Heroes of the Sagas IC

[Raz_Fox]

You want to hear a story? A story of gods, I take it, of the mightiest heroes and the foulest villains, of both divine capriciousness and mercy unstrained, empires rising and kingdoms falling, love and war and all the good bits. In short, you want one of the finest sagas to ever grace the lips of a storyteller. Well, I believe I can oblige you – hear this.

On the eastern edge of the world, at the top of the last mountain, there is a house with a door that faces south and a window that faces west. It is not an o'er-large house, for it merely contains a hundred rooms. The master of the house does not sit in the great throne in his hall this morning, looking to the south, nor does he work in his mighty smithy, facing the west. He looks to the north today. He sniffs the air, and tastes the cold wind coming from the north, and half-hears a wolf's howl. His one good eye narrows, and his scarred face tightens.
Then he begins to sing, hands raised to greet the morning sun. His words are slow, yet powerful – he sings to the four winds, telling them of his power, of his deeds. He is Rognir, he is the All-Father, he is the one who forced the sky to rise and the seas to fall, who drove the wolves away from the sun and moon as they rose in the uttermost north. He is Omi whose voice can be heard from the east to the west, he is Oski whose mind can unravel any riddle, he is Fimbultyr, he who slew the mighty A'gap and set the boundaries of the world with its corpse. He is Rognir Hundred-Named, and from him all was.
And his song ends. He lowers his hands. The sun rises into the aether. And Rognir smiles, for he made it so, when he was young and the world was raw. But now he is old, and the cold seeps into his bones, and his face is cut deep with age. But even in his age he is still mightiest, and you and your siblings stand still in awed silence behind him. This day is different than most – today, you do not train, nor play along the cliff's edge, nor feast in the banquet hall with him. Today, you are no longer children.

He turns, slowly, his black cloak catching in the wind and fluttering behind him, the braids in his dark hair twisting and turning. He casts his gaze along the line, and no one dares to meet his baleful eye. Then, he speaks, slowly and purposefully. He speaks of his youth, how he ordered the world and fought the mightiest monsters, casting them down and taking their most beautiful as his own. He speaks of his aging, how he built the house at the world's edge and watched as the sun rose and set according to his will. He speaks of his wayward children, those who had already gone out into the world, too impatient to secure their birthright by waiting for his will. He speaks of you, the ones who stayed by his side, and how you had readied yourselves for this day.
He smiles, but for the slightest moment, and every heart leaps.
He speaks now of his travels again, and how a permanent place in the world must be earned through sacrifice and strife, for nothing in his world is free to the weak and the foolish. He speaks of terrible quests, and trials unnumbered, and how this is your fate. Step back now, he says, and you shall remain a child in the hall for as long as you wish, free from the pain that knowledge brings.
None step back.
He speaks now of the rules of the quest – those of his blood are sacrosanct, and to slay them is to invoke his wrath. To fail in the quest is to die, your full heritage locked away from you. You shall not earn your divinity through another's actions, and no other shall claim your deeds. He waves a hand, his voice filled with power as it echoes across the last mountain, and banishes you from his hall. You fall from the last mountain, but you land somewhere different, somewhere where the sun is almost too high to touch, where the air is hotter and the trees are taller. Welcome to the world of man, prince among mortals.

Your destiny awaits.

[Baxter190]

Alarin

"Last to be born, and first into the world. Tis but my luck. No more shall I hear father calling to the sun to rise as he did each morning, for I must seek my own divine purpose. It is my quest, and one I must see through to the end. But not all is amiss; I still have my lute, do I not? And I shall get to see humans, in the flesh for the first time. What an occasion it shall be," Sang Alarin, each word carefully choosen for their full effect and melody.

The forest surrounded him, and the sky was almost hidden from the demi-god. Only the sun's strong rays pierced the foliage. A sweet smell hung in the air as ALarin took in his enviroment, laying in the tall grass of the woods. His spirit high, and voice sweet, Alarin picked himself of the ground and began to play a song, a song of adventure

[White Blade]

Garadiel did not know where he was but he was not afraid to be lost, for perhaps that was what he would always be. He had long desired the feeling of having at last come home, but even in his father's house there had been no rest beyond the removal of his boots from his feet before his legs had begun to itch again, to long to wander, even as his father cautioned patience. Garadiel did not know what he sought but he hoped in this quest he might find the answer.

Though he knew much of travel, he could not now tell you where he was. He could guess the forest he was in was large, as the grass and brush choked together beneath his knees, and he walked with caution. It was as silent as the dead of night. The silence of the glade, Garadiel knew, was a warning. For no place so alive with tree and bramble ought to have been so dead of sound.

He stopped when he heard movement from behind him, but when he turned his head he did not see his foe. Garadiel looked again all around him and held his staff firm before him. Garadiel reminded himself of his preparedness and of his semi-divine nature. So he stepped forward a pace before he heard a rustle from the shadows but soon the rustling passed away again. The thick silence came again, as if to unnerve him. But he had longer walked than that, and he spoke into the silence, to calm his nerves.

"I am Garadiel, son of the All-Father! I do not know if you are man or beast or demon, but know that I am strong enough to defeat you." He raised his staff in both hands. He would need it for the coming battle, he knew. He stepped forward again. He could not here be paralyzed by fear, for that would prove his weakness. The silence rained now and he stepped forward again. Again. Two more paces. Five more paces. Silence still. Now he walked deliberately, unafraid but still watchful. He saw the creature fall from the sky out of the corner of his eye and land behind him. He spun to hit the creature with his staff but it had turned around him and was now beside him.

Garadiel gave a swift blow to the red furred thing's torso. It pulled back for a moment and then they began to circle one another. If you have seen duelists fight, they often use the same circling method. You push in, they back up, you move to the left and they to the right. It is a predictable form and all that is needed to end the battle, in your favor or your defeat, is a single, decisive attack.

So it was with Garadiel. The red-furred wolf-thing charged him, it's claws outstretched. For a moment Garadiel tried to block but he soon realized that his block was too high and tried to sweep down. He knocked one paw aside but it did him no good. The thing's claw was sharp and sure and it pressed first into his flesh and then downward, raking out most of his innards in one fell swoop. His kidneys, his heart, his lungs, all were raked out in one feral motion. Garadiel looked down at his chest in shock, before he made a gasping expression and the light went out of his eyes.

Garadiel, the wanderer, was dead.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu
Shen Zhi Shu landed with a thud in a great chamber. The great Palace of Xiang Jian was very old. . . 2,000 years old. In fact, it came from a time of great empires and emperors. Unfortunately, the days of empire were long gone. Gone were the days when Rognir was a little younger. Shen Zhi Shu remembered when his father Pan-Lung, or Rognir as the others knew him, ruled Xiang as the first Emperor. (Just throwing an idea out there) So this is the place.Shen wondered. Suddenly gaurds from every angle had sharpened spears pointed towards Shen.

"Ah, yes, about this. . . " Not realizing that Shen had fallen into a harem. apparently, King Jian Shan had been busy with. . .(necessary elipses) securing an heir with his concubines when Shen had fallen through the roof. Yes, Father Pan-Lung had a sense of humor.

"I c-c-can explain myself." Shen Zhi Shu stuttered. "I don't know why I"m here." At that moment, Shen was taken to the courtyard to be executed. Unusual for the time, a bronze guillotine was in the courtyard. Wow! Shen thought they would use an axe. Shen was still trying to explain that he meant no harm, and didn't even come here on purpose, but trying to explain that your father is God did not help much with his case. The insanity defense did not exist in Zhang Guo.

Gentle Shen Zhi Shu did not destroy the soldiers trying to do him harm, instead, he simply waited for the blade to come down on his neck. The bronze blade shattered into a thousand shards. All stood in awe. The executioners never failed an execution. At first the King Jian Shan thought that Shen was a charlatan, and so he ordered another bronze blade placed in the guillotine. To no avail, he wasted another blade.

Finally, hours of useless attempted executions later, Shen had had enough. "This is all useless." Shen stated matter of factly. "I am too powerful for you all to destroy, and if I wished your King dead I would have destroyed him hours ago."

This comical tale of the First Sight of Shen Zhi Shu would be told eternally. However the comical frivolity and tales of humor regarding this would not last long. As Shen Zhi Shu, oblivious to his Quest, learned of the ways of the city known as Xiang Jian. Xiang Jian, the greatest of all cities in Zhang Guo, had tens of thousands of citizens while other cities were tiny in comparison. To make a very long story only long, nearly all of Zhang Guo was jealous.

Xiang Jian's 4,000 soldiers were outnumbered by the invasion force of 24,000 Zhangese confederates. Shona-Han, the leading invading force out of the thirty invading city states, was most intent on sacking and destroying Xiang Jian. "We will force you to drink the swet of your labors and tase the anguish of your vain efforts." Was the famous loose translation of the threat of Shona-Han's dialect. Shen Zhi Shu had read the threat and knew what it meant. Xiang Jian could not hope to defend against such hopeless odds.

The Great Palace of Xiang Jian was worn from dozens of battles throughout the centuries, and no one had tried to restore it's security. The King, Jian Shan lived and wasted his time in luxury and wild living instead of attending to affairs of state, and the military had lapsed into near-mediocrity. It was up to Shen Zhi Shu to protect the city. The invading forces during this time of Zhangese history were brutal murderers.

In fact, not more than a century ago there were fifty Zhangese city states. Now, twenty were wiped out, along with all men, women and children. Zhen Zhi Shu knew this, and he had to stop it. King Jian Shan paced back and forth in the camp. "Will none of you generals tell me how I am supposed to do this!" He angrily snapped. The truth was, the generals were just as incompetent as the King. They were all doomed, or so they thought.

Shen Zhi Shu had been teaching young pupils. . Liu Zhu, Fung Du Ci, Rong Chu Wen, Mao Zhu, and Zhi Tao in the ways of magic. Magic during this time on Zhangese, or in fact, world history was pathetically weak. . . but Shen Zhi Shu was determined to change that. Liu Zhu, and the others were taught the ways of magic from Shen Zhi Shu, and within a month, the letter had arrived, but already each student had 20 students of their own called The Branded.

Shen Zhi Shu stood on top of the Great Palace of Xiang Jian, with his golden Staff Of Highest Knowledge visible to the defenders in King Shan's help... The army was now down to 1,000 . . The rest deserted. However, as King Shan's servant, Shen Zhi Shu had been teaching many students a day. . . There were now hundreds of apprentices below in the city, ready to give the invaders a nasty surprise if they made it inside. That wasn't going to happen.

Suddenly, five commanders of the Shona-Han lead invaders were killed. . . Within hours, these commanders were killed easily by the assassins Liu Zhu, Fung Du Ci, Rong Chu Wen, Mao Zhu and Zhi Tao. Any attempt to capture them only met in death, as invisible sword strikes cut down the Shona Han soldiers. Eventually the assassinations continued after a few hours, and the Shona Han began to panic.

The Shona Han had no commanders.

That was just the beginning of Shen Zhi Shu's Quest. He had secured Xiang Jian from the Shona-Han, but he had one more assassination to perform.

Jian Shan cowered in the dark corner of the dungeon as Shen drew out his sword. "See what your betrayal of Xiang Jian has cost you?" sickening slicing and rending of flesh could be heard somewhere, in an unknown room in the dungeon halls. The screaming would continue for centuries, millenia, and more as King Jian Shan would live in pieces, each portion of his-self never permitted to die for his secret deeds against Xiang Jian.

One year later, with Shen Zhi Shu as King of Xiang Jian, there were many more of those who came to listen to Shen Zhi Shu teach the people. And although there was peace for a year, Shen Zhi Shu knew that the Oni were coming. Across the sea, Oni lived in another land. Content with tormenting humans of less fortunate realms, they nonetheless came to slay and torture the people of Zhang Guo.

Immediately, a massive clay army met with the Oni invaders. This time Shen Zhi Shu stalled the real army with a surprise attack with his real army. He could not solve this battle with mere trickery as he did the last. Shen Zhi Shu fought hundreds of Oni with his skill in combat with the Staff of Highest Ceremony. Shen Zhi Shu's spirit strengthened his body, and no blow cut or bruised him.

Finally, Shen Zhi Shu met the dark king, Michaboshi. "I am the Great Michaboshi, come to feast on the souls of Zhang Gu. Think you can stop me, demi-god... I myself have fought Pan-Lung and killed him." Michaboshi lied. The way Michaboshi taunted with the word "Demi-god" infuriated Shen Zhi Shu. Shen Zhi Shu grabbed Michaboshi's head by pointing his Staff at Michaboshi, and with an invisible force, he tore off Michaboshi's head.

"I know you bargained with King Shan, that traitor, to conquer Zhang Gu." Shen Zhi Shu accused. "Now, you will die, cut into pieces."

So it was that Michaboshi, or whoever the Oni was, burned forever in pieces, and still does to this day.

[Baxter190]

A savage cry rang out through the forest, its intesity such that even the wonderful song that Alarin plated was drowned out. The ferocity was such that all of Alarin's attention was seized in but a moment, and it was all he could think about. His mind set upon it's course, the youth's body followed it the source of the disturbence. The musician struck a chord upon and his lute, and in but an instant a mighty stag appeared before him, summoned by the wonderous sound.

A moment passed and the demi-god persuaded the creature to guide him towards the sound, in exchange for more music along the way. An agreement reach, Alarin jumped upon the stag and rode him in the direction of the furious exclamation, song filling the air.

When Alarin arrived, he was greeted with a scene of horror, straight from the macabre tales of Aldric himself. A bloody mess decorated the glen, and a body was fallen in the midst. A bloody trail of canine foot prints lead away, but Alarin was too preoccupied to notice. It was not until several minutes later when Alarin recognized the staff as belonging to Garadiel, and realized what had happened to his brother. It was this moment that an unnatural wail cried through the forest, and the stag and all his kind wept, as if the all the weeping in theworld ould bring back the fallen.

[industrious]

Cut out abruptly from his father's home, Pa'am descends with none of his usual mystery or elegance. In fact, landing onto solid ground face-first, and skidding for several yards afterwords was perhaps the second worst moment of the God of Time's existence; The first was, of course, his first meeting with Riora. He still carried the scars.

But he had a purpose, or at least an idea of what to do next. Somewhere in the world lay the First Gear, which helped govern Time's steady progression. It was merely a start, though; the Gear was useless alone. One must rebuild the Great Clock, the precise and orderly tick of the universe. And as Pa'am gazes at the road ahead of him, his gaze impassive, he knows that his journey has finally begun.

[Carden]

The morning had been peaceful on the savanna. The predators were filled with a good night's hunt, the rodents were beginning their trek for food, and the birds had just begun the morning song. At least, until something large fell right next to their nest in the tree.

The birds squawked loudly before fling off. Well, thought Eridi, that was... different. I wonder what he meant, to earn our divinity? Eh, I'm sure I'll figure it out in time. Now, where am I? Noticing his current horizontal status, he quickly righted himself. "My, Father sure did choose quite the grand place to send his son. 'Your quest shall begin in a very large, even more rickety bush high above the ground. Don't worry about your coat, it'll be hotter than my forge down there!'"

He jumped down from the tree, an act not at all filled with any sort of grace. When he landed, one foot fell on a raised root, denying it a steady hold. He rolled across the ground, landing face-first into a mound of termites. Surely, this was not his day. The bites and stings were more hurtful to his pride than to his body, but they were painful nonetheless. Cursing and clawing at himself, he finally got the last of them off. In a rage, he started to turn on the mound and smash it with his smithing hammer, but as he reached behind his back, he realized all the loops for tools on his belt were empty.

It really wasn't his day.

Sitting down, he began to contemplate where he could've lost his tools. He remembered taking them to the meeting, but, after that, it truly was a blur. By where the sun was, it seems he traveled far to the west, but it was so hard to tell this far from it. Sighing, he took off his cloak and began to walk east.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu

"There is still much to do." Shen Zhi Shu muttered to himself. Taking to the air, he flew across the sea. . .In an hour, Shen Zhi Shu landed on an island. The Old Lands of Zipang. These people were known as the native landers of Daimyos. These people had no way to defend against the Oni. All across Zipang, the Oni farmed humans as cattle, and did unspeakable things to them.

Shen Zhi Shu soared into the Oni Shogun's palace. Guards were immediately killed without a mark on their body, as an invisible being walked throughout the city and massacred two thousand Oni, liberating the humans who were being farmed and harvested. Worthless weapons tried to fight back, but the energies from Shen Zhi Shu's spells drained Onis of their souls, conjuring holes in the sky where they linger, imprisoned in constant thunder storms, eternally electrocuding.

Finally, as the Pheonix(His title), Shen Zhi Shu caused the Oni Palace to explode. Finally, Shen Zhi Shu raised his hands, and a great storm raged across all of Zipang. The storm would target the Oni and destroy any that the clouds could see. This is why that, to this day, the Oni live under the sea, the earth, or anywhere other than Zipang proper. The clouds might see them.

[Greystone]

The tales will tell of how Riora first came and stepped on the Earth. It was a large island, in the deep south. The Inhabitants, human slaves and their Giant masters mostly, stared in awe as the fiery missile flew over their village and smashed onto the opposite end of the island. Shamans and mystics muttered over the portents.

To Riora, the event was less mystical. She hit a tree, and ploughed right through it. She impacted into the ground at bone shattering force. For minutes she lay, breathing heavily, before she sat up. Around her was a crater, and the jungle itself was smoking slightly.

Riora stood, and brushed at her almost naked frame "Oh haha" she muttered to herself "Very funny"

For a time she sat, simply looking the jungle, recuperating. Then, she stood up and marched into the green undergrowth. She walked for a time, playing with a snake here, or eliminating a tree from her path. Suddenly, with her godlike hearing, she made out the crack of a whip. She arched an ebony eyebrow and sprinted towards the sound. She halted at the edge of the trees.

In the clearing was a field, filled with plant-life and the poor miserable wretches farming it. She pondered their actions before the whip drew her attention again. She looked and frowned at what she saw. A man, taller than any of the workers, taller than her stood by the field. He was massive, at least 12' feet tall, and muscled. A cruel black whip was curling and uncurling around his arm.

She looked past him and saw the village. Stone houses surrounded by pens and shacks. In the center of the village was what appeared to be a temple or ziggurat. It was all very ordered.

Riora grinned, she would change THAT.

[ArlEammon]

The people of Zipang were now free of the Oni. But they were in dire straits. Many people were dead, and there were only a few thousand Zipang left throughout the entire island. Meanwhile, Shen Zhi Shu still did not know his mission. Nevertheless he felt compassion for these poor souls. He could not let them starve. Nor could he just leave without giving them some way to defend themselves against other enemies.

Himiko, a beautiful young girl, came to Shen Zhi Shu begging for bread, the night after Shen Zhi Shu freed the people from the Oni.
"Lord Shen, I have not eaten for a week. Please help me..." At first Shen was going to help little Himiko, but then, Himiko clutched her stomach, and fell unconcious. At the verge of death, Shen brought her back with powerful magic. He did feed her, but he would feed her mind as well as her body. He thought "Surely Himiko needs to never starve again." And so, Himiko went with Shen Zhi Shu, back to Xiang Jian.

Shen Zhi Shu taught Himiko how to balance her chi energy; the energies of the Yin and the Yang, and other magics for twelve days.

Because Shen Zhi Shu gave her so much wisdom in the arts of magic. She grew up in only 12 days. Himiko was honored to have such a great teacher. But the enchantment would not end there. As Himiko and Shen Zhi Shu talked, the more Shen Zhi Shu realized that perhaps his mission was not in liberating innocents from evil through conquest. Not even through magic. He needed to teach them to defend themselves, even the Zhang.

Shen Zhi Shu spent the next year building a great school, called The House Of Many Sages. The Branded went throughout all of Zhang and Zipang, teaching them the ways of magic, and Shen Zhi Shu's technique of manipulating Chi within the Yin and Yang. One day the people would be so enriched with teaching that they would have more knowledge than they could contain. This was what finally made Shen Zhi Shu, happy. Perhaps this was his quest? He wondered.

[industrious]

Pa'am walked along the winding road for twenty minutes, conscious of every passing second. The problem with the First Gear was that alone, it was nothing. The sound of one hand clapping is silence; the purpose of a single solitary gear is purposelessness.

The barbarian tribe who lived in the region attempted to remove the demigod from his possessions. Used to the ways of violence, used to the savage chaos of battle, they were stunned to find that Pa'am was immune to their blows, shielded as he was, one microsecond outside of their time. As their blows fell to no avail, Pa'am asked a simple question: Who amongst you is in charge? The tallest, most muscular of the group declared himself to be the chief, due to his prowess and skill with an axe.

Pa'am then stepped forward, and touched the barbarian chief upon the head, instantly aging him dozens of years. Now old and wrinkled with age, his hair white and back stooped, the chief was immediately set upon by the others, until a new chief, nearly as strong as the first was selected. Then Pa'am touched him as well, and age laid its premature claim on the man. This continued until, sensing that the god would do so to every leader, begged for forgiveness.

Pa'am had none to give, but offered in forgiveness's place a small amount of wisdom.

See that your strength will fail, your muscles will grow infirm. Know this to be true of all things. Realize that power must be supported by something other than physical strength, and see your society grow. There must be a law.

Thus was the First Order of the Clock-keepers founded. As Pa'am continued on his journey, the tribe that had once ravaged and pillaged now sat down, and discussed amongst each other, what they had learned.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric and Calantha: Scrubland (Somewhere)

Aldric had the foresight to grab his precious sister about the shoulders an instant before their father whisked them away to... wherever this was. Tightly embraced, the two "landed" together in a cloud of rapidly dispersing smokey shadow-stuff. Whether the two arriving together was the result of Aldric's quick thinking or just an act of providence would probably never know. Though pleased with himself, he thought his father's soft spot for sweet Calantha was what allowed them to stay together.

He slipped his arms free of her and stepped back to blink loathing at the bright midday sun. With a spin, he surveys the scrubby clearing they've come to, then locks his eyes back on his sister. "Still with us, Callie?"

[hi-mi-tsu]

Calantha and Aldric

"Oof!" The petite girl made a sound of surprise, as Aldric's arms wound around her and they were transported...somewhere...she'd been caught up in her father's stories, in the timbre and cadence of his voice, and when he'd spoken of banishment she'd thought it figurative, not literal. Blinking in the bright light, large violet eyes gazed up at her brother from underneath long lashes. Her face was pixieish, with a pointed chin and full cheeks; currently, those cheeks were stretched wide in a delighted grin. She didn't know where they were, but that didn't matter...she hadn't been out in the wide world of mortals since she was very very little.

"It's beautiful, isn't it...? Look around you! Everything is different...I wonder what happened to the others? I wonder if they're together or not? Perhaps Father only left us together because of our relationship..."

The young woman grinned again, and ran off; she didn't know where she was going, but she felt pulled, sure and swift as a northern wind, and her feet were as light as her heart.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric, dashing after...

"It's bright isn't it? Was the world always this bright? Gaaah, things were more muted back home. Am I wrong?"

Maybe it was because he was strictly a nocturnal creature and couldn't possibly be dragged out of his windowless room until dinner time; not unless Raia desperately needed a sparring partner of comparable skill or Calantha absolutely insisted on showing him something cute of fascinating. His pupils drew down to pin points as he blinked vacantly at the clear sky, slack jawed with his little fangs exposed.

"Rognir loves you more than the others. He wouldn't really want you to be separated from your big brother, would he? I'm probably here to protect you... ah!"

His gloved hand poked and prodded into the thin air before grasping at something invisible. With a yank and a burst of whorling shadows he triumphantly produced his scythe from the nether space where it had been hiding. He gave it an experimental one handed slash and the air responded with a satisfactory pained moan. A single fang sunk down into his bottom lip in a twisted sort of smile.

"Ha! At least he let us keep our toys, right? We're gonna need this..."

The scythe (apparently designed for someone 9 feet tall) came to rest on his shoulder and he maintained his impish grin. It quickly melted into mild confusion and annoyance.

"... where are we anyway?"

[Jair Barik]

Nara stepped his way through bush and thicket a mighty stone axe strapped across his back whose shaft was the length of a mortal mans height and whose head had in the past cloven the very earth itself in twain, a gift from father. He had come here to prove his worth and claim his rightful place amongst the Gods through actions rivalling those of Fimbultyr himself. Of course there was no longer an A'gap to slay. However he had in mind a hunt that would truly impress his father. His father had heard wolves howling in the North, he would slay the beasts.

Trailing behind him was Tiera, his one love, carrying with her a quiver of arrows for Nara to use in his bow, which for the time being was strapped across his back. She was a mortal but then so was his mother. The all father had taken human lovers so the precedent was set.

"You are sure the beast you seek passed this way?" she asked, climbing over a recently felled tree.

"Positive, this wolf seems likely their leader. It has no respect for the plants of the forest and is far greater in size than a normal one of its ilk, it has no subtlety or cunning and its passage is easy to see. If I am to impress father then this is the wolf I am to kill."

"But what of the danger? You are strong sire but if you are wounded-"

"Sire?" Nara smiled. "What sort of name is this? You will call me Nara my dear and nothing else, I would have it no other way. Do not worry so much, the beast seems strong but it has no divinity to it, I will protect you, this I promise."

The day wore on and as the red light of the setting sun shone through the trees Nara and Tiera came to a mighty chasm in the forest where far below a great river flowed. Looking to his left Nara saw mighty falls where the river flowed down from and, at the head of the falls, a great red shape, a creature covered head to toe in fur, far greater in size than a bear but shaped akin to a wolf, the beast sat at the top of the falls drinking from the river. Notching an arrow into his bow Nara fired at the creature striking it completely by surprise with a great shaft of wood in one of its fore legs. The beast spotted nara and undeterred by its injury broke into a run towards him. Notching a second arrow Nara shot at the beast again, but this time it nimbly dodged aside and the arrow thundred into the earth at its feet. Nara was shocked by how fast the beast approached and threw down his bow, drawing his axe he cut through the beasts belly as it leaped upon him but though the cut was deep the monster snhapped his axe in two with its claws and through it over the falls. The monster lunged once more and soon both Nara and his prey were locked together in a desperate struggle for life. The beast brought its fangs down upon the Godlings flesh and he roared out in pain. Blood gushed from his wound but he fought on crushing one of its paws against the earth. As the beast reeled from the pain of its own wound nara grabbed its top jaw in his right hand and its lower jaw in his left and began pulling the two apart. The teeth dug deep into his flesh but he ignored the pain and, after a minute, the beasts head snapped in two, teeth fell from its jaw and its body went limp. Nara pushed the beast off of him and it fell backwards, spiraling into the chasm and crashing into the waves below.

Nara smiled and brought medicinal herbs from his bag to tend to his wounds. "I told you no beast could best me in combat my dear."

Tiera knew better than to try and help Nara. Nobody knew the herbs of the forest better than he and all she would do was get in his way, but taking a length of golden thread she made a necklace of the beasts teeth and claws that had been knocked from it in the fight. Hanging it round Naras neck she whispered "A reminder my dear, of your victory here today."
Nara smiled and, his wounds bound, the two rested for the night.

[Kasanip]

Raia


Gentle darkness and perfect quietness was shattered into waking with a flash of light and a rumbling shudder.
The young black-haired goddess opened her eyes, and saw first the sky above, dark and dreadful- threatening with what she knew firstly to be rain. She was laying in a field of grass, surrounded by hills, and in the distance lay a forest that was great and sweeping.
But out here she was alone. There was no longer the voice of her father, nor could she see the footsteps of her brothers, or hear the laughter of her sisters.
She was alone here.
Alone, in a world that was strange, new, and different. And that loneliness left her with an emptiness that she had never known before.

And yet, the rumble and light that played across the sky first was in contention with her. It was with her, and so she embraced it's competition and desire. It's ominousness and threatening pose. She was not afraid of such a thing, for it was no danger like her father's weapon, and it was not as bright as his shining countenance.
And yet, these memories were old. Dearly treasured...but she had been banished. No longer was this young maiden merely a child in his halls, and indeed the shining steel toys that her father had entrusted to her were gone. She could not hold such a childish thing any longer, and she had no such desire now.

For now, her desire was in contention with this force. To acknowledge her challenger, and force his submission. She was not alone now. The thunder and lightning itself played and formed, and under her gaze she challenged it, issuing her own silent threats in an opposition to it's loud cries.

And relenting, the storm poured out it's fury upon her- biting rain and hail, terrible winds and snow. The lightning crackled and flashed, but each time she rebuked it and wrestled with it. And for the maiden, it was no easy task. The thunder was rumbling and slow, and no challenge to ensnare and pin, but the bolts of blue and white were wily and slippery- never staying long within her grasp as she chased and bounded after it, even as the agile light wheeled about time and time again.

And at last she cornered it upon the earth, chasing it's descent from the sky in an arcing bolt. And there at last upon the soil, she finally surrounded lightning, and so it submitted to her.
Honoring their battle, she bowed her head in respect and admiration, and spoke earnest words to the sound and light. And their spirit was mollified and abated, and they swore their oaths to her and agreed to follow her and heed her then after. From then she was known as Raia, for ever after closest to her identity is lightning and thunder, and for so long has it been such that they are as one in the same.

Victorious in her struggle, Raia rose to the clouds themselves and forced her entry. What she found within was surprising and inauspicious, for imprisoned within the clouds were many beings not too unlike the humans she had seen before, and yet they were of fierce countenance and demeanor, though they drew back before her. Void of physical form, only their souls remained here, trapped.

"Speak of yourselves. Your name and the reason you abide in such a domain." Raia commanded of them. Huddled together before her gaze and the crackling lightning, and booming thunder, the Oni spirits spoke.
"We are of the land of Zipang, risen there and born from the stone and earth. Long ago we lived in peace, but invaders came to our land from the west- invaders who bear a form not unlike your own. Humans as they are, took our lands for themselves without thought or respect, and alienated we were left in the darkness and cold to starve with no thought of mercy. At last we could stand it no more, and so we used our claws and weapons to fight back and attacked the invaders. Being of weak and sniveling constitution, they were scattered and broken. Our leader ambitiously thought to bring this war to the west, to strike at the lands from which they had come originally.

Perhaps we were too bloodthirsty and focused on revenge, for the master of those lands came and rebuked us strongly- and now forever we have been broken and divided. Leaderless and scattered to the winds. Those of us who could not escape the watchful gaze of the clouds now were imprisoned and tortured until you have freed us at last. And for that deed we will swear our loyalty and obedience to you, our Princess and leader."

Making obedience, the Oni averted their eyes and humbled themselves before Raia, even as the maiden thought and pondering strongly on their words. Truly the act must have been committed by one of her brothers. A hopeful and yet heinous event, rashly partaken. That too however, is war unfortunately. Raia bid the Oni rise, and swiftly gained account of their number and name, and the Oni were numbered two hundred and fifty five exactly.

"I accept your oaths and bind you too them." Raia responded, and descending from the sky with lightning and thunder, she arrayed them before her on the earth. Such creatures, made not for the realm of the sky, gained strength and renewed vitality when they set foot again on the earth, and they cried out with loud voices praising her name and character. And Raia bound them to their oath, and set each of them in the meditation position that her father had taught her so long before. After anointing each with the red half circle sun of dawn drawn from the blood of her finger, she stood before them again.

"I will give you new form and purpose here, and forever that your loyalty and honor holds true, I will grace you with my blessing. However, you are bound from revengeful purpose and shall not harbor desirous thoughts of reclaiming your world of old. The outcome of your war was defeat, and the consequences are clear."
Raia's expression changed however as she shifted before them.

"However...Because you have tasted defeat. Because you know despair. Because you understand both the excitement of victory and the pain and horror of loss, I will use you. This knowledge and wisdom of yours will be your guide, and you will be responsible in the future of influencing those who stand upon the edge of such a knife. Victory and defeat. Know me! I am Raia, and I bring only victory for those who stand with me, and for you I will bring war and battle forever that I may, so that your usefulness is eternal.
This mountain forever forth shall be known as Aptokim- the Mountain of Thunder and Lightning. Here is your birthplace, for though you were risen in Zipang far to the East, your oaths to me began here, and so take from this a new beginning and a new life."

And with lightning and thunder in her hands, Raia took the Oni's souls began to shape them and change them until they looked as human kind. Like Raia, they had black hair, though their eyes were piercing in the shades of blue, a mark of the lightning they had endured for so long in misery. Tall and quiet, the only other defining feature that separated them from the humans were the pointed nature of their ears, and the terrifying strength they could wield. Yet this was only the physical appearance as they walked upon the earth.

"You no longer are the 'Oni' of the East, but now will be known as Tumi. I will train you to be beyond any others in the skills of war and battle, and you will be come great masters and spirits alike. But your mastery is also your doom. Never will you use your power and skill for your own gain, but only ever in service to another."

And so the Oni who became Tumi bowed to her and hailed her greatness, and arrayed themselves in a tribe atop Aptokim, the mountain of thunder and lightning. Under Raia's guidance, they mastered their supernatural strength, and their numbers slowly increased.

Seeing this and their development, Raia nodded, and turned her gaze Eastward. This land they had spoke of brought her interest. Where there was conflict brewing...there would be war.

[White Blade]

Garadiel woke slowly. His form came flickering into this strange new realm, where he was a phantom still. Then a new kind of flesh and bone began to arrive, imprinting itself upon the image his soul provided. It was a slow process, with crackling and hissing going out from his arriving soul. At last, his eyes were functional and he looked about him to see the land of the dead.

It looked like a luminescent gray fog filled a flat, gray landscape. In all his travels, Garadiel had never encountered such a dull place. There were no hills, no grasses, no strange bushes or trees. No landmarks at all, Garadiel realized with a start. He searched the horizon for something to peak his interest. And he found it in a dim, red light, far to the east of him. Like the mast of a burning ship, perhaps, or the very first glowing ray of sunlight.

Garadiel reached for his staff, but it wasn't with him. He cursed. The staff had been his companion for as long as he had walked the world and its' loss, more then his own death, made Garadiel resent the wolf that had killed him. He touched his side, where his dagger still remained. Not that he knew if he could die here, but he was glad to have some protection from the possibility.

He looked again and saw that the red light had not moved. Bracing himself, he went toward it fast as his feet would carry him. Which, I should say, is rather fast. He ran for what could have been hours, though in that place you couldn't tell. The light had risen very slightly and gotten slightly brighter, but the progress was slow because the ground was bumpy.

He heard a distant sound like a great rush of wind. Then he heard two more in quick succession, like the clapping of some massive bird. He looked in the direction from whence the noises came and heard three more. High, high in the sky, he saw three massive, bat-winged humanoids, perhaps the size of a large giant each. Garadiel saw as they drew closer that their flesh and wings were white, and that the wind they kicked up approached a windstorm. One of them cried out at him, "Rognir!" it shouted, "Is there nowhere that your grasping hand does not reach? Have you sought us even here?"

Okay, Garadiel thought, which of father's tales involved three white-skinned bat-winged creatures that caused windstorms?

[Jair Barik]

Nara awoke to a great pain in one leg. It seemed as though his injuries during the battle were far greater than he had initially realised and he would be unable to walk very far without support. Many of his wounds had not healed as well as he imagined they would and one great cut remained clear across his chest, oozing lightly with blackened blood. This was the first thing he noticed.

The second thing chilled his heart and brought great tears to his eyes. Sometime during the night something had returned without his heating it, judging by the tracks it was the same beast he believed he had killed the previous day. It had crept back in the night and murdered Tiera in her sleep, ripping her body limb from limb. The grove was bloodied and sickened Nara at its sight. He swore then and there that he would avenge her death by hunting this monster but he did not succumb to the irrational bloodlust of so many vengeful mortals. Before he set out to hunt his prey he buried Tiera beneath the tallest tree in the grove, setting one half of his split axe as the tomb stone and inscribing her name upon it with the remaining half.

As much as he desired revenge though he could not pursue the beast with a bad leg and so made to snap a branch from the tree to use as his cane. He put his hands around it but then stopped and thought back to the carnage the monster had wrought against nature the prior day. If he were to take from nature in this manner he would be like the beast he hunted who destroyed without thought or feeling. Instead then he would ask.

"tree..." he whispered to the wood. "a beast hunts in the forest without care or mercy. I would hunt it but my leg is wounded. Will you grant me your aid that I might save the forest from its wrath? Do me this favour and I promise you that I will aid your kin hereafter. This oath I swear upon the soul of my beloved, upon the life of my father and my kinsmen." From the tree fell a mighty branch as tall as Nara himself, a branch whose sides were smooth and strong but also light. Nara could feel the wood of the branch begin to die but forcing his power upon it he kept it living, its aid gained without its death. Nara turned to the tree and bowed, "I thank you."

Nara left the tree to hunt his prey, leaving the remnants of his axe and only bringing his bow and staff with him. He sought the beast all day with no sign of it. The trails were harder to follow now, the monster seeming to show more care, leaving much less destruction in its path. For two weeks Nara hunted the beast with no sign of it yet a clear trail left by his elusive foe whenever he awoke. In the third week Nara fell to despair, he left the hunt and wandered down the river unsure on what he should do. Through all this week the beast still seemed to taunt him with trails leading away from the river set before him every morning as he awoke. Several nights he stayed awake hoping to catch the beast but each time it failed to appear. He left traps about his camp hoping to deter it but each morning they were carefully disarmed and a trail left. He carved the message WHo are You? into the ground and the next morning a reply was carved beside it reading simply I am Orgo The Crimson Wolf. As the fourth week came Nara prayed. He did not pray for divine vengeance or strength but to understand. To understand how the trees could bare such a beast as this, how nature could abide such evil and wickedness. He prayed that he could share in their stance, that he too could be as they were.

By the end of the fourth week he had found his answer. It lay upon the rocks by the stream and staring at it he realised in a moment of perfect clarity that his hunt was always in vain. He could never kill the beast, nor even hope to harm it. He could take no action against it and it could take none against him. For now at least. And so Nara abondoned his quest.

*More to come*

[Carden]

It was a beautiful sight, the ocean. He'd seen it a few times in his life, but never twice in the same place. This time he even got to see the sun rise over the horizon, a magnificent vista unrivaled by almost anything he'd ever seen. Still, he groaned when he saw it.

It had taken Eridi a couple of days to get here, and he still had found nothing. He'd walked past a few puny settlements, but had made sure to steer clear as he had nothing to defend himself with if they had been unnecessarily hostile. This marked the farthest point east the demigod could travel without some sort of boat, it also marked how futile his efforts had been. He knew he had flown in a straight line, his father never would have wasted effort tossing his children in a curved pattern, so his implements were lost at sea. Noting how most of them were made of metal, lost specifically at the BOTTOM of the sea. A hopeless endeavor indeed for as poor a swimmer as Eridi.

"Okay, I can deal with this," the demigod thought aloud as he plopped down on the sand, "I know how those tools were made, thus I can make some more. I just need a few materials. Meaning I'm going to need a full smithy..." He recounted dozens of the needed items in his head, keeping tabs on a list of ingredients as the list grew.

By the time he was done, the sun was fully above his head. Maybe it's time to go by those villages, he pondered, They could have some of these things... If not, I might be able to enlist a few to help gather them. But, just in case, I probably need to make an impromptu weapon...

Grabbing a long piece of driftwood, some dried kelp, a conch shell, and a broken rock, he quickly began to work on a spear. It wouldn't be the best thing he'd made, but at least it'd be usable right now. Once he got it all shoved together right, he cringed at the shoddy workmanship, a mark of his lack of proper tools. When I get these made, I'm making some changes to how they're tied to my belt. This is laughable! Groaning at the weapon again, he got up and walked back towards the nearest village. Recounting his list out loud, he silently wished that at least his scroll tube had stayed attached, filled with as much empty paper and charcoal as it was.

Which, of course, made fate more cruel when it popped up on the horizon shortly after he had left.

[White Blade]

Garadiel remembered his father's tale of the Whitewind Brothers as the three drew closer still. The three brothers had blighted his father as he tried to tame the westward winds. Seeing a chance to make mischief, every time The All-Father had sent out a westward wind the brothers would fill it with hurricanes and snowstorms taken from the tallest mountain peak. In time, his father had lured them and caught them with magic, stole from them the knowledge to make snowstorms and strangled them to death, using their last breaths as the magical component that solidified the western wind.

Of course, there were several problems with Garadiel making a repeat performance. For one thing, he was fairly certain that he didn't need to breathe here and he was fairly certain they didn't either. For another, Garadiel had never had a talent for any magic except for finding things, good for finding lost keys, bad for killing flying monsters. Lastly, Garadiel couldn't fly. Which was a rather final and substantive difference, when you got down to it.

So a new plan would be needed. Perhaps he could simply point out that he wasn't his father? "I am Garadiel the Wanderer, I have no quarrel with you, for you died before I was born Brothers of the Whitewind!"

"Has it been so long?" the apparent leader cried, looking to the others who shook their heads, "Rognir is a deceiver!" one yelled, "He speaks to hide behind one of his many names, it was not last evening that we departed the world!" the other shouted.

Okay. So being dead distorts your perception of time. How long have I been dead? Garadiel wondered. But, more pressingly, he needed to survive. "Well, you got me," Garadiel lied, "I fear I've been caught out. Now go away or I will destroy your very souls!" Maybe that would work. His father had killed them, after all.

"You cannot kill us Rognir! We will not be tricked again," the Leader shouted.

Great. Just fantastic. If Father were here, he'd just hurl a spear into their chests and be done with it. But here I am, all I have is a knife, and they're fifty feet high, Garadiel thought, Wait, he realized, I have the food in my pack. "Whitewind brothers, I have food. There is no need for battle, for I have already set the winds, come down and eat."

"You lie! There is no food here, nothing but the wastes forever and ever."

"But what about the light over the horizon?" Garadiel asked, confused.

"What light? There is only the gray light of the haze here."

"No... There's a red light, over the horizon! It is very distant, but I can see it. Look!" he pointed at directly at the light.

"Oh, poor Rognir, you have gone mad in these wastes. You are not strong of mind like we are." The three whitewind brothers laughed at him. It was aggravating. Garadiel knew the light was there. And they laughed at him. His anger welled up in him and he drew his knife without a thought and hurled it at one of the brother's chest. The knife missed. Now he was unarmed and at their mercies. And then the brothers began to circle him like vultures, drawing nearer every moment.

[hi-mi-tsu]

Calantha and Aldric

The girl stopped, and turned, laughing--not unkindly--at her brother and his scythe. It always amused her, the big, unwieldy weapon...and her brother's squinting and frowning at the light amused her further.

"Really brother, what need have you for such a silly thing...? And does it matter, where we are? Can't you feel it...?" Bending down, she plucked a tiny purple flower from the low-lying scrubland, tucking it behind her older brother's ear with a grin.

"I feel...pulled...called...don't you feel it? I feel like I must run, though it doesn't matter which direction...as though I must find people, humans, mortals like Mother! I want to be around them, I want to learn everything about their lives, things I have never learned or known before...oh Aldric, it's wonderful, don't you see?"

She grabbed her brother's hand and dragged him off with her; it was as if she could hear her father's voice dripping in her ear. He wanted her to make stories, to find tales and knowledge and histories; he wanted her to learn of others, the way she couldn't, whiling away the hours in his presence. Of the demigods, she held the most innocent love, and her heart was filled with it...for these people she had not met, for their tales and their families, for their laughter and their strife. She wanted to learn it all...she wanted to dive into these people like a fish dives into water, and soak up their lives through her skin.

[Aiki]

Laviclan the Lifeshaper, the Lifegiver, eldest daughter of Rognir All-Father and perhaps nearest to him in creative brilliance (save her dear brother Eridi), Laviclan the Evergrowing ... spit sand from her mouth for the billionth time, blew an errant lock of hair away from her face, and glared indignantly about her.

Sand. For miles in every direction, a vast desert filled with the stuff, with only the occasional cactus, shrub, or other insignificant plant life spotted here or there every half-mile. She had of course investigated them with her divine senses, their biological secrets revealed to her touch and her sight, and she had taken samples (there was nothing alive she wouldn't take samples from) but they had ceased to interest her weeks ago, and by now the repetitive sight of yet another rapture cactus's green, plump hide covered in drugged purple flowers only served to frustrate her even more.

"Dear Father," she mumbled to herself as she trudged along the edge of a massive sand dune the size of a mountain, unconcerned about her footing (and why should she be?). "Have I not proven my worthiness as a creator to you already? I have bred the most fascinating creatures in the kennels back home, and have grown absolutely wondrous flora specimens in the gardens - I am ready to truly shape life now, if you would but give me my birthright!" Her irritated stomps had loosened the edge of the dune, and what had been a trickle of sand had long ago turned into a tsunami a hundred feet high of loose flowing grit - Laviclan stormed on, completely oblivious and lost in her thoughts.

"Why are you treating me like my siblings? They are mighty in their own way, but my elder brothers are content to simply observe time flow, or let the world live and die on its own, or wander about simply enjoying your works but not contributing to them - they lack the spirit and drive to truly develop the world, to create true wonders! And my younger siblings are interested in such ... lesser fields..."

Laviclan sighed. She didn't mean to whine, and felt a genuine pang of guilt about ragging on her fellow demigods, but she had been in this desert for weeks, damn it! Her divine constitution allowed her to move at exceptional speed and without need for rest, but still this epic desert stretched on before her, with no sighting at all of her quarry.

Life was her art; navigation was not, and neither was hunting or tracking, and certainly not epic quests for glory. Laviclan felt like a fish out of water - an immortal, very stubborn, and very driven fish, but the metaphor was still apt. These adventures were better suited for her more... rowdy brothers and sisters.

But Laviclan felt her place was at her Father's side, helping him to create wonders. She would do anything to earn that right, and she knew exactly what she would do - to travel to the hidden location of the Arborea Vitae, the Lifetree, whose seeds could be planted to sprout any matter of plant or animal, the very seeds her Father had used to populate much of the world after he had wrested it away from the monsters who had controlled it. With those seeds, she would make an organism so wonderful, so powerful, so awe-inspiring, her Father would swell with pride to see what she had wrought.

But other than her Father, only one being in the entire world knew the Arborea Vitae's location, and that entity resided at the frozen North Pole.

Of course, Laviclan was not currently at the North Pole. She was nowhere NEAR the North Pole.

She was here, in this infernal desert. She was not even sure if this were the correct desert - the combination of flora and fauna she had sighted so far only indicated that she COULD be in the Southern Desert, but not necessarily that she WAS. But Laviclan was her Father's daughter, and nothing if not tenacious and adaptable. And so she continued walking, tossing bits of stranglefish kelp she had taken from her sample collection behind her.

The stranglefish kelp are gigantic floating seaweeds, and its intensely marine scent immediately evoked images of the rich oceans where they could be found: it would be a very foreign, very unrecognizable smell to anything in this dry desert.

Except, of course, to her intended quarry, the one living thing that could possibly help her in her quest. Tearing off another watery-smelling dark green leaf - her bait - from her kelp sample, the All Father's eldest daughter, frustrated but inexorable, trudged on.

[Baxter190]

Alarin

For hours Alarin wept for his lost kin, his wailing to no avail as the bloody mess lay limp across the clearing the woods. His not so silent tears brought forth all manner of creatures native to the wood, who joined the demi-god in mourning for his brother. After night had come and the moon had long replaced the sun in the sky, Alarin stood up and recollected himself. His grief mastered forn the moment, he gathered the remains of his brother and began to dig a grave for him. Manual labor was an activity he most detested, but for the moment that was of no concern. The only thing that mattered was doing right by his brother, and giving him a proper rest.

Finally, Alarin wiped the sweat from his brow with his dirty, worn hands. The act had not taken long, but Alarin had no shovel, and physical labor was anathema for him. But none of that was important to the boy god, for Garadiel was put to rest at last. During his workthe musician lost himself in his memories, of times past when life was free and careless and none gave thought of banishment or death. Death was something that also had plagued Alarin during the burial. What in all the world could kill a god? True, his brother was but only a demi-god, but surely none had the power to kill a son of the All-Father. But then Alarin would be reminded of his father, and Alarin's time in the House in the East, and of siblings thrown to the wind.

"Forgive me brother, but this is all I can do. I will make sure to spread the story of your life. Revenge is in me, for I lack the strength of will and body to do such a thing. Maybe one of our siblings can do such a thing. As it is, I shall set this grave aside for you, and task the creatures before us with protecting this sacred grove. I ask our Father that it may be enough," Alarin said as tears fell freely from his eyes. The boy had taken Garadiel's staff and stuck it into the earth above his grave, as a marker and memorial. It pointed directly towards the heavens, aligning directly with the moon high above, so that if their father were to look upon them he would be able to find the grave.

Even though hours had passed since Alarin had discovered the body of his brother, the various animals of the forest had remained to watch the god, as if waiting for something in particular. Foremost of them was the great stag, who was now joined by his own family and kin. Observing the myriad creatures that had assembled, Alarin noted with a feeble laugh, "You wish to here my song? I am sorry, but the only ones that come to me now are of greif and mourning. However, you have stayed with me in my time of weakness, so I do owe you. Much more, it is the least I can do for my fallen family to give him one last song." And thus the sorrowful god began to play. With such grace and skill it was played, and beautiful of content it was that the heavens themselves were moved and began to weep, at first a drizzle, but then a great downpour.

