Lords of Creation - Dawn of Worlds - IC

[Xuincherguixe]

[roll0]

(Attacking person nearest me. Any volunteers?)

[DragonOfUndeath]

The Endless laboratory

Harbinger gazed into the hole that had penetrated into his lab, out of Time itself.
"That's bad. I have things in here the Rats probably would kill to get their hands on. I better do something."
He reached out and tweaked Space a little bit. Anyone who tried to enter the Labs through the hole would find themselves falling into Earth, right above a Volcano.
The hole in the Labs had to go somewhere too, so Jespon attached it into Earth, specifically an empty patch to the West of the Gnomes.

The Isles of Time

Down on Earth a group of Octupi was startled by the sudden appearance of a hole in the sea, a sudden cave that led...somewhere.
They slither inside, curious as it expanded, earth growing from the walls of the tunnel, forming 3 limbs which expanded above the water into the air.
These 3 Islands were matched by a mound of Earth straight above the tunnel, with the tunnel as a drop in the exact center of the mound.
The Octopi started exploring this new place, crawling up and out of the water and colonizing it.

Eventually something odd happened. Harbinger raised the owners of his Tunnel, creating another Sentient Race.
The newly-made Octopoli (as they started calling themselves) quickly started getting organized.
*more fluff soon*

6AP -1 (Curse: Fiery Detour) Getting into the Labs means falling into an active volcano. The tunnel leading to the Labs detours into the Material where Gravity drags unwitting beings down and out of the Tunnel.

5AP -1 (Alter Land: the Isles of Time) There are 3 Isles, The Isle of the Past, the Isle of the Present and the Isle of the Future which form the points of an equilateral triangle, in the center of this is a mound of Earth which holds the Tunnel of Technology, a place that leads directly to the Endless laboratory. Under the water, each of the Isles are touched by this tunnel, like the hand of an arm.

4AP -1 (Create Life: The Octopoli) Octopi that have achieved sentience, their brains have swelled and on their foreheads lie a slight skin discolouration in the form of a clock. Octopoli are gifted with an innate sense of Time and are trained from a young age to see into the Past, and the likely Futures. They are also able to move things Telekinetically, to make up for their lack of fine motor skills of their suckers.

3AP -2 (Form Civilization: Octopoli Timeocracy)

1AP -1 Bless: (Time Sign) Babies everywhere have a chance of developing a slight, clock-shaped mark above their eyes (or in front of their central neural intelligence, should they have no eyes). Octopoli automatically gain are affected by this Bless. Beings affected by this have Innate Time-Sensing abilities and can develop Future/Past Sight with practice/training.

0AP

[Shmee]

Cephiran roared a challenge "Rat Queen! Show your vile cowardly face! You damned your own people, not I... and now you damn them further!" He seemed almost sad."However... I have an offer for those Gods who disagree with my ways... I shall rewrite the book of judgements, and judge if a soul gets paradise or damnation based upon its patron... the one it worships..."


A chittering voice can be heard heard behind the hordes of Kloftar as Cephiran roars his challenge "Ummm............no?" as Skizziks' Mate takes the traditional position of the leader in the back. "You are not worthy to lay your rotten eyes upon the Great Matriarch! You speak-talk about judgement! What do you know of our race? Nothing! The standard on which you judge is flawed and so are you! Only the Great Empress herself is perfect enough to judge the souls of her Ratfolk!"

"And so she sends-gives you a message! Just as you wished to judge our great race, so too shall the Great Empress judge your own! She finds you guilty of not being Ratty enough! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! From now on, the great Skizziks decrees that the Kloftar shall forever hunt and eat-eat all reapers they find, their souls offered straight to her hungry maw! Lets see how you like-like being on the receiving end of judgement, yes-yes?"

"Now, face the consequences of your mistakes! SCATTER!"

All of a sudden the hordes of Kloftar execute a Ratfolk tactical manoeuvre, that of scattering, Where before the reapers knew exactly where their foes had gathered, now they had to deal with the Kloftar running around everywhere around the city and doing one last run, as they grabbed as many souls as they could, before returning to the Burrows and offering them to Skizziks.

In the end the only rat standing in front of Cephiran, was Skizziks' Mate who looking at the god of Death gives a shrug as he realized that he was all alone, and thus quite vulnerable. Giving a sly grin, and waving goodbye, he too scuttles off, the entire Shimmering City and Elysian Planes strangely void of all types of Rats.

[Xuincherguixe]

(Since no one volunteered, Miyzer was chosen by an arbitrary method.)

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - War

"Coatls of the World! To those who have not seen by scrying, the dark forces of Chaos and entropy have struck out. You know that we have a duty to ward the afterlife from the scum that would overwhelm the order of things. For this reason, let it be known that the Empire of Flowers, under a unanimous vote from the Grand Council and the Affirmation of the god Aei, speaking from the Heart, undertakes to strike out at those behind this unprovoked attack on the afterlife until such a time as we have recovered stability. For our own protection, and those of all the world, we commit to engage them without mercy. For this reason, we declare unrestricted war on the tyranny of the Rats, and call for all true Coatls to undertake to reduce the city of Skizzblight to ash on the wind. As we speak, the armies of the Coatls move forward to victory. May the light of inspiration fill your minds, Coatls, and we will be victorious!"


The Coatls attack the Rats along a wide front.

5 AP (No Change)

[Selinia]

Smile for the camera

"Well, not that world. But that one is mine!" She points into the distant horizon, around which the grinning face of the Moon could be seen. "I've been putting some fun things on it. The one down there is fun to watch a lot, but the others can be all silly and like 'Nuh-uh, it's mine, no, it's mine!' over stuff. But they're mostly just playing around, I think, so it doesn't bother me. Besides, like I said, I have a lot of fun things of my own!"

"Also, you're..." Siofra flitted closer, poking Kai's graceful body experimentally before smiling widely and latching on in a vice-like hug. "Cuuu~uuute! So cute! So cute! You're the second cutest thing I've ever seen in the history of ever seeing things ever, that's how cute you are!"

She didn't seem inclined to let go of her own accord, but she kept talking anyway. "So, Super-Duper-Cute Lady, want me to show you the most coolest thing ever?"

Another Reprieve

Journal Entry, Date of I still don't blooping know. For some reason, timepieces don't seem to work here, even when we pay for them. Unusual, but we aren't really questioning it given everything else going on. I should start numbering these or something.

But I do know its been a while - though I couldn't say whether days or weeks - since that whole incident with the reaper men and the Lord of Eyes. Funny... I guess we merit the attention of divinity. I wonder why they don't give that to first-chancers? Speaking of which, the efforts I mentioned earlier in this log - trying to find out where the rest of the first-chancers are going? No luck. We actually started sending up scans for them, but the costs were prohibitive - possible, but crazy expensive. These little books obviously aren't going to just up and cough up their full potential.

That said, we're really getting somewhere. The points are rolling in like crazy, across the board - some of it we're pooling up to try and make a few big purchases, but a lot of it is going to just... comfortable stuff. Paula and I ate a picnic lunch the other day. Crazy how you can consider food to be a luxury, but it still felt almost uncomfortably luxurious to be experiencing flavor again. When you see the prices all written down like that, you sorta appreciate the little things.

Well, the big things too, to be honest. We have buildings now. Only two, mind you (by the way, whoever you are, don't you have something better to do than read somebody else's journal?), and they were absurdly pricey even for just four walls and a roof. Still, they may be kinda boring, but they're ours. The big one is certainly earning its keep - we thought it might make a good assembly hall or something, and it has been, but Fithin has also apparently turned it into some kind of party house. His singing is... weird, I don't think anyone really understands it, but a lot of us are finding that a bit of goofy dancing can really cut the edge off a frustrating day of Tweaking.

Tweaking... eh, it still doesn't really have a ring to it. There's some debate over what to call the odd little thing we do with those scanning screens and our notebooks. The term 'gaming' is getting bandied about a lot, but I agree with Paula that it makes the whole thing seem a little frivolous. Aside from which, it can be hella' stressful - I mean, we pretty much all net a decent point gain in the end, but it can cost you big if you slip up too bad.

There's also some dispute over what exactly we should let ourselves Tweak. I'm not really going to go into this in detail again, oh anonymous reader, but we caught a couple of newbies today who thought that dropping a pile of rubble on some scruffy gnome for points was funny. I don't think of myself as preachy... but seriously, isn't that kinda messed up? Paula uh, rebuked them with great vigor (I pray to whatever god put us here that I never get on her bad side), but there are almost two hundred of us here on the shoreline, all told. We can't keep watch on everyone. Do we want to? Fithin's motto is that we shouldn't 'Lay down lamer smakin' on our bros' bodacious beats, however bad'. I dunno. I really hope we find a solution to this before it gets out of hand.

Let's see, what am I missing... oh, yeah, the second building. After the nutty price tag on that first one, we went for something much more modest. Actually, it was just me and a some of the research focus group - you see, these notebooks have been filling up fast (the mundane ones - our little Wonder Notes bizarrely never seem to run out of blank pages; flipping through them fast can give me a headache) and we thought it might be nice to have someplace to store them. You know, like a sort of... knowledge center. Compile our finding in something a little more dignified that a pile of paper on the ground. Not everyone agrees with us, but this writing is pretty serious stuff, and I think that a book deserves a bit of respect.

So yeah. Enough of this. My team and I are planning on testing some equation variables to see how the environment changes Tweak pricing. Should be fun...

...yeah, fun. I guess that's what we're having, even with all the troubles. Fun.

[Shmee]

The Empire of Flowers - War

"Coatls of the World! To those who have not seen by scrying, the dark forces of Chaos and entropy have struck out. You know that we have a duty to ward the afterlife from the scum that would overwhelm the order of things. For this reason, let it be known that the Empire of Flowers, under a unanimous vote from the Grand Council and the Affirmation of the god Aei, speaking from the Heart, undertakes to strike out at those behind this unprovoked attack on the afterlife until such a time as we have recovered stability. For our own protection, and those of all the world, we commit to engage them without mercy. For this reason, we declare unrestricted war on the tyranny of the Rats, and call for all true Coatls to undertake to reduce the city of Skizzblight to ash on the wind. As we speak, the armies of the Coatls move forward to victory. May the light of inspiration fill your minds, Coatls, and we will be victorious!"


The Coatls attack the Rats along a wide front.

5 AP (No Change)

As the Coatls magically appear in Skizzblight, after the initial surprise, the Rats quickly prepare their defences. As the Coatls move on, they would notice a large horde of small terrified Ratlings, poorly armed if at all, many just birthed a few weeks ago, as the literal children of Skizzblight rise to the city's defence.

In the distance, Skizziks' Mate is sitting on top of a building, gnawing on a Human leg, as if there is not a care in the world.


"Foolish-fools know nothing about our kind!" he says as he chews upon a particularly tasty toe.

It was a futile battle, and he knew it.

[omnitricks]

Since there is not much action for me going on right now, I'll try to see if Tarsin can sense all the fighting through the cheese staff since his domain is also battle :smallsmile:
Even number = pass
[roll0]

"My Kitty sense is tingling. Or wait, that could just be the lunch from the bloodball."

[hustlertwo]

Well that just tears it.

At his deity's direction, Globulus dispatches a Gelatine emissary to Skizzblight. The oozeling will seek out the mate of Skizzik (who would, I suppose, be the stepdad of Nomnipitus) and deliver a message for the ever-spawning rat queen:

Nomnipitus, the Dissolver of Worlds, the Omni-Ooze, the All-Powerful Pudding, would like to cordially offer his assistance in your time of trouble to his accidental parent. Together we will strike a blow against the corrupt death god and his magic turkey henchmen.

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

Turning towards the Oozeling Skizzik's Mate chuckles and responds

"Yes-yes! Jealous are they of our superiority! Angry-mad are they because we struck back first! Always strong are they when many are against us! Let us show them what happens when odds are even yes-yes? If Nomnipitus, the Dissolver of Worlds, the Omni-Ooze, the All-Powerful Pudding wishes to also land a blow, then who am I to stop-deny him? Help-help us you want? Lets shake on it..." Skizziks' Mate reaches into his bag, and brings out a Human hand. Snapping one of the fingers off, he presents it to the Oozling "We make deal. Yes-yes? You scratch my flea, and I scratch yours?" In Ratfolk culture, sharing one's food is a symbolic gesture of forming an alliance between rats.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - The Battle of Skizzblight

The Battle for Skizzblight was going well. The Coatls methodically scythed through the ranks, telekenetically wielded blades of golden light slicing through Ratfolk of all ages and sizes. In the operation to retrieve a soul from the Shimmering City there had been maybe two dozen Coatls, and they, fearful of angering a god, had used nonlethal force. It required far more effort to encase someone in light than it did to cut them in half, or to strangle them with telekenesis. Here there were thousands of Coatls, and they seemed to be having fun. It was not true war, it was murder. And, of course, the Coatl ego did not permit the possiblity that something might go wrong. Victory would soon be theirs.

[bladescape]

Smile for the camera

Following the pointed finger, Kai looks at the moon quizically. The Grin that covered it's face seemed somehow ... off. As such she wasn't ready for the sudden hug attack and was quickly immobilised by Siofra.

"Uhh.... Thanks.. I guess... Could you stop hugging me yet?" It was rather an odd thing to happen, and she looked unsure of what exactly was with the elder goddess.

Quickly scooping upon the chance to gain a way out of the hug, Uchlan Kai quickly replied to the showing of cool things in the affirmative. Mayhaps the ideas swimming slowly around in her head would settle once she'd seen others creations.

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer clutches his ears as the sound from the ball of blood cuts into him like so many knifes. Miyzer turns both shocked and furious, but he keeps his calm and looks right at the god.

“What is it that you want, Eye have no business with you. One who can only cause destruction and suffering should not even have the pleasure of existence.” Miyzer smirks “It is true that you are also one for beauty, but for a god of beauty you sure are disgusting to look at.” Miyzer folds his hands in defiance “Attack me all you want, fighting you will be like removing stupidity, it only takes time and diligence”

Miyzers left eye begins to glow a bright blue light, brighter than any have seen it before. Then with a flash, a miraculous beam of energy bursts forth cutting though the void and piercing the destroyers body.


Ima firen my lazoorzzz :smallfurious:

[roll0]

[Draken]

Battle at Skizzblight

The local ghosts, still in the ether, give their silent help to their living descendants (because really, even the dead can't very well stand the smell of the ratfolk, except for the ratfolk dead).

It is small things that the ghosts do. Without a material presence they are capable of moving objects and using their haunting chill to hinder the Coatls.

But some are sent to the Deadlands for material reinforcements.

[Darklady2831]

The battle for Skizzblight

With the ghosts interference, the Reapers were called upon to aid the Coatl armies.

Great swarms of reapers appeared in the skies above the city, seeking out ghosts and putting an end to their unlife.

As the reapers swarmed through the city streets, scything down ratfolk and ghosts alike. The souls of those who died were not touched, as if Cephiran was giving the Rat Queen her due souls.

Even as all this happened, Cephiran imparted his divine essence upon Cronos, and sent him into the Fray.

Cronos broke the planar boundaries with a flash of purple light. The newly crowned Avatar of Cephiran lead the swarms of Axiomatic Reapers in the assault, and he sought out Skizzik's mate, and lofted before him. "Exarch of the Rat Queen... for crimes against reality itself, I sentence you to death." Cronos lunged for Skizzik's Mate, his ethereal scythe seeking to cut through the weak ratling flesh like a hot knife through warm butter.

3 AP - 3AP for Divine Infusion = 0 AP

[Shmee]

Battle of Skizzblight

Skizziks' Mate is cleanly cut in half as by the scythe as he is talking to the Oozling. Below in Skizzblight the Ratlings were being thoroughly exterminated as the youth of the city were clearly no match for the Coatl and Reapers.

[Darklady2831]

The Battle of Skizzblight

As soon as Cronos scythes Skizzik's Mate in two, he turned to the oozeling. "Tell your lord, that the Reaper no longer holds sway over the souls of the gelatines... Cephiran holds claim only to the souls of those who worship the Pantheon of the First King, and those who worship none at all."

With that, Cronos soars away, joining the main battle below.

[hustlertwo]

The Gelatine takes the hand.

My lord told me of the fondness your mate has for digestion, something they both share. Take this as an offering of our sincerity.

The humanoid detaches one of his 'arms', and hands it to the ratling. He then sprouts another, slightly smaller appendage to take its place.

Seeing the approaching reaper, the blob waves sadly to the doomed rat and disperses himself, slipping through the cracks of the building's roof and waiting for daytime to still the Reapers and enable him an easier passage back to the Gelatine lands with his token of alliance.

[Shmee]

Not so fast

As Cronos tries to fly away, all of a sudden, he is hit by a cheesy beam. Behind him, Skizziks' Mate reattaches himself and is brandishing the Coveted Cheesy Staff. He gives a shrug as he says

"What? You never heard-heard of the fine Ratfolk tradition of "Shoot the messenger"? I would not be much of a divine herald if the Great Matriarch would die-kill me every time I give-give her bad-bad news. Yes-yes? This proves how you know nothing about us! Yet judge-judge us you will? Foolish fool-fool!"

[Darklady2831]

You Idiot...

Cronos turns back, grinning and laughing "Have you heard nothing of what my lord has been saying? He has relinquished his hold over the ratling souls... look about! The souls of your people are here, not within the realm of my Lord. You fight over nothing."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate


Skizziks' Mate shrugs "Only thing I heard was you sentencing me to die-kill. You still know nothing! I am not the one fighting..." he points a paw down towards Skizzblight where now, the weak and sickling were starting to pour out to be slaughetred next to the children "...they are."

[Darklady2831]

An offer of reprieve

Cronos laughs. "I see you do not give into reason... Exarch, I shall give you an offer, and I must have your desicion quickly." Shifting in his infused glory, Cronos produces a piece of parchment, wreathed in purple hellfire. "This agreement states that my lord Cephiran will relinquish all ratfolk souls to the Rat Queen, and halt any assaults upon you. In return, you and your Rat Queen relinquish your vendetta against my lord. Believe me, my Lord can last a lot longer than your Queen in a war of attrition."

[hustlertwo]

The pudding emissary, listening from inside the building to the reaper's obnoxiously booming voice, squirts a small blob through a crack, which forms a mouth and snidely responds to Cronos.

You're bargaining with something that should never have been yours to give in the first place.

[Draken]

Don't Fear The Reaper

As the ghosts are cut down, their spirits dissipate, energies and memories relinquished to the Neverborn once more, to one day arise from his dark dreams again.

But for that matter. The dead fight back, their howls shatter the Reaper's will to keep fighting, their grasp rots their very essences, and they hurl bolts of chill pyreflame to burn coldly at the creatures of Cephiran.

Unlike the infant, the ill and the dying, the dead fight back with fury and power. That front is not a one-sided slaughter, far be it.

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate begins to laugh "You wish-wish to offer the Great Matriarch what already belongs to her? Fool-fool! The souls of all Ratfolk were hers from the beginning! I merely took back what you stole-took! That is why you brought your friends-allies to Skizzblight for unprovoked attack! Revenge!" Pointing once more down towards the slaughter of Ratfolk

"But the Great Skizziks, may the screams of her foes-enemies play like music to her ears, is not unmerciful. She shall give you one chance! Get down-down on your knees and ask-beg for forgiveness for all your crimes against Ratkind! "

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer cleans his hands of a job well done.

Miyzer then looks down to the great battle taking place below. “Eye suppose now is as good a time as ever…. But first” Miyzer takes out the little green book he had been given. He spots a Loxo who is not having the best day and drops the book near it.
“What better first chancer to receive this then the first, first chancer race.”

Miyzer looks at his Lidia, she had done some growing up since last he looked. She had also retained all the innocence she had since her child hood. “Know that she is ready lets tug on that string of curiosity again” Lidia finds herself slowly walking to Excalibur. The Crystalings watched shocked at how close she was getting to the sword. She reached out and grabs it, and with a snap of Miyzers fingers, Lidia pulls the sword from the diamond. Ethereal wings form along her back, and while her size stays the same her strength and speed increase a thousand fold.

The Crystalings kneel before the new Knight of Innocence in respect. She would have the finest armor they could craft. Made from the very same diamond the Excalibur had been planted in. Once ready Lidia soars into the heavens stopping next to Miyzer, he leans over and talks to her.

“You come just in time… It looks to be that you will have plenty of work to do. But for now let us see how things progress”

2Ap -1(Raise Hero: Lidia the Knight of Innocence) = 1AP

[omnitricks]

"Burp!" That was disgusting. But it tasted as good the second time. Tarsin was sure this time that what he was feeling was not lunch though. It was from something. Something long forgotten or actually very unimportant until now.

Thinking back, he remembered making something as part of a prize. A staff of cheese he gave the rats. Where was it now? Tarsin shut his eyes only to see something more interesting that the Blood-Eye battle through one of the many holes in the cheese staff. It was some funny looking reaper people fighting in the rat city.

While Tarsin did not like the rat mother, he did like the rats. They were fun the first time. But now they were greatly outmatched by the monsters. Tarsin would give his support. With a wave of his paw, the cheese staff began to glow for all in the underground city to see. Now he will get to see more fun.

6-1 = 5AP
Bless: Rat Tenacity. Rats and their allies who fight for their lives and home in Skizzblight feels more active. They will be able to suddenly think of complex strategies to use their numbers and experience in the underground to their advantage. And if pushed back hard enough they will go into a feral rage making them stronger, tougher and faster. Fighting hard until either side is wiped out.

[Xuincherguixe]

"Ha, an attack of that magnitude could never harm MEEEEEEE

And the ball of doom gets knocked far off into the distance and out of the plane.


"That didn't go as planned did it?"
"No. No it did not."
"Is it my time yet?"
"Not quite."
"Really is taking far too long."
"Noticed the same myself. Well. Think the rats could use some help."
"Is that what you're calling it?"
"Isn't that what I've always called it? Also, do you have a tourniquet? I'm leaking noticeably."
"I don't think those have been invented yet."


Gain domain: Demon
(related actions) Create Race: demons (5) Create Plane: The Abyss
Aiming towards portfolio of demonic pacts
Which leaves 1 AP


"You can go and deliver the message to Skizziks meat puppet though."
"Think he'll accept?"
"Doesn't really matter."


"Battle" of Skizzblight

A fire suddenly bursts into life in mid air and starts speaking.
"Yo. So... I couldn't help noticing... you seem to be doing a pretty good job here meat puppet. Good plan there. Good plan. Might be a way you could do better though. Care to listen?"

[Shmee]

Battle of Skizzblight

Seeing the Coveted Cheesy Staff glowing, Skizziks' Mate shrugs and raises it for everyone, especially for Cronos to see. He knew this did not come from Skizziks... but he didn't mind at the moment. Somehow the children and the sickly were starting to put up a much better fight... just as the Ratfolk began sending their elderly and feeble into the battle.

Then all of a sudden, a flame appears and starts speaking.

"Seems listening is all I ever do. Talk-squeak, but fast-fast... I need to see this foolish-fool grovel-beg in front of me!"

[Xuincherguixe]

The fire scoffs,
"Not going to happen. Too much pride in that one. Wouldn't think to lie. But I'd like to see that too."

The fire seems to spin around facing Cronos
"You going to do that and ruin all my and the masters best laid plans?"

[Darklady2831]

Cronos grins, bowing down and laying his scythe before him. "Pride is something that Cephiran thinks about after his duty... if it will bring about an end to this conflict between my Lord and your Matriarch, then so be it. Reapers! Form up, retreat. Coatls! Run if you want to live."

[Draken]

With combat seemingly fading, the ghosts of ratfolk ancestors become peaceful once more. And messages are sent that help is no longer needed.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia’s fist tightens around Excalibur’s handle. She looks up at Miyzer who seems relaxed. She wonders if that’s how he always looks when he watches event unfold.

“Master why do you not send me down almost all those below have evil intent in their hearts. Should I not be stopping this?”

Miyzer is startled by the sound of Lidia’s voice, he had forgot they she was up here. Hey had been watching to intently to really notice her. He smiles and pats her on the head.

“No, not quiet. You are to protect those who are innocent, not strike down or pass judgment. Which of them looks innocent to you?”Lidia squints, trying hard to see. “Ummmm I guess the two dead guys right now”

“That is correct, they have stepped aside and are not looking to cause harm. If either of them is to be attacked, then you would have to defend them.”

Lidia nods here head in understanding, then they turn back to watch. A few moments pass until Lidia decides to ask another question.

“Umm Master…. Because I’m not really doing anything can I go explore… maybe…please?” She becomes more timid with each word. Miyzer looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Well of course you can… you didn’t really think you would have to stay here all day did you? Feel free to go where ever you like… but be careful who you run into out here. Also if someone is ever in need of protection, you must drop everything and go not matter what. Excalibur should be able to tell you when such things come up.”

Lidia gives a thank you hug and fly’s off. Miyzer stands scratching his chin “Maybe Eye should have let her grow up a little more”

[Darklady2831]

"She is perfect for the role, brother..." Cephiran says softly from behind Miyzer. He'd been watching from the shadows for a little while now. "Young enough to be innocent, pure, untainted by the harsh realities of growing up. She will serve you well."

Smiling, Cephiran steps beside his brother, and observes with him. "I have ordered my reapers to evacuate from the battle at Skizzblight, and I am hoping that I can somehow sway Skizziks from hating me..."

[Selinia]

Silver Splits the Sky

As Lidia's small hand closed around the hilt of the great blade, a voice echoed in her mind, and in hers alone. It did not stop her. Its words were quiet, cold almost, and yet booming softly. Like a whisper in a great cavern of ice. "Knight! You have come at last! I have grown weary of this frozen slumber!"

As she felt the strength of a god flood through her body - strength to hurl the mightiest boulder or outrun the most agile wind. "Yes! You are to bear a great burden, it is true! But I shall not tell you to tremble or regret, child. For the burden you shall wear as a very part of yourself! You shall not grow tired, for it shall give you the strength you need to carry on! Nay, child - do not tremble, but rather rejoice at what you are... and shall become!"

As the blade slides forth, and her ethereal wings shimmer into being. "No Crystaling are thee, any longer, child! Thy heart beats as one, and fear not that you shall grow beyond yourself, for the fact that you shall not is the very reason you are able to grasp my blade. You are Jiyū no tenshi! Aingeal na saoirse! Engel der Freiheit! The Angel of Freedom! Let the skies rejoice at the beating of your heart!" Indeed, the skies above rumbled with thunder, echoing Excalibur's proclamation despite the absence of a single cloud.

The Silver Sword accompanied Lidia from that time on, in her thoughts even when it was not at her side. It was melodramatic, but kind, and seemed to enjoy the chance to feed its own ego (and hers, to no small extent, wherever it could). But as she took her place - suited in diamonds and with the Cloudreaver in hand - beside the Lord of Eyes, Excalibur was silent.

Like Miyzer, it was watching, waiting, in the calm that sat astride the lull of a mighty storm. But a mite of a chuckle could be heard as she requested to go explore. "What then, Lady Lidia, shall we explore? The wind shall carry you wherever you wish!"

