Lords of Creation - Dawn of Worlds - IC [Archive] - Page 5

Selinia

2011-11-10, 03:07 AM

The Moon

[Query: Again? Really? Does the rodent of unusual size really have nothing better to do?]
[Observation: It would appear... not.]
[Observation: When you think about it, it's kind of sad, really.]

A few subroutines somehow found the time for idle chatter at the macabre sight of the world's largest ever mass-suicide. After all, the Vault was innately and instantly lethal to mortals - as much so as ever. Occasionally, some poor buffoon of a mage found himself burning up, or an unlucky wanderer in the burrows. But nothing like this had ever happened before, and it was worth viewing even for the ever-busy entities.

[Observation: Pretty much downloaded by now.]
[Speculation: Might be best to head out. Don't want to be here much longer.]
[Agreement: Affirmative.]

One of them thought to mention to kill the lights on the way out, but the was had already done so. How considerate of them.

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

The moon had a face. It was perhaps odd, by the standards of most worlds. But most people simply took it for granted - after all, none but the gods could really remember any time when it had not had a big 'ol grin. Some people even found the merry mugshot comforting, in an odd way. That said, most people would be rather suprised to see it, for the first time... move.

"Yaaaaaaaawwwww..."

The massive moongrin worked its jaw slightly, blinking a few times. It scrunched its nose up, as if at an unpleasant reek.

"Something... gonna... sneeze..."

The crescent-shaped face of colossal proportions scrunched up in a manner that was comical if one managed to ignore the sheer scale of it.

"Ahh... aaaahhhh..."

"ACHOOOOOOO!"

And really, that was the end of it. The entire bizarre episode came to a close with - of all things - a sneeze. A big sneeze. The biggest of all sneezes. Indeed, it was so big that it actually managed to vindicate the warnings of worried mothers across the world. Because when you hold in a sneeze of that cosmic magnitude, it is common knowledge that your head is likely to explode.

Boom.

It was really a quite spectacular sight to see, and the subroutine equivalent of champagne-popping (which is to say, work) was in much abundance as they happily set up their new location. One with fewer rats. The moon had been a lost cause ever since stinky stinkers realized they could just walk in. One might, if they they were feeling inquisitive, ask what happened to the people who were actually living on the moon.

The answer is, of course... nothing at all. Aside from die. Probably.

Siofra, Kai's Garden

"Heee~eeey! Nephew!" The goddess demonstrated once more her uncanny ability to be standing right behind the addressee of her remarks. "I was just going to go ask you something, but you came here, which is cool. 'Cause yeah, I was just thinking, you know what would be awesome? Murder."

She shrugs, smiling, and takes up a position that makes it impossible for Cephiran to face both her and Kai at once. "And suddenly, you're all 'Rawr, Murder!', so kudos for that. Upfront. I actually made a badge for you!" Indeed, she had - it was silver, with small engraved lettering on the front.

Dr. McMurder
PhD, Muderology
Muderer

"I think you should wear it, before we do anything else. It suits you." It is... difficult to tell whether or not she is being serious.

Amrita Flats

The shift in atmosphere was palpable from the moment one crossed the threshold of the simply-adorned City Hall. The guards at the entrance actually seemed sharper than the ones at the city gate, but nodded Erathius through without trouble - though one of them set off at a brisk march deeper into the building, likely to report the arrival of the strange ambassadors.

A sort of respectful quiet choked the air as surely as the alchemical smog choked the streets outside (mercifully, its effects did not extend far indoors, but the absence of open windows was conspicuous). The Seelie were directed to the second floor, and placed at the end of a slowly-moving line of petitioners with the promise that the Thane would see them soon. From the length, and rate of movement, it seemed after half an hour or so that 'soon' would be many hours from then... if not days.

Fortunately, fate seemed to be smiling upon them. After a mere two hours of waiting (and minimal progress), the stagnant air was broken by the shout of a gaudily-dressed soldier of some sort. The male serra wore a uniform very similar to those of the guards across the city, but vivid yellows and the occasional red or blue replaced the more subdued forest green. He also seemed to be out of breath, for a quickly apparent reason.

