to Eridi. He hadn't noticed her condition yet, mainly focused on getting inside. It was an urgent manner that she was here so suddenly, not at all fickle. Then came the arrival of the newcomer. "Eithne, I ask that you go tell those outside not to worry, that everything's under control. Tell them it's family business. And Faolan, if you want to help, I'm going to want both your energy in helping make what I'm about to create stronger, as well as showing your cousin, Lucien here, to my workshop."

Turning to his other nephew, he continued quickly, "Lucien, if you want a trial at apprenticeship, now's a horrible time, but you've got it. You won't be enchanting because what I have to do requires a fast and accurate hand, but, if you will, go into my workshop and clear off the desk. Then start familiarizing yourself with my tools and metals. Specifically, look for the lightly glowing red metal and the mercury pen. I'll need them both for this." He shooed them all off in their own respective directions, urgency was of the essence.

Standing over Sovvenia, her dreadful state shocked him. Her body seemed more like broken porcelain than anything whole, and he must not have helped with his rough treatment to carry her inside. His voice was filled with both urgency and a hint of concern now. "Sovvenia... I will ask you what caused this later, but, now, time is of the essence. I'm going to move you to my workshop. I think I can help you, but you'll need to be awake to make sure it works. I won't lie, this will be painful, more so than anything you've ever felt, but you must remain conscious until the end. I'll need what's energy is still in you to bind the metal to your being, and this metal will have to go on hot. In advance, I'm sorry, a thousand times over."

Picking her up, this time with care, he moved her to his workshop. The metal he had sent the boy after was orichalcum, an alloy of adamantite and mithril which took decades to properly distill. It was more of a crystal than a metal, but, once it broke in the forge, the luminescence broke down and it set to be nigh-indestructible, not to mention lighter than mithril had ever been. The problem was etching the runes. Normally, Eridi would heat and reheat the metal, giving ample time to slowly etch them in. Orichalcum, however, didn't soften with heat once the light faded. The craftsman had learned that the hard way with the first batch. Quicksilver, however, had the unique properties of being a liquid metal, and Eridi had found it would etch his magic into the metal easy enough.

Only with the removal of Sovvenia's clothes did the damage become truly apparent. Truly, she was a mess. Cracks spread all over her body, parts looked as though nothing held them together. "Lucien, toss the metal into the flames. Faolan, get my spare hammer, your strength will help the molding go faster. And be prepared for a long night. Once we start, there's no stopping till we're done."

Moving off to the side, he got out his notebook. He had pondered the notion of using his circles to bind metal to a body, but, ultimately, he had found that to be far too dangerous. The bead of metal stuck to his left arm had been proof of that. But, it was either pain, excruciating, unimaginable pain, or the life of his sister, and, while he had talked to Sovvenia for but moments, he refused to let it be the latter. A long night indeed, he thought to himself, putting down his father's trinket and taking up his smithing hammer.

Act Expenditure
1 Ceremony - Create GREATER Artifact (Body of Sovvenia)
1 Minor - Create Orichalcum

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-14, 01:09 AM

The Past-Present

The man in the nice hat sneers at Phromm. "I'm sorry, was that supposed to be intimidating? Oh, my, he can transform into a bear-worm-thing, whatever shall I do? Sorry, I don't think so."

He then turns his attention to Calantha with a slightly more gracious smile. "So many questions. Perhaps I can answer a few for you, though no answer's ever free. Would you break your head against a castle's wall and then blame the builder for erecting his fortifications? And yes, I had hoped you would not find me, as some of us value our privacy. Why, you didn't even send a message-" He flicks a scroll out of his sleeve, twirling it between his fingers, then makes it vanish in an explosion of black feathers, "No invitation, no request; why, it almost makes a man assume that you're here on sinister pretenses. But you've run so far, you've run so long, that it would be a shame to deny you what you seek.

So tell me, maiden of madness and lord of beasts, what do you seek from the man who has the answers?"

Yes, Echo and the Wyverns are still there, hi-mi.

The Past-Present

The god in the nice hat turns his attention back to Phromm again, his fingers tapping on the hilt of his thin blade absent-mindedly. "Heradi? The Red South Wind? I haven't seen that... man of ill-repute in years, and I'm all the better for it. And I certainly didn't spring him out of whatever prison you placed him in."

Calantha tilts her head, watching the Raven King with an almost birdlike expression of contemplation on her face. Then she steps forward, and cups his face in her hands, fingers running over the other god's cheekbones as she looks into his eyes. Her voice is a low murmur, when she speaks.

"It is hard to send a message when one cannot find the message-receiver...and you are lying to us, aren't you...?"

She smiles, slowly, and the smile is mad and brilliant and sympathetic and cold, and she rests her forehead against the Raven King's, letting her eyes close as she breathes deep.

"He was dead...Heradi. My brother killed him. But you knew that, didn't you...? Hiding behind your charming smile, you knew...and your malice made you lie...but I see your true form, like this...your true heart..."