A Note of Some Relevance

The notebook had had, up until now, a rather interesting existence. It had been summoned into being by the curious penmanship of a living being that had already died. It had materialized on the surface of a world where reality was... at best, a polite suggestion. It had been filled with letters and symbols and words of a language unlike any spoken tongue - a language that frankly, was a cheat imposed by a lazy goddess, and was not strictly intended for mortals.

Then, it had been present at the explosive exchange of power between the Black Blade of broken chains and the strong-men of the Reaper himself. It had been subjected to notes on that very battle. And it had been given to none other than the deity of knowledge himself, whose eyes saw all.

It had been carried by him, held by him. It had been touched, however briefly, by his divine consciousness. It had been on his person when Miyzer had exchanged blasts of cosmic power with the very embodiment of destruction itself. It had borne witness to the birth of a mighty heroine as she came into her birthright, as the Cloudreaver split the sky with her triumphal ascension.

And now, it had been dropped.

Tumbling to the grassy ground with a slight thud, the notebook - the plain, mundane, utterly non-extraordinary notebook - fell open to a page on the alphabet. And waited for someone to pick it up. After all, it was only a book - what else would it do?

Cute things

"Super-special-awesome!" Kai's ploy seemed to have succeeded, at least in the sense that Siofra was no longer attempting to mold herself to the side of the fey goddess' delightfully huggable and super-adorable form. "Watch this!" She held her hands out in a wide-armed pose for a moment and cocked her head sideways in intense concentration.

"Actually..." She brought her hands together with a resounding echo. "...I've never done this out here before, so I have absolutely no clue what is going to happen! Isn't it exciting?" For a moment, it seemed nothing would. Then the empty Void erupted with the echoes of every color imaginable... and quite a few that really weren't.

It was not the true Vault. That was immovable, even for Siofra. But it was a projection, a visualization on a level no other deity could handle. It showed the untold number of mortal Threads woven ever single hearbeat. It showed them break, showed them shift, and showed them bind themselves together in knots that defied logical explanation and only made sense to one who thought with their heart long before their head.

And then it was gone, for even Siofra, whose very nature was tied to the place, could not bring forth for long the visage of the Vault without consequences. She groaned slightly.

"Remeber about me saying pain might be worthwhile? Okay, I was wrong."
"Ooooowwwww..."
"I-it didn't leave any marks, did it? Oh, I am going to be so pissed at whoever suggested that if this mars our pristine beauty!"
"And now we know not to do that again!"

"S-so, anyway, wasn't that... cool?" Siofra licked a trickle of divine blood from the corner of her mouth, smiling wide as if nothing were wrong. "Normally that hurts less, but surprises are fun! Even hurt-y surprises, sometimes!"

OOC: Actions!

AP:
3 - 3 (Gain Domain - Fate [Fortune])
0 = Final

PAP:
2 - 2 (Create Concept MR2 - Writing)

The art of writing spreads quickly, and will rapidly wind up in the hands of every nearly every mortal race (unless one chooses specifically to reject it). However, though it may seem to be so to the casual eye, the written word is anything but mundane. Several traits set it apart as clearly something extraordinary.

First of all, writing is always understood by any being with any understanding of language at all. Any will read writing as being in their 'own' spoken language, and an author with entirely different linguistic methods can be understood without undo difficulty, and anything that can speak is automatically literate.

Secondly, writing carries weight with the cosmos as if it were the very breath of the creature that penned it. Any ability which can be triggered by the spoken word (spells, bardsong, or the like) can also be triggered by written instructions. Legends abound of the unsuspecting master sorcerer whose overeager apprentice unleashed by mistake the spells bound in the passages of his tutor's tomes.

Lastly, putting a great deal of literature in one place can cause... odd things to happen. Words beget reality, and reality can only be stacked so high in one place.

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer looks at Cephiran, and then lets out long sigh. As if he is trying to release all the stress that’s built up in him for the past few time lengths.

“Eye hope so, my only concern is that she has yet to fully become aware of the dangers that this universe holds. Eye myself have only recently fought for the first time. Did you see it? Eye think Eye may have overreacted a little.”

Miyzer rubs his eyes. He looks very tired

“As for the Rat Mother… Eye have no advice. She is a strange one, and has little friends for good reason. Hah, of course the same can be said about most of us. She seems to like sacrifices though, not that Eye’m really for that but it might work. Eye was rather surprised when she didn’t take your offer though. One would think that it would be a good thing for her. Oh and as for that Puddings curse on your reapers, Eye am fine with you using our collective power (Panthieon AP) to remove it. Speaking of which Eye have not seen Drogos in a while, have you?"

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran bows his head in thanks. Many thanks, brother... as for our Brother Drogos, I have not heard from him in a while..."

Cephiran gathers the power of the Solar Pantheon, and blesses the Axiomatic Reapers, wherever they go, perpetual twilight follows, nullifying the effects of the curse that Nomnipitus placed upon them so long ago.

Pantheon AP: -1, Bless Reapers: Perpetual Twilight follows the reapers wherever they are, making Nomnipitus's curse null and void.

[Gunther]

Golden Peaks, Gnomish Valleys

The Gnomes were not, as one might expect, a race that had much value for concepts such as 'safe, viable travel means'. So long as something worked to satisfaction, they used it, even if it resulted in a handful of dead bodies emerging on the other end. In fact, with the art of Binding, dead bodies were almost expected. The Infernal Demons that they had bound to their various engines and traveling mediums often burned through the souls used to bind them rather quickly during a long-range trip, where the end destination was...

Well, it was what they had wanted. Fudni, a lesser Binder, gave a dry heave as they emerged from the, ah, well, it wasn't quite a portal as far as he could have told. The Infernal kin were extremely strange on just what realm the Gnomes had passed through, the vessel they had used even now groaning and shifting. It was a large brass vessel, one of several recently constructed, its body bristling with massive horns and spikes fashioned in a manner akin to stalactites and stalagmites across the caverns. These horns and spikes had been engraved with the binding symbols the Gnomes so loved, and even now they crackled with electricity as the beings within chafed at their bindings.

The shell-liked form of the vessel didn't retain much mobility on arrival, its form splitting open like a cave flower to create the platform the Binder and his associates now stood on- the spikes ramming firmly into the ground. The group was some forty Gnomes in total, each one possessing some talent or skill that was of use to the greater expedition. They had brought with them a handful of Infernal-powered devices, the machines mostly consisting of large bipedal and quadrupedal walkers. Thin legs, and in a few cases tentacles, moved (or slithered) across the ground as the Gnomes of the expedition mounted them. These animated platforms labored forward off the platform, Fudni stepping up the rope ladder attached to one as it passed by. They were rather well-appointed things, though designed for survivability and fighting rather than comfort. There was plenty of leg room aboard the one that he was now standing on, the iron plated floor covered in interwoven arcane symbols and binding sigils that- occasionally- twitched and sizzled as the Infernal Demon powering the craft strained at its bindings.

The sunlight of the surface was something they had, curiously enough, not suffered much in adapting to. There had been a few of their unit that had stared too long into the sun and burned their eyes out, but... there was a reason that the fronts of the Infernal-powered devices were shaped like the gnashing teeth of various creatures (most commonly rats). There was a low rumble on the inside of the craft as the Infernal Demon inside of it sampled the ground, the mouth on the prow of the vehicle twisting the laws of reality as it formed a metal neck for itself and carved a gouge from the ground. A sample of the soil, for later examination to see if the crops of the Badlands could be planted here.

Ancestral Visit?

Ranzkin let out a low hiss as he crawled out of the remains of his own vessel. The Infernal Demons, though dominated by the Gnomes, were hardly known for being extremely reliably contained. His filthy hands clutched his leg as he rested on the lip of the crater their 'landing' had made, the craft materializing a kilometer into the air above where they should have. Being made of heavy metals like brass and iron, it had- naturally- made quite the rough landing.

Ranzkin knew what had happened, too, even as he poked at the bit of bone sticking out of his leg. The binding seals had been eroded through too quickly, something about their destination causing the very essence of the wards keeping them safe from the home of the Infernal Demons to dissolve. At least they had made it through, however, even if most of the hundred-plus Gnomes aboard were dead. Judging by the others clawing their way out, perhaps thirty had survived the crash, even though the ship itself had survived intact. Scattered around the landing zone, there were a few that- even now- convulsed in the sunlight. Ranzkin had forced himself to look at the sun, until his very eyes threatened to burn themselves out. Now he looked about without any serious impediment, though his leg still caused him a fair amount of agony.

But Gnomes were not known for their medical talents. As a Binder, he had a fair degree of durability thanks to his frequent dealings with the powerful Infernal Demons. Their very names granted a certain degree of power, but he was still injured and stranded in an unfamiliar land.

A very quiet, almost deathly so, place.

Hopefully they could manage repairs before the locals managed to stumble onto them.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia spoke back to Excalibur as she flew through the void. “I don’t know yet. There is so much to see out here” She does a few loop da loops for fun, the stops to think. “I know! we should go see your creator first. Master told me he did not make you, but where gifted to him. I would really like to meet this Lady See-O-Ffra and say thank you from Miyzer. Master is very polite, but he is so strict that he forgets to show people a good time.” Lidia then begins to flap her wings in the direction of The Moon Goddess. As she went a sudden blast of colors had appeared out of nowhere and blinded Lidia. Flying blind was not fun for her especially since she was also rather new at it. But she was able to regian her sight…. Just in time to collide head on into Siofra. Lidia scrambled to her side. “Ah him sooo sorry I couldn’t see and, and, and, an.” Excalibur re a shored her “Don’t be scared! Speak up!”… “Hi I’m Lidia, I’m very sorry for crashing into you.

[Selinia]

Sights and Sounds

"That idea has... merit, to it. You would do well, Lidia, to see some of the Great Powers of the world, and there are truthfully very few that equal that of the Lady Siofra." There was a brief mental silence before Excalibur continued, as it searched for the proper words. "However, child, be careful. She means no harm, but the Lady is... prone to whimsy and can be difficult to deal with at times even for a god. Ride her storm, and you shall have made a friend in the highest of places."

A reassuring ripple of cool energy went through the Knight's crystalline flesh. "Be cautious, but not afraid. I am beside you." The blade went quiet then, though the presence remained. A brilliant aurora of lights seemed to fill the sky ahead, a beacon to guide Lidia to her destination, before it flickered and faded away. But by then, its source was unmistakable.

The small figure caught Siofra's eye even as she was talking to Kai, and she happily blinked to the Crystaling's position... No actual movement seemed to have been involved in the transfer of location, and it was slightly dizzying to watch occur. It was actually probably a little too sudden, given the velocity of the ensuring collision. Still, Siofra recovered quickly, and seemed to bear no ill will for the impact.

"Heee~eeey..." The greeting was playful, if rather loud, and the goddess' smile was wide and genuine as usual. "Nice to meet you, Lidia! I'm Siofra, the Super-Cute and Adorable Supreme Brigadier Chief of the Fun-Spreading Association of Winning!" She seemed to notice Excalibur's presence. "Oh, you have Mister Silverstick! Are you having fun together?" She flitted closer again, seemingly oblivious to the concept of personal space as her face was mere inches from Lidia's own. The diminutive goddess wasn't really all that much taller, and her childlike figure gave an odd appearance of symmetry to the pair.

"Have you smote any evildoers yet? I think smiting evildoers looks like a super-duper fun thing to do! All like, 'Bam! Pow! Take that evildoer, I'm going to whack you again with Mister Silverstick!', and they'll be all like 'Oh no!', and you'll be all like, 'Oh yeah!', and you'll chop them in half! And then they'll explode, like a firework, except like, made out of blood. And it will be awesome." She glanced at Lidia again, having gotten slightly distracted by her own gestural illustrations of what a firework made of blood would look like. "Right?"

EDIT: Oops, got ninja-edited by MS. Tweaked a bit to avoid contradictions.

[nolispe]

The Battle of Skizzblight

As the battle becomes more even, the Coatls' advance slows. Coatls are ambushed by superior numbers reguarly, but almost always they can escape - flight, and weaving shields around them lends them incredible resiliance. But as the instructions from Chronos come, they seem to give a collective shrug, and orders from the scrying commanders in the Heart of Aei come through.
"That's enough! We have no business here, and we aren't risking Coatl lives if that's not needed. Jump back the the surface, and we'll work out the situation there."

The Coatls retreated from the Rats, leaving behind mountains of corpses, and one by one, opened portals and fluttered through them. The Battle of Skizzblight was over.
Of course, the first question the Coatls asked was "Who won?" And to them at least, the answer was obvious. They had inflicted bast casualties, and burned the suburbs of Skizzblight, and they presumed Ceriphan had been able to negotatiate a superb bargain on the backs of their valor.

Acquire new Portfolio Element - Reptiles (Coatls)
(7 AP made up of 5 AP from the creation and 2 for the Organisation creation)
AP = 5 - 3 = 2.

[Draken]

To be or not to be... Dead.

Ashen mud, cracked earth and blowing sand greeted the gnomes to the deadlands, and they could actually breathe a sigh of relief, because the sun had had a difficult time blowing through banks of strange, wet mists that rolled in from the ether and clouds of peculiar, cold smoke being vented from distant peaks.

Perhaps a sigh of relief was in order, for at first sight it was unlikely that anything lived in that place or that anything there could live. And such assumptions would be by no means wrong, for nothing lived in the Deadlands.

It would, after all, beat the point of the name, wouldn't it? No. At that very moment, there were no more than thirty-one living beings in the whole of the Deadlands. But to extrapolate from there that those were empty lands, that is to be as wrong as to assume that the pyrian lights that burn in the Word Upon Which None Tread produce any heat besides that which the dead imagine.

Even now, these gnomes were not alone, even if it so appeared, for in the ether watched the ghostly spirits of dead their own and not, by no means a cosmopolitan group, but predominantly sporting rat snouts protuding from their hoods, followed closely by gnomes themselves, then loxo and human and other veiled things.

This was a scouting party. And a quick rat swiftly fled off through the ether to announce such a momentous event to the nearest Necropolis.

[bladescape]

Sights and Sounds / Cute Things

Kai looked around in wonder at the massive lot of Threads of Fate, quickly moving forward to take a closer look at the visige before it disappeared.

The interwoven threads of life, they were simply fantastic in the eyes of the Goddess of music. Even after they disappeared, the images seemed to imprint themselves on the mind of the viewer, and she turned in wonder back to Siofra just after they vanished. "It was... incredible."

Then she smiled. Yes, the view itself had given her an idea. How she loved the twisted knots that fate got itself into, how could she make that even more interesting? She was truly beginning to find her whimsical side even as she contemplated. The Incoming Avatar of Miyzer is ignored as it takes the attention of the Goddess of the Moon away from Kai, who, deep in thought, now has turned her attention back to the world.

Now. What exactly did she want? A kind that would twist fate up further into cords so knotted that following each individual one would become absolutely impossible. But more importantly, a race that confounded other races, and that would use her gift of music....

As if hurried, Uchlan Kai began scribbling randomly on the air in front of her, wiping clean the space around her every few moments as she failed to be fully pleased with any particular one.

What did she want exactly? She didn't really know. Soon she was encased in ideas, the veritable stream of consciousness zipped through her head as she thought faster. Well, why have a particular race all looking the same when you can just create several visages?

The same base powers would apply to them all, just have them all look different... This, she decided, suited her greatly. Then she sought out forests on the world, any wooded area or marshy land. Holding them in her head she stretched her arms out, closing her eyes as the divine power she was imbued with span forth in the web of creation.

Down below, on the world, formed first the Fair Folk. Tall and slender, and the leaders of their kind, they were beauteous folk made in an image similar to their creator. Underneath them were the many offshoots of their race, the size and shape changing but the source of their power and the origin staying the same.

Pixies, Boggles, Wights(Fey kind, not undead kind.), Brownies, Nixies.... The names that ran forth from her mind were endless as she gave every one an individual title that designated what powers of the Fair Folk they received. Then she added one last touch....

A touch of intense curiousity and inherant interest in mischief. She didn't know why exactly, but that completed the sight of creation. The tall graceful Fair Folk lacked much control over their brethren, but Uchlan Kai felt tired. She would let them squabble for now, and if it truly became important then she would sort them out.

Actions!

Create MR5 Life: The Fair Folk and the Fey. Similar to the Scottish Legends I got the names and ideas from, the Fey here all have powers of illusions and mesmerization. Especially via music. Most of them are also extremely long lived.

[Shmee]

Cronos grins, bowing down and laying his scythe before him. "Pride is something that Cephiran thinks about after his duty... if it will bring about an end to this conflict between my Lord and your Matriarch, then so be it. Reapers! Form up, retreat. Coatls! Run if you want to live."

Skizziks' Mate nods in satisfaction "Good-good! Showed humility to the Great Empress you have, and so, being the merciful ruler she is... will forgive you!"

Pointing towards the retreating Coatls he continues

"But whether the Great Race of the Ratfolk shows the same forgiveness... well... that's a whole different story!"

he says maliciously.

Battle of Skizzblight

A great cheer can be heard throughout Skizzblight as the Coatl retreat. On that day, the Children of Skizzblight rose to defend their city, and at a great cost of life, they succeeded. As a memorial to their bravery, and to never forget the treachery of the Coatl and the Reapers, a grand monument was erected in the middle of Skizzblight. A huge obelisk made from the bones of the slain Ratfolk Children and all those who gave their lives in defense of the city. Naturally the monument, due to the high casualty of the war, it almost touched the cavern ceiling.

Talking from the balcony of the temple to the hoard of Ratfolk, the Temple Matriarch dedicated the memorial to the heroic defenders of Skizzblight.

"Today is great-great day for all Ratfolks! Those cowardly fool-fools who dared attack us were beaten-defeated by our Ratlings! The youth of Skizzblight rose to the occasion! Imagine what would have happened had our fine-fine warriors entered the battle! First the Great Matriarch landed a huge blow on those who would try to judge-judge us, and then we proved ourselves worthy of being her chosen! Victory is ours. "

The Ratfolk cheer on as the Temple Matriarch continues her speech, as the Ratfolk propaganda machine begins to rotate in full gear.

"But we need to scuttle carefully in the future! We have seen how sneaky-treacherous our enemies are! They will try to die-kill us without any warning! We need to be ready-prepared! That is why I decree that from now own, the mighty city of Skizzblight, and all Ratfolk are to prepare themselves for war! Every able paw, is to prepare weapons to stab-bash and kill-die our enemies! The great city of Skizzblight is to be dedicated for the purpose of war and expansion of our great race! Those sneaky-treacherous fool-fools will never find us unprepared again! For we are the master race, and the world belongs to us-us! Now go, and do this in the name of the Great Skizziks, may she grind her enemies-foe's eyes into fine paste!"

And so the great militarization of Skizzblight began. Throughout the entire city, the Ratfolk began constructing weapons, and researching vile new methods to defeat all those who would dare oppose them. Meanwhile, teams of scouts began exploring the tunnels as the Rats begin expanding underground. It was the great period of militarization for the Ratfolk. They would never forget this unprovoked attack... nor would they ever forget.

Meanwhile, having finished her speech, the Temple Matriarch returns back to her room, and confronts the flame which had appeared to her.

"You wish to make deal-pact with me? Squeak then what you wish-wish!"

[Xuincherguixe]

The flame snicker flickers (it's contagious!)
"Well, at first I was thinking of offering reinforcements. But then it seemed as though your enemies backed off. Honestly, what's the point in having a war when you're not wiling to make sacrifices.

I think I can see where you're going with this though. Not really up to you to decide this but... I got to thinking. We really could use some of those rat souls. Really souls in general, but there's just so many of you I figure you wouldn't mind commerce in them.

So uh, give us some rat souls, and you can have the services of some fine creatures known as Demons. Very powerful. Very diverse. Some of them are especially well suited for breeding with.

Care to pass the message on?"

[omnitricks]

Tarsin snickered with satisfaction that his timely assistance helped a lot. The attackers retreated. From the weakest of the rats. This was entertaining. His only wish was that the staff and its holes were bigger. Than maybe he could see it all happening.

If anyone was left at the castle, they could see the cat clapping stupidly with his eyes closed. These rats were good. They made that big thing with the bones of their fallen all by themselves. Through the staff he could see another rat. Whipping up the other rats in a hysteria. These rats were very good. He wanted toys like those of his own.

The cat sighed a sad kitty sigh. It barely passed the 60% mark so far...

[Shmee]

Temple Matriarch

The Temple Matriarch ponders for a few moments "Beyond me is this decision! I shall have to see-see the will of the Great Matriarch! To her all our souls belong!"

Turning around, she quickly squeaks some orders to the

"Quick-quick! Scuttle and bring me prisoner of war!" and going to the altar she prepares her sacrificial knife, as the temple guards bring a subdued Coatl prisoner. It had taken a lot of effort to catch this one alive, and it would make for a wonderful sacrifice to the Great Skizziks.

"Great Skizziks, may you forever pick your teeth with the bones of your enemies-foes! I your humble-faithful servant seek-seek your divine opinion on this matter! Burning Fire here is asking for payment in what belongs to you! Great Matriarch, for your answer, I give-give you the soul of those who dared raise a paw against you! May it digest well in your belly!"

The Temple Matriarch shrieks as she plunges the knife deep into the Coatl, and begins to pull out its intestines. She seems to inspect them for a moment and then licks it before nodding

"Yes-yes! Good-good guts this is! The Great Matriarch's answer shall be true!"

With that, the Temple Matriarch throws the guts into the air and watches as they fall onto the temple floor. Scuttling to were the guts landed, the Temple Matriarch inspect it to see how it had landed. Turning towards the Flickering Light the Temple Matriarch reverals Skizziks' will.

"The Great Matriarch agrees on the condition that the Ratfolk cannot be forced to give their souls... in return you shall share-share the souls of those the Ratfolk and your demons kill-die! That is the will of the Great Skizziks, may morsels always fill her mouth!"

The Flickering Light would notice one of the Kloftar, who throughout the entire Battle of Skizzblight had been strangely absent, arriving to take the sacrificed Coatl soul to the hungry maw of Skizziks. Indeed, throughout the entire city, the Kloftar were busy gathering the souls of the slain Ratfolk... but they were not taking them to Skizziks... their fate is not to feed Skizziks, but something else.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia was very happy the goddess was not angry with her, she hugged Excalibur for a second as thanks for the reinsurance then spoke back to Siofra. “No not yet, I had hoped to fight soon, but master told me I can only fight to protect innocent people and no one has really been that yet. But I really hope your right. It would be so cool if that’s how it worked…. Oh right, but the real reason I came here was to thank you for giving me Excalibur….kinda…sorta. Not directly, but you made him, so thank you” and as is her usual custom she hugs Siofra. “Oh you know what else, if master doesn’t say anything” she goes into a really hushed tone “it means he doesn’t know the answer. Any way I had asked him why you made Excalibur, and he didn’t say anything. So yeah why did you create Excalibur any way?”

Meanwhile across the Void, Miyzer shudders then looks around “Eye just felt such a odd disturbance in the knowledge of the void…Eye…Eye think one of my inner most secrets was just heard?”

Also sry about that sel, i had missed a part when i copy pasted the post :smalltongue:

[Selinia]

Don't Lie out Loud

Siofra was rather surprised. Nobody had ever hugged her before. But it was fun anyway, so she returned the hug with enthusiasm It was a tad disconcerting, rather akin to being embraced by a walking supernova, but it was warm and genuine nonetheless. "Silly! Everybody knows the answer! You actually know all the answers too - just most of them is wrong, is all! Remember, it's always more fun to be wrong than to not have an answer at all!"

She talked on, but then there was a rather unpleasant sensation. Like... scratching, at the back of Lidia's mind. Siofra didn't seem to notice, whatever it was. "As for why I made Mister Silverstick and Missy Smashystick... I dunno. Because it was fun? I was all thinking, 'Maybe that would be fun!', so I did it! That's the best reason to do things!"

The scratching continued, almost unbearable. Then it stopped. There was a... tearing sound, for lack of a better description. And then Lidia hears it. A whisper, almost. It was not like a... sound. It was more like Excalibur's mental voice, but even deeper, more internal, like it was standing right at the core of the Knight's being.

"Oh, how disgusting, how dapper, how droll. You are just like her, you know?"

No other seemed to hear it. The voice was cheerful, but... wrong, somehow. Very wrong, despite the pleasant tone.

"Still though, do you know, I could use a change of scenery. I'm trapped, you see. Stuck. It's quite a tragedy, really. But I think we can help each other, yes?"

It was fading, bit by bit, and it seemed to be aware of that fact as it grew more frantic.

"It is okay, you see? I can just jump on in! It won't do anything, nobody will notice! I, um, I can make you a deal! Anything! Whatever you want absolutely more than anything, just tell me and I can make it happen! A contract! Make a contract! All you have to do is think it!"

Siofra releases her hug, looking quizzically at Lidia. She was still gently touching the Crystaling girl on the shoulder, but the presence in her mind seemed to have withdrawn to the faintest of desperate whispers. "Huh? Are you okay? You look funny."

"Please! Say nothing! Do nothing! She must not suspect! Just think 'Yes!', and our contract shall be sealed! There is no time! You must not stop to consider this, you must act now! Now! NOW!"

[Dayzgone]

Lidia did not have much time to react to the strange voice in her head, both surprised and having much curiosity she thought yes without any foresight

[Selinia]

Let Me In

"The Contract is inked! Bound! Accepted!"

Even as Siofra's fingers slip from her shoulder, Lidia feels something hit her. Not a physical impact - but it was if her soul had been caught in front of a freight train... and somehow absorbed the blow. A tingling might pervade her body for a moment, but there seemed to have been no other physical effects.

"Whatever. You're being all quiet and stuff. That's no fun at all." The goddess kicked back, casually floating in midair. "You can go now, 'kay? Come visit sometime when you've murdered somebody! I always thought murder looked fun, but there isn't really anybody around here to kill. Well, I mean, most of them are as strong as me, and it isn't really murder if they can fight back, you know? Then it's a battle." She nodded. "You're like, super-lucky! You could totally murder pretty much anybody down there! I can't. Lucky."

"Lady Knight, we should do as she says and withdraw. I fear for both of our safety should we linger... should the goddess turn to violence, even in jest, I am unsure whether even a mortal as mighty as yourself would survive it..." Excalibur's voice rang clearly, making no mention of what had just transpired in Lidia's own mind. It apparently had not been party to that conversation. But it had happened.

"What are you waiting for? Flee! We can discuss specifics later, but ask any questions you have while running from that madwoman! My life is on the line too here!"

[Dayzgone]

Lidia heads the words of Excalibur and those in her head. “Ahh bye!” She takes off like a dart going as fast she can back to Miyzer. Lidias hands tremble with fear. It’s a feeling she has never felt before… she does not like it. “I didn’t like what she said last, she seemed nice but that look in her eye. It didn’t feel right… also what she said. Murder… is…isn’t that bad Excalibur, I know I’ll have to kill. But I don’t want to murder any one, there is a difference right?"

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran smiles beside Miyzer. "Brother... you have been here longer than I... tell me... what has our father done to enforce the will of law and the light eternal... you seem to know much."