When the song ended at last, Alarin turned to the stag and said, "You there, head of your family. You have been a good companion for me in my short hours on this earth, and never have you left my side so far. So I ask, might you guard this place, maintaining it's sanctity from all save my father and relatives? You will know who they are, for they are of greater substance than mortal man, and dare I say even greater than myself." The great stag nodded his head to accept the task, and forever more gained a place in the boy's heart, and his eternal gratitude.

Tis own self-imposed task done for the moment, Alarin headed off, somewhere far away from the meadew that was now a grave. He did not know the direction he was headed in, nor did he particularly care. All that he knew was that he wanted to travel far, far away from that place. Garadiel would approve, he though with a grim smile. The silence of the forest was unnerving to the fair skinned youth, and its was not long until he unslung his lute, and began another song. And so he travelled for many a day, time forgotten, direction lost, and care thrown to the wind. All that remained was Alarin, the forest that seemed to go on foreve,r and the music that he lost himself in.



The song that Alarin played. Not exactly this, but of similar theme and content: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jgma--0WYU

[Carden]

Well, thought the beleaguered godling, this is a good sign. I'm nearly inside the walls and there doesn't seem to be anyone waving spears at me... yet. The scene had been the complete opposite at the last three villages, with the humans chasing the odd-looking youth away. Their technology was surely lacking; they didn't even have rudimentary spearheads like the rock-on-a-stick Eridi made! How he wished one of his other siblings was there, someone like Shen or Raia. He'd even settle for Aldric or Riora at this point, just someone better at fighting than him.

Yet, as he walked into this small grass-hut town, nobody moved to stop him. In fact, he didn't really notice anybody at all, which was exceedingly strange. He had seen the smoke above the village, he knew someone had to be there to tend the fires. As he turned the corner, he realized why.

The pyre was built high and already had many men on it. Those few who were left were carrying a steady stream of other bodies to the fire, people who must have been on the losing end of one of their bellicose neighbors' attacks. Eridi noted that the whole ceremony was carried out in silence, those not bearing loads kneeling to what seemed to be a crude altar. Eridi quietly followed suit, respectfully waiting for the funerals to be done.

The ordeal carried late into the evening, until the raging fire was but embers. When it was done, the village elder came to him and spoke in a fitting, gravelly voice, "Tha spirits watch kindly on you, child, for you showed decency to those which you have no ties, by blood or by rite. Come, let us speak in my home about what brings you here."

Eridi followed the elder to his hut, one of the few that was still not a scorched mark on the open hill. Inside, he spoke of his loss and need to forge a place for himself by creating his tools, noting each of the items he needed to do so. He carefully avoided any hint of his divine heritage, not wanting to feed any suspicions these people might have about such things. The elder, now introduced properly as Jin'thul, eyes lit up at portions of his story, but he gave no reason as to why. As it was growing late, he offered the travel-weary wanderer his own hut and promised to give as much help as possible the next day.

When he awoke, Eridi noticed Jin'thul was not there. Walking outside the tent, he found the reason why. Gathered before the hut was a heap of items, numbering among them many minor, but still useful and well-crafted things, a small wagon, two donkeys, and something that really stuck out like a sore thumb, his chisel. He looked up in startled confusion ready to start a barrage of questions, but Jin'thul was faster.

"Then, that is yours. Then you must take it. Tha spirits have already shown us we cannot claim it as our own, not their shinin' tool. When one of ours found it and took it, there was nothing but dissent here. A push led to a shove, and a shove led to true violence. You have seen tha punishment tha spirits laid upon us for our greed," sweeping his arm across the village, he held up a hand to stop Eridi's forthcoming apology. "No words are needed, for tha fault is not in you for an act you never knew of. Does tha tree weep when it grows old and falls, cripplin' tha man that sleeps beneath it? No, it is enough that tha thing is returned. Never again will brother kill brother, not in this village."

Nodding his acceptance of the fact, Eridi began to leave, humbled by his unintentional actions. As he packed the things onto his new cart, he noticed something else, a map of the local area. On it was marked the general topography and a few more recent drawings. "What are these markings? What do they stand for?"

"Tha rock is a place where great stones were once lifted from, a long time ago. Tha man? That's where we once saw those red rocks you told me about, in a cave. And tha tool, well, it kinda tells it's own story." After thanking the town for everything, especially Jin'Thul, Eridi finally left. He made sure to mark the village on his new map; one day he would repay their considerable gift, but, for now, he headed towards the man. If it was the wrong type of ore, he needed to know now, not after he had built his forge.

[White Blade]

Garadiel was beginning to have trouble standing in the center of the three brothers, who were deliberately kicking up a horrible wind. He braced himself against the wind and weighed his options. He could try running but he doubted he could escape. Any defense now would stop at best one of the brothers. So an attack was necessary, he decided. He gauged the distance between him and the lead brother and he tensed his body and waited. Just one more second, he thought.

Then he leaped at the lead brother, reaching out to grab onto his chest. Again, Garadiel missed his mark thanks to the wind. Thankfully, however, he caught onto the brother's wing, breaking it. The brother began to spin and fall, trying to remain aloft and failing. Garadiel managed to climb onto the brother's back before the crash and when they made contact with surprisingly hard ground, Garadiel drove his knees into the brother's chest, breaking his ribcage and pinning him to the ground. Hurriedly, Garadiel broke the brother's other wing. He reached to twist off the brother's head when the brother let out a cry.

It was a terrible cry, but not a terrible sound. For the terror lie in its power, not in its sound. For the cry was like a beautiful lullaby, weakening first your will then your eyes, dragging you into the world of dreams. Its power was enough to take even a god to sleep, were the god unaware of the need to defend itself.

Garadiel hesitated. That was a mistake for the other brothers swooped down and grabbing him in their claw like hands, carried him away. While they held him, Garadiel dragged himself upward against their claws, scraping his arms. But soon his arms were scarcely held and Garadiel kicked his right leg up breaking that brother's arm. His right arm free, he grabbed the last brother's right arm and squeezed it, breaking the elbow. He kicked the brother's leg, dislocating it. Garadiel drew nearer, entwining his legs with the brother's leg. Then he used that leverage to wrest his left arm from the brother's hand. He grabbed onto the brother's only healthy leg and yanked down on it, dislocating it. Now he threw himself upward, hooking onto the brother's wings and looking him in the face.

A second cry began, augmenting the first. Garadiel felt his will sapped still further. Desperate for a solution, he wrapped his right arm around the creature's neck and broke its wings with his left hand. Once they began to fall, as Garadiel struggled to stay awake, he shoved his fist into the brother's mouth and held it there.

With a great deal of effort, Garadiel once again ended up on top, his fist being gnawed on by the brother. In an effort to correct this, Garadiel took off his boot and shoved it into the creature's mouth.

If you had seen Garadiel then he would have looked strange. One boot on with torn sleeves in his shirt, a tired look in his eyes. But he was swift of mind and he knew the other brother would be coming for him soon. So he dashed off to where he had left the first brother on the ground. He felt a pain in his right leg and he guessed he had cut it somehow. None the less, he reached the first downed brother before the only remaining one managed to put an end to him. He took off his boot and shoved it into the creature's mouth.

The last brother swooped down to save its brothers and defeat Garadiel and Garadiel caught its foot, spun the brother round once and crushed it into the ground. The song began again and Garadiel shoved his hand into the brother's mouth.

*Garadiel's Time in the Dreary Wastes will be concluded in my next post*

[Greystone]

Riora

The tall goddess waited till nightfall- well she was going to go earler, but she fell asleep in the jungle. Like a shadow she swept into the cluster of ramshackle houses. As she passed, some awoke, and many could feel that there was something different about the night. She ignored most of the houses, peering into several before moving on.

At last she sensed it- a power in one of the huts. She moved, and with a easy motion, open the door. The hut was adorned with many exotic materials, tools for alchemy and the like. Sitting stock still on a pallet, was an ancient human woman. She was shaking at the sight of the Goddess.

Step by step, Riora moved forwards and leaned in to whisper in the old womans ear.

"When your masters bleed each other in the streets, the time to free yourselves will be upon you." The white haired woman nodded as she listened to every word the goddess said. Then she blinked and Riora was gone.

The old woman was a Jihashi, or Wise Woman, and spoke the words to all of her people. She was an elder, and her voice was heard and eagerly awaited.

Riora moved next into the Giants very heart. She whispered to them while they slept, turning brother against brother. One day a breaking point was reached. In the main 'street' in front of the temple, two Giants got violent with each other. With a mighty cry one through the other into a building. He cracked his head and blood poured from his scalp.

For a moment there was silence as every human stared. Then like a damn shattering the slaves howled and lept on their masters. Suddenly Riora was in the middle of it all, hands blazing with dark fire. The Giants shouted in terror, as the grinning goddess felled them.

The Giants reacted badly. They were shocked, and were paralyzed with fear as their easy and simplely ordered world collapsed. The humans who would normally be no match were fueled by hate and the goddess. The Giant High Priest tried in vain to plead to HIS gods at the top of the ziggurat. He stopped as Riora rose up in front of him.

"Oh, they don't listen very well" she snarled and punshed forward. The Giant coughed and the Goddess looked down in vague bemusement as she realized she had punched through his ribcage.

She gripped and pulled, kicking the body from her. The body tumbled down the stairs and came to rest at the feet of the wisewoman. The humans looked up, and Riora realized that she was holding the Giants heart. She gave a grin and lifted her prize into the air, and ignited her hands.

The crowd roared for their new God as the heart incinerated...

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu
Shen Zhi Shu continued to teach Zipang and Zhanguo the ways of magic in classes of many hundreds each, until Xiang Jian all knew something they didn't know of magic before they took his instruction. Shen Zhi Shu knew of no threat to Xiang Jian. He had heard of his sister being sighted by one of his five students. However, he had made no effort to contact her.

In the mean time he had continued to teach new ways to introduce Chi manipulation, as well as the Yin and Yang, to the people through his magic. Himiko occasionally visited Shen Zhi Shu, although she always enjoyed Shen Zhi Shu's lessons, occasionally she would make others jealous just by spending the longest time alone with him. Eventually Shen Zhi Shu and Himiko were bonded inexplicably as a father and daughter, although others thought the relationship was of a more physical nature.

Many complained.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric and Calantha

Aldric only remained silent as the two trotted through the brush hand in hand. He didn't share his sister's enthusiasm for creation nor the vague task they'd been set to. Really, he and his father didn't see eye to eye on most things. He didn't think Rognir's wisdom beyond reproach, more like beyond reproaching. Knowledgeable? Yes. Infallible? Far from. But who was going to tell him he was wrong? No one. No one still drawing breath at least. If it hadn't been for his siblings, particularly Callie, he would have only been kept in line by the modicum of fear and respect he had for his father. For his brothers and sisters however, he had love; and curiously, he thought love a far more powerful motivator. Simple love was all that kept him trotting after his eager sister. He had no great ambition, he only wanted to stay with his smiling little Callie.

"Yes, Callie. I feel it."