"Make way! Make way for the Lord Marquess Claude of Ki, and his consort, Lady-" The herald gave up at a shove from his charges, as they barreled past him as a brisk walk. There was some general grumbling in the line, but about half of the petitioners bowed to the marquess as he passed. Just as abruptly as he had entered, he paused in front of Erathius' group - and confirmed what had been ambiguous from a distance before.

He was a child. Likely no more than ten, if appearances did not deceive. His 'consort' was an equally young girl, or perhaps a year older. Still, his uniform was unmistakeably that of an important individual: all white, with trim that appeared to be actual gold. If one ignored the wearer, it was actually quite impressive looking.

"Hail unto thee and thine, traveler. You will see the Thane now, by my authority." He moved on without further speech, though the girl at his side seemed to be suppressing a bout of laughter by the look on her face. But sure enough, the rest of the line peeled away before the fey - leaving a clear path to their goal in the wake of the young nobility. They were clearly intended to follow, earning a few jealous glances.

The thane's chamber resembled... an office, more than anything. It was very understated, with a handful of chairs arrayed before a massive wooden desk that seemed to fill the function one might expect of a throne. The marquess and his companion were already lounging in two of the four chairs, and the man behind the desk was moving a quill over paper with clean, efficient strokes. Presumably, this was Thane Fredrick, governor of the city.

He finished his paragraph, sprinkled some finely-ground powder on the page, and looked up at the fey at last. All serra had wings, but this one's prominant hooked nose and faintly hunched posture combined with the clawed shape of a quill-holding hand to make him look particularly avian. He coughed once, and spoke in a slightly raspy voice.

"So, you're the ambassadors. Word travels fast in this city. Do you know that I've been receiving reports, complaints, and other assorted whining with you as the topic all day long?" He waved a hand, rail-thin as the rest of him. "Of course, if it wasn't you it would be something else. I am governor of this town, the highest authority you'll see here without calling on Central, and extremely busy. As I imagine you yourselves are sick of waiting, you should have little complaint if I ask you to explain why you are here in full."

OOC: Actions!

PAP:
1 - 1 (Alter Land - Destroy the Moon)
0 = Final

The moon is now destroyed. That said, the world now has rings of rubble and debris around it, like Saturn! So everything balances out in the end. That said, unless it can survive in the empty void, anything on the moon is almost certainly doomed.

Fate is... still out of commission, for obvious reasons, until they finish relocation.

Shmee

2011-11-10, 05:47 AM

Skizziks, floating with the remains of the moon

The Ratty goddess roared in frustration.

"So... wish do they to deny me? Show them all the wrath of the Great Skizziks!"

With that, Skizziks with a mighty sweep of her tail unleashes her full wrath as she sweeps the remains of the moon and sends them hurdling down towards the world with pinpoint accuracy. There was clearly more to the saga of the Moon.

The Eye

As the Dragons swooped in to fight the reapers, all of a sudden a indescribable sound can be heard as from the very heavens themselves, fiery meteors come raining down on the lands yet-unconquered by the Atheneum Forces, as the chunks of moon fall upon forests and cities, forming a fiery inferno. The sky goes red, as smoke rises into the sky. The bombardment ceases when Skizziks is done sweeping the remains of the moon.

In the wake of the destruction caused by the impact, all of a sudden not too far from the walls of Gleipnir, a Rat makes her appearance. Even by Ratty standards, this one looks weird. Instead of wearing dark cloaks which was the Ratty tradition, this one seemed to have replaced its right paw with a metallic one, and the right side of her head was also metallic with an artificial eye looking at all directions.

Walking towards the wall, she brings out some weird contraption as she starts to measure Gleipnir using mathematical formulas. After a few minutes, the Rat having finished her calculations nods her head and walks back a distance away from the wall. There, several hooded rats are waiting for her. Upon her approval, they being their ritual and open a massive portal. No sooner is it opened, the Rat walks through it.