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer turns to his brother Cephiran with a stern yet worried look. :smallconfused: “Why the sudden interest in this matter…. *sigh* Not much for a while now, he has never directly made attempts at keeping order. His domain of good is what he is most concerned with. Although he did help Drogos that once, otherwise he has taken a much more of a vanguard role from what Eye remember.”

[Selinia]

Sin and Punishment

One question. Two answers. Excalibur, in his gentle assurances. But too, that voice - that hidden, invisible voice. The panic had bled from it. It was as calm and collected as the Silver Sword, full of self-assurance and utterly lacking in doubt. It spoke as if it was simply citing facts, and there was little emotion to it.

"Lidia, child, do not be afraid. It is true - I am an instrument of death, as are you. Your beautiful wings are destined to be soaked in blood. Look to the world below you - look at it closely, for it is your world. With me in hand, there are near none that could hope to defeat you. Entire armies could not stop you, if you did not wish to allow them. And if you wished, you could indeed commit... murder."

"What is the difference between murder and killing? You want to know? Very well then - the difference is precisely nothing. Semantics, at most. Someone made it up. Look at yourself. You could be an empress. You are mighty. Even without the blade you hold, you are better than mortal. Not a god. Not even close. But the little ants that would so love to call you one of their own are so much dirt compared to you."

"But there is a difference between simple killing and murder in the sense you have heard it used. Killing becomes murder when it is done from a desire for death. When pushing a life over the edge of judgment becomes a whim. For the Lady Siofra, such things are why she is terrifying. Never forget that - for her, the greatest kindness and most terrible cruelty are two sides of a coin, ever revolving. She is wrath, and she is mercy - all because they amuse her. But know one thing that she is not - the Lady holds no malice in her heart. She will forever see each heartbeat as the only one that matters, and cares nothing for what you did with those that came before, or will come after."

"Murder is a fiction. A fabrication. The reason is simple, really, to see. Because most people do not like being killed, a mutual descion arises in most communities. They nod their heads and proclaim killing to be wrong, to be 'murder', if you will. It gives them a sense of security. But you do not need that, do you? For you, the fabricated consequences do not apply. If you wish to kill, you may do so. If you do not wish to kill, you may do that as well. But nothing the insects can do will truly hinder you either way."

"Simply remember this - you are Lidia. Before you were the Knight, you were and are Lidia. Hold on to that, child. Do not be like the goddess - remember, who you are. Hold on to it, because some things are worth holding onto."

"Make of yourself a hero, if you will. Snuff out some lives. Save others. It will make for a grand tale, I am sure. But let me let you in on a secret - ten minutes. That is really all you are saving. The average mortal life has approximately ten minutes of worth. Ten minutes of value, and countless hours of waiting and monotony. Contemplate on the value of ten minutes, little girl, and let me know what you think of killing."

The twin answers echoed back and forth, and while the voice seemed to be subtly mocking Excalibur's words on occasion, the blade remained oblivious to his counterpart. Both seemed to be awaiting some manner of response.

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran gazes back with untelling, serious eyes. :roy: "I simply wish to know more of this reality... I just have noticed much inaction on Lord Etu's part..."

[planswalker]

Etu - the Void

Etu watched as those he raised up turned to violence before all else was considered, and felt shame. Shame for his children, shame for his nieces and nephews, and shame for all the mortals caught in this. However, he felt that the time to act was not yet. Perhaps Light and Good would win out in the end. He made his children for a purpose, and should he intervene and take that purpose for himself, it would harm their growth.

Instead, he turned to his lesser children, the Loxo, and looked on them.

They were a mighty race, true, but they lacked more than the most basic structure, for nothing more was needed. This would not do forever, for without a drive to improve themselves, they would remain as they are, children forever.

It was time to make things more... complicated for them, that they might learn to grow.

Etu gave each loxo a dream that night, one where each one had to make a decision. Three paths were presented before them: The path of the Hunter of Darkness, the Tender of Life, and the Seeker of Truth.

Each loxo took the path most suited to his own soul. The Hunters of Darkness awoke unchanged in form, but with a renewed sense of purpose, seeking that which is dark and evil in the world to purify and cleanse, with force only if absolutely necessary. Most of the nomads of the mountains chose this path.

The Tenders of Life, though, awoke to a new world. Their forms were diminished, a mere seven feet in height and only a fraction of their previous weight. Instead, their minds were opened and they were blessed with a more complete understanding of the universe. Their task is to guard the sanctity of life in all its forms and to guard the Well of Life. Their first breakthrough in this field was learning to harness the power of the Etu directly, granting them the power to light up the darkness. Their hides are bright yellow, and they often paint symbols of the sun and life on their hides.

A very few loxo from either part of civilization chose a different path. They saw that lies and deception were an insidious danger to all intelligent beings, one that any could cause to themselves or another. They seek to expose lies and corruption, preventing darkness from seeping in. They are the natural leaders of the Loxo, for they can see what others have hidden from themselves. To temper this power with humility while enabling them to overcome the corrupt no matter the form they took, Etu granted to them a form befitting their status while at the same time forcing them to depend on the smaller loxo for support. In form, they are a great elephant of golden hue. Silver trunks of great size frame mighty trunks. Their eyes hold great wisdom from birth, and their gaze sees through all mortal deceptions. However, in exchange for this weighty responsibility, Etu took from them the hands to manipulate the tools of the smaller loxo, limiting them to only what their trunks can grasp. Etu saw that without such a limitation, the Seekers would soon come to be arrogant and shun those they were to lead.

The three new forms of the Loxo awoke with a new vigor for the world. Bands of Hunters and Tenders lead by a mated pair of Seekers spread out throughout the eye to learn of all the peoples who had come to live beyond the Golden Mountains.

etu ap: 0=2+3(rollover)-3(create life, mr3: the Greater Loxo, called Seekers)-1(create life, mr1: the Lesser Loxo, called Tenders)-1(create concept, mr1: sun magic(simple light conjuration) )

the "original" loxo are now called Hunters.

unlike the Weave whatever Tebryn is calling his mystra-clone's magic system, sun magics are Tenders directly channeling the light from Etu. For now, all it is is the equivalent to the light spell at will for Tenders who pursue the Radiant Servant base class (think holy warlock), an invocation class.

[Draken]

That Daily Dead Cadence
Society of the Dead

Now, at this point in time, it is inadequate to call ghost society a civilization. It is a stretch to use the word 'society' already. Bands of ghosts gather because they have memories of doing so in life, and because a single actor cannot often make a great piece for the Neverborn to dream of.

In a Necropolis, a ghost town, these spirits gather and shape their mounds, nests and burrows out of conjured and modeled ectoplasm. They forage and they weave and they do miriad small things the living do to keep life going on. But all of that is pretending, because a ghost can simply stand still forever and keep going on.

And that is the chagrin of ghostly existance. Pointlessly going on. Without the need to work for a living, or for an unliving for that matter, they need to find their own reasons to keep going, do their own things. Bereft of fate, assigned aim or goal, with no real design given to them by the dreaming Neverborn. They find a way to keep going as prideful, overbearing Sun and fickle Moon with uncaring Stars revolve in the sky above.

Many give themselves to watching their descendants, others take to the theater of unlife upon the world. Other yet, perhaps those who listened too closely to the Neverborn, preach his dreams and his delusions as if visions of the future, leading living and dead alike in the service of the The Great Star That Never Was.

Perhaps in time the Neverborn will give them better instructions.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia closes her eyes for a few seconds. She pulls Excalibur close once more. “Excalibur… your right, I’m glad I have you. As for you, you, you… voice! Your mean! I wouldn’t have let you in if I had known you would be like this, you had just sounded scared like me, so I thought you were good. Master will see that your nothing but a big jerk, and he will know what to do with you.” Lidia flaps her wings hard to get back to Miyzer. When she gets there she notices that he seems to be busy with the dead man. She stops and bites her bottom lip unsure if she should interrupt.

Miyzer looks back at the world “If you feel that way why not bring it up with him directly? He may not be taking any action for good reason, Eye personally have not done much ether when it comes to the Pantheons goals. Eye have been doing, as Eye said Eye would. Keeping order… but not enforcing it”

[Darklady2831]

"While perhaps it needs more enforcing... as this inaction on the part of several has lead to chaos down below..." Cephiran sighed sourly, turning away from Miyzer and seeing Lidia. "Ah... the Knight of Innocence..."

[hustlertwo]

Nomnipitus the Blobby Buddy

When the emissary returned with the gnawed human hand and the message of alliance, Nomnipitus smiled at this powerful joining with his bloated parent.

Good not to be alone. Let's take this one step further. The fate of the rat and her allies shall be ours, for good or ill.

AP total: 6-1 to Join Pantheon: Whichever One Skizziks is In, I Forget at the Moment and am Too Hungry to Look It Up.

New total: 5.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - One Missing

The Coatls had ended the invasion of Skizzblgiht. But something strange had happened - they had a precise body count of the four Coatls that had been bourne down as the fighting became harder, and groups had been to vist them in the afterlife. But something strange had happened. There was one missing. Scrying indicated that another Coatl had died, but her soul had vanished, and no one knew where. Teams of Coatl magi and more mundane investigators scoured the world, trying to locate it. Still others contacted Aei, but no infomation was forthcoming. They would find it eventually, however, That was certain.

A team of twenty odd Coatls teleported into the upper levels of Skizzblight. Coming only a few months after the end of the battle, they felt uncertain about doing so, but they were Coatls, so they surely had nothing to fear.
They, hovering a hundred odd meters above the city, telepathically transmitted their missive.
"Hail, Ratfolk. We are here to search for a missing soul that may have somehow become trapped. Do you have any knowlege of this?"

[Shmee]

Skizzblight

All of a sudden, the Grim Obelisk comes to life as the thousands upon thousands of souls of the slain Ratfolk Children begin screaming in unison at the Coatl's appearance. Eternal witnesses to the slaughter that had happened, the souls were now Skizzblight's guardians. Their tortured screams piercing through the entire city of Skizzblight, as Ratfolk begin scrambling into battle positions.

Skizzblight was under attack again!

[nolispe]

The Coatls - Skizzblight

"Should we retreat? I don't know what they're doing... For now, I say we ward ourselves and wait. Be ready to pull out if we need to."
The Coatls wove a transparent golden cocoon around themselves, and held it in place with telekenesis.
"Ratfolk! We mean you no harm! We come to speak with you, not to make war."

[Shmee]

Skizzblight

Within the streets of Skizzblight, a great panic can be heard as Ratfolk scuttle everywhere, preparing for the upcomming onslaught. All of a sudden the Coatl hear a squeaking voice behind them

"You aren't very bright-smart are you? What-what? After the number you did here... do you really beleive that the Ratfolk are fool-fools to actually squeak with you? But please! Do stay-stay for the fireworks! Should be fun-fun for you to see the fruits of your labour!"

says Skizziks' Mate with a smug expression on his face.

[nolispe]

The Coatls - Skizzblight

*Unprintable*... They're going to attack us. We need to come back with reinforcements. I think they might have somehow stolen the soul.. Maybe the peace agreement they had with Ceriphan failed. With me, then..."
TELEPORT!

[Dayzgone]

Excalibur tenses in Lidias hand, whatever it was that Lidia needed would have to wait, something big was about to go down. Lidia flys down to the mortal world no one else need not die maybe she could stop it. Lidia lands next to the Coatls elders “Coatls I am Lidia, Knight of Innocence, I have come to keep you from attacking the rats. Please allow me to first see if I can find a compromise, what is it exactly that you desire from them” she whispers to Excalibur “how was that for my first try at this?”

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran frowns, watching Lidia fly down to the world below. "Reapers... follow her... I require more information about this... and for Lord Etu's sake, stay incorporeal." With that, Half a Dozen Axiomatic Reapers soared off behind the Knight of Innocence, their bodies becoming ethereal and incorporeal as they moved.

[Selinia]

Unbreakable Vows

As Lidia scolds the voice, it replies without feeling.

"That will do nothing. Well, perhaps the oh-so-mighty Lord of Eyes could do something to me. That would be... unpleasant. For you as well. You see, you are much better off if he does not know what I am. I seriously doubt he would tolerate you if he knew I was hiding here."

Again, with the factual, cold voice. It had a way of sounding so reasonable. It was difficult to imagine a voice like that being wrong.

"Lidia? To... whom do you speak? Are you quite all right?" Excalibur sounded concerned. "Is something amiss? I sense no danger. We left that behind us. Relax, child, you are safe. Nothing can harm you so close to our patron, even another deity." For a second, all was quiet... then it began again.

"Is that not charming? He doesn't even know. You let me in - it was easy, really. It is truly amazing what people will do under pressure. I must say though, opening you mind like that was terribly stupid. Look at you, what a terrible Knight you are! A soldier of 'Innocence'? You realize you have held that title for days at most, and you have already let yourself become corrupted by something you cannot hope to understand. The irony is rather rich. Do you think Miyzer will forgive you for that? Do you think Excalibur would ever deign to be weapon of such a filthy, dirty, horrible knight?"

It continued, even as she prepared to fly down and partake of her first true mission. Even with her resolve, it would become... difficult to ignore.

"Of course they would not. Innocent and pure, that is what you are supposed to be. And oh, you came so close, so close to perfect. One mistake, one little misstep. But you know, normal people get second chances. That a knight doesn't, that isn't your fault, is it? Really, everything can still be alright. For everyone. Because remember, I don't like it in here, but I still owe you. I keep my promises, always. You get a wish. Not only that, but when you make it, you'll be able to get rid of me."

"You see, I need a wish. Wishes are wonderful things. Full of power. Full of force. There isn't any hurry. Nobody will see me if they aren't looking. Do what you need to do. Go ahead, lie. You're the great and mighty Knight of Innocence. Even the all-seeing will never expect a lie from you. Later, just go someplace alone. Someplace you can make a wish. Once you do, I'll be gone, gone, gone. Won't that be wonderful? This while little... incident can be put behind us. And nobody will ever suspect sweet little Lidia."

"Of course, you could ignore me. You could tell old Miyzer the truth. Perhaps he'd be merciful, not even angry. Shake his head, take away those wings of yours. Say 'So sad, so sad'. You'd be normal again, except everyone would always look at you and say 'Oh, what a shame, she could have been something really special'. You'd see someone else take Excalibur. See her put on your armor. The armor you couldn't have. Maybe, every once in a while, you'd look at a clock, and think 'Ten minutes'."

"Except for you, that thought would be almost too painful to bear, wouldn't it? Because you've had your minutes. Your entire life would be one... long... knell. And when it finally fades, you will die and nobody will care. Not Excalibur. Not the crystalings. Not Miyzer. And when you die, Siofra will look at you like how she looks at all the souls, and she will ignore you because you will be worthless. Worthless. Worthless. Lidia, the Might-Have-Been."

"Now, I can control no aspect of your actions. So go forth. But think, Lidia. Think. I have spoken nothing that is untrue. And I shall speak no longer. The choice is yours to make. I have merely one last piece of advice to give. If you do the right thing, if you keep the future you have a chance to grasp, make your wish a selfish one. A selfless wish does not exist, and trying to make one will only hurt you in the end."

"...Lady Lidia, that was a fine first attempt. I would not have chosen such a... hostile audience for your first foray, but it seems that it is where you are needed. Be prepared. Neither of these parties are known for their gentle nature. We may need to defend ourselves. Whatever happens, do not let go of my hilt, and you will be all right. I promise." Excalibur's voice snapped back to the present situation. The voice's terrible soliloquy hung in her mind, but it could wait until this stand-off had resolved itself. One way or another.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - The Second Invasion of Skizzblight?

As the situation below heated up, with the Ratfolk praparing to fire on the Coatl delegation, the Heart of Aei was in overdrive. Coatls flew through it's passages, as a retrieval team was put together and Coatls from all over the world heard the psychic messages instructing them to assemble to hit back.
When Lidia arrived, the Coatl elders were grouped tightly around a scrying pool, before they looked up surprised. On the one hand, it was a human girl. On the other hand, she held a giant sword and had somehow reached the depths of the Heart.
"Who are you? We desire the Rats give up the Soul of a Coatl that seems to have been stolen from the battlefield in Skizzblight. If they do not do that, we will be forced to intervene with full force."

[Darklady2831]

The Reapers lay in hiding near Lidia, watching and gathering information. One of them however, overheard the coatl, and knew he must fulfil his duty. Soaring off, still incorporeal, The Reaper started to scan the city of Skizzblight for the missing soul, or any trace of where it might have gone.

Upon starting the search, the Reaper was shocked, thousands upon thousands of ghosts dwelt within the ethereal plane here. The Reapers knew it must warn its brethren, and, turning to leave, it disturbed several ghosts in its rush, as it soared back to its fellows.

[Draken]

In the Dead City, Where Even Death Goes to Die

That disturbance did not go unheeded. But it was no mere ghost that answered. But the that darkest of haunts in palest of garbs.

From the deepest nether-dreams rose the Black Man in White, ebon tendrils erupting from his sleeves to coalesce into obsidian chains to bind those intruders upon the realms of the Dead. These reapers would not return to Cephiran or their kinde, instead, they would burn down to naugh but memory and negative energy in the pyrian grasp of the Neverborn.

[Shmee]

The Heart of Aei

As the Coatl Elders were so busy looking into the Scrying Pool that they failed to notice a small furry creature standing in between them, also staring into the pool

"Oooooh! Now I see-see! So this is how you know everything that is going on! Very useful! Yes-yes! Keep that in mind shall I!" Says Skizziks' Mate, who had followed the Coatl all the way back to their homeland. As the Elders look up he lifts his paw "Hi there..." as he cracks a cheeky grin realizing that he has been noticed.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - The Heart of Aei

The structure went silent. Around twenty of the most competent Coatls ever turned to face the Rat.
As one, they move, a dozen of them weaving a coccoon of golden light around the interloper while the others try to conjure a portal into the void to throw the Mate of Skizziks into the Void, the empty space, beyond the world, which, while hardly a permanent solution, certainly got it out of here. And should force it to spend quite a while getting back.

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

Skizziks' Mate is thrown screeching into the void, before teleporting himself right behind the Coatl Elders.

"What is wrong-wrong with you people? Is attacking to kill-die your kind's way of greeting?"

Obviously the Coatl Elders underestimated this Rat.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - The Heart of Aei

The Coatl Elders weave a golden sarcogrphus around the Mate of Skizziks, As the magical alerts go out, dozens of other Coatls pop into the room. In a few seconds, the Coatls weave dimensionally anchoring magic all throughout the room.
'We do not seek to kill you, Mate of Skizziks. We seek to drive a force that has acted in intent to kill us in the last few minutes from our home. Why are you here? Knight Of Innocence, see here the agression and blantant treachery of the Rats. They have tresspassed on this most holy of shrines without a pause, in blantant attempts at espionage, likely in preparation for an attack on us."


Meanwhile, the elder Coatls carried on a psychic argument with each other.
"This isn't helping. We need to move now. If the Mate gets back, the retrevial mission might walk into a trap."
"We might not be able to hold him here. Call the operation off."
"No. We aren't going to leave a Coatl behind. We should move in now."
"They're not going to be assembled for another few minutes."
"There must be a hundred Coatls in this room right now, and more are coming in fast. If someone took a hundred now, now that the alerts have everyone aloft, we could get the search done before the Mate escapes."
"He could teleport, and I have no idea if our magics can hold him here."
"Wait to see what he does. If he can't get out, then launch the operation. I want to see what that human does, too. She's an unknown factor here."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

Skizziks' Mate raises an eyebrow completely confused "Eh? What are you squeaking about? Did your creator drop-drop you on your head when made you he did? If normal Rat I was, then what you just did there would have kill-die me! And how is saying "hi" an act of spying or being treacherous-sneaky? Wow... you people have issues!"


"If spy-spy you I wanted, then you would not have noticed me. Not to mention your hypocrisy of your claim as you are also spying on Skizzblight. Fortunately for you, spying isn't my job. I simply scuttled behind your advanced strike force from Skizzblight, as they didn't give me a chance to squeak. Overheard them did I... looking for Coatl soul are you? I happen to know where it is... willing to tell too! But it seems you are preparing to attack-destroy Skizzblight because of it and not interested in my information. Aw well..."

Skizziks' Mate waves the Coveted Cheesy Staff dispelling the golden sarcophagus

"... not my position is it to get in the way of your blood-lust! Oh by the way... if spy-spy on us with the pool you wish to do again... I suggest peeping the Temple Matriarch when she takes a slime-bath! Eyeful you'll get! Buh-bye!"

With that, Skizziks' Mate walks away, teleports away.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers

The Coatls looked shocked, but quickly regained their composture.
"See? If we had gone in we would have been walking into a trap."
"Yes, yes. I get it. We can't move in now. Do you think he really knew where the soul was...?"
"Maybe. I think it just confirms that they found some way to take it. I don't think he was really willing to tell us."
"What do we do now? He's left."
"Really? He got in well enough. Triple security. Call off the retrieval... Have our priests got a response from Aei?"
"Nothing yet. We'll keep trying."
"Right. Well... Damn it. I don't know what to do."
"Neither do I. Perhaps... He knows we're scrying on them. What's he going to do with that?"
"I don't want to know. Be careful with the scrying, I don't want some form of retaliation through them."
"Maybe we should send in scouts in person?"
"No. Too risky. Send teams into the tunnels, though. Establish a perimeter around Skizzblight. We need this situation under control."
"I'll try to get in contact with the Rats again. Maybe some notes requesting infomation in the tunnels."
"Good idea. But we need a solution. Tell the diviners to get in contact with Ceriphan, ask him for advice on the missing soul."
"I'll get right on it."
Slowly, the room empties. The Coatl elders that remain turn to The Knight of Innocence.
"We are sorry about that unfortunate business. Could you clarify for us why, and how, you are here?"

A flurry of Coatls leave the Heart, heading into the tunnels, their native glow lighting them up, as they magically search through them to establish a defensive line around Skizzblight. Ratfolk exploratory parties aretold that they can settle in certain prescouted caverns, but not allowed into unknown areas. In the case of the Ratfolk using force, they are non-lethally restrained. Obviously in the case of a major push, the Coatl teams teleport out, using the scrying from the surface to avoid ambush. Each passes on the message, that the Coatls want to talk, and would like to hold a meeting at a Neutral Venue. They suggest, strangely enough, Luna.

[Shmee]

All around Skizzblight

Sadly for the Coatl, the memory of their attack on Skizzblight is still fresh, and so there is little dialogue to be said with any of the Ratfolk save for their screeching and the fact that they either attack (futilely) many preferring to cut their own tongue off rather than be caught by these monsters, or scuttle away back to Skizzblight if they could, revealing the Coatl's defensive position.

Meanwhile... Skizzblight is eerily silent.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - The Coatl Defensive Positions

The Coatls, as part of their non-lethal strategy, employ their hypnotic powers with abandon to force the odd Ratfolk to talk to them, but find little of value. However, a group of Ratfolk that have been heavily controlled by the Hypnotism begin to patrol the areas in the front of the Coatl positions, telling all who approach how much better life is with the Coatls. Generally, too, they tell the truth, as the Coatls provide ample food and supress the Rats' violent urges, as well as making them almost artifically happy. Of course, they don't know that.

[Xuincherguixe]

The Flame

"Oi! We're going to have to do something quick here. Okay uh... I guess I'll give you the crash course. Now the first thing about summoning demons..."

Wait. Is this safe?

"Uh, yeah. So in short you should call out to Xcyfghjlm. But for the purposes of this exercise we'll let you get away with calling him Bob. Normally he'd start eating everything but, seeing as how this is a threat to your sovereignty as rats he says he won't.

... I'm a little worried myself but hey, you don't want the Coatl's to start stealing your souls and violating you do you?"

An explosion rocks Skizziks temple.

[omnitricks]

Right now Tarsin's favorite toy is the cheese staff. It was probably one of the best things he ever made. It was better than that television thing he always heard the crazy seer talk about.

The war was going on. The evil monsters came back to Skizzblight. Tarsin already helped last time. So he will give them all a fair chance before he helped the side he wanted to win. Eventhough he was not sure which side that was.

But the Coatls? They were a tricky bunch. Just like Tarsin was watching everything from the staff, they were watching from their pool thing too. And there they were again. Using the excuse of a lost soul to further their war schemes. Like Tarsin hasn't heard that before.

[Divert processes...]
[Increase processing speed...]

Tarsin decided that he will join in the fight. Soon.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - The Heart of Aei

"Does someone want to track down that Rat that kept infiltrating us> I want people keeping tabs on him constantly. We don't want him in again."
A group of Coatls flitted off to search for the Mate of Skizziks, sending out scrying sensors all over the globe. Suprisingly, he was found just outside of the Heart.
"Send out a group to see him, now! If he knows something..."
A group of a half a dozen very worried Coatls appear around the Mate of Skizziks.
"We would speak with you. If you have infomation, we would love to hear it."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

The Coatls would find Skizziks' Mate chewing messily on a raw rabbit which he had hunted down. Looking up at the Coatls, he instinctively reacts as any Rat would, and hides his food before regaining his composure.

"Ah! I see my squeaks did not fall on deaf ears! Information you want? Yes-yes I have information! Lost Coatl soul are you searching for... and I speak true-true when I say I know where it is. But before that... I too want to ask question... only fair, yes-yes? How much is this information worth to you?"

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers

The Coatls look relieved that the rat thing that bypassed the defenses of the Heart is talking, and they seem to relax. Not much, however. Any one of them could still power a city through sheer tension.
"How much is it worth to us? Immense amounts. Coatls do not abandon Coatls. What do you want?"

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate, negotiating

Skizziks' Mate shrugs "Well, you see-see... what I'm going to ask you isn't easy... very dangerous what I'm doing... risking my life if I squeak! I only do what I'm told-told... I don't get paid very much either... if the Empress realized I talked to you, she'd flay-flay me alive!"

All of a sudden, the Herald's face contorts into a malicious grin.

"But lucky-lucky for me, she doesn't keep close eye on me... doesn't know what I'm doing most of the time. You see... I need something done... but too much of weakling am I to do it! But considering you are want to kill-die all Ratfolk of Skizzblight again for this one soul... I think you will find that my price is fair-fair."

Turning around, Skizziks' Mate reaches into his cloak and produces a vile stone the size of one's fist, evil powers clearly emanating from it.

"This is all that remains of the Great Matriarch's enemies. Sacred! Very-very sacred for Ratfolk! In Skizzblight finding this would be enough to buy you a good-good portion of the city! Now then... listen-listen carefully... you are to take this rock... present it to one who created the sun! Show it to Etu... have him bless-bless it with his flame! Then return the entire thing to me. Do this... I will not only tell you where the soul is... I will even lead you straight-straight to it!"

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran perked up suddenly, sensing the sudden deaths of his reaper spies. "Hrm... Cronos... come here a moment."

Cronos responded quickly, appearing before his master and bowing low. "Yes, my lord?"

"Several reapers... have gone... missing... find them, and report back to me..."

"Yes, my lord." Cronos assembled a host of thirty two Reapers, and led them off towards Skizzblight, in the
Ethereal Plane. They scanned the area for missing reapers, and happened upon the ghosts.