He lied.

~~~

Two weeks later...

The two had stumbled through the rugged land of Kaldor for days before having the good fortune to be nearly trampled by a group of outriders. Their exotic and luxurious dress and pale complexions intrigued the horse lords. Rather than being prodded by spears for looking suspicious, the Kaldorians did the sensible thing and immediately escorted Aldric and Calantha to their village, supposing the pair to be emissaries from a wealthy nation. Of course, they were technically visitors from somewhere over the sea so they neither embellished nor refuted that assumption. Upon their arrival, the charming duo quickly endeared themselves to the royal court (insomuch as it could be called) and were entreated to remain in the chief's hall for as long as they liked. Being a shrewd man, and having guessed at the true nature of his guests, the chief realized that room and board was a small price to pay to keep such powerful friends around. Aldric, with his fondness for dark ale and dark haired women couldn't refuse such hospitality.

[hi-mi-tsu]

Calantha, in the Kaldorian village

The young woman was in heaven. She had been more or less euphoric the whole trip thus far, though she knew that her brother hadn't felt exactly the same; there was just something in the air, something about the world around them, that made her so...

Happy.

And now, she spent most of her time outside of the chief's quarters; they were simple to her, but clearly the most palatial of the village. She didn't much like being fawned over there, though; they were always trying to dress her up and turn her into a proper little lady, and while she didn't mind exactly it was a bit stifling. Instead, she chose to wander; she spent several days in the hut of a clay-worker, fascinated at his crafting of bowls and cups for the village people. She learned all about him--his name was Naoka--and his skill; she learned that his whole family had been clay-workers, and that the talent had been passed down, father to son, for generations. In the evenings, she'd return to the chief's home, regaling her brother with her tales before begging paper and ink from the leader, setting the stories down. She learned, too, of their creation-stories from the women, who spoke to her while she helped with their washing and watching their children, and of the war-stories from the men when she watched the small, armed guard practice their maneuvers. She learned about planting crops, and about how these people considered respect to nature and land of utmost importance; they never made a kill without offering up thanks to the animal slain, never planted without first praying to their earth goddess for sustenance and support. It was all quite fascinating, and she soaked the information up like a sponge, writing reams on the history and culture of the Kaldorian people.

Two weeks in, and she was just as fascinated as when she'd first started; that day, she'd been to watch the cloth-weavers, and they'd presented her with a colorful outfit in the traditional style of their people. As such, when she wandered back into the chief's home, she was wearing a wraparound top in a bright purple shade--made from crushing dark berries into a paste, she'd learned--and a skirt that swished around her ankles and had slits up the side for ease of movement, in a purple and red geometric pattern that pleased her immensely.

"Aldric! Aldric, look! See what the ladies made me today? Isn't it wonderful?" The girl's face was alight with pleasure, and she grinned at her brother, eyes seeking his approval.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric was found in his usual place... in bed. He'd been granted a private bedroom in the chief's hall, a luxury not even afforded to the chief's sons. The reason such a high honor precisely due to his favor with the chief, but it had been granted out of sort of a necessity. Though there were many strapping young men and obliging serving girls in the hall, most had the courtesy to wait until nightfall for their romantic escapades and maintained an appropriate volume. Aldric, having no such manners and a run of exceptionally vocal partners was given the rearmost room of the hall as a means to keep the disturbance to a minimum. Even with the noise pollution, the chief was still convinced that the rakish demigod was an asset to his people and eagerly awaited the day when his enemies would come marching up to his wooden walls only to be greeted with whatever divine wrath the drunken womanizing dolt was concealing.

"Father, why do Aldric's lady friends pray so passionately to the gods when they go to his room?" asked the chief's youngest.

He replied, "Oh, you'll find out when you're older, son." Though he wasn't sure himself. At least, his wife had never made those sounds.

Calantha found Aldric sitting up in bed, half clothed with his tall leather boots still on. A raven haired beauty appeared to be slumbering curled behind him with her head hidden in the pillows. He paused to swallow heavily before addressing his sister.

"That's... that's wonderful. Very pretty. I uh... I'm not feeling well today. I think I'd better stay here and get some rest. Run along now." His eyes shimmered in the light that drifted in from down the corridor and dimly lit his otherwise dark room. His eyes were heavy, still and dull. Something about his words begged Calantha to just go away.

The pile of black hair shifted and through her locks Calantha could see a pair of enchanting sky blue eyes. The woman beneath the hair would have been beautiful spare for the patch of smooth skin where there should have been a mouth. The eyes twinkled at her in a twisted mix of glee and pain. She wound her way up to embrace Aldric's naked upper half lovingly while pinning her obsidian dagger under his chin. It had been there the whole time, pressed against his back.

"Don't scream," said the voice behind Callie.

[hi-mi-tsu]

The look in Aldric's eyes had sent Calantha back, a few steps; there was something...something seriously wrong here. The woman on the bed...she didn't have a mouth and she was holding a dagger to Aldric's neck; the girl stepped back once more and ran into something. Something...large.

"Don't scream."

Calantha swallowed. Hard. She couldn't have screamed if she'd wanted to; it was like the breath was being crushed from her lungs. And suddenly she noticed the silence...there were no sounds of the children playing, or the twin chefs shouting at each other. Slowly, the girl risked a look up.

The man towering over her bore an unholy grin, one that stretched his face too wide--oh, Father, faces shouldn't stretch like that--and something that looked suspiciously like a blood-stained axe; he was wearing a black hood, though that was lifted to expose his face, and around his neck were...were...

Something wet dripped down onto the girl, and Calantha blinked. Her hands were shaking, when she lifted them to her face; she wiped her fingers over the wet spot, and they came away the lurid red of blood. Already pale, the girl went white as a sheet, tilting her face down to look at her brother.

"A-Aldric..."

"Ah-ah-ah..." The man behind her grabbed her, suddenly, spinning her around and shaking a reproving finger in her face, and Calantha nearly fainted in fear. "Naughty naughty...no asking your brother for help, now, or we'll do to him what we did to the others..."

"T-the others...?" She prayed, she prayed that he didn't mean the chief and his family, the people that had taken them in, for surely these were the rogues Father had been talking about, and surely they were dangerous...and just as surely they were here for her and Aldric and if anything had happened to the chief because of them she'd just--!

"See for yourself..." The man ripped the window open and Calantha's eyes went wide; her brother's room faced out into the back area of the chief's "palace" and there, staring at her with wide, sightless eyes, was the chief himself. He was hanging from a tree, and all his insides were not...inside...

"Oh no...no no no no no...oh, Father..." There were others, too, of the chief's family, his wife, his sons; the innocent girl could take no more. Her eyes rolled up and she slumped, unconscious, into Torment's arms.

[ArlEammon]

Himiko's Murder
Zipangese in blood, Himiko had attracted rivalry in Zhang Guo among her peers from jealousy and xenophobia. Finally, one day, Himiko was ambushed and surprised by a large group of twelve Oni, four rival mages, and a Branded turned traitor. Shen Zhi Shu was in the Palace, far away from the ambush, unaware of what had happened, in a dark trance.

Himiko held her bronze staff, and with her martial skill, self-taught, as a result from Shen Zhi Shu's chi manipulation, Himiko moved like a blurre. She managed to smash and crack bones, skulls and limbs of 12 Oni. But eventually, Himiko was overwhelmed with the fire cast from the mages, bows and arrows, and the Branded turned traitor's divine magic.

Himiko was destroyed, as an arrow finally flew through her heart, and Shen Zhi Shu's eyes opened like lightning crashing through the clouds from the East to the West. Suddenly, the Branded felt Shen's wrathful anger as he was teleported to the meditation chamber... All Oni's souls were snuffed out, and the mages were all burned alive with mystic fire.

Finally, the traitor Branded, Rong Chu Wen, stood kneeling before Shen Zhi Shu's feet, only to feel his staff burning an ever bleeding brand on his fore head. Shen tore from Rong Chu Wen his hair with his bare hands.
"Forever will you live life with no family, as you slain my adopted daughter."
Just then Shen Zhi Shu slapped Rong Chu Wen in the face.

"You were always the most ambitious of my pupils. Well then, learn the ways of magic and wisdom in pain and anguish." Shen Zhi Shu cursed Rong Chu Wen. Forever Rong Chu Wen and his kind would work to atone for the murder of Himiko and betrayal against Shen Zhi Shu. These were the Blood Monks. Those who accepted the dishonor of Rong Chu Wen would suffer his pain and learn his magic and wisdom with a long life. At the end of the Blood Monk's life they would receive a reward in the afterlife among Shen Zhi Shu's favored without the penalty of Rong Chu Wen, but no one knew when the Blood Monks were no longer needed to atone for the murder of Himiko, and finally end the suffering of Rong Chu Wen. "Among the first of my pupils and the most ambitious, your soul will crawl like a worm in the pyres of Heaven, waiting for thousands of years in shame for your act of murder, and betrayal."

"I will let you live, in dishonor, as horrible as it may sound, and you will be allowed to grow in power and wisdom with magic as your tainted reward in service to me. Do not think your service will be forgotten, but you have overwhelmed your accomplishments in Xiang Jian's services with dishonor."

"At the end of your life you will live as a happy old man, understanding the discipline that you have received for more than one hundred years, but you will look with grim despair at the suffering you will live in for your disrespect for centuries. Do not give up all hope, one day I will remove your dishonor, but you have earned it all for now."

[White Blade]

Garadiel lifted his torn up pack with one hand. He felt is as a loss, though mostly because the food he had packed was absolutely ruined. He tore up strips from the leather pack and wrapped them into bundles, first placing one into the third brother's mouth in place of his own hand which now had gnaw marks on it. Then one bundle went into the each of the other brothers' mouths. Finally, a bundle was used to clean Garadiel's boots. Then Garadiel again set to work.

Garadiel lifted the brothers and placed them next to each other. He knew he was not an amazing wizard, in fact, he knew he was a very poor one. But the magic he was about to use was hardly magic at all. It was a sacred vow, witnessed by two others, which would bind reality itself beneath its power. With two elder creatures for witnesses, it hardly required but he did so anyway. The magic was easy. After he had placed the three brothers with their heads pointed at each other in a triangle, he fetched his dagger and drew a circle around them and stepped into the center.

He spoke clearly, so that he would be understood, "I am Garadiel, the Wanderer, son of The All-Father, the Hundred-Named. I have died, as have you, and now the compact I seek with you is one of peace, though with a heavy burden. You ought to have accepted my offer of a meal instead of this.

"The price I ask for you is your eternal service and that you yield your voices to the leather strips that now fill your mouths," the circle here flared with light, "The purchase you gain will be for me to never raise my hand to harm you, that I will never needlessly injure you so long as you are in my service, and I will never separate you from your brothers without your consent." the circle flared again.

The fateful words, which Garadiel knew must be intoned perfectly came next. "Do you accept, Loggire?" a swift head nod from the most injured of the brothers followed by a flare. "Do you accept, Aldarr?" another head nod, another flare. "And do you accept, Galver?" one final head nod, one last flare. "Witnessed. Executed. This contract shall be kept, for now and for eternity, by the bidding of truth itself." A bright flash of light, and then, the circle faded.

The three brothers almost seemed to groan. But they couldn't, because they couldn't speak and the leather strips were in their mouths. Carefully, ever so carefully, Garadiel withdrew the three leather strips one by one and laid them beside each other. To touch any of them nearly put Garadiel to sleep and, though the next magic was as easy as the first, still Garadiel worried. But there was nothing to do about it. He lay each of the strips into the ground, one by one, uttering the prayer of sowing, willing the lullaby's strength to spread into the ground and dissipate.

But by the time he had sowed the leather strips, Garadiel could hear a strong song emanating from the earth and he knew it was not just here, but for as far as the gray ground went. He was momentarily terrified, for it was enough to put a mortal to sleep, even in this world. But the song did not seem to truly affect him, now that its originators were his servants. He could feel it press against him but it did not put him to sleep or even truly make him drowsy. But he knew an enemy god would be slowed by the sound and that mortals would be put to sleep by it.

Garadiel then set to healing the three brother's legs, which was tricky work but he eventually managed through a combination of setting the bones and a few easy healing spells he had found useful. He didn't know how to heal anything but legs, however, so all those remained severely broken. He assured his glaring servants that he was fairly certain they would recover in time. They headed east once more and after a long walk, they reached the edge of the wastes.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric might have cried out if not for the dagger poised to be crammed through his soft palate and into his brain. Instead, he hissed and muttered through his teeth, "Torment, Agony... what happened to you guys?"

Torment, the one with the demented double-wide grin and executioner's hood flung Calantha's limp form over his shoulder and gestured towards Aldric with his axe. "Gnaa-ha-ha, the same thing that will happen to you, Fear."

"Don't call me tha-!" He clenched his jaw and swallowed hard when he was reminded of the knife.

"Come on brother, it's just like you said. It's just our lot in life. This is who we are and were always meant to be. Everyone else gets to play hero, but not us..."

"I was wrong, Torment." He gritted.

"No Fear, you had it right from the beginning. We were made differently. When it's all said and done, the others will sit on their golden thrones with the love and adoration of every mortal in the world... love fueled by their hatred of us. They get to be heros and we're the monsters of Father's new world."

"No, it doesn't have to be that way. I... I changed my mind."

"You're damn right you changed your mind!" Torment snarled and jerked his axe towards Aldric's face. "... so tired of that pretty smug face of yours..."

"I'm really not that pretty."

The resulting backhand from Torment's axe knocked Aldric sideways and left a arc of blood drifting through the air. Agony crawled after, heaving her torso on top of him and repositioning her knife at his throat. As if lacking a mouth was bad enough, the miserable creature had no body below the waist. Aldric shuddered.

"You had your chance, Fear. You could have come with us... but no, you chose to stay behind. Eh? Because of her?" He gestured to the unconscious girl across his shoulder.

Agony knotted her brow and looked down at Aldric like he'd hurt her feelings.

"Fear, I guess." Blood trickled out of Aldric's nose, but he smiled half heartedly at his own joke. "I figured dad couldn't be wrong about everything. Punishment... I believe in punishment. Heh, call me a coward. Now, why don't you tell me what you two want with me."

"Gnaa-ha-ha-haaa, don't flatter yourself, Fear; it's not you we want. We came for daddy's little girl."

Aldric's eyes shot open just in time to get clubbed in the head again. For a time he knew only darkness. When next his eyes opened, he found himself alone on his blood stained bed.

"CALLIEEE!"

[hi-mi-tsu]

Calantha, alone in the dark

When Calantha woke, she woke slowly, as if from a nightmare; she was curled on something dank and wet, and she felt it, cautiously. Straw, maybe...? It felt like straw...it was cold, and she shivered, pushing herself to her knees and winding her arms around her stomach.

"A-Aldric...?" Her voice was thin with fear, and barely audible; there was no answer, and the young demigod felt her eyes fill with tears.

"...Aldric...? A-anyone...?"

There was a faint rustling, and the young girl felt a surge of hope in her chest.

"Hello...? I can't see that well...who's there...?"

The rustling grew closer, and a light suddenly flared; Calantha bit back a cry at the sight of Agony's face, though it escaped as her eyes took in the full sight of Agony's legless torso dragging itself along the ground. The fallen demigod's eyes were twisted, wicked pleasure and deep pain...but the light was higher, and Calantha looked up, into Torment's mad eyes.

"Now, little girl..." That unholy grin twisted his face, and Calantha's tears overflowed, spilling down her cheeks.

"Let's have some fun."

She screamed, this time, but there was no one around to hear.

-----------

On the table next to the bed there was a simple note, written in the blood that dripped constantly from Torment's throat.

"If you ever want to see her again, you will take back for us what was taken. Give us back our true forms, and our true power, and we won't damage her. ...Much."

[Jair Barik]

Nara returned to Tiera's grave and with each step he took his flesh became harder, rougher and darker. By the time he had returned he no longer bore any resemblance to a man. His hair was like a mass of moss, he skin like bark. A small group of men stood gathered about the tree looking confused. They had the appearance of hunters and woodsmen about them and did not hear the soft step of Nara as he approached them, nor see him glide gently through the undergrowth. Evidently the woodsmen had been trying to cut down the mighty old tree that stood above Tiera's grave but whenever they swung an axe the head fell off before it could strike the wood. Seeing this strange spectacle the passing huntsmen had come to try and aid the woodsmen with their own tools, but their knives and swords curled up into useless balls of metal when brought close to the tree.

"Why did you become a woodsman master woodsman?" Nara's voice was gentle yet took the woodsmen by surprise. They turned around and were greatly shocked by his appearance yet could not run, feeling as though they were rooted to the spot.
"I ask once more. Why did you become a woodsman?"
One of the men braver than the other stepped forwards and with a stammering tongue answered thus
"It...it is a good living, an honest living, and our legends tell us that Rognir himself felled many a mighty tree in the ages past. Surely then there is no sin to it?"
Nara smiled at the man's response.
"No. there is no sin to it, and I will not punish you for your efforts. Now you master Hunter, why did you become a hunter?"
Emboldened by the woodsmans response the leader of the hunters stepped forwards and replied thus
"Hunting is also a good living sir, an honest one also, and the tales of Rognir list many of his exploits as a hunter of great monsters, surely then it is no sin?"
Nara smiled once more. "It is no sin." Nara then walked over to the tree and sat beneath its boughs.
"I will ask you though that you must not cut from this tree as an oath has been signed between it and the Gods. This tree is under my protection." the men began to whisper amongst themselves about who this strangeman was that sat before them.
"I am Nara. A God now made a fool of by fate. I was once a hunter like you but I did not respect my prey. I underestimated it and for that I lost everything. I have made an oath upon these trees that I will protect them. It may be no sin woodsman to harm these trees but I asure you that it is a virtue to protect them. Your lives lack focus or purpose. You seek goals that you are uncertain of and every day you struggle on without knowledge of your destination. I give you an opportunity then. hrow down your tools as I have done and join me, hunt no longer, we will care for the land giving back to it in equal parts that what we most borrow of it to survive."
His speech finished Nara placed one hand upon the grave of Tiera and beautiful flowers began to fill the glade about it. Awed by the wisdom of this strange Demi-God the men threw down their axesd and bows and joined Nara, becoming the first of his druids.

[White Blade]

Garadiel stood at the edge of the Dreary Wastes and looked before him. First there was a river, strong and fast as any Garadiel had seen and he had seen many, it was murky and muddy, filled with what looked like the material from which the gray ground of the Dreary Wastes were made. Beyond that was a green and verdant land, covered in grass and filled with plants that looked as if they were lit by perfect sunlight, but no beasts. Past that, Garadiel saw that the light on the horizon had grown brighter and higher in the sky.

But, for the moment, the most pressing thing was the river. It was broad as well as quick, and Garadiel did not know how deep it was. But Garadiel had been an explorer his whole life. He knew how to cross rivers. The first step would ordinarily be to look for a bridge or stepping stones, but he somehow doubted there was one here. The second and third options were to jump it and to pile heavy rocks up in it, if it were thin or shallow enough, but Garadiel didn't think so. You could always try swimming across the river but that was dangerous. Then an idea came to Garadiel and he shrugged off his pack and placed his knife on the ground.

"Wait here," he told the brothers, staring at the river. Then he jumped in. He hit riverbed a little quicker than he had expected and then it dragged him down the river. But his intention had never been to swim straight across, but to move in a diagonal line across the river. As he swam, he saw something flash towards him from behind and instinctively he grabbed it, mostly to defend his face. It was a long, thick stick that had been stripped of bark by the rush of the water. But Garadiel's distraction was getting the better of him, and the river rushed on still. So he swam harder and harder and eventually he hit the other side of the river and pulled himself out.

He panted and heaved, holding the thick brown stick that seemed to be perfectly lit by sunlight. He realized it would make a fine staff and he used it as he walked counter to the river's, finally reaching the place where the brothers sat. He shouted across the river, "Do I have any rope?" The brothers glared at him, as if to say, "We can't speak!"

"Check!" he yelled again. They shuffled to their feet slowly and looked through the pile that they were now carrying. Indeed they found a length of rope and held it up for him to see, "Hold one end and throw the other end to to me Galvar!" The rope made it and Garadiel caught hold of one end. He now merely needed something strong enough to root it to the ground. He could try a weight spell, but again, Garadiel was terrible at magic. So what he really needed was a stake.

"Hey, one of you throw me my knife!" he shouted. One of the brother's picked it up off the ground and threw it at him. Garadiel ducked it easily enough but for future safety shouted, "In the future, you are forbidden from deliberately misinterpreting my orders so that you can attack me or those under my care." They all looked glum at that, and glared at the brother who had thrown the knife for wasting their only shot at killing Garadiel.

Garadiel fetched the knife and walked to one of the nearest tree. He climbed it nimbly and found a thick sturdy branch. He broke the branch with a firm kick from his left leg and climbed down the tree again. He whittled the tree down into two stakes, which was slow because his knife was not a whittling knife. But once they were done, Garadiel threw one to the other side and tied a rope around his stake before hammering it into the ground with his foot. He ordered the silent brothers to do the same and they did so.

Then Garadiel shouted across the river, "Now walk across!" The brothers glared at him. They weren't tight rope walkers and even tight rope walkers would have trouble with water lapping at their feet. "You have talons for feet, it can't be that hard. If you didn't have broken arms I'd recommend just hanging onto it and swinging across it even with the current."

The brothers glared at him but, eventually, they made it across intact. Garadiel smiled at them, "See! That wasn't so hard." The brothers glared at him. It had felt like hours. "Look, we're here now. So, we need to keep headed toward the light, lets get moving." So Garadiel started walking east again and the brothers exchanged looks that clearly said, "He's still crazy".

[Carden]

The cave wasn't necessarily deep, but it was full of the red rocks. "Blood iron" was what his father had once told him it was, due to the horrifying color that marked it, but, oh, what a magnificent vein there was of it here! Putting his chisel to the wall and smashing off a chunk of the brittle ore had been proof enough, so, his mind settled about his eventually supply, he started work on the forge he would need to build.

Plotting out the size of the smithy was the first task. Using sharpened sticks, he marked out where everything should go when he was finished. Walls of stone, a roof raised about the length of a hand to let the smoke not drawn out the chimney out, and then room for all the equipment he would need... Sighing, he looked around at the materials he had been given and counted off how much more he would need. "The stones," he quietly thought aloud, "they're gonna be the worst part. I'll probably need to carry a few tons back, no, I'll need a couple more than that..." Looking at the rickety cart that had gotten him here, he groaned and kept on. "First I have to reinforce that thing..."

The way the cart was currently, it would snap in half if a single block of stone was put on it. It had a single axle and wasn't made for a second, something Eridi knew he was going to need. Both axles and all four wheels would need to be reinforced, and that would be no easy task with just a chisel in hand. Then there was the deck of the thing, consisting of a very thin layer of old wood, so that would most definitely need to be replaced. Also, as that donkey would not be able to carry the load by itself, he needed to elongate the hitch so they both could stand and pull, side-by-side. Work, thought the godling, is never as easy as it looks the first time. I pray, Father, that you taught me enough not to let this fall through on the first trip...

It took him two days, a task that would have taken a mortal weeks with all the right tools, but he was no mortal. Judging by the map, which had proven to be extremely correct on his journey there, it would take him a full day each trip, probably more to let the donkey rest on the way back. It may take him weeks, but this was the type of work he lived for.

[Earl of Purple]

Phromm

Phromm, when he landed, was in the North, near some mountains. Standing up and leaving his crater, the Savage Lord headed towards the mountains, knowing that the people who lived in the mountains would, by necessity, be a tough and hardy people, ones that would easily be convinced of his message.

After hours of running, Phromm had reached the mountains. After more hours, the demigod found some natives of these mountains; unfortunately, the people were dead, with a gigantic bear eating the corpses in three or four bites. The elephantine bear had stone spears and axes lodged in its hide, yet did not seem seriously wounded. Phromm nodded, satisfied that the bear was the ruler of this area and that humans would be outside its territory, seeking to expand, judging by the corpses. Phromm continued on his quest for the Mountain People.

[Greystone]

Riora

The Goddess yawned and stretched. With a smirk she reached over into a bowl, and picked up a strawberry. She popped it into her mouth and chewed sofly. She was on a dais, on the top of the Giant Ziggurat. The former slaves had made her a very comfortable abode at the peak, and kept all of her needs well fed.

She had only just returned from the other islands. For what seemed like forever (Months? Years? She didn't know or care) she had been traveling around the other islands. Almost every time was the same, she found bunches of oppressed humans and their oppressers. Her game repeated each time. Oh, each time she used a different trick.

On one island she had coaxed the local fauna into such a frenzy they overwhelmed the Giants, on another she bespelled the High Priest to such worry, he ordered the entire village to fast in penatence. Did you know that a starving giant was easier to kill than a strong one? She hadn' thought of it, but it appeared so.

All of her games were successes (except one island, she got a little to enthusiastic. Well... she was sure the fires would eventually go out) and now she lived the life of luxary. The Giant village she first overthrew, a place called Hywtha, had become a veritable nexus of humans. Coming, socializing and reveling- and most importantly worshipping her. She liked that. Food, drink, exotic skins, sex, trinkets of gold and obsidian- all was provided and she happily indulged.

But she was beginning to feel... antsy. She needed something, she simply wasn't done. The people here loved her... but she didn't feel like seeing them at all times. Really, people throwing themselves at your feet can get boring. Truly. She needed to give them something to worship when she was elsewhere. In a flash she left, no one noticing her passing.

She went to the site of her crash, and to her amazement was a deep green crystal. It stood well over her head and was twice as broad. She touched the stone, and it almost seemed to jump at her touch. She channeled fire through her and into the stone. The crystal glowed and moved under her grip almost with a life of its own. She began to massage the green surface with her flame covered hands, the fire licking at the edges and being absorbed.

The next day the people found, imbeded halfway up the ziggurat, on a flat area that the Giants had used for public speeches, was a the crystal. Now it was shaped like an Green flame, and if one stared at it long enough, they were sure they could she images. Some saw curling green fire, some saw their goddesses face, or the snarling image of a jaguer.

The people bowed in awe. Riora, the Demi-Goddess, had sollidified her position in the lives of the southern islanders, forever.

[Baxter190]

Alarin

Time ceased to hold any relevance to Alarin; only the music he had lost himself in was important now. The direction in which he travelled mattered not. Days and days passed on, unnoticed and uncared for. Gradually the forest began to transition for leaf bearing deciduous trees to pine covered evergreens. The ground gradually became more and more snow covered. But none of this mattered to Alarin. Quests of divinity were of no concern. Great trials, and the time of strife that were to come had no meaning. To the boy, all that existed was the music, and memories of a kinder more gentle time, were brothers could not die, and father would be there to teach him a now song everyday.

For a moment, Alarin stopped in his tracks, and thought of The House in the East. His father had offered him one last chance to stay in the house, unburderned by the troubles of the mortal world. The musician had been all too eager to go into the land below and visit for the first time the humans below. Long had he heard tales from the All-Father of the mortals who he had brought music to, and saved from the dangers of the land. For a chance to meet them at long last, Alarin would have given anything. And he gave everything. Almost, he wished to could take back his decision and stay safe and protected in everyway.

Then he remembered his siblings, how Aldric might have called him a coward for fearing the outside world. Raia would be so dissappointed in him for not findign the courage in himself to move on to the mortal world, and Azura for not seeking the godhood he was destined for. No, he had stood up with the rest of them, and would face the consequences for it.

However, his reverie was broken by the snapping of a stick behind him. Alarin quickly turned around with his lute in front of him, as if it could protect him from the horrors of the woods. The god found nothing, just a broken twig and foot prints that lead away finto the forest. Slightly unnerved by the sound, Alarin pivoted to his original facing, only to come face to face with a large wolf.

The boy swiftly jumped backwards, his natural grace thrown off in fear. The beasts eyes displayed a sinister intellect and promised nothing but death for the young demi-god. Alarin tried to stand tall in the face of such a creature, but his body betrayed him, shaking with fear. In the muscian's mind he tried to think of what his siblings would do in such a situation. However, that train of thought only lead to Alarin being reminded of Garadiel and his deaht. His deaht by a wolf.

"This is the creature that killed my brother, and surely it it now here for me. Is this to be my fate, to die at the behest of such a cruel beast?" asked Alarin. He knew that such fear was unbecoming of him, that he should be like Raia and stand resolutely. Revenge, he thought bitterly, should be the only thing in his mind right now. But no he was not his sister. His not his brother Garadiel, and nor would his fate be the Traveler's. No-he was the muscian, and he was for something else.

And so he did what he knew how to do: he played his lute and began to sing. So captivating was the song that he played that the wolf stopped in his tracks, enchanted. The song progressed, and soon the monster found itself sitting in the cold snow, waiting as it continued. The song lasted for so long that the creature almost began to grow bored, but so interesting and enjoyable was it that it could do nothing but listen fascinated.

At last the song ended, but the beast remained still. Alarin soon realized that the wicked creature had so completely enjoyed the music that it would allow the boy to pass unharmed, this time. The bard swiftly gathered his wits about him, and ran as far away from the monster as fast as his blessed feet could carry him. Unnatural grace allowed him to bound over tree roots and he moved so quickly and lightly that he left no imprint in the snow he traversed upon. Eventually there was a break in the woods and the bard found himself in a small village of northerners.

The northerns looked upon his odd features, and saw that where he walked he left no trace. So odd he looked that people afraid of him, but so comely was he that none could tear their gaze from him or bear him ill-will. Soon enough he came to the middle of the village, and he turned to address them. His gaze fell upon them with a humbled look of joy. With an air of importance, he called out to fur adored people, exclaiming, "Come, and listen to my tale! I have suffered a grevious loss, banished from my father's home, and lost my precious brother! Come, and listen to the Agony of of Bard!" And so, Alarin found the muse of Memory.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric alone in the ruins of Kaldor

Aldric fought off the hazy blackness encroaching his vision again, huffing and blinking his eyes to keep from swooning again. Torment had given him a nasty wallop from the flat side of his axe, but there was no lasting harm done. Staggering to his feet he raked his fingers through the air and tugged on the nether strands that should have been connected to his scythe. He found nothing. Torment had been the only other soul who knew the workings of the mysterious shadowy realm that lay just behind this world. Aldric used it as a handy place to hide his treasures and himself. He could be anywhere in the world and his scythe would always be right there within arm's reach. But, he couldn't pluck the weapon out of the nether if it wasn't IN the nether! Torment might be crazy, but he wasn't stupid. Even if he just needed Aldric as a messenger, there wasn't any sense in leaving the scorned demigod with a weapon.

Despair set in. There was no telling how many minutes or hours he'd lost already nor where they'd taken Calantha. At least his scythe would have given him a slender bit of courage. Now he was just alone. No matter... anything was better than staying still.

He washed the blood out of his hair and staggered out of the chief's hall and towards the stable. The stench of death hung in the air and no sounds came from the village. Aldric had no hope that the gruesome pair had left any of the villagers alive, at least none who'd crossed their path, but perhaps they'd missed the horses. The horses started in their pens as he threw open the door and recoiled at his presence. He was aware of the effect he could have on mortal creatures and it was difficult to suppress his terrible aura in his current state. He didn't care at the moment. All the horses whinnied and reared back in their pens spare the one at the far end of the stable. The black mare just gave Aldric a dirty look as if to say, "What are you looking at?"

Grabbing the chief's tack and bridle he stormed towards the mare, glowering at her the whole way.

"Come here, bitch."

[Aiki]

Laviclan gently turned the stranglefish kelp blade around in her fingers, idly noting its spongy consistency and tossed it onto the dry arid sands. She let out a low sigh. She had begun to exhaust her supply of stranglefish kelp, but the sea-smelling plant still had not yet attracted the attention of her intended quarry.

And she now knew why.

She had been stomping her way through this near lifeless desert for at least a month now, passing the time fitfully by mentally designing the creature she would present to her Father once she had the Arborea Vitae's seeds in her possession. It was only after she had stopped to examine a particularly interesting example of predatory spinebush for a few days that the first rabbits and desert rats began to appear.

She had at first shooed away the first ones to reach her, but as more and more came - and when she began to notice that many of these desert animals inexplicably smelled faintly of the sea - did she realize what had happened.

The kelp blades had attracted a modest menagerie of the desert's fauna - rats, coyotes, rabbits, a small army of various lizards - which had been trailing her for weeks and eating the kelp blades for their rich moisture.

So much for her theory that its foreign smell wouldn't attract unwanted attention.

How Laviclan maintained her composure at that moment still amazed her, because many foul thoughts ran through her mind that would have befitted Laviclan's lost, exiled siblings.

But she could not really blame the little animals; here, traipsing through their harsh, demanding home, was a walking water dispenser. How else could she expect them to act? Life always finds a way. Also, after her more apocalyptic thoughts had died down, she admitted the presence of so many living things comforted her. She had been alone in this arid wasteland for so long, and the site of all these animals cavorting near her, attempting to impress her, brought a little smile to her lips.

"Well," Laviclan said, bending down to scratch the heads of a small lizard and a mangy coyote munching on her kelp blades. "Little friends, you have truly done me a disservice, but bravo to your survival instincts. But what will I do now?"

Laviclan shut her eyes. It was a long time before she opened them again. It had come to this. Extreme situations called for extreme measures.

She removed the last viney lengths of kelp from her extra-dimensional sample collection and tossed them to the animals. "That is all I have; it is yours now. But I ask you to leave and take it with you. Far away. What I do now will endanger your lives if you stay."

The animals looked at her, concern showing in their little bestial eyes, but obediently scampered away, taking the kelp with them.

Laviclan sat down to prepare. There was one other plentiful source of water in this desert, a precious source that she had hoped she wouldn't have had to use, but she had no choice, now. Shutting her eyes, she focused intently for nearly a day, making the necessary changes. Night had fallen before she was ready. She opened her eyes and reached into her specimen kit.

Laviclan's slender hand held a knife, and she used it to slit her own throat.

[Carden]

It half looked like a trebuchet, a boulder counterweight tied to a long pole. It reached high into the air, held up by a series of short platforms. Tied to a series of pulleys; it did seem a strange and fanciful machine indeed. One end of the rope reached deep into a pit and the other reached just as long to the ground. frays were visible at intervals across the rope, but the godling wasn't worried.

Eridi knew his machine would last. He had built it, and his machines always did their job. Knowing it was time, he pulled away the first barrier to the counterweight.

The massive stone block forced the rope to groan as it was pulled upwards. The platforms allowed the boulder to descend gently, each falling away as the rock moved downwards. The load moved up slowly, the makeshift rope continuing to protest, some parts unraveling. It got just enough over the edge before the tension snapped its supports, a lucky move indeed. This was the last of the bricks Eridi needed for his forge, the largest, too. It would be his hearth, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. He would need a steady hand for carving this block out, but he always had the steadiest when it came to work like this.

He began slowly, starting with the open front. A large oven would be needed; some items he needed wouldn't fit in a small forge. This block would sit three feet in the ground, plenty of room for charcoal to heat steel, so he dug out a pit. He tapered the chimney towards the back, going up into the stone as far as his chisel would reach. Coming out of his half-hollow stone, he moved to the top and estimated where the chimney should come out. There, he dug back in, eventually meeting up perfectly with his previous hole. Then he started whittling away on the outside.

As this had been almost three times as large as the other blocks, he knew he had to get as much excess as possible off. Not even combined could the young demi-god and well-working donkey get the entirety of the stone back, nor with just the hollow he had dug in it. He wasn't even sure if it would be light enough with all but the necessary thickness gone, so he did something new, he engraved images into the stone to shave a bit more off.

The bottom was all he completed before nightfall, the part that would stick above ground but below the opening. It was of his exploits the past few weeks, from his crash to his now-built forge. "There, Noss," he gloated to the grazing donkey, "at least that part's done. Three more days and we'll have it back and upright, then we can start on the rest." The name had been fitting for the animal, meaning "unexpected gift." It had been strange lately, not having anyone to converse with, so he had taken up talking to the donkey. One-sided dialogues were only half as entertaining, but that was to be expected. "Then you'll only have to pull up small loads of ore every once in a while, or the occasional tree. It'll be a long time until we need more of these loads again!" Laughing to himself, he walked over to his fire.

His traps never failed, so he had a steady supply of the local small animals. Tonight was rabbit, one of his favorite meats to stew. He stirred the pot, tossed in a few of the herbs he had found, and continued, "You know, I'm half-glad that I lost my tools. Sure, bad things have come of it, but now I can fix the problems I always had with Father's old things! The hammer was never balanced right, even if it was enchanted. The irony of wasting so much energy enchanting something so poorly made! It was almost as though he never noticed..." He continued ranting for hours that night, even after Noss went to sleep. He was ready to make his tools, and he was close enough to feel them in his hands!

Sleep came hard that night, but he knew he needed the rest, so it did come. That night he dreamt; he saw the form of his hammer, the subtle embellishments he would make and much, much more. These were his tools, far more than the second-hand implements of his father. He would make them perfect, and they would be a part of his arm. Together, they would be whole.

[hi-mi-tsu]

Calantha, alone

She didn't know how long she'd been here. Days, weeks...all she knew was that she was alone, and that it was dark. Dark, and cold...it was always cold. She'd had little company, and none that was wanted; somehow, Torment and Agony seemed to know exactly when she was drifting off to sleep, and chose that exact moment to pop in and scare the living daylights out of her. She hadn't had more than a few moments' rest in...well, she didn't know. It constantly felt like the world around her was slipping...and now she was afraid to try and sleep, because she knew that when she did they'd come back, and she didn't want them to. She wanted Aldric...or her Father...or Riora, or Eridi...she'd even settle for Laviclan at this point, though she knew her elder sister didn't like her overmuch. Curling up into a smaller ball in the corner, the young girl stared at the darkness with wide, terrified eyes; not being able to see made captivity that much more oppressive.

Wait...what was that? Calantha threw up her arm as a rectangle of brightness appeared, widened, pierced the dark; for the first time, the girl saw the entirety of the small, grubby cell she'd been in. And for the first time, she saw outside of it. Was this...was it an accident? Was she being let go? Maybe they'd forgotten to lock it...

The young demigoddess crept towards the door, cautiously; it could be a trick, another thing Torment had come up with to torture her, it could slam in her face right as she reached it...but no. No, it stayed open; the girl lifted herself up, a little weak from not standing for so long, and stared wide-eyed at the corridor she found herself in. It was much...brighter than she'd expected...

"Callie? Callie, come up the stairs! Come on, I'm holding them off!"

The young girl's eyes lit up. Aldric! He was here! He'd come for her, she knew he would...! She raced up the stairs as if in a dream, to see her brother grappling with Torment; Agony was bound in a corner of the room, unable to move with her hands tied, and as she watched her brother disarmed the other demigod and knocked him out with the flat of his scythe. Turning, he smiled at her, that smile he gave only to her, and took her hand.

"Come on, let's get out of here, my horse is waiting."

"Oh, Aldric, I knew you'd come, I knew you'd save me..." She flung her arms around her brother, and he held her back, just as tight...but...he felt...strange...she looked up, and screamed, wrestling free of the grip. In place of her brother was a writhing mass of maggots, and it was laughing, laughing with his laugh, and it opened a mouth-shaped hole to speak...

"Come on, Callie, don't you recognize me? It's me, your beloved brother..."

"NO! No, no, it's a lie it's all a lie you're a lie..." She backed away until she hit the wall, and the room dissolved around her, and she was back in darkness. And from the darkness came Torment's disembodied voice, tinged with cruel laughter.

"You didn't really think we'd make it easy on you, did you, Callie...?"

The girl's eyes jerked up, and she could see nothing; she could only hear him, laughing around her, all around her, he was everywhere--! Burying her face in her knees, she began to cry, hysterical broken sobs, and in the sound was the beginnings of her breakdown.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu and Zhang Guo
Shen Zhi Shu traveled throughout all of Zhang Guo. One day, a man walked up to Zhang Guo, there were hundreds of people behind him. . "Sir." He said. "Please help me. There are terrible soldiers attacking our town. We are fleeing for our lives." Shen Zhi Shu appeared concerned. "I have nothing to give you, but I can tell you how to survive." Shen Zhi Shu responded. "I am Shen Zhi Shu, and I have an idea."

As the hours passed, the invading soldiers who attacked the town of Fu Leng neared the fleeing towns folk. Not knowing that they were surrounded, they had seen Shen Zhi Shu standing alone, with a cart of pottery full of food. Shen Zhi pulled bread from it, and ate.

The soldiers knew they had easy prey, and charged on horse back, ready to kill Shen Zhi Shu at a moment's notice, and steal his goods. Suddenly, invisible forces from all directions slammed into the brute's body, knocking them off of their horses. The twenty or so soldiers were killed by invisible people tearing at their vulnerable spots with sharp tools.

Shen Zhi Shu, in this way, entered the destroyed town. The fields destroyed, and a camp of soldiers eating the live stock. Suddenly, the gaurds were killed, their throats cut by unseen forces. Finally, after a long, one sided battle, all soldiers were dead, and the war lord of the soldiers was taken by the neck, and dragged to the center of the town.

Shen Zhi Shu and the army of towns folk appeared. Shen Zhi Shu looked the War Lord in the eye and sharply rasped. "I don't want to see you again. Tell others of your kind that if we catch you in this town or where Shen Zhi Shu is, we will execute you. War lords are not welcome in Zhang."

This would be the final act of Shen Zhi Shu outside of Xiang Jian until the fates, or Pan-Lung himself decided to reward Shen.

[White Blade]

Garadiel and the brothers had crossed the river now and were in the verdant land. Garadiel was dead set on heading east, though the brothers were more quickly distracted then they ought to have been. They constantly ran out and leaned against a tree and tried to rest but Garadiel just ordered them on. So they kept going through the trees till they happened across a pair of women, sisters apparently, arguing in one of the many clearing.

"No," Garadiel heard one sister say to the other. "Why not?" the other replied.

"The light isn't there Michal," the first sister said, as if this discussion had been carried on to the point where it had been hashed to death. "Yes it is!" replied Michal, the second sister, angrily. Garadiel was also irritated, but since he wasn't sure they were talking about, he didn't yell instantly. He merely asked, "You mean the red light in the east?"

"Yes!" Michal shouted affirmatively, throwing up her hands and pointing at Garadiel, "See, Laurel, he knows what I'm talking about! You just can't see it." Laurel looked genuinely confused for a moment but then her face set again, "Just because it's there doesn't mean we should follow it."

"And why not? It got us here didn't it?" Michal asked, frustrated. "When we got to the end of here, well you saw that place." Laurel replied, clearly afraid.

"But the light was coming over the horizon sister, I saw it... I'd go through that place gladly if you would only come with me." Michal said, pleading, and Garadiel wondered what the light looked like as it came over the horizon. He couldn't imagine, but he longed to see it, as he had never longed to see anything before in his life. That this woman had remained behind for her sister, it seemed unimaginable to him.

"What bars the way from here to the light, dear woman?" Garadiel asked, interrupting the conversation.

"Oh, you've never seen such horror!" Laurel said, "a great, craggy land with many pits and beasts, wild and dangerous things. Vines that shift along the ground like snakes and howling wind that could knock you over and it grows dark, so dark you can hardly see."

"It isn't dark if you can see the light sir," Michal interrupted, "It is hardly dark at all. The light almost crosses fully into the horizon in that place and a wild storm of color like a beautiful sunrise plays across the ground. I will not say it does not hold terror, sir, for it does. But I'd rather face its terrors then live here in fear."

"I am not afraid, I just don't see the point, what is there to gain by going? We're closer to a light that I can't see? Why leave my comfort here?"

"Miss," Garadiel began, "I am not sure if there is anything to gain. But your sister has given up more then you know to take you with her. Maybe there is nothing to gain, maybe there is no comfort. But it is good to seek the light."

"Bah! And who are you to say what is and isn't good?" Laurel asked.

"I am Garadiel, son of the All-Father the Hundred Named, and though there is no one to say what is and isn't right above all others, it is good for life if you seek the light."

"Good for life? We're dead!" Laurel cried frustratedly, though she had momentarily blanched to hear Garadiel was a son of the All Father.

"Michal," Garadiel said, "If you wait for your sister, you may never see the light. You should come with me. Later, you can return to fetch her if the work is successful. Will you come with me?"

Michal pondered the question and Garadiel waited for her answer.

[Aiki]

Laviclan, in the Desert Wastes

Eridi had made this dissection knife for Laviclan, and it was among the sharpest blades in existence. Laviclan felt no pain as she severed the arteries of her neck, no pain at all, but still she winced as her flesh gave way to the godsteel.

No blood came from her wounds - Laviclan the Lifeshaper had long ago mastered her own biology and could manipulate it at will. She had spent the most part of the previous day changing her life blood, and now instead of crimson blood, gouts of pure water began spurting from her neck.

Her heart beat wildly at the thought of sacrificing so much fluid, driving the spurts of fresh water into jets. Laviclan was not a god yet - even though her blood was now water, if she lost too much she would lose consciousness and quickly die.

But Laviclan had no clue how much water she would need to attract the attention she needed, and until then, she would have to continue bleeding her life out onto the desert. By now, more water was being bled out then the thirsty stands could absorb and it began pooling about her feet.

So much water... she was becoming lightheaded as her brain began dying from lack of blood. Gasping a little, she tried to ignore the pulsing at her temples and focused instead on her talents. No one among the gods save her mighty Father was her betterl in the healing arts. Placing her hands to her bosom and closing her eyes, she channeled her willpower into herself, healing the damage to her brain even as it continued to die. She siphoned off some of her healing power and sent it coursing into the marrow of her bones, supercharging them with increased regeneration and she bid them replenish the fluid she was losing to the desert sands.

For hours Laviclan stood there spewing water into the desert. It was a marathon of incredible endurance she was attempting to run: she had to continue bleeding out her life blood onto the desert sands, but she also had to maintain her focus and continue healing the horribly slow wilting of her blood starved body. By now, the water stream had become a geyser, and then a raging waterfall, and by the time the sun rose once again, the pool had become a snake of water, cutting its way across the dusty desert wastes.

Laviclan was barely aware of what was going on. She had lost control of the bleeding, and now she could not spare a single moment of conscious thought from her continuous healing or else she would bleed herself dry.

But Laviclan still had her life, and life always finds a way. She gritted her teeth against the weariness and the intense dizziness and the mind numbing stupor that was coming to claim her, and the water continued to flow.

[Earl of Purple]

Phromm

Travelling through the Mountains, Phromm eventually finds a camp of approximately 200 Mountain People. The Mountain People are short, stocky folk with a large proportion of red hair to other colours, although blonde is also common. All of the Mountain People are wearing fur clothing and have stone knives. Approximately half the band have stone axes and spears, with those so armed having blue tattoos on their arms, torso and face; the leader is, despite being rather elderly and frail-looking, one of these, and has so many tattooed kill markings that his skin appears to be blue.

Phromm approaches the group, with his hands in the air and away from his axe. The leader waves Phromm to his fire. "Greetings, neighbours. I am Phromm, Son of the All-Father in the Uttermost East. I am here to prove myself. How would you suggest I do this?"
The leader with nearly-blue skin is the first to reply."I am Nestor, son of Arestor, son of Hast, and I am the chief here. For prooving yourself, when we have enough candidates for the Warrior Society, they are sent off to hunt a bugbear. The survivors are deemed worthy, and receive their first kill tattoos. We sent the last lot off a few days ago; it will be a while before the next generation of warriors are ready."
"Yes, I am aware of that practice. I already saw their bodies; I don't believe there's any survivors."
The elderly leader shrugs. "Not the first time, and it most certainly won't be the last. We would be honoured to have you accompany us until the next Hunt of the Candidates. The Father of the Mountains lives near here, according to legend. If you are mad enough, you could try killing him."
Phromm shakes his head. "Then hunt the Father of the Mountians I shall. How long will you be staying in this area?"
"If you wish to throw your life away, then go ahead. It is suicide, but we will be staying here until the next time the Sky Lady's eye is fully open, to see if there's any survivors."
"I shall hold you to your word, neighbour." Phromm then gets up and runs off into the darkness.

[Carden]

The beast was huge, standing almost four times as high as Eridi. Stamping it's trunk-like feet, it continued to move towards the demigod. Massive tusks led the way, swinging to and fro just to make the creature look more intimadating, but that only served to encourage its tormentor.

The bull elephant had been picked from a group for its pristine ivory, barely marked at all with no large blemishes. He'd drawn it away with a series of traps, mostly makeshift walls and pits. Now it was alone from the pack, trying to terrify this miserable humanoid in front of it into leaving it alone. But Eridi wouldn't budge. He continued to jab at it with his extra-long spear, so long it needed a weight in the back to even hold. Screaming at his quarry, he kept egging it on into a blind rage, daring it to charge.

The poor creature didn't know about the pit in front of it, nor did it see the sharpened trunk hanging above. The difference between enlightenment and ignorance is crucial, sometimes a matter of life and death. This time the matter of living and Eridi getting what he wanted, no, what he needed. His tools would be perfect, especially the hammer. This giant had one of those ingredients. Eridi would get those tusks, but the rest of the animal wouldn't go to waste. Not something providing such a necessary sacrifice, no, it would get a quick death and respectful handling afterward.

After salvaging as much as possible from the creature, he began loading it all onto his renovated wagon. "You see, Noss, today I woke up knowing I was making something better in this world. This wondrous beast woke up without such ambition, but it'll become something FAR more than it would have been. He may have had some more children, raising a pack of his own eventually. Or he could've died an early death of disease or failed competition." Chuckling at the irony of that statement, Eridi continued, "But, this way, he will become something far greater, a piece of art that will be used to make many things, not an uncertain benefit to his own descendants, but one for many peoples. I've changed his selfish hopes into selfless ones. Fitting, really." His justification seemed empty to him, but he really didn't care about that too much, not compared to what he had gained that day.

His handles would fit perfectly in his hands now, better than any pure metal tools he had ever seen. It was only a matter of carving the ivory, most importantly, the hole in the middle of it. That would be the delicate part, slowly making the hollow without having the bone crack, but it was almost like novice work to Eridi. With the rest of the tools forged and the steel rod center of the handle forged into the them already, all it would need was the hollow ivory over top of it and a metal cap put on the end. Then he could begin his quest, then he could make something to make his father proud.

Sleep came harder and harder to Eridi lately, as he neared his goal, and this night was no different. He got less than half the sleep he normally would have now, but he was energized by the idea of his tools, his own tools. Soon, they would be done soon...

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu and Zhang Guo
Shen Zhi Shu traveled throughout all of Zhang Guo. One day, a man walked up to Zhang Guo, there were hundreds of people behind him. . "Sir." He said. "Please help me. There are terrible soldiers attacking our town. We are fleeing for our lives." Shen Zhi Shu appeared concerned. "I have nothing to give you, but I can tell you how to survive." Shen Zhi Shu responded. "I am Shen Zhi Shu, and I have an idea."

As the hours passed, the invading soldiers who attacked the town of Fu Leng neared the fleeing towns folk. Not knowing that they were surrounded, they had seen Shen Zhi Shu standing alone, with a cart of pottery full of food. Shen Zhi pulled bread from it, and ate.

The soldiers knew they had easy prey, and charged on horse back, ready to kill Shen Zhi Shu at a moment's notice, and steal his goods. Suddenly, invisible forces from all directions slammed into the brute's body, knocking them off of their horses. The twenty or so soldiers were killed by invisible people tearing at their vulnerable spots with sharp tools.

Shen Zhi Shu, in this way, entered the destroyed town. The fields destroyed, and a camp of soldiers eating the live stock. Suddenly, the gaurds were killed, their throats cut by unseen forces. Finally, after a long, one sided battle, all soldiers were dead, and the war lord of the soldiers was taken by the neck, and dragged to the center of the town.

Shen Zhi Shu and the army of towns folk appeared. Shen Zhi Shu looked the War Lord in the eye and sharply rasped. "I don't want to see you again. Tell others of your kind that if we catch you in this town or where Shen Zhi Shu is, we will execute you. War lords are not welcome in Zhang."

This would be the final act of Shen Zhi Shu outside of Xiang Jian until the fates, or Pan-Lung himself decided to reward Shen.


Just because Shen Zhi Shu was not to act out of Xiang Jian did not mean that this is the end of the tale of his origins. Shen Zhi Shu is now famous not because of his just righteousness against War Lords, though his treatment of them was fair. . . Or his righteous dealings with traitors, his execution of mass murderers, or his battles against the Oni. His most famous tale begins and ends with his monument built to honor his daughter Himiko.

"There will be no love of daughters other than Himiko on the last day of the year." Shen Zhi Shu declared in the law. Throughout all of Xiang Jian and immediate neighboring provinces, Shen Zhi Shu's students of magic and those who had heard his great deeds concerning tyrants and murderers weeped all day and an hour into the night. After this first ceremonial day, Shen Zhi Shu allowed a day of rest in the law, before he began to exhaust the entire treasury of the late King Shan into construction of the Great Shrine.

His followers from all over Zhang Guo and some even from Zipang journeyed to Xiang Jian in order to help him mourn through the construction of this massive Tomb. Shen Zhi Shu held his Staff Of Highest Ceremony high before the Assembly. "Today is the day that I teach to you all the highest wisdom. There are things superior to even your highest Teacher. There is a magic beyond that of the deepest thought. This Magic is not the incantation of war that has made Xiang Jian great once again after it's fall into ruin."

"I shall teach it to you all today, and this teaching is, Love. All who come to the Tomb, even if once in their life time, shall have their lives extended through my magic. My magic shall burn away the impurities of their spirits and kill what hinders the love of their souls. But before this can happen, you must all construct this monument. It is higher than any temple, and greater than any mere crypt. Not because it holds my dear love for Himiko, but because it holds the love of the Heavenly Fire. This Fire will kill the evil inside you, and remind you of the deeds in which I slew evil. Remember all that to burn in the Heavenly Fire is to become like Himiko, my dear love."

"As I languish in ill health from mourning, I realize that all of my righteous magic of punishment is not enough to show Zhang Guo my love. I will die, and finally join Himiko." With the last words, the now ancient Shen Zhi Shu was struck with the Heavenly Fire, and died.

OOC: Risky moment where I try to finally show wisdom and sacrificial magic.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric rode the mare half to death. Three days at a frenzied pace in search of his sister and the stubborn girl hadn't given up the ghost yet. She was one of the last of her kind; her breed was the pride of Kaldor. Strong, proud and all around foul tempered; Aldric didn't so much ride the mare, he just held on. The two had loathed one another at the start of the journey, but hatred turned into respect as both refused to quit. Aldric couldn't be thrown off and the mare never quit trying. She even went as far as to try and lure him into a false sense of security before bucking or rearing back suddenly. The weary Aldric, so close to drifting off, would yelp and scream curses at the horses while half choking her. This twice resulted in both of them tumbling to the ground... one being crushed and the other strangled. Eventually, the two came to accept each other as miserable creatures and consented to work together (if only to avoid being killed by the other). As they say: misery loves company. And they would have made a wonderful team if not for the fact that they were exhausted.

One hundred miles north east of Kaldor, they came to the place where Eridi had built his forge. Lacking a better plan or a way to find Calantha, he'd chosen to simply travel in the direction of the nearest glimmer of divinity and was greatly pleased to see his half brother's handiwork. Perhaps Eridi could provide him with a weapon while he devised a way to locate his sister. In the pale light of early morning he first tended to the mare, removing her saddle and bridle and giving her the last of his water before sitting himself down at the entrance to the forge. It would be dawn in a few hours... best not to disturb the craftsman. Eridi was an early riser, as he remembered, and he'd be discovered soon enough. At least, maybe he could close his eyes for a moment...

[Carden]

Eridi woke as the first rays of light broke the horizon. He had planned to get started on making his new anvil today, one that would be as much a work of art as it would be useful, but one of his siblings was around. It wouldn't be right working without at least greeting his brother or sister first, especially not if they had purposefully sought him out. Dressing himself in his least dirty outfit, he walked outside to greet his family member.