Kaiser Omnik

2010-06-14, 01:10 AM

Eridi's House
Before the start of the operation

Sovvenia swallowed her saliva as Eridi explained the procedure to her. She then spoke with difficulty, when she and Eridi were alone. To him, it may have seemed like she was confused and speaking nonsense. However, that night, Sovvenia's mind was clearer than ever.

"Thank you Eridi. You are not only the most skillful person I have ever met - yes, I believe you surpass Father - but also a most loyal brother. Do not worry about me; do what must be done... My pain is nothing compared to the suffering of a billion souls as their reality is unraveled...which may well be their fate if I do not accomplish my part. This...what you are doing today Eridi, will give me what I desesperately need: my chance. Our chance. Or I could die here, refuse your help. Die peacefully and join Azura. Every fear...every loss... gone. Finally gone.

No.

I...I must change!"

Sovvenia puts some of her essence in Eridi's work (ceremony)

TheDarkDM

2010-06-14, 01:17 AM

Faolan went to work on the orichalcum, beating the metal into the rough shape of the necessary patches and passing them to Eridi for refinement. Once she had reassured the citizens of Hybil'Smita that their city was not about to be stricken by a dozen deadly plagues (including one doomsayer who insisted that wolves made of sand were descending from the north), Eithne joined the three divines in the forge. Throwing off her grey cloak, she began working the bellows of the fire, ensuring it was heated evenly while Lucien introduced and removed metal. However, as the minutes passed and Sovvenia's body continued to deteriorate, they began to link patches. Faolan knew that normally Eridi would forge the parts together, but that was made more complex by the fact that the patches were already fusing to her essence. Thinking quickly, he brought down his heel on the floor, opening up the raw earth beneath the flagstones. Working with his hands, he drew forth spun strands of diamond from the deep stone, forming it into sutures he brought down on the seams. Flashing with the heat, the molten diamond fused the seams in smooth, clear lines, matching the orichalcum in strength.

Actions used:

Add pure diamond to the construction of the body (1 ceremony)

Raz_Fox

2010-06-14, 08:30 AM

The Past; Pa'am, Aldric and Heradi

"What." A look of fury flashes across Heradi's face; as befits the god of speed, it is gone in an instant, but he is still frowning angrily as he says to Pa'am, "He's a liar. I've never threatened to rape anyone, and I don't want to hurt anyone! I just want to run, is it that difficult?"

The Past-Present; Calantha, Phromm and The Raven King

Calantha can feel, as she touches the Raven King, an intrusion into her mind again. No, it's something that was already in her head that's getting stronger when she touches him. He's messing with her head again, no, he already was and touching him just made it visible to her.

Then he backs off, away from her, and it's hard to remember that she'd been angry about it in the first place. After all, it's gone now, it must have simply been her imagination. Isn't she the goddess of delirium?

"You see what I want you to see, child. Nothing more, nothing less.

Unless you have an actual question, and the principal to pay for the answer, I must ask you to leave. I am a busy man, and there is, after all, still a war going on that I must attend to."

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-14, 09:46 AM

Calantha...smiles. It is a cat-like smile, a look of one that has just eaten a canary and gotten away without being scolded. She tilts her head again, and observes the Raven King once more, those curiously multicolored eyes taking in everything at once.

"Fine, then...what is the price to pay for asking questions of a liar? And why should I pay it, when I cannot be assured of the truth of an answer...?"

Raz_Fox

2010-06-14, 10:00 AM

The Past-Present; Calantha, Phromm, and the Raven King

"You tell me; you sought me out. The price is yours, and the assurance is part and parcel of the price. If you would rather slander my words, then I see no reason to continue this meeting and must bid you adieu."

Kasanip

2010-06-14, 10:21 AM

Raia

Raia opened her eyes, and she was back on Aptokim, the mountain of Thunder and Lightning, where the Tumi lived now. She was not tired, and she had not been sleeping. She had been away, in mortal form in another battle. But she had returned now.

Toukoku was peaceful, and the valley between the two mountains was quiet except for the insect cries. Raia sat in silence from where she was as she looked down, and saw humans who were working their fields, or practicing their warrior way. To Raia it was a little strange she thought. The world was in constant battle, somewhere there was a war, or a battle. And here, it was peaceful.

It was the calm in front of a storm maybe. She had to just say a word, and this land would also have battle. She could march, but for now she had no enemy. She was distant from the problems humans fought for. Even if she tried to understand them, she could not. maybe if she kept trying. The more she could see through their eyes, maybe she could. Spending 100 years was enough she had learned more of their happiness in small things. But she wanted to know better. There was something different from her and them. She was the daughter of the All-father. She was a princess of the divine family. She was the unmatched warrior.
She was patient, but she was also one who had no choice in her path. . . or so she had thought.