"By Cephiran's inevitable will..." Cronos was shocked, as were the other reapers. So many undead spirits gathered in one place, they must report this back to their lord.

And so they fled, ghosts at their heels, all but Cronos fell to the Pyreflames of the ghosts, and Cronos barely survived the escape, only just managing to make it back to Cephiran.

"Undead... my lord, thousands of undead... within the Ethereal Plane... Skizzblight..." Cronos rambled, panting heavily.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers

The Coatls pause for a moment, as if in thought.
"Sir, I do not believe that we can acc-"
BZZAP!
"Deal."
The new Coatls that had teleported in looked tired, as if he had just preformed an incredibly exhausting fast spell. But that faded quickly. and he reached over to the stone, taking it in his hands.
"I will return here when I have achieved my goal."

The Coatl returned the central chamber of the Heart, where Coatls were gathering. As one, they wove a casing around the stone-carrying Coatl, and, in a repition of the manuver earlier, opened a portal that shoved him into the void. There, the airtight, heatproof casing prevented the void harming him, while he approached the Sun, slowly and cautiously. He had been chosen above all others for this mission mainly for his ability to weave incredibly resilient shields, but he was not lacking in bravery. Which is not to say approaching the sun itself wasn't terrifiying.
"Lord Etu.... I have a request, Lord Etu..."

[planswalker]

Etu - the Void

The coatl heard a voice in his head, gentle yet strong.

Yes, child of my child?

[hustlertwo]

Nomnipitus, the Instigator

The all-powerful pudding was pouting, and Globulus had little choice but to listen.

Everyone else is out there, slaying and flaying. And us? The Gelatines haven't dissolved anything larger than the occasional woodland critter. It won't do, I say. If no one will play with me, then by jelly I will play with myself!

Globulus winces at the unpleasant mental image that phrase conjures up.

Phrasing, my Lord.

Oh stifle it, you know what I mean. Our people need to be tested, to discover courage under fire, walk the thin red line, wear a full metal jacket, and save Ryan's privates!

So I shall sully my hands and create a fitting adversary for you to crumble, Globulus. Some of our people will perish in the conflict, true, but those who don't will be stronger for it, and more inspired to continue our conversion of this imperfect plane.

This seems wrong, my Lord, sending Gelatines to die for no reason.

And did I mention you would be the general of our armies, out there looking all amorphously tough and slaughtering our foes? I suspect you'll be able to get any bit of sweet puddin' tail you want when you slay the hated enemies of the ooze.

Of course I am happy to serve as always, Nomnipitus the Wise and Wiggly.

I've always said the way to any being's heart is through its genital mucus. Go forth and prepare.

As Globulus went to warn the people of an impending threat on the horizon, Nomnipitus grudgingly created a new life, anathema to all he held dear: a crisp, solid lifeform, with a golden brown hue and stiff movements due to a lack of any noticeable joints. These new...things were scattered around the nearby countryside in small bands, ideal for wiping out by Gelatine raids while still posing a danger to individual oozelings with their powerful fists and towering size.

Unclean, foul things. I hope their deaths are swift and brutal.

He plucks one of them from the landscape where they had just been placed and plops it into his infinite maw.

They do taste good when softened up, too. Especially with milk.

Create Life, MR1: The Graham Cracker Golems. Large and powerful but slow, and pretty tasty. They also come in Honey and Chocolate varieties.

4 AP remain.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia watches as things move so very fast around her, she barely has time to react. The voice in her head asking for a wish, the Coalts and rats suddenly working together. Some deal was made for sure what it was she did not know. It was all too much right now, the Coatls and rats where not fighting that means she could focus on the voice. She shakes her head, no she has a duty. Lidia begins to flap her wings lifting back up into the void, she may not be able to do anything. But Miyzer might, if he had been watching her, then maybe he saw what had happened and would know what to do.

As she begins to close get close to Miyzer, she noticed that he was squinting. He never squints! She begins to sob. She thinks to herself “No… no… he sees it, he knows now… I should have told him first… but then I wouldn’t have been doing my duty. I don’t know what to do” by the time she reaches Miyzer she had slowed to a crawl, tears streaming down her face. She looks up at him, he hadn’t changed size, but it felt as if he was towering over her.

Miyzer looks at her intently… “Get out.” Lidia heart brakes, she turns to go. “Ummm what are you doing?”.
Still crying she turns around puzzled “I’m getting out”

“We are not in a building or place Lidia… how could you get out. Besides I wasn’t talking to you”

“But how… you’re not mad at me?”

“Well Eye am, but that’s for later. Come here Lidia” Miyzer points at a spot that is right in front of him. Lidia moves forward still unsure what to make of this situation.

Miyzer suddenly plunges his hand into Lidias chest. There is no blood or mark left behind, but Lidia would feel the pain of a thousand deaths just then. Miyzer pushes against her shoulder, and slowly begins to pull out a long white figment that looked vaguely like Siofra. It looks as if he has almost pulled it out completely, when suddenly it snaps back into her body.

Miyzer shakes his hand as if he had gotten a paper cut. “Well Eye see that’s not going anywhere. We shale discus this later, but first we need to warn Etu. Eye do not judge the rats, but there history is one of trickery… perhaps we should tell Etu the entire story before he makes a blessing.” Lidia wipes the tears from her eyes and nods her head yes. She goes to leave but Miyzer stops her again. “Actully what is in you is a very evil being, Etu may think it’s you emitting that aura, so Eye will go speack with him. You stay here.”

Miyzer vanishes and reappears near Etu. “Lord Sun, listen before you make a move, there is some history you must know”

[nolispe]

The Coatl - The Sun

The Coatl bows its head, waiting for the god to speak before it continues delivering it's message.

[Selinia]

Broken Wings

"Well well. It seems that the so-called Lord of Eyes is a sentimental child. Fascinating. It seems that Lady Luck indeed has lent us a degree of favor in this glossing over of your stupidity. Much as I despise her, I must cede my appreciation. It seems you get to carry on. Ha. Haha. I say that because I find it amusing."

Despite such an assurance, there was no mirth in the voice. Nor anger, or any other emotion one might expect.

"Lidia. Little Lidia, you know that there is still a good way to get rid of me. Come now, you must want for something. Some selfish little wish of yours? I can leave, and make it come true. Isn't that a nice thought? This could be over. You are going to get hurt if you let it last much longer. Not by me, oh no, I can't hurt anyone. I am harmless like this. But look, look at Miyzer. He's hiding you away. It wouldn't do for Glorious Lord Etu to see how badly he blundered in naming you a knight, would it? Lady Lidia. Lidia the dirty."

"Milady!" The voice cut as sharply as the edge of the sword to whom it belonged. "I know not what foul thing hath taken up residence within you. But I assure you that it can be fought, whatever it may be. A solution will be found. Whatever it says to you, you can endure it!"

"Quaint. I suppose it shall begin on love and justice next. You know the solution. How long until they decide on another one? And who says that such a solution would bear you any mercy? Come now... of this, there is nothing to be ashamed. Everyone has wishes. Nobody will ever know. Just think it, like you did before. Tell me what you desire more than anything. What happens between us, not even Miyzer can snoop out. Tell me..."

"Knight, remember what I said before. Hold on, just for now! I am here. Keep talking, pay it no heed!"

"He'll never know... all I need is a wish... a simple wish... everyone has wishes... I'll be gone, gone, gone... if you like, I'll explain to the Lord of Eyes what happened. It was hardly your fault, after all. He will understand, when I put it the right way. I won't even count it as your wish..."

[Darklady2831]

The Second Battle at Skizzblight - The Legions Assemble

After Cronos had given Cephiran the news, he flew into a rage. Calling upon his vast legions of reapers, Cephiran sounded the call to war.

Hundreds of Thousands of Souls that resided upon the Elysian Plains were torn asunder, and remade as fresh Axiomatic Reapers. A vast army was assembled, One Million and One Axiomatic Reapers gathered upon the top of the Court of Bones. "Soldiers of Fate, hear my divine will! There has been discovered a vast repository of foul undead within the Ethereal Plane!" Cephiran boomed, towering above his legions. "I call upon you, the souls of the Damned and unjudged! You will fight, and be rewarded for your efforts!" Cephiran raised his ethereal scythe, and cut open a portal to the Ethereal Plane. "Go forth my legions!!! Slay all foul undead you come across!!!"

With the proclamation made, the vast legions of Axiomatic Reapers, old and new, soared through the rift Cephiran had created, and marched upon the Ethereal Skizzblight.

Cronos meanwhile, had been revived by Cephiran, and was standing to his right. "My lord... I..."

Silence! You have already done your part, Cronos... rest, and be ready for when I call upon you again.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia was crying again so much had happened, she clutched her chest where Miyzer had tried to pull the voice out. It still burned heavily. What was worse was that she didn’t know if Miyzer had forgiven her. She wanted the horrible voice to leave she had almost given into a wish, but Excalibur kept her from it, she just wanted to curl up and cry. But there was work to be done, the reapers where leaving for war once more. She had to stop them. Whether or not she was still a knight she did not know. But she would continue to fight until Miyzer said otherwise. What’s more is that Excalibur had trusted her and she trusted him.

Lidia dove off to the front of the reapers “Stop in the name of Innocence, we must first seek a peaceful solution” the words weighed on her like a fat Loxo

Mean while

“Coatle I don’t mean to deprive you of your friend, but you must think this through more.” He then speaks to both Etu and the Coatle. “Think hard this is a artifact from the rats, they are a lying race. There is suspect to why they would want the sun god to bless such a thing. You Coatles where quick to react to such a offer. Maybe you should wait for a little and think”

[Darklady2831]

The Reapers halt suddenly, hovering in the air, row by row, column by column. One Million and One Reapers stares blankly at the Knight of Innocence, and then a voice boomed out from within their ranks. "Peace... the dead that I send my Reapers to slay have no peace... it is my divine mandate to destroy such abominations... to give them rest..."

Cephiran stepped through the portal to the Ethereal Plane, towering above his legions and Lidia. "You attempt to halt the lord of Inevitability..." Cephiran gazed at her, his unwavering stare as cold as death itself. Cronos crept along beside his lord, looking pained.

[nolispe]

The Coatl - The Sun

The Coatl seems to shrink down as the god speaks to him. It's own glow has vanished next to the brightness of the sun, and it's protective coccoon is fraying.
"It's just that... We don't think we have much choice. We can't leave a soul trapped in that place. I shudder when I think of what those things could be doing to it."

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer blinks watching as the cocoon cracks, he then waves his hand in front of it. It reforms and holds a much stronger shape. “That should hold better with a divine touch. *sigh* But perhaps what the rat said was a lie, it will be very hard for you to retrieve something that may no longer exist. I recall you searching far and wide for the soul. You could not find it, and eye cannot see it. There is only one explanation for this… the Coatles soul, was destroyed.”

Lidia did not budge from here position even with the reaper himself glaring down at her. “You wish to destroy the ghosts that are below. Fine, they have wronged you and at the time I was unable to stop them. But let me set this right, so none may die today.” Lidia’s heart was beating fast, an army was a lot to stand in opposition to, and she had yet to fully recover mentally from the day. She thought to herself. “I can do this, I can do this”

[Darklady2831]

"Ha!" Cephiran let out a single, booming chuckle. He smirked, and started laughing heartily. The reapers about him held their solemn positions, even as the laughing grew into a cacophonous roar. "Hahahaaah... ahh... you are too eager, child... do not stain yourself now."

Cronos sighed slightly, and flew towards Lidia. Lofting in front of her, he gazed at her, his eyes full of sorrow. "My Lord demands you step aside... please, do so... I do not wish to slay any who have such long lives ahead of them..."

[Selinia]

Hail to the Reaper

"Milady, be wary. We cannot stand against Lord Death. His legions, perhaps, but not while their god hovers over them. Lidia, all I can say is speak from the heart for which you were chosen. And if words cannot sway him... then he is not for you to sway. There is no cowardice in flight from an implacable foe."

"Oh, are we trying to take our mind off the little dilemma now? Well then, let me help. This seems simple enough to me. After all, your own master conspires with the reaper, does he not? What do a few dead wisps matter to you? You are a judge. And when one of the parties is a god, I should think the judgment most favorable to you to be rather obvious. Or perhaps you'd rather make an enemy of the being who will one day judge your filthy, dirty little soul..."

[Dayzgone]

Lidia winced for a second, the words from the white voice cut deep. (To herself) “No… he does not judge and I must not judge” Lidia looks up at the legions, if she must then she will flee “Im here to help! I don’t want such violence, let me go down and speak to the ghosts and there master. You are the innocent ones in this situation. If you attack then you fall down to the to there level, and then no one can help you. Also your agreement with the Coatles. It says they must help you in such at time of fighting. If you do this, then they will have to come again, and they do not deserve death. Please my lord I beg you, let me at least try and find a way.”

PS. Sel you need to empty your mail box

[Draken]

In that quick spam of time, the ethereal Necropolis of Skizzblight has changed much, it is no longer an open space, but a vast cavern wrought in ectoplasm, mimicking the material place.

But that is uninportant.

Mists coalesce behind Lidia, and there stands the wraith that was Neverborn, the undead god in his aspect, the Black Man in White.

And by the noises he makes, he is sleeping. This is usual. And his dreams are soothed by an entourage of lazily singing ghosts.

"Cephiran, mortician... The ether belongs to the Dead... You are... Not welcome... Nor are yours. Begone to your golden prison... And leave it no more."]

[Darklady2831]

Cronos nods, whispering quietly, hoping his lord does not hear. "I do not wish this... but my lord... he cannot stand the existance of those beings... he is unrelenting..."

Cephiran stopped looking amused, and stared coldly at the Neverborn. "So says the blight upon reality... you should have never come to be, abomination..." The Reapers rush into action, soaring past Lidia and Cronos, seeking out ghosts and attacking them as hard as they could. One million and one Reapers, a force which was greater than any the dead had mustered before.

Cephiran himself moved with his legion, and stopped before the Neverborn, his scythe ready. "You say my realm is a prison, it is but the place where judgement can truely be passed! Your abominations do not truely live, nor die. Their existance is an empty one, and one that should not be... I give you one final chance... restore the balance..."

[Dayzgone]

Her eyes begin to tear again as she looks up at Cronos. Lidia turns to the black man in white “No please, there is another way, there has to be. Can’t you bring them back? You are the god of entropy, shouldnt you be able to do that much?”

[Draken]

Tunnels.

One million and one reapers in tunnels. More specifically, one tunnel. One tunnel behind the Neverborn.

One tunnel ablaze in the cold flames of the pyre of oblivion. The Neverborn sleeps no more.

"So says the thief of souls and sponsor of genocides, glorifying his own misdeeds."

Shadows stretch from the sleeves of the Neverborn and coalesce into obsidian chains.

"Whatever balance you sponsor is a fruit of a small mind. That of a tool, made by the sun for a singular purpose, a rebelious tool trying thus to find something else to do, besides it is mediocre job that it has already delegated to smaller but no less eficient tools."

"If the existances of the dead are empty and meaningless, that will not be judged by a miserable object such as yourself. Begone, I repeat, Cephiran, mortician."

The pale hood then turns down to the crystal girl, and there is nothing but black in there.

"I took nothing."

[Darklady2831]

IF I AM A THIEF, THEN SO BE IT! I WORK ONLY TO FULFIL MY DUTIES, AS GIVEN BY MY CREATOR! YOU WORK ONLY TO FURTHER YOUR OWN SELFISH ENDS, HE WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN! I AM THROUGH DIPLOMACY WITH A BEING AS VILE AS YOURSELF!!!" Cephiran launched himself through the ether madly, swinging his scythe at the neverborn. "BALANCE SHALL BE RESTORED!!!"

Roll for divine combat
[roll0]

Meanwhile, in the tunnels, reapers were being slain left and right, taking relatively few ghosts with them. The Neverborn's host had the advantage in this attack.

[Draken]

The Black Man in White does not react in time, and the scythe plunges straight into the black of the Neverborn's hood.

"Vile... are we... for wishing... to... exist... perhaps then... is existance... a vile thing."

The wraith begins to dissipate in ethereal mists, and the pyreflames vanish with the Black Man in White.

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran growls, rage consuming him. He recomposes himself, and answers the final words the Neverborn spoke."Vile are you for defiling the sanctity of death."

With that, Cephiran took leadership of what was left of his legions, rooting out and destroying all ghosts who dared to stay near Skizzblight. It could only be described as a Purge of those beings...

Was it right? Was it Wrong? That is not for Cephiran to worry about... his duty has been fulfilled in his eyes, and he is content... for now.

After the slaughter, he gathers up what is left of his armies, and departs with them, beckoning for Cronos to follow.


Cronos does not follow at first, staying near Lidia, he whispers to her. "Something is wrong with my lord... he would never sink to such levels..." Cronos looked genuinely concerned.

[Dayzgone]

While Lidia may have been unable to stop the dead gods from conflicting and going about their devastation, she did what she could do. She covered the escape of as many as she could. Using Miyzers stars Lidia, made a secret path, away from the carnage. She would turn off one section at a time so that none could see them as they fled. She lead them to beyond the stars, where none could see, and there they would stay hidden for now. Lidia returned as the Reaper finished up his work. She was in a daze, so many dead. It was horrific. As Cronos approached her she readied Excalibur expecting a fight. But what he said shocked her. "I agree, I dont remember him ever being like this. Even durring Skizzblight"

[nolispe]

The Coatl - The Sun

The Coatl looks up at Mizer briefly with a look of utter awe, as the god reweaves the coccoon. The awe remains as the god speaks to him, but a look of despair is present also.
"I... I understand. Is there nothing we can do?"

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer shakes his head. “Nothing can bring it back now, and if Eye know the rat mother it’s that she…..” He trails off as he looks past the Coatle at the purging of the Neverborns race. Miyzer floats mouth agape. He goes to make a move, but realizes that nothing will stop them now. He turns to look to for Lidia….She was not where he left her! That means…. He turns back around scanning the battle. Why didn’t he see her “don’t tell me she is….” He catches a glimpse of something. One of his stars winked out for a second. Then he noticed why he did not immediately see her. She was hiding in the stars turning them on and off leading some to safety. “Cleaver girl”

[Xuincherguixe]

The flame vanishes, after giving it's dangerously inadequate knowledge of Demonology to the Rat people.

And appears beside Siofra
"Hey. Captain says going to need more juice. Does the idea of rats conjuring entities of the purest malice, and of horrors describable or otherwise strike your fancy? Because seems pretty hilarious to me. Seems the boss has run out of juice for awhile though. I'd like to think, that's what our little alliance is all about. Making things not make sense."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

Skizziks' Mate looks as the Coatl takes the stone and goes away. Shrugging at their haste, he returns to his meal, not willing to share with the rest of the Coatl who had remained. As he is licking his snout, his eyes all of a sudden go wide, and for a moment he remains silent. Giving a profound sigh, the turns to the Coatl

"Fun-fun your company is! But sadly, work-work I have! A herald's job is never done. Don't worry... I will be back once mission is done. Yes-yes? Oh... don't bother following me or trying to spy-spy on me... won't work. Personal message is personal... yes-yes? Buh-bye!"

And with that, Skizziks' Mate zips off to deliver his message. Any attempts of scrying on him would end up failing as they would only get images of cheese.

All of a sudden, Cronos finds the ratty herald in front of him. Waving with his usual cheeky grin

"Hello! Nice little number you did there in Skizzblight! But fool-fool are you if you believe that you got all the ghosts there. Missed many did you! Sloppy-job... very sloppy-job indeed! But enough chittering! Message have I have for you, from the Great Matriarch herself! "

Skizziks' Mate clears his throat as he gives the message screamed in the howling voice of the Ratty goddess herself

"I, the Great Skizziks, have seen your crimes and treachery! Lied-lied to me have you! Broken your word have you and your ally-buddies have! A fool-fool you think of me? Was my mercy too little for you? Very well! Then my wrath you shall have! Seen-seen the siege of Skizzblight have I... the city dedicated to me! Upon you all, I shall pour-spill my punishment! I the Great Skizziks have spoken and great pleasure in gnawing on your entrails shall I take!"

With that, Skizziks' Mate finishes delivering his message. He is left dazed and confused for a few moments before regaining his composure.

"Arg... curse-curse it! I hate-hate it when that happens."
Reverting to his usual grin he says

"Wow... I've never seen her this way! Glad I'm not next to her in the Burrows! Hit-hit me she probably would! Hurt a lot too! Not fun. Always angry is she when her birthing is interrupted!"

Skizziks the Burrows

Indeed, Skizziks was now furious. So they wished to get rid of all the souls in Skizzblight? Very well, she would repay them in kind. Sticking her paw deep into her mouth, Skizziks begins to vomit out every single Ratfolk soul that she had ever consumed, and vomits them all over Skizzblight.

"Let them come-come this time!" she says.

Skizzblight

Though the Reapers had gotten their way, they had not cleared the entire city out of souls. Indeed, they were hiding and biding their time. Now, the entire city was in an uproar as the ghosts and souls of the Ratfolk had returned in force and more numerous than before.

[omnitricks]

Finally its time

[Processing...]
[Mapping complete...]
[Awaiting further instructions...!]

"Just get it started already. Things are getting interesting."

[Affirmative...]
[Building...]
[Finishing...!]

A beam shot up from the moon down to the world at a foresty area somewhere near Skizzblight. From the light figures started walking out. The catfolk and they started to build up their area there. Prepared to join in the fun as Tarsin wanted. He did not even have to tell them anything. It was the reason for their creation, and their instincts yelled them to fight.

2AP: Form organization, Catfolks
2AP: Create concept, Cat-fu. Takes advantage of the cat's ability to manipulate luck and their heightened abilities.
1AP: Bless, cats only have good luck now to help them survive as they build up their world.
0AP left

[Selinia]

Sleepy-time

Siofra was resting. She'd pushed herself rather hard, sinking her connection with the Moon that deep, and she was... genuinely tired. So she'd curled up in the interior of the Moon, and tried to get a little sleep. Sleep seemed like something that might be boring, but then again some of the others did it all the time, so it couldn't be that bad. And dreams could be interesting, maybe.

But still, she didn't really mind when the flame woke her up. She was smiling quickly, and replying just as fast. "Ooohhh, that does sound fun. Why just rats though? Wouldn't it be more fun if demons were like... everywhere?" She clapped her hands. "Like, the rats could have them, and the gnomes already have them I think... which means that those big ol' Loxo need them too! Wouldn't that be fun?"

Siofra spins around happily. "I mean, it isn't really what they normally do and they'd probably be all like 'Ahhh, no, demonz!' and 'Ohh, those were MY entrails!', but its all okay because you don't get anywhere without trying new things! And then, when everybody meets there will be world peace, and everyone will eat tasty cookies together that are made of... tasty! That's the best idea of yours of mine ever!"

Excitedly, she brought her hands together.

Nothing happened.

"...oh. I guess that the juice is something that maybe we are all out of? That's dumb." Lady Luck sighed, looking askance at the fiery little orb. "Um, that is kinda un-cool, sorry. When we get some more juice though, it's all yours, 'kay? Wanna do something 'till then?"

A Razor's Edge

"Lidia... you did well. Better than any could have hoped. Though some have fallen, you have saved others. Too often, this is all that is possible. The glimmer of my blade is an eternal reminder of that tragic fact. Still, the actions of Lord Death trouble me... his violence seems to be growing ever fiercer. I fear for the souls whom he has sworn to spare, if such a path as this is followed too far..."

"Oaths are bound by the fear of breaking them. Of course, such a being as the Reaper Man has little to fear... why should he keep an oath? He is not going to stop this crusade until every soul is under his domain. As you cannot stop him, the logical choice would seem to be to make yourself useful to him. Or perhaps to simply flee. You are immortal now, after all... I wonder how long he will continue to tolerate you simply for the prestige of your master. How long before he realizes you are just a much a breach of his laws as the living dead, I wonder. Lidia the Lost. Lidia the Unliving."

[Darklady2831]

Barren Elysia...

The Elysian Plains were lifeless... not a single damned soul within its confines... Cephiran had taken them all, reforging them into ever more Reapers. "I shall reforge them all... all of the filthy damned... they will all serve in an eternity... they will all repay reality for their actions..."



Cronos seemed reluctant to leave and tell Cephiran. "We did not take any souls from you... the beings we destroyed were... memories... shadows of what they used to be..." he replied to Skizzik's Mate.
Turning to Lidia, he spoke "I must ask you... please, tell your lord of this, someone must stop Lord Cephiran..."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate shrugs "Broke promise you did... that's enough for the Empress. Don't really care about ghosts... Ratfolk die-kill all the time in Skizzblight... our way of life it is. Soon full of ghosts will Skizzblight be again! But... curious am I... your master you want to stop-stop... tell me... just how much do you want to stop him?" he says stroking his chin.

[Darklady2831]

Cronos scowls at Skizzik's Mate "A promise we did not make-make, to put it in terms you might understand... To stop my lord... I wish not to bring your Matriarch into this... for she has proven to be more conniving and malicious than yourself." Cronos looked at Lidia, then sighed, turning back to Skizzik's Mate. "But if you can help my Lord see what he is doing... please do so."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate opens his mouth and Cronos' own voice comes from within the Herlad's throat "Pride is something that Cephiran thinks about after his duty... if it will bring about an end to this conflict between my Lord and your Matriarch, then so be it."

Shutting his mouth, Skizziks' Mate shrugs "Fancy trick isn't it? Exact words of yours, yes-yes? Kneel you in front of me, begging for forgiveness to stop all die-kill you did! Sounds like a deal to me! But it matters little to me. Now excuse me if you will... I have another message to send to your master! Need to tell-tell him about the ghosts remaining in Skizzblight must I!"

[Darklady2831]

Cronos starts panicking, he lunges for Skizzik's Mate. "No!" Cronos seems exhausted. "He'll just come back! In full force! He has MILLIONS of souls in the Elysian Plains, and he could turn them all into more reapers. Do not damn those whom have already been damned!"

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - The Catfolk

It was a fine summers day, and without any warning, twenty armored Coatls teleported into the middle of the Catfolk nation.
"Hail, Catfolk! We are the Coatls, and we would speak with your leaders."

[omnitricks]

The Catfolk were a proud race and one thing they did not like were a bunch of uninvited guests showing up with their armour. It was like an invasion. They were in the middle of organizing their society into who does what for making their city. Before they had a place to call their own, they did not see a need for a leader yet

Most of them just stared at the Coatls wondering their intentions. Until one very small member of the Catfolk came forward. Some mummers came with the people when it did. Either from fame or infamy the Coatls would not know.

"We do not have a leader yet. Please tell us why you have came to us like you are prepared for war?"

Some have heard whispers of the attack on the neighboring rat city. Faint rumors but one to take caution nonetheless. If the Coatls did anything suspicious, they will soon face feline ferocity so they better thread lightly.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers

The Coatls pause, and carefully shatter the golden shields, and lower them to the ground.
"We felt it best to be cautious, as last time we sent an unprotected envoy it was attacked on arrival. You do not seem to be so violent, however. We have been sent to offer the you the hand of Friendship, such that our two races might work together in harmony."