It surprised him to see Aldric laid out on the ground. His brother was never alone, not since he had ever known him. Calantha was constantly at his side, or, more truthfully, he was at hers. It was like finding Riora working on something that took more than a few hours to complete or waking to find the sun rise in the west. The worry was evident on his face when he went to wake his brother; thinking the worst that their father had separated the two, but still concerned at the trouble Calantha's innocence could get herself into in the mortal realms.

"Brother," he said as he lightly shook Aldric, "Wake up, Aldric, wake up and tell me what brings you here. Your horse looks like she's been run for weeks without stopping. Tell me, brother, what happened to our sister? Why's she not here beside you?"

[White Blade]

Michal eventually went with them but the scene with Michal and Laurel was not the only of its kind. Indeed, there were many, a husband and a wife, a parent and a child, a pair of old friends, and more still. Always the problem was the same, one could see the light and one could not. Often, the result was the same. The one who could see would leave the other behind. Sometimes it was different, but not often.

By the time they reached the edge of the land of satisfaction, there were thirty nine beside Garadiel. They were of varying gender and species, including sixteen giants, twenty humans, and the three silent brothers (who had fully recovered by now, which worried Garadiel, because he now suspected that he had been in the land of the dead for months, maybe years.). Few among the gods would have considered such a company exceptional in size, but Garadiel was proud of it for each was a willing journey (except the brothers, who seemed to have resigned themselves to their positions).

As they grew closer to the edge of the land of satisfaction, Garadiel saw a mountain steeper than any he had climbed in the mortal world, and behind it the beginning of the twisting rays of , Garadiel saw another company, far larger than his own. He could not number it, though he guessed it was perhaps three hundred large. Garadiel called out to it in a practiced tone of announcement:

"I am Garadiel, son of the All-Father, and I seek to climb the mountain! Who are you, who camp at its edge?"

A voice called back, familiar and deep, which Garadiel recognized, "Garadiel! Did the living world run out of things for you to explore?"

"Henrik!" Garadiel replied to the giant, "No! I just got killed by a wolf!"

And now Garadiel's company saw the giant, who looked very much as Garadiel did. He was tall and well equipped, with a bow strung across his back beside a quiver of arrows. He wore clothes well fit for exploring and he was thin for a giant, though his muscles were still toned. He was easily twice Garadiel's height and his eyes were cunning, as few giants eyes were.

"Are you preparing to climb the mountain as well?" Garadiel asked.

"We already have, several times," Henrik replied, "Every time someone gets here, we go up for a new climb, though yours is the largest company we've had arrive in a long time. Once you reach the top you can see the storm fully and all you want to do is touch it but you can't."

"The storm?" Garadiel asked, confused.

"The light is a storm, like an untamed sun."

"Is that why you don't touch it?"

"No. I'd gladly give all to touch it, my destruction would seem no price. The mountain ends in a sheer cliff that goes all the way down to the base. It levels out for about thirty or forty feet and then you're at the edge. After that it's at least a hundred yard distance between the edge and the storm."

"Well, as it happens, I have some people who can fly," Garadiel replied, pleased to have a solution to such a vexing problem. Henrik took in a deep breath of shock at the thought before saying, "So you do. Perhaps a climb is in order?"

"I think so."

So the whole of the camp at the mountain's base gathered up and began the climb. It was a long climb and a steep one, going so high that Garadiel could hardly imagine it. Many beasts attacked them, but the more experienced company took them as of little concern. Indeed, when one of the members of that company got his leg bit off by a wolfish beast, he simply leaned on someone the rest of the way without complaining saying, "It'll grow back eventually," he told a worried member of Garadiel's company.

The climb went on. Harsh breathing was evident among all of the company but Garadiel and the silent brothers (who simply hovered around him, making it look easy). The climb got more and and more exhausting. The hazards to which Garadiel's company were not accustomed would have surely damaged them badly. The climb grew bitterer still as the light grew brighter, as if the struggle of the climb increased because of the storm.

After what seemed like very little time to Garadiel but was long enough to regrow half a leg, they reached the plateau. Garadiel gasped, as did everyone who could see the light.

It hung in the sky like an untamed sun, wild and faintly circular, with beams of every color and form whipping out wildly around a single core that looked like a white hot orb of lead. There were colors there that Garadiel would never be able to explain to his siblings or indeed any that could not see them, there was a wildness of life in the storm that none had ever known before. It seemed to give off life, which Garadiel realized he had sorely missed. He longed to touch it, as all his company did.

The brothers did not see it nor did any others they had persuaded to come with them who could not see the light. But so close to it now, they felt it and they looked at it even though they could not see it. Garadiel then made his announcement, "I will go first, Galvar, Aldarr, Loggire form a chain across the gap, twenty five yards apart each."

They did so and Loggire ended up closest, "I'm going to the start of the plateau and then I'm going to run to the edge and leap. When I leap, I'm going to use you as a swing to Galver, then Galver to Aldarr. Am I clear?" Loggire nodded and his assent was swiftly mimicked by Galver and Aldarr. So Garadiel went to the start of the plateau.

It is hard to describe what that run was like for Garadiel, or any of those who came after him. It was the most intense, terrifying moment of his life. He had never before been so close to the storm, to the light. You might find its likeness in one who had waited their whole lives and now at last made love to their only love for the first time. But Garadiel would have found the comparison... vulgar. Like it hardly fit. But that is the nearest likeness. In that moment, Garadiel knew that he had been waiting for this all of his life, indeed all of his existence. As he caught hold of Loggire's leg and swung towards Galver his anticipation brightened again, then to Aldarr.

One final, firm swing and Garadiel flew straight into the storm, hitting it dead in the center. And then it really began.

[hi-mi-tsu]

"I see lilies on the sea, and my brother coming for me, I see freedom outside these walls, and wand'ring through my father's halls..." The voice was thin, and soft; Torment had forced her into a box, with nails piercing the sides. If she'd moved, even an inch, they would have stuck her. That was when she'd closed her eyes, and started singing, making things up that didn't make sense but rhymed all the same...

And because her eyes were closed, she couldn't see the changes in the box. Lilies, appearing between the nails--and instantly dying, for there was no nourishment. But in her arms she clutched the thing she'd made, a small doll that bore her brother's face; she didn't realize it was real, but having even the hallucination, the belief that she held the doll, comforted her all the same.

Calantha opened her eyes to golden halls and her father's arms; this was a hallucination. Somewhere, in some back hidden part of her mind, she realized it; somewhere, she knew she was still trapped in a box, and couldn't move. But her delighted laughter rang out all the same, a hint of hysteria to the edges, and she shifted forward, just the slightest bit, as much as the box would allow her.

She wouldn't feel the pain, not now, not until Torment had yanked her out and shoved her back into the dankness...only then would she look down, and see the rows of small, neat holes pressed into her forearms. Her arms, which had been up, holding the doll, and which had protected her from those nails going into vital parts that she needed.

"I see brother, coming for me..." She whispered the words, dancing the doll over the ground. "He's coming for me...riding a white horse, like heroes always do, coming for me, coming to kill you..." The last was directed to the silent, ever-present eyes of Agony, watching from the darkness. She knew they were there. They had to be there. They were always there.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric at Eridi's Forge

Aldric woke with a start and made a half hearted lunge for the scythe that wasn't by his side before he remembered where he was and what he was doing. His eyes were dark and his face gaunt from dehydration. His cracked lips had no color to them; they might have bled freely had he any blood to spare. He mouthed the words "brother", but nothing escaped his parched throat except a rasp. He tried to speak again, but the result was the same and he doubled over with a racking cough.

Eridi, presumably not so sadistic as to watch his desiccated brother expire on his doorstep, fetches some water. Aldric drinks until his power of speech is restored.

"Calantha's gone. Agony and T-... Rafa and Tarik took her," he stammers out while gazing up at his brother with delirious eyes.

Eridi would know the later names and that they had left their Father's halls without his blessing (and with his ire). What he did not know were the names they had given themselves, nor that Aldric had conspired with them and would have also gone if not for the love of his sister. Rafa and Tarik had always been cruel and arrogant. They disdained mortals openly. The three had planned to escape to the world together and grow strong through the woe they would inflict on mankind. Aldric was too tender to go through with the plot. No one knew what twisted forces had turned the pair into the monsters they were today... perhaps it was their own doing, in a way.

"They've become monsters, Eridi. They took Callie and they're holding her for ransom - they want Father to restore their forms. They're mad! I can't go to Father with this and there's no telling what they'll do to her while I lose that time! I just... I just need a weapon." He spoke frantically, pleading with his eyes for Eridi to help him in some way. His words came out like the ramblings of a mad man; desperation and no sleep will do that.

"They... they took my scythe. I can't get Callie back without a weapon. I need...I need... I can find her! Just... need time. I'll get her back..."

He nodded reassuringly to himself.

[Carden]

Aldric & Eridi

Aldric's tale tugged strongly on his heartstrings; Eridi had always loved Calantha and had hoped fate would only have good things for his innocent sister. "Come, Aldric, get yourself some of my food and then rest while you have the chance. I'll make you another weapon, one that you can use to tear the heads off of those cretins, but that'll take time. I swear I'll make it as fast as I can, but another clear opportunity to rest like this may not come for days, and you'll need it if you're to face those two." Leading his brother to the kitchen, he explained to him the basics of his small home. "Now, I'm going to my forge to get started. I'll be back as soon as I can, Aldric, sooner than that even."

First, however, he went to the horse. He brought it out to where Noss was grazing, tethering it with a long rope within reach of both the nearby stream and the grass, allowing it to rest as well. Without the mare, Aldric would be far slower in his chase. Continuing on to his smithy, he picked out the best of his steel and set to work on a blade.

Normally, his strokes were careful and calm, but not after the tale he just heard. Knowing he was useless in any fight, Eridi put his rage for the two disgraced godlings into the blade he was making. He had never liked Rafa or Tarik, but he had never thought they would reach this level of depravity! Out of anger, he smashed his hammer down hard on the metal and a crack ran through it. Looking over it with worry he had damaged it and would have to start anew, he was glad when he saw it would not impair the integrity of the weapon; it would just be more painful if it sliced into flesh, tearing some away. A fitting end for those two, he thought as he continued, grinning at the wound that crack would cause.

It was deep into the night when Eridi finished the blade, a curved one for the scythe he was making. He knew Aldric favored that weapon, and he wanted to give his brother every advantage he could. Looking around his workshop, he silently assembled the weapon in his mind. He had already made the connecting brace in the head, but he'd still need to make the handle. He would make an iron weight on the end to lend more power, no, not only that, but he would craft the skull of the elephant unto the weight to put fear into the hearts of those who saw it. He'd use some of the left-over ivory to form the handles and some of the vertebrae to provide hand guards. It would take him all night to make this weapon whole, but had he not been in a fury, it would've taken days. He went back to work, not stopping for anything but the occasional sip of water.

[Earl of Purple]

Phromm

After many days of work tracking the gigantic bugbear known as the Father of the Mountains, Phromm has found some tracks. He started at the place he saw the corpses and the bugbear that was eating them, but tracking the monster proved harder than Phromm expected in the rocky, mountainous terrain between the treeline and the snowline.

Nevertheless, Phromm has found the Father of the Mountains, a bugbear of truly epic proportions. The massive animal easily dwarfed the largest predators of other lands, and it could possibly have successfully hunted a fully-grown elephant, apart from the problems in climate that would have killed any bugbear that far south or any elephant this far north. Its mouth was filled with impressive fangs and could bite a man in two with little effort. The brown coat was augmented with the hafts of broken spears lodged in firmly, yet few pierced the outer layer of fat under the skin. Truly, this beast was designed for the mountains of the north, and also for the killing of any creature that got in its way.

It was this beast that had Phromm backed against a rock wall with nowhere to go.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric at Eridi's Forge

No fitful sleep came for Aldric. He'd doze off for moments at a time, then snap back to reality the moment his dreams returned to what lay ahead. After raiding Eridi's food supplies he slithered into the forge to watch his brother work. Despite his insistence to return to bed and rest, Aldric refused and lingered in the forge, helping as he was able, tending the fire and helping Eridi hold the enormous blade still while he hammered away. Aldric evoked his dark magic as his brother worked, whispering dark words of power into the blade, vile words never heard in his Father's hall, and infused it with his own grief and heartache. Shadow choked flame as he spoke and the forge fire turned to midnight blue (and remained so for a day after Aldric finally left). The steel of the blade took on the same unnatural hue. It was a terrible and gruesome thing to behold when it was complete... but it had been made for a gruesome purpose. To carry it was a burden and to wield it a crime. Darkness followed its passing. It smothered fires and blotted out light. It stole the breath from men's lungs and the warmth from their blood. Despair clung to the sinister thing and to gaze upon it was to know just how weak and small you really are. In Eridi's hands, the weapon grew heavier and heavier as he worked until at last, completed, it toppled to the floor and refused to budge until Aldric came to claim it.

Light as a rapier, he shouldered it with a toothy smile.

"It's my burden now. Get some rest and put it out of your mind. Things will look better in the morning; I promise."

Somehow expressing gratitude to Eridi wasn't quite right when Aldric took up the scythe. He couldn't give thanks for the creation of such a wicked thing. For the moment it felt more like Aldric was doing his brother the favor simply by taking the terrible weapon from his sight.

He flew from Eridi's home, readied the Nightmare and the two were gone in a wink, galloping away into the darkness. Aldric no longer had to wonder where his sister had been taken, he knew Despair would lead the way. As they vanished over the horizon, day broke... which was a curious thing since the sun was already at his zenith.

[White Blade]

Garadiel had never experienced anything like this. He had never dream or hoped of it, either. He knew what this was, this was the place where souls, real souls, were made. His own soul had been here once, he knew, and feeling the storm he knew that his siblings had been made here as well. All life that possessed flowed from this point or at least through this point. Except perhaps his father, but even then Garadiel was unsure.

The fire was hot against Garadiel's skin, calling to him to enter the world again through the womb, calling him to life. Garadiel longed for life again, for life he discovered was what all things had been made for. This half-world was but the emanation and shadow of the real one. In the far west, at the peak of the shadow, lay the abyss of terror and after that the dreary wastes then the river than the land where nothing was terrible, the land of satisfaction, then the mountain of struggle, closest to the real world. Most likely to hurt, must likely to harm. But no one could truly grow in any those shadow places.

There was something he needed to do. For the storm was wild and frail mortal spirits would find their will destroyed here. The others would come through any moment. He had been made for life, he knew, and he desired it as nothing else but he resisted. Garadiel worked in cohesion with the storm, he formed it rounder and calmer, to bear its children again to the mortal world, just as it had the first time.

The portal knew no right and wrong, no justice and punishment, and Garadiel knew this was fair. For what judgment could be passed on life? This is a good life and this is an ill one? All life, Garadiel knew, was worthy of continuation. He understood so well here. And again the call of the living world. But it was different now.

For, as he had changed the storm, so the storm changed him. Now he was living here fully, even in this half-world, and to exit would be no reward or punishment. Garadiel felt the churning of the gate as Henrik struck home and watched his friend's soul fly down into the world with some interest, into the womb of a giantess. But it was time for Garadiel to leave the now calm storm. He would return to see his family, he decided.

He exited, unsure where he would arrive at, and appeared before the door to his father's house. Garadiel was shocked for a moment but only a moment. He raised his fist to the door and rapped on it, for it was fair to return here now.

No more was Garadiel the Wanderer. He had become Garadiel, Guide of the Dead, a god in his own right.

[hi-mi-tsu]

"She's getting more and more annoying by the second." Stamp, twist, and another Calantha-created bunny was crushed beneath the heel of Torment's boot; that was the third one in as many hours, and while the girl didn't make them when the two were in sight, he kept finding them hopping around. Agony simply stared up at her brother, mute as always, while in the corner of the room Calantha giggled to herself. It wasn't all bad, of course not...after all, she had her brother right there with her, forever.

"See, Aldric? See see see? Hmm, the sea...it would be nice to go to the sea, don't you think? I think so." Her brow furrowed, a little, and then she grinned again; sand spewed out of the wall, and Torment growled in frustration.

"God, every new and strange conjuration is making me want to kill her more..." At Agony's frantic headshaking, he growled again. "I know I can't. Not until he arrives. Then I'll kill them both. And you, my sweet Agony...you'll have your legs back. And your lips."

If the disfigured torso could have smiled, she would have; still, her eyes showed her pleasure, overtaking even the pain for a moment.

"Tell me, brother...why is a raven like a writing desk? Do you know? I just can't figure it out!"

[Greystone]

It was the dead of night. Riora stood before the statue she created, the green stone dancing in the moonlight. The villagers had finally gone to bed, but the goddess was still preoccupied. To be frank, she wanted to leave this place- find someplace new.

She had given them freedom through chaos, a totem to worship... but she needed more. Something tickled at the back of her mind. She needed caretakers, and others who spread the dismantling presence of chaos. She needed to... that was it.

She turned and spoke to the entire population slumbering below.

"Those of you who are my true servents, awaken, and step forward." She raised her hands and clapped. Hundreds of pairs of eyes opened and looked up. There was their goddess, framed in green fire with the full moon to backdrop her presence. "Those who wish to follow me in my footsteps, to spread my will, and change the world... step forward"

The entire island seemed to ponder, and then as one every villager stepped forward. Riora smiled and began to chant words of power, words she didn't even recognize. Raw power coursed through her and in an explosion green fire shot from her body and into the villagers. Cries of pain and even some of ectasy filled the air. Riora smiled, thrilled with the sense of power she was feeling.

Then she gasped as she was lifted off her feet, as even more of the green fire enveloped her. She began to understand "I must leave you my children, but I am here... always here" and with a crack and roar of thunder and fire... she was gone.

[Carden]

Eridi watched his brother leave solemnly, the weapon they had made strapped to his back. He had always been intrigued by enchanting, but had never found the time to actually study the art. Seeing how much the magic had lent to the grandeur of the blade, he knew wholeheartedly that it would outweigh any loss of work to study. In fact, at the next opportunity, he would. But now wasn't the time, now he needed to make his anvil.

The idea of the anvil was stuck in his head. Currently, he was using a large piece of iron he had hammered flat. It did it's job well enough, so long as it was flattened each time it was used. He needed something harder, larger, and, while not necessary, more aesthetically pleasing. Given that it was noon already, he decided to push through his sleep deprivation and go ahead and make it.

He got all the steel he had set aside for the anvil out. It was important that each piece be made of the best metals for the job, but also important that it all be made whole. The pile he brought to his work station was still smaller than intended, so he went to his store to get some more. It had gone to the handle of the scythe he had just made, strong steel that would resist any bends, hard to etch even by the sharpest sword. But he had more set aside, as one of his father's idioms, one of his favorites, really, was "Always better to plan for more than your measurement." bringing those chunks of raw metal to the pile, he was finally ready to work.

He had built a mold for most of the job. Heating the metal until it was liquid and then pouring it in consisted of well over half the construction, the easy part. Once it was almost set and cooled, he would remove the next layer of his mold and pour more into the new hole created. The hard part was with the face. It had to be perfectly flat with slightly rounded edges, something not even his molds could achieve, at least, not to his standards. Not to mention how he would have far less time to work on it than normal, as the metal couldn't be heated again without tossing the whole anvil into the oven.

In a thick, treated leather glove, one hand would glide over the hot metal quickly to find any bumps then the other would smash them down. It went perfectly, Eridi's dexterity with his tools showed. Faster and faster he went, as it was cooling the same. He was nearly finished, the masterpiece of his tools nearly complete. Then, while his eyes closed for half a second longer than usual, blinking away exhaustion, disaster struck. He smashed his left hand instead of the small incongruity he was aiming for.

His scream told how badly he had hit. He didn't even have the thought to form syllables to curse with, it was just primal, pained yelling. Blood poured from the glove, running the length of his arm as he held it up above where he had been working. He moved quickly now, knowing he wouldn't get another chance with his anvil. Wrapping all the fingers together, he stifled another scream by gritting his teeth as hard as he could. One of his more magically inclined brethren could heal it later, even if he set it wrong, so that wasn't much of a worry now.

When he turned to see the anvil, he noticed that his blood had covered the face, running down the sides in streaks and even a smattering on the horn. He could clean that mess later, but now he had those last few bumps to hammer out. His left hand had the same function as before, but now it wasn't slight differences in pressure that guided him, it was sharp pains. His eyes teared and his teeth gritted, but he continued his work until it was done.

It wasn't long, but it seemed like an eternity. When he was done, both the exhaustion and pain caught up to him. He took three steps towards his home before the lights went out and he collapsed to the floor. He didn't know it yet, but as the fire died in the forge and the sun went down, his top of his forge was lit with a soft, red light, as though it was still heated. The light of the god-blood was in the anvil, his blood. It was now a piece of him, as much so as his own heart.

[Nefarion Xid]

Agony and Torment had made their hideout in the long abandoned ruins of a craggy mountain keep. Aldric and the Nightmare made the journey in a matter of hours. As she ran, whisps of shadow trailed behind and the two seemed a hazy dark streak. Night was their harbinger. Where the scythe the sun's light could not touch. Any mortal soul within a mile radius of Aldric's path would have seen the sun grow dim and then totally black as the day was replaced with starry night within the course of a minute. Then as quickly as the unnatural eclipse had come, it would pass, leaving nothing but baffled and anxious shepherds in its wake. Nearing the old keep, Aldric dismounted and stalked silently along the remaining distance.

Within the bowels of the fortress, Torment and Agony were growing increasingly uneasy. All the waiting was quickly growing unbearable and Calantha's inexplicable creations became more bizarre and more frequent. Torment's hairs all stood on end and he'd broken out in a cold sweat. He unconsciously fingered the stitches at his continuously bloody neck that kept his head attached to his body. Agony hugged herself and through her mop of black hair she watched Calantha's hummingbirds chirp at one another and zip through the surface of a broken mirror to suckle at the nectar of an orchid that grew on the other side. She gave Torment a sidelong look that seemed to question the whole plot.

"I know, I know!" hissed Torment angrily, gripping his executioner's axe. "It won't be long now. We just have to wait until..."

At that moment there came such a sound like nails on a chalkboard; albeit very large nails and an equally large chalkboard. Both started and searched the room with their eyes for the source of the commotion. Torment opened his lips to speak, but was interrupted by the sound again; this time longer and louder than before. Agony pinned her hands over her ears and gave a demanding look to Torment. He just nodded with a snarl before ascending the stairs to investigate.

Emerging on the surface he saw only the clear, crisp night around him. He looked left and right but there was no evident source to the earlier sound and it did not come again. He patrolled the crumbling ramparts and looked out into the surrounding rocky terrain. Finally the deafening sound came again and he hurled himself in that direction with his axe at the ready, but found nothing to attack. Immediately the screech echoed behind him and he again whirled around to greet it; again nothing. Blind fury gave way to a cruel ear-to-ear grin at an amusing thought.

"Fear, is that you? Ah-ha-ha, your stupid little tricks won't work on me. Come on buddy, we invented that crap!"

"No tricks. Just me."

Torment did an about-face and found Aldric lazily perched above on the turret's crenellation, legs dangling over the edge. He waggled his wicked scythe at Torment before reaching down to drag the tip along the stone walls. This resulted in an inch deep scar and another screech.

Torment's eyes narrowed and his smug grin transformed into an angry sneer. "Where did you get that?"

"This? Strangest thing. I was walking by a lake and some water nymph was just handing out weapons to people. Crazy, right?" Aldric chuckling turned into full barking laughter when his impishness only made Torment glare at him harder.

"Oh relax, Tarik. I'm not going to kill you! We don't even need weapons to settle this. So, I'm going to give you one and only one chance to turn over Calantha and crawl so deep under a rock that none of us ever have to look at your ugly face again."

"Forget it, Fear! The only way you or anyone else is getting Calantha back in one piece is if Father restores our bodies! So you just take your new toy and run back home and give him the message!"

"... man, I was hoping you'd say that."

Aldric's eyes lit up and his lips curled into a lop sided, fang filled grin. A second later he flew from the turret and descended, blade first, on Torment like a hawk attacking its prey. The only things that saved Torment from being instantly bisected were his quick reflexes and his now gashed axe.

[Kasanip]

Raia

Raia continued her travels Eastward until she had come into the lands of Zhang Guo itself. Here she had heard many tales of wars and violence, but now they were in the past. A great and wise ruler had been set upon the lands, and under his governance wisdom and peace had come - if slowly in some areas. Yet it was like a river, and with it flowed a small following of knowledge in the ways of something foreign to Raia.
Restlessness came to her. Surely this was a place full of people she loved, but it was not hers. It was not a place she could be, unless she abandoned herself and her past entirely.

Turning about, she traveled solitary for many long days, under clouded sky and dark rain. Thunder and Lightning played joyfully, and yet as she turned her sharp gaze upon them, they came to her. Loneliness gripped her again, despite her two companions.

Deep within the forested mountains that had come at the edge of plains, she walked as the darkness and shadows crept about her.
She was angry. Annoyed. Frustrated. What was supposed to be her birthright? Her father had thrown her out into this place without even a weapon. She didn't NEED a weapon, but with that thinking, she didn't NEED her father, or her siblings.

But she did. And she knew it by the emptiness that was in her soul. A noise from the surroundings caused her sandaled feet to pause in her footsteps. Her eyes sharpened as the forest about came alive with baying noises and cackling. Vengeful spirits of misery and delight, they came about until they had surrounded her, and Raia was alone with lightning and thunder.

"A warrior's heart never must stray from it's path, or it will only give rise to abomination." She muttered to herself in rebuke. In her desire to end her loneliness, had these spirits been drawn out at her calling? Were they to slay and feast on her flesh here?

No such extra thoughts ran through Raia as lightning was clutched in her hands in a sizzling and screaming fire of bluish light. She didn't need others. She didn't need these foes to accompany her.
But she would enjoy greatly the struggle with them, for it had been far too long since she had such a challenge.

The fierceness in her eyes, and the sizzling energy that caused her hair to flutter in the air seemed to illuminate the very souls of the creatures in their dark eyes. The trees about seemed to draw back, and even the clouded sky above rumbled and boomed as Thunder joined the battle with his signal of duty.
And Raia turned and struck the creatures with lightning blows that echoed as thunder rang out with every attack.
It was a long and tumultuous fight, but Raia struck down every one of the creatures before her, standing in the carnage as lightning still howled and writhed in her grip.

Battle. She breathed out and wiped the sweat from her face. She was fulfilled in the combat, and with the struggle and exertion, she felt like she was again whole. She was Raia, daughter of the All-Father, and she was better than any of her siblings at the ways of war and battle.
She climbed the mountain and looked out over the vast countryside. Yes. This was peaceful too, but it was only like that on the surface. Underneath it, it too cried out for fulfillment and for change. It cried for someone's acknowledgment, like lightning and thunder had to her before. Like her heart had since she had awoken, strewn on the grass.

The rain did not bother her, as Raia looked out over the lands. The small villages and hamlets that dotted the countryside also called out to her, and she called out to him, holding lightning aloft.

She would bring them war, and with war they would become strong of heart. With Raia they would be terrifying and yet humble. They would not be lonely in their struggles, because they always would have each other, and they always would have their foes before them. Yes.

Raia called the Tumi to her, and arrayed about her, their grim features and the simple weapons they held seemed only even more ominous. And the maiden who held lightning and called thunder pointed forwards into the valley, and the Tumi descended with her before them to conquer.

[hi-mi-tsu]

The birds had been quite a feat. Imagining an entire other world behind a mirror, with sunlight and flowers and life...Torment had broken the mirror, but all that had done was let a sliver of the mirror world into the real one. And he couldn't get through it...she wouldn't let him. In fact, he couldn't even touch her, now, though she couldn't escape, either...except into her own head.

Though what was inside her head wasn't staying inside, not exactly. Piles of withered grass lay spread about her, over the sand she'd created when imagining the ocean; here and there, damp pools of salty water played host to tiny shrimp, the only life that could live in the cold and the dark, off of the algae that grew in the stone's cracks. Every so often she would fish one out, just...holding it, for a while. After all, aside from the mirrorbirds--and not even she could touch those--the shrimp were the only things in this prison that didn't hate her.

Scriiiiiiitch came a sound from outside, a terrible sound; Calantha's hands flew to her ears, and in their rising burst forth a flock of brightly-colored songbirds--birds only Calantha could see or hear. Even their constant musical stylings could not keep the sound from coming through again, and again...

Torment growled, and left the prison Calantha was held in; the girl locked eyes with Agony, who was still cupping her hands over her ears. The legless demigoddess was trembling, and in those eyes was fear, primal, terrified; the helpless fear of a trapped creature. And Calantha could feel it too, around her, though for some reason it left her mostly untouched...there was a pressure in the air, a building maelstrom of fear and rage, and she didn't like it. She didn't like it, she didn't like it at all, she didn't like what was happening...

And curiously enough, she felt...pity, for the terrified creature in front of her. Calantha had never been cruel to anyone in her life, and seeing Agony's panic-filled eyes stirred up feelings of sorrow, and a desire to comfort. She began crawling towards the other woman--if "woman" she could truly be called--and reached out a hand to touch Agony's hair.

"Hey...hey don't, it's going to be okay, I promise..." Though she couldn't say how, since things very much did not feel okay.

Agony jerked away from that touch, and those beautiful eyes widened; there was no pain now, just fear, and the creature began to tear at herself with her own sharpened nails. Calantha screamed, jerking away; blood flowed, and turned into brightly-colored red silk, as the young goddess willed away what was happening in front of her. The silks piled up, ever-growing, around Agony...and if one listened, it almost seemed as if the creature were keening, a high whining sound building in her throat that could not escape.

"Oh no, no no, no no no NO! I don't want this, I don't like it, Daddy, Aldric, no no no..."

The girl babbled to herself, delirious, as the pile slowed its growth, then stopped completely; after a moment, she reached in with shaking hands, and pulled out a doll Agony, body rent and torn. The pile of silk collapsed in on itself, without Agony's body to support it; Calantha couldn't deal with the death, and so had made the failed demigoddess an Agony-sized patchwork creation instead of an Agony-sized Agony. Needle and thread appeared out of nowhere, and Calantha began stuffing the silk back into the body, rocking slightly and murmuring "It's okay it's all okay, I'm gonna fix you right up, you'll see..."

[Nefarion Xid]

The thunderous ringing of steel echoed throughout the northern mountains as Fear and Torment battled on the castle ramparts. A miss from their mighty weapons sundered whole sections of the wall and a block rattled the bones of both attacker and defender. Torment's axe was in a sorry shape with a dozen wedges cut deep in the blade. Each time Aldric hammered down on him with his scythe, the razor sharp tip came closer to his throat as more and more of the axe was chipped away.

"Who gave you that pretty wound, Torment? Looks like someone took your head clean off!"

*CLANG*

"But they stitched you up fine..."

*CLANG*

"Who would want to do a thing like that?"

*CLANG*

"I wonder what would happen if I just pulled on those stitches..."

Hot tears stung Torment's eyes for the first time in his life. For the first time, he was afraid and helpless. He knew he was going to die. Panicking, he swung wide and connected with Aldric's scythe, ripping it from his hands and throwing it over the ramparts to clatter on the rocks below. With a feral yell and a follow up strike, his axe sunk in to Aldric's shoulder and down into his chest. Aldric's eyes rolled back in his head and he dissolved into a shadowy mist. His coat crumpled to the ground where he stood.

Torment wrinkled his brow, baffled as his strange turn of luck and at first disbelieving. Elation tugged at the corners of his mouth and soon formed a wide demonic grin. He kicked at the coat and leaned over the wall to see Aldric's scythe still among the rocks below.

"Ah... aaah... ah-ha-ha-ha-HA!" He giggled deliriously and allowed himself a little dance on the spot. His own laughter was quickly overpowered by the drunken cackling just behind him. He turned to see Aldric propped against the crenellation, mocking him. All the hope fled his body and his limbs suddenly grew so weak his axe slipped from his grasp. He dared one glance down to the axe before his eyes met Aldric's and he turned to flee, sniveling and gasping for breath, though it felt no amount of air would ever fill his lungs fully again. Wobbly legged he stumbled down the length of the wall and to the stairs. Aldric cackled still, following steps behind. Between surges of laughter, Aldric called out to him and actually encouraged him, but he did not hear. On the stairs his legs failed him completely and he stumbled forth, barely catching himself and slinking down the remaining steps. Grasping at the earth he pulled himself forward a matter of inches at a time. Aldric grabbed hold of his boot and tugged him backwards, erasing all his efforts. Then flipping him over on his back, Aldric leaned down and forced Torment's eyes to meet his again.

"I told you I wasn't going to kill you..."

Several seconds of incoherent wailing followed between hyperventilated squeaks. Torment summoned up his remaining strength, grasped the stitches at his neck with his fingers and pulled them all out with one swift yank. As Aldric had theorized, the bit of string was all that had been keeping his head on his shoulders.

Aldric leisurely stretched and took the time to retie his hair into a proper ponytail before walking up the steps to fetch his coat. The forgotten Despair was banished to the nether for when he needed it next and immediately the sky began to brighten. Then, as if struck, he remembered the real reason he was here and ran down to the castle's dungeon with all possible speed, calling out for his sister.

"Callie!!"

[Raz_Fox]

The door opened, and the All-Father looked down on his son - the scars from his perilous journey, the dirt and the ash upon his clothing - and he saw what his son had become. And he smiled again, pleased at what his son had achieved.

"Welcome to my hall, Garadiel Death-Master. You have done well in completing your test; the power that was your birthright you have earned through blood and hardship.

Though I saw your fall in the forests of the east, and I mourned for the death of one of my scions, you have learned a truth in the paths of the dead: there is always a way. You lived by that, but you did not truly understand until you were forced through the fire.

Come - sit at my table, sate your hunger, for unless I am wrong you have had neither water nor bread for nigh a year, for time does not always obey my eldest in the paths of the dead."

[White Blade]

"Its good to see you Dad," Garadiel replied, accepting his father's greeting. A bright smile is on his face, "Yes, food. Food is good," he said after a brief pause. Then he went into his father's house and rested awhile, telling him of all the things he had seen in the land of the dead.

[Kasanip]

Raia
Raia stood before the peoples of the valley named Toukoku, whom she had gathered under force of arms and challenge. Together they had become a unified people, raised up from the weak and divided, leaderless humans they had before. Now they were more upright, focused, and because of it- prosperous.

It had been only a short time since the Tumi had come at Raia's beckoning, and she had led them amongst the clans and villages, unifying them with words or challenge- and once in feat of arms. But they had learned Raia's name and nature, and her word was both law and justice. She was upright and unwavering, and so though easily she could have become a dictator, slowly she won their loyalty and admiration.

Now in these days there lay a mountain inhabited by the goblin-peoples known as Tengu, who had descended on occasion to the people of the valley and raided them - stealing food or children for their own. Also united under a great leader, they had become strong over the years. Raia's arrival had changed the balance of the region, for they used to draw tribute and placation from some of the villages, and when it was not coming, they drew up their banners and beat their drums angrily from the mountain.
Hearing this, the villagers soon sent word to Raia and explained to her the ancient oaths and the ones upon the mountain.

"Tengu, they are called milady." One had said, prostrated before her in reverence as Raia cast her gaze upon the mountain. "They are skilled in the brandishing of weapons and fighting ways. Our people have lived in fear and terror of them for as long as we can remember."

"No longer. They mean to give battle with me, Raia, daughter of the all-Father and whom none is more skilled in the ways of War." Raia replied. She drew from the villages the strong and able by declaration, and assembled before her with the Tumi, she trained them to use spear and shield, bow and arrow and in all the warrior ways. If only for a short several days did Raia train them, and yet mastery came quickly, and they placed their faith and loyalty completely in Raia as she commanded them alongside the Tumi.

So it was that the Tengu descended from the mountains upon assembling their host several thousand strong, beating their drums and crying out with terrible voices.

But Raia's host of Tumi and Human alike met them upon the valley before the villages, and for a moment they stood in silence. The Tengu were confused before this new host, for they had never seen the humans resist in such a way. Yet their general, the Great Tengu, was wily and firm of spirit, and he commanded the drums be sounded and the attack started.

In this time, the workings of bronze and such things were a rarity in the world at large, and yet the Tengu were devious and wily with such crafts having spied often from their lairs upon the mountains the workings of Eridi, and only from their pride and arrogance had they not presented before him. Instead they stole away what they could and fashioned their weapons grimly in their own ways.

So it was that they cried out with angry voice and beat the drums. But Raia lifted her hand and lightning came to her beckoning and shrieked and flashed. Thunder boomed loudly and drowned out the drums, and some of the Tengu fell silent in fear.

The Great Tengu General raised his sword and commanded the host to act, for he saw the wavering spirits and desired to renew them. The Tengu came forward like a wave, and so the humans and Tumi met them at Raia's command as the goddess herself came into the battle, lightning in hand and thunder above.

Through the battle she charged unstoppable, slaying all who would stand before her, and yet she was there at a villager's side when he fell injured, or with a Tumi when he struck down his foe. And at last, Raia was there before the Great Tengu himself, her robes stained dark red with blood. Before the fierce gaze in her eyes the tengu felt his battle energy leave him, for the spirit of war was standing against him, and he could barely keep his sword in his hand.

But anger and rage against desperation filled him, and he threw himself at her with raised sword. Raia wielded lightning and accepted his challenge, meeting him in clash and clash and clash. Soon they had passed 1000 strikes, and the battle about them had slowed to a stop as both Tengu and human alike watched on the martial feat.

The wily Great Tengu, feeling his strength weaken, knew he could not win with weapon, and so he threw down his sword and raised the talon-fists to challenge Raia. And Raia, who had wrestled lightning and thunder and never was one to refuse a challenge, accepted, and lightning flashed overhead with thunder to watch also as she stood before him.

Seeing his chance, for Raia was as a human with no talon or blade, the Great Tengu leaped forward and Raia met him with frightening grip as they wrestled. And for some time did this happen, until Raia threw her foe to the ground and tore his left claw from his arm, at last pinning him and bringing the Tengu's squawking cries of submission.

And so the Tengu war was ended, and Raia's army, having surrounded the survivors now held them prisoner. The Great Tengu general, being defeated, sat before Raia who turned her sharp eyes upon him.

"Your strength was great, Tengu King. But you cannot win against the Goddess of War. And now as a victor to the defeated, I place before you two choices. Submit and swear and oath of loyalty to me, of all your blood and line, and I will spare you and indeed I will give you a place of honor worthy in recognition beside me. Refuse, and I will spare you not from the blade, and all your great warriors will die here beside you, and your people will become hunted and broken like water on cliff - never to rise again to glory."

The Great Tengu bowed his head to her in submission, and his blade was brought forward and offered to her as his earnestness in surrender. Raia accepted it, and deeming that as a weapon it was like no other she had seen, she took it justly, and wore it at her side- the great Tengu Blade Testuzou.
True to her word and theirs, the Tengu were bound by oath to Raia like the Tumi, and their Mountain home was named Kuzan - the home of the Warrior Tengu. In the future there would be many more battles, for the tengu were a divided and scattered race, and it was this clan now named 'Kuzan' that was loyal to Raia, and for this and their brotherhood with the humans of Toukoku and Tumi of Aptokim, they became a strong and peerless amongst the tengu.

And now Raia stood upon the air itself as she looked down at her work. The valley of Toukoku lay now between the two mountains of Kuzan and Aptokim, and flanked with the barrier mountains it was well guarded, and prospered in it's isolation. Here she had made her own domain of the fierce, the strong, and skilled in war. At her hand lightning came and illuminated the sword she had taken as her own. Behind her thunder boomed to announce her if she desired it, and her robes had been dyed in her struggles.

But she was unmatched. None could dispute her strength in arms, and though she knew many more had yet to hear and try, she would always look forward to the challenge.
A feeling of satisfaction came to her, and now Raia looked to the East and West, wondering again after her siblings and father. Surely she had earned her birthright now. And so Raia also prepared to present herself before her father and her brothers and sisters.



Raia's accomplishment/actions:
1) Subdued Lightning and Thunder to obey her command.
2) Created and unified Realm-

Aptokim - The mountain of thunder and lightning, where the Tumi (the transformed 'oni' who serve Raia) live.
Toukoku - The valley that lies between Aptokim and Kuzan, where the people of Raia live and flourish.
Kuzan - The mountain of the Kuzan Tengu-the tengu most skilled in combat, which is at the other end of the valley from Aptokim.
Tetsuzou-The Great Tengu sword, claimed by Raia in victory (and is now the totem for this realm).
[

[hi-mi-tsu]

"Callie!"

No. No, they'd played this trick on her before. To have him call, and then not be there...they'd done it before, more than once, and this time she wouldn't fall for it! She wouldn't fall for the falseness, she wouldn't, he wasn't real, there was a monster outside the door that scraped his claws on stone and if she was just quieter than a mouse it would pass her by...

When Aldric arrived at the door to Calantha's prison, he would find a wild-eyed girl with a halo of multicolored hair and eyes that were two different shades; one was Calantha's purple, the other a vibrant red. The girl was thin, and pale, streaked with blood she was deliberately not seeing; there were pools of it on the floor, intermingled with the red silk of the scarves, and she was clutching a patchwork Agony to her chest. The silhouette at the door made her scream, and bury her face in that doll, clutching it even tighter.

"No no no go away go away I didn't do anything to you you're not my brother you're a lie and a monster go away go away!"

[Earl of Purple]

Phromm

Phromm had his back to a metaphorical wall. It was, in actuallity, a nigh-vertical cliff, several hundred feet to the bottom. The Father of the Mountains sniffed, then roared. The sound would have permanently deafened a mortal man, but Phromm was no mortal man. Instead, Phromm tossed his flint axe aside and started to change.

Phromm grew claws, and he grew slightly, getting bulkier and more muscular, and Phromm roared back. The Father of the Mountains, the largest bugbear alive, reared onto his back legs, lurched forwards and swung his claws in front of him. Phromm, instead of being eviscerated, he ducked under the claws and leaped towards the uber-ursine's throat. At the Mountain-Father's throat, Phromm manuevered himself to the back of the neck where the gigantic grizzly could not reach and started clawing and tearing away at the hide. Unfortunately for Phromm, the skin there was the thickest on the entire animal and it was nigh-impossible to break through. So Phromm changed tactics.

Phromm clambered up onto the shoulders of the Mountain Father and tore at the face of the colossal creature, taking out an eye quickly. This position, however, has downsides. Namely, the Father of the Mountains can reach it, and Phromm is easily swatted off. This time, the Father advances on all fours, stopping to swipe occasionally. Phromm waits until the Mountain Father swipes before diving and rolling under the forelegs of this massive monster. Now underneath the Father of the Mountains, Phromm grabs some fur with one hand and starts punching and clawing at the ribcage with the other, even after his impromptu steed rears. Phromm clung to the hair with one hand and both of his feet, which had been adapted to the job. So tenaciously did the blood-mad demi-diety dangle that the Mountain Father was incapable of removing him, no matter what this most monstrous of bears did.

Eventually, with his belly covered in wounds and injuries, the Mountain Father collapses. Unfortunately, Phromm, mad for blood and insensible to outside concerns did not notice until he was pinned against the floor by the multi-ton bear's body. It took him four days to crawl out from under the dead beast, by which time scavangers had taken their fill and some of the bones where showing, and Phromm chose to honour his deceased adversary; it was truly a savage predator and a worthy opponant. The Father of the Mountains's skull was placed on a cairn at the top of the nearest tall peak as a monument, and one of the bones from his left foreleg was crudely shaped into a staff.

It was another six days before Phromm made it back to the camp of the Mountain People, three days before the full moon marked the time they left. Seeing him and his bugbear bone staff, they recognised him as a son of the All-Father and rose a menhir to mark the occasion.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric's eyes gazed overlong at the ripped and torn Agony doll in Calantha's arms. He guessed her fate correctly. His first thought was of relief, at least he wouldn't have to fight her too. Quickly his mind turned to regret and longing. She had been fair once and Aldric had looked upon her fondly. He wished desperately that he could go back and convince her not to go. But there was no changing things, and that thought rested heavily on his heart. Perhaps she'd died as an abomination without any goodness to her at all, but perhaps she too had regrets as horror crept into her mind and eventually claimed her. At least, she was at peace now and eternally preserved as an innocuous patchwork doll.

Shaking off his sudden daze he tore his eyes from Agony and went to his sister, stepping over the conjured tide pools and marine life on the way. Tears filled his eyes and he choked out the words, praying to his father that he wasn't the cause of her madness as well, "Callie! Please it's me... it's Aldric! Sweetheart, please... I'd never hurt you."

Sinking to his knees, he stripped himself of his regal black coat and leather gloves. Beneath his finery he was simple, pale and comely. "I'm your brother, Callie. Please, you know it's me. I'm not a monster..."

He lied. After what he'd done to Rafa and Tarik, he couldn't be sure any more. Calantha's love was the only thing that mattered to him any more. Simple and sweet, ignorant to his dark deeds, she'd always loved him.

When Calantha still shirked away from him, he produced from his coat pocket a vial of clove oil and dotted it on his wrist. He anointed himself with it almost daily and brushed it through his hair due to the subtle, yet incredibly alluring scent. Calantha knew how the scent hung strongest on his wavy ponytail and filled the air every time he turned his head. He offered over his perfumed arm and waited with bated breath.

[hi-mi-tsu]

Smell. One of the most powerful triggers of the human mind, a whiff of a familiar scent can instantly transport us back to the place we first smelled it. Vanilla tobacco invoking memories of your father seated in his easy chair, flowers reminding you of your mother's perfume...

In this case, clove oil, bringing back the memory of her brother, before all this happened. Her brother, who laughingly endured her prattling for hours on end, who played with her when everyone else was bored, who took care of her and loved her always. None of the fakes had had that scent; Agony and Torment didn't know about it, and she'd learned. None of them smelled the way her brother really did.

It was like swimming up from the depths of a murky ocean; most of the madness and fear cleared itself from the girl's eyes, though the delirium lurked. It always lurked. Around her, to her, it was as if the sun had come out, and they were back in the field; she set the doll carefully aside, then flung herself into her brother's arms, and in her sunshine and brightness world birds burst into tumultuous song.

"Oh, Aldric! I knew you'd come, I just knew, they said you'd never come for me..."

Her voice bore layers of inflection; underneath the innocent happiness lay madness, hanging on the edges of the words. It was enough to muddle the mind, a bit, enough to make you think for a moment that you were hearing a song, or a storm, before shaking it off...

"Look, look I saved it for you!" The girl reached back and pulled a wilted purple flower from beside one of the salty pools; it was unlike any flower this world held, a twisted star of a thing with petals that ended in corkscrews, something she'd imagined in the darkness. She tucked it behind Aldric's ear, smiling the wide, bright smile that carried a hint of lunacy in its curves.

"There, now you look like you again."

Sobering a little, the young woman glanced around, and shivered; the coldness of the stone was seeping through her world, and suddenly she didn't want to be here any more. She didn't like it here, not one bit, she wanted to be home...

Though, deep in her heart, she didn't know if she would ever look at it as a real home again.

She pushed away from her brother a little and scooped up the Agony doll, thrusting it at her brother. "Here, you hold her, I can't hold her now, I have to hold you..." And from behind her, she picked up her Aldric doll, much smaller than the actual thing of course, clinging to it with one hand and her brother with the other.

"I don't want to be here any more, Aldric...take us away...please...."

[Carden]

The boat Eridi stood before was simple, yet elegant. It could carry everything he would need for such a long journey as he was about to undertake, he had even built enough cargo room for his new items, the reason for his journey. He had taken Noss back to the village he had gotten her from the day prior, because, honestly, he didn't know if he'd ever come back. "No," he thought aloud, "when Father sees the anvil, even if he discounts my skill with the tools and this boat, he'll be sure to grant me my birthright. These are the proof of my craftsmanship, proof I have what it takes to make the best things, to improve even on those he made. Yes, not even he could find a fault with that anvil, as perfectly as it was made."

It had taken him a couple of days to awaken from his tribunal with the anvil. His hand still ached, and would for many weeks now, but that was little compared to what stood before him. No blood remained on the anvil, not a drop. The top glowed like the metal that would be put to test on top of it, but it felt just as cool as it normally would have. It was his blood that had done this, he knew that much; his blood, pounded in to the metal, that had made it greater than he had ever hoped. With the realization that this was the best thing he had ever made, arguably better than the god-steel anvil back in the Uttermost East, he had set out to show his proof of divinity.

It had taken him a few months to build the boat, something small enough that it would only need him to man it. It was perfectly shaped, not one board out of line. It, too, was a part of his proof, a part of his divinity. He had christened her the "Vessel of Ascendancy," a hopeful name of the journey for which she was designed.

Sighing, he climbed aboard. All his things were loaded below, including a month's worth of food. If that runs out, I'll have to use some of the spare supplies to make fishing gear. Getting more and more exasperated at that thought, he continued aloud, "Father, please don't have sent me too far. I've never felt you so small before, but hopefully this boat won't rot before I find you." Knowing that this boat wouldn't rot for at least a decade consoled him some, but he still had worries about how much food he had been able to gather for the journey. Knowing he couldn't do anything about it, he pushed off and started on his journey home.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric hugged his little sister for as long as she let him, his tears filling up his eyes and spilling over with his head tucked over her shoulder; he didn't want her to see him cry. His mind was racked with concern for her and the lingering suspicion that he was the cause of all of this. He wiped his eyes clear out of her vision.

The flower tucked behind his ear made him absolutely melt and he wore it proudly for quite some time.

He initially recoiled at the offer of the Agony doll, but he hesitantly accepted and dismissed the macabre thing into the nether for safekeeping. Callie couldn't be offended by that, she knew things always came out safe from wherever it was her brother was constantly stashing things; they always came out okay.

"I'd like that, Callie. Let's go home and see Father..."

For the first time in his life, he genuinely wanted to be in his Father's hall, safely removed from the vicious world. He held his sister's hand tight and summoned Despair into his free hand. With a flick of his wrist, the dark blade sliced through the air and left a glimmering image of the door to his Father's great house framed in shadow. He gave his sister a brave, if wan smile and stepped through the portal with her.

[White Blade]

Garadiel felt a terrible, malevolent aura outside the Palace. It stunk of blasphemy and death, of horrid forbidden things, it felt as if it was trying to swallow the sun, even here in the place where it rose. He lifted the staff he had won in the realm of the dead and gripped it tightly, holding it close to his chest. Another aura, beneath the terrible one, sung of madness and joy, a sad call, like a siren's in mourning, beautiful and full as it was terrible and broken.

He rushed outside and saw Aldric holding a weapon that he couldn't even describe and Calantha giving off the mad aura and uttered the words, "Is this your ascendancy, Aldric? Did you make that abomination and torture our sister with it? I thought you loved her at least, even if you thought so little of the rest of us. I didn't think you would turn on her!" Garadiel was anxious to attack and save Calantha but he was waiting for his father. Aldric had always been a little creepy, but that weapon was terrifying.

[hi-mi-tsu]

"Is this your ascendancy, Aldric? Did you make that abomination and torture our sister with it? I thought you loved her at least, even if you thought so little of the rest of us. I didn't think you would turn on her!"

"W-what...?" Calantha--Delirium--stared at her half-brother in shock, and a rising anger. She had never had a quarrel with her elder brother, but now, now he was a demon, cruel and slavering, he wanted to tear her away from Aldric with his cruel claws and eat her heart...!

"NO!" Her cry rang through the hall, and stone cracked at Garadiel's feet, turning in an instant to sand; Calantha twisted, clinging desperately to Aldric.

"You, you are a monster, demon like the others that is what you are, you can't have my heart I will not give it up! They tried to take it they were mean and cruel and he saved me but now you're here and you want to take me back to that place that horrible place I won't go!"

The sand grew higher, rising to Garadiel's mid-thigh, and the girl buried her face in Aldric's shoulder as she began to weep. And each tear descended from her face a scorpion, who gravitated towards the expanding sand-pit in the hall; of course, Garadiel was not actually a demon, but in her mind's eye he was one, hunting her, trying to take her from her beloved brother once more.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric ran his fingers through his sister's hair, gently crushed her face into his chest and rested his chin on her crown. He looked across the way to Garadiel with sad eyes and silently begged him to understand; he didn't want to explain it in front of her. His scythe vanished as if choked out of existence by a whorl of shadows and he wrapped both arms around Calantha to soothe her. Instantly the world seemed a better place.

He cooed into her ear, "Callie, we're back at Father's hall. Nothing can hurt you here and no one is trying to take you away from me. Garadiel's come to welcome us home."

His sister's terrified projections subsided quickly; the magic of Rognir's Hall would not allow such alterations to persist. He turned Calantha's head to see Garadiel again, this time hopefully with clear eyes.

"Are we the first to return then, Garadiel? It has been a difficult experience... I should love to see the others. And Father..."

He averted his eyes for he knew he'd soon have to face his father's judgement. He'd failed to keep sweet Calantha safe from harm and he had forged a terrible weapon with knowledge expressly forbidden. A stern lecture was the least of Aldric's worries. He swallowed hard and prepared for the worst. If he guessed correctly, Calantha would remain here under father's supervision while he would surely be banished.

[Jair Barik]

Nara sat deep in meditation at the foot of the tree. The forests did not need his care but he knew that what he was doing helped them greatly and who knows what the future may hold for nature? He would keep his promise to the forests, of that he was certain. And yet as he sat meditating he gradually became aware of something sitting at the edge of his peripheral vision. He slowly turned his head and saw a piece of cloak blowing in the wind, hooked to a twig on the end of the branch. It was bloodied.

"The forests cannot hold me Nara..."
Nara sighed. He could not tell if he was dreaming again or wether Orgo was strong enough to confront him in his waking hours now.
"What have you done? This cloak seems strangely familiar. I remember it from before... Who have you killed?"
The laughter came from behind him now. "A Godling Nara. A traveller lost and alone, unable to defend himself from stalking beasts."
Nara sighed. He could kill the beast... but what would that accomplish? He would be breaking his vow to the forest, he would be abandoning the family of Gods... No. The beast would live, he would not fall to anger and bloodlust in a single moment of rage.
"Garadiel. You have killed him haven't you?" He could feel Orgos smile grow.
"Of course. Now do you see the futility of a prison such as this Nara? The forests cannot hold me back! Mortals and Godlings alike will visit them and then they shall die at my hand. You cannot stop me Nara. Abandon this foolish game. let me roam free as I so choose!"
Nara smiled. "Your arguement is flawed Orgo. The prison works if you cannot hunt outside the forests bounds. Though I mourn the loss of my brother within my heart I will not allow you any greater freedom than that which I give you now."
Orgo roared in anger, a great primal fury that echoed across the entire length and breadth of the forest sending animals into hiding and travellers fleeing from the sound of the beast. Nara sat unmoved in his meditation.
"You will need to try better than that Orgo. I am not the man I once was. If you desire you freedom it will not be won through a show of force."
With that nara closed his eyes and slept.

Orgo stalked out of the clearing and headed towards the firest edge, knowing full well he would be unable to leave, but with a smile upon his face.
"There is more than one way to escape a cage Nara. If I cannot force my way out... well, all the worse for the rest of the world."

[White Blade]

The look on Garadiel's face as he realized what had actually happened looked rather like he'd been kicked in the face. Now that the scythe was gone, no longer stinking of looming death and darkness, he felt rather terribly stupid and ashamed. Of course Aldric hadn't hurt Calantha. Aldric wasn't generally a kind or loving person, but that didn't mean there weren't lines even he wouldn't cross.