Raia remembered when her father had taken her hand and led her to the hall. There he had put teh white robe on her, and placed the sword in her hands. She had worn her circlet of electrum and silver, and she had looked at her father with his own sword.
For her, it was always a battle or a fight. She had not asked to be such a goddess, but she had never wanted something different. She loved the feelings of excitement, even as her training had forced her to mater and destroy those feelings. She had never wanted something different. She had never thought of something different.
But here, away from her brothers and sisters, she was wanting something. Each battle was more empty and restless. She thought perhaps her brother Shen would know why, but she had seen at the Shrine in his city he was missing something too. Garadiel had changed so much, and so had Aldric when she had seen him. And so had Sovvenia, who was once Azura.

Were all of them missing the same thing she felt? Raia didn't know. But they all had a purpose, or at least something to hold to. Even Shen had something he loved.

But for Raia, she only had war. or at least, she had 'War' and her curiousness of humans. However, she was a warrior and a general. She could not show this emptiness or emotions.
By hiding her emotions maybe she had lost something.
Raia closed her eyes again.

hi-mi-tsu

2010-06-14, 10:26 AM

Her eyes narrow, and the smile vanishes; this is a hard game this Raven King is playing. What is she willing to pay, for the answers she seeks...? Does she even know the answers she seeks...?

Apophis bends low; the Serpent had been uncharacteristically silent throughout this exchange, but now...now he senses his Mistress's uncertainty. And the Raven King hasn't said what questions to ask.

"Your brother, my Lady..." The words are a sibilant, whispering hiss, and Calantha straightens a little. "What if thisss war he sspeakss of isss the one in which your brother isss to die...?"

The goddess looks sharply at the Raven King, and steps forward a pace; there is madness lurking beneath her eyes, sharp and tangible and tainted with the pang of terror that she could never quite repress. She fears loss, more than death or pain...she fears being alone.

"Tell me..." Her voice is very quiet, though it is layered with inflections beyond what any ear can catch, echoing voices of her past and present, a hint of her brother's drawl underneath, as if she is pulling the words from memory. "This is my question, you who can see into the minds of gods, who can change them from within even while protesting otherwise,without...tell me how to save my brother. Tell me how to break the curse our father--the word is bitten-off, hate and rage and hurt and betrayal echoing louder than the word itself--set upon him, that he shall die in agony at the end of days...tell me how to keep him safe. For this...I shall pay any price you ask of me."

Fan

2010-06-14, 10:50 AM

Garadiel was the man's reply.

The images that come here are the best defined yet. Garadiel, as a boy, held in his mother's arms. Garadiel as a young man, recieving his mother's blessing and heading out in search of his father. An old, one-eyed man meeting Garadiel by the eastern edge of the southern continent. A moment later, the one eyed man is Rognir. A picture of the house in the Uttermost East and the room of maps. The day Garadiel and the others departed their father's house. His death at the hands of Orgo. His quest, in brief picture form. His entry into the storm of souls. His fight with Shen. His quest for the Life domain, and all five of his stages. His two faces as shown by the pool. His return to his father, his meeting Sovvenia, the askig of the question, the call of the world tree. He arrives on the island, and all goes dark in Granei's mind's eye. He knows only that what he cannot see is as important as anything that has ever been seen. This was where Garadiel learned true speech, it is where he gained the Tree brand on his right cheek. Now the escape of Heradi and then his titles. Garadiel, Guide of the Dead, Garadiel, Life-Giver, Garadiel, The Herald of the World Tree. All of this in the space a mortal might say their name. Nothing but meaning and a single sound.

Garadiel looked at his nephew, And you?

This time, Ganrei was ready for the sudden onrush of information, the series of images, and sounds playing out in his mind in a much more.. organized manner this time, preventing the former lapse, though it did still cause.. some pain. His body, and mind may be a deific origin, but there is only so much a cerebellum can take in an onrush of memories.

"I am Ganrei, the King of Heroes, and the.. propsective God of Courage. I was raised in the outer limits of the Western "Palace" that my father spends his time in, and unfortunately for me, I was also raised near the prison quarters, and found it my duty oft to tend the prisoners as the guards lay in their drunken stupor. There I met a man... no a mentor, who though shackled still held the fiery spirit of courage in his heart. He taught me of the East, what little he knew of the people there, and the myriad of cultures that call this place home, all fostered by Gods who I was taught were naught but blood thirsty demons.. though he neglected to tell me anything about the Gods that did so... but he is also the man who taught me the spirit of justice, and of his ever mounting fight against despair."

He then gives a moments pause, to allow for Garadiel to take it all in, unlike the Psychopomp, he had a tendency to let people get a grasp on things before he continues.

"He died in that prison before I was ever even old enough to leave the "palace", shackled as always, by the chains of fear, and despair. Thus, after many years of heroics, and adventure. I came here to finish his fight, to prove myself worthy of my title as King of Heroes, and to prove myself in the divine realm as well. However, I'm not fool enough to think that I alone am capable of such a.. daunting task. So, I have come to the Land of the Tumi, to find Raia the Goddess of War.. terrible though the legends be. To request her aide."