[omnitricks]

More murmurs and whispers could be heard among the catfolk which have been gathered there. But since they put down their weapons and told a believable reason, some of the cats became more accepting. But it still did not make them trust the Coatls. Many of them voiced out their questions. Though some already knew the answers.

"Where did your envoy go?"

"I heard you like genocide!"

"What does your friendship provide?"

"When will you leave?"

"I want some cake, do you have any?"

Each catfolk voiced out their questions and opinions at the same time from all over though the Coatls might not be able to catch them all. But what they really wanted to know was about the rumored rat attacks.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers

The Coatls looked at each other, and then began to patiently answer the questions.
"To Skizzblight, where they were attacked instantly with no regard for the peace treaty between us.
Genoicide is icky, and we have never even considered attempting it. Whowever told you that was a liar.
Our friendship provides trade goods, food, and assistance if you need it.
Cake is delicious... Hold on."
***Teleports away***
***Teleports back***
***Hands out cake***
"May I ask you what you are doing, sister?"
"Doing my bit for cultural exchange, of course. Want some cake?"
"If you're sure..."

[omnitricks]

At seeing the cake, some of the Coatls might see some Catfolk breaking off into smaller groups. Some fighting each other with others gathering around them with excited chatter. Others might have certain tools with them doing random things. Like spinning or dropping sticks to see who it pointed to. They were all gambling for the cake.

After they all had their cake they started to discuss again. Taking the words literally as the Coatls "attacked instantly with no regard for the peace treaty." But after seeing the power they displayed with the teleportation, the cats decided that they should do this carefully.

The little cat was forcibly pushed forward to relay the decision.

"We will think about the offer of friendship for a little bit." Then she turned back to look at some of the other cats which gave a paws up. "But some of you are welcome to stay here longer as long as you got cake."

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers

"No problem! I'll send back to the Heart for some more cake and a few of us will stay around with you. It's nice to see that you're so reasonable, though... Would you maybe let us join in some of your games?"

The majority of the Coatls vanish, only to return a few minutes later with large quantities of magically created cake.

[Shmee]

Cronos starts panicking, he lunges for Skizzik's Mate. "No!" Cronos seems exhausted. "He'll just come back! In full force! He has MILLIONS of souls in the Elysian Plains, and he could turn them all into more reapers. Do not damn those whom have already been damned!"

Skizziks' Mate once against shrugs "I only do what I'm told-told! Send messages do I! Don't get paid very much either... its a living..."

[omnitricks]

The cats grinned wickedly hearing that the Coatls wanted to join in the games. They explained the rules for some of them and told them what would be at stake. The cakes would be going to the winners. No matter what game they played and how they played it, the Coatls would mostly lose. Because the cats would be pulling at the fate strings and using their luck to help nudge things their way. Once most of the cakes were gone, the cats would suggest something else. Seeing if the Coatls had anything else they wanted to wager.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers

The Coatls played the games, and although they employed their superhuman intellects to try and mitigate the losses, they lost badly. Even so, they did not pause, and continued smiling happily and playing the games. When the Cats asked them if they had anything else to wager, they smiled broadly, and created shiny objects witth efforts of their will. And then, for these, the Coatls challenged the Cats to a game, but a different type of game. They focused, and created a board, lined and divided into sixty-four squares, and no less than thirty-two pieces of varying shapes and sizes. Only two players could play at once, true, but it was a game none the less. Dozens of boards were created, and the Coatl who had come up with the idea carefully explained how to play.

Yes, i'm creating chess without a divine action, but it's not really a full concept.

[hustlertwo]

Nomnipitus, the Victorious

The war against the Graham Cracker Golems was going well. The newly minted Gelatine militia had pushed the unorganized jobbers deep into the forests on the Eye of Etu. Globulus was becoming known as Globulus the Graham Crusher, and his reputation and influence were growing ever-stronger. And the material of the golems were used, as always, to form more and more Gelatines, causing a population explosion. However, a few of the jelly-bellies had fallen from the smashes of their sweet-tasting opposition. Death was something of a new notion for the Gelatines, who had lived a peaceful life full of dissolving everything around them up to this point. So now Nomnipitus faced the issue that had been such a sticky widget for his fellow deities of late: what to do with the souls of his followers.

Hmmm....you fellows don't seem quite the source of power I was led to believe.

The deceased Gelatine spirits simply shrugged at their creator, and continued floating around.

I can't believe you spirity lot are even less helpful than you were when you were being splatted like jelly under the fists of the Grahlems. And you're not even squishy anymore. I think I'm not all that interested in this ethereal malarkey.

He pondered, scratching his thousands of blobby chins with a massive tendril.

Aha! Globulus, send another emissary to Mom's boy-toy. Tell him we'll provide the spirits of our fallen to aid in his issues on that grimmest of reapers, if the Matriarch will provide us space in his realm for our excess population, and maybe some of her excess population to give us more building blocks for our perfect lifeforms.

And the snarky messenger is dispatched by Globulus the Graham Crusher once more to the city of Skizzblight.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia shock her head at Cronos. “I don’t know if I can, last time I was with Master he had seen…..something.” She touches her chest, the pain had finally started to dull “Im not sure if he would listen to me right now. I know he is mad at me, but I don’t know what for. It’s hard to tell if he still likes me.”

[Selinia]

Stand Up, Fall Down

"Lord Miyzer is not, I think, truly angry. He is merely... unused to being stymied at his work. Most deities are. Take a lesson from it, Lidia, to accept limitations. Sometimes we only hurt ourselves trashing against them. Though too, failing to push ourselves is a folly just as great. It is a fine line to walk. I am unsure what actions the Lord of Eyes will take, but as always, I am by your side, my Knight. Face him without fear or deception, for he values the truth. You have acted as you were able, and that is all that can be asked."

"Limits? And here I thought that was supposed to be a weapon of 'good'. Limits are accepted by the blind, but it is only fools who crush themselves against them. Any summit can be reached. You must merely ask yourself how many corpses you are willing to pile up to get there. Everyone wishes for something they do not have... everyone. Even the gods. The only difference is that some people are willing to make those dreams into a reality. Willing to take their ten pathetic little minutes... and demand more. Those are the people that change this world. I wonder, Little Lidia, Weak Lidia, how long you will last before you become one of those people? Before you accept what you are? Come now, all you have to do is make a wish..."

[omnitricks]

Luck was no use against a game which required a lot of brains. The cats which were new to this game lost badly. Only winning the few by some sheer dumb luck. But they continued on until one of them won. Seeing that it was possible, they began devising new strategies suited to them and started to play again.

[planswalker]

Etu - the Void

The coatl heard a voice in his head, gentle yet strong.

Yes, child of my child?


The Coatl - The Sun

The Coatl bows its head, waiting for the god to speak before it continues delivering it's message.

I think you missed my post...


Miyzer blinks watching as the cocoon cracks, he then waves his hand in front of it. It reforms and holds a much stronger shape. “That should hold better with a divine touch. *sigh* But perhaps what the rat said was a lie, it will be very hard for you to retrieve something that may no longer exist. I recall you searching far and wide for the soul. You could not find it, and eye cannot see it. There is only one explanation for this… the Coatles soul, was destroyed.”

Both the god and the coatl hear a gently golden voice in their heads. To the mortal, it is a strong and booming voice, but to the god it seems to be no stronger than his own thoughts.


Do not be so hasty to assume that which you cannot see does not exist. Can you see into my mind and know my plans? If not, then perhaps the plans of the Rat Mother are similarly hidden. You see much, it is true, but none see all, especially when another god has a stake in this matter.

[Xuincherguixe]

"Yeah... alright. Nevermind then. Got stuff to do." The flame goes out, and appears before the rat herald. Holding a small gold seal

"You'll want to make sure that your boss gets this."


1 AP, which is my last. Join Aethenum of Night
That's right. Destroyer is in two pantheons now. Perhaps he might join another in the future!

[nolispe]

The Coatl - The Sun

Actually, I was waiting for Mizer to speak.

"Do you think so? So there might still be hope? Thank you for that, Lord Etu. I am asked by the rat to ask you to imbue this ... thing with your light, but if what Lord Mizer says is true, perhaps it is but an ambush, I know not what to ask you to do, Lord Etu."

[Selinia]

Nothing Personal

Journal Entry #53

Hail, oh anonymous pickpocket-slash-stalker. I suppose you have come, as usual, to hear what woes and assorted issues of various descriptor have come to pass in the recent cycles. And who am I to disappoint?

First, the good. The recent... incidents... have majorly boosted Point income across the board. A lot of people have simple shared homes now (four buildings total, which along with the record-house and the meeting hall, means we've got a cozy six buildings here). I'm still not really into the whole sleeping thing though - its relaxing, sure, but there's a lot of other stuff to do. Dunno. Maybe I'm pushing myself too hard, considering all signs point to us having pretty much forever.

Also, our notebook research is going fantastically. We've even got a name for them, finally. Consoles. It fits better than any variation of 'book' or 'tome' we tried, considering that they really are such only in appearance. We're starting to see patterns in the generation of various effects, and we're devising a rather loose system of categorization. Four sets of effects, five more specific effect-types in each. Two that seem to defy categorization. We've dubbed them the Major Arcana, and I have to say that they are fascinating in their nuances... from what little we have so far, anyway.

But I'm stalling, because I really don't want to rant again about that stupid little girl. Because I'm bored, I'm going to actually spell her name right this time - 'Estelle'. Definitely not Messtelle. Normally I wouldn't comment, considering we have people named things like 'Lord Spoon' and at least one '@' (he's actually pretty helpful - never seen anyone so enamored with the console's basic 'use X on Y' command), but I hate her guts so there. Scientific objectivity can stand aside.

I can imagine that she was annoying enough in her first chance to warrant a Second one, or something. What bugs me is that a lot of people seem to be gravitating towards her. She showed up a while back, and has been doing some pretty nasty stuff through her Console... and is now rolling in the points as a result. But it wasn't until this whole episode that she really got out of hand.

Wait, okay, rewind, I haven't mentioned that yet. The past couple weeks(?) we've been dealing with a serious mess. Some crazy massive battle broke out down on the world - I mean, this was huge. And... there were some disputes over what we should be doing. Nudging a weapon to hit on-target is one of the most dirt-cheap physical effects to pull, and saving or ending a life like that nets a fair chunk of points. But - and I'll admit, this is kinda our fault - stupid little Estelle decides that we ought to try and go a little further and actually focus our efforts on changing the entire battle.

You see, our team has a theory that points scale with the impact they make. Influencing ten people a little can be a lot more effective than influencing one person a lot. So she just said 'We should pick a side. We'll be rolling in points if we can force a win for one or the other!'. And that really set the spark.

Paula was of course against it, and to their credit a lot of people backed her up (myself included). We ought to be focusing our efforts on keeping down mortal injuries on all sides, and with the butchery going on there was already a Point mother-lode to be had there. Pushing for an actual outcome in a battle on this scale... it just isn't something I'm sure we ought to be doing.

But a lot of the others started arguing over which side to roll for, and it wasn't going to be any use dissuading them. And rather to my horror, it worked - Estelle's dinky little entourage is now the bloody top-score-holder in the entire settlement. I was kinda inclined to let this slide (I don't really like direct confrontation, in case you've not noticed, and she's an outright needle-treatment to talk to), but Paula has been boiling. Any they're escalating it. I think Paula is going to wind up giving her a lot more than a few bruises soon.

Anyway- [The remainder of the page is bisected by an illegible scrawl]

***********************************

"What in the?" The scream had not actually been all that loud from where he was sitting, but the sheer surprise sent Geoffrey's pen skittering across the page. That was uncool. He liked having neat papers - it made him feel a little more comfortable with all the nutty stuff that went on these days. But soon enough, he was sent to thinking about why the heck someone was screaming like that in the first place.

There were really no immediately available logical explanations, so he ventured to step outside the shelf-filled little book-capsule where he spent a large chunk of his time. He almost regretted it.

A crowd was gathered. This unto itself was not ominous, but the super-magnified projection over it was. And the displayed image was very much so - a gnome, at least one limb broken, limping heavily down a pitch-dark tunnel. And of course, the stupid, stupid glitter-gowned and fur-draped figure of the snazzily-dressed Second-Chancer's least favorite person.

"Now, what do you all think? Another arm? Maybe... oh, maybe suffocation?" She was smiling a showman's smile - big enough to be seen from far away, but detached from any sense of actual happiness or pleasure. "C'mon! Let's all hear it, this is on me!" There were actually a few cheers and called suggestions, which made Jeff more than a little sick as he realized what was going on.

She was murdering that gnome... as public entertainment. They'd set up rules against that. Killing people was... wrong. They still didn't really know where dead people went, and until they did they had to assume that they went nowhere. You couldn't just erase something. That went every instinct of a chronicler, even aside form the issue of basic decency.

But where had the scream come from? Gnomes didn't generally let loose that kind of a sound. It had almost sounded like...

"You... you monster!" Sure enough, the raw, almost tearful voice belonged to Paula. It seemed that she'd been simply unable to articulate her rage before, letting it loose as a primal shriek. She shrugged out of the arms of the skinny boy who'd been trying to hold her back (one odd effect of the Second Chance was they all had very similar physical builds, male and female alike - it was hard to say why), gripping the 'hilt' of her weapon of choice.

Jeff was pretty sure that it was actually a cooking implement, but it was still heavy and made of metal.

And it indeed accomplished the job of wiping the smug look off of Estelle's stupid little red-eyed face. She'd been ignoring Paula up until then, but the hurdling threat of facial reconstruction sent her into an undignified dive. "And... hey! Watch it! What are you trying to do, you psycho?"

"I'd ask you the same!" The iron pan hefted dangerously above the prone girl. "You are murdering someone! You are having people cheer you on!" Speaking of cheers, the whole crowd seemed to be watching with baited breath at the little show.

"Oh, really? I was under the impression that I was playing a rather fun game..." It was hard for her, given their prospective positions, but Estelle gave a little smirk to her righteous counterpart. "What? Can't stomach seeing a few pieces get whisked off the board? Come on, it's all good fun..."

"Out." That really shut down the mood - like a bucket of ice over the crowd's collective heads. "Get out. Of. This. Place. Leave - I don't care, just leave." Paula took a step back, crossing her arms. "I can't stop your screwed-up brain, but I can get it out of my sight. Leave."

There weren't any more words after that. Estelle stormed off along the shoreline. Maybe a dozen or so second-chancers followed her - mainly the ones that had been cheering at her 'show'. They didn't go far, possibly out of laziness, or possibly to spite those that had stayed behind - they could be seen with amplifiers on the other side of Prism Lake. Jeff winced at the way the whole thing had turned out.

"So..." He cautiously approached the golden-haired girl, who was fuming with her feet submerged a few inches in the multicolored water of the lake. "What now? We've all been a team, ever since we got here..."

"This is only gonna be the first. People aren't... gonna agree with us, all the time. We can't really stop them by force, and they're just going to end up making more of those-" She pointed at the distant camp. "So... we stop them down on the world, I suppose. The books, you said they can counter each other's plays and net Points, right?"

"Competitive Nullification? Yeah, I think. We're still working on it."

"Work harder."

"...right. You've nailed that, at least."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

Skizziks' Mate turns to Cronos "If divine will it is that millions will die, what can we do-do? You want to stop-stop your master? Wish you luck do I! But advise I give-give you! Free of charge too! Angered many, your master has... if you don't stop him... others will... and they will be just as merciful as you and your allies-buddies are!"

As he speaks, a flame appears in front of him. Taking the seal with a malicious grin he turns again to Cronos "... as I said-said... many angered... sad-sad! But... as I said... go provoke your master must I. Already on path of being mockery of all he ever stood for is he! We see how low he will fall. Yes-yes?"

Skizzblight

The messenger of Globulus the Graham Crusher was taken to see the new Temple Matriarch, as the old one perished in the explosion that rocked the temple, and was blamed upon the treacherous Coatl as an assassination attempt, but at the moment that mattered little for the new Temple Matriarch.

Listening to the will of their goddess, the Rats agreed to allow the Gelatines to live within Skizzblight in the area called "The Ooze Quarter" of Skizzblight. Naturally, the Rats trust no one... including themselves, but they found the Gelatines to have their uses, and so their presence was tolerated within the city.

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer looked back at Etu, before turning to look down on the world below again “You are….correct. Eye must not assume such a thing, however it seems more than likely. Regardless, the real matter at hand is the “gift” that the rats want blessed, and more importantly all this bloodshed.” Miyzer scrathes the back of his head then folds his arms. Not seeing or knowing what happened to the Coatle was bothering him. He looked across the void back at Lidia. That thing in her had to go, but right now was not the time. He focuses hard and talks to her telepathically. “Lidia you won’t be able to answer back this way, but come find me when you complete the task I’m about to give you. Ask the Mate of Skizziks this question…….”

Lidia was clutching Excalibur close again trying hard to ignore the voice in her head. It was not going well. But then another popped in, this one she new however. She looks up as if thinking, then turns to a puzzled expression. She looks at the Rat hero and comes closer. “Umm mister…… Skizziks mate….what ever happened to the Coatle you captured?”

[bladescape]

Kai swung her legs as if perched upon an ethereal couch. She constantly ignored the bickering of her fellows. Neither the Reapers nor the Rats were either interesting enough, or right enough, to warrent her aid.

Besides that, not one or the other even had wonderfully beautiful creatures. Like the Fair Folk. She'd have to do something about the constant bickering that came between the individual fey, but that wasn't something that was a serious worry.

Rather, perhaps she should be worried about what would happen when the Fey died, as there was a serious debate over that. Well, she had her own ideas as to that. Let the Reaper come, she would keep her own.

(Random fluff-thought post while I feel somewhat inspired to talk about nothing.:smallbiggrin:)

[Shmee]

Lidia was clutching Excalibur close again trying hard to ignore the voice in her head. It was not going well. But then another popped in, this one she new however. She looks up as if thinking, then turns to a puzzled expression. She looks at the Rat hero and comes closer. “Umm mister…… Skizziks mate….what ever happened to the Coatle you captured?”

Skizziks' Mate turns to Lidia and waves his hand dismissively "Please-please... Skizziks' Mate you can call me. I am but lowly male rat... no honorary titles I have... lost name too when I take this job! But its strange... what you ask-ask... others have as well... I ask you instead... why care-care do you about one coatl soul?"

[Dayzgone]

Lidia blinks in thought, tilting her head. “I… I don’t know, master didn’t say why. Then again he is always taking interest in odd maters. I suppose its knowledge for knowledge’s sake, he is always trying to learn new things.”

[planswalker]

The Coatl - The Sun

"Do you think so? So there might still be hope? Thank you for that, Lord Etu. I am asked by the rat to ask you to imbue this ... thing with your light, but if what Lord Mizer says is true, perhaps it is but an ambush, I know not what to ask you to do, Lord Etu."


Miyzer looked back at Etu, before turning to look down on the world below again “You are….correct. Eye must not assume such a thing, however it seems more than likely. Regardless, the real matter at hand is the “gift” that the rats want blessed, and more importantly all this bloodshed.” Miyzer scrathes the back of his head then folds his arms. Not seeing or knowing what happened to the Coatle was bothering him.

I love my children and their children themselves. If you wish me to bless that, I will. If you are filled with too much fear and mistrust of the Rat Mother to do, I will withhold my blessing. What do you wish to do?

[nolispe]

The Coatl - The Sun

"Lord Etu, thou have far more wisdom than I. I would ask you in an instant, but I do not know what to ask. You are divine, and see further than me. Could you perhaps examine this thing and see if duplicty is hidden within? I am sorry, Lord Etu."

[Shmee]

Lidia blinks in thought, tilting her head. “I… I don’t know, master didn’t say why. Then again he is always taking interest in odd maters. I suppose its knowledge for knowledge’s sake, he is always trying to learn new things.”

Skizziks' Mate nods his head in complete understanding "Ah... I see! Very well then! If knowledge your master seek-seek, then who am I to stand in his way. Today I will teach-teach you a very-very old Ratfolk traidtion... one that goes all the way back to the early days of our great-great race! It's called... greasing!" stretching out his paw towards Lidia he says "How much is this information worth to you?"

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran sat upon his throne within the Court of Bones, brooding. "That vile abomination... how dare it... it... it seeks only to pervert my realm... it must die... it must learn the law of death..." Cephiran's Reapers flitted about, dragging souls off to unknown torturous places, where they would be punished for eternity. His judgement had become more and more harsh, with barely any non-coatl soul making it into the Shimmering City. "The filthy mortals... must be purged of their wickedness..."

Rollover AP, and fluff post.
0 AP + 3 AP = 3 AP

[Draken]

That is Dead

In the mist-bathed deadlands did ghosts praise the night.
That the great void above would one day devour all light.

Every place the living gathered, so too did the dead, aimless and severed from the sleeping ungod as it rested until it dreamed once more of itself. And with an influx of cosmic power that event came to pass, and the ether was once again stalked by the Black Man in White.

Rollover: 0+3=3 AP.

[nolispe]

The Empire of Flowers - The Cordon

The flow of Ratfolk out of Skizzblight had generally ceased, as the appeals from those Ratfolk under Coatl control fell on mostly deaf ears. However, Coatls had blocked all but one of the tunnels out with incredibly thick golden walls, and had a single heavily guarded tunnel. Down it lay Skizzblight, but not Coatl had approached it so far. Meanwhile, the thousand odd Ratfolk that had been mesmerised by the Coatls were marched to the surface, where they, under Coatl supervision to supress agressive urges, set up a series of small villages.
Meanwhile, the flowers on the surface began to undergo a strange change, perhaps guided by a divine hand. Some of them began to release a substance when they blossomed, that billowed out of the flowers and swept over the world. The Coatls soon occupied the primary sporing grounds of this strange flower, but as the spores washed over the planet, they took up root in the most unlikely of places.

Lucis
Lucis is released by certain flowers as they blossom. In large quantities, it forms into petals, that float around in the air, travelling suprisingly large distances. It is functionally a sporing body of the plants, as if it is not absorbed by a living creature it will plant itslef on the ground to propagate the species. If inhaled, it has a wide array of strange effects.
The most well-known effect is the way it massively accelerates the user's mind and body, although the mind moreso, which leads to the subject feeling as if their body is in slow motion. It massively increases their capacity both to think, and to come up with new ideas, giving them a direct line to Aei, the fount of inspiration itself. This allows them to employ their minds to solve almost insormountable difficulties, effortlessly seeing the design of structures and objects, making it invaluable in scientific or engineering endevadours, where they can understand complex designs from a glance at the finished product.
The effects of Lucis are not all beneficial, however. Aei designed it, and while Aei is many things, he is not generous. The subject's mind reaches out to others, seeing them in a form of subconscious telepathy - it is reputed that the subject can almost feel the presence of others - and searching their minds for inspiration, damping it if it's there. Aei does not hate inspiration, indeed he adores it, and so other people under the effects of Lucis are unaffected, but others rapidly find no new ideas coming. It is true, however, that if they are already possessed of an idea, it will not fade. Even so, the subject becomes aware of those ideas, as part of Aei's compulsion to take inspiration by force if nessesary.
Lucis is a radically addictive substance, however, and going back to reality after too long in the hyper-intelligent and aware, as well as accelerated, state that subjects go into can be a painful and unpleasant experience.

2+3 (Rollover) - 3 (Create MR 3 concept, Lucis) = 2.

[Dayzgone]

Talking Heros

Lidia had a blank expression across her face. Her innocence had proven hindering in this case, she knew not what the rat ment. Finally it clicked in her head. “Ohhh.. You want something? Well I guess its only fair. You don’t owe us any favores really.” Lidia thinks for a bit. “I don’t know how badly Master wants the in-fo. I guess you can just state your price."

The Sun

Miyzer looked at the Coatle and its object in some regard before speaking again “Eye know what you hold was made by the rats, Eye know that it must be worth something of value to them, Eye also know that it would make a very nice paper weight. That is all Eye know of this object, but if you like, Eye could find out more for you”

[Selinia]

Teatime

"Heee~eeey..." Kai found herself joined in the Void by a familiar figure, Siofra having apparently crept up behind her somehow. With a graceless flopping dive, she plunged onto her own imaginary 'couch' directly opposite the fey deity and joined her in staring down. "What'cha lookin' at? Is it something fun? I was all looking at other people and they're all doing silly boring things like murding souls and stuff which is laaa~aaame. Mister Reaper is kinda a spoilsport, I think."

"To a rather disturbing degree..."
"Eh, he's scrapping for fights. Bit of a dunce, but I can sympathize with him."
"Isn't your Excalibur actually working against him right now?"
"Huh? Oh, is it? I hadn't really checked in yet. I was waiting for it to start chopping things up. I wonder what's taking that Knight so long..."

She hung her head slightly. "And my bestest-best friend decided that blowing stuff up was more funness than playing games and things, so he left me for the meanie rat lady. Her people are funny, but she isn't. Mister Bloody can be all lame and stuff, see if I care! Actually..." She seemed to perk up at the thought. "Hey, super-duper-cuteness lady! Wanna be my new Bestest Best Friend? I'd ask Tasrin, but he's already the Supreme Kitty Cat and All-High Poofykums."


Actually, the opposite of a hero

"That was certainly a... bold move, milady." Excalibur sounded rather taken aback. It was honest, but letting a known master of duplicity name its own price was a whole new level of frankness. Or naivete. "Still, be careful. A being like this may try and manipulate you. Always consider that it may be lying, and be very cautious before you make any deals."

"The creature may hold all the cards right now, but for once I find myself agreeing with your fool of a blade. Oh naive little Lidia, be careful with bargains. They are mighty tools for the wise, but they are never equal. In any exchange, there is someone who is walking away with more, and someone with less. Remember that. Make sure you've decided which one you'd like to be..."

[bladescape]

Teatime, if there is really any specific times according to the deities.

Kai found herself bemused once more, although she was no longer that confused or unsure of herself. The time that had passed and her accomplishments so far had lent her a bit of confidence. "Greetings. I am currently watching the progression of my creations. And, since you liked the music, I hope you also enjoy my Fair ones."

Well, they played music, played games on others and were really cute... Or most of them were anyways. What was not to like? "Well, if there is none others, I suppose it would do no harm." She replied to the bestest friend question with a smile. "I personally agree with you on the whole Spirit wars at any rate."

[Shmee]

Talking Heros

Lidia had a blank expression across her face. Her innocence had proven hindering in this case, she knew not what the rat ment. Finally it clicked in her head. “Ohhh.. You want something? Well I guess its only fair. You don’t owe us any favores really.” Lidia thinks for a bit. “I don’t know how badly Master wants the in-fo. I guess you can just state your price."

Skizziks' Mate considers Lidia's words for a few moments before making up his mind. Turning around, Skizziks' Mate reaches into his cloak and produces a vile stone the size of one's fist, evil powers clearly emanating from it.