And who were "they"? Because there was a great deal Garadiel wished to do to "they". Though he suspected that Aldric had already done worse than what he could think of. It didn't matter. Garadiel felt terrible and no thoughts of vengeance were a soothe to his own aching shame for distrusting his brother so and, more over (because Garadiel had never liked Aldric), that he had terrified his sister so.

"Yes, I'm here to welcome you to Father's hall Calantha. I apologize I have... Anyway," Garadiel said, restraining himself from making some excuse like, 'I was dead,' for his failure to arrive and help Calantha it wouldn't do any good for Calantha now, "Yes, you've gotten here before everyone but me. And I used... something of a short cut. Come, lets go see Father." He said, leading the way so that his siblings couldn't see the shame in his eyes.

[Raz_Fox]

There is a room in the house at the end of the world where it is always night. The garden stands open to the sky, and the bright stars wheeling above provide the only illumination. Here, the All-Father watches the spirits of the heavens, listening to their tales of mortal woe and tumult, of joy and sorrow and life.

He does not come here often anymore. Once, when he was young - but no longer. But here he stands, when his children find him, looking up at the stars with his back turned to them.

He hears the door open, and he lets his perceptions envelop those that enter. Garadiel - and Aldric, and Calantha. He tastes the sharp taste of fear on his tongue, and he knows his son has become a man. He hears the screams of torture, and the laughter of the mad, and he knows that his daughter is lost to him.

And for a moment, as they enter the room, asking him to turn and greet them, he lowers his head and his eye closes. He stands in silence for a moment, for that is all he can do.

Then he turns to see his sons and his mad daughter. "And so my children return to me. Pray, Aldric, tell me of your exploits, of your deeds and your sufferings. Pray tell me why my youngest daughter sees with the eyes of the oracle touched." And there is challenge flashing in his face - anger, with sorrow intertwined.

"Tell me."

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric stepped forward and kneeled before Rognir. Stripped of his fine clothing and terrible scythe, he looked and felt rather like a child again. He could not meet his father's gaze as he spoke. The words came out haltingly and strained, as if he'd taken a blow to the gut.

"Has my Father's vision dulled in his venerable age? Does not his eye still pierce the heavens? Or does not my Father see what lies in Shadow?"

He gritted his teeth as if preparing to be struck for his insolent speech. But, he had to know if his Father was ignorant of his horrible tale... or if he had only been unwilling or unable to intercede on Calantha's behalf.

"Rafa and Tarik!" he barked. "Your blood, like all of us! They did this to her."

His chest heaved and his knuckles turned white.

"I defied you, I know... I forged the Blade of Despair and I uttered the Dark Speech and it was by my actions that your son and daughter were slain. I embrace whatever punishment you have for my crimes. Know only that I did it all to save her."

At last he turned his head up and met his father's eye.

[Raz_Fox]

Rognir's eye does not blaze with fury, nor with sorrow, but his gaze seems to pierce Aldric's heart with its intensity. Under the starlight, his face is cast in shadow, and his expression has become inscrutable. Like a locked door of stone, barring the way.

"You speak truth - you defied my laws, placed in the age before your birth. The Speech was never meant for your knowledge, much less your tongue; if you had asked me before your ill-fated action, I would have warned you of the danger. Your words invoked that which was before, risking the destruction of all that is and that will be for a rash gamble, and for this there must be punishment.

Moreover, you have defied my direct order - did I not say that those of my blood were sacrosanct, and were not Rafa and Tarik of my seed? You judged that my words were not of enough consequence to obey, and took action directly against my will. Furthermore, you mock your father in his own household! For this, it would be just to strike you down before the threshold, and leave you for the crows. And yet - and yet."

He steps past Aldric, looking down at Calantha. Her dual eyes dance as she sees her father, and he looks past the seething chaos of her mind, looks deeply, lays his hand upon her shoulder. "Good may still come of ill. Had you come alone, Elm's child, know that this day would have been your last on the earth.

You saved your sister from death, and slew two who had deviated from my will. The world is brighter for your actions, and though your actions were against my will, your heart is yet unblemished. Hope does not die. And yet - and yet."

He turns again, walks past Aldric into the garden, looks up at the stars, and they shift as he speaks. "Every action has a consequence, son of mine. This Doom I lay upon you - to atone for the blood of Rafa and Tarik, which cries out on the earth to be avenged, you shall be the guardian of my line until the world's ending; you shall feel the pain of every wound you did not prevent, and your blood shall be shed in their place. You shall be their shield, until the sky burns and this house sinks beneath the waves. Power over mortalkind you shall deny, and the wealth they offer as well; you have chosen love, and that must be enough.

The Fall of the corpse of mighty A'gap has crept ever closer by your dark words, of the invocation of that which was before. I have seen what comes, and it is terrible. This Doom I lay upon you, that in that day - and no other - you shall fall before the spears of They Who Wait Beyond, and in the action complete your guardianship of my blood. There can be no turning aside from your fate, for the stars themselves shall remember my words. Until that day, you shall wander upon the earth, unable to rest.

These are my words, Fear-thane. Uttered before the stars, inviolate until the day all ends. Now leave this house, and know that you cannot return but in the company of your beloved. These are the words of the All-Father - begone!

[hi-mi-tsu]

This...this was all too much. First...Aldric admitting to having a hand in the slaying of the two who captured her but how? How could he have? He was nowhere near when Agony had started...started...

The girl's mind shied violently away from what had happened, in her cell; she clutched her brother's likeness to her chest, opposite-colored eyes staring at her father in shock as he pronounced his Doom upon her brother, and with every word he grew taller, and smoke and flame poured from his eyes and from his mouth, and his tongue was likened to the hissing of snakes. The final words were as a death knell, a gong that exploded inside her mind, and she screamed. This creature, this monster that sought to tear her from her brother, this was not her Father!

She collapsed to her knees, then crawled to her brother, clinging to him desperately; her tears were a trail of fire and broken-winged birds, singing sweet agony as they were consumed by flame.

"No! You can't, you can't do this, you can't and I won't let you!"

Suddenly shoving herself to her feet, she glares at this demon--her Father, though she cannot see it--meeting his eyes of smoke and fury full-on, and when she speaks her voice is layered with madness and sanity and fury and bone-deep anguish.

"I knew, I knew when I saw her tearing herself apart, I knew there was danger and I knew I was going to be next. But he, he saved me, saved me from them, and now you seek to punish him, to make him endure all pain, you seek to take him from me!"

She trembled, fingers on her brother's hair, and behind her the broken birds--real, not imagined--rose their voices in a jangling, unsettling chorus.

"Will you punish me then, Father? Forever banish me from your Halls, for my unwilling participation? You seek to wound me deeper, deeper than they did, you seek to take him forever..."

Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she lowered herself to her knees beside her brother; her fingers curled around his, clinging tightly to them.

"If you banish him, you banish me. Condemn him to pain, and I will share it. Condemn him to death at the end of all things, and I...I will bear the spears in my flesh. He will not bear alone the torment you give him for saving my life. I know I am flawed, I am mad...you say he cannot return here without me, and I cannot be without him, and we will never return here, if you banish us."

Her tears fell fast, and thick; no fire now, nor birds, just icy droplets, sliding down her cheeks and tinkling as they broke on the stone floor in front of her. She was trembling more violently now, the hands she had wrapped around her brother's fluttering like leaves in a strong wind; defiance was fading, replaced with pain. Here she was to be safe...here instead she was confronted with evil and madness more permanent than anything Agony and Torment could have done to her.

[ArlEammon]

Rong Chu Wen - Cursed Blood

Rong Chu Wen looked at the gathering of the crowds in Shona Han. By now, Zhang was split into different Kingdoms. None of them an Empire, even in a small sense. But at least things seemed to be going in direction ever since Shen Zhi Shu was around. Yes. . . Rong remembered the day he murdered her. . Himiko, and the day he was branded a cursed, forever bleeding ever since that day. He stood in the shrine dedicated to Himiko, tiny compared to the Great Shrine in Xiang Jian.

He looked back on that day . . . what was it? Fifty years ago? (GM's discretion) and hated. He had been trying for decades to remove the curse just as Shen Zhi Shu had said. No amount of good deeds or magical spells could remove the pain. But Rong began to wonder if perhaps the real pain didn't come from his head, but from somewhere else. Throwing his thoughts aside, he noticed an old woman in the far off distance carrying an infant and trying to escape with her grand children from criminal thugs.

Rong unsheathed his sword, and he began to go to work. With his magic, a bolt of green energy splattered the skull of one of the murderers in the distance, just after the bandit's sword had met the grandmother's neck. "Curse . . I wasn't in time." by the time Rong had finished the thought, from 100 yards away, three more dead men lie slain by his sword. The final thug turned his back, only to find himself missing several important organs below his chest.

Rong threw the garbage away and turned his sword on himself. . . he was too late. But he couldn't die.

[Raz_Fox]

"Those are not words to be taken lightly, daughter. Not here before the stars." A look of pain crosses his face for a moment, breaking the stone mask - but then it is gone. "What's done is done, inviolate until the day all ends. So be it, if that is your wish."

The All-Father turns his face away from his children. Pain is not something new to him; he has felt it often before. And yet - and yet.

"Fare you well, children of sorrow."

[Nefarion Xid]

"Father!" Aldric screams, still on his hands and knees. The tears had stopped, his face only held a mix of agony and fury.

"She knows not what she says! She is not well; you cannot hold her accountable for her words!"

He springs to his feet and gestures up at his father with a clenched fist. Into his other hand, Despair springs from the shadows. The weapon is held low and there is nothing about his posture that would indicate a readiness to attack; he simply means to use it to depart on his own terms. Whatever fear and reverence he had for his father is gone and his eyes are lit by a fell green flame. What more could be taken from him?

"I knew my crimes and I did not come presuming forgiveness or absolution. Calantha is innocent. I accept my fate, but do not punish her for my hubris. There is no wisdom or love in this..."

The blade of Despair ripped the air and left a portal to some dark and distant place. Where? Aldric did not know. Anywhere but here.

"Calantha... beg your father's forgiveness," he orders, then turns to step through the portal.

[White Blade]

When his brother leaves, Garadiel grabs his wrist for a moment and looks him in the eye. He tilts his head to Calantha and sighs, his face showing clear resignation.

"Brother..." he seems as if he is about to say he is sorry, but thinks better of it, and uttered the blessing his mother gave when he left his little village to seek his father in the east, "May all the roads be easy, though the way ahead is hard. May your foes be far before you and your friends be close at hand. May light shine upon all your paths and darkness hide you in your bed. May every stranger's greeting be peaceful, and every renewed meeting be joyful. May fortune give you favor and take it from your foes."

Then he looks at Calantha and to his father, "Father... he has a point," he says more firmly than he would have before his ascension. There was no sense in punishing Calantha, it wasn't as if banishing her would make any difference than if she simply didn't return home.

[hi-mi-tsu]

"I will not!" Calantha's eyes flashed, and it was as though all of the light in the world flickered and died, for the briefest of moments.

"My father has made his choice, and I will be dutiful and honor it. He chooses to condemn me, who only ever bore him love...so be it." Aldric turned to Garadiel and mouthed 'thank you'; just before he stepped through the portal he'd made, she grabbed hold of his sleeve. Whipping through the frigid coldness between dimensions was distinctly unpleasant, made no more so by the hard and sudden landing on half-frozen tundra. Calantha paid no mind to any of that, though, grabbing her brother by the shoulders and shaking him.

"You see nothing! You are as bad as he, to condemn me to being alone! Do I not love you enough?!? Is that why you sought to abandon me in halls cold as ice, without you?!?"

Releasing her brother, she collapsed onto the tundra, burying her face in her hands and bursting into tears.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric ignored the abrupt change of climate and pulled his sister into his arms as he sank to his knees beside her. His scythe winked out of sight, forgotten.

"It wasn't my choice to make, Callie. Rognir has damned me... I couldn't ask you to share in my suffering. You don't deserve the same fate just because you love me. He could have... " He meant to go on justifying himself, but he'd exhausted his reasons. No matter what his miserable existence, surely it was better than being torn from the only person she wanted in her life. He'd only wanted her to be happy and perhaps she only would be with him. He couldn't deny her this.

"Oh, Callie... I'm so sorry. For everything. I shouldn't have tried to leave you there. You and me, we're a team, right? We're the only ones who understand each other. The others just don't see our genius." He lightly butted heads with her and looked into her eyes while scrunching his nose.

"We'll be all right. No one's going to hurt you and no one is ever going to take you away from me again. Okay? And I'm never going to leave you."

As he sat there with Calantha in the snow, his mind drifted back to his first rebellious, youthful inclinations. More powerful than the pain of losing his father was the dreadful, lingering suspicion that he had been right all those years ago... that the world was not so simple and Rognir's judgement always fair. The day would have weighed less heavily on his heart if he only knew he was wrong.

[Raz_Fox]

The portal in the air closed, and there was silence again in the room of stars. Then, the All-Father speaks, looking up at the heavens. "Leave me, Garadiel. They have made their choice; go, do what you will, but leave your father to his sorrow." And a tremble runs through his body, as if he were shaking like an old man for a moment.

[Kasanip]

Raia

At last Raia had traveled across the great expanse, working back to the realm of her Father. She had passed through many lands, and seen many strange and wondrous sights. But none of them were as magnificent as the sight of the sacred mountains and the home that sat there.
Her home. Or at least, it was her Father's home and the place where she had grown to the goddess she was now.

With the customary respect and announcements, she entered into the domain of her father and presented herself before him, with a bow and upturned eyes as she looked at him.

"Greetings Father. I, your daughter, have returned named and present with my victories and accomplishments. I am Raia now, as the stars and your intentions deemed me to be. I place myself before you now, and should your countenance be willing, I will tell the tales of my deeds in hope that it will please you."

[White Blade]

Garadiel frowns and looks at his father. He considers for a moment whether to stay or to go. Was this one of the moments when his father needed to be alone with his pain? Or when he needed aggressive support? Garadiel lays his hand on his father's shoulder for a brief moment, to let him know that he still had his support, and then leaves. His father had always been a solitary person by nature.

[hi-mi-tsu]

"...It's cold..." Calantha's voice was nearly silent, fingers buried in her brother's shirt; around them, the world shifted, warped, and a patch of temperate spring grew up. Though they were surrounded by ice and snow, a 10-foot bubble all around them was warm, with soft grass and sunshine...

"That's better..." The young woman looked up at her brother again, eyes subdued; grabbing a hand, she laced their fingers together, then looked down again. For a moment, a thin silver chain could be seen, twisting around both wrists, locking them together; then it vanished, and she leaned, exhausted, against her brother's shoulder, eyes still damp with tears.

"You can't ever ever leave me again...not again..." Her voice was tired, and watery, full of pain and sorrow and hurt betrayal. "Father never loved...never loved me, only you loved me and when you go away...bad things happen...the world around me is...is chaos and I can't see, 'm always...always lost...but you...you make sense..."

[Raz_Fox]

Something seemed to be troubling the All-Father - but no, he smiled to see his daughter, extending his hand to her. "Speak, my child. Tell me of what you have done. Though I have heard much from the north wind and the south wind, I would hear it from your own mouth, my daughter. Tell me of your mighty feats and of how you have earned a place in my halls."

[White Blade]

Garadiel was not happy. It was not that his father had done what he had done. Garadiel agreed with those actions, each had been necessary. It was not his siblings actions, though Garadiel thought Calantha's foolish.

Garadiel was not happy because something was dreadfully amiss. He couldn't quiet place it. But there was something wrong in the shadow world where souls walked unhelped. He felt Raia enter his father's realm, heard the pounding of war in his ears, the swift strike of the brave, the courage which his sister had always possessed. He longed to see her, to speak with her, to run to her and hug her and ask her of her journeys and her battles.

But the wrongness stank. It stank in Garadiel's mind, like the light of life was being drawn into its shadow. It was wrongness and perversion. It was defiance of the order of things. So he turned about on the spot and went to the shadow world, emerging through the gate. The Brothers stared at him, they were still throwing people across the gap he saw, he returned the favor for a moment before he plummeted down the mountain's side. He touched the ground like it was feather soft though and like his fall had been mere feet.

He realized, however, that he had left a massive, round crater where he had landed. So obviously it was not quiet as it appeared. Then Garadiel felt it. Wafting through the whole of the shadow land, the stink of magic. Real magic, magic like Father knew, not the cantrips that he practiced. It was a divine magic, powerful enough to clot the sun, if only it knew how to be used. And Garadiel knew one of his siblings was here. Which one, however, he did not know. For all he knew it could be Rafa or Tarik, if they had mastered such powerful magic.

He rushed the Dreary Wastes, praying that the field had put the intruder to sleep. But it had not and amongst the Dreary Wastes Garadiel saw the intruder. He was calling for someone and, to Garadiel's shock, he was very much alive. To his even greater shock, he was Shen Zhi Shu.

"Shen! What are you doing here?" he shouted, trying to keep the edge out of his voice and failing. Shen could disrupt everything if he was too careless. He could even have walked into the Western Abyss if he had been too unlucky.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Garadiel


"Shen! What are you doing here?" he shouted, trying to keep the edge out of his voice and failing. Shen could disrupt everything if he was too careless. He could even have walked into the Western Abyss if he had been too unlucky.

"I don't know. I should be dead." Shen Zhi Shu responded. "Where am I?" Shen Zhi Shu was confused. "Yes, I think that I should be somewhat confused." Shen Zhi Shu thought out loud. "I sacrificed my Heavenly Fire to bring Good to Xiang Jian and yet, I am here, and young again. None of this makes any sense. It is a dangerous thing to confuse a god of wisdom and magic. Garadiel, are you trying to kill me?" Shen's magic seemed to wax and wane in this dark world.

[White Blade]

"Shen... This is the afterlife." Garadiel said, "You're in what I call the Dreary Wastes. Here, the magic that is trying to put you to sleep now is a protection, both against intruders and to put the souls to sleep, to keep the non-psychopomps from accidentally walking into the abyss and destroying themselves. And you aren't dead. If you were dead, well," Garadiel reaches up a hand and lightly grips Shen's shoulder, "I would have just broken your shoulder bone into at least ten pieces, possibly more."

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Garadiel


"Shen... This is the afterlife." Garadiel said, "You're in what I call the Dreary Wastes. Here, the magic that is trying to put you to sleep now is a protection, both against intruders and to put the souls to sleep, to keep the non-psychopomps from accidentally walking into the abyss and destroying themselves. And you aren't dead. If you were dead, well," Garadiel reaches up a hand and lightly grips Shen's shoulder, "I would have just broken your shoulder bone into at least ten pieces, possibly more."

"Ah, I see now. . .Where is Himiko? I need to speak to her now." Shen Zhi Shu was quite eager to finally see Himiko. He wondered how she was doing, what she was doing, how was she feeling, what has happened to Himiko. Shen has never been dead before, neither has Himiko, obviously, but Shen had thought that Himiko had gone to a better place. He knew only passing knowledge of reincarnation, although perhaps he may have had the power to reincarnate some individuals himself.

[White Blade]

Garadiel frowned at Shen but the question forced him to check. Himiko, the Himiko to whom Shen referred and not one of the sixteen other Himikos presently in the Dreary Wastes, was very much existent and asleep. And he knew exactly where she was. Benefits of being a psychopomp God, he thought. But that wasn't the point at the moment. The point was that Shen was not supposed to be here. "It isn't that important, Shen. Why don't you just form a portal back to the living world?" Garadiel tried, hoping such simple coaxing would be effective. He somehow doubted it though. Shen had that look he got when he got fixated on something.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Garadiel


Garadiel frowned at Shen but the question forced him to check. Himiko, the Himiko to whom Shen referred and not one of the sixteen other Himikos presently in the Dreary Wastes, was very much existent and asleep. And he knew exactly where she was. Benefits of being a psychopomp God, he thought. But that wasn't the point at the moment. The point was that Shen was not supposed to be here. "It isn't that important, Shen. Why don't you just form a portal back to the living world?" Garadiel tried, hoping such simple coaxing would be effective. He somehow doubted it though. Shen had that look he got when he got fixated on something.

"It's not that important. . . to you, you mean. Garadiel, Himiko is my adoptive daughter. I know that we gods have very strange experiences with temporal matters, but any god should recognize my relationship with Himiko with your talents. You should know that I have been living as a Zhangese man for a few entire years, no matter how long your test has taken, you should know how much has happened to me as a demi god since I"m here."

"If you don't tell me where Himiko is, I'll find her myself."

[White Blade]

Garadiel placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose. His brother was as stubborn as ever, and no doubt he really did love this mortal. There was a resonance between the pair, the kind that caused souls to journey together as Michal and Laurel had. But that was irrelevant.

"Why do you want to find her Shen? Is there something you wish to say? Some bit of wisdom? Some shower of affection or love?" Garadiel said in what he hoped was a patient tone, "They won't do her much good. If she understood before you died, she'll still understand and if she didn't she won't. There is no true growth for the Dead Shen. That is why I have created the reincarnation cycle, that they might live and grow again."

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Garadiel


Garadiel placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose. His brother was as stubborn as ever, and no doubt he really did love this mortal. There was a resonance between the pair, the kind that caused souls to journey together as Michal and Laurel had. But that was irrelevant.

"Why do you want to find her Shen? Is there something you wish to say? Some bit of wisdom? Some shower of affection or love?" Garadiel said in what he hoped was a patient tone, "They won't do her much good. If she understood before you died, she'll still understand and if she didn't she won't. There is no true growth for the Dead Shen. That is why I have created the reincarnation cycle, that they might live and grow again."

"So that is what your saying mortals have to live for? A disgusting filth ridden life of hardship and toil for most, with all of the pain and suffering that we can indirectly cause them, along with all the misery they lie in day and night without cause, and then the suffering and senseless violence inflicted on them by evil doers, who may have been put in power by your own system of injustice, only to potentially relive through the same horrid, long winded event again, and again?"

"Why not give them a rest, if they are just going to be torn apart by the Four Winds because of you shoving them back into the Storm?"

[White Blade]

"Rest? Rest! What is rest? They may stay here as long as they like, provided they do not care to grow or change. Provided that they accept that they are not truly alive, that their spirit is as dead as their bones. I cannot change that, Shen, that is the nature of souls.

As to the power and the station to which I place those who entered them... It is like a game of Court. I do not know if you know it. There are six cards in it. King, Queen, Prince, Lord, Knight, Peasant. There are four sets, East, West, North, South. The best possible hand is one card of each kind, eastern set, then southern, then northern, then western. After that, the rules are slightly more complicated using a point system. No kings means you have nothing, any hand with a king beats you. Extra kings cost you five points. No queens cost four points, extra queens cost three. No princes cost four points, extra princes cost two. No lords costs three points, extra lords cost two. No knights cost four points, extra knights cost one. No peasants cost three points, extras cost none. You are allowed one discard, of any number of cards, after your first hand. Then you play it out till the end.

Play a few hands with me Brother. I assure you Himiko is going nowhere."

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Garadiel

Shen Zhi Shu ignores the game.


"Rest? Rest! What is rest? They may stay here as long as they like, provided they do not care to grow or change. Provided that they accept that they are not truly alive, that their spirit is as dead as their bones. I cannot change that, Shen, that is the nature of souls.

"Garadiel, together, if you will allow me, we can change souls. My spell has been able to transform living souls and burn away the evil of mortals in the Shrine of Himiko. Might you allow that Heavenly Fire to exist in this Realm of the Dead? Such a fire would allow, or rather should allow, mortals to post pone their disgusting return to the Land Of Suffering, if not outright eliminate the need for reincarnation. "

"I have an idea. Why not allow Himiko to return to me, and put her through the Sacred Flame?"

[White Blade]

"The Land of Suffering?" Garadiel snarled. Fury filed his every bone and, had he not thought that Aldric would face the pain and not Shen, he would have slapped him across the face. Not killed him, but certainly made him hurt. He didn't see life for what it was, what it is, such a beautiful and precious thing. It was his attitude that was going to destroy all people

Shen was using magical shortcuts, he was changing souls. This infuriated Garadiel. It wasn't that the souls were changing. Garadiel would have accepted that. That would have been good news. Shen was messing with their immortal substance and they had about as much to say about it as a torture victim.

There was rage in every fiber of Garadiel's being. Never in all his long life had he been so angry. Not when he had been spurned or jeer by the children of his village, not when he had watched his friends raped and killed by bandits, not when he had been killed by Orgo, not when he had fought the Silent Brothers. "The Land of Suffering?" he repeated, stressing each word like a death sentence. "If that is all you see of life, I will never tell you where Himiko is! I could never as assuredly hand someone over into as much ignorance and madness as comes every time you open your witless mouth!"

[Kasanip]

Something seemed to be troubling the All-Father - but no, he smiled to see his daughter, extending his hand to her. "Speak, my child. Tell me of what you have done. Though I have heard much from the north wind and the south wind, I would hear it from your own mouth, my daughter. Tell me of your mighty feats and of how you have earned a place in my halls."

Raia

Though her father looked troubled, he smiled as he looked at her and extended his hand. Gratefully and just with a little embarrassment, she took his hand and then sat beside him and began to recount her story.
She told him of wrestling with lightning and thunder.
She told him of her journey to the east, and her thoughts of the humans, and often did she return to them in her tale, because Raia already was attached to them, though she did not realize it so much herself.

At last though, she told of the Tumi and the Tengu, and how she had come to command both beneath her, and how she had retrieved the great tengu sword Tetsuzou which she drew and showed her father.

At last she finished and fell silent, watching her father quietly.
"Father...Have I earned my right as you desired? What do you see for me in the days to come? Have any of my brothers and sisters come to speak with you? I have not seen them for a long time."

[ArlEammon]

Garadiel and Shen Zhi Shu

"Garadiel, don't you understand? Himiko is my adopted daughter. I will not abandon her. If she will not come with me, then I will leave her. That is all that there is to it. I will see her now. If not, then I assure you, I can show you that there is much I can do even in your Realm."

"I have been in Zhang for 10 years (I figured that I was staying there for too long to only say I'd been there for 6 years) and have aged many decades because of my love for Himiko and her death. Don't you understand, Garadiel? I understand loss and the pain that comes with it."

"What do you know of my suffering? There is too much to say about Pan-Lung's world. I should know of the pain in it, since I have had to send so many here to protect the people in it. Yes the Land can be beautiful, but is a rose really that fragrant to the one it pricks?"

[White Blade]

"You will not take Himiko with you at all. If she chooses, she will pass through the portal into the living world. If not, she will stay here in the shadow lands. I brook no favoritism to my subjects, nor any punishment or reward. That you love Himiko I do not doubt.

But as I said, it is like a game of Courts. You may draw a good hand in life or a bad hand, but you can always draw again if you enjoy the game. The game is fair to all who play it. But Shen... If I let you take Himiko, you'll have stacked the deck. Whether she's drawing a perfect eastern set or nothing but peasants and knights, it doesn't really matter. Fairness is my only promise. It is the only thing I can give to mortal kind. But I will give it, Shen, and I will not have you take it away from them."

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu and White Blade


"You will not take Himiko with you at all. If she
chooses, she will pass through the portal into the living world. If not, she will stay here in the shadow lands. I brook no favoritism to my subjects, nor any punishment or reward. That you love Himiko I do not doubt.

But as I said, it is like a game of Courts. You may draw a good hand in life or a bad hand, but you can always draw again if you enjoy the game. The game is fair to all who play it. But Shen... If I let you take Himiko, you'll have stacked the deck. Whether she's drawing a perfect eastern set or nothing but peasants and knights, it doesn't really matter. Fairness is my only promise. It is the only thing I can give to mortal kind. But I will give it, Shen, and I will not have you take it away from them."

"I beg your pardon, but what about Himiko's choice in the matter? It's true that it would be favoritism to take her but, Himiko is only one mortal. If all the gods had their friends made from this Test as favorites, it still wouldn't amount up to more than a large town out of all the mortals in Rognir's world."

"Please, Garadiel, I will ask just this once, and if I fail to persuade you, I shall find Himiko, if only to be with her one more time, if I must pursue her until Night and Day cease, the Earth turns into clay once more, and time its'elf becomes venerable and ancient."

[White Blade]

"Again, Shen, I cannot give you Himiko or allow you to take her. It would be favoritism and no unfairness, no matter how small, shall enter my laws. But if Himiko returns to the living world, as I suspect that she will, you can await her there and find her, and raise her and love her once again. It may be necessary to pull her from her mother's breast, if you wish to have her, but I suspect that with your wealth you would be able to motivate her whole family to come and live in your house. That would not be an unfairness. I will not provide you with anything that would allow such a tracking, but it would not be difficult to do such a thing, especially with your magical gifts."

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Garadiel


"Again, Shen, I cannot give you Himiko or allow you to take her. It would be favoritism and no unfairness, no matter how small, shall enter my laws. But if Himiko returns to the living world, as I suspect that she will, you can await her there and find her, and raise her and love her once again. It may be necessary to pull her from her mother's breast, if you wish to have her, but I suspect that with your wealth you would be able to motivate her whole family to come and live in your house. That would not be an unfairness. I will not provide you with anything that would allow such a tracking, but it would not be difficult to do such a thing, especially with your magical gifts."

"Will you at least allow me to see her as she is at least one more time? If you will, I will go . . . If not, then I will not go. This is my final word. " Shen Zhi Shu finally finished, looking quite concerned over the whole matter. "You look quite angry, I don't understand why. This is love, Garadiel. I am not kidnapping anyone."

[White Blade]

"You have insulted the living world, and you wished to take Himiko from this place without the proper fairness. Surely you realize the importance of fairness. But, at any rate, I will let you see Himiko. Many meet loved ones who have died here, and since you have died, it is not unfairness for you to see her. If you promise not to take her directly from here, I will take you to her." Once Shen gives his word not to, Garadiel begins to lead him.

Garadiel walks across the long, barren wastes, taking his brother far from where they had been standing. There they came upon Himiko sleeping and Garadiel roused her with the word "Wake," and she stood, fighting off the dreary wastes effects as much as her adoptive father was. For a moment, Garadiel saw her eyes snap directly east and he realized that she was a psychopomp. "Himiko, I am Garadiel, and I am guide to all souls. You should know that your father gave his life to come and see you, though he is living now. Know also that the light that you see in the east is the light which shall take you back into the world as newly conceived child. It is hard journey there, but a worthy one as I am sure you know. I trust that your father will abide his word in not taking you directly from here. He knows that the rule of fairness is all to me. At any rate, I am heading to our father's house, Shen, I suggest that you go there when you have finished. Do not touch the storm of souls Shen, lest it swallow you up and you too be reborn mewling child."

Then Garadiel set off at a run and his steps seemed longer than was possible, a giant's strides at a human's height. He reached the top of the mountain in what seemed like moments and catapulted himself back across, far more easily now than before. The brothers and the evacuating souls stare at him for a moment as he simply leaps straight into the portal and tumbles back out, once more in his father's front yard. He looked into the sky and realized it had been mere moments since he left.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu



Garadiel walks across the long, barren wastes, taking his brother far from where they had been standing. There they came upon Himiko sleeping and Garadiel roused her with the word "Wake," and she stood, fighting off the dreary wastes effects as much as her adoptive father was. For a moment, Garadiel saw her eyes snap directly east and he realized that she was a psychopomp. "Himiko, I am Garadiel, and I am guide to all souls. You should know that your father gave his life to come and see you, though he is living now. Know also that the light that you see in the east is the light which shall take you back into the world as newly conceived child. It is hard journey there, but a worthy one as I am sure you know. I trust that your father will abide his word in not taking you directly from here. He knows that the rule of fairness is all to me. At any rate, I am heading to our father's house, Shen, I suggest that you go there when you have finished. Do not touch the storm of souls Shen, lest it swallow you up and you too be reborn mewling child."
.

"Himiko. . . Here, take this. . ." Shen Zhi Shu gave her, her old staff. "You will always possess this in the Underworld. It will allow you your memories of our life with eachother." Himiko's eyes were wide open. "Father, it seems as if it has not been long since I've last seen you. I am so happy to see you one last time." Himiko and Shen Zhi Shu embraced. "Himiko, I will always be with you, and I will be your Gaurdian." They stayed for what seemed like mere moments, although, in fact, a few hours had passed. Himiko possessed what Shen had called a staff, but in fact, it was the solidified bond that Shen Zhi Shu possessed in memory of her. "Good bye, and live very long in your next life."

Finally, Shen Zhi Shu's ashes from the Heaven's Fire rose and seemed to be taken by wind, it twisted and the people of Xiang Jian were worried that Shen Zhi Shu's ashes would escape. In the end the ashes came together, and just for a moment, Shen Zhi Shu was a Pheonix. Just for a moment, he soared and landed at Pan-Lung's Garden.

[Raz_Fox]

Raia

"Blessed daughter, you had earned the right the moment you aquired this blade, if I am not wrong. It is not a matter of my judging, but of the awakening of my blood that flows through your veins. Once you were greater than any mortal - now you stand in the ranks of the mighty.

And now this I lay upon you - go forth into the world, and lead the mortals that you love so much; do not try to deny it, my daughter, for I see it in the brightness of your eyes when you speak of them. Our world has many enemies: go forth and defeat them. There are those who would bring down the righteous order: go forth and preserve what is right in my sight.

And since you seem curious of your siblings, know this: Garadiel has become the lord of the dead, earning his birthright just as you have earned yours. Of your siblings, only he succeded in winning what I had set before him. There are many who have not yet returned to me - Riora, and gentle Nara, and Pa'am. But that is why we have faith, Raia of the Lightning and the Thunder."


Shen Zhi Shu

As Shen Zhi Shu emerges from the fire, the All-Father enters the garden, smiling. "Shen Zhi Shu! Welcome - though I had heard the wailing of Zhang from the mountain's peak, I am glad that you are in the land of the living! Come, tell me of what you have learned while you walked among the mortals."

[industrious]

From his vantage point near the top of the ridge, Pa'am looked at the society below. Slaves were kept in cages in the streets; men rode in carriages drawn by others. The common man lived in fear of punishment, while those at the top of society were virtually immune to all consequences of their actions. Pa'am looked at the city, looked at the injustice and the despair below him...and did nothing. For he saw that one day, the rulers of the city would be overthrown, and a new, more fair government instated. But for now, he saw the order that the city held: the spotless streets, the strict and measured way in which life progressed. For while order had been perverted to serve evil ends, it was still order. And Pa'am could do nothing but wait for the right Time.

Sparing a single look behind him, Pa'am continued on his journey to find the First Gear.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Pan-Lung


[B]Shen Zhi Shu
As Shen Zhi Shu emerges from the fire, the All-Father enters the garden, smiling. "Shen Zhi Shu! Welcome - though I had heard the wailing of Zhang from the mountain's peak, I am glad that you are in the land of the living! Come, tell me of what you have learned while you walked among the mortals."

"Perhaps I have learned too much to tell you in one sitting, Father Pan-Lung." Shen Zhi Shu appeared somewhat have interested in what he had to say. Although polite, it was easy to see in Shen's expression that something was on his mind he wasn't sure he should share. "I spent ten years as a Prefect of Xiang Jian, and a wanderer of Zhang for a few years. I learned the joys of Father-hood, I even taught the mortals all around Zhange, not just Xiang Jian, about magic. I taught them how to defend themselves against tyranny, and I learned, that in the end, Love is above all."

"But something troubles me. I created the Flame of Himiko known as the Sacred Fire in Xiang Jian in order to give the mortals Paradise while living, and suggested that I work together with Garadiel in order to give the mortals an end to the cycle of reincarnation. But, he was adamant that they go through their lives over and over again. I reluctantly gave in in order to see Himiko one last time, and then I departed the Realm of the Dead."

"One last thing. . I sacrificed my life in order to enchant Xiang Jian with the Sacred Fire that I mentioned. That is when I learned that Wisdom does not concern just magical powers, or even justice and punishment. Wisdom is about spiritual matters, and with it I can show the mortals my love through guidance and patience. Nonetheless, I was too weakened and aged through the loss of Himiko to stay with Zhang any longer, so I just gave up the ghost."

[White Blade]

Raia feels Garadiel's presence like the feeling of loss of breath that comes from being choked, like the scent of newly spilled blood, like the sound of swiftly freezing ice, and a taste that she does quite recognize, like gnawed on bones. She recognizes it now that she knows Garadiel has taken up position as Lord of the Dead. He is just entering the house again, having departed from the range of her senses momentarily. He rushes to her and when he sees her exclaims "Raia!" happily, extending his arms in greeting and offering her a hug.

[industrious]

In a cavern beneath the mountain range, Pa'am holds a torch to light his way. If not for his footfalls, the cave would be silent. If not for his light, the place would be a black as pitch. He cannot say how long he has journeyed underneath the mountain. Cannot keep track of the hours and minutes since he entered, oh so long ago. And when the God of Time realizes that he cannot perform his duty, he swears under his breath...and extinguishes the torch.

The darkness that results is not the total black that was expected. Faintly glowing outlines circle Pa'am in the dark. Outlines of creatures with claws and fangs, and glittering eyes that swirl like distant galaxies. Their padded feet make no sound upon the rough stone. For the first time, Pa'am wishes that he held a weapon, even a staff. For he knew what guarded the First Gear. Chronovores. The Devourers of Time. And as he looked at the four circling him, he knew fear.

[industrious]

From his first creation, Pa'am had known of the Chronovores. Beings from Outside, they worked to disrupt and destroy the universal tick that was so essential for the proper flow of time. They consumed seconds, devoured minutes, and made entire years vanish into the ether. Staring the pack down, Pa'am's first attempt to destroy them was an utter failure.

Time was known as the consumer of all things. Entropy reigned supreme, and all things fell before Time's winged arrow. Logically, therefore, pouring Time into the Chronovores would either sate the beasts, or destroy them. Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of nomenclature understood where this train of logic failed. The only thing his act accomplished was to advertise to the beasts that he was the equivalent of a buffet.

The claws of the Chronovore were not actual claws as such. Rather, they were theoretical constructs of claws, made up of forgotten possibilities and might-have-beens and maybes. This, Pa'am discovered, merely made the things hurt all the more. Robes torn from his back, and god's blood gushing from the wounds that would likely scar, Pa'am leaps over the Chronovores, and takes off running, continuing down the cavern.

But the beings are somehow there ahead of him, despite his head start. Despite that he did not see any of them pass. Concentrating once more, Pa'am grasps hold of the Gears that govern time...and freezes them in place. For an eternity, for no time at all, Pa'am is alone in the world.

Or he should be. For the Chronovores are unaffected by the Gearkeeper's actions. Eyes wide as the God realizes that his actions have done nothing, he continues to flee from them, heading deeper into the cavern. They lope beside him, jaws snapping at his flanks, and at his heels. Thinking frantically, he pulls out a gift from Raia, an arrow. Time's Arrow. Blindly lunging, he attempts to affix it to one of the beasts.

A Chronovore shrieks as the Arrow pierces into the creature's depths, vanishing utterly. Still running with the arrow clenched in a vice grip, Pa'am is too busy to sight. But the moment he brings the arrow around to strike at another of the beasts, it reappears, and in shock, Pa'am is unable to dodge its strike. His left hand now a mangled mess, the shock from the blow is quickly offset by the adrenaline coursing through the God's veins. And moreso; his flight seems to be much faster now. At least, the Chronovores do not run with him this time. Whether this is due to caution on their part is unknown.

Pa'am staggers into the Hall of the First Gear. Intricate carvings inscribed in marble columns glow faintly blue, while the ceiling is tiled with images of clocks and gears, of straight lines and arrows. Steps ascend to a pillar of light, where the First Gear slowly moved from ceiling to floor and floor to ceiling. Had Pa'am the opportunity, he would have savored this moment. But pursued by the Chronovores, and wounded, he was unable to examine the room more closely.

((last one coming up soon. Sleep more important at moment.))

[Raz_Fox]

There sits a dark man in a tower with no doors at the western edge of the world. His eyes are closed, his breathing is so slow it cannot be discerned. Around him are scattered papers, speaking of stars and fires and what he has seen with his stolen eyes. Above him are owls and bats, awaiting their master's call. He sits. He watches.
His black eyes snap open. He has seen all he needs to see on this night. He gathers up his papers, drapes his cloak about his shoulders, and masks his face, for no mortal may look upon it without being struck down by fright – so say the tales of the people at the end of the world, and he would hate to disappoint them. After all, he started the tales.
He clasps the edges of his cloak in his bony fingers and leaps from the window of the tower, and he catches the wind and rides upon it across the night sky. Down he goes, from the mountains to the coast, from darkness into brightest day, or so it seems as he flies over the bright fire-lights of the mightiest city in the world. To the hill in the city's center he flies, alighting at the gates of the palace atop the hill.
The gates are opened. He strides in alone, up stairs and through long passageways, and no one dares bar his passage. To the mighty throne room of the god-king of the west – decorated in gold and pearls and every priceless thing – he comes, and he hisses between his teeth in displeasure when he finds it empty. Now he flits between the rooms, unseen by mortal eye, seeking his twin.
In the southern wing of the palace at the western end of the world there is a harem, and between the north and the south there is no equal to it. It is here that the dark messenger finds the god-king, being entertained by his dancing-girls and his musicians, every inch of mortal flesh bared for the delectation of the mightiest king in the world. He is never bored of it, for humanity is his pleasure – the ruling, the guiding, the lovemaking, all are equal in his eyes. This is why the dark man lives in his tower alone but for his eyes and the golden king lives in his palace among hundreds.
The dark messenger steps into the room, and every joyous voice is stilled, every instrument becomes silent. Kylfa-Madur walks among the mortals now, and the Ready Sword of Mortalkind does not delight in their company. Between their ranks he steps, and every one of them shrinks back. Now the dais he reaches, and the golden king stands to greet him. Kylfa-Madur does not wait for the greetings.
“They're here.”
“What? Surely – he wouldn't dare – leave!” This last he roars to his court, and they scurry away, leaving the two brothers alone in the luxurious room. Ateris, the Almighty Shield of Mortalkind, falls back onto his opulent couch, head in his hands. “Now?”
“Now. The stars wheel in the heavens, declaring a new king in the Netherworld. The Fire has intersected the Harlequin, the Maiden has transformed into a new constellation entirely, the fundamental paradigms of existence shift and tremble.” He sighs in frustration at the non-comprehension on his brother's face. “They're in this world, and they're gaining power. I doubt Father–“ Here, he spits onto the unblemished marble floor. “–Would have granted them autonomy just to drag them back home. No, they're here to stay.”
“More importantly, what do we do?” Ateris's face had hardened – now was the time for action, and he excelled at that. Kylfa-Madur held out the papers he had collected, his lined face stretching into a smile.
“Do you remember, brother mine, what He once told us? The best war is one that your enemy never knows was fought until the day of your victory...”


There are places even the light fears and will not enter. This is one of those places: a fortress beneath the ground, so far down beneath the roots of the mountains that not even A'gap himself could tunnel down to the grim gates.
An oni – one of the only ones to survive the slaughter in Zheng – creeps along the dark passages of the fortress. There are many giantkind here, but few quite like his kind; some dark and burly from the south, some lean and ice-skinned from the north, some thick-skinned and twisted from living in the darkness. Human slaves are there in droves as well, scurrying from corridor to corridor. Most are not even chained, for there is no escape from the fortress.
The oni approaches the center of the fortress, and those who seek to bar his way are told that he brings word to Sulior. They let him pass. None would dare bar one of his messengers. Now he bows before the guards of the Pit, and he tells them that he brings word from Michaboshi, carrying word of his tribute. They, too, let him pass into the darkness beyond.
Sulior sits within the pit, surrounded by his wealth. Shapely gold and copper trinkets, jewels rough-hewn from the earth, armor and great shields of hide, goblets made by geniuses of the crafting of gold and silver. His caprine head rises slightly as the oni enters the room, his beady left eye darting about, surveying the oni from head to toe. And he chuckles darkly to himself. “Speak, little one.” Even hunched over in his throne, he is the height of the oni. The oni trembles.
“Great and mighty Sulior, I pray, do not be angry with your servant. Michaboshi would have brought you his ten-year tribute, but for his demise at the hands of one of the god-spawn. Shen Zhi Shu was the agent of his demise, a great and mighty warlord who slew entire armies of my kind! Only I, the most pitiful of your servants, survived to tell the tale!”
“God-spawn. So.” Sulior chuckles again, then laughs aloud, a braying coarse laugh. “You've returned to me, Rognir, and your maggots follow. Ha! Darkness comes, earth rises, houses fall. Yes. A reckoning...”


The goddess had left the people of the islands, but still they did their best to please her. A guard was placed around the green stone the goddess had left them – without her knowledge, for why should such insignificant matters such as this trouble her? – to keep those less pious from stealing the offerings the true worshipers lay at the ziggurat's base. But almost no one dared even think of doing so, and the few survivors of the goddess's crusade against the giants were nowhere near the ziggurat tonight.
A strong wind blew past the guard on the west face of the ziggurat. He thought nothing of it, until he heard the disturbance on the ziggurat's peak. He turned, seeing a pale man atop the ziggurat, and shouted an alarm. Every guard on the ziggurat turned, and each thought: how could my fellows have been so careless?
“Oooh, nice. Pretty, isn't it? Let's see, Hwrm owed me about this much... and Thelgadesh never sent me that last tribute, so that's mine too... the lady'll love this one, won't she? Yeah.” The man's words tumbled out of his mouth like they were racing each other; he paid no attention to the guards running up the steps. “Well, thanks, Ri-Ri. So nice of you to pay back the debt of the previous owners.”
“Halt! Drop the tribute of the Emerald Lady!” Four spears were leveled at the man, who simply grinned.
“Ri-Ri didn't hire you for your brains, huh? Tell you what, go run home and you'll be spared a beating. No? Absolutely positive? Because you can avoid all this unpleasantness easily.” The guard of the western face could take it no longer – he stabbed his spear forward, into the... into the space the man had been standing in. A gust of wind tousled his beard as he gaped, and the three other guards drew their weapons at the exact moment the unfortunate guard realized they were looking behind him.
“You're not playing faiiir, kid.” The guard collapsed, four knives nestled in his back. “Neither am I, to tell the truth.”
The battle that ensued – well, one god against three men? Could the outcome be anything other than four bodies on the ziggurat's peak? When they could not even touch him, could not even see his movements but as the faintest of blurs? As the last man fell, chest ripped open by the flurry of countless blows it had sustained in the space of a breath, the god wiped the blood off his hands. “I did warn you, you know. You see what this kind of behavior leads to? I hope you've jolly all learned your lesson. Class dismissed.” He turns, salutes the green stone atop the ziggurat with a cheeky, blood-stained grin, then he vanishes in a blurred second.


There is a small island in the east, with green pastures and rolling hills. The earth gives bountifully, the rains replenish the land, the beasts of the field are tough and fruitful, and a tribe of primitive humans live by the shore.
On the top of a tall, forested hill than no man dares climb, for it is forbidden by a thousand years of tradition, there sits a man. He's carving a piece of wood for his children. He doesn't hurry. He's got all the time in the world. His face is lined and worn, but he's smiling slightly the whole time; his hair is streaked with silver, giving him a slightly lupine air.
As the sun sets, turning the southern sea into a brilliant fire, he finishes it. It's a horse, every detail perfect but for the eight legs. It seems to be galloping in his hand, all its long legs outstretched. And though it's not overly pretty, and it's not finely decorated, to his children it will be the finest toy he ever made.
His smile grows as he rises, old bones creaking as he does so. He turns first to the east, saluting an old friend. Then he ambles back to his house, for he knows that dinner's waiting for him. He slips the toy into his pocket, ready to make his children smile.
And the sun sinks into the uttermost south, ready to rise again in the morning.


End of Turn 1; Turn 2 Begins

[industrious]

((second to last post))

The stone floor, softly lit by the columns and that great solid pillar of light, becomes stained with blood as Pa'am continues to press onward. Crawling up the steps leading to the Gear, he loses his balance, stumbles, falls. Unable to get himself back up, he crawls instead, and listens for the howls of the Chronovores. He hears nothing, looks behind him to check. There they are, directly behind the god. But he is close, so very close...

Insight seizes the Gearkeeper as he stares into one of the beasts' maws. The Time Eaters guarded the Gear, yet they did not feed upon it. For some reason, they could not feed upon the very source and center of Time. Desperation fuels his final efforts. His hand breaks the beam, reaching out as the First Gear settles softly into his palm. And he waits for the power that will surely follow.

Nothing. The only change is now the Chronovores have ceased their stalemate, and charge the Time God, seeking to consume all the time he has. And he has so much to lose. How many eons have they destroyed, how many hours and days have been lost? How many would they gain by consuming his, an immortal's time?

With only one fully functioning hand, Pa'am takes out the complicated device that he had painstakingly constructed during his time in the Hall. The perfect universal clock, measuring the true tick of the universe. With the First Gear added at its key junction, it would be complete. With the First Gear, it could do...nothing. The hands of the clock refuse to move. The gears refuse to turn. And as Pa'am stares into what he is certain is his demise, he understands.

He was wrong. Time was not universal, not a perfect clock. Time flowed like water, could be altered and changed as needed. Time was a function of the events that it contained, just as the events within time depended on it. How else could he have aged the man or stopped the flow of time, however temporarily, if time was forever a constant? Everything was...fluid. Relative. He looked at his palm where his perfect creation lay. The work of many months, shut away in his room at the Hall. Shut off from the world. Now Pa'am looks at the clock in his hand, and crushes it. Looking back towards the creatures that were not outside Time as he had thought, but outside "normal" time. Such a thing did not exist. There were no abominations of Time. Merely permutations. Arms outspread, he accepts the blows that never come. There is no need. The Chronovores, the beings that had kept him in fear since his first creation, lie in wait for his command. He speaks to them, bloodied and battered, as their ruler. As one who finally understands.

"I see now where I was wrong. Time cannot be destroyed, nor can it be created. A clock runs out. Gears crack and springs unwind. Time is order wrapped in chaos wrapped in order. Come. There is work to be done."

When you grasp Time's secrets, Space is no object. The four beasts and their Master ripple in the cavern, and fade from view.

((not the last Turn One post. One more-a sort of epilogue))

[Jair Barik]

Nara sat long within the centre of the tree. It had grown over night and his druids were beginning to grow worried. He had left his staff standing over the grave by the sacred tree and had given them no word of what he was doing prior to his disappearance. Worse still shortly after he had vanished they had recieved... troubling news. Strange sights along the border of the forest, creatures stalking in the night, monsters invading nearby villages. It had been two months now and the druids began to grow desperate. Todays news was the worst yet, brought by brother Xavios. Nara had to return soon, they were lost as to what they must do without him. On the morning of the next day the branches of the tree unfurled and Nara stepped out from a knot at its heart. He looked the same but there was a strangeness about him, moss and flowers grew where he stepped the branches of the trees moved to permit light into the glade. He smiled at Xavios and his fellow druids.
"The transformation is completed my friends. I am now truly at one with the land. With my new found powers I will be able to aid you in helping the world without ever needing to leave the forest. But you look troubled brothers? What ever is the matter?"

Xavios stepped forward and bowed going down upon one knee.
"Nara there is something you must know... Shortly after you entered your sleep there were sightings of creatures along the forests edge. Strange wolf like men and in a few cases other creatures... Each bares the stance of a man but the qualities of a beast and they have been seen attacking human settlements... They only appear by night and none have been captured. One was almost killed in Fanehollow to the north but once the archers who shot it down examined the body they found they had made a grave error and shot not the beast but one of their fellow men..."

Nara stood silent, taking in every word. His previous expression of joy had long since vanished but he did not interrupt Xavios' tale.

"I returned yesterday with the worst news we have yet recieved... One of this creatures it seems has made it onto the southern continent... We do not know the full spread of their influence but they seem to shun sight, lying low and hiding. Their numbers may be few but people grow worried."

Nara turned and stood in deep thought. Nobody moved or spoke for a full hour until he turned to face them again.
"These creatures are were-beasts. They are mortal men afflicted with a dreadful disease of the soul. It is called Lycanthropy. there is no cure for it bar death and even then I have no knowledge as to what happens. Death is not my domain, I cannot tell what happens to these poor lost souls onmce they have passed beyond the veil. So long as they live these men will be forced to change to beasts under the light of a full moon. On any other night it is matter of strength of will as to wether they change or not, the nearer the full moon the harder to resist."

The druids talked amongst themselves in anxious whispers.
"Is there no way to stop them Nara?"

"Silver is what slayed the beast in Fanehollow. If you look at its body I assure you one of the arrows that pierced its flesh had a silver head. Silver is poison to them. There is also a medicine that may help subdue the beast but it is unpleasent, painful and can never cure them for good. Leave me at once, I must think on these matters."

The druids left and Nara picked up his staff. He walked across to a tall splendid tree with silvery leaves and a white bark. It was beautiful but appeared fragile. Nara took a few of its leaves and rubbed them between his fingers.

"I suppose this is your doing."
"Does it matter? The important thing is you lied to your precious followers. There is no cure, or at least none that will be able to help those in corners of the earth far from here." the voice echoed from behind Nara.
"So that is why you did it. Your freedom..."
"I told you I would have it, one way or the other..."
"And I should have listened. The leaves of this tree will suppress the disease... but it is frail. It cannot grow without the aid of a master and it only grows naturally here. Why did you not destroy this tree when you had the chance?"
"Why would you leave your forests if you had no way of helping the sick?"
"I underestimated you."
"Just as you have before and will again. The choice is yours Nara. Let the disease spread without cure or let me free but offer the sick some relief. What will it be."
Nara sighed. "It will be what I always knew it would come to be. I shall leave tomorrow morning at first light. I will not fight you Orgo. But I will tend to the injuries that you have left upon the land."

The next morning Nara left the forest and walked to the sea. Stepping aboard a boat he began the passage to the southern continent, a bag of seeds strapped across his back. Calling out to the sea an aged bird flew to his aid. The gull was down to its final breaths and would not be long for the world, whispering a few words into its ear Nara let it go and as it was so destined the bird quickly died of old age and fell into the sea.

@Garadiel in the Underworld

The spirit of the bird flew on into the Underworld seeking out the God Garadiel with an important message. It spoke with the voice of Nara and imparted these words before its soul continued upon its way.

Brother. It is I Nara. I have changed a great deal since last we met and believe we must talk. Ihave many things to tell you and questions to ask. I also have wish to apologise to you face to face for my own failings. This bird brings you message of its own free will. It was destined to die and know I would never interfere with your plans for the souls of the dead. Everything else I wish to say must wait till we meet. I currently travel by boat for the southern continent. I will see you whenever it is you wish to see me. Farewell.

Acts used

1 MA-Gain Elemental Purity Earth
1 MA-Create the Lycanthropes

[White Blade]

After he finishes talking with Raia, Garadiel returns once more to the land of the dead, leaping across the chasm with the greatest of ease. He sees the plateau has cleared and notices the three brothers floating in the air. He feels a pang of sympathy and realizes that he could keep them there forever, if that was his desire.

"Dear brothers, you served me well upon my quest. If you wish it, you may leave my service now and enter the land of the living. I make no promise that the lives you see will be easy, but you shall receive fair chance to live and grow, as all mortal things do."

The brothers stared at him. It was so hard to tell what they were thinking when they couldn't speak. "Why do you not wish to go, brothers? Is it because there is suffering in the other world?" They shook their head. "Are you afraid that you would reincarnate as creatures weaker than yourselves?" The brothers shook their heads once more, "Than it is because you fear parting?" The brothers nodded and Garadiel sighed. There was nothing he could do about that. "Very well. Stay here forever, then."

Garadiel had not come for their sake anyway. He needed to seal this world from his brethren, that none would distort the journey of souls as Shen had wished. The walls of this world were thick, and he walked along their eastern edge. Here they were at their weakest, here his siblings would try to breech his gates, he knew.