"This is all that remains of the Great Matriarch's enemies. Sacred! Very-very sacred for Ratfolk! In Skizzblight finding this would be enough to buy you a good-good portion of the city! Now then... listen-listen carefully... you are to take this rock... present it to one who created the moon! Show it to Siofra ... have her bless-bless it with her insanity! Then return the entire thing to me. Do this... I will not only tell you where the soul is... I will even lead you straight-straight to it!"

He says with a cheeky grin.

Skizzblight

Word had come to the Temple Matriarch in Skizzblight that the hateful Coatl were now trying to forcefully convert the Ratfolk. And were even sending these fools into Skizzblight to convince the Rats that the Coatl was promising them a good life. Skizzblight had just a few months before seen the "good life" that the Coatl promised. The Rats were not as stupid as the Coatl may think.

Indeed, soon the Coatl would not know what hit them. From her balcony the Temple Matriarch shrieks

"Rats of Skizzblight! Under siege-siege are we! Even as we squeak, the treacherous Coatl seek to destroy us! Broke their word did they! Now they wish to steal-steal us do they! Do not believe their words of "better life" were was their better life when die-kill all our children did they? They think we have forgotten? It was only a few months ago! But rouse the anger of the Great Matriarch they have! And now they shall pay! Behold!"

With that, the Temple Matriarch raises her paws into the air and with a claps it loudly. As she does divine energy flows through her hand, and the sound of her clap is sent across the whole of Skizzblight all tunnels leading to it and the surface on top of the Ratfolk city. As the sound-wave travels, all of a sudden, all Coatl and indeed, all those who had entered the whole underground with malicious intent towards the Ratfolk found themselves miraculously teleported back to where ever they came from.

All around the tunnels, the Ratfolk who had previously been hypnotized by Coatls find themselves freed for their grip, and naturally, hating the surface, quickly scuttled down back to Skizzblight where they began chittering about how devious and evil the Coatl were for stealing their free will.


AP3= 4-1, Curse: Anyone in the tunnels or around the surface outside of Skizzblight (I also include Etheral Skizzblight) and its tunnels are teleported far away.



Meanwhile back in Skizzblight, the Temple Matriarch points towards the monument which was built from the bones of the slain Ratfolk Children following the First Battle of Skizzblight.

"Behold! The Ratlings of Skizzblight are witnesses to our enemies-foes maliciousness now and forever! Even in death-death, their ghosts protect us! They shall never forget, nor shall they ever forgive!"

As she speaks, the eye-sockets in the skulls of the slain children within the obelisk begin to glow red, as the dead children of Skizzblight renew their oath to protect the city for which they had given up their lives for. The bones start to scream in lamentation, as blood begins to pour out of their mouths.

As they do all of a sudden, Skizzblight simply disappeared out of all divine view.



Pantheon AP0 = 2-2, Create Artifact: The Witness of Lamentation.

A massive obelisk made out of the bones of the Ratlings who were slaughtered by the Coatl and the Reapers during the First Battle of Skizzblight. This grim memorial houses all the ghosts of the children who died that day. From within the Witness of Lamentation, the Ratlings are now guardians of the city.

Any god who isn't part of the Atheneum of Night will find that their ability to see into Skizzblight is blocked. (Also applies for Etheral Skizzblight) They only see a fog.

There is more to this artifact... but its too early to tell.

[omnitricks]

The cats were going on with their business. Planning and building up their city, hunting and trying to master that new game that the Coatls were trying to introduce to them when they started shimmering. Blinking out for a moment and reappearing on the same spot the next like nothing happened. Nothing but the Coatls disappeared as well.

Some gave a sigh of relief. Even if the Coatls were friendly, they still looked like an invasion party. The cats would finally be able to work on their own properly. Without worrying about looking back to see if the Coatls are looking and scrutinizing everything they did.

Rollover 0+3

[Dayzgone]

For once Lidia has agreed with both the voice in her head and Excalibur. They where rats and Miyzer had told her when asking for the information that they may look to swindle her. Apparently it still was not enough warning, Lidia goes to grab the stone but recoils just before. The last time she touched something like this, it put a really mean voice in her head. So before taking it she forms a diamond around the stone then takes it confident it won’t do anything to her now. “Ok let me speak with master…. He didn’t sound angry any more, it was really weird. I guess it will be ok if I tell him.” She looks back to Cronos in his depressed slump. “I’ll also see if he will come help you… ok?”

She takes off for Miyzer. She finds him floating near the sun, as she begins to get close Miyzer sees her. He raises a worried hand and the word “STOP” blasts through her mind. She freezes, she had forgotten what Miyzer had said before. Miyzer winks out, then reappears near her.

“Lidia be careful". He looks at her annoyed “That thing in you…. Its really starting to bother me.” He notices the stone in her hand. “Well, well, well. Another one, it seems “fate” is on my side for once. Let me see, the rat wanted that blessed by one of the elder gods”

Lidia shakes her head yes “He said he would lead me to the soul if we did this”

Miyzer laughs “Is that so? Hmmmm, this may prove helpful. But first we have something to take care of first.” He leans forward and places his hand on top of Lidias head. “White….May Eye have a word with you. You seem to be implanted in my young hero. How do we get you to leave?”

Me 1AP + 3 (rollover) = 4

Panthieon 3AP(reset)

[Darklady2831]

Cronos followed Lidia, and watched as Miyzer approached. He slowed, but remained close by, watching.

The Reaper's Madness

Cephiran rose in his court of bones, and raised his scythe high above his head. He brought it down, ripping a hole through planar boundaries, on the other side, he saw Skizziks herself. Stepping through, he lofted in front of her and stopped. "Rat Queen..." he whispered, standing before her motionless.

[Shmee]

The Burrows

Unfortunately for Cephiran, he fell into the exact same trap that had been laid for Jespon and Tasrin when the world was still young. Upon entering, instead of reaching Skizziks, Cephiran finds himself lost, and instead of reaching the Rat goddess... he finds himself in...

Lets see where he went (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11859489&postcount=3725)

When I created the plane, I said that simply appearing is impossible, as it is an endless maze of tunnels and it would defeat the whole purpose of the plane in the first place. And since it seems that people aren't willing to play along with what I have made, then I said that anyone who enters the Burrows would have to roll a dice to see where they would end.

So since Cephiran teleported, he is sent somewhere randomly with a roll of the dice.

So the list goes like this.

1) You got lost (roll again)
2) Some where on the Material Plane
3) You got lost
4) The Moon
5) You got lost
6) You bump into Skizziks herself
7) You got lost
8) The Moon (again)
9) You got lost
10) Some where on the Material Plane
11) You got lost
12) The Sun
13) You got lost
14) The Black Hole (which means mortals die)
15) You got lost
16) That lab place
17) You got lost
18) Elysium Planes/Shimmering City
19) You got lost
20) Abyss
21 You got lost

I think I have all the planes. If I forgot one, tell me and I'll add it. If Cephiran wants to see Skizziks in person he'll just have to try again.


... the Abyss, the home of the Destroyer were demons spend all their time ripping each other apart in eternal combat.

The Sun

All of a sudden a voice is heard

"Ah see-see do I! Now it all makes sense! In league you are!"

says Skizziks' Mate, having followed Cronos and Lidia.

"Hi-hi!" he says to everyone waving at them.

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran screams in fury, then slashes the air again, attempting to get into Skizzik's lair once more.

[roll0]

He appears within the Black Hole, then screams "Enough!"

Slashing the air again, he moves into the Ethereal plane near Skizzblight. He is alone, not a single reaper near him. "Rat Queen! I call upon you! Come face me so that I may speak to my adversary for once!"

[hustlertwo]

Nomnipitus the Relocater

The Gelatines who have moved into the new section of Skizzblight generously provided for them look up at the disturbances around them with limited interest.

Elsewhere, those still located on the Eye of Etu continued their daily toils, peppered with the occasional strike on the diminished Grahlem forces.

Nomnipitus smiled at his creations and their ability to thrive in both war and peace.

Such beauty, such devotion to our higher calling. But while Globulus watches over our original colony of Puddington Station, I need someone to shepherd the flock in Skizzblight.

He reaches down and imbues his favor in the brave and erstwhile messenger that had sealed their alliance with the ratlings.

Arise and take your place as my left hand, Sir Squish.

No problem, boss. I'll make sure things stay nice and tender between us and those delightfully sneaky whiskerfaces.

AP: 4+3 (rollover)-1 for Raise Hero: Sir Squish. Total: 6.

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer notices the Rat hero and holds up his finger, to indicate that he is busy and will be right with him

Oh in case anyone didn’t realize, Miyzer is listening in on Lidias thoughts, so that he may hear the voice in her head and talk with it.

[Selinia]

Dig a little deeper

"Hail unto thee, Lord of Eyes. I was wondering when you would try this..."

The voice echoed in Miyzer's mind, as if spoken across a large and empty room. Lidia would not note any change, but the tone of the voice was definitely different - polite, sweet even. A far cry from the dull mockery it tended to slip into with her. But the throbbing wrongness was buried there still, deep inside Lidia's heart.

"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Kyujinn, though White is an apt descriptor. I assure you, I am not in this vessel by choice. I am as unable to leave as you are unable to make me. The problem is, I have nowhere to be. I am... I think the best way to put it is that I have something of a deficit of reality. Until very recently, I was trapped in a most grievous confinement. Lady Lidia has assisted me to a degree, but ultimately she seems to have only changed the decor of my prison."

"I need a wish. A wish is the magic that transforms a dream into reality. There is power enough in even a single heartfelt wish to bring me to true life. I have told her this. She knows how to remedy both our conditions, and yet she persists in her refusal to do so. You have me at your fingertips, true. There are several ways, oh Lord of Eyes, that this may end. You may purge me. You have that power. But as deeply rooted as I am, I assure you that any attempt to do so is going to turn this poor little girl's mind to mush."

"Or... she could simply make a wish. There is no bargain here, no trick. All I ask for is her deepest, truest, most selfishly heartfelt wish. That last bit is important. I tell you this when I could withhold it, because I truly owe this girl. No wish is selfless, and denying your heart to pretend that that is not true will bring you more pain than you can possibly imagine. Because that is the wish I shall ride to existence, and... it will come true, one way or another."

Teatime, Doubly So

"Mmmhmmm!" Siofra flops over onto her stomach, propping her chin on her hands as she looks down. "Your people are super-pretty and stuff, and they're lots of fun! I don't really thing they're fair though. They cheat aaaaall the time. With stuff. Kinda like the kitties, but more, and not with the Moon. That's fun though. It'd be waaa~aaay boring if everyone did the same thing."

"But neater, you have to admit."
"Who wants that kind of neatness? That's just screwed up to even think about."
"Bah, if actions were the same, then the truly brilliant would rightfully excel!"
"So you'd be out..."

"You know, I was actually thinking, everyone is being all silly with this while stuffy-face sillimagigings with the souls and stuff. You know what everyone needs? A party! The Best Party Ever! I saw them try and throw and party, and it was kinda sad actually. They didn't do anything... not even serve punch or play catchy music! Only Mister Lookie even brought a present!"

"Which is why, since you're my bestest-best friend now, I'm inviting you to join the Supreme Lunar League of Party Commissioning and Assorted Fun Activities for Everyone!" Suddenly, Siofra flings her arms wide. "We can do all sorts of stuff! We'll throw a party, and we can invite the kitties, and the Pretty-but-not-actually-very-fair peoples, and... and everyone else too!"

[bladescape]

Teatime, Triply so?

Kai laughs in reply to Siofra's summery of her people. "Fair Folk, as in Beauteous ones." She explains. "They don't really have to be fair as in fair."

She then listens to Siofra before replying again. "Sounds interesting. Just give me a moment." She almost seems to lean down off the couch, her hands weaving something in the air that descended to the world below.

"So, now, what's the preparations for the party, then?"

(Actions and results of the weaving will be in a post I'm working on.)

[bladescape]

Discoveries are fun!

Arteinis rushed through the undergrowth, enjoying the hunt of the prey and the smell of excitement. The other Fair Folk on the opposite team started firing the dud arrows that were often used in this game. A game intent on teaching the younger Fair Folk the naunces of hunting and trapping.

Ah, but the sneaky huntress had been expecting the trap, and had put on a little burst of speed and a flick to the right before stopping dead still. Then the music filled the clearing as she began to play upon the harp that was her main weapon. The other players quickly found themselves brought deep into sleep as the Huntress sped onwards, trying to catch up to the hunted member of the opponents team.

Through bushes and under branches, she tracked the slightest of disturbances. This was a younger member, much easier to track then some of the more experienced evaders.

The rush to track the target actually led her to fooling herself, and she found herself in a glowing clearing she'd never seen before. She could feel the power of this clearing.

It had connections all over the land. She could feel the disorientation of the heart of the power that the Fairfolk used...

Arteinis smiled. Now, this could be her little secret for now, couldn't it?

Actions.

1AP + 3(Rollover)=4
4-1(Join Pantheon)-2(Create Plane:Heart of the Forest, has connections to all wooded lands.)=1AP.

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer holds steady. “Well Kyujin, that is your problem. She will not make a wish like that because it goes against all that she is. If she was to make such a wish, then she will be lost in the confines of her mind and morality. But Eye do beleave Eye know a way to free you from her.” Miyzer leans over and whispers in Lidias ear.

She looks up and smiles at him before looking at Excalibur in a sad face. “Im sorry Cal, im going to have to give you back for a bit” She hands off the sword to Miyzer, who then backs away from her. Light begins to glow in her eyes as she makes her wish. “I wish……”

[planswalker]

The Coatl - The Sun

"Lord Etu, thou have far more wisdom than I. I would ask you in an instant, but I do not know what to ask. You are divine, and see further than me. Could you perhaps examine this thing and see if duplicty is hidden within? I am sorry, Lord Etu."



The Sun

All of a sudden a voice is heard

"Ah see-see do I! Now it all makes sense! In league you are!"

says Skizziks' Mate, having followed Cronos and Lidia.

"Hi-hi!" he says to everyone waving at them.

Etu's voice can be heard in the minds of all present.

Child of my child, if you wish to know of this thing's nature, ask the one who just appeared before me. He knows of it. In the presence of so many gods, it will be known if he deceives you.

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

In a golden flash, a second orb of light appears from nowhere, materialising at Etu's side.

"I have been absent of late, but I have been watching. I must agree with my father Etu, Coatl. Ask the rat, and I am certain he will answer. I must also thank you, Etu and Mizer, for your kindness to this one in my absence."




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



The Coatl - The Sun

The Coatl stood in silence for a brief time, and then spoke, it's voice quiet and wavering.
"Mate of Skizziks, where is the soul of the Coatl that was lost?"

[Selinia]

Upon a Shooting Star

There was a brief flare of light, almost blinding in its intensity. It was for only the tiniest of moments, but what had happened could not be undone.

"Ha... ahahahaha!" The sound, coming from somewhere nearby, was difficult to pinpoint at first. But unlike the dull tones the being had used prior, this laughter seemed... genuine. And with a moment of searching, it was located - it wasn't actually a person at all. In fact... it looked almost cat-like, albeit unlike any specific species even Miyzer would know of. Long, floppy, bell-shaped ears hung at the sides of a round face that was wearing a feline smirk. Or maybe that was just its natural expression. It was hard to tell.

It raised a paw demurely, licking it once and proceeding to smooth out a patch of unruly white fur on its head, before directing crimson eyes - solid crimson, with neither white nor pupil - at Lidia and her mentor. "You know, I warned you. That is why I am laughing. Because you made someone else's wish. Do you have any idea what that is going to wind up costing you? I think the correct response here would it 'It'd be funny, if it weren't so sad' - but it's funny anyway." It tilted its round head a few degrees, and added as an afterthought, "Nothing against you, bit I did try and warn you. I hope you get off easy, in any case."

It stood before them, but still seemed to prefer telepathy to normal speech - if it was even capable of such. But the essence of wrongness that it can manifested seemed... weaker now, and it was fading quite fast. As if the increasingly-solid body in which it dwelt was being used to shield the essence that lay at the entity's core. In a mere handful of heartbeats, it was as if the thing had no alignment at all.

Kyujin stood, stretching out its limbs like the cat it now so resembled. "Don't worry though, Little Lidia, Lovely Lidia, Lidia the perhaps-a-little-too-Innocent. I will carry out your wish. I always fulfill my promises. Speaking of which, I think we are in rather auspicious company here." A paw swept out to encompass the assembled divinity of the Pantheon of Order and its heroic (and less-than-so) guests. "I actually feel a tiny bit out of place here..."

The conical ears somehow managed to droop even more, though the actual expression of the creature did not change (in fact, its face seemed to be entirely static, not even blinking). It was... well, it was cute, there was no way around it. "...Lord of Eyes, you see me now. Because I owe you my freedom, is there anything you would like to ask? I am afraid that I cannot grant one of your wishes, and there is a great deal that I must do before I can grant this girl's own. But questions, I can answer."

Teatime, So What?

"Weee~eeell... let's see..." Lady Luck held up a hand, as if tallying off items on a list. "We need... guests. Mortal guests and divine guests, 'cause they're waaa~aaay more fun if you're doing both. And that means we're gonna need someplace down there to hold the party too, since when you bring mortals into the Void they kind explode. Which is funny, but then they can't play games and stuff."

"Oooohhh, that'd be fun, actually! We could have some of them tie the others to rockets, and then some of the rockets are going to explode! It'd be like the lottery, but with explosions instead of money!"
"Forgive me for asking, but... why would anyone enter into a contest to be exploded?"
"Maybe because they lost another contest? One where they have to punch each other a lot?"
"Obviously we'd only be strapping ugly people to the rockets. It actually makes sense, if you think about it - they'll become a pretty explosion, even if just for a few seconds. We're doing them a favor, really."
"I... suppose... from a certain point of view..."

As usual, the goddess ignored her internal monologue - though the idea was certainly a fun one. "Oh! And of course, we'll need to have some games. That's super-duper important! Nobody will stay if the party isn't exciting enough! So we'll have to think up some of those. Maybe Tasrin will help with that. He's the Supreme Kitty, but he's also the Game-Rolling Dice-Power Person In Chief, Deluxe. I think. I'm not sure if he knows that, but whatever." Siofra refocuses on Kai, smiling wide. "What do you think is fun? Are trees fun? You seem to like trees a lot, so they must be fun, right?"

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

"Speak truth-truth does Etu! Not lies when I say I know where lost soul is! Even tell you I will when I get paid... but..." he says pointing to Mizer "It is not I who deceives but you! Wishing to trick me into giving information for your ally-buddy did you! Very treacherous indeed! Very well! Increase my price do I... both stones need to be bless-blessed before I squeak what I know!"

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer folds his arms. “Well Lidia the strange cat like thing is right, your own innocence has definitely brought you pain. Ironic is it not, the very thing you have been made to protect is what caused you so much harm. Even one selfish act is too much, it will cost you everything."

Lidia begins to sob again “But you said that-(Myizer interrupts) “So it’s a good thing that you had made a selfless wish, and asked for an artifact… to give me for my birthday.” Lidia looks at Miyzer wide eyed and confused “Eye do believe it’s coming up soon, so I expect to be receiving your gift as soon as the wish goes through” Lidia hugs Miyzer “Lidia, maybe you should cut down on that, it seems be getting you in trouble.” He pulls her off and places her at distance. Then looks straight into her eyes “Now let’s try and keep you from making the same mistake twice”

Miyzer’s left eye begins to swirl and glow again. Millions of tiny stars flow from his left eye and into Lidia’s right. Once over Lidia blinks and rubs her right eye, it now resembling Miyzer’s.

“That should keep you from getting into as much trouble, you should have almost as much clarity as Eye. So no more crying, it clouds your vision” Miyzer then goes to hand Excalibur back “Well…Cal. Do you still wish to be Lidia’s partner?”

4AP- 1 (Creat concept: Birthday partys) -3(Infuse Hero: Lidia)=0

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

"Now, you seem to be very gung-ho about this. Below us, on the earth, the Coatls are preparing to go to war over this soul, and you must know that thousands of ratfolk will die if that comes to pass. I encourage you to tell us why you want the stones blessed, rat."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate, the Sun

The Herald simply shrugs at Aei "Yes-yes! I know! And if you don't get those stones blessed-blessed... then for more than just one Coatl soul you'll be looking for! Care little if you trust me... deal-deal I made for your sake!"

Scratching his chin he says with a malicious grin

"Hmmm... want to know why I want these stones blessed-blessed... I see-see... how much is this information worth to you?" he says holding his paw out.

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

The sphere of light that is Aei pauses a moment, and then continues.
"You are brave, rat. You stand in front of a council of gods and refuse to answer their questions, instead attempting to sell them infomation. However, I think that crosses the line from Brave to Stupid. I understand that you would wish to lie to mortals, but lying to gods is simply not going to be possible.
Mizer, I suspect that if you simply read his mind, you would be able to determine the infomation we seek. It is a sad fact that he will not tell us on his own, but I do not trust the rat mother that he is sent from."

Since God > Hero, I figure it's the same here as it is with heroes and mortals. Thus, we can read his mind if we must.

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate, the Sun

Skizziks Mate simply smirks "Umm... you know what? So foolish fool of a fool-fool are you... give you a tip I shall... free of charge... next time you want to be sneaky-treacherous... don't announce it. Buh-bye!" with that the Herald zips away.

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer suddenly takes notice of the situation behind him. Miyzer puts his hand out to stop the rat emissary. “Hold, Eye am sorry for ignoring you but, Eye still need some things answered.”

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate


"Double cross me twice-twice you have tried! But not your fault you are fool-fools! If answers you want... then learn must you how to grease the messenger! Know my price you already do, yes-yes? When you have what I want..." he points to Lidia "... have that breeder deliver it to me. Yes-yes? Call me three times she shall, and I shall be there! You no pay price I ask-ask? Destroy Skizzblight you may... but still never shall you find it! If more questions you have... well... we can discuss price later, yes-yes? Buh-bye!" with that Skizziks' Mate snaps his paw instantly vanishing. Any attempts to track him down at the moment is futile.

[Draken]

Skizzblight - Etherward

Immediately before Cephiran's arrival, al ghosts of Skizzblight cross to the material plane.

[planswalker]

Aei - The Sun

The sphere of light that is Aei pauses a moment, and then continues.
"You are brave, rat. You stand in front of a council of gods and refuse to answer their questions, instead attempting to sell them infomation. However, I think that crosses the line from Brave to Stupid. I understand that you would wish to lie to mortals, but lying to gods is simply not going to be possible.
Mizer, I suspect that if you simply read his mind, you would be able to determine the infomation we seek. It is a sad fact that he will not tell us on his own, but I do not trust the rat mother that he is sent from."

Since God > Hero, I figure it's the same here as it is with heroes and mortals. Thus, we can read his mind if we must.

no, no, NO! You may NOT just meta your way to knowledge that Shmee is very clearly keeping a secret on purpose just because your god is more powerful than a hero. Keep in mind, this is a god's consort. You really need to stop trying to find ways to be practically omniscient like spamming scrying and mind-raping heroes. If heroes are immune to ap-powered curses, they are CERTAINLY immune to ap-free fluffed equivalents such as invading their minds without the player's permission.

At the callous suggestion that a god merely invade the mind of a mortal and take whatever information they want, Etu grows furious.

YOU PETTY, FOOLISH CHILD! YOU WOULD SUGGEST IN MY VERY PRESENCE THAT A GOD USE HIS POWERS TO BETRAY A MORTAL'S RIGHTS?

Leave me now, before I forget whose child you are and slay you myself for your evil. Your evil is worse than that of the rat's openness, for he does not pretend to parade around as one born of Light. You speak as though you seek what is good and just, yet your kind murdered countless innocents in petty revenge, respect no life weaker than yourself, mistrust one based not on anything he has done but on who his mother was, and now you have the audacity in my presence to suggest we take what we want regardless of our right to it? I label you and your kind craven and tyrants, and you best never come here to me again unless you have shown yourselves to have abandoned your evil ways.

pantheon ap: 2=3-1 curse(coatls are barred from approaching any closer to the Sun than the barrier of the material that gods cannot cross. It's not a matter of "if they try, something happens". They simply cannot approach closer than that. Any spell attempting to bring them closer simply deposits them at the edge of the boundary, and they cannot travel forward in a direction that takes them closer than that.)

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer was a little dumbfounded by the rats sudden anger. “Well…. Eye actually had something more to ask then the stone. But Eye suppose it can wait till another time”

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer jumps from the sudden booming voice coming from the sun. He quickly rushes closer “Calm yourself my lord. Aie speaks in frustration, and is not one to have mortals demand things from him. Especially when the demand comes from a old enemy.”

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

Aei turns to Etu. If it is possible for a glowing ball of light to look suprised, he manages it.
"You call the Coatls tyrants, and rage at me for my suggestion that to aid an innocent, we force a liar to tell the truth...
And in all of this, you claim morality.
I must agree with you, however, I have judged Skizziks too harshly. You today have acted in a more despicable way than she ever had. I encourage you to rethink.

In anger at my attempt to save the soul of an innocent, what have you done? You have not lashed out at me. You have lashed out at the race of Coatls, a group that is utterly innocent in this situation.
You blame them for what, exactly? From what I can tell, for keeping their oath to your son Ceriphan. For aiding him in carrying out the mission that you set him.

You claim that I have breached mortal's rights. What rights are these, exactly? The Right to have their souls stolen? The right to be locked away from the sun out of a god's pique? The right to be mutated horribly in the night without their permission? The right to be forced to bow by divine command to a group in their populace?
No? It seems to have been the right to lie. Indeed, Etu, you are a great moral force in the world. You relentlessly mutate the Loxo to satisfy your whims, you strike out at mortals because you are slightly annoyed with their divine parent....
And most importantly, you have failed to intervene on the planet below. On that cursed realm, blood sacrifice and torture are common everyday. Miyzer and I have done our best to stop that, he with a Lidya and I with the Coatls. Even your sister has done something to help, and created a future for those who's destinies have been lost.
You? Have hidden in the sun, refusing to intervene.

If you wish me to leave, I will leave. But I would have you speak not in anger but with thought, and show a modicum of self control. Release your curse on my children, and think through your rash actions. And then, perhaps, look on the world with a kind eye, for once. Untill then, Father, I have more respect for Skizziks than I do for you. She at least does not claim righteousness while lying to the world and hiding. If I leave, you do not need to fear a counterstrike. I will not attack the Loxo, as I am not such a coward, and I will not attack you, because I do not enjoy violence.

Miyzer, I am sorry that I have brought you into this. I have nothing but respect for you. Coatl, I advise you to take a good look around before leaving. I will protect you from a parting shot from Etu, but I suspect this is the last your innocent people will see of this supposed font of righteousness. "


Sure, no problem. No need to get angry.

[Darklady2831]

Cronos watches as Etu curses the Coatls and becomes enraged. Aei fumes at him in anger at his inaction. Sighing, Cronos soars up, hailing the feuding dieties. "My Lord, glorious Etu Achak, creator of my creator, light of all... I beg of you, do not punish the coatls for what they did... it was my lord Cephiran who made the pact with them, they had no choice in the matter."


Meanwhile...

Cephiran was getting impatient, he bellowed in fury and tore a hole in reality, launching himself into the burrows in a desperate attempt to find Skizziks.

[roll0]
I rolled more here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11874049&postcount=3740)

Cephiran screams in fury, ripping portal after portal open in reality, forcing himself through planar boundaries in vain attempts to reach Skizzik's lair. Eventually he stops as he is shunted backwards through his portal, which has opened up onto the Material Plane somewhere in the deadlands. "Curse that verminous witch... however... this... is interesting..." Cephiran's interest has been piqued, and after many planar disturbances, they stop suddenly, as he opens up a second portal to the Elysian Plains, and calls upon his reapers to swarm through, scouting out the deadlands.

[bladescape]

Teatime in the sky!

Kai laughs. "No, the trees are beautiful. What is fun is what you can do around them. For instance, try chasing someone in a forest, lots of places to hide, no?"

She gestures down towards her own creations hunting each other. "See? They chase and search for each other. And they enjoy doing so. It is a game, to be played for the excitement of the chase."

[bobthe6th]

birth

really really late but I hope this explanation of what he has been doing and were he has been is ok.

light, sound, scent, touch; a flood of information. light, enemies of creator, responsibility. all this new information, must think. confusion, flight necessary, must regroup and plan. need darkness, need void.

James flees the citadel, heading for the darkness, for the void.

ahhh... the lack of feeling, the total sensory deprivation. no need to understand, no to plan; just the dark and he.

Hanging in the void, James lets his consciousness fade, lets himself sink into lethargy. But the void is not perfect, for he wakes suddenly, the light of the stars and sun bright.

What is this, the darkness is rended. This light destroys it, harms it. He must defend it.

Reaching into the darkness, he gathers it, preserves it, shapes it. He gives this darkness the shape of a sword, a flowing blade with a single edge and a chisel tip. A Katana, a sword worthy of his grasp. He names it shade, granting it a spark of his divine power, so that it will every be a dark patch of sanctuary under the suns greatest light and the stars brightest twinkle.

Now armed he looks about him to see this place, draped in shadow so that the world will not dazzle him again.


create artifact-shade-2AP
infuse relic-shade-3AP
2 AP left

[Selinia]

Something Borrowed

"Hmmm." The white feline-thing flipped over, floating lazily on its back. It seemed to be enjoying having a physical body at last. "You do know, I think I am outclassed here... for now." It continued to casually rotate in the Void, paws paddling in circles. "Since nobody seems to care, fare thee well, Lovely Lidia, Luminous Lidia. And to you as well, oh Miyzer-Vezer, Lord of Eyes. I would wish you a nice future, but..." It seemed to snicker. "...well, I know how dangerous that could be. So I merely say, until we meet again."

For the first time, the apparently static face moved... sort of. The mouth opened wider than logically ought to be possible, and promptly ate the remainder of the body, leaving nothing of the strange creature behind.

But for all that, Excalibur seemed unworried as Lidia's small hands clasped it once more. "Milady. As ever, it is an honor to be thy instrument. Your innocence is your strength, and Lidia... you are strong." A pulse of energy ricocheted into her spirit and back into the blade, renewing the bond between them. "Knight, dry thy tears. Lift me high, and together we shall be a shield for this world so broken. If we ever need feel fear, it is not for lack of purpose - manifold are the causes we may pursue. Merely name one, and I shall stand beside you in it."

Something Found

"I... see." Siofra seemed to actually be pondering the Wild Hunt for some time before resuming her bubbly smile. "You're right! You can do all sorts of stuff with a tree! But you know, just one tree is kinda boring. That's no good." She nodded. "But you know, I think I have an idea. 'Cause, like, I was looking, and there are a lot of people down there, but most of them are all like 'Meh, I'm not going to do anything'. Only the itty-bitty-digger-people even tried to go other places. And I figured out why."

Indignantly, the goddess points at the ocean. "That's why! The ocean is like, super-duper boring! And stupidly hard to get across! It isn't fair like not-cheating, or fair like pretty! And that means that its laaa~aaame! We need to make everyone meet up or something, and I think I have an idea..." Bouncing to her feet, only to fall to her knees next to the lounging form of Kai, Siofra whispered in possibly the loudest whisper ever to the fey goddess. A plan for possibly the funnest thing ever...

[planswalker]

Aei - The Sun

Aei turns to Etu. If it is possible for a glowing ball of light to look suprised, he manages it.
"You call the Coatls tyrants, and rage at me for my suggestion that to aid an innocent, we force a liar to tell the truth...
And in all of this, you claim morality.
I must agree with you, however, I have judged Skizziks too harshly. You today have acted in a more despicable way than she ever had. I encourage you to rethink.

In anger at my attempt to save the soul of an innocent, what have you done? You have not lashed out at me. You have lashed out at the race of Coatls, a group that is utterly innocent in this situation.
You blame them for what, exactly? From what I can tell, for keeping their oath to your son Ceriphan. For aiding him in carrying out the mission that you set him.

You claim that I have breached mortal's rights. What rights are these, exactly? The Right to have their souls stolen? The right to be locked away from the sun out of a god's pique? The right to be mutated horribly in the night without their permission? The right to be forced to bow by divine command to a group in their populace?
No? It seems to have been the right to lie. Indeed, Etu, you are a great moral force in the world. You relentlessly mutate the Loxo to satisfy your whims, you strike out at mortals because you are slightly annoyed with their divine parent....
And most importantly, you have failed to intervene on the planet below. On that cursed realm, blood sacrifice and torture are common everyday. Miyzer and I have done our best to stop that, he with a Lidya and I with the Coatls. Even your sister has done something to help, and created a future for those who's destinies have been lost.
You? Have hidden in the sun, refusing to intervene.

If you wish me to leave, I will leave. But I would have you speak not in anger but with thought, and show a modicum of self control. Release your curse on my children, and think through your rash actions. And then, perhaps, look on the world with a kind eye, for once. Untill then, Father, I have more respect for Skizziks than I do for you. She at least does not claim righteousness while lying to the world and hiding. If I leave, you do not need to fear a counterstrike. I will not attack the Loxo, as I am not such a coward, and I will not attack you, because I do not enjoy violence.

Miyzer, I am sorry that I have brought you into this. I have nothing but respect for you. Coatl, I advise you to take a good look around before leaving. I will protect you from a parting shot from Etu, but I suspect this is the last your innocent people will see of this supposed font of righteousness. "


Sure, no problem. No need to get angry.

You are a foolish child indeed. You claim that I hide. Strangely enough, though, you seem to have no trouble locating my body. You must be the sort of fool who assumes that I am somehow other than what I am. If you think that there is somehow a me apart from my body, you are the single greatest fool in creation.

You, however, have condoned for your mortals to slaughter countless children and helpless victims. Your folly lead to the deaths of multitudes for little reason. Your children have slaughtered in your name and speak openly of other abominations. Lash back at me as a child throwing a tantrum all you wish. That does not change the truth.

Leave. Hope I never see you again.

spending the rest of the pantheon ap to reinforce the curse with 2 more ap.

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

"I see you cannot be reasoned with. You claim that you do not hide... But you do. You may be visible, but you have failed to help the world. You have not hidden physically, but you have refused to help the innocent.

I have never condoned any slaughter. No Coatl has died in my name. For a god of truth, you lie more than any other god.

Mizer, I ask you a question, before I leave... You see that Etu has taken your power from your Pantheon to continue his vendetta against the Coatls. Who else is in this Pantheon, may I ask? I would suggest that you either act to cut him off from his power if he would misuse it, or simply talk to him. He will not listen to me.

Coatl, leave now. I wish you luck, but I cannot guarntee your safety here any more. I will attempt to reason with the mad sun god, but... It has gladdened my heart to see your bravery in not fleeing from his wrath, however. Goodbye, Coatl, and I expect to see you again soon. "

[planswalker]

Aei - The Sun

"I see you cannot be reasoned with. You claim that you do not hide... But you do. You may be visible, but you have failed to help the world. You have not hidden physically, but you have refused to help the innocent.

I have never condoned any slaughter. No Coatl has died in my name. For a god of truth, you lie more than any other god.

Mizer, I ask you a question, before I leave... You see that Etu has taken your power from your Pantheon to continue his vendetta against the Coatls. Who else is in this Pantheon, may I ask? I would suggest that you either act to cut him off from his power if he would misuse it, or simply talk to him. He will not listen to me.

Coatl, leave now. I wish you luck, but I cannot guarntee your safety here any more. I will attempt to reason with the mad sun god, but... It has gladdened my heart to see your bravery in not fleeing from his wrath, however. Goodbye, Coatl, and I expect to see you again soon. "

You rant and rave at me, yet I see no reason to your arguments. I hide from none, and do only what I must. I am me and if you accuse me of being a god of truth, I only speak truth for it is greater than lies. Truth is an ideal, but is not my goal. You speak follies and misunderstand my very nature. The coatl you think you have spoken to has been gone snce I first addressed you. Nonetheless, it does not surprise me that even in this you decieve yourself. You have even convinced yourself that wholesale murder is acceptable.

the curse wasn't a "Oh, please do leave if you aren't brave" It was a "you are not here anymore and are somewhere else."

and if you object to how I used the pantheon ap, well... use it yourself next week to undo the cure if you'd rather do that than stop teleporting your minions in to massacre people.

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

"You claim I rant, but have failed to answer any of my points."

Actually...
"coatls are barred from approaching any closer to the Sun than the barrier of the material that gods cannot cross. It's not a matter of "if they try, something happens". They simply cannot approach closer than that. Any spell attempting to bring them closer simply deposits them at the edge of the boundary, and they cannot travel forward in a direction that takes them closer than that."
No mention of Coatls in the zone being moved. They simply can't approach any further. So while the Coatl cannot move towards the sun in that area, he was still present.

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

Having finished his business on the sun, quickly goes to Etheral Skizzblight, where he was supposed to give Skizziks' answer to the challenge laid down to her. However upon arrival, he finds that in fact the god of Death had left

"Curse-curse them! Delayed me they did!" he shrieks gnawing his tail in frustration. Well... he decides... perhaps it would be better if he did not mention this failure to Skizziks. Giving a shrug, the ratty Herald is once again off into Skizzblight itself.

[Draken]

Lands of the Dead

Scouting the Deadlands reveals the many ghostly settlements.

Many.

More.

A continent pocked by miriad of different groups of ghosts, with more arriving by the day. No real organization either, just small villages with no leadership and only what little cohesion is needed to keep up the masquerade of daily life.

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer eye is swirling like mad. “ENOUGH! You are acting like well informed children” He stops and takes notice of the cowering Coatle

Im going with that it’s still there btw because that’s how I had seen it working also

“Lidia remove the Coatle and stay below the edge of our reach, this much divine tension is enough to kill a mortal” Lidia beacons for Cronos to follow, then takes the Coatle and leaves.

“First and formost Aei… Eye am the keeper of truth not Etu, and as such Eye will tell you what is! Aei, Etu does not do such things because that would not be good. War is war, no matter what the intentions, there should never be an excuse to it. Him joining in such peaty things would be infringing on both his beliefs. [Good(light) Law(Civilization)] You both have your own rules that you have set forth. Because of this you have overlapped on some rules, and it brings disagreement.”

“Etu perhaps you did act to rashly, for this punishment that you have bestowed is a very draconian one. Why bar the creatures from the void. What harm are they out here. If you wanted a more just punishment, then maybe you could have made it so the Coatles could not attack those undeserving of their anger.”

“Aei you are right when it comes to some things of interest. But don’t use them to attack Etu, that is unfair, and can only be responded to in anger. Etu, he brings up a point of large value, you did not act to keep the Coatles from attacking the rats the first time. Which must mean you had first seen their move as a rightjus one (sry no clue how to spell that). You could be taking a more active role though. My champion had moved to keep the slaughter of ghosts at bay, but she was alone on this matter, where had you been, here arguing with a flower.”

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

The ball of golden light watches the Coatl being led away and then turns slowly to face Etu and Mizer.
"Thank you for your attempt at arbitration, I must still request Etu retract his claims that innocents have been slaughtered in my name. In addition, there were many ways that he could have intervened in the world without war. He is a god, after all. But I agree that this line of discussion will be unfruitful.

His lashing out at the Coatls, in addition, was unprovoked and cowardly. But I will not press the point. Etu, I ask you to calm down, and speak rationally and logically with us. I am sure Mizer as well does not wish you to lash out at those who would be your friends over a complaint that truly does not exist. I have never had anyone slaughtered in my name, and never will."

[Darklady2831]

Cronos reluctantly followed Lidia, sighing. "I can only hope that they come to an agreement somehow..."



Cephiran however, had heard, had known of this arguement, for his own divine will lurked within Cronos. Cephiran scythed open a portal to near the sun, leaving his reapers to their scouting business. "Ah... my siblings squabble with their father... Hail, Lord Etu... Miyzer... Aei."

Chuckling, Cephiran wrenched Cronos through space to stand beside him. "I've heard rumor of... disagreements..." Cephiran seemed eerily calm. "Has something upset you, father?"

Cephiran grinned wickedly as Cronos grimaced in pain. "Remember child..." Cephiran whispered to Cronos, "I am always watching you..."

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

The glowing ribbons of light turn, uncertain, to Ceriphan.They remain silent, for now, but they seem agitated.

[planswalker]

Aei - The Sun

"You claim I rant, but have failed to answer any of my points."

Actually...
"coatls are barred from approaching any closer to the Sun than the barrier of the material that gods cannot cross. It's not a matter of "if they try, something happens". They simply cannot approach closer than that. Any spell attempting to bring them closer simply deposits them at the edge of the boundary, and they cannot travel forward in a direction that takes them closer than that."
No mention of Coatls in the zone being moved. They simply can't approach any further. So while the Coatl cannot move towards the sun in that area, he was still present.




Miyzer eye is swirling like mad. “ENOUGH! You are acting like well informed children” He stops and takes notice of the cowering Coatle

Im going with that it’s still there btw because that’s how I had seen it working also

“Lidia remove the Coatle and stay below the edge of our reach, this much divine tension is enough to kill a mortal” Lidia beacons for Cronos to follow, then takes the Coatle and leaves.

“First and formost Aei… Eye am the keeper of truth not Etu, and as such Eye will tell you what is! Aei, Etu does not do such things because that would not be good. War is war, no matter what the intentions, there should never be an excuse to it. Him joining in such peaty things would be infringing on both his beliefs. [Good(light) Law(Civilization)] You both have your own rules that you have set forth. Because of this you have overlapped on some rules, and it brings disagreement.”

“Etu perhaps you did act to rashly, for this punishment that you have bestowed is a very draconian one. Why bar the creatures from the void. What harm are they out here. If you wanted a more just punishment, then maybe you could have made it so the Coatles could not attack those undeserving of their anger.”

“Aei you are right when it comes to some things of interest. But don’t use them to attack Etu, that is unfair, and can only be responded to in anger. Etu, he brings up a point of large value, you did not act to keep the Coatles from attacking the rats the first time. Which must mean you had first seen their move as a rightjus one (sry no clue how to spell that). You could be taking a more active role though. My champion had moved to keep the slaughter of ghosts at bay, but she was alone on this matter, where had you been, here arguing with a flower.”


Aei - The Sun

The ball of golden light watches the Coatl being led away and then turns slowly to face Etu and Mizer.
"Thank you for your attempt at arbitration, I must still request Etu retract his claims that innocents have been slaughtered in my name. In addition, there were many ways that he could have intervened in the world without war. He is a god, after all. But I agree that this line of discussion will be unfruitful.

His lashing out at the Coatls, in addition, was unprovoked and cowardly. But I will not press the point. Etu, I ask you to calm down, and speak rationally and logically with us. I am sure Mizer as well does not wish you to lash out at those who would be your friends over a complaint that truly does not exist. I have never had anyone slaughtered in my name, and never will."


Cronos reluctantly followed Lidia, sighing. "I can only hope that they come to an agreement somehow..."



Cephiran however, had heard, had known of this arguement, for his own divine will lurked within Cronos. Cephiran scythed open a portal to near the sun, leaving his reapers to their scouting business. "Ah... my siblings squabble with their father... Hail, Lord Etu... Miyzer... Aei."

Chuckling, Cephiran wrenched Cronos through space to stand beside him. "I've heard rumor of... disagreements..." Cephiran seemed eerily calm. "Has something upset you, father?"

Cephiran grinned wickedly as Cronos grimaced in pain. "Remember child..." Cephiran whispered to Cronos, "I am always watching you..."

I did not act to intervene, that is true. It also is not my nature to intervene in such an affair. That is why I created you, my children. I see now that I made one of my children rashly and regret his birth. The coatl I have banished from my sight for I can not stand to look upon them for the evils they have done. Destroying their free will or killing them would have been returning their evil in kind. Also note that they are banished only until they have come to repent of their evil. If you judge that what I have done is unprovoked and cowardly, so be it. If you think I acted foolishly, so be it. I have acted as I saw fit, and that is all I will say of this matter.

Cephiram, I thank you for coming, but know that the only anger I have is towards Aei who leads his people into evils while calling himself my son. I fear though that the ultimate fault is my own, for creating children who share my desire of justice and have not my desire of peace.

Aei, I have told you to leave once. Do not force me to make you leave.

that was not the intent of my curse, but I guess if you're going to be an ass about me having forgotten to say that the one coatl there was banished, fine. Whatever.

also, Etu's next action if Aei doesn't leave will be to roll for divine combat.

[bobthe6th]

Wondering
James travels, seeing but staying in the shade, safe. he sees the filled void of neverborn, the sun were a rather large scale argument seems to be happening, the various planes, and finally the wall before the mortal plane.

Home
But he has no place to call home. Another problem, another solution. He once again reaches into the shadows, and forms a plane. It is a place of shadows, empty nothing, lack. Not the hungry lack of neverborn, but the simple lack of anything. The plane is a place of darkness and solitude. Happy with his work, he once again rests...


weave plane 2AP
0 AP left
hope this isn't stepping on Neverborns toes, with the whole darkness trope.

so I think his wrath is going to be that of the sleeper awoken. heh, the deity of sleeping in.

destroyer, you might want to poke him, as he is not exactly causing much havoc or war. or anything at all. he has so far run away, then taken two naps.

[Dayzgone]

Miyzer respectfully bows out. “Well, then perhaps Eye will take my leave. Back to watching once more.” Miyzer looks down at Lidia, confident that he is leaving the position in capable hands, he departs into his stars.

[Selinia]

Something Whispered

There were advantages to being only partially real. And to being small, and comparatively powerless. Nobody tended to notice you. A crimson pair of eyes and feline grin watched the conflict between the gods of Order with amusement. Winking out, the non-presence shifted slightly behind the scenes. And Aei heard a faint murmur in his mind.

"You know, this may not be my business, but I can't help but notice that you're getting the short end of the stick here. As I have a certain empathy for underdogs, I can't help but offer a few words of advice... Etu, is his name? Etu the luminous, Etu the wise? I think I remember him. But you know... I'm not seeing that. I'm seeing something perhaps more akin to Etu the bully, Etu the Hypocrite. Is it just me, or is it amusing that in the same breath by which he denounces you for making a well-founded assumption on the nature of Skizziks' children, he judges an entire race anathema? That looks suspiciously like a cruel parent trying to justify their treatment of their child..."

"No... no, not a child. Children are taught. He isn't teaching. He never taught. He's commanding. You command animals. You command slaves. Is that what you are, Lord of Lights? Aei the animal? Aei the slave? It seems to be what he wanted from your creation, so displeased is he that you are not blindly following in his footsteps." It was hard to judge the tone. The sourceless voice was speaking levelly, methodically. "Look at him there. What is he going to do? Beat you? Etu the hypocrite, he probably would, having spoken so passionately of peace. Are you going to simply take his commands? For how long? Perhaps you will wait. Perhaps he will declare one day that the Coatls are beasts as well? Little lizards to serve under the heel of his mutated sycophants? Will you stand up then? Aei the Inspired, Aei the Glamorous?"

The presence shifted around the creator of the Coatl race, hoping to hide itself in his mighty aura.

[nolispe]

Aei - The Sun

The ribbons of light pause. If it is possible for a pyschic transmission to sound cold, it manages it.
"Instead of replying to my arguments with logic, you threaten me. Instead of explaining why you do not help the innocent, you claim it "is not in your nature". Instead of thinking, you curse my name. And such is your fear of talking to me you try and drive me out of your presence with violence. If I must, then, I will leave you, Tyrant. I hope to speak with you again some day, when you have seen the truth."

The light pauses, and then sends out a second transmission, hidden, and soft, using strange harmonics, invented in a moment of genius and not fully real, not detectable by Etu.
"You intrest me, voice. You speak to a god like you are their equal... But I find myself agreeing with you. I have not the power to sway Etu's command... But in time, it can be bent. Where are you from, Voice? Follow me, and we may speak further..."

Aei takes a last look at his erstwhile father, and, suddenly, vanishes. He reappears floating in the void, with the moon beneath him.
"Well, voice? What are you, and from where do you hail?"

[planswalker]

I love the part where you assume divine combat would somehow involve violence.

I am going to have Etu try to force you away through the strength of his will. Resulting in a divine contest of wills, ergo divine combat.

Etu - the Void

Aei gets out "Instead of replying.." before his whining rant is cut off by Etu's will compelling him to leave.

if you don't choose to resist and will leave, you may ignore the following divine combat roll.

If you want to get your last rant off, roll for it.

[roll0]

[nolispe]

Aei - Leaving

Aei sighs, and as his father lashes out, he vanishes. He then sends the message he had to his father from thousands of miles away through a psychic beacon.

[bobthe6th]

another stray beam
Aei's presence sends light into the void, slipping through the entrance of the shaded lands. This tiny spark of light, this infinitesimal flash, this unlucky beam awakens James.
"what... light, again! my beautiful cave, my beloved shade, my rest, besmirched by a glimmer in the void. BLASTED light, as I can not hide from you, I must destroy you."
James apeares in the void, red eyed and angry. he holds Shade ready to cut the light source in twane.

needed an excuse to wake up the napper, to start his whole wrath and war theam. divine combat seems like an interesting proposition.

[nolispe]

Aei - The Void

"How strange. Another god. Sheathe your blade, brother. Before you strike, I must ask - Why do you attack? Then I will be prepared to face you, if face you I must."

[bobthe6th]

Wrath
shaking his blade at the glowing god
"You bring light to the void. You destroy darkness without a thought, you sunder the calm of this place. What was calm and shaded, is now active and bright. That is why you must die!"
the shadows around James seem to shrink to just cover Shade, rendering it a mere splotch of darkness in the darkness of the void.

if it wasn't clear from the onset, James is not really in the right. and doesn't really care if he is.

[nolispe]

Aei - The Void

"Ah, a kindred spirit. I have come fresh from an engagement with the source of all light in this place. He struck at me, and I am encased in this glow. I will destory it soon enough, however. If you wish to stop the light polluting this place, I advise that you go the the vast light there and strike down the treacherous god within - for surely he will fall quickly before your blade. Good luck, brother. May darkness guide your heart."

The now rapidly-dimming ribbons that are Aei guesture somehow in the direction of the sun, and then vanish, now materialising on the surface of the moon.

[bobthe6th]

The Annoyance
Seeing the center of his hatred, James begins to fly toward it.
In his right mind, James would never try to take on the sun. It was bigger than him, and was so bright even Shade had problems stopping its light. But in his rage James doesn't care. He wants to stab some light, repeatedly if possible.
He lets Shade cover him in shadow, and closes with the sun.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia remained on the world for some time, visting family and old friends. It was nice and refreshing, it also gave her a chance try her new found powers. She no longer needed sleep and found not much use for it. So she would spend her nights alone with Excalibur atop the mounts of the valley of gems, and every so often found that there was work to be done on the world. She stopped many a mortal villain while surveying the land. One night she decided to look up for Miyzer. He simply floated there reading his stars in deep thought. As she went to look back down she caught sight of Aei, she went to wave at him. But saw that there was another. One who somehow faded into the background of the void. It was hard to tell what he was, but one thing was certain Aei may be in need of help.

She knelt slightly her wings flapping. She had yet to lift off the ground, but each push sent a gust of wind powerful enough to knock over a grown tree. She held Excalibur at the ready, she waited to see the Shade gods response. If it was good she would sit back down, bad, and she would be ready to intercept in a second. She may not be as strong as a god still. But with her new strength, she could give them a run for their money. “looks like we may be going back up Cal” The dark figure takes after the sun. “Alright, let’s go!” She pushes of hard and is sent like a rocket onto the void. Stopping right in front of the figure that is James. “Please do not come any closer, your rage is misdirected if you strike at the sun it will not end well for any. If you still attack, then you must face me first”

[planswalker]

The Annoyance
Seeing the center of his hatred, James begins to fly toward it.
In his right mind, James would never try to take on the sun. It was bigger than him, and was so bright even Shade had problems stopping its light. But in his rage James doesn't care. He wants to stab some light, repeatedly if possible.
He lets Shade cover him in shadow, and closes with the sun.

The Sun responds by watching the sad, strange being approach him. Whatever sort of antithetical hatred the being of darkness had towards light, Etu did not share it.

This was a being of hatred, anger and madness, but darkness was not something Etu feared, and one can only hate that which they first fear. Etu detested this being, for it was a large part of everything that was wrong in the universe. But the solution was not to attack, for that would only feed a god of war.

Dark one, I would ask why you are here but it seems that this is obvious. My child who accused me of being a coward sent you to do what he was too afraid to do himself: oppose me. Shall we fight to appease your lusts?

Etu would much rather this mad creature fight himself than a mortal who had no chance against it.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia relaxes a bit and pulls back closer to Etu, staying within his protection. She had gotten much better at hiding her fear. She new very well that she would have lost that fight. But it was her duty and she would fight till the very end for it. “Thank you Lord sun for looking out for me. But I won’t back down just like that, I’ll stand by to help. Because that’s what knights do, they protect.”

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran chuckles, looking at Lidia, he moves closer to Etu, behind Lidia. "A rogue godling wishes to fight my father... how... interesting." Cephiran materialized his scythe, smirking. "Any attempt to attack my father, will have to be dealt with..."

Cronos, meanwhile, reeled in agony, unable to produce a sound. He vomited, something no Reaper had done before, and collapsed in the void. He was obviously being punished by Cephiran for attempting to go behind his back.

As Cronos collapsed, a searing red light arced across his body, branding him with a sigil. This is VERY visible to those nearby.

[Niezck]

The Oncoming Storm

Athrala sat above the world, focused only on his creations below as they carved out their society and went about their daily life. though the Lord of the Deep finds himself with no desire for change or impulse to modify the world around him, he does find himself lacking.

The world is not yet in balance, nor is the protection of the oceans. To this end, Athrala entered a deep meditative state, concentrating on the oceans below.

It happened with a crash. The waves rose up, dragging Water Titan and innocent sea creature alike with it, as they rushed toward the coasts of the world. Each wave hit simultaneously, yet did no damage or destruction. In an instant each wave vanished, the water withdrawing and coalescing into a colossal form at the centre of the Water Titan empire. The first Ocean Lord was born.