Garadiel would seal them. His strength seeped down into the eastern most point of the world that existed beneath the storm of souls. All around the storms, the wall grew hard on both sides, so hard that his siblings would never be able to enter through it. The wall was strong and fortified and his strength spread out from it, filling the realm of the dead with his might. Mine, Garadiel thought with slight distaste, looking at the shadow of the living world that he had now claimed more fully than before.

It was true, Garadiel knew, that he ruled this world. But he promised himself he would rule it fairly and leave it as often as possible. He went to the Dreary Waste and roused every sleeping spirit with the waving of his hands and whispered his instructions in the ears of the psychopomps. Most of them would heed him, Garadiel knew. He told them of his own journey east, of how they had to pass through the four lands before they could enter into life again. How they could leave at any time, or stay if they so wished. But he warned them that to remain was to never grow or change, and he asked them to look after the other souls and guide them to the light.

And that was when his brother's bird found him. He heard its message and dismissed the bird, watching it dissipate seamlessly and blow towards the light in the form of dust. It was seldom that an animal held its form. But nonetheless, Garadiel was glad to hear his brother was alive and well. So he exited the land of the dead, which was easy now that he had claimed it so fully.

He was in fact, in the south and he passed in and out of his the Shadow of Life, shortening the distance by lengthening his strides in his realm, till soon enough he was upon the boat beside Nara.
3 Major Acts to make the Afterlife (or, more properly, the Shadow of Life) into a Divine Sanctum.

[Kasanip]

Raia
Raia heard the words of her father, and she bowed her head. Hearing his command, she turned and left his presence. The news of her siblings was both good and bad, but she would dwell on the good for now, as he had said.

She thought on what he had said to her as she wandered about the hall at a pace. She crossed her arms as she thought again about all that she had done. And her father's hints to her. Righteousness? The mortals... It all was a lot to think about. What would be the outcome of her brothers and sisters' quests?
Raia and Garadiel
And as Raia paced, Garadiel's presence became known to her as he entered the house. The new smells and feelings from him were surprising, and yet somehow it was fitting. Raia could not explain it. But even as she saw him before her, he had already rushed to her and thrown his arms around her.
A faint smile came to her normally serious face as she returned the embrace.
"Hello, brother Garadiel. It has been a long time since we have last met. Certainly much has happened in that little time. I see that you are walking different paths than the ones we ran together." She said to him.
To Garadiel, Raia's presence is not quite as different as he had always known her. Serious and quiet as always, but her robes had been stained dark red now, and she wore a sword at her side. Her stance was filled with confidence and grace in the same way she had always carried herself, but it seemed if anything, even more certain than before.

[Jair Barik]

Nara stepped from the boat as it made it into the shore and seeing his brother moved forwards to greet him.

"Garadiel! Dear brother! It is so good to see you and I only wish that the circumstances could be better. But before I go into those unfortunate details and events I must ask you how is the world treating you and our fellow siblings? I have not met any of them since departing the great house and I only know of what has become of you and Alarin because... no... I said i would leave that unpleasentness till after the time of good news and that is how it will remain. Please tell me what has been happening that you know of! How are our brothers and sisters?"

As hard as he tried Nara could not hide the sadness within his heart from Garadiel. His voice slipped every now and again and try as he might Nara could not avoid slipping towards a sense of melancholy.

[White Blade]

Raia and Garadiel
Garadiel sighs at the mention of his new paths, "I fear it is so, Raia. The lands of the dead are not as sweet as the land that filled our toes when we ran here nor the ones I walked in the world. And I see you, now as fully a warrior as Father, stronger and braver than all of our siblings no doubt. Were the foes you fought as worthy as you had hoped?" he asked with a grin, his posture relaxed.

Nara's Boat
"Raia is well, and has taken up position as the fiercest of our warriors, as I know will hardly surprise you," Garadiel here quite beams with pride at his sister before his face grows dark and angry, "Shen Zhi Shu's eyes have grown blind to the truth and too fond of self pity, but he has taken magic by the hand and grown strong, he is well enough though he is weak from mourning," the contempt in Garadiel's voice is palpable and you feel as if you could cut it with a knife if you tried. Then his face changes once more, sadness and something like regret blooming in his eyes. "Aldric and Calantha's circumstances are a sad tale, and one I should not wish to share. They are in exile. Calantha was badly traumatized by Rafa and Tarik, and I do not think she will recover. Aldric killed Rafa and Tarik for it and rescued her. So Aldric and Calantha are in exile now." The final sentence is one of defeat, as if the whole escapade had been inevitable, but not unsympathetic.

[Jair Barik]

Nara sighed. These were sad tidings indeed.
"Please walk with me as we talk Garadiel. I have a long journey ahead of me. It saddens me to hear of the fate of Aldric and Calantha if you know where they now abide please do not withold it from me. I would like to speak with them, perhaps some of the damage already done can be reversed... but I strongly doubt it."

Nara began walking as he spoke with Garadiel. He could easily find a a spot to plant the first of the trees and then travel there in an instant but that was not the way. If the Universe intended for the greatest of deeds to be accomplished within seconds then the actions of the Gods would be of little consequence. The mightiest of oaks did not grow in the course of a single day, it is the journey just as much as the act which produces true greatness. If you run through life you miss the little things that only the patient man has time to appreciate.

"As much as I hate to heap more sorrows upon you but I believe we must look to the past if what I am to speak to you about is to be understood. The beast that killed you Garadiel... It did so due to my own foolish negligence. Had I not attacked such a beast as the one that killed you then I do not think you would have died. It is my fault you died and no matter what you have managed to make out of your death no amount of my apologies will suffice for the injusticer I have caused you..."

[White Blade]

Garadiel waves a hand in dismissal, almost as if it was too unimportant to note. "Brother, if you seek to feel guilty for every death you fail to prevent, I think you will feel guilty for a very long time. Though there is shame in failure, there is no guilt. Unless, of course, your actions were a secret attempt to get me killed, I forgive your failure and you no longer bear the weight of its shame."

He walks for a little while, patiently looking over his brother, before he speaks again, "So what does this have to do with the beast that killed me?"

[Jair Barik]

Nara remained silent for a few moments then spoke.

"His name is Orgo the Crimson Wolf. He and I have been locked in conflict within the forest, neither of us can ever kill the other and so we no longer try but I had a great opposition to him being able to leave the forest and so I have kept him bound there. So long as I remain within the forest he cannot leave. He is persistent though and angered by his captivity. I believe that is why he lashed out and killed you, he nearly did the same to Alarin, poor innocent Alarin, who had stumbled across your body. These heinous acts I have been unable to prevent, the best I can do is prevent it from happening on a wider scale. I believed I could prevent him roaming by remaining within the firest but I believed wrong. He has a disease about him passed on to mortals through his bite that inflicts them with lycanthropy, a taint of the soul. I know of one such mortal who died with this taint upon him. A farmer Hebat Geth. If it is not too much to ask I would like you to find this soul and tell me wether the affliction is removed by death or not... I am trying to prevent its spread within these mortal realms but this comes at the cost of Orgos temporary freedom. I realise what I ask is great but please seek out this soul for me and tell me what has become of it."

[White Blade]

Garadiel smiles at his brother, "It is not too great a favor, I would likely have to check for it anyway. I do not know how long this will take, but I will check and return to you with the news of it soon enough."

Garadiel slips out of sight, back into the underworld to check on this new soul.

[Jair Barik]

Nara bowed to the ground where Garadiel had departed. He then turned and continued on his way to seek a place for the first of thje seeds.

"Well wan't that sweet."

Nara stopped and his knuckles whitened as his grip about the staff grew tight.
"That was not for your ears Orgo. Begone from this place and mark my words if you ever spy on me whilst I am communing with my brother Gods again... Things will not end well."

There was a touch of resignation in Orgo's voice this time but it quickly turned to mirth. "very well, very well... Just thought you might like to know tonight is going to be one hell of a night! Oh the things I can do under the cover of darkness... the paths I can tread and people I can kill. You have sisters don't you?"

Nara spun about and the very earth about him shook. The ground erupted with brambles and thorns and the grass grew hard and sharp as knives.
"Be gone from my presence or you shall incur my wrath Orgo! I know your 'childrens' weakness fiend. Do not think I will not for o9ne moment restrain myself from crushing them if you so much as harm them! I may love nature orgo but you and your kin... You are not of nature! You are something else! A pox Orgo! You are a Pox!" as always though Orgo was not there. Naras breath was heavy but after a few minutes he was calm again. He had failed once more. This is just what Orgo wanted. It was his delight to make Nara succumb to wrath. Taking a dagger from his robes Nara held it in one hand and tightened his grip about the blade. A few drops of sap fell from the cut and as they hit the earth the land calmed about him. The grass returning to its normal state and the brambles reclaimed by the ground.

This spot would not do. Nara continued on his way, leaving the place behind him.

[Carden]

It had been a long trip at sea, but Eridi hadn't minded. He had run out of supplies a week ago, but he had just made his net and kept going towards the place his brethren kept gathering and leaving from. But now, now he was home.

Eridi pulled the boat onto the beach he remembered, the one he had built a magnificent sand castle all those years ago. Strange, thinking like that, he thought, It wasn't but six years ago, but it feels like forever. It feels like forever since I've been home... Switching his items from the boat to his pack, he started up towards the house.

The very doors of the house seemed smaller, almost less imposing. Shifting his pack, he walked on in. He had never felt so strange here before, even when he and Alarin had come as children, this place had felt like a home. Now it felt like he should've knocked, like he was a stranger walking those grand halls unannounced. He stepped up his pace towards the room Rognir was in, hoping perhaps seeing his father would put this nonsense out of his mind.

Knocking once at the door, he lowered his head and stepped inside. "Father," he spoke, "I-I'm home." Something felt wrong about that sentence, but he continued quickly, tossing that thought aside. "I've finished the task you'd set before us, and I've come for your judgment."

[Raz_Fox]

Shen Zhi Shu

"You must understand, my son, that sometimes it is best not to interfere in the workings of the world. The dead have moved in their own ways since before your birth - and Garadiel has toiled mightily to claim dominion over the paths of the dead. The wheels must turn, the sun must rise and set, and the dead must live again.

Does this ease your heart, my son? Do you understand now why it is best for you to allow Garadiel to administer to the paths of the dead?"


Eridi

There is a room in the house at the end of the world where a hundred trophies stand in silent testimony to the might of the All-Father. Stags twice the height of a man stand there, rearing up as they did while alive; talismans and broken spears and fine clothing, remnants of those who sought to defeat Rognir Hangatyr, the Thunderer and the Shield-breaker. It is here that the All-Father stands, looking upon the fine tapestries that line the walls.

As Eridi enters, he smiles, and turns with outstretched arms. "You have returned to me, my son! Tell me of your deeds, of what you have done among the mortalkind. I can smell the sweat of your labors upon you, and blood shed and the soot of the fire upon your clothing, and the breaking of the sea - come, tell me of your deeds!"

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Pan Lung

Shen Zhi Shu waits for Eridi to answer first, then he responds.


Shen Zhi Shu

"You must understand, my son, that sometimes it is best not to interfere in the workings of the world. The dead have moved in their own ways since before your birth - and Garadiel has toiled mightily to claim dominion over the paths of the dead. The wheels must turn, the sun must rise and set, and the dead must live again.

Does this ease your heart, my son? Do you understand now why it is best for you to allow Garadiel to administer to the paths of the dead?"


"Somewhat, Father Rognir." Shen Zhi Shu answered honestly. "All of us have our place, and yet. . . Shen Zhi looks away at a shooting star. "That is what bothers me the most. Our place in this universe." Moving along without continuing the last statement Shen made, he skipped into a new subject. "Garadiel has given me the ability to alter souls as long as they allow me to of their own free will. It appears that in addition to generally being angry at me, Garadiel has misunderstood me as well." He then looks down-ward. "We are no longer children, we can no longer afford to fight eachother. In the past we comically kicked and pulled hair, as mortal children do, or at least, I know I did. In revenge of course."

"Now, our weapons are much stronger. We are even more foolish than we were as children, not wiser. Father, you know how much I would like to be more like you. You have been on a pedestal of mine for far too long, and yet, as I take you down, I cannot bear to smash your image."

Alluding to the stars, he explains. "I remember your tales to me, and how you took me in for private lessons in magic. How you scolded me for impatience, and told me to take revenge only when necessary. Yet, I learned to channel my vengance for those who cannot defend themselves. If not for your lesson, I would have become the same tyrants I despised in Zhang."

"Thank you for all of this." He finished. "I have learned my lesson that all have their place. I must know the place of others as well as mine."

Changing the subject again, he mentioned the others. "How are the siblings? I have heard of Raia by second hand, but no one else has seemed to come anywhere near Zhang or Zipang."

[industrious]

Once more, Pa'am looked down upon the city nestled in the mountains. The Chronovores brush against his side; his gaze is thoughtful. He kneels, then, and pats one of them on their head.

"When I last came to this place, I saw its future. I looked upon the injustice, and saw that it would end in time, and was content. I would have waited. But I know better now."

Chronovores are a misnomer. It is impossible to devour time, to consume eons, to destroy that which governs all. The creatures view time differently than most; for them, it is as much a property of objects as mass or color or shape. It can be stored, moved around, lengthened or shortened. They transfer time, not consume it.

The God of Time rises, his shattered left hand placed on the lead Chronovore's head. His other arm extended to point at the city, he closes his eyes, counts to three, and opens them. The time that the creatures had taken and stored, the moments and idle days, the important dates and dreary Sundays flowed out from the beasts. Shaped by the will of Pa'am, this time was then molded and mapped to the city. Time sped up. Events that would have occured fifty years from this moment occured in ten, five...now. A revolution that would have toppled the order in twenty years is thirty years established now. Possibilities dance before the God's eyes; he shapes and controls the flow as he sees fit. The Gears slip and slide, shattering in response to this act; He pays them little heed. What use is being a Gearkeeper if the clock cannot be repaired?

He smiles, then, as the streets of the city teem with life. As children play in the streets, and merchants hawk their wares, Pa'am turns his back to the city once more, the city in the shape of a Gear, the city of Oukt. Time and space fold once more, and Pa'am returns to his father's house, kneeling before him, surrounded by his Chronovores. Hand held before him, he holds the First Gear out to the All-Father.

"Father, I have done as you have asked. I have found my heritage...and my ignorance."

[Baxter190]

Alarin

Several days passed by unnoticed as Alarin and the tribe indugled themeselves with their celebrations. The Kraki, as the tribe was known as, and the boy-god exchanged songs and tales of great, long dead heroes in the revelry and festivities. Great competitions of drinking and consumption took place, though none could best Alarin due to his divine constitution. Seven days had passed before sobriety returned to the land, and only after all the village's mead and ale had been exhuasted. The restoration of placidity soon signalled to the musician that his time in the Western lands must soon to come to an end. A time of peace and passiveness was onemof silence to, and thus not for him.

A Karve was given to Alarin to aid in his quest at the tribal chief's behest. The resources of the tribe were scarce enough that no man could be spared to accompany the demigod on his quest, and only the smallest boat could relinquished to the bard. The barge was both ornate enough to be the vessel of a god, and small enough to be crewed by a single man. Three days later the farewells had been given, the ship blessed by the tribe's druid, and stocked with provisions for a lengthy trip. With a single gust of wind against the boats mast Alarin left the Western shores. He was in turn recieved by the Bay of Daggers. It was named so for the treacherous blades of ice that could tear through a wooden ship such as Alarin's like a hot knife through butter. These waters were a danger for all but the most veteran of sailors, yet he was protected by the world itself.

The wind propelled Alarin as directed towards the great ocean as directed by his lute, while the icy waters pushed and pulled him out harm's way. Eventually the bay was navigated safely and the would-be god was delivered to the frozen ocean. Thankfully for Alarin, The Kraki had stocked him with enough provisions that hunger and thirst would pose no threat. The open ocean held no new wonders at first glance, but to the boy it was apparent that there were mysteries below. Day and night went by as Alarin dived into the great ocean to join the myriad organisms of water.

Here, he decided, was were the fountain of life must surely be. How else could such a vibrant diversity of wildlife? Fish that were brighter were brighter yellow than the sun, plant that could paralyze with but a touch, and gigantic behemoths that ate the smallest creatures in the waters. Such a explosion of color, unparralled display of vitality was nothing short of nirvana for Alarin. Even down here, creatures known as whales could sing and communicate with each other. Hours at a time Alarin would descend into the depths below, trusting the wind no to send his Karve too far away from where he left it.

One day during his journey east, Alarin spied in the distance a large ship. It had black sails and wasa most curious design. It was unlike any of the ships from the northern lands, indeed it did not even look like it was from the western continent. So intriguing was its appearence that Alarin decided to wait for it to see his own boat and come to see him. He did not have long to wait, though his greeting was far from what he expected.

The people of ship with black sails were pirates, driven from their native lands by a great man of magic. No longer able to return to their home lands due to their dealing with the Oni, they were vegabonds with eyes only for gold. When they saw they ship and its passenger, their hearts were overcome with greed. Alarin's ship, thought tiny, was fit for a prince, and Alarin looked every part the prince. The priates intended to capture his ship and ransom him off to whoever he belonged to, and then could use their ill-gotten gold to sate the whims. However, the pirates were unaware that their "prince was in reality a godling.

When the pirates arrived they captured Alarin easily, for he put up no fight. As they loaded him aboard, he asked them to let him go, but they refused. When they later stole his supplies and tied him with rope to the mast, he again asked them to release him. Yet again they refused. Finally, when the captain was about to lay claim to Alarin's lute did the boy god ask the to release him. This time he explained that he was the son of the all-father, and that if they were to let him go, he would bless them and give them all the gold that would be his right as a future god. In response they laughed in his face, calling him a desperate mad mad who had been out in the sun too long. Denied his freedom three times by the corsair, Alarin began to sing a song of woe and new life.

The the ship began to become over grown with ivy, and from the bottles of the pirates' alcohal grew grape vines. Soon the ship was overgrown with plants, and the crew grew fearful. The pirates soon realized that Alarin was indeed a god, and that they were doomed. The buccaneers jumped overboard in order to avoid his wrath, only to be turned into the sharks they really were on the inside. In a matter of minutes the entire boat was over grown, and the vines descned to the bottom of the ocean to act as anchors. It would act as warning in the future to those that would attack innocent travelers, and who they could truly be.

After unlatching his own boat from the pirate ship, Alarin continued on his way to the east. The boy god was intrigued by how the marauders said they were driven from the their homes when they were attempting to kidnap him. Surely such skill with magic could only come from one of Alarin's siblings. So, with a stroke of his lute, Alarin was off towards a new destination with a purpose. A week later, and Alarin arrived in the eastern islands at last to find whichever of his siblings had driven away the oni.

The lands had fallen into disrepair in the past, but now were now once again operational. After an indetarminable amount of time of drifiting, Alarin found himself in the capital city, too fascinated by the people and their strange ways to remember his original purpose for coming to the island. In order to better get to know the people of the small kingdom Alarin disguised himself as one their own kind, and soon found himself a student to a famous teachers of arts who was impressed by the boy's skill with poetry. It was in his house of learning that Alarin gained his second muse, practice.


My apologies for taking so long to post. College is getting into the finals mode, so my schedule has been hectic between studying and work. Thankfully it will all be over for the summer soon, so I'll have full posting powers again. If it's alright with everybody, I'd like to just continue playing this game. Thanks.

[Carden]

The warm welcome put Eridi's mind mostly at ease. Deciding where to start was the hard part. After a few seconds of thought, he started by handing back the god-steel chisel. "Here, Father, it shames me to say so, but this is the last of your tools above the waves. I found it in a town, what seemed like a peaceful village torn apart by greed over this simple chisel. I have made my own now, and, truthfully, I want nothing more to do with that tool.

"After the village of Jin'Thul helped me most generously, I came upon a massive vein of Blood Iron. There I built a smithy that, I dare say, rivals your own. After taking materials for the handles from a most magnificent beast, I forged these." He laid his tools out in front of Rognir, his hammer dead center. "With the steel of the hammer forged so strongly, I knew the stone I had been using as an anvil would no longer suffice. The vision of steel that came forth, the purity of the face, strength of the horn, it came to me that night, but so did something else. Father, have you heard the plight of Calantha? Has Aldric returned here with her yet?" The worry showed on his face. It had been months since he had last seen Aldric, riding off with that wonderful weapon. Months and he had heard nothing, good or bad. He had so far assumed the best, but the sight of familiar settings combined with his recount of the tale brought it all back.

[Nefarion Xid]

After months in exile, eking out a simple living in the cold north, Calantha and Aldric had fallen into a routine. No one lived up here; the only intruders were the occasional nomads who only ventured this way during the summer months to hunt. The hunters kept a wide birth from the spirit with the dreadful countenance and baleful thing he carried. The Nightmare had sought out Aldric once, but the beast called no one master and did not tarry. Though Alric had been allowed to ride her, she was no pet. Once a day, Aldric would leave his sister safe in the confines of her springtime oasis in the snow and walk out to the cliffs. He loved his sister dearly, but he needed silence and time alone with his thoughts. When his heart was not too heavy, he'd summon Despair and practiced.

He had no work ethic to speak of and actually training at anything was still a new concept to him. Whatever talent he had in battle was largely due to his raw strength and ruthless nature. His attacks were overpowering and by the time his opponent had time to recover and counter (if they recovered) he'd slipped out of reach to prepare another onslaught. It was the reason he favored the scythe. It was hazardous to defend against and had a wide reach. When he was so inclined to begin, he'd practice until his hands trembled and Despair betrayed him, falling from his grasp.

Leaving the wicked thing in the snow he snarled and skulked towards the cliff edge. He'd taken up talking to himself, or the scythe... he figured it was innocent so long as the latter didn't respond.

"I would have the luck to be stuck with a weapon that's an anathema to the wielder! On top of everything else, I can't even hold you for more than a few moments. Agh!"

He hazarded a look back at the scythe, half buried the snow, before returning his gaze to the east.

"I'll break you too. Everything breaks eventually..."


1 Major Act - Retroactively create the artifact Despair

[White Blade]

There was a sudden shift and there Garadiel was, back in the underworld, back in the Dreary Wastes. Of course, the song had no true effect on his ears but the place was large and dispassionate and completely uninteresting, so it was a dreary to him as it could be. The features of the land were non-existent, the land was uneven but formed no hills. He sighed. It was a boring place, and people were leaving it so slowly. Every once in a great while, Garadiel would rouse everyone and send them out in parties with the psychopomps. But it was swiftly going nowhere. He'd have to tend to that soon, he realized, and realized even more dejectedly that would mean him leading them. Which is not something he wanted to do at all.

Finding Hebat was not hard work, or indeed work at all, but it was a chore. Sort through all the souls subconsciously, go find soul, which turns out to be on the other end of the waste, walk all the way across the entire Shadowland, which takes what amounts to nine or ten hours even as a psychopomp god (which could be multiplied by as much as ten when he re-entered the world, Garadiel had not yet figured out if there was any particular pattern to the way time fluctuated in this place.).

He walked deep out into the wastes and finally reached Hebat. Hebat looked fine, sleeping peacefully, except for the large, angry looking wolf that lay beside him. Garadiel stared at it. So few animals had the sense of existence needed to enter this realm and, moreover, the creature did not feel like an animal. It had... well, not quite human intellect, but an intellect that would have been human level.

He woke it with a whisper, as he thought best. "Wake wolf,"

"I am hungry," said the wolf, preparing itself to tear into poor, unwitting Hebat.

"No, you are not. You are distinctively not hungry. It is impossible to be hungry here," Garadiel hit the wolf roundly with his staff as it opened its jaws, "No eating when you aren't hungry."

"I wish to devour flesh," the wolf said... peevishly, in Garadiel's opinion, "How is that not hunger?"

"It is the very opposite of hunger. Hunger longs to be filled... You just wish to eat. Quite distinctive, when you think about it. At any rate, no eating any of the souls."

"Where can I eat?" the wolf asked, hoping for a positive response.

"There is a light at the edge of this shadow world, which if you enter will take you to the real one, into a fresh infection or a new baby human, growing in its mothers womb."

"I do not wish to be human!" the wolf growled resentfully, "Humans are easy prey,"

"Well, they killed you. Besides, if you are human your hunger will be satiable."

"Mayhaps," the wolf replied and pondered whether or not to go on.

[hi-mi-tsu]

The first few weeks of their self-imposed exile, the young goddess's "alone time" had seen her staring off into the East, mind wandering its own slow channels. Did her father miss them? Did he even care that they'd gone? Or perhaps he was telling the others of their departure...or perhaps not. Perhaps he was telling them that she and her brother were dead, failed children, killed by Agony and Torment...

Now, though...now the girl was sleeping, twitching as her eyelids fluttered, soft whimpering noises forcing themselves out of her in her distressed dreams. She was running...no, she was hiding, but the hiding wasn't enough, they'd be able to find her, he did, he always found her and then he held her face--

"Let's have some fun"--

"No!" Calantha shot up, clutching the doll of her brother tightly to her chest, and stared around at the vast expanse. She was too exposed, here, and she didn't like it, not at all...she needed somewhere safe. Somewhere she could be, and only the people she wanted could stay.

By the time Aldric returned, it would be to a large expanse of perpetually-spring field; daisies and irises nodded in the pleasant breeze, and in the middle of the field was a house. It was a charming enough house, at first sight...except for that the windows were all askew, and the curtains were blowing outward, as if the wind was coming from inside the place. And it looked as though a blind person had painted it; the roof was purple, and each side was a different shade: green, yellow, red, blue. The door was bright orange, and the doorknob was in the middle, with a smiling face painted on the handle.

Calantha was inside, settled in the middle of a room that would make Escher cry; stairs emerged halfway up walls and led to doors that opened onto windows or walls, and gravity was all topsy-turvy. There were doors that just...floated, as well, that when opened led to parts of this house that couldn't possibly exist, and Calantha--in a moment of rare genius--had rigged the door to know exactly who was coming through. If it was someone she knew (and liked) a guide appeared, in the form of a bright purple flower with wings like a bird; if it was someone she didn't know--or didn't like--they opened the door onto a winding maze that drew them ever deeper into the madness of the halls, with shifting walls and phantom faces.

"I love this place..." Holding up her hand, she smiled to feel a cup of tea pressed into it; she'd made herself friends, as well! That way, when her brother went for his "alone time", she didn't have to get bored...

(Used: Three Major Acts--> Create the Sanctum of Delirium
Used: One Minor Act--> Changed the landscape from frozen wasteland to eternal spring field, complete with flowers and bunnies, etc, etc.
Used: One Minor Act--> Created the Servants of Delirium, humanoid figures with perpetual smiles that maintain the Sanctum and keep Calantha company (also run errands when she feels she needs it)
Made building that serves as entrance to Delirium's sanctum.)

Sanctum of Delirium
Made after a particularly terrifying dream, the Sanctum of Delirium is Calantha's new home, and a place specifically designed to make her feel safe. Though the entrance to the sanctum is contained within the small house, the realm itself is vast and constantly changing; it shifts with Delirium's moods and whims, from a labyrinthine construction one day to a carnival funhouse the next. At any given moment, there may be experimental creatures, failed experiments, phantoms given flesh, or servants bustling about the halls/rooms/mirrors/what-have-you. An uninvited person (or god) will often never see Delirium at all, finding themselves instead pulled further and further into the realm of madness; the longer an unwelcome "guest" stays, the more altered their mind becomes, as the more reality unravels around them.

Servants of Delirium
A small band of humanoids, made specifically by Calantha to keep her company, these servants resemble nothing so much as semi-large patchwork dolls with ever-present smiles. They stand at approximately four feet tall and are sentient; however, Calantha exerts control over them due to the fact that they are completely mad. They follow and obey her as their mistress, and will band together to defend her in the unlikely event that someone she doesn't like gets through the natural defenses of her home; unless directly requested to by Calantha, these creatures never leave the Sanctum.

[White Blade]

The wolf looked at Garadiel and asked, "And what judgment determines whether I am born human or werewolf?"

"None, friend wolf, for there is no judgment here. If you are born a wolf or a human is purely chance."

"Good. If you were my judge I would not go on, for you are a human god, how could you judge me, a wolf?"

"I do not know, friend wolf, but you do wish to live again?"

"Of course! This world is a specter and besides, I cannot eat here," the wolf replied and Garadiel was glad. No creature, no matter how wretched, deserved to stay in this shadow world.

Garadiel turned to leave, to hurry back to his brother and tell him of what he had learned. But then the wolf spoke up, "Great God, I do not know the way. Please show me the way to life." The wolf was polite, though Garadiel knew its heart longed only to destroy. But it realized these were shadowlands, not truly real but a specter of life, and Garadiel felt a tinge of shame. He had thought to simply leave the creature here.

"I cannot help you along the way, but follow me and I shall show you the path to life," Garadiel motioned for the wolf to follow and he led it. He watched it struggle through the Dreary Wastes, staying awake in spite of the difficulty. He saw it leap the river of Dispassion, as he had not managed to. He watched it scoff at the petty offering of the land of Satisfaction. And he watched it climb the mountain of Struggle, reveling in the pain and the difficulty, falling three times from its slope and rising to walk again. It was strong and proud, and it reached the top of the cliff and looked over the plateau. It still could not see the storm but Garadiel smiled and said, "You have come far, friend wolf, for the sake of your living. Across this plateau, in the gray screen that you see before you, is the portal which shall take you to the living world. The flying brothers there serve me and you need only leap into their arms and they shall bear you to the living world." The wolf growled its assent. The journey had been hard and it was growing tired, but it counted that as proof that it was near the place of life that its legs trembled and its heart felt weak. It was grateful to its guide, though he had been less than fully helpful, for he would never have reached this place without it.

Garadiel watched as it leaped forward and the foremost of the brothers caught it. The brother hurled it to its brother and then that brother to the last of them and finally the wolf was tossed straight into the portal. Garadiel felt it seek a path and find one and then Garadiel turned around on his heels... How he longed to watch another soul so endeavor, he thought with some relish, dreaming of watching the endeavor for life so vigorously pursued. And then he chastised himself. He had also said that he would return to Nara.

So he stepped through into the other world and found his path easy by shifting from one world to the other when the roads grew hard, and soon enough he reached Nara, "Nara!" Garadiel shouted, "I have met your werewolf. It seems the spirit is clung to by another spirit, a wolf like spirit but not actually a wolf, and that that is the spiritual nature of the malady. You may tell Orgo I have escorted the first of his dead children back into life."

[Raz_Fox]

Shen Zhi Shu

"Some have returned. Others have not. Those that have returned to me have found their place in the world, as you have. Raia came back to me, you may rest easy on her account. She has become a war-mistress, full of passion for mortalkind."


Eridi

Rognir took the chisel, balancing it in his hand thoughtfully as Eridi spoke. His face darkened as Eridi questioned of Calantha and Aldric, and he shook his head. "He did. I have dealt with them already - know only that she lives." He tosses the chisel up in the air and catches it with an oddly child-like air. "But tell me, my son, what have you learned by living among mortals? You have made tools most wonderous, I can see that with my own eyes, but how has your mind been opened?"


Pa'am

There is a room in the house at the end of the world where there are maps beyond number. In the room's center is a huge map of the entire world, from the north to the south, the east to the west. It is here that Pa'am returns to his father.

Rognir accepts the First Gear, which floats easily above his palm. He raises one eyebrow questioningly as his son kneels. "Tell me then, my son, what you have learned of my purposes and your own flaws."

[Jair Barik]

Nara turned to face his brother.
"I thank you for what you have done but I am unsure wether the news you bring me is for better or for worse. The mortal souls are free in death but these creatures are created as souls in themselves... It makes me wonder...but never mind, I am glad for what you have done and should you need any help in the future you need only ask it."

Nara rose from a patch of earth, newly tended too and surrounded by various hardy plants. At the centre of this thivk tangle was a small patch of earth not hidden by the surrounding plants where the first of the seeds had been sown.

"The first efforts on the long road to a better future. It will take time but the trees will grow here. Before we part again I have a question. Do you know the whereabouts of where Aldric and Calantha were headed? I would wish to speak with them. If you desire to know anything in return I will gladly answer."

[White Blade]

Garadiel sighs and shakes his head, "I do not know where Aldric and Calantha went. The portal seemed cold but... That might merely have been the... Well, that might have been from another cause."

[Jair Barik]

"In that case I must confront a meeting that I have long put off. Good-... Until we meet again Garadiel. yes until we meet again." Nara smiled and turned to face the North. There was value in the journey true, but sometimes, sometimes there is no time for such a thing. It is rare that this is the case but Nara felt today may be one of those days. He would have to travel a long way in a very short time.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu

"Some have returned. Others have not. Those that have returned to me have found their place in the world, as you have. Raia came back to me, you may rest easy on her account. She has become a war-mistress, full of passion for mortalkind."


"And so then, it is time for me to return to Zhang? To be the god of magic and wisdom. Is it not?" Shen Zhi Shu awaits the final words.

[White Blade]

Garadiel was not above his work, from that day forward, and found the guiding of spirits a restorative exercise. He took many to the gate of life and at his urging few remained behind. His work was good, he knew, and he was glad with it.

But Garadiel also felt that the truths of the universe must be spread. So he went and found young psychopomps and began to tell the tale of the afterlife.

"This story is not wholly true, dear friends," he would tell those who had believed his claims as the god of the dead, "But it reflects the truth that I wish to tell and in that sense is true."

Then he began to tell the story.

"Long ago, death entered the world. It was the result of a cruel and greedy man, who sought nothing but his own selfish desire. This man is called the Miser, in honor of his clinging fingers. In his haste for his own profit, he killed his fellow man. As punishment, Rognir set the Miser as lord of the land of the shadows to where those without form must go.

The Miser, however, knew nothing of kindness. He collected the souls of the dead like baubles and thought nothing of their good. And when Rognir entered again into the underworld he was aghast and he slew the Miser twice, destroying his soul. Now Rognir sought another man to rule the dead and he found among his servants a loyal servant called Peace. This servant he set above the underworld.

Now Peace was not so ill a king as the Miser for he gave his subjects the best of everything he had, but he made a crucial mistake. For in death none can grow and Peace thought it best to leave the souls of the dead undisturbed in their rest. In time, the land in the shadow of life grew so crowded with souls that Peace at last was driven to madness by their crying and their tears.

And again a new ruler had to be appointed. Now came Justice, a fine servant of Rognir, who thought himself wise. Justice set himself above all souls and gave them life, then he divided the good from the evil. Now his judgments were not ill, and he set those who he believed worthy on high and those unworthy he rested low. But it soon became apparent that Justice was not completely right. Many kings who came before him he cast low, but they insisted they had done what was necessary. Many beast and fowl complained, bringing news of their killers and demanding justice from them.

Soon, the objections of every soul rose to Rognir. Grieved, Rognir sent his own son to set order to the place where the shadow of life falls. And this son was named Garadiel. Garadiel saw the mistakes of his predecessors and set them aright. 'We shall reward nothing save the love of life,' Garadiel said, 'For life alone is virtue. Those who cower here from the weariness of pain and life may remain, but they know no good can come of it. I would help them if I could, but I cannot, for they do not wish to be helped. None that come here need fear my judgment, for I do not judge.' And he set the paths of the dead through that land of shadows and he opened again the ways to life. And it was good, truly good."

[Jair Barik]

When Garadiel departed Nara stood, held his arms out, closed his eyes and concentrated upon a memory of a place. Visualising the place he let his spirit wander and had anyone been watching they would have seen the God's flesh turn to stone and crumble into a pile of dust that sank into the ground. Through the earth itself Nara moved, his spirit flying beneath the waves through the deepst reaches of the Earth itself. It was by no means instantaneous but his passage was infinitely faster than had he travelled by mortal means. His journey completed he stood before his destination, his form rising out of the soil. He dusted himself off lightly, bowed and then entered into the halls of the house to meet with his father.

[Kasanip]

Raia and Garadiel
Raia nodded to Garadiel, as her sharp eyes flickered, like she was remembering something.
"Yes...I fought with some worthy foes. But all of them were beaten. I am afraid, brother, that there will be no challenge left... But I am intrigued by the people called 'Humans.' More than the Tumi, and more than the Tengu. I would like to learn more of them. So I think that will be my next path to walk." With a serious frown, she looked back at Garadiel.
"I am sad that we cannot run together as we once did, brother. The Lands of the Dead are not a place I should pass to idly. That is what my heart tells me."

[White Blade]

"Indeed, the land of life's shadow is not a place for a triumphant warrior, or indeed of anyone at all. I shall seal it soon, so that our siblings will not be able to prance about in it or make demands of me based on the souls they can disturb there." Garadiel replies, his face growing slightly harsher when he speaks of disturbing the souls, "If at all possible, Raia, do not pass through the shadow. I do not think you would be much improved by a reincarnation and I should miss having you for a sister," Garadiel finishes, wearing the grin that he uses when he is making light of something he takes seriously.

[Carden]

He could tell that Calantha had been a sore spot, but it was good knowing his sister was at least still alive.

Reaching into his pack, he got out a clay pot, beautifully painted. "They are craftsmen of their own right, Father, grand craftsmen who make things not only of use, but of beauty." Opening the pot, his next item was the map. "Here is the masterpiece I was gifted. Its detail is perfect, the scale is without any err. Until this, I hadn't even viewed cartography as a craft, but as an art, yet this map is what led me to my good fortune. It brought me not only to the cave of iron, but to a place where materials for my own smithy could be found.

"It was a quarry, Father, deeper than your tallest room, farther reaching than I could even see! These people had seemed so simple, but here was a place where rock had been taken to build a grand city of which no trace nearby could be found. But that had been long ago, nature has reclaimed most of the pit now. Judging by the largest plants, I would say at least a few centuries or more have passed."

Sighing, he went to the one place he had dreaded most, the truth he wished he could deny. "Father, this is no longer my home. These halls no longer feel like they did when I was a child, they are only a place I once belonged, a distant memory. Jin'Thul and his people gave me kindness when I would've dealt in vengeance, and I promised them I would repay it. I want to make their lives better, I want to make them a grand city for their generosity, a city that will rival the one that has disappeared. I have seen that, truly, the greatest craft of all would be to mold those people, a lowly tribe, into an entire civilization, one whose name will be known to all four corners of the world, until time falters and darkness crawls over the sun. I will heat them with knowledge, temper them with work ethic, and cool them with morality."

Looking Rognir straight in the eye, he finished his thoughts, "My Father, you have given me everything up until this point. I have learned how to make things of worth beside your hands. I learned when I fail to never give up, that I had just found a way not to do what I wanted. Now I can truly thank you for that, because, in these past days at sea, I have realized something. I know where my real path begins, and that is in a small village on those open plains. Not here, not in my secluded smithy, but beside good-hearted Jin'Thul and hard-working Noss." Eridi looked to Rognir now, not for approval he had always sought as a young apprentice, but for acceptance.

[Baxter190]

For three months Alarin studied under the great poet’s tutelage. Alarin’s tutor was the great Míngzhì, a great scholar who had mastered every art and science known in the land. With each passing day Alarin learned more and more of the arts, of natural philosophy, of history and war. He was even taught the common trades such as blacksmithing. There was not a single subject in which the master did not teach his young apprentice, who exceeded all previous students. As had become customary for the boy and his teacher over the term of his education, the master’s household would gather for the evening and discuss their day, and what the Alarin would learn the next day. On the last day of the third month, no such conversation was held, for he had finally learned all that Míngzhì had to offer.

Instead Míngzhì told Alarin that it was time for one final test, to prove his mastery of the various subjects. When the sun rose the next day, the boy would be locked in the high tower of the estate for one week. While sealed away from all outside influences, he would be expected to produce creations that exemplify his skills and prowess. No easy sleep could be found for the young god, for he was far too excited to prove himself to his teacher and those that would could to examine his works.

Night passed and the sun rose to meet the master and apprentice eagerly awaiting it. Though both were excited for it's coming, they had far different reasons. The boy was overjoyed to acheive mastery in the arts he had so longed labored in, and become more akin to the humans he loved so. Míngzhì on the other hand was overwhelmed with hope that at last he had found a student that would surpass him. As the sun rose in the distance, the student entered into the tower, and the doorway was shut.

The tower imposed upon the sky itself, streching the very limits of possiblity. No mere tower was it, for it contained rooms of every imaginable purpose, and was stocked for possible need. Thousand of scrolls sat unused, while inks of every color under the sun were stored in uncountable numbers of vials. Strange and exotic materials from far off lands such as unicorn hair and dragon bones were avaible to those that desired it. A forges built in and looms were accessible. Truly, no need could go unanswered for in that lonely tower. The boy quickly went to work.

Days and night he labored, every stroke and as graceful as the last, each movement precise. Late into the night his work could be heard in the city, and peasent would often claim to see a silhouette in the single window at the top of the lonely tower, ever toiling at whever undertaking he was currently persueing. Seven days passed in what seemed like an instant for Alarin, but it was enough. On the morning of the eighth day the doors to the keep were opened at last, and Míngzhì marvelled at the creations that had been wrought by his greatest student's hand.

Though he was no crafter like his brother Eridi, he spent many a long time with him in the forges, studying his brother's work. His appreciation for his brother's endeaveors and his own diligence in studies had shown to be fruitful at last, and manyfold were his creations. The bloody, mindless violence of barbaric axes had long fallen out of favor in these islands, and so Alarin created a sword from the ores found in the remains of meteorites. As black as the moonless night sky, it was a beautiful work of art that combined form with function. History scrolls that were lavished with details and illustrations of the empire's history were hung from the walls of the towers like tapestries, and told of times back to the founding under Pan-Lung, the first emperor.

A small trinket, no bigger than the palm of ones hand was the next item. Though no more than a simple combination of metals laid together in a precise fashion, the peice of metalworking always pointed north, guiding the way for lost travellers. Such was the creation of the world's first compass. The healing arts were something that Alarin had taken an interest in. By combining several poisons and healing herbs, he had created a small potion that could cure any poison. Though not replicable by any mortal's hands,. it was enough that if used sparingly could save countless lives.

But foremost of Alarin's creations were his newest instuments. Crafted from items common to the lands, a string instrument similar to Alarin's lute was created. He dubbed his new creation a Shamisen, and explained how tom play it his tutor.

For himself, his own lute was taken apart and recreated in a new form. The orginal was a gift from his father, given to him when he had first taken up music. Now, it would truly be his own. The wood was taken from an ancient elder tree that was over two thousand years old, and said to have been planted by Pan-Lung himself. Now, it would be used to play the most beautiful music in the world. The strings were plucked unicorn hair, capable of making any sound. Characters of many languages were inscribed into it, from the runic symbols of the north to the artistic kanji of the empire. It was such a thing of beauty that when Míngzhì plucked a cord to hear its sound, a single tear of fell from his eyes at the perfection of it.

The final test complete, Míngzhì bowed before the young god and proclaimed him a true master. Alarin, however was too unused to people bowing before him and told him to stand, for they were equals. With this simple act of kindess and modety, the old scholar realized that at last that before him was someone who could finally surpass him, and he rejoiced. And so the whole city rejoiced, for a festival was thrown in honor of the wandering bard who had surpassed Míngzhì.


Alright, created my totem at last. i should have my quest finished tomarrow. Sorry about taking so long :smallbiggrin:

[Kasanip]

Raia and Garadiel
Raia's faint smile returned, gracing her features again.
"Yes, i think that there is still far too much to do before passing into Shadow. I hope that even should you seal off that world, that you will not seal yourself off. Certainly I also would miss having you for a brother, Garadiel." She responded. Turning to look at the hallway again, she let out a small sigh.
"This whole place has changed perhaps... We have changed. But now is no time for confusion in purpose. I must depart again. I hope it is not too long until we meet again, brother. You will hear many tales of me from the dead, or so is my intention. Until our next meeting, farewell."

Raia at Toukoku
Raia returned to her own land of Toukoku now, and she wandered through the valley, taking in all of the aspects of human life that were there. The pottery they made, the weaving of clothes, the playing of children... Yes they were a lot like the Gods had been when they were young, or so she thought.
Under her guidance Toukoku and the Twin Mountains grew strong and many. Raia looked on, pleased to see the order and their skills sharpen.
Often she watched over her people, and yet they would always salute and bow themselves before her. As it should be, she thought, and yet she was disappointed. To try and learn more about them, she was disrupting them greatly perhaps...and so she had an idea. Coming before the Tumi, she sat and discussed with them their ways. The Tumi, being like the Oni from which they came, could send out their spirits to possess people and greatly increase their strength in battle. This is why Raia had taken them to her, for they could be like heralds and pillars of strength for her armies.
Yet now she desired to learn these secrets for herself, and they taught her the methods.

Having learned these secrets, Raia sat upon Aptokim and put herself into a deep trance, as if ready for battle meditation. She separated her spirit from her divine body and sent it forth into the town.
Now even in Toukoku, the touch of Tumi was still unknown, because Raia had not commanded them to do such things. But a young woman named Taiyu became filled with Raia's spirit, and for the time, Raia walked among the humans in mortal form.
Taiyu quickly became famous however, as Raia could never restrain herself from a challenge, and with her knowledge, Taiyu quickly rose to become a great leader and fighter- taking three tournaments in a row. her divine presence finally judged, Taiyu was treasured and worshiped, as the people sat her upon the commander's chair in the council.
Raia, annoyed and jealous of this attention, at last departed from Taiyu's body, and returned. She came down from Aptokim in anger, lightning and thunder clashing and howling about her.
The terrified people threw themselves before her and she spoke to them.
"Taiyu's strength and power came from me. Do the soldiers admire their spear-shaft more than it's tip? Reverence proper for your leaders is appropriate, but do not think narrowly of a captain and forget the general. I am Raia, and Taiyu serves me justly."
Raia spoke commandingly, and the people obeyed. Knowing though, that she had led them in confusion, Raia spoke kindly to Taiyu, and rose her up to be an example to them.
And to Raia, she remembered this lesson greatly. A soldier is not merely a tool for her gain. The whole condition must be understood.


Acts used:

Major Acts:

Gain Ability: Channeling
Create Artifact: Tetsuzou- The Tengu blade and now lightning sword of Raia.

Minor Acts

Inspire Population: Humans, Tengu of Toukoku in the ways of warfare
Improve Population: Humans, Tengu of Toukoku

1 Major act, 1 Minor act, 1 Ceremony remaining

[Raz_Fox]

Shen Zhi Shu

"Indeed, my son. You are blessed among my children, for you have found your place in life. Now, go, and may the south wind be your guide; go now with my blessing, sage of Zhang."


Eridi

Then, the All-Father did something that Eridi could not have expected - he embraced his son, laughing as he did so.

"My son, out of all my children, you are the one who understands! You have gone out into the world, and found it greater and more real than you could have imagined - and now you realize, now you know that it is time for you to walk alone.

Know that you are still my son, and you will always heed my call, but now you must walk alone for a time. You have found the strength to rise from nothing, you have mastered the skill and wisdom needed to truly be a god among mortals, and now you are a man.

Go forth then, my son, along the path that you have chosen for yourself. Know only that my blessing is upon you, and I will heed your words in your time of need - and you likewise. Go, make what you will of the world, shape it to your will, and follow your path."


Nara

There is a garden beside the house at the end of the world, where plants unimaginable by man grow. Here there is a plant which will make any mortal who eats it immortal, while here there is a flower beyond the beauty of any terrestial rose, priceless herbs and shoots, all of them unique.

It is here that Nara finds his father, commanding the plants to grow by his very presence. The All-Father turns to greet Nara, his son of the growing world, then bids him sit down and speak of what he has done.

[Jair Barik]

Nara sits.
"I have changed father since last we met. I set out to become like you and I return enlightened by the knowledge that the path I sought to tread was not as I had thought it. I have found solace in the natural world and now seek to nurture it and aid itss growth. But I did not come here to speak of my deeds nor did I have any intention of ever coming here with such a purpose. I wish to know where Aldric and Calantha's exile has taken them. I wish to speak with them about what has happenned that I may understand and that your family does not fall into ruin."

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu

"Indeed, my son. You are blessed among my children, for you have found your place in life. Now, go, and may the south wind be your guide; go now with my blessing, sage of Zhang."


Finally, the satisfied Shen Zhi Shu made his farewell to Rognir/Pan-Lung. Once more he made his triumphant transformation as the Pheonix, the last time he would do so before he learned how to polymorph his body, and returned to Zhang. However, things were not as it would seem Shen Zhi Shu would remember.

Xiang Jian and outlying villages welcomed Shen with open arms, but they were the only city to do so. Of the many city states, only they would recognize Shen Zhi Shu. This refusal to accept Shen Zhi Shu would cause a Schism throughout Zhang for many years before he would reclaim Zhang. By now Shen Zhi Shu had thought of himself as responsible for the caretaking of Xiang Jian and, of course, the Great Shrine.

Yes, he thought, this Shrine will do.

Actions
3 Major acts to make the Great Shrine Of Himiko a Sanctum
1 Minor Act to create the Blood Monk divine class


Perhaps the citizens would benefit from better farming techniques, Shen Zhi Shu had thought. He didn't think that this was what they needed the most when he was a half-god. After all, the people might not have had much more than they could eat themselves, but the land in Zhang near the Great Rivers in the main Islands were very fertile. Shen Zhi Shu ordered that dissimilar crops be planted in the same area during methodical sequences throughout the seasons.

1 Minor Act to introduce Crop Rotation

[Raz_Fox]

"Mark your words carefully, my son; speak not to rouse my anger. I see that Garadiel has spoken with you about them, but I do not believe you know why I was forced to punish them.

You say that you have found solace in the world I have created - remember this, that you are the caretaker and I the creator. While you seek to understand it, to know it as you know your own mind, to master it, I knew it from the world's beginning as only the craftsman can. Is it your place to prevent a thing from coming to ruin, as you percieve it? I have ordained this thing to be, and I understand as no one else what will come of it.

Remember that you are my son, and I am your father, and though you may have changed like a chrysalis opened in the spring, this will not change. Do not presume your new-found purpose makes you above my chastisement.

Ask a boon of me, question me of Raia or Eridi, explain to me the way the world now turns, but do not ask me of Calantha and Aldric. Again I ask you, and a thrice time - ask not of them further."

[Jair Barik]

Nara rose.

"I do not wish to anger you father and so I will take my leave of you. I seek no boon for the powers you have given us are the greatest boon any could desire, I have heard of Raia and I doubt Eridi is in any peril so I shall seek them out in my own time, there is nothing I could speak with you of how the world now turns which you do not already know of, as you said you ordained what the world will be and so anything I could speak of you in your great wisdom will likely already know. I will now depart. I do not seek anger against any of my bretheren and so I shall not speak of this subject to you any more, but it is this same emotion that drives me not to anger you that made me come here in the first place. Goodbye father. Goodbye."

[Carden]

"Thank you, Father," said Eridi as he released the embrace, "Thank you forevermore! I had hoped you would understand, but this is even greater!" Packing his things back up, he continued. "I must return at once, much work is ahead of me. These people need to be taught well, and only time will allow me to do that!" Rushing towards the door, he stopped suddenly and turned around.

"Er, Father, might I ask of you a small boon before I leave? It has recently come to my attention that the magic of enchantment is something that could greatly improve things even I have made. I ask only to be able to study the books in the grand library on that art, preferably by taking them on my return voyage. I would happily stay and read them here, if you would prefer that." The young deity's face showed that he would abide by Rognir's decision without any further argument. He had already been given much that day and, honestly, he didn't expect to be given anymore. He hoped, but this was his father's house, and he would abide by his father's words.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric was silent for a while and just stared at his discarded weapon. He wagged a finger towards the eastern sky and laughed.

"Clearly, Rognir does not know all... for if he did, I should have been struck dead just now. Hmmm..."

He waggled his eyebrows and rolled the thought over and over in his slippery mind like he was appraising a piece of fruit.

"Ah! Perhaps if I say it aloud then? Hmmm?"

He cleared his throat, then turned to address the sky. He spoke clearly, yet softly.

"Begging your pardon, Father, I was just entertaining the thought of setting fire to the sky and razing your hall so that no stone lay atop another and the seas wiped its memory from the face of the world."

Again, no lightning bolts or divine retribution of any kind.

"Ah, you've gone deaf in your twilight years as well, hmm? Apologies, Father, cup your hand to your ear and crane your neck this way." His voice grew louder and louder until he was shouting. "By your word: The skies shall burn and your hall will be lost beneath the waves! ... and even if I fulfilled your prophesy, you would not release me from this curse you old fool! If Rognir is all powerful and all knowing, then it was Rognir who brought us this...! eh?"

Suddenly interrupted (and thunder stolen), he turned to examine whatever was tugging on his sleeve.

[hi-mi-tsu]

"There! Now you look just like you should." Calantha carefully clipped off the end of the string, after tying it into a knot, and looked at her Agony doll with satisfaction; the creature had a mouth, now, and all of the cuts had been neatly sewn shut, and Callie had made her a pretty blue dress that was ruffly enough to disguise the lack of legs. The girl herself was wearing a fantastic concoction that was all ruffles and bows and layers and lace, and was purple; she felt like a queen in it, and wasn't that what every little girl wanted? Even a goddess needed to have fun sometimes...her hair was kept (mostly) contained by a large purple bow, and hovering windows were flung open to allow sunlight and the gentle spring breeze in.

Calantha's servants were dressed in finery as well; dresses of varying pastels for the girls, and smart suits with lacy cravats and little top hats for the boys. In the middle of the room a table hovered; there were more chairs than should possibly fit around this table, but somehow everyone had a spot to sit without crowding anyone else. The girl was delighted, but something was missing...

"Of course!" She beckoned over one of her servants, whispering in his ear; for a moment, he looked perplexed, and she flung a greatcoat--which seemingly appeared out of nowhere--over his shoulders and grinned.

"Go! Go and find him! I can't possibly have tea without him!" And give him this!" She reached out of the window (in the field, it would look like a thin, pale arm appeared out of nowhere, plucked a flower, and then vanished) and pulled a vivid purple iris up, passing it off.

"He'll know what to do with it!"

-------(A bit later, wherever Aldric is)-------

The mad doll looked...a little perturbed to be interrupting this lunatic who was--for all intents and purposes--shouting at the sky. His mistress's madness he understood, of course, but this was a whole different ken...still, he tugged hesitantly on the god's sleeve, then backed up a pace when those eyes turned on him.

"Ah. Begging your pardon for the interruption, my Lord, but the Lady Calantha requests you join her at all possible haste. She cannot hold her tea party without you, you see...ah!" Fishing about in his comically over sized greatcoat (the end of which was dragging a good foot behind him), the servant pulled out the orchid and held it up for consideration.

"My Lady has also requested I give you this, and says you'll know what to do with it."

[Earl of Purple]

Phromm

Phromm's return to the band of Mountain People was celebrated by a feast. Admittedly, the feast consisted mainly of salted ptarmigan and snowshoe hare, but it was still a feast, centred around the standing stone. The Predator-God recounted the tale of his battle against the Father of the Mountains many times, and never did he embelish the tale or add details that were untrue. No, Phromm saw no point in adding to a story of prowess and valour that was already filled with battle-skill. So impressed were the People that they named themselves the Orofolk, or 'People of the Mountains' after the now-deceased bear; Phromm forbid them to take his name, but allowed them use of the name of his opponent.

After the party, Phromm turned the skull into solid granite, to remain forever uneroded as a monument to the most savage beast of the North-West Mountains.

Acts: 1 Minor to turn the skull to stone (Change Landscape)

[Nefarion Xid]

Defeated, Aldric slumped his shoulders, then melted into a wan smile. Sweet Calantha was possibly the only thing saving him from doing something rash. He tucked the iris behind his ear and bid the servant leave him, telling the rag doll he'd be along in a moment.

Now was certainly not the time for action of any kind, rash or not. Rognir, while not as wise as Aldric had once hoped, was indisputably powerful. Certainly the most powerful being in the world, as far as Aldric was aware. He needed information. There was always the possibility that more of the All-Father's enemies still hid in the shadows of the world... though he knew not what he would do with them if he found them. Strike them down to get back into good graces? Or join forces with them to tear down everything Rognir had built. He also needed to keep tabs on his siblings, both the ones he tolerated and the arrogant ones who might have some damned fool notion to teach him a 'lesson' for upsetting dear old dad's dear old heart.

He cast out his hand and a shadowy mist sprayed forth that coalesced into a swarm of inky black bats. They began to encircle him, spare one who, slightly dazed, perched on his shoulder and grasped his tiny head in his wings.

"Cover the land. Report back to me everything you find out about my kin and any being of great power. Do not be seen. If you are discovered, say nothing of me: I am not your master, I do not exist. Understood?"

There was a chorus of chirps and squeaks in the air before the swarm dispersed to fly southward. Satisfied with his work, Aldric turned towards Calantha's meadow and banished Despair (who still lay in the snow at his feet).

Considered little more than a nuisance by the world at large, Hermit Bats hide themselves in discarded (or stolen) pieces of clothing and infest urban areas. They nibble out holes for their wings in things like hats and boots, turning them into mobile shelter and handy urban camouflage. Unfortunately, their intended role as spies for Aldric is often compromised by their penchant to find the most expensive and ostentatious piece of clothing and wear it as a status symbol. Swarms of flying hats are a monthly occurrence in some heavily populated areas, but the phenomena is usually dismissed as the work of a quirky wizard. Hermit Bats operating in rural areas are more diligent and use hollowed out gourds for their hiding places. Some even go so far as to construct a wicker sphere and cover it with appropriate flora. Hermit Bats speak Common, but usually decline to speak at all until bribed or threatened; they are perfectly willing to sell information (for the right hat, of course).

At the Multicolored House in the Middle of the Meadow...

Cautiously, Aldric rapped on the bright door before turning the knob to enter.


Create Monsters: "Hermit Bats" - 1 Major Act
1 MA Remaining.

[White Blade]

Garadiel had enjoyed his latest foray into the underworld. He had guided many souls to the light and had taught many psychopomps the ropes of the trade. But there was another kind of work that needed doing.

For you see, Garadiel hated death greatly but he loved life more. So he sought out a place to give life, subtle though his gift would be. Eventually he went Raia's lands in Toukoko and hid amidst the darkness of the place, protecting the children from death. His magic worked well and for a year and a day no child in Toukoko would be stillborn nor would any mother die during childbirth. Then he left, without ever telling Raia that he had been there, though he figured she would work it out. It wasn't as if a lot of her siblings would just drop by without saying anything, prevent all death during childbirth and then leave.

Then he carried on to a place on a hill, for he felt the terrible disturbance of a soul. A ghost. The first ghost, Garadiel thought, that he had ever felt in the living world. Of course, all souls were ghost in one sense of the word. But nonetheless, no soul thus far had managed to linger on in the living world without returning to the living. So Garadiel approached the ghost with a degree of calmness and poise, watching as it flitted about in anger.

"Why so angry, dear friend?" Garadiel asked affectionately, as was his way with all the many spirits that passed through his care.

"Because it is all wrong," the Ghost replied, "And do not call me friend!"

"Even if you do not know it yet, I at least am your friend. Whether or not you chose to be mine is really completely up to you. So... What is all wrong?"

"This place... I cannot touch it or feel it."

"Don't you realize you are dead? You cannot touch or feel things when you are dead."

"Why is that?" the Ghost asked, his brow furrowing.

"Why is it death?" Garadiel asked by way of reply.

"No, I mean 'why am I dead?'" the Ghost replied.

"Well..." Garadiel thought for a moment, reaching out with his magic to find the truth. The man, it seemed, had died of natural causes, a heart attack. Hardly the sort of thing one would expect of a ghost. But then, Garadiel thought, it isn't as if I've met any ghosts before. "Your heart failed. No other reason, really."

"Well that's a bit of a bother." the Ghost said.

"You're certainly taking this in stride," Garadiel commented.

"Oh, I suppose. Its just... It was getting on my nerves, flitting about, unable to touch things, and I guess when you got here and explained everything it made a great deal more sense, which made it less frustrating and disturbing. But what should I do now?"

"Well, as it happens, I'm the guide of the dead and I'm here to guide you to back to life."

"Oh are you? That's good then." the Ghost remarked and Garadiel thought to himself that he had never had such a compliant student before, he offered the ghost his hand and they disappeared, entering the realm of the Dead, where Garadiel would guide him into life.

1 Minor Act to increase the population of Toukoko.

[Baxter190]

Xiang Jian had recently had much to celebrate, with the overthrow of their decadent emperor and fending off the foreign armies being chief examples. Now the ascension of a common vegabond to one of the greatest artists and scholars in the city-state lead to a great celebration. Common peasents and great lords both took to the streets to join in the festivities. Music of all kinds were played in great amphitheaters, and the legends of Pan-Lung travels were told to inquisitive children. The arts were celebrated in all manner of sorts, but none could compare to show that Alarin put on for his last day in the capitol.

Seven days he toiled with the greatest musicians in the city to create a spectacle, the likes of which would go down in the legend of yore. All manner of instuments were involved, and the greatest voices were gathered to form a great choir. With such a union of skills and grace, directed by the great bard himself, the first symphony of the world was composed. At nightfall of the seventh day, all gathered in the grand city square to experience the greatest performance in Xiang Jian since Pan-Lung himself graced the mortal world.

The crowd was instantly stunned by the beauty of it all. As the instruments began to play, the great choir openned with the one of the most beautiful harmonies the world had ever known. At the forefront of them all was Alarin, who conducted the event. Music filled the air, and with it, magic. The sky itself changed colors, while lights of myriad luminosity washed over the assemled people. Color exploded in the sky, making the event as much as a show for the eyes as it was for the ears. It seemed as if the aurora borealis had descended so far south to watch the symphony itself.

The show ended in a brilliant display of skill and grace, for Alarin himself joined into the fray, contributing his own divine abilites. None were left untouched by the display of skill by these masters of song and music. The boy was finally content with himself and the islands, and had long ago forgotten his orginal reason for coming to the place. He had lingered so long only becuase he felt that something was unfinished. Now, he accomplished himself in these lands, and could leave without regret. That night after the festivals end, Alarin awoke to see the moon full. It called to him, as if a beacon in the darkness, a light by which to guide him on his travels. So compelled, the boy knew he could no longer stay. He knew though, that he also not just leave without a single word to Míngzhì. That man had taken him when he was but a seemingly lowly begger, and taught himself all he had to know. Kindness such as that could not go unanswered.

With no other choice, Alarin took out his his writing set and a bamboo scroll, and to write a letter. In it he explained who he really was, and why he was travelling the world. The story of the All Father, who was the first emperor and Alarins father, as well as the boy's quest was told in detail. In the end, no relevant detail was left out, and Alarin thanked Míngzhì for his kindness. Alarin promised his former master that one day he would return unhiddened and bless the land, and the old teacher who had shown him such kindess. With his final task done, Alarin snuck out of the house and returned to his travels, not to be seen again until his quest was complete. Though the grand boat given to him be The Kraki had long been unsued, so greatly was it crafted was it that it made no difference. It was dawn when Alarin set out, and he sailed towards the rising sun.

[hi-mi-tsu]

The door swung open at Aldric's touch, revealing--for an instant--a dizzying maze of mirrors and walls and corners that went all the wrong way. Then all of that faded and there grew from the madness a clear path, brightly-lit with rainbow-flowers growing in the walls that shed the softly-colored glow. It was but a short walk to the room, and when Aldric entered he would find the place festooned as if for a celebration.

Calantha beamed, seeing her brother step into the room, and somersaulted away from her table and down to the "floor", catching both of Aldric's hands in her own.

"Come, come! It wouldn't be a proper tea without you here!"

She was happier than she'd been in quite some time, here in safety and peace, in a world she made herself and controlled herself; tugging her brother up to the table, she gave him a gentle push into the chair next to hers.

"Just pour, and whatever tea--or drink--you want comes out! Isn't it marvelous? The cakes are the same, they're whatever you want to eat!"

[Jair Barik]

Nara left his father and headed along the shoreline. In his travels he had not heard of either of his banished relatives. News had spread about the peerless bard and the mighty wizard conquerer. He had met with many of his siblings but bar his talk with Garadiel he had heard nothing of Aldric or Calantha. He was starting to doubt that they were still even alive or still in this land. Garadiel had the Underworld, what was to prevent them having retreated to a similar place? Surely though there must be some place he had not yet thought of, some forgotten part of the mortal land where word was not fast to spread...

Up in The North...
The night was dark as the bloody red shape moved across the snow. It had killed a lot of creatures on its way here. There were so many animals that it had never seen before that it raised the thrill of the hunt to new levels. Of course the real 'prey' was not for killing. It was for finding. The scent was muddled and hard to track but he was no mortal hunter and the scent he sought was of no mortal creature, was unique or at the very least rare. it was...divine.

A smile.

Wit was almost as delectable as flesh, pity he so often forewent chat and got straight to the biting. Still it was in his nature. His nature. Another smile. His nature was red and... no... no no no that would never do.... Hmmm at times this was hard even for a God. Still on the plus side he was very close now. But what of the finer dramatic detail? He had considered burying himself in snow and then leaping out roaring something impressive and posing dramatically but that would take more effort than it was worth and could easily be ruined if they came across him whilst he was preparing. Hmmm My claws are as red... teeth, tooth, red in the.... fur as red as... no still needed a bit of work. Perhaps he should eat the liver of somebody witty. Would that work? He was pretty sure there was something special about the liver. Thats it! Orgo Red in Liver and.... Rognir be damned that sounds dreadful! Perhaps he was looking at this the wrong way... maybe it neaded more spontaneity to it... On the other hand of his spontaneously came out with something like what he had just thought....

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric awkwardly anchored himself to the floating chair, quite sure it would separate itself from him and somehow he'd no longer be suspended. When Calantha had decided to have tea in the middle of the room, she meant the exact middle. Amidst the dancing crockery, floating furniture and animated rag doll servants, Aldric only smiled. Though, far from mad himself, he had a certain appreciation for the way this little sister thought and found himself adapting easily to her world. Of course the honey pot poured its honey for you... it was only polite, after all!

Aldric thanked the honey pot softly for its service and tentatively sipped his cup of what he hoped would be jasmine tea. Smirking slightly, he gave a polite nod to the patchwork Agony doll, propped up in a chair opposite him, stuffed into a frilly blue absurdity with a permanent red smile stitched onto her face. Remembering his manners (and forgetting the macabre effigy of Rafa (who'd committed suicide to avoid facing him)) he turned to his hostess with a genuine, warm smile playing across his lips.

"It is a lovely party, Lady Calantha... and you've such a beautiful home. Thank you for inviting me."

Stranger still than the fact that the lord of terror and wielder of despair incarnate was sitting down to a child's tea party, complete with dolls, was the fact that he was enjoying himself.

[Raz_Fox]

Eridi

"Take what you will from my library, but remember that one day they must be returned. I trust that you will not forget my favor to you in days to come, my son."

[Kasanip]

Raia
Toukoku was running smoothly. The people lived and flourished, the Tengu trained always for war, and the Tumi guided and also nurtured their strength.
Raia was ready. But there was no foe for them, as Toukoku was a protected place.
But the people were healthy and able. Very healthy, and Raia saw within the subtleties the craft of one of her brothers, and knew it was Garadiel.

And she smiled silently to herself, thinking fondly of their travels.
And so she also desired to travel. To see more of the world, and to learn always more about the mortals. She headed East again to the lands she had come to before. But there was no war here, in the lands she came to. And so Raia felt her own strength lessened.

Using the technique of the Tumi, she became a mortal again, and walked with wide eyes, hearing great music and seeing blessed crops growing widely.
The land of Xiang Jian was wealthy and fertile, even beyond her own. And for a time Raia braided her hair in their style and walked among them, until at last she heard of the great Shrine of Himiko.
The exploits of Shen Zhi Shu were renowned here, and Raia learned much of her brother's deeds.
And quietly Raia left again.

Back in Toukoku, Raia stood and stretched. Then she spoke to her commanders and people.
"You all are the greatest. The best warriors gathered in this world. And now it is time. Too long have you not shown me your skill. Too long have you not honored your worthiness. Grab your sword and spear. The shield and bow. "
Raia unsheathed the great Tetsuzou from her side and raised it to the sky.
"We go to War."

[hi-mi-tsu]

The tea had been drunk, and scones had been eaten, and Calantha had claimed the adorable tiny bat clinging to her brother's shoulder as her very own--"I shall call him Winston, and he will stay here with me"--and now the young goddess was nodding off. She'd plied the little bat with tidbits from the table, that turned into small, wriggling creatures just before Winston had swallowed them down; now, stuffed and happy, the small creature was nestled in the folds and ruffles of Calantha's dress, and she was idly stroking his head with one delicate finger.

Over the course of the meal, the chairs and table had steadily dropped to the "floor" of the room; now, the table disappeared altogether, and Calantha yawned as her surroundings turned into a multicolored rainbow of a room. She stood, and when she did her chair disappeared as well; padding over to the bed, she shucked her dress with a child's lack of care for who saw her--putting Winston on the soft covers, first. A nightgown whisked out of her dresser and folded in around her, and she curled up in bed with her new companion, blinking sleepily content eyes at her brother.

"I like it here, Aldric...I want to stay forever..." She yawned, and smiled, letting her eyes close. "We'll stay forever, jus' you and me."

The goddess slept.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric smooched his sister on the forehead and made sure she was tucked in properly, just as he had every night in Rognir's Hall and every night before then in their mother's home.

"You are a very lucky little chiroptera..." he wagged a stern finger at the now very plump Winston, who was shamelessly snuggling into Calantha's pillow and smiling a smug little batty smile. "You keep an eye on her," he warned while fetching his plush doppelganger from his chair on the other side of the room and deposited him on his sister's bed in case she needed him. Aldric lingered a moment longer, as he always did, fretting he'd left out some minor detail, then whisked out of the house silently.

Stalking to the edge of the meadow, back to tundra and reality, his hand shot into the air just in time to catch a very fatigued hermit bat as he came in for a bit of a crash landing. He cradled the creature gently in his black gloves and brought him close to his face. The bat chattered to him in a high pitched and nervous voice, reporting a slaughtered nomad band not far to the south... and an enormous red wolf steadily making its way towards them.

Aldric left the bat to rest in the soft grass just steps behind him, then with a wicked, lopsided grin he turned south and leisurely walked out to meet his gruesome guest.

[Raz_Fox]

Hermit Bats

Oh, what things the Hermit Bats could see. They saw civilizations and tribes, true, and how often they were ignorant and defenseless from the dark outside their firelight, but some things not of the mortal realm were glimpsed by the bats.

Some saw the giant tribes, scattered on islands and in the upper north; one or two saw different breeds of giants working together to enslave a mortal population or pillage a strongly defended village. Such brotherhood had been unknown in the days of Rognir. Needless to say, it's a touch disturbing, and the number of reports suggests that it's not an isolated occurence.

More disturbing, however, was what they couldn't see. One or two of the hermit bats decided to wing their way as far as they could towards the west. They didn't come back. Even those who flew over the western islands would report gaps in their memory, or turned tail and headed back east, where it wasn't so forboding.

One or two might have spotted a man dressed in red with scarred lips, but he had a habit of disappearing in the blink of an eye.

[Jair Barik]

Orgo smiled as Aldric approached. No theatrics tonight, the man had known he was here so all the more reason to act 'amiably'.

"You must be Aldric then. The banished God. I was under the impression your sister would be here too but from what I have heard it is you who I truly wish to speak with."

Orgo stood up and walked to meet Aldric. His appearance was strange, a mix between a man and all sorts of other creatures. Wolf, bear maybe a small hint of fox in the ragged red fur that covered his body. But there was nothing animalistic in the intelligence behhind his eyes and the wicked smile spread across his face.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Banished? Now what poor soul told you that?" Aldric shifted his weight lazily, then sunk his hands deep inside his coat pockets. Only Garadiel and Rognir knew about what had happened. So, it must have been Garadiel who let the news slip since the only other options were too laughable to consider: either some outside force had been privy to what transpired in Rognir's Hall... or Rognir himself had dispatched the wolf to have a word with him.

"Where I come from, it's considered good form to exchange a pleasant greeting and give your name first. But, you seem a busy wolf-thing and I'm not much for formalities either. So! What say I give you, oh, until I get bored for you to tell me why you're here and give me a very good reason to not kill you."

It was impossible to tell if he was bluffing. Perhaps Aldric was just looking for an excuse to work off some frustration, or maybe it was an intimidation tactic. Then again, it was entirely possible that nothing the wolf said would keep him from being gutted like a fish. Of course, Orgo wasn't given the luxury of time to consider the possibilities... Despair was already summoned and slung over Aldric's shoulder.

[White Blade]

Garadiel was dangling off the edge of a cliff, held up only by a rope he'd recently bought and carrying a sack large enough to fit a human being in. He wasn't sure the fall would kill him, but he was fairly certain that the fall would hurt, and he wasn't anxious to find out if it could kill him anyway. Besides... Garadiel was opposed to death, even his own.

That was the funny part, Garadiel supposed. Most of his siblings would have seen it differently, were they the god of the dead. They might have sought to preserve or spread their will or their dominion. But Garadiel held death in... well, not contempt. But he viewed himself as Death's opponent, after a strange fashion. In time, when his power had grown, he would seek out his father again and ask him how death first entered the world. Then he would undo it. That was his life's work, he knew, and he knew it would likely take his whole second life. But he wasn't above the effort it would take.

That was why he was dangling in the first place... The crystals here were some of the purest in the world and he knew his father had brought some home from this cliff when the world was young. Of course, the crystals he sought would not have the power of those his father kept... Well, not for a long time. But, then again, that hadn't really been the point. Garadiel ripped the stones out of the sheer cliff, amazed at his divine strength. There were only a handful crystals pure enough to endure the transformation that he sought. It would have to do.

When he had enough crystals, he disappeared into Life's Shadow. He guided some souls up to the portal and then instructed the brothers to stand aside. He strengthened his magic with his will and simply walked across the precipice to the Storm. His strength was great here, greater than it was in the living world, and such a feat was not beyond him. He took the stones from his sack and slung them one by one into the portal. The portal fizzled for a moment and then, Garadiel felt it. The stones were changing... And... Success. Garadiel walked into the portal and guided the ensouled stones into the living world.

These would be his servants, the guardians of life.

1 Minor Act to create the Living Stones, Garadiel's first attempt at immortal creatures. They're more or less successful, they can fly, speak, and heal but they're more or less defenseless and don't have any fine manipulators, so they're easy to capture and control. All of them are the shape of uncut crystals and none are larger than a basketball. There are nine.

[Baxter190]

A storm was brewing in the east. Its size was preternatural, measuring at least 100 miles wide. Surely to face such a storm would be madness. Perhaps Alarin was imply unaware of the danger. Maybe he knew, and went in spite of it. Or he could have gone, not in spite of, but because of the danger. Whatever the reason, Alarin piloted his long ship right into the middle of the cyclone and faced whatever danger there was to be found head on. And where he was going, danger abounded.

Alarin's troubles began innocently enough. What started as simply rough waters, and soon became small, choppy waves. The wind began to howl and moan, pulling the ship in with an unnatural strength. Soon, a heavy downpour came descended on the ship. But, for all the danger and peril that was beset upon the bard, he was calm. Indeed, for him the world was at peace, as he had his own hand-crafted lute. It had seen him through thick and thin, and now reborn by his own hands, Alarin would test its might to the fullest in the coming battle. Only time would tell if his faith in the instrument would be misplaced.

The winds gradually turned savage as Alarin penetrated deeper into the storm. Only the divine songs played on his sacred instrument kept him from being thrown about like a mere plaything by the hurricane. Instead, the soothing melodies kept the ship afloat and steady in the raging storm about it. However, its calming effects only influenced the nearby areas, and all around the traveller the sea raged. Lightning rained from the sky, and walls of waves tolled by. The wind screamed and almost muted the song, yet Alarin continued to play undisturbed. His concentration must have been masterful, a trait rarely ascribed to him.

Further and further he traversed the malestrom, evading the lightining strikes that fell from the sky and riding out the waves that crested over 10 meters in the air. The thunder alone would have deafened any mortal who dared trespass upon the untamed ocean, but Alarin persevered. Undaunted by the storms violence and impotent rage, he piloted his ship straight towards the very eye of the storm. It was near the very center of the tempest that things turned for the worst. The storm reach its apex and soon even the god's song could not keep the frenzy at bay. As he struggled to maintain control, the young boy was taken back by what he saw before him.

A gigantic whirlpool, large enough to swallow a ship whole lay in front of his longship. For all his skill, he attempts to pull the ship out of harms way wityh his lute was in vain. He knew to do nothing would be suicide however, so the bard stowed away his instrument and took to manually changing his direction. He sang aloud to appeal for the winds aid, but his voiced was al but drowned out by the thunderous noise of the vortex. The would-be god tugged with all his divine might, and barely managed to adjust the mast only slightly. The whirlpool was powerful though and pulled him in with a supernatural strength. Alarin began to think that was lost as his boat drifted closer and closer to the edge of damnation.

But hope sprung enternal in the god, and refused to give up just yet. At last the winds heard his please, and a great gale propelled him away from the vortex of death. At last he arrived in the eye of the storm, and all semed calm, if only for the moment. His ship was battered, but it would still sail. But his moment of peace was interrupted, when a great monster arose from the depthes of the ocean. The beast was a horrible sea monster with six long necks equipped with demonic heads, each of which had twiseted that contained three rows of razor-sharp teeth. It's body consisted of twelve tentacle-like legs and a cat's tail and with five dog-heads rattached to its waist. Truly no more horrible a monster existed anywhere in the world.

With a sardonic smile, Alarin remarked to himself that these would make great monsters to tell of when he returned to the mortal lands. But until then he resolved to never give up hope and attempted to sail his boat around the creatures he dubbed Scylla and Charybdis towards the relative safety of the rest of the storm.

[Jair Barik]

Orgo looked at the scythe and smiled.

"Nice scythe you got there. You may call me Orgo and I am as much as it surprises myself not here to fight. Sure not long ago I would have been happy to rip off a few heads and pull out some random God's innards but not at the moment. Your family have made it quite clear that path doesn't lead to my personal well being and the last time I offed one of you he didn't end up any where near as dead as I was hoping he would be. Now then as for why I am here one of your siblings is one his way to try and make ammends between you and pops but I thought I'd save him some time find out for myself that no such plan has any chance of succeeding and go spare him a fruitless journey, after all who wants reconciliation when one can simply take revenge?"

[White Blade]

Garadiel wasn't surprised to find four human men who looked like warriors in the Dreary Wastes. But that would defuse quickly as he woke the men, "Wake up, dear friends," he said gently, his voice echoing in their ears and waking them.

The shouting was more or less unified, four distinct voices saying basically the same thing. "The Emerald Lady's tribute! You must tell her!"

"The Emerald Lady?" Garadiel asked before his thoughts caught up to him and he remembered Riora's title, "Oh Riora. Why? What do I need to tell her?"

"Her tribute has been stolen!" one of the guards replied.

"Ah... Well... I'm sure they caught the thief by now."

"No, its a demon! I know it is," another guard said as the others nodded vigorously, "Only the Emerald Lady would have the strength to defeat it,"

"Well... Why don't you explain what this thief was like and I'll make sure to relay it to Riora."

"What means would you use to contact the Emerald Lady," a third guard asked with contempt staining his voice. He did not know this place or person, but he was sure he was less worthy than the priest who the Emerald Lady so seldom called on.

"Well, for one thing, I'm her big brother, which is sure to count for something, and I'm a god, just like she is. Mortals pray to me and everything... Not very many mortals, granted, because there isn't much of a point, but mortals none-the-less," Garadiel replied, enjoying the look on the guards' faces when he said that he was Riora was his little sister.

"The man was pale," one of them began, "And he spoke of 'Ri-Ri' which I assumes refers to the Emerald Lady,"

"He was swift as death himself," one of them asserted.

"Well.. I'm not as quick as I'm sometimes made out to be, but I accept the compliment," Garadiel interrupted and enjoyed watching his sister's followers blanch. They knew they were dead, but the thought that he was death terrified them. Garadiel was aware it wasn't really accurate to describe him as death but he was taking a petty vengeance on Riora for all the times she'd set his maps or playing cards on fire.

"He used knives," a different guard said, rubbing his back absently as spirits were wont to do with their death wounds, "And he talked fast, really fast, and to himself. And that's about as much as we know."

Garadiel put a hand to his chin. He wasn't sure who that described, but it certainly seemed foreboding but that someone had robbed Riora and killed her guards. He figured she already knew but... "Well, I'll go tell her right after we get you four living again, how's that?"

"No!" the bravest of the guards asserted, "You must tell her right away!"

"It can wait, I'm sure she already knows that she's been robbed. I'll tell her as soon as I get you guys out of here, now you can stand here and argue or you can start moving and I can take news to Riora as quickly as possible after you leave."

The four guards looked momentarily defeated before their faces grew determined, "Let's go then," one of them said and Garadiel smiled, showing them the way. Their journey was a short one, as such things are measured, but it still took some time. Nonetheless, Garadiel was impressed by their zeal in their task and when they had all been hurled through the portal disappeared into the living world, as close to Riora as he could get and started heading towards her.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric shifted his weight again and lazily positioned his scythe across his shoulders with both arms flung over the snath. He took a moment to suck a crumb out from between his molars before speaking.

"Revenge? And I suppose you've come all this way presuming... what? That I'd work for you? That I'd help you kill Rognir?"

He bore his short fangs and began to chuckle. Darkness crept into the corner's of Orgo's vision. The wind grew colder, fiercer and the distance between him and the safety of the tree line seemed farther than it had moments before.

"And you came alone! You must hold yourself in very high esteem for having killed Garadiel. He's quick, granted... tough too." His laughter became louder, crueler. "But, you murdered a defenseless demigod and you think that makes you strong? You dare to presume to speak to me like we are equals? You come to parlay with me instead of grovel? Crazy... ah! Crazy, I understand; crazy, I like! I could abide you if you were just crazy. But evil? Oh no no no no-no-no, I can't stand evil. With evil creatures, it's only a matter of time until they turn on you. You'd sell me out for table scraps, you stupid mutt! You never know where you stand with evil creatures... but crazy? You know... you can always count on a crazy person to daffodils."

Aldric vanished from sight in a whorl of shadows, but the horrible, sickening laughter remained for a second longer, it hung in the air all around, echoing off of nothing. Then there was silence, spare the howl of the wind. It brought with it an unnatural, malevolent cold that felt like it was trying to claw its way inside of Orgo, through his throat, and rip out his lungs. No sign of Aldric. It had to be a mile the trees, maybe more. Dare he move? Where was Aldric? He couldn't have simply vanished without a trace! Did... did he say 'daffodils'?

There, out of the corner of his eye! No... above? Behind? The sound of fabric rustling in the wind. Then there he was, just standing in front of Orgo, bending down to meet the wolf's eyes. Aldric still bore his maniacal grin.

"What do you suppose Garadiel is going to do to you in the Underworld? Oh well, I can promise it won't be worse than this..."

Despair came around like a home-run strike for Orgo's head. Truthfully, Aldric had no intention of killing Orgo. He just wanted to teach him a lesson. And maybe maim him... a little.

[Baxter190]

Alright, when reading this, please listen to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI

I was listening to it while I wrote, and it pretty much set the mood and tone for the whole thing. Thanks.



Charybdis was obviously the more dangerous one, but that little fact didn't endear Scylla to him anymore than one who had to choose between poison and a sword. Where as the vortex could swallow Alarin's ship whole, the great mutli-headed monster would slowly devour it if given the chance. The boy's only hope of surviving the affair would be to sail between the monstrosity and whirlpool, a dubious prospect at the best of times. Thankfully he was in the eye of the storm where the weather was, for the moment, calm. The clouds had parted in the sky, creating a gigantic hole in the storm where light could find itself down and the heavens could peer upon the godling's plight.

Directly above him was the sun itself, gazing downwards from it's noontime position. 'Ah father, you wish to watch my struggle? Do you wish to see how your youngest son will triumph in his time of desperation? What draws your gaze to me? Alas, where were you when Garadriel was ripped from this world prematurely?' mused the bard as he looked directly at the ball of light. Perhaps his father would rescue him if his demise became immanent? No, he was not there to save Alarin's brother, so neither would he save the boy if death came for him. The only thing that would save him at this point would be his actions.

The boy pulled strong on the ropes that controlled his long boat so that he might steer himself away from danger, and entreated for the winds to yet again pull him from harms way. The creature's wrath would not so easily be avoided. Every second a multitude of heads snapped at the boat, each of the wolves' heads growling and barking in agitation. The vortex as well threatened to overwhelm the god. Steadily it diverted the boat from it's intended course. If Alarin had relented at all in his duties for a moment, he would have been sucked in by it's might and brought to his demise. He struggled as the water raged against his boat, and waves sent by the trashing of the monster slammed against his boat. For a moment he felt fear for his life. But even in his moment of doubt, he never faltered, never gave in, never surrendered himself to resignation. No, the urge to live and thrive was too much for the god to ignore. There was no way he would ever give up, not while the best was yet to come.

Eventually though, Alarin erred. Just as he was nearly through the eye of the storm, he misjudged his distance and strayed from his intended path. His stumbled lead him too close to Scylla, whose jaws were waiting in anticipation. Urgently he attempted to correct his path, but alas, it was too late. Just as he regained control of his ship and reentered the storm, the great monster bit down upon his ship. It's clasping jaws grasped at the mast, and ripped it savagely from the boat. As the storm claimed the long ship back into it's fold, Alarin realized much danger he was.

No longer could he sit back and rely on the wind to protect him. Now he had to pilot his ship by hand, using only his wits, his muscles, and the magic of his voice to survive the storm. The stormed raged against him, for who dare try to subdue it with music? Who dare defy the sea that had been unconquered by any before? It roared, No one, man or god would be allowed to attempt such an act and live to tell the tale. Right now, it would use everything in it's power to sink the ship and crush the would-be god. But Alarin would not give in so easily even lost at sea as he was, he still grasped at hope. His voice was strong, and it carried the song of divinity. So he worked, his labors endless and without count as he for time uncounted he battled the sea. His trial would be quick, and his persecuted would use every weapon available.

Hours passed by. Lightning fell from the sky, several times almost hitting the boat. One even struck the remains of the mast, but little good did it avail the tempest. Waves that crested over twenty meters in height slammed against his feeble ship. Rain down poured from the sky above and filled his boat with as much water as the waves that swelled beneath it. Still, he persevered, riding the waves out as best as he could. Hope was still with him, yet it was but a candle in the infinitesimal darkness of the maelstrom. The ocean soon took even that small consolation from him as well. From the murky depths below rose a great serpent, the likes of with had not risen to the surface world in centuries. The Leviathan had awoken.

Great and powerful, it was an inviolable beast that looked so large to Alarin that he swore it could circle the world over and bite the end of its own tail. It was the fury of the ocean unleashed, and all of it anger was directed towards Alarin. Not since the day he met Orgo in that forest so long ago did he know fear like this. It was a true, primal fear. A fear of one's one mortality, and was grounded in every living being. Any other moment, Alarin would have rejoiced at being so close with the humans he adored. Now, the only thing he could do is barely keep hold of his feeble hope before it was smothered out. It let loose a roar that shook the heavens, drowning out the tempest, the thunder, and the bard's song. As he gazed upon it's mighty form, Alarin thought to himself that if it were to procreate then the world would not able to stand against it.

The creature came down on the boat with an inhuman savagery, and began to tear the long ship to shreds. With one gigantic bite it had bisected the boat. Another and the ship that had once been fit for a god was but a pile of wood barely holding together. Oh, how the mighty had fallen. A third time it turned its head, this time with intent to devour the ship whole. At the last moment, Alarin jumped ship, tears falling from his face for the beautiful piece for art that was now destroyed. He landed in the ocean, which soon swallowed him. The powers of the waters pulled him under, and slowly but surely he lost his way. Soon he was surrounded by darkness, with no light left to him. Despair reigned, and at long last, his hope seemed to have faded, and the ocean had claimed Alarin at last.

Somehow, in the midst of the overwhelming and crushing shadows that surrounded him, Alarin regained himself and thought of salvation. As he descended downwards towards doom, his thoughts had turned towards humans, and their irascible nature, and how they would somehow find victory even in the greatest of losses. Why did they do it? What drove them forward in those dark times. But the answer was obvious: love. Love gave them hope, hope for the future. Hope that the next day would be brighter, and better than the one before. They loved the world, they loved music, animals, beer, each other, themselves. Most importantly, they just loved. And so they hope. And they dreamed. And they reached the impossible because they simply refused to give up. It was that determination that made Alarin love them. No, not just love them, be one of them. He was not just the son of the All-Father. He was human too, inside his heart. So he reached for his hope, and he found it.

In his hand he found his lute, the one that he had remade so long ago. It felt different in his hands, different from the lute he had played just mere hours ago. Now it had changed-no, he had changed. When he arrived at the tempest, Alarin has sought to test himself, and see if it would be true. He had wanted to know if his own power was enough that it would protect like, if not better than his father. now, he knew the truth. Things such as power were irrelevant in this world. The only thing that mattered was that you went on, dreaming, hoping, loving, living. Music and life had once again reclaimed their places in his heart.

The lute made of elder wood lifted him towards the surface, and kept him afloat in the storm. No longer did he rely on his music to actively keep him safe. He trusted in himself and just floated, enjoying the maelstrom as it was. Not just some violent storm, but as an expression of life. Wild, untamed, violent and ever-changing. It was not just a Murderous rage that wished to kill him. It was the song of the world itself given physical form. It's reaction was now understandable, for it reacted the same way Alarin would if someone had come to intrude upon his song, his life. And with his understanding, so did the storm come to understand him. It calmed, if only a little, and no longer sought to crush him.

Soon, he heard a familiar noise, one he never expect to hear again in his life time. The dolphins had come, and they were here to rescue him. So long ago had it been since he swam with the dolphins, his old friends beneath the waves. Many months ago, before his apprenticeship to the old teacher they had been his best friends. They swam in the ocean with him, playing and singing. Truly they had been him in a another form, another body. Now they had come to him in his time of need to deliver him to safety. Such was the bounds of love and friendship they shared. And now, Alarin shared those same bonds with the world itself. Previously he had carelessly manipulated the world with his songs with no care for its own feelings. No more though. Now he would be one, with it, just as he was part music. He was part god yes, but he also belonged to humankind, and the world and music.

The dolphins carried him far, and Alarin knew he was in good company. Long did they exchange tales, and catch up with each other for all the lost time. After several hours they finally exited the storm. The world was so different in the east from the lands back west, so unlike them that he could draw no comparison for them other than mystical. It seemed to the man that he ha traversed into some other world. Maybe he had. In the end, it did not matter. Alarin had somewhere he needed to be. And with one last farewell, he bid his old friends good bye, for the last leg of his journey was before him. His quest was almost complete.

In this land of mystic and magic, Alarin traveled, but he was not alone. No, for he had in him now that song of the world, and he would be forever connected with the lands and seas of the world. What would come next would connect him to it all. At last he arrived at his first destination. Before him rose a mountain, taller than any other. It was so tall it reached to the sky itself, and breached the heavens. It rose above even the clouds, and it's peak was unknown to all save the All-Father. Alarin intended to climb it. He would not conquer it with his own song, using music to save him from what the world had to offer. This time he would sing the song of the mountain, and welcome whatever it would give him.

He ascended the mountain slowly, for haste was not something he had at this point. Now he would be as the mountain, slow, steady, and powerful. Gradually he scaled the mountain, all the while playing his lute. Eventually he reached slopes so steep that he had to use his hands to climb, and he continued singing all the while. Biting winds assailed him, bitter coldness stole the warmth from his skin yet Alarin did not care. He was happy to share whatever it was that he had to offer. It was his sacrifice to the mountain, so that he might reach the peak. Days he climbed, but never did he tire or waver, for his path was true.

On the third day he reached the top of the mountain and he rejoiced. But his job was not yet over. Atop that mountain he could see forever. To the north he saw giants enslaving innocent people. To the west he saw the storm and the islands beyond it where he teacher still lived, awaiting his return. To the south lands he yet to explore. And most importantly above, the dark, starry night sky. The sun had yet to rise, and that was what Alarin was here for. Alarin turned to the east, and there he saw his father's house, just as he had left it oh so long ago. Once, he had desired to return there, to the place of comfort and joy. No longer though, for he had now found his place in the world.

With a shout, Alarin called out towards the heavens, "Father! Do you hear me!? I am here! No longer am I just some lost boy who traveled the land in a daze. No more and I your baby boy who would bang upon a drum with innocent joy! I am Alarin! I am the song of this world, the music of creation! I remember everything you’ve taught me, and everything the world has taught me. You sought to master this world in your youth, so you became the All-Father! You were the one who first wrestled the leviathan, and fought the sea's rage made manifest! But you were wrong! The world is not to be ruled, but to be lived with! I love you still, and I will forever! Know this, for I am your son!"

"I remember the song would sing every morning, how you would cause the sun to rise. I remember it well. Well, no more shall you bring the morning star. I shall be the bring of day, the one who heralds the coming of light. I lift these burdens from you father, for I know the song of the world, and now I know the song of the heavens! i am the bearer of hope, of light, of dreams and song!" finished Alarin. And with a flick of his wrist, he summoned his lute and began to play the Song of the Dawn.

Alarin had at last found his final muse, Song, and with it his godhood.

[industrious]

Pa'am

The God of Time hesitates, for he is loath, even now, to admit that he was wrong. What seems to be an eternity passes.

"I...have learned that time is not what I believed it to be. A perfect, ordered, mechanical masterpiece. Time is fluid; it wriggles and writhes as an eel through water. Time is not merely the seconds of the day, but the events that each second hold. In a city I visited, a merchant closed his shop at sundown every day, while a pair of lovers awoke in the evening, startled at how the time flew by. Time cannot be crafted by gears and weights and pendulums alone. Without events, without people...time is meaningless. The perfect Order requires that which I have often said caused the greatest Chaos...aside from my sister, of course." He smiles at his little joke. One of his first.

"Am I wrong, father?"

[Jair Barik]

Orgo ducked the blow and jumped down into the snow his shape disappearing from sight only to spring up out of another dune far away from Aldric in a matter of seconds. Temporarily out of the Gods way Orgo shouted across a message to him.

"I have no intention on killing him. If I don't want to be a God now then why should I want to kill the King of God's and take on some of his responsibilities? You have me all wrong Aldric. I never wanted you to work for me. Quite the opposite in fact! Still I came, I asked, I said my piece. perhaps we will meet again some time or perhaps not. Your a warrior Aldric and I like that, me? I'll probably run from here in a few moments to spare myself from your wrath, but thats a big difference between us I suppose. Some people like to run from the little fights so that they live to fight another day.... some people run from the big fights and then hide for the rest of their lives."

[Nefarion Xid]

A pause, then crippling, wracking, hideous laughter. Aldric doubled over, clutching his gut, rasping and shrieking with insane mirth. Finally Despair slipped from his hand and he fell to his knees in the snow. He tried to regain his composure and mouthed something that couldn't come out between his hysterical gasps for breath. He manages a split second of silence...

"DAFFODILS! HEHEHEHE HAAAA!!! Ohman! Can'tbreathe!"

Sputtering and wheezing, he dissolves into another fit.

[Jair Barik]

Orgo shrugged and departed southwards.

"Suit yourself."

Definitely a few screw missing in that one for certain. Ah well, always next time...

[nysisobli]

Selek awoke, he was in a room where there was nothing. Damn this affliction he thought. Grabbing the light of ages, that was crafted to him by the all father he opened his eyes. The orb illuminated the darkness granting him sight.

The mini sun blazed around him, as he thought where he was.

Thats right Selek thought to himself i left the house yesterday. He was at the Tameran Inn, part of a small society. Looking around where he was, he realized he would have to turn his sun off, it would attract to much attention, and only held its charge so long each day. He placed the orb back on his ring finger, where it took up the shape of the ring he always wore.

Grabbing his longstaff and his brown leather cloth he covered his eyes. The affliction he suffered from let him see all the light touched within several hundred feet. But the places where light doesn't touch as black spots, regardless of what was in front of his eyes.

Walking through the town several individuals followed him, towards an alley way. seeing them, even behind him. He wasn't worried. 2 of them drew daggers, and they appeared to be approaching him rather fast. He simply asked, why would you follow a blind hermit into an alley way young men?

They responded with a simple statement, It looks like yous got quite a bit of coin in your pouch.One of them charged him with his dagger, and that man would never see again, faster then sound, the leather had been ripped from Selek's eyes, the man saw the burning endless holes and was struck blind instantly. He screamed as Selek ripped out his eyes, and placed them in his own burning sockets.

So this is what you men see is it?
He glared at the other 2 men, and they looked back into thier friends eyes, and that was the last sight either of those men ever saw.

[nysisobli]

3 days later

Selek soon came to the base of a great mountain.

Rumors were that there was a great spirit on the top of the mountain, and the spirit could grant any desire for a price.

Climbing the mountain was not an easy task, it took selek what felt like years, but soon found it had only been minutes. The mountain itself was only as large as your perception saw it, it was based on the experience you had crossed in your lifetime.

Into the cave at the top of the mountain, selek could see perfectly inside, for there were gems glittering across every inch of this cave. One small light would illuminate the whole cave.

Selek spoke then I am here for the gifts promised to those who could face there own mortality on the mountain.

You think your ready to recieve my gifts? A voice said.

Selek's eyes must be betraying him he thought, the room flickered between light and dark, and he could not see at all. Reaching for his staff, it was not there. He felt a large thud on his head.

Where, concentrate! He thought to himself, and lit his ring. He saw a curious sight, It was a skeleton, with the same eyes as himself.

The skeleton was in the corner of the room, laying there holding his longstaff.

He did not understand, this place was dangerous, but it was also serene. He walked towards the skeleton with his guard up.

One task has been completed, one more to go The voice spoke.

You can see all around you, but still have not learned the lesson that your father wanted you to learn. Know yourself, before you try to know anything else, failure to know yourself will result in death every single time. Now, Prepare to die.

Seleks hands grabbed for his throat, and he started suffocating himself. He couldn't stop it no matter how hard he tried.

Maybe i don't know who is behind these hands he thought to himself, but i know one thing, i will not die!

He looked into his own eyes in the reflection of the gems on the floor, and felt himself burning from the inside. His hands were in agonizing pain, Seleks head pounded as he began to lose oxygen and couldn't keep a clear thought.

I know who i am am, he gasped. Who? His hands released. I am Selek the seeker, the blinded light, the flawed sight, the fool! I AM A FOOL, THATS WHO I AM ,he yelled.

Good you have learned something from this experience, take the skull of the skeleton there, and it will give you your deepest desire.

Selek approached the skull slowly, and as he lifted it, he felt his strength return, but the pain in his eyes still remained. I thought you said this would give me what i desired most?! He said, as he still could not see the way he once could

It has, what you truly wanted was to be ackowledged.

[nysisobli]

Selek spent his days wondering what it meant to be acknowledged, talking to the cave, and becoming the hermit on the mountain. The only company he had was the spirit of the cave.

spend 1 minor action to create the spirit of insight, a lvl 18th follower

After a month of talking to the spirit, Selek soon found out with words alone he could convince the mortals down the way of anything he wanted.He convinced the local shop keeper to give him food, for being the crazy hermit of the mountain everyone seemed to love him. spend 1 major act, to gain divine charm

One day a child ventured up the mountain as a dare. When he entered the cave he saw Selek casting sorcery onto a large diamond. He gasped and broke Seleks concentration. Within seconds selek was draggin him into the cave, where the spirit of insight began questioning the boy of his motives.

Selek just smiled and answered every question the boy answered, for curiosity was not a sin, at least not a mortal one that is.

The boy asked what Selek was doing to the diamond, and he answered
The diamond has become the gem of sight, with the consent of someone within 100ft of it, they can put thier sight into it.
Let me describe what i mean, If i sold you an apple, and you did not have any money, you could pay me with an hour of sight. I can claim the hour of sight from the gem at any time, and while i am using your ocular powers, you will be rendered blind until the time runs up or the i end the effect

spend 1 major act to create the gem of sight

The boy was shocked, and asked if he could be taught how to use magic, and Selek asked what do you have in exchange for my teachings? The boy spoke calmly and said My sight.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric's laughter followed Orgo to the edge of the forest. After he was sure he was alone, Aldric went silent then immediately, sprang to his feet and calmly retied his dark blonde hair into a neat ponytail. He reached northward and eldritch power pulsed from his outstretched palm, silently calling the Nightmare to him. He'd just enough time to turn to the poor, shivering bat hiding in a nearby snowdrift and deliver a short message before the mare came thundering across the tundra.

"Go to Calantha and instruct her not to leave her sanctuary until I return! Say only that I've gone in search of... Eridi!" A good lie, he thought. He wished to see Eridi again, and it was someone for whom Callie had a great fondness. Best not to worry her with his real business. The bat saluted and squeaked a confirmation through chattering teeth.

The Nightmare came to a halt by Aldric and snorted indignantly as if far too important a creature to be disturbed like this; though at the same time she seemed to be looking forward to whatever dark business her master had in mind. Aldric butted heads with her, roughly tussled her mane and gave her a few good slaps on the neck. Her tack and bridle coalesced from the shadows, already fitted to her. Aldric threw himself onto the saddle and banished Despair to the nether for safe keeping. The mare shrieked once and they were off into the night.

"Insolent little... I'll teach him the meaning of fear yet. Hmm? His head would make a fine trophy, wouldn't it? Haha, that would win me points with the family. He's far too dangerous to leave unchecked. I'll either find out what the bastard's up to, or I'll kill him! Either way sounds fun, right girl?"


1 Minor Act: Make the Nightmare a powerful divine servant
1 Major Act: Increase Aldric's Fear domain to rank 2
2 Minor Acts remaining, 0 Major Acts

[Jair Barik]

Day broke as Nara wandered along the coast of Zhang. He had heard from orgo again and it sounded as though father may be right. Perhaps Aldric really was a lost cause. He had travelled back to the north briefly though in order to plant another of his forests. Now he headed in land to plant the third seed here in Zhang, in a nice secluded plain. It felt as though something was happening here. The land was abuzz with something but he could not tell what. All he could do was hope and pray for the best.


3 minor acts to plant the silverwood forests

[Kasanip]

Raia
The army of Raia had assembled and gathered before her again. The Tengu beat their drums loudly, while the Tumi stood as their opposites - silent in their cool, dangerous stance. And assembled between th
em was the army - humans numbering in the thousands, assembled from across Toukoku, and armed with the finest gear in the manner of fearsome armors in bronze and gleaming spears and swords like the sun.
It was a proud army, and it served Raia. With a wave of her hand, Lightning came to her calling, and the great Testuzou in her hand responded, and she pointed it to the East. There a great land stood, and was ready for conquest.

And with a steady drum, the army marched out of Toukoku, and began it's journey.
villages and towns scattering the plains and valleys fell immediately to Raia's army, and their own warriors came to her calling, so that as the host traveled it grew in number.
At last they came to the lands known as Zhang, that Raia had walked through in mortal form.
Divided, the city states at it's edge, who had left the great Wise King's rule stood divided and afraid upon the battlefield. Against them was an army lead by the Goddess of War herself, and they could hope for no victory.
Their own armies gathered, the three states of Eisu, Wan, and Chishu arranged their spears and bows before them in their fashion.
But Raia looked at this and shook her head quietly.
A foolish plan to array so straightly.
Lines could be broken. Like a stick they could snap. But she could forgive them- they could learn much from her.
And so Raia walked out, accompanied only by the Tengu OneClaw (for this was his name ever after his loss to Raia in battle, and yet a distinction of honor and pride, to have wrestled with the Goddess herself.). And she called out to the generals of the three states to come forward.
Seeing their enemy before them, the three came and stood before Raia. And seeing her demeanor their hearts were confused. But Raia spoke to them.

"Your men are weak in spirit and courage. They would not dare to face the oni, were their kind to come alone. So how can they be victorious against the tengu, who fight more fiercely than the oni?
Your men stand divided by loyalty, so how could they stand against the people of Toukoku, who are like brothers?
Your men's bodies are weak from lack of training, so how could they stand against the legendary strength of the Tumi?
The cannot. They will all fall and break before my army, and so now I offer you this choice.
Your fall is inevitable. You cannot hope to compete with the Goddess of War herself in a test of arms. You can join me justly, and pledge your loyalty and service, and you will be rewarded appropriately. I will make your people great, and spare them from the sword.
Or you may stand and fight, and gain honor before death in battle, and I will see you find the halls of my brother Garadiel safely."

Before her Eisu faltered and bowing before her, he trembled and lowered himself to the ground in surrender. But Wan and Chishu in their frustration scorned him and refused, turning away and marching back to their army. With great words they called to the others of Eisu, and to their credit convinced many to stay, though many also fled the battlefield.

Seeing that Wan and Chishu had made their choice, Raia raised the great Tetsuzou to the sky, and lightning and thunder howled and boomed. Now the men of Wan and Chishu were filled with dread, but held by their leader's words.

And it was here that Raia acknowledged that the power of words were great in these lands, for Zhang had long been a place of knowledge and wisdom, and the tongue of their people was filled with power from it's earnest emotions.
But now the army of Raia was called, and beneath lightning and thunder words were drowned, and it was a time of action and deeds of courage.
In the charge Wan and Chishu broke- the Tengu and Tumi descending upon them and opening great holes in the lines. The humans of Raia clashed and were not thrown back, for their training was great and their might unrivaled by the men of Zhang.
And at last, the generals Wan and Chishu were brought before her, their hands bound behind them as they waited. And Raia looked down at them, and then opened their bindings.

"You have fought honorably and did not betray your people. Unlike Eisu, you two have earned your rewards in battle, and so I offer you one last chance.

Your armies are beaten. The halls of Garadiel will be filled with many new guests tonight. Submit to me and earn justly your reward and service- and all of your people will flourish."

And at this, Wan and Chishu both bowed their heads in surrender. Raia turning to the great assembled host then spoke her decree.
Eisu and his country would become split between Wan and Chishu, for he had indeed submitted wisely to her, but in doing so had betrayed his honor and trust of his allies and friends. For such a deed, Eisu would serve Raia, but also be a servant to Wan and Chishu.
So those who are honorable remember never to throw it away. Raia rewards fairly those who remain virtuous and upright, both in war and in life.

~*~

Raia now stood on top of a hill, as she looked towards the rest of Zhang. Her armies rested and trained the people of the three states, to better integrate and train them.
But with lightning and thunder by her, Raia looked to the rest of Zhang. These three were just the beginning. Many other states lay, and at the long distance- veiled almost from her sight- was it's capitol, where she had wandered. She would bring it's submission, but she was patient. And she was curious. She would walk through it again as a mortal, for she greatly desired to see how they would prepare for her army.

[Earl of Purple]

Bugbear Mountains, North-West

The People of the Mountains were taught the ways of hunting and survival by Phromm. They knew already most of Phromm's tricks as they had been chased into the mountains generations ago by Jotun slavers; Phromm, therefore, spent most of his time hunting in the mountains. The Orofolk had mostly abandoned their nomadic ways, having three main village-camps and they moved to another whenever prey in one area had gotten scarce.

Unfortunately, the amount of human settlements beyond the mountains had gotten scarce, and the Jotun slavers had finally reached the Bugbear Mountains in their endless quest for fresh slaves. The Jotun were not used to such a harsh landscape as these mountains, and several were killed by triggering avalanches, falling off cliffs or by sleeping in a Bugbear lair. Thus, the force that finally found the villages of the Orofolk was small, with only about twenty members. This was more than enough to scare off the Orofolk in the villages; most of the warriors were out hunting, and the villages were effectively undefendable.

[ArlEammon]

But with lightning and thunder by her, Raia looked to the rest of Zhang. These three were just the beginning. Many other states lay, and at the long distance- veiled almost from her sight- was it's capitol, where she had wandered. She would bring it's submission, but she was patient. And she was curious. She would walk through it again as a mortal, for she greatly desired to see how they would prepare for her army.

Shen Zhi Shu
Shen Zhi Shu had seen Raia's mortal form from the capital of Xiang Jian. The Great Shrine was seen as an absolute Wonder, made by Chisu, Shona Han, Xiang Jian, Wan and Eisu, among all the other City States, there were many thousands of laborers over the years who had made the Great Shrine of Himiko. Thus, Shen Zhi Shu had seen Raia's camp from Xiang Jian, and he had been made furious. But he knew too important things; first, Raia trained under Rognir himself, and thus Shen needed to watch his life even though Magic was superior to War. Second, Raia was family, Shen Zhi Shu could not take her life unless he had no other choice. Rong Chu Wen was sent to speak to Raia's avatar. Perhaps, Shen Zhi Shu wondered, he need not suffer any longer if he can prove himself to me.

[nysisobli]

2 weeks prior

Thinking about who he was, Selek decided he was going to go visit a local shaman, this Shaman was said to have terrifying powers, but if approached at the peak of the day he would hold audience with you.

Selek arrived promptly when the sun rose into the sky at its highest point.

The hut this shaman lived in was run down and falling apart, but Selek rather then knocking just walked in.

The shaman smelled the air as selek walked in and said What does one of your parentage think to acomplish by coming to see me?

I wish to know who i am,I know i am a fool, and a gambler, but i don't know who i am.

Help you wit that i can, but dangerous it can be, you could die the most agonizing death you can imagine.

Death is the greatest Enemy to conquer, and as my father says, to overcome the greatest trials, makes the strongest spirit.

Hehehe, the shaman laughed, if thats how you feel then we can do something about that, his missing teeth shown through his smile, and made Selek feel unnerved.

Drink this, and you will see what you need to see, and pray to yourself that you have the strength to survive.

Selek reached for the clay jar, and with a bitter look on his face drank the liquid inside the cup, instantly the whole world distorted, and he began shaking like mad.

What is happening he asked, but no answer ever came. Falling into things, he felt himself being drug through snow.

When he awoke he was in the middle of the tundra.

Nothing looked right anymore, everything was distorted and he saw things moving, large things.

What are those selek thought to himself, and felt 2 large paws on his chest, as he was knocked to the ground.

What are you doing in our land?! The large wolf asked.

I don't know when i awoke i was here, selek responded.

If you wish to not be a meal you will answer my question honestly, the great beast responded.

I am here to find who i truly am, selek spoke nervous for the second time in his life.