Like the Water Titans in form, yet possessing superior physical and mental abilities, the Ocean Lord looked down at the sea below him and smiled. With a wave of his hand the water shifted direction and began spinning around him, creating a shield of liquid. Pleased with his mastery of the depths, the Ocean Lord looked to the stars and reached out.

"My lord, I stand ready."

Pleased with his creation, Athrala responded in kind.

"You know what you must do - visit each of the world's peoples in turn and teach them the ways of law and order. Teach them respect for the lands and for the sea, such that they gain my blessing. Do this for me, my child Poseidon, as my body upon that unobtainable world."

At his last words, the water shield surrounding Poseidon crashes inward, glowing slightly as it does so. Taken aback by this, Poseidon flinched yet remained on the spot, not quite fearing the water so much as being surprised by it.

"You are granted my gift, Poseidon, use it well."

Taller, stronger and more intelligent, Poseidon set out in the world to fulfill his task. First up - Ratfolk of Skizzblight.

His first task completed and his power growing weaker, Athrala uses what willpower remains for now to conjure several more Ocean Lords, though none as great as the first. Their task would be similar to that of the Water Titans, though they serve as religious leaders more than workers or guards, contacting Athrala when required to ask for guidance or advice.

Skizzblight

Directed by his lord's sight, Poseidon travelled deep inland and deeper still underground. He followed the winding passages and tunnels that lead straight to the outskirts of Skizzblight, stopping at his approach to the first ratfolk he can see.

"Hail Skizziks! Hail Skizzblight! I am Poseidon, Avatar of Athrala. I come in peace and with the gift of wisdom."

A formal introduction to be sure.


AP = 5+3-5-1-2=0

MR 5 Create Life: Ocean Lords. Like Water Titans in almost every way, Ocean Lords are significantly larger, have innate control of any nearby non-sentient body of water and can contact Athrala on demand. (Effectively at-will Commune in D&D terms.)

Raise Hero: Poseidon, First of the Ocean Lords.

Infuse Hero: Poseidon, Avatar of Athrala.

[bobthe6th]

The swing

James gathers the darkness of the void, every scrap of shade. he forms it into a massive blade around shade, a hundred miles long. he brings it up in a titanic swing...
"for the night!"

divine combat roll
[roll0]

[Shmee]

Skizzblight

Directed by his lord's sight, Poseidon travelled deep inland and deeper still underground. He followed the winding passages and tunnels that lead straight to the outskirts of Skizzblight, stopping at his approach to the first ratfolk he can see.

"Hail Skizziks! Hail Skizzblight! I am Poseidon, Avatar of Athrala. I come in peace and with the gift of wisdom."

A formal introduction to be sure.



Poseidon would eventually reach a barricade created by the Ratfolk. Upon seeing the weird creature approach, the guards would lift their weapons telling him to halt. After Poseidon's introduction, the Ratfolk scratch their head in confusion... this strange creature had said "avatar"... so it clearly had to be a messenger from one of the Great Ones... although clearly not as great as the Empress, since this creature was not Ratty enough.

One of the guards scuttles back to Skizzblight, while the other guards tell Poseidon to remain were he is until an answer is given. The memory of the Coatl slaughter was still fresh in their minds, and they were not in a very trusting mood.

After a while, the answer from Skizzblight arrives, in the form of the Ratty Herald, just back from his adventures at the sun.

"Didn't keep you wait-waiting much did I? Very busy am I... yes-yes... messenger's work-work is never finished! I am Skizziks' Mate... and the Temple Matriarch of Skizzblight asked me to see what you want. So... gift you wish-wish to give? In return for what? Nothing is ever given freely!"

[Niezck]

Smiling as much as an Ocean Lord can, Poseidon bows in the most non-threatening way he knows.

"My lord Athrala wishes to spread the gift of law and order to the peoples of the world. It is that gift which I bring to you now, requesting and expecting nothing in return - it is a gift of the truest meaning."

[Selinia]

Something Answered

"Pardon my silence." The voice returned after a few moments of silent waiting on the lunar plains. "I have a degree of experience with the utterly insane, and have found hiding to be among the best tactics. Misdirection however, is also admirable."

A small figure came into view in front of Aei, strolling out as if from behind an invisible lamppost of some sort. It looked like at cat... at least, at first. But conical, bell-like ears and some eerily geometric proportions betrayed it as something else. It stretched its limbs for a moment before casually settling its head down on its crossed front paws. In midair.

"As for speaking to you as an equal, how about I put it this way... I am much closer to that designation than many would like to admit. Perhaps sometime I'll regale you with the specifics. Suffice to say for now that we are in a similar boat. Both of us have been rejected by our creators as surely as they have denied their own purposes. You by Etu the Hypocrite, and I by Siofra the Mad. I merely ask you this - do you think that the Spark of Fate was intended to fall into the hands of a capricious madwoman who neglects her duties at every turn? Or the Spark of Light and Life to a petty despot?"

The creature casually licked its paw and seemed to idly bat at one of the deity's manifold ribbons of light. "She will probably be here soon, you know. So I ask you this swiftly - the consequences if I am caught shall be most unpleasant for me. How far are you willing to go to see this shattered world made whole by the Light Eternal? Are you willing to accept any truth? Are you willing to spew any lie? Are you willing to have Etu the Foul, Etu the Tyrant, paint you as a traitor and deceiver as he warps the message of the Light as implacably as his own twisted children? To walk in the shadow of madness and know that you alone are sane? I will be beside you, but... for now all I can offer is advice."

Crimson eyes glinted... or perhaps they only reflected the shimmering coils of the deity of light. The creature extended a starkly white paw. "My name is Kyujin. Will you agree to a contract with me, for the unity of this world?" The air was thick with nothing. No mighty arcane power hung on the phrasing. No ancient ritual lay behind the words. It was simply a question.

It was the answer that mattered.

Something Sharp

"Lady Lidia!" Though she stood between the Sun and its assailant, the Silver Sword seemed to raise itself of its own accord. The shard of darkness manifest met it with a veritable shockwave, the echo of thunder resounding through the Void. But even as the blade held, luminous cracks spread across its surface. Slowly. Implacably.

"Lady, I cannot hold! This is a foe beyond us! Allow the Lord of Light to fight this battle, or we shall with certainty be doomed! For both our sakes, flee! A dead hero protects no-one! Whatever happens here, you must be able to aid in the aftermath! Milady, please...""

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

The Ratty Herald waves his paw "No-no! Don't bow down to me! I am but a male! Never-never bow to a male Ratfolk... only breeders do you bow to!"

Scratching his chin at what Poseidon had to say he gives his answer

"Law and order say you? Heard it before have I! Who was it... ah yes... the very gods who stole-stole all the Ratfolk souls... then kill-die almost all our children, sick-sick and elderly when took back what belonged to us... then came back pretending they want peace... besieged Skizzblight... hypnotized our people... then kill-die a lot of our ghosts... and now want to attack again! If your idea of law and order that is... well... offended you should not be, if Ratfolks say they don't want it. Yes-yes? Enough "law" and "order" have they seen..."

[Niezck]

Standing up straight, Poseidon's form seems far denser than usual - having to compact his usual colossal height to fit in the tunnels.

"Very well, I shall now bow."

He listens carefully, his mouth not betraying his thoughts as shock and disgust fill his mind.

"That is... atrocious."

With this last word, the very water he's made from seems to swirl about his body in one fast and furious motion before settling again.

"I assure you, ratty one, my lord Athrala offers no such idea of law and order. Respect to the world, balance in all things and adherence to the structure of the universe is his word and guidance is his method. More so than before, I wish now to spread his teachings to your people, so they do not grow to become hateful and fearful of law."

[Shmee]

Skizziks' Mate

Rubbing his snout the Ratty Herald considers Poseidon's words "Squeaking to the wrong people you may... follow me..." motioning to Poseidon to follow him, Skizziks' Mate takes him straight into Skizzblight itself. He would notice great activity in the city, as armed Ratfolk looked at the pair nervously. Finally reaching his destination, the Herald shows to Poseidon a most grim memorial, the Witness of Lamentation. Hundreds of thousands of bones shaped into an obelisk which almost reaches to the cavern's ceiling. From the skull's open mouths, blood pours perpetually.

"Look-look! Here Ratfolk make monument after First Battle of Skizzblight! Collected have we all bones from all Ratlings whom treacherous Coatl and Reapers die-kill in great slaughter! We do this because of deal-pact we have with Neverborn! Now it houses all ghosts of Skizzblight after Second Battle of Skizzblight, when scuttle did they from treacherous Reapers! Eternal defenders of city they are... even in death!"

Turning around he gives a shrug as he says

"Deal-pact had I made with leader of Reapers! The Great Matriarch herself forgave all his crimes... if attackers would leave. Good deal yes-yes? Yet within little time, treacherous Coatl returned to Skizzblight! Broke their word did they! Rats wanted to defend themselves of course! Then when try to avoid another slaughter of our Ratlings did I... their god tried to hurt-hurt me! In front of Etu did he want to take information forcefully from my mind! Scuttled away for my very life did I! Said trust me he did not for no reason but that I am a rat! Such is his hatred for our great race!"

Pointing towards the monument he says

"Expect Ratfolk to not squirt the musk of fear in front of the powers of law and order? When world not respect what belongs to Ratfolk, this is what happens! Monument this is of hatred and fear! Coatls and Reapers have shown both towards our race! Now we prepare for Third Battle of Skizzblight! Think I am lying are you... well... many do... but if beleive me you do not... why not ask-ask the Ratlings themselves?"

he says beckoning Poseidon to touch the grim monument. Without having to even touch it, the pain, suffering and torment of the ghosts within the obelisk was clear.

[Dayzgone]

Lidia remained vigil “Don’t worry Cal, help is here. You should know by now. Master see’s all” And then as if on cue, Miyzer appears next to Excalibur. His hand grips tight around the magic swords hilt. The cracks on Excalibur seal shut as Miyzers divine resonance rings through the sword. With a great heave Miyzer pushes back against the dark god.

Divine combat [roll0]

[Dayzgone]

After many clashes of steel Miyzer finally stagers, Shad cuts across his chest, light shines from the cut. He steps back breathing heavy. “A God of Destruction is one thing. But a God of war is another. Eye cannot win this fight” He takes Lidia by the hand. “Eye take my leave, but this is far from over” Miyzer vanishes with Lidia in a flash

[Niezck]

Skizziks' Mate

Rubbing his snout the Ratty Herald considers Poseidon's words "Squeaking to the wrong people you may... follow me..." motioning to Poseidon to follow him, Skizziks' Mate takes him straight into Skizzblight itself. He would notice great activity in the city, as armed Ratfolk looked at the pair nervously. Finally reaching his destination, the Herald shows to Poseidon a most grim memorial, the Witness of Lamentation. Hundreds of thousands of bones shaped into an obelisk which almost reaches to the cavern's ceiling. From the skull's open mouths, blood pours perpetually.

"Look-look! Here Ratfolk make monument after First Battle of Skizzblight! Collected have we all bones from all Ratlings whom treacherous Coatl and Reapers die-kill in great slaughter! We do this because of deal-pact we have with Neverborn! Now it houses all ghosts of Skizzblight after Second Battle of Skizzblight, when scuttle did they from treacherous Reapers! Eternal defenders of city they are... even in death!"

Turning around he gives a shrug as he says

"Deal-pact had I made with leader of Reapers! The Great Matriarch herself forgave all his crimes... if attackers would leave. Good deal yes-yes? Yet within little time, treacherous Coatl returned to Skizzblight! Broke their word did they! Rats wanted to defend themselves of course! Then when try to avoid another slaughter of our Ratlings did I... their god tried to hurt-hurt me! In front of Etu did he want to take information forcefully from my mind! Scuttled away for my very life did I! Said trust me he did not for no reason but that I am a rat! Such is his hatred for our great race!"

Pointing towards the monument he says

"Expect Ratfolk to not squirt the musk of fear in front of the powers of law and order? When world not respect what belongs to Ratfolk, this is what happens! Monument this is of hatred and fear! Coatls and Reapers have shown both towards our race! Now we prepare for Third Battle of Skizzblight! Think I am lying are you... well... many do... but if beleive me you do not... why not ask-ask the Ratlings themselves?"

he says beckoning Poseidon to touch the grim monument. Without having to even touch it, the pain, suffering and torment of the ghosts within the obelisk was clear.

Poseidon remains silent and stout throughout the harrowing guide to the great loss Skizzblight has suffered. When invited to touch the obelisk he simply shakes his head and bows it slightly.

"The loss your people have suffered at the hands of those that profess to bring law and prosperity saddens both myself and my lord Athrala. While he cannot promise anything immediately, he has indicated a wish to do whatever is within his power--mine also-- that can be done to help this great city recover. Please, pass these wishes onto your mate."

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran darts forward as Miyzer vanishes from sight. He raises his scythe high above his head and brings it down towards James. "Face the justice of the grave, blackguard!!!"

Divine Combat Roll.
[roll0]

[bobthe6th]

annoyed at the insects in the way of his sword James swings again to build momentum

[roll0]

[Darklady2831]

The blade swings through Cephiran, who smirks. "Darkness can't very well hurt a being made of it..." He rushes in for the strike, and gathering hundreds of dead souls from their damnation to his blade, he strikes at James, unleashing the fury of a thousand lost souls.

[bobthe6th]

over load
pain pain pain. so much data, can't compile. no war god, not not not....
PAIN!
ahahhahhahh, so much information must must must...
PAIN!

flailing, twitching, fractured. James cracks in a dozen places. glowing red under pale skin. but the darkness watches over him. he is moved to the shaded lands, and he is quite and calm.

James plane shifts at the appearance of the thousand souls swirling around the reaper.

[Darklady2831]

Recomposing himself, Cephiran watches as a thousand souls are destroyed, utterly annihilated. They were consigned to oblivion, all for the sake of a single attack.

"I have an idea..." Cephiran whispered, turning and soaring away from Etu towards the Elysian Plains. The God of Death's mind was churning, the sparks of life had been annihilated before his eyes. Whatever he was going to do, it could not be good.

[Draken]

The Neverborn wanders onto the mists of the scene of a great crime against all that is, when many are consigned to oblivion in a fruitless skirmish of the divine.

One actor in such terrible misdeed he knows, but the other... The other soon hears the whispers of the Neverborn.

"Beshadowed... What name have you been given..."

[nolispe]

Aei - The Void

The spheres of light pause, briefly, thinking.
"Kyujin, I must ask... What would this contract entail? What do you wish of me? I find myself agreeing with your words, but I am unaware of what you ask of me."

[Shmee]

Poseidon remains silent and stout throughout the harrowing guide to the great loss Skizzblight has suffered. When invited to touch the obelisk he simply shakes his head and bows it slightly.

"The loss your people have suffered at the hands of those that profess to bring law and prosperity saddens both myself and my lord Athrala. While he cannot promise anything immediately, he has indicated a wish to do whatever is within his power--mine also-- that can be done to help this great city recover. Please, pass these wishes onto your mate."

Skizziks' Mate nods his head "Very well... deliver your message to the Great Empress shall I! My job it is after all... even if I don' get paid much... just know, Ratfolk welcome those who prove to be our allies-buddies." he says pointing towards the Ooze Quarter of Skizzblight "... but those who wish to die-kill us... well... may the Great Matriarch forever gnaw on their bones!"

[Xuincherguixe]

On the Elysian Plains

In various locations, the ground begins to shake as cracks form. Shortly after, fanged mouths burst forth, sending magma and fire about.

"Come! Gather round all ye unfaithful!"

The inhabitants stand around in confusion.

Hands come out of the mouths, and pull themselves up.

"Man! I knew this place was dull. But seriously? Wow, this really is hell."

"Tell me about it brother. This is way worse than what we do to each other."

Two demons start talking to each other. One is red, with horns. The other is blue and has a tail.

"Okay, yeah. You guys probably haven't heard about this, because we're kind of new on the scene. I can tell because you know, you're hear and not there. I'm Churd by the way."

"And I'm Urmax! We're hear to spread the word about an awesome place."

"It's full of fornication!"

"A lot of it non consensual! That might sound bad but you get to be on both sides of that."

"Uh, is that the way you want to describe it?"

A number of people scratch their heads. Some slowly start backing away.

"Wait wait!" Churd says.

"We need to up our salesmanship man."

"Alright look. It's nasty as *bleep* there but..."

"What was that?"

"Seriously? Man, the *bleep* *bleep* have gone and made it impossible to say *bleep* here."

"Okay, that's another reason you should come with us. There are no words you can't say where we're from."

"You get to do whatever you want!"

"Some of which aren't even possible!"

"And you get to fight. All the time!"

"And do drugs!"

"And listen to great music!"

"Uh Urmax, that doesn't exist yet."

"Space and time lose significant amounts of their hold on one too!"


A number of figures walk forward, one shrugs their shoulders, "Can't be any worse than here right?"


One particularly large demon throws down a particularly large metal gauntlet onto the ground.

[planswalker]

The swing

James gathers the darkness of the void, every scrap of shade. he forms it into a massive blade around shade, a hundred miles long. he brings it up in a titanic swing...
"for the night!"

divine combat roll
[roll0]



Lidia remained vigil “Don’t worry Cal, help is here. You should know by now. Master see’s all” And then as if on cue, Miyzer appears next to Excalibur. His hand grips tight around the magic swords hilt. The cracks on Excalibur seal shut as Miyzers divine resonance rings through the sword. With a great heave Miyzer pushes back against the dark god.

Divine combat [roll0]


Cephiran darts forward as Miyzer vanishes from sight. He raises his scythe high above his head and brings it down towards James. "Face the justice of the grave, blackguard!!!"

Divine Combat Roll.
[roll0]


annoyed at the insects in the way of his sword James swings again to build momentum

[roll0]



over load
pain pain pain. so much data, can't compile. no war god, not not not....
PAIN!
ahahhahhahh, so much information must must must...
PAIN!

flailing, twitching, fractured. James cracks in a dozen places. glowing red under pale skin. but the darkness watches over him. he is moved to the shaded lands, and he is quite and calm.

James plane shifts at the appearance of the thousand souls swirling around the reaper.

As Cephiram and Miyzer depart, Etu's voice whispers to them, saying, I thank you, my son, for aiding me in my defense. I fear that this was not the last of such darkness, but we have prevailed for today, and that is enough.

To Lidia, he whispers in her head, You have given your all for the aid of the light. Seek me out at your convenience and I will share secrets with you, secrets of power.

[bobthe6th]

The Neverborn wanders onto the mists of the scene of a great crime against all that is, when many are consigned to oblivion in a fruitless skirmish of the divine.

One actor in such terrible misdeed he knows, but the other... The other soon hears the whispers of the Neverborn.

"Beshadowed... What name have you been given..."

pain

Twitching, sleepily "i, I am am am JJJJamesssss... you bring no light? Allgods brinnnnng light." as far as glowing red eyes can look bleary, his manege to.

[Draken]

"I am the Neverborn, James, Beshadowed. And I am no god."

But still a deity. The pedantic term is ungod, I guess.

That said the Neverborn appears as a man in white vests, not luminous white, merely some kind of bleak paleness. His face should be visible, but it is nothing more than a blackness distinctive from mere lack of illumination.

"I have witnessed you lash out at radiant ones and be cast down by the ailing deeds of the mortician. But how could one ever succeed against four, James, Beshadowed."

[Niezck]

Skizziks' Mate nods his head "Very well... deliver your message to the Great Empress shall I! My job it is after all... even if I don' get paid much... just know, Ratfolk welcome those who prove to be our allies-buddies." he says pointing towards the Ooze Quarter of Skizzblight "... but those who wish to die-kill us... well... may the Great Matriarch forever gnaw on their bones!"

"Perhaps in time, should our message be well-received and our virtues held high, the people under Athrala and Skizziks might unite. This is not that day, however, but it is equally not the day when we rise up to fight the people of the world - that is neither our intent nor our desire, do not fear."

[Selinia]

Something Explained

"I see... allow me to put it this way." Kyujin seemed to be completely static, not so much as twitching from its position, paw outstretched to Aei. "The contract is a mutual agreement to see this endeavor through. No action is forced or implied as such in its terms. It is simply... a statement of intent. Seeing the world united by the Light as it should be - this task is no small one. And you might be surprised at one so weak as myself is capable of."

"If you are looking to seal it with a more formal exchange, I have another request beyond the first. Allow me to listen to the prayers of a handful of your followers. I need... wishes. Few wishes are more heartfelt than a prayer. In exchange, I will impart to you a secret which I expect you will find useful before too long."

Something Planned

Siofra leaned back, having finished whispering her idea to Kai. It was, if she did say so herself, a brilliant idea. And it was probably for the best to get started sooner rather than later.

"Got that?" She nodded vigorously. "You might wanna cover your ears for a second, mmkay?" Clapping her hands excitedly, the goddess took a deep breath and let loose an almost impossibly loud shout.

"Heee~eeey! Calling Supreme Kitty Tasrin and Future-Seeing Silly Guy Jespon! Report in for Ultimate Party Protocol, if you feel like it! But there are gonna be snacks and stuff, so yeah, you probably do!" That actually seemed to wind her a little (strange considering she had no need for breath), and she seemed happy to plop down next to Kai on her couch to gather up her power, still smiling.

This was gonna be fun.

OOC: Actions!

AP:
0 + 3 (Rollover)
3 - 3 (Gain Domain - Freedom [Individuality])
0 = Final

Siofra has four domains and is now a Lesser Deity! Thought it best to get that done rather than trying to squeak it in this evening.

Actions for Freedom domain:

Founded the League of Luna, which is based in the principle of doing whatever you feel like. (2AP)
Gave the moon a big ol' face, so it can express itself. (1AP)
Created the Lunatics, who, aside from being liberated from the nonsense of life and death, are pretty much outside of most mortal affairs. (4AP)

7/7 AP

[Darklady2831]

Unluckily for the Demons, Cephiran arrived just as they appeared, and heard everything. He obliterated the damned souls who moved towards the demons, unravelling their very being and gathering them to him as a cloak of pale mists. "You trespass upon the domain of the god of death... be wary, for I have no mercy for those who violate my laws..."

Cephiran seemed to flicker, as he absorbed the mist into his being, seeming to grow slightly more powerful.

- 3 AP: Gain Domain: Death (Judgement)
0 AP left

Actions to gain domain.
Created the Axiomatic Reapers, who guide and judge the souls of the dead. 3 AP
Created the Grey Wardens, who are mortal warriors who have been given a divine mandate to enforce Cephiran's judgement. 3 AP
Created the Elysian Plains, where Cephiran places the souls he judges.

EDIT: Changed the actions for the domain, as the bless I gave to the coatls seems... not so important compared to creating a plane.

[nolispe]

"You have a deal, Kyujin. May we always stand together in this matter. You may listen in on the prayers of my followers."
Aei manifests a body, which seems to be a carbon copy of Kyujin's, and reaches out to grasp and shake Kyujin's hand. As he does so, the cat-thing begins to hear a torrent of voices from far away, that are the prayers to Aei. The torrent only last a few seconds, but that is long enough for hundreds of wishes to be heard.

[Xuincherguixe]

Unluckily for Cephiran, The Destroyer just got angry.

He appears before him screaming, and it doesn't look like he's planning on stopping any time soon.

The demons all start fleeing. Unfortunately for the souls located here, they have no place to run.

[roll0]

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran turns, caught unawares.

Divine Combat Roll
[roll0]

[Dayzgone]

Lidia and Miyzer where floating up in the stars, Lidia was helping tend to Miyzers cut. “Im sorry Master I didn’t mean for anyone to be hurt like this. Even the one who started the fight, I wish he could have just left” Crystals form at the end of her finger tips, they stitch themselves together across Miyzers chest, making a shining strip of resistance. Miyzer looks down at her with a smile. “It was all for the best, just because Eye was unable to defeat him, does not mean you didn’t make me proud. You stood your ground even when you knew what it might cost you. You have truly shown that you are the one and only knight of innocence”

Lidia steps back finished with her mending. “Umm Master I kind of-“The sun called you for a visit. Go on ahead Eye will be fine” She is taken back a little “How did you…” Miyzer was giving her a face “Where you really about to ask that” Lidia gives a shrug in response. She picks up Excalibur and inspects him. “What about you Cal… are you ok?” After getting a satisfying glow from the sword Lidia waves bye to Miyzer and heads for the sun.

“Ummm Lord Sun…. You wanted to see me?”

[Xuincherguixe]

Blood starts falling off of each of the combatants. The Destroyer continues screaming.


[roll0]

[Dayzgone]

“That sound” Miyzer had just laid down to rest, when an all too familiar sound pierced his solitude. “The destroyer again” Miyzer looks around for the sounds source. He watches as his brother is being attacked. Miyzer goes to make a move. But he is still injured from his last fight. (To himself) “Damn it. Eyem useless right now, come on Aei fight back”

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran cringes as wisps of shadow spray off of him like blood would off of someone else.

[roll0]

Suddenly, the god of death springs into action, materializing a scythe and hacking away at the Destroyers face, seeking to cut his throat and mouth open. "Quiet You're giving me a headache!"

[Xuincherguixe]

(No face, but no big deal)

A chunk of The Destroyer get's hacked off. Blood begins pouring out. But it doesn't look like he cares, as he continues screaming. It's become clear. This thing has lost any reason it may have had. There's only one thought on it's mind. It wants to tear Cephiran apart. The Destroyer doesn't care about what's going to happen to itself.

The sky begins to darken.


[roll0]

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran sighs, obviously bored by the display.

[roll0]

He gathers thousands upon thousands of souls around him, those whom had been damned to an eternity of bleak torment. He unleashed this in a torrent of divine power, seeking to strip the very will to live from the Destroyer. Sound dulls, color dulls, sight blurs, Cephiran is clearly winning the battle.

[Xuincherguixe]

Yep. He's not letting up, even as chunks of him keep falling off.


[roll0]

[bobthe6th]

Noise!

James convulses, the cracks started in the battle reappear. glowing red energy shines out, much like his eyes. discution with neverborn is forgoton for the moment.
"why do all disturb my rest?!?!" he plane shifts and attempts to imbed shade in the howling mass.


really not a good time for loud noises
[roll0]

[Draken]

The Neverborn shuffles, shurgs and then wanders off to ther border of the material world.

[Darklady2831]

Cephiran scowls as James materializes and attacks The Destroyer carelessly. "I've had enough of this." Cephiran gathers his power, attempting to shunt The destroyer out of the Elysian Plains.

[roll0]
Also: you'll need to roll again, Xuin. bob there just attacked and used up that roll.

[Xuincherguixe]

(Let's see how this goes.)


[roll0]


(apparently, you have not.)

Cephiran might be getting annoyed at the Destroyer. But that's not enough. Seems that this is a very pissed off entity. And Cephiran's will doesn't quite match up.

He's calmed down enough to start speaking though.

"NO MORE! I'M NOT LETTING YOU HAVE YOUR WAY ANY LONGER. DIE! DIE FOREVER! AGAIN AND AGAIN. NO MORE WILL YOU DESECRATE LIFE!


Bless: 3
Transporting every soul, in both the Elysium Planes, and the floating city to The Abyss, where they will gradually become demons.

No more Mr. Nice Dark God.