Who you are? Did you hear that, he wants to know who he is, the creature laughed.

I think you are a meal, thats what i think. Give me one reason why i should not devour you where you lay.

Selek thought to himself, trying his hardest to come up with an answer. Because i can be valuable to you, i can make you armor, and fire to keep you warm and safe from the cold and other creatures, he spoke swiftly.

Useful, he said is that who you are, a smith a useful man, is that what you think.

Fine you can be useful to us for awhile, the beast said, until you freeze or starve to death.

Several hours passed as the beast drug him into a cave. Inside the cave there was a spring. Looking into the spring, he saw himself, the fire in his eyes glowing a pale green color, and the reflection spoke to him.

Your not really going to help these creatures are you? The reflection said to him. You really want to hunt down the man who put you here and rip his throat out, don't you. the reflection said.

The reflection turned into the one of the great wolves, and it snarled at him
All you are is a lowly being meant to serve us, aren't you

Selek grabbed at his face, and could feel half the wolves face and half of his own, telling him to kill maim, and to never forgive.

Thats who you are, you are the judge you are unforgiving and you are a slave to yourself. the reflection spoke.

Looking into the pool, he felt himself falling, the reflection was dragging him into the water, everything went black....


When he opened his eyes he was coughing up water, laying on a bed made of hay.

The shaman looked at his and spoke That was the most violent vision quest i have ever seen, the shaman laughed again.

With the ferocity of a beast Selek lept at the shaman determined to rip him apart for what he had been forced to see.

The shaman just whacked selek on his head with his own staff, and said a message has come for you.

Selek glared at the Shaman and waited for his message.

Think of home and that is where you will be, But don't turn your eyes away from the truth. the message said.

Selek thought of home, of the only home he had ever known, his fathers home.

He was there, the house is father ruled over. Selek walked into the main room of the house and said Father i have returned, and i know who i am

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric was no master of the hunt and his prey eluded him through the wilds. Orgo's brief head start had proven frustrating and as soon as he'd taken to the forest, he was nigh untraceable. Fortunately, the beast had but one way to travel from the northernmost lands on earth; and what Aldric and his steed lacked in affirmative direction, they made up in speed. Periodically, his bats would report in with (sometimes conflicting) stories of Orgo's passing, often just rumors spread by shepherds and farmers that something big and scary had passed through their land.

Finally, a winged, wide brimmed straw hat drifted in from the south. The hermit bat, effectively wearing the child sized, yet comically huge peasant's hat landed on a nearby branch. Before addressing Aldric, he drew from his mobile home a piece of sweet hay and nibbled on the end while looking at his boss from just under the brim of his hat.

"Why? Why do all of my servants have attitude? Stop that right now you cheeky little winged rat!"

As Aldric prodded the air with a stern finger, the bat slipped from his perch in a fright, but managed to catch himself by clinging to the underside the branch, though he'd lost his accoutrements. He shirked and spread his wings defensively in the universal 'wait-a-minute!' gesture.

"I saw Orgo!" said the bat in a voice far too cute and endearing to belong to a minion of the god of fear. "He's in Zhang."

"Are you sure?" Aldric quirked his brow. He was weary of conflicting reports and tired of galloping all over the known world.

"Yeah. Big, red, ugly... hard to miss. Would I lie to you, boss?"

"Yes... but only once."

The bat hid behind his own wings and peeked out cautiously. "That's not all. Nara, Raia, Shen: they're all in Zhang. It's like some kinda party or something! Raia's got this big army! And Shen's got this big city! And there's some kinda oni-monster! And they've got these little fried things with the stuff inside..." The bat twiddled his wings in the air, trying to indicate the shape of some regional treat.

Aldric only sighed, plucked the bat from his perch and rode in the direction of Zhang (oceans being a minor inconvenience to determined deities). Odds were good he'd just run in to one of his many siblings... or his prey.

[Baxter190]

From his perch high upon the mountain, Alarin could see forever. What he saw did not please him. In the northeastern continent the Kraki were preparing for a war that was thrust upon them and weren't ready for. Giants had invaded and their warpath would eventually lead them to the tribe lands. Alarin had no doubt he would soon have to interfere, lest his friends be destroyed. 'Ah well, I'd rather not dwell on such depressing thoughts. I wonder how master is doing?'

What he saw in the land of Zhang displeased him more than anything else that he saw from his perch. His siblings were preparing for war with each other. What more, his beloved city, the land of his master Míngzhì was under attack. Not so long ago Alarin promised he would return to greet his master when he had become a god, and bless the city of Xiang Jian. If they were to come to blows, the carnage would be indescribable. So many of humans would be lost in the fight, and the city of art would be ruined. Not only that, but his siblings could be hurt, or even worse! The image of Garadiels dead body appeared in Alarin's mind unbidden, but still potent. 'No, I will not allow any more of my family to die!' Alarin mentally vowed.

With but a pluck of a chord, and Alarin was whisked away by the wind. A minute later, he appeared before his brother Shen for the first time for the first time since they left their father's house. 'How different he looks now,' thought Alarin, 'but then again, I've changed as well' Gone was the young boy who was innocent and wide eyed about the world. Now he was older, though no less in love with music and enamored with humans. He stood taller now, more proud and experienced. Likewise Alarin was calmer, though still energetic. Where his frantic to and fro pacing was, it was now replaced be a calm and steady, yet mercurial manner. No longer did it seem to the bard that everything would disappear if he did not immediately react to it. His clothes were also different, a ragtag of several styles from his travels. For his basic clothing he wore the traditional dress of an Zhang aristocrat, but with an eclectic feel and artistic tough. Above that he wore a necklace given to him by The Kraki, made from thread and the claws of bears. Upon his head he wore a dashing hat given to him by father himself, and a bare clock that he found aboard the pirate ship that had attack him.

A moment passed between the two before each other spoke. Alarin, as usual, was the one who broke the silence. “Brother, I come to because I seen the army that amasses on this city’s borders. You may not know it, but I love this city, for I have studied long here. But I do not wish for harm to come to the soldiers of our sister. Is there away for peace?”

[ArlEammon]

From his perch high upon the mountain, Alarin could see forever. What he saw did not please him. In the northeastern continent the Kraki were preparing for a war that was thrust upon them and weren't ready for. Giants had invaded and their warpath would eventually lead them to the tribe lands. Alarin had no doubt he would soon have to interfere, lest his friends be destroyed. 'Ah well, I'd rather not dwell on such depressing thoughts. I wonder how master is doing?'

What he saw in the land of Zhang displeased him more than anything else that he saw from his perch. His siblings were preparing for war with each other. What more, his beloved city, the land of his master Míngzhì was under attack. Not so long ago Alarin promised he would return to greet his master when he had become a god, and bless the city of Xiang Jian. If they were to come to blows, the carnage would be indescribable. So many of humans would be lost in the fight, and the city of art would be ruined. Not only that, but his siblings could be hurt, or even worse! The image of Garadiels dead body appeared in Alarin's mind unbidden, but still potent. 'No, I will not allow any more of my family to die!' Alarin mentally vowed.

With but a pluck of a chord, and Alarin was whisked away by the wind. A minute later, he appeared before his brother Shen for the first time for the first time since they left their father's house. 'How different he looks now,' thought Alarin, 'but then again, I've changed as well' Gone was the young boy who was innocent and wide eyed about the world. Now he was older, though no less in love with music and enamored with humans. He stood taller now, more proud and experienced. Likewise Alarin was calmer, though still energetic. Where his frantic to and fro pacing was, it was now replaced be a calm and steady, yet mercurial manner. No longer did it seem to the bard that everything would disappear if he did not immediately react to it. His clothes were also different, a ragtag of several styles from his travels. For his basic clothing he wore the traditional dress of an Zhang aristocrat, but with an eclectic feel and artistic tough. Above that he wore a necklace given to him by The Kraki, made from thread and the claws of bears. Upon his head he wore a dashing hat given to him by father himself, and a bare clock that he found aboard the pirate ship that had attack him.

A moment passed between the two before each other spoke. Alarin, as usual, was the one who broke the silence. “Brother, I come to because I seen the army that amasses on this city’s borders. You may not know it, but I love this city, for I have studied long here. But I do not wish for harm to come to the soldiers of our sister. Is there away for peace?”

Shen Zhi Shu And Alarin
"Raia plans to become mortal again. I have allowed Rong Chu Wen to confront Raia's mortal form and try to reason with her and prevent the war with Xiang Jian. If he can succeed, I will revoke the curse on him and let him live in peace."

[Baxter190]

Alarin thought about this for a moment, but in the end it didn't make sense to the poor boy. "Become mortal again? Why would she want that after what she probably had to do to become a god? And whose this cursed guy? What did he do to deserve a curse?" ask Alarin. Ever the inquisite one, he always asked too many questions, sometimes even for his wiser older borther.

[ArlEammon]

Alarin thought about this for a moment, but in the end it didn't make sense to the poor boy. "Become mortal again? Why would she want that after what she probably had to do to become a god? And whose this cursed guy? What did he do to deserve a curse?" ask Alarin. Ever the inquisite one, he always asked too many questions, sometimes even for his wiser older borther.

Shen Zhi Shu And Alarin
"Rong Chu Wen murdered my adoptive daughter in jealousy." He replied. Then he turned his back to Alarin and stared into the sun. "I wonder how Himiko is doing now."

[White Blade]

War brings death, it always has and it always will. With death comes much business for Garadiel. And when Garadiel has business, it is always a sad day. Leaving Riora a message about the temple plunderer, Garadiel watched war brew and spill over into his land.

Some of the dead kept fighting, even in life's shadow, though Garadiel thought that Raia's troops did so less than Shen's. Still it wasn't as if you could blame the spectres. But it made guiding them rather difficult, especially as most clusters of the dead would come from a given battlefield. So now Garadiel sought out his sister, to alert her that her followers needed to stop carrying over their grudges after a battle was finished. Privately, Garadiel hoped this would also cut down on the massacres that always followed tribal fueds.

So Garadiel sped off to speak with his sister and ask her to speak with her men about entering his realm and the decorum he expected when he woke them. He did not know of his sister's latest art nor did he know the magnamity she was even now displaying in her victory. So he hurried, though there might have been no need.

[Baxter190]

Though one of the young god's questions were answered, many more were raised in its place. Curious, Alarin asked, "Himiko? Who's that? And who is this daughter of yours?" A moment later, Alrin nudged his brother in the side, and said with a smile, "A daughter? Already? You sly dog."

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Alarin

Though one of the young god's questions were answered, many more were raised in its place. Curious, Alarin asked, "Himiko? Who's that? And who is this daughter of yours?" A moment later, Alrin nudged his brother in the side, and said with a smile, "A daughter? Already? You sly dog."

"Alarin I have been in Zhang far longer than it appears." He replied. "And furthermore, Himiko is my adptoptive daughter. I taught her the ways of magic, and through it, she became so powerful that she grew up in days." He sighed remembering. "Himiko, died after jealous peers saw her skill in magic and murdered her. I then killed the murderers and cursed Rong Chu Wen with agony for 100 years until he had paid off his debt to me. As for why Raia wants to be human again, I don't know."

Turning, Shen Zhi Shu began writing something.

[Baxter190]

"Hm," noted Alarin insightfully. A moments puase, and Alarin spoke again, saying, "Well, it would appear that would be the issue at hand. I'll go see her again and try to talk her out of this. Maybe there can be peace? It was good seeing you again brother, I have missed you so much." With his farewell given, Alarin disappeared as swiftly as he came.

A second later he appeared before his sister, so as to ask her to cease the violence against the city. What he found, however, was the last thing he expected to see. Before him again was Garadiel, who had once again graced the mortal world with his presence. Alarinwas stunned, and could not utter a world at the sight of his fallen brother.

[White Blade]

"Alarin!" Garadiel said with unconcealed joy, lunging at his little brother with obvious relish, wrapping his arms around him and thumping him on the back, "Did you finally get to see to the the world?"

[Baxter190]

"Your Dead," Alarin replies deadpan, still rather shocked at his brother's appearence. "That means you can't be here. I know your dead. I buried you myself," he continues blank faced.

A moment passes, and a lightbulb goes on in his head. Finally, it all makes sense to the boy god. "I get it, when you become a god you go crazy! That would explain why sis wants to be human again, and why Shen says he has a daughter. Everybodies crazy, I just get to see my brother again. Explains a lot about dad when you think about it, " the bard explains far more calmly than anyone who thinks he's crazy should. Apparently he needed convincing.

[White Blade]

"Ahhhh," Garadiel says, genuinely touched, when he hears that Alarin buried him. "Although this whole divinity leads to insanity bears some hearing out, my death was not permanent. I found my way through the land of life's shadow and tapped the storm of life."

At his mention of the storm of life, Garadiel smiles. "It gave me back this life, something it will not do again, I think. But it showed me who I was, who I needed to be. And I show the dead the way out into life. I came to talk to Raia. I didn't even know you knew I was dead."

[Baxter190]

"Well, I did. Don't know about anyone else though. I have to wonder, how are you gonna talk to sis though? You're mearly a crazed figment of my imagination. I wonder if you're gonna talk, or rather I'm going to talk under your control, I'll imagine seein g you talking to sis. Kinda like that story father told us about, the one about mortals and their dueling club," Alarin mentions nonchalantly, refusing to believe his brother is indeed alive.

Then, a proverbial lightbulb si switched on, and Alarin says, "A storm of life? Reminds of this crazy storm in the ocean. Learned the song of the wolrd from it. Fought a Laviathan. Lost pretty badly. Also, met these two weird creatures Scylla and Charybdis. 'll tell you about them later."

[White Blade]

Garadiel raised an eyebrow, "I'm not sure they're the same, but... It's possible. The storm at the end of the land of the dead is the wellspring of life, or maybe it is life in a metaphysical sense. Certainly it is a great part of life. Souls gravitate to its shadow, unable to simply return to life. I, and those mortals who can see the light the storm casts, guide them back into it so they can live again." Garadiel finished his explanation, hoping his brother understood.
.
.
.
Then Garadiel remembered that Alarin still thought he was a hallucination, "Hold on little brother, my storm is not a metaphorical reflection of your storm, nor is my journey through the land of the dead a metaphorical reflection of how you went from ignorance of life into understanding of it."

[Baxter190]

"Right, you keep telling yourself that," Alarin replied with a patronizing pat on Garadiels shoulder, but a genuine grin on his face.

"So, since your part of me, you know what we should do next, right? You were always smarter than me about this stuff, so you should be able to figure it out," said the bard, not realizing the contradiction he made be expecting the "figment" to know more than he did.

[White Blade]

"I am here to tell Raia to tell her soldiers not to keep fighting after the battle is over, especially if they're dead," Garadiel said, waving his hands in exasperation at his brother's inability to believe he was not in fact insane. He then smirks and says, "I have no idea why you're here," Garadiel's goals were certainly not a reflection of Alarin's desires to stop this pointless fighting.

[Baxter190]

"That is a very good question," Aalrin replied with a goofy smile. "I'm here to prevent further bloodshed. When I was travelling the lands, I actually came to this big old city to visit the people. There is an old man here, named Míngzhì. Crazty old scholar, actually got me to sit down and study. Me!" He exclaims incredulously, as if the very act was impossible. He then continues, "Well, I can't just let that go down the drain for war, can I?"

[White Blade]

"It sounds as if this man is a good one," Garadiel replied after a moment, "And I have little doubt that this land is full of beauty and culture. But do you know what lies within the halls of Shen's shrine? Do you know what the walls of his greatest city preserve?" Garadiel asks, his voice drawing near to genuine anger, a tone Alarin seldom heard when they lived in Rognir's house.

[Nefarion Xid]

A piercing whiney heralded the presence of a lone horseman from the north, galloping towards Raia's position (or more precisely, wherever Alarin and Garadiel had arrived). The Nightmare reared back and screamed again when she neared the two deities, suddenly made nervous upon sensing their power. Aldric leaned forward and guided the mare's front half back to the ground while simultaneously reassuring her that these two were weren't a threat and she needed trample them... and quietly threatening her with strangulation if she were to throw him off in front of family. At least it made for a spectacular entrance.

"Ha!" Aldric exclaimed, gleefully baring his winning, if slightly predatory smile. "Not what I was looking for, but a welcome sight none the less. Garadiel, very good to see you again. Alarin! You're... not dead!"

[Baxter190]

"Hm, not really. Though I didn't know he had a shrine..." Alarin wonders to himsefl, curious as to where that last bit of information came from. He is quickly distracted though, by the appearence of Aldric, and his shocking agreeting.

Aldric had changed much since the last tiem Alarin had seen him. Long ago, back in the All-father's house, the two brothers would stay up late into the night the read scary horror stories, and some times their sweet sister would join them. Though Alarin woudl never be as close to her as Aldric would, the bard was rather found of her, and often joined her in her wonderful fits of imagination. Now Aldric reminded Alarin of soemthign he hoped to never feel again: fear. Maybe it was becuase Alarin had faced Orgo, the sea monster, and even the Laviathan itself that it had so much affect on him. Nonethe less, it recall memories of great terror, somethign none in this world could provoke.

Not much compared to having the incarnation of the sea's wrath angry at you. But Aldric....somehow he did. But Alarin was too happy to see his brother again to just freak out, and tried to hide his fear behind good natured friendlyness. The bard didn't notice that he waas uncontiously biting his lower lip.

His fear was momentarily forgotten, when he realized that Aldric had greeted Garadiel. To meet him neat that Aldric saw him. that he wasn;t a figment of alarin's half-crazed god mind. That he was...that he was..

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" exclaimed Alarin, as he engulfed he once-dead brother in a crushing hug and tackeled him to the ground. "Heh, sorry for thinking you weren't real," apologized Alarin when he realized what he had done. Turning to Aladric, Alarin replied, "It's wonderful to see you too. How have you been? And where's Callie? I'd love to see her again."

[Kasanip]

Raia

The goddess of War had cast her gaze over the city that lay beyond her army. A city that didn't know war, but a city that if shaped and cared for properly would prove to be a center. That was her thought of it. All that was built in civilization would one day fall in war. That much was already clear in her foresight.
She turned from the hill and began to walk back towards her camp.

What was not clear though, was the arrival of her brothers. With a pause and a small frown, Raia wondered why they had come. Perhaps they had finished their quests already and had looked for her? She fixed her hair and then came to approach them with a more neutral, if curious expression.

There was... Alarin? Maybe it was him- he had changed since Raia had last seen him, and now he was hugging and sitting on top of Garadiel. Was it some new game?

And there was a brother of her's she did not recognize, but who caused her to narrow her eyes and shift her hands to her sword. The air around him seemed icy cold and still, and Raia could imagine an insanity and madness to him that caused her to stop.
But with some force of will, she forced herself to relax, though she approached from an angle that led her closer to her other two brothers, even if she was interrupting their play.

"It is a rare sight to see so many of my brothers in one place." She said, announcing her presence to them.

There was Garadiel, who she was pleased to see. She could guess why he had come maybe, but that was not unpleasant to see him. She missed the days they had run together and traveled.

And there was Alarin- he had changed a lot. Raia wondered if he was still playing music. She remembered when they were young that he had often obsessed with such a thing, and Raia had always been surprised and admiring of his skill at creating and weaving sounds.

but there was the last one. The one who seemed to beckon her with madness. Who was he?

[White Blade]

Garadiel was taken aback by Alarin's surprise tackle hug, ordinarily few of his siblings would have been so wildly affectionate. But after letting out a surprised "Oof," Garadiel returned the embrace. It would have looked a little strange to passers by to see two men lying on the ground hugging. "I forgive you for not thinking I was real Alarin. Sorry I didn't tell you I wasn't dead," Garadiel smiled and let his brother go after a minute. "Um... Would you mind getting off now?" Garadiel asked before tilting his head sideways, "Hello Aldric, it is good to see you. Sorry for intruding on your war camp Raia, we just thought since we missed your last birthday..." Garadiel joked, as if the Gods gathered for something as minor as a family member's birthday party.

[nysisobli]

Selek long awaited a reunion with his family, it had been such a long time since he had seen a familar face.

He thought back to his brothers music, and started feeling for his presence in the world, he was surprised when he found several of his family together again.

I will send them a message of some sort, he smiled. I think that sister will appreciate this one.

A large vicious wolf appeared in the middle of camp with bright glowing eyes, that reminded all of the sun, and spoke. Selek is coming.As fast as it came the wolf was gone, as if it was a figment of your imagination.

And so Selek left his cave and began his short journey towards the focus of all the divine sparks.

[Carden]

It had been a much shorter voyage returning than leaving, which had ridden Eridi of most his anticipation. He was still glad to see the smoke rising from the clearing in between the huts once more, glad enough to drop most of what he was carrying and sprint the final distance. The only thing he held now was the item that had brought him so quickly, a strange thing to see so far inland. It was an oar, constantly dripping with water as it had just been taken out of a river.

He had studied his father's books well on his return journey. It had taken him a couple of weeks to get the basic theory down enough to try something simple, but when he did, he had made some decent items. First he had enchanted the ropes, no longer did they fray or break in high winds. After that, he made the hull stronger. Then, after a full month of study, he had found a way to enchant his oar.

It had been a strange process to him, but not completely foreign. He had to make the oar in a multitude of different pieces; the paddle consisted of at twelve in and of itself. Runes had been carved, each requiring perfect placement and form. He had then snapped the pieces into place, the runes glowing ever brighter and acting as a glue to keep the object whole. Once it had been completed, the tool took on the current property of being perpetually wet.

When he had first used it, Eridi had underestimated the oars usefulness. He had guessed he might have doubled it's strength, and was completely surprised when his single drag caused the boat to spin completely around. It had taken the young god a score of pulls to do that earlier, even with the wind helping through part of it. Yet, when Eridi examined the oar afterwards, he noticed it lacked some of it's splendor, a bit of the light had gone with the pull. This magic was strong, but limited. Yet, it turned out to be just enough to get him back. When he reached shore, it had returned to it's normal level of non-luminescence, but had, curiously, still retained its magic wetness.

Cresting the hill that would allow him to glance at the village, he smiled at what he saw. The village, for better or worse, hadn't changed a lick since he left. Not missing a beat, he rushed off to find Jin'Thul.

It had not taken long, one of the townsfolk had pointed out he had not been seen leaving for the field that day, so he had to be near his home. The elder, in fact, had been behind his hut, tending to Noss. Both were aged creatures, and Eridi smiled at the bond that had obviously been fostered between them in his absence. "Jin'Thul!" the god spoke warmly as he approached, "It is good to see you, my friend!"

Turning slowly, the old man replied, "Much time has it been since you left tha donkey here. We feared tha journey had taken you, thought tha seas had claimed another kind soul. Glad I am to see that fear for foolishness! Come inside, friend, come inside and eat and tell tha story of your journey!" Eridi couldn't say no to the offer even if he had wanted to. His stomach growled at the prospect and he realized he hadn't even stopped to eat on his way here from the beach.

Entering the hut, he sat at the table and was rewarded with a large plate of appetizing food. When he finished gulping it down, he told Jin'Thul everything, not only of his journey, but of the godhood he had hidden from them earlier. It was late indeed when he finished his tales. The elder had been silent for most the story, asking for few explanations. Eventually, Eridi ran out of stories of the past and had to speak of the future. "My friend, I see in my dreams not my own glories, but those I can give to your people. If you will let me, I can lead you to glories forgotten by all those who now live! I can teach you the crafts, show you how to overcome even the largest of problems with nothing but hard work! Now I can even teach you the magic of enchantment, giving strength to things beyond the reach of any mortal man! What say you, my wise friend?" He looked longingly for the answer he sought, almost obsessed with the future he wanted.

When Eridi finished, the old man spoke, "I knew that tha spirits were with you, boy, but not till now did I know how strong their strength was in you, nor why. Tomorrow, my young spirit-born, I will gather tha tribe. I'll tell 'em of your glory and see what I can do about that vision of yours for us. I make you no promises, but I will talk on your behalf." Bidding him to sleep in his home again, Jin'thul pondered long into the night. Eventually, he came to a decision. Tha spirits help me, he prayed, This be divine will and I see no way around it. Fate is what this is, and I'll not argue it. The tribe will unite under Jin'Thul, because I am Elder, thus they will unite under young Eridi, for they will see their me bow to him. Spirits see it so. At last, he nodded off to sleep, happy that the Fates had brought such prosperity to his tribe at last.

Spent 1 Major Act - Gain Ability(Thaumaturgy: Enchantment)

[Kasanip]

Garadiel was taken aback by Alarin's surprise tackle hug, ordinarily few of his siblings would have been so wildly affectionate. But after letting out a surprised "Oof," Garadiel returned the embrace. It would have looked a little strange to passers by to see two men lying on the ground hugging. "I forgive you for not thinking I was real Alarin. Sorry I didn't tell you I wasn't dead," Garadiel smiled and let his brother go after a minute. "Um... Would you mind getting off now?" Garadiel asked before tilting his head sideways, "Hello Aldric, it is good to see you. Sorry for intruding on your war camp Raia, we just thought since we missed your last birthday..." Garadiel joked, as if the Gods gathered for something as minor as a family member's birthday party.

Raia -A birthday party?

Raia looked a little confused by Garadiel's response, but she put her hands on her hips and gave him a funny look instead.
"If it's a birthday greeting, then I don't see any presents. I think it is well enough to see you again- perhaps that is a present enough for me." She said mildly before turning to the others.

"Alarin and...Aldric? So it is you. It has been a long time." She said, her eyes looking over the two, though she continued to look back at Aldric, as if expecting him to do something surprising....like a tiger or some beast who was stalking her and her other brothers.

Down in the camp, the soldiers discussed the strange wolf that had appeared, and the guard was strengthened to prevent more such strange things from happening.

[Nefarion Xid]

Aldric swung off the Nightmare and gave her a slap on the rump to dismiss her. The snorted indignantly, then galloped off to her own devices until Aldric summoned her again. He ruffled Alarin's hair with his gloved hand and smiled warmly as Raia joined them.

He was the same person as when he left Rognir's Hall some years ago, physically at least. Wavy, dark blonde hair was tied loosely back in a pony tail like it always was. Same sharp features, same broad shoulders and emerald eyes. He wore slick black leather armor underneath a trim navy blue coat. Aldric had always had a great fondness for late autumn and winter. Now, wherever he went there was chilly breeze and his attire was, therefore, always appropriate. Though, he was not altogether unchanged. There was an etherealness about him now. His eyes were no longer only beautiful, they seemed to conceal a sinister green fire. When he moved a subtle smokey darkness moved with him and danced on the edges of his form. He seemed to flicker as if slightly out of sync with this world. When you blinked, he seemed closer when you opened your eyes and to let him out of your sight was to invite paranoia; the gods would constantly glance back to him... just to check. His shadow was never doing the same thing as his master. No matter which way Aldric turned, the shadow always seemed to be looking your way. All about him was the sick sweet smell of cloves. Then, just when your imagination was beginning to get the better of you and you suspected the worst of him, everything went back to normal and he was just soft spoken, tender Aldric.

The world went back to normal and she realized she'd been staring unkindly for a few seconds too long. He tilted his head and locked his bright green eyes on her. There was nothing but affection and genuineness in his smile.

"It has not been so long since we departed Rognir's Halls. Only... actually... how long has it been?"

He grins and wags a finger at Raia, "We should spar! It's been a long time since I've had a decent opponent and I'll bet it's the same for you."

[Kasanip]

Raia

Raia had not changed too much since her time in Rognir's hall. Her long black hair was still worn freely (or at least, she was not braiding it at the moment), and her sharp eyes were still piercing. her tunic though was now stained a dark crimson, and her headband was missing...for the moment. She wore no armor visibly, but Raia had never been one to wear things that inhibited her movement. At her side was a beautiful, fierce looking sword that seemed to glitter and sizzle occasionally as her robe would touch it.
The expression on her face as she looked at him was troubled. Certainly this was Aldric, her brother whom she had sparred uncounted times when they were younger.

But there was something unsettling about him. The shadowy aura and the little shifts in exactly where he was...it was uneasy. Raia didn't like it. But his same warm expression was the same from the one she remembered. The expression of affection he had shown, whether he had one or lost the match.
She forced herself to match his smile with her own small one. Raia had not often smiled as she had gotten older. The proper warrior controlled emotion, and was not ruled by them. But Aldric's suggestion to spar was a welcome challenge she could not refuse.
Certainly not after so long since they had last sparred.
She was curious why her brothers were all here of course.
"It has been long enough for us to change... To rise to the levels we have now.
It has been some time since I have had a decent opponent. Though I warn you dear brother, that I have fought many battles with great foes since our matches when I was a child."
She took her right hand off of her hip and Lightning came to her call, hissing and sparking brightly about her hand.

[Raz_Fox]

Several interesting things happened in swift succession, surprising the gods on the plain before Xiang Jian.

First, the camp of Raia's warriors caught on fire. Fire leapt from tent to tent, panicking the soldiers, forcing them out of the camp if they wished to save their lives. The flames seemed unnatural, as if they had been of supernatural conjuring. They consumed everyone and everything foolish enough to enter their path, forcing the soldiers of Raia to flee from them.

Second, the mighty gates of Xiang Jian exploded. Blown back off their hinges, they were broken and shattered before they hit the street and houses behind them. The walls of Xiang Jian shook mightily with the impact, and guardsmen were thrown off the wall itself. Xiang Jian lay bared to the fangs of the enemy.

Third, the army of Raia heard orders screamed out in the chaos, each man claiming that another had said it - march for the city, move towards Xiang Jian, draw your swords and leave the camp to burn. The officers claimed to hear the voice of Raia herself commanding them - at least, afterwards. Who knew what they were thinking now in the chaos.

Fourth, the bells of Xiang Jian rang out, and a hue and cry was begun - defend the wall! Protect your children! Drive back the invader, for they are at your very homes! How strange, that no one saw the ringer or the crier, but soon enough every citizen in Xiang Jian was being driven into a frenzy with uncanny swiftness.

Fifth, two divine sparks flared up on opposite sides of the battlefield, now visible to the divine senses of the assembled gods. Though they were too far away to sense particulars, it was rather obvious that the events were not of man's hand.

Sixth, an unfortunate Zhangese guardsman was pushed off the wall by a man in a red coat, who leaned against one of the watchtowers and caught his breath for a moment, grinning. What fun.

[Jair Barik]

Nara was near Zhang when it happenned. He had been coming to see his siblings having finished tending to the third of the forests. It seemed there was a large meeting of Gods nearby judging from the concentration of divine energy. It seemed unlikely that anything should cause them to disappear or disperse quickly and so he had been heading towards them at his own gentle pace the sun upon his face. Then it hit him.

The sound of the bells the sound of battle.... all ringing in his head so suddenly! The call to war! To combat! Clutching his head he fell to the ground in pain. Things were not going to go well...

Orgo felt the sun upon his face. The sun! Now this was interesting. Admittedly he was uncertain of what was going on at present. He probably wanted to steer clear of the big mass of Gods near the camp. He knew at least two of his siblings likely wanted him dead so tha was probably a very bad idea. Then there were the two sudden flares... Now they could be very interesting. One of them was in the city the other was out towards the mass of assembled Gods... To the city then.
Breaking into a run Orgo sprinted across the fields towards the city with great speed. Leaping through the air his 'hands' made contact with the walls and he was running vertically up and over the walls and onto the battlements. He took in a deep breath of air smelling his surroundings and trying to pinpoint the location of the spark. Somebody was up to something, and it was always useful to know what was going on.

[nysisobli]

Seeing the smoke, and feeling the two new sparks flare up, Selek began running.

After 10 minutes he made it to the edge of the camp, completly out of breath, he saw that complete and total chaos had broken loose.

[ArlEammon]

Nara was near Zhang when it happenned. He had been coming to see his siblings having finished tending to the third of the forests. It seemed there was a large meeting of Gods nearby judging from the concentration of divine energy. It seemed unlikely that anything should cause them to disappear or disperse quickly and so he had been heading towards them at his own gentle pace the sun upon his face. Then it hit him.

The sound of the bells the sound of battle.... all ringing in his head so suddenly! The call to war! To combat! Clutching his head he fell to the ground in pain. Things were not going to go well...

Orgo felt the sun upon his face. The sun! Now this was interesting. Admittedly he was uncertain of what was going on at present. He probably wanted to steer clear of the big mass of Gods near the camp. He knew at least two of his siblings likely wanted him dead so tha was probably a very bad idea. Then there were the two sudden flares... Now they could be very interesting. One of them was in the city the other was out towards the mass of assembled Gods... To the city then.
Breaking into a run Orgo sprinted across the fields towards the city with great speed. Leaping through the air his 'hands' made contact with the walls and he was running vertically up and over the walls and onto the battlements. He took in a deep breath of air smelling his surroundings and trying to pinpoint the location of the spark. Somebody was up to something, and it was always useful to know what was going on.

Shen Zhi Shu
Shen Zhi Shu opened the Gates to the Shrine of his Sanctum. The Great Shrine, as large as it was, could easily take in the entire city. "Retreat." Shen Zhi Shu gave the order. He had an idea that something was wrong. He could see around for miles, and there was no enemy camp. Maybe he could find out what was wrong by doing a little dirty work. Muttering a few arcane words he waved his hands inside the Great Shrine, and left, making it to the walls.
Casts the Sanctuary Spell. In order to enter the Great Shrine if you aren't from Xiang Jian, you need to spend at least the equalivent of a minor actUsed 1 Minor Act

[White Blade]

Garadiel swore violently as the commotion erupted in the camp. This was not part of his plan. It had been a very smooth plan, carefully orchestrated from the moment he'd set the population of Raia's nation to grow. He had expected a war and he had hoped it would be with Zhang. Then, he would slip in during the battle and bring Shen's shrine crashing down around his ears.

And now this! Sheer chaos and Shen was trying to initiate a retreat and there was no time to slip into the Sanctuary and destroy its supports, take down the sacred flame and return. So... What's a man to do when someone brings such a gorgeous plan to the ground? Go see who did it, naturally.

Garadiel shifted in place and slipped like a ghost through Alarin. He then headed towards one of these newly arrived divine sparks. Perhaps it was Riora... This seemed like something she would do. Garadiel tried not to stray too far from the battlefield, in case he needed to beat a hasty retreat.

[Greystone]

Riora

Riora had awoken, finally, in a strange place- in a strange land.

The hills were green, and the jungles were really just forests. She didn't remeber how or why she had appeared where she did.

She had moved about, without purpose, with a blank mind. Weeks seemed to go by, but she was still focused inwards to take any notice of anything around her. When Garadiel had appeared to her and given the news of the crisis on her country she awoke.

He did not wait for her questions however.

She did not understand. So, she followed him.

It took her a while to track the lord of death, but eventually she found the city. Chaos had begun, but she had not started it. She mused over that for a moment before she smiled.

No matter, she had questions more than ever now. She eyed the charging soldiers of Raia closely, and remembered a trick her twin used once. Focusing her power, she quickly changed her form. She kept the pale skin and feminine form, but changed into a Captain of some sort. She joined the charge.

Once into the city she gave orders out- seemingly at random. This unit go this way, this unit sack a temple, and so on. Then she set out to her real target. The divine sanctum was with her sights. The power of her brother Shen radiated around a building.

She broke away, changing to the form of a fleeing Zhang refugee. She encountered the barrier and almost bounced off. Sensing the power, and finally understanding it, she expended some of her divine energy. With that little burst of power she fooled the sanctuary spell enough to enter.

Inside She saw that it was packed with people, all citizans of Zhang. She walked into the middle of the room and stood on an alter, silencing the crowd. She transformed again, and raised her hands in her true form.

"People of Zhang. Shen has failed you. It was he who protected you, and now your walls are falling and the gates are open. I offer you a way out" Her form glows with the green fire, by now familiar to the goddess " Step forwards if you wish to escape from this city, and serve me instead"

She smiles and waits.

Did it matter if they all converted? No- but she was sure the results would be fun.

Acts
1 minor to fool the sanctuary spell, without alerting anyone
1 Major to get the ability to shapeshift

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Riora
Shen Zhi Shu had found Riora, hearing her speech from the walls, he found Riora's voice irritating and very distracting. "So She is the one causing it." He muttered. He returned to the shrine, wondering just what exactly was going on. "Riora, what exactly is it that you are doing? This here is my neck of the woods." He shouted. "Why are you in my Shrine, and why are you panicking the people?" He appeared quite angry.

[Earl of Purple]

North-West; Mountains of the Bugbears

The Jotun, having secured one of the Orofolk's villages, ransacked it (there was little they saw as valuable) and converted it into a camp suitable for creatures their size. Phromm heard the call of the Orofolk to help them, and he observed the Jotun. He went to the Orofolk; all the Orofolk, the hunters, the elderly, the children and the others. He told them all that they were the best hunters in the world, and nothing could escape their spears and bows. He taught them not to be afraid, and how to track the Jotun and the best methods to kill them. Phromm taught them also that the villages had made it easier for the Jotun to find them, and that they should return to the nomadic life they had lived previously. He had already taught them the rules of the hunt, and that nothing killed should be wasted. As soon as he felt the Orofolk could handle things on their own, he went back into the wilderness to hunt.

The Orofolk, with Phromm's direction, indeed found the Jotun easy to track and kill, and soon there was but one left. Each of the giants brought down prompted a night of feasting and celebration, partly because the Jotun still had no slaves and partly because their flesh would not last long. The last Jotun called to the hunters; claimed he wished to surrender, that he would go home and leave them in peace. The Orofolk, however, spoke not his language and did not understand him. So they slew him like they had the others, and they feasted upon his flesh, like they had upon the others, and his hide was cured for leather stretched upon a rack made of the other Jotun's bones, much the same way as the Orofolk had done to the other Jotun. His skull was placed with those of the other Jotun, upon the peak of the tallest mountain in the shade of the great stone skull of the Father of the Mountains.

The Orofolk, after their village had been dismantled, went back to find Phromm, and he accepted what they did as their right as successful hunters; for they had merely done what he had taught them and not wasted the Jotun's carcasses. However, Phromm told them that the Orofolk's population had grown too large for the mountains to support them, and bid them to leave into the plains beyond, where the Jotun had come from. The Orofolk, however, were requested to visit the Bugbear Mountains every ten years for the traditional right of passage, a bugbear hunt.

Phromm looked out into the plains, and saw that they were lacking prey of any formidable character. So he took the Jotun's sinew, which had no apparant use as it was too thick and tough to cut and too long for bows and was all that remained unused, and changed them into the first giant ice worms. These giant worms he released into the plains, where they quickly became the top predators, with the only people brave, daring and skilled enough to hunt them being the Orofolk themselves.

1 Major act: create the giant ice worm, a formidible subterranean predator that eat anything they catch. They are large, nearly blind white-skinned worms that burst out of the ground underneath suitable prey, such as reindeer, elk, humans and giants.

[Raz_Fox]

Nara, On The Walls of Xiang Jian

"Well - well - well, what do we have here, hmm? A giant ginger wolf of some sort, it would seem. Not something you see every day, at least. Curiouser and curiouser. Blow up one little gate, and everything starts coming out of the woodwork."

A blur passed Orgo's eyes, then the red-coated god was standing on the walls behind him. He smelled of cold lightning and stale blood, and the aura of energy around him was almost palpable. "There's something divine about you, hey-o. You happen to be one of the big boy's kids? Or one of their own? I wouldn't put it past lil' Phrommy to copulate with a wolf." Flick - one moment, his hand was empty, and now it held a knife. "However, that's largely pointless. I don't have business with you, and my wall could really use a pelt." His scarred lips stretched into a grin. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't slit your throat right here. If you're entertaining enough, I might be merciful. Might not, because hey, I can."


Selek, In The Burning Camp

Selek could sense a divine presence on the wall, but the other was in the middle of the burning camp. And getting closer to the camp, he could see a maiden running through the fires, her clothing alight and her golden hair askew.

Normal fire wouldn't harm a god, but this was hot enough to scorch the hairs on his arms before he was even close to it. It was obviously supernatural, and it would be a pain to run through. On the other hand, it was obviously causing her some pain.


Jair, the red-coat's blinding fast (even for a god's supernatural senses) and skilled with a knife, but it's not enchanted. Orgo's not going to be able to hit him easily, but his thick hide should save him from most of the cuts. Feel free to write as you will.

White Blade, feel free to have Garadiel arrive at either divine spark.

[Nefarion Xid]

"We should really stick... together... " As the chaos broke out, Garadiel took off like a bolt and Aldric felt torn in two directions. He had the secret imperative to keep all his siblings safe from harm and felt, for a moment, unsure of where his talents were needed most. Since he and Raia were the best fighters, he settled on the buddy system.

"Kid!" He whipped around to face Alarin, "Stay with Raia and don't leave her sight! I'm going to go keep Garadiel from getting himself killed again. Raia, we'll spar another time, I promise!"

The Nightmare came to a rolling stop by Aldric, kicking up dirt and grass as she did. He gave a self-sure grin to his siblings before flinging himself into the saddle. The two were off in a blur of flickering shadow. He called after Garadiel to slow down for a moment, uncertain if even the Nightmare could outpace him. Finally, pulling along side his brother he leaned over to converse (yell) over the frightful sound of the mare's hooves.

"I tracked Orgo all the way here from the far north! Do you think this is his doing!?"

[Jair Barik]

Orgo looked at the God and smiled.

"I like your style. Quick, lethal... I like it a lot. What I don't like is that degrading name... God?! HA! Don't make me laugh! Why would I want to be a God? A deity has duties, obligations... he has to look after things and play good little boy for pops. Whats so Godly about that? Who wants to be a God when you can be free? Sure Rognir has power but people expect stuff from him. He starts playing silly buggers and people will get upset, they start askin his lil uns whats going on, they stop believing and then... then you have an uprising on your hands. that a good enough reason or are we going to have to do this? I have no problem with you or any of these other sparks but if you try and take a piece of me? Well... I don't have a wall per se but your head would look much nicer round my neck I think."

Orgo stretched his arms wide and the wall rippled lightly beneath them tripping a few soldiers yet to get off of it.

"Think you can take me or are we going to keep talkin? Cause right here? Right now? I think you'll find i'm the one with the stones."

hehehe a pun. Crude but hey if people were going to treat him like a monster why not play the part?

[White Blade]

"I can't say!" Garadiel replied to Aldric's query, "I was figuring Riora, actually. Fire and all, you know she's dangerously unstable. Anyway I think we're closing in on one of our enemies, so we can always ask them." Garadiel straightens and looks at the chaotic battlefield, "Such a waste. These deaths were supposed to have meaning Aldric, and now they're just pawns in a random act of destruction. If things start going south, I'm hitching a ride on a soul to the underworld. So... Be prepared to cut and run if we look seriously outclassed." Garadiel surveys the field and draws closer to his enemy, trying to make him out trough all the smoke and troubles. When he makes out the figure and reaches out with his divine senses to touch thhe divine spark... To try and understand.

I'm unclear as to which the divine sparks are. I suppose Garadiel goes to the one closest to Xiang Jing. If Nefarion understands what is going on better, he can decide who we've closed in on.

[Greystone]

She turns and smiles brightly "Ah, Hello brother" She changes languege, speaking the tongue of the gods"I was here to speak to Gadrial...but..."

She turns back to the people and lifts her arms "But the glorious chaos distracted me somewhat"

Riora looks over her shoulder and her smile quirks up "Oops, I guess I've left you with a bit of a quandry. My dear sweet sister Raia's soldiers are currently sacking your fair city"

She chuckles "With little direction I'm afraid. So what are you going to do? Go out, and stop the invaders? Or leave these fine people in my friendly hands"

Her smile broadens "I'd say I only have a fifty-fifty chance of converting them" she begins to play with the emerald fire about her body.

Raz
She is using her chaotic Inspiration at full power. She just wants to rile things up in the sanctum. If some convert, cool. If not, she'll settle for a brawl.

[ArlEammon]

She turns and smiles brightly "Ah, Hello brother" She changes languege, speaking the tongue of the gods"I was here to speak to Gadrial...but..."

She turns back to the people and lifts her arms "But the glorious chaos distracted me somewhat"

Riora looks over her shoulder and her smile quirks up "Oops, I guess I've left you with a bit of a quandry. My dear sweet sister Raia's soldiers are currently sacking your fair city"

She chuckles "With little direction I'm afraid. So what are you going to do? Go out, and stop the invaders? Or leave these fine people in my friendly hands"

Her smile broadens "I'd say I only have a fifty-fifty chance of converting them" she begins to play with the emerald fire about her body.

Raz
She is using her chaotic Inspiration at full power. She just wants to rile things up in the sanctum. If some convert, cool. If not, she'll settle for a brawl.

Shen Zhi Shu And Riora
Shen Zhi Shu thought for a moment. He didn't think that it would come to this so quickly. Of course, Riora was never predictable, but now she was worse than she was as a wild child. Shen Zhi Shu wanted a good outcome from this, but he saw none, and he had to protect his people from a wildly dangerous thing that would do nothing good for them.
"Want to have a fight?" Shen Zhi Shu suggests. "I can get rid of you." He says. Then, unleashes a bolt of meta magic enchanced chi lightning at Riora.

[Greystone]

Shen Zhi Shu And Riora

Riora jumped into the air at the last minute and smiled down at her brother as she forced her shape to grow a pair of dragon-like wings. The Emerald fire boiled from her body now "I didn't want a fight... but I won't say no"

She threw a globe a green fire at Shen, then another, then a third. Balls of crackling power fell from her an exploded all around her brother, she peered through the smoke, to see if she had actually hit him.

"Be careful brother" she jeered "Collateral damage and all that"

[ArlEammon]

"Be careful brother" she jeered "Collateral damage and all that"

Shen Zhi Shu And Riora : Who Is Deadliest?

Shen Zhi Shu's attack missed, as did Riora's, he barely dodged it, as he was knocked on the upper level. But this time he had a plan. "Thanks for the warning." He gestured to the Sacred Fire, which flashed like lightning at Shen Zhi Shu's command. Not being real fire at all, it nonetheless was command to fire straight at Riora's body. Anyone caught in the fire who wasn't a target would just be changed mystically. But as the god of magic Shen Zhi Shu could warp the energies to be harmful towards Riora herself.

[nysisobli]

Looking at the maiden running through the fire, Selek could make out her form out perfectly. Drawing his longstaff, and removing the leather strap from his eyes, Selek focused all his being on noticing everything he could from her movements. His eyes flared with the suns first light, focusing on drawing her sight from her. reality manipulation

Then Selek spoke, Who are you?

[Kasanip]

Raia

Raia turned sharply from Aldric when the sounds of the confusion reached her. The soldiers were disordered and chaotic in a way that immediately told her something was seriously wrong. They were trained by her, and never should react in such a manner to something so mundane as a fire in camp.
There was someone behind it. And that had to be one of her brothers or sisters. A giant, burning frustration grew in her at this. She was not happy. The best plans were often ruined in war, but no one ever outperformed her like this. It was a mockery- making her seem weak and foolish in front of her brothers, both older and younger. She tried to take a deep breath and calm down. No, it would be even more foolish and childish of her if she got this visibly upset in front of them.

Raia never had been a tantrum child, but everyone knew that she hated to lose. She always put everything into what she was doing, which was why her combat skills were unmatched - or at least, with a blade.

Her hand was now on Tetsuzou as she turned sharply to her brothers again. But already Garadiel was off sprinting. Raia didn't doubt him for a second - she trusted him perhaps most among her family. But Aldric was already mounting and going after him. Raia wondered, but thrust it aside. No, Aldric had been with her, and she had her eyes on him the entire time precisely because of the strange feelings he evoked in her. But Aldric's words were annoying and demeaning. Stay with Raia? She didn't need Alaric's help of all of them. Not in a matter like this. But she thrust that aside too. Raia had work to do.

Turning to Alaric she gestured sharply to the battlefield before the city.
"Come or stay brother, I'm going to organize this now."

Furiously she turned and sprinted down the hillside towards the city gates. And then she called lightning and demanded of thunder his service, and thunder roared violently in the sky above in Raia's anger.
"Stay your sword and order your ranks!" Raia yelled, holding Tetsuzou in the air as lightning sparked and flashed furiously around the Great Tengu Blade.

And all about her, the Tengu and Tumi immediately followed her as she was their leader thoroughly, and the humans of Toukoku under her banner, seeing her and her sword came to their senses. The new soldiers of Chisu, Wan, and Eisu were slower to hear her, having been thrown into confusion the most (and part by Riora's own work), and many of them threw themselves at the city, even as Raia worked intensely to put down the chaos and organize her soldiers.

Then she was going to bring to justice the ones who had caused this trouble.

Acts

1 Major Act: Improve War Domain -> 2
1 Minor Act: Rally the Troops

1 Ceremony remaining

[Raz_Fox]

Pa'am

"You have seen a secret that was hidden from you, until you were ready to accept it. Imagine, my son, what you might have wrought in your youth, had you believed time was yours to manipulate?

But now this I give to you as your burden - though time is fluid, it is also sacred, and it must be protected. It cannot be ripped, nor torn, for to do so is to hasten the fall of A'gap. I believe that now you are ready to protect the world by protecting time itself.

Do you accept your sacred task, Pa'am Firstborn?"


Orgo

The red-coated god laughed at that, hardly noticing the ripple in the wall. Then he wags his finger at Orgo, the way a mother would scold their errant child. "You shouldn't have said that, kiiid."

Then he's gone, and Orgo's alone on the wall. There's a moment of silence, and then he's back. Turns out he was just getting a running start. He slashes at Orgo a dozen times before ducking one of Orgo's blows, and he makes it look effortless. Slash a dozen more times, repeat dodge. "Not gonna run, lil' wolf? Well, you couldn't outrun me anyway- Slash slash slash. "-But you could at least make some kind of token effort..."

And then he stops, stepping back and looking out over the field, leaving Orgo's chest and neck dripping blood. "Oi! What does that fool think she's doing? I'll be back for your pelt, pooch - got urgent business elsewhere."


Selek

Selek is unable to take the maiden's sight, but his attempt made her stumble and fall within the inferno. She screams for help, ignoring his request for indentification.

Selek notices that she is obviously beautiful, as well as having a divine spark - if you know what you're looking for, it can be sensed just by watching a god's movements, and she's got it. This raises the question of why she doesn't use her divine powers to banish the flames...

[Jair Barik]

Orgo looks at the man as he runs towards battle and glares. You are fast aren't you? But not so strong. So many blows and still he was not felled. Well if he isn't strong.... how is his endurance?

Orgo looked at the mans figure and closed his eyes. When he opened them again they were black as night. Holding out his hands Orgo felt his feet melt into the floor. He wasn't a part of the earth... He WAS the Earth!

"Little red man, oh little red man, let us see if you can fly...."

Orgo did not ask the earth favours, he would command it bend it to his will, use it to destroy. The Earth in front of the man (not beneath him, he was too fast for that, if Orgo was to hurt him he would strike in front of his foe, attack where the enemy would be as opposed to where he was) ripping it up in great walls of jagged stone, blades and spikes of Earth jutting out to maim and kill the target. Using all the strength of will he could muster he made explosions of stone erupt from the soil, spraying areas of the battlefield with rocky shrapnel. There would be collateral damage of course but these people were warriors, why were they here if not to die?

[White Blade]

Garadiel points to a woman amidst the fire, "That's them I'd bet on it, and that's... I have no idea who that guy is. Try to stay on his far side. He seems to have set a god on fire. Do you recognize the girl?"

[Nefarion Xid]

"Oh, hold still you silly tart!"

Despair was called to his outstretched hand and Aldric used its power to devour the flames consuming the camp and focused it on extinguishing the woman. As quickly as the scythe leaped into his hand from the nether, it was gone again... almost before any of the wounded soldiers about could mouth 'oh my gods, what was that thing?'

"No idea. I don't really like blondes..." he mutters aside to Garadiel.

[ArlEammon]

Shen Zhi Shu And Riora
"Forget this foolishness." Shen finally gives up trying to hit Riora. "Just get out!" He roars. Shen Zhi Shu was raving mad. Unfortunately he had forgotten about his ability to just toss out Riora at first. It was time that he prevent the collateral damage Riora mentioned. After banishing Riora, he looked out through the Shrine and was looking for anything suspicious. By Pan-Lung, thought Shen Zhi Shu, things are worse than when I was a demi god in Xiang Jian.

[nysisobli]

I will ask you once again, Who are you?

Answer the question and i will make the torment stop.,Selek spoke

Feeling the other two divine sparks close by, Selek started to panic, but he was confident he could talk himself out of most situations.

[Greystone]

Shen Zhi Shu And Riora

Riora grinned as she saw the people begin to argue, to fight among themselves. Then Shen spoke is command, and she felt her body being pulled away. She spoke mockingly to him.

"Goodbye brother, I'll just take some of these good people" and with that she was gone, with a thousand of the Zhang citizens.

They landed on a hill overlooking the 'safe' side of the city. She turned to the people, who were standing up woozily, rubbing their heads in general confusion.

"Ah, my faithful" She stands between them and lifts her hands. Green fire glowed from her hands and she asked a question "You have all felt the mark of chaos on your hearts, now prepare to feel it upon your bodies. She cast the fire into each one.

"Go into the world and spread my children. Use the gift of shapechange I have given you. Now, I must find my brother"

With a flash, she left to find her brother Gadriel.

Acts
1 minor act (Transport 1k citizans)
1 major act (Up chaos domain)
1 major act ( Alter race/create monster race- dopplegangers)

[Carden]

The platform was small but large enough for Eridi's purpose. Gathered before him in this meeting hut was the entirety of Jin'Thul's people. The elder had already given his speech, already told the gathered mass that he thought divine will was present in the boy and that they should follow him. Most had agreed, but a few thought trickery was at play. It would be them that Eridi would have to convince, or the entire plan would fall apart due to a few dissenters. The elder gave him one pat on the back to assure him, and then he stood.

"Gathered Peoples of the Tribe of the Everlasting Sun! I have asked you all to be here not to take anything else from you, for you have already given me too much. No, today I wish to repay that debt, to repay it for generations to come!" Gathering confidence from the assenting crowd, he explained, "I am a child of a God, or as Jin'Thul has called me, Spirit-Born. My father is Rognir, the Hundred-Named, He Who Dwells in the Uttermost East! I am the Craftsman, Eridi, who has earned his birthright through your help and is now a god in his own right!" A yell from within the crowd interrupted him, "What proof do we have of these wild claims?!"

Stumbling for a moment, he regained his composure. "Of course I wouldn't expect you to believe me without proof." He brought forth all his creations on stage, letting the crowd gasp in awe as he lifted each to show off its glory. Last, he paraded around his greatest achievement, his anvil. "This, this is my greatest proof! Look on its greatness, look at its perfection! Behold! This was made by my hands, forged of iron and my own divine ichor!" Noting the look on the one who had voiced the complaint (And enjoying the shock greatly) he put it in line with the rest of his items.

"I believe I have proved my divine heritage. Now, to speak on my goals from here on out. I have seen the greatness you, mankind, has achieved in past ages, but now, now I watch you run around in small, underdeveloped groups. Within those items you gave me, I glimpsed your souls, your very beings. You have the heart of craftsmen, the determination of masters! But, and I must stress that word, you will take generations upon generations to reach it without a guiding hand. Right now, you are blindfolded men in a forest, searching for a specific tree. I ask you of one thing, let me take your hands and guide you to that goal!

"I would make you all my people, a learned people, a blessed people! Make no mistakes, this will not be an easy path, but it will be a path that will lead you, your children, and your children's children to glories they would otherwise never know! What do you all say?! Will you stay here and stagnate or will you follow a god and grow greater than any?!" The resounding cheer gave Eridi the answer he wanted, he now had a people. Raising his arms into the air, he waited for the cacophony to die down.

When it did, he gave his first edict. "The morning is young. Those who would follow me, gather what you will and meet me outside the town gates. There, I will take you to your new home, a place of new beginnings. If any wish to stay, feel free to, no wrath will be placed on you for your decisions, but all those who would come, I leave when the sun reaches its zenith, no sooner, no later." Satisfied with the outcomes of his speech, he bowed and walked off the platform. He knew in his heart none would choose to stay, and he was glad of that. He and Jin'Thul would wait the few hours until shadows disappeared, then they would be on their way.

[nysisobli]

Selek became horrified at what he had just done. There was only one way to make this right he thought to himself.

He charged into the fire without a second thought.

Feeling the light building in his eyes Selek cast a spell he did not know.
spend 1 minor action to cast armor of darkness
Black armor completly surrounded Selek, causing most of the heat to be nullified.
Selek felt the light burn out of one of his eyes for the first time ever, and all he felt there was emptiness, darkness, the endless abyss.
spend 1 major act to gain the darkness domain

Feeling the intense flame's heat even through the protection of this new magic, Selek felt like a tortise in a desert by the time he reached this beautiful maiden.
She struggled every second he tried to move her out of the flames.
As fast and as carefully as he could Selek moved the woman out of the flames.