Several minutes later an deafening roar can once again be heard from the other side of the portal, as foul fumes begin to pour out of it.

Pantheon AP 1= 2-1, Alter land, sweep down the ring
Pantheon AP 0= 1-1, Orbital bombardment

Darklady2831

2011-11-10, 11:32 AM

The Dragons would soon find themselves facing not only Reapers, but their predecessors. The original Dragons fought back with renewed vigor, empowered by the attack.

The foes of the Reaper were being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, something that had never happened with the Reaper's forces. Every Dragon had it's counterpart, and every counterpart was outnumbered three to one by the Reapers. The Orbital Bombardment certainly didn't help the Defenders of the tree either.

Cronos and Tartarus flew into a frenzy, Warden Wiggly dissolved his foes into goo. "For Globulous! For Cephiran!"

Dr. Mcmurder? phd in Murderology?

Cephiran turned to Siofra confused, and took the badge, wearing it. "It is good to see you too auntie..." He scratched his head. "They fey have avoided death long enough, it is time for them to learn that none cross Inevitability."

Turning back to Kai, he spoke. "Allow your creations to give in to entropy, decay. Allow them to wither and die of age... allow me to harvest their souls and place them where they are judged to be. And I will call off the entire thing..." picking some invisible dirt from under his fingernail, he continues. "Refuse... and all Fey will die."

3 AP - 3 AP = 0 AP
3 AP: Infuse The Original Dragons

omnitricks

2011-11-10, 01:20 PM

Beam me down from the moon

"Seriously boss? You know you could give a better warning next time. That was cutting it wayyyyyyy too close. I could have handled the rat problem by myself F-Y-I! By the way, did you see my friend? I guess he should have been following me in our escape" Tarsin interrupted the other three gods. The two gods he knew as his friends but the other one..."What is McUppity doing here? Isn't he with that boring sun dude?"

Solid Snak...Krazy Kitties, Mission GO!

"Fight our way through? You must be crazy but it should be pretty easy to outrun these creatures. We will meet you inside." All of them made a break past all the undead and into the city.

Selinia

2011-11-10, 11:53 PM

Assembly, Kai's Garden

"Ummm... oops?" Siofra smiled and shrugged apologetically towards the feline deity. "Anyway, whatever, you got a front-row seat! And you've already beaten the icky rat up once - we've never blown it up before, so that's awesome! But like, if you still want to beat it up, it's hanging out in space still. You should use a hatchet! There aren't enough murders with those. Speaking of which..."

She hopped up, swinging an arm over Cephiran's bony shoulders. Given the difference in height, this would leave her literally hanging on him like a skeletal coat-hanger unless he stooped down a little bit. "Apparently he gave up on that balance and stuff and joined Team Murder. But yeah, he's here to negotiate! He's all 'Teh fey must die!', and I think that's kinda lame-O, but he's got a pretty decent deal there."

Suddenly, the goddess was wearing spectacles, and holding a fountain pen (upon the tip of which a blot of rainbow-hued ink could be seen). She seemed to be trying to emulate seriousness, but it didn't exactly suit her. "I, for one, accept your deal! Fey will die of old age after... one hundred thousand years! That's five zeroes! That way, they have plenty of time to do whatever they want, but the Doctor here still gets them eventually. Everyone wins!" Siofra flicked the pen sideways and smiled at the forest goddess over her shoulder. "Kai, Tas, does that work for you guys?"

bladescape

2011-11-11, 12:06 AM

(Ninjaed. Editting post to reflect changes...Done. I should refresh before posting. >.<)

The Garden of Kai

Kai smiles once more, this time with razor edged anger. The anger was well hidden, but flaring behind those eyes. Then she replied, her tone just perhaps a little too sweet.

"Oh, but Cousin, I can't have you demanding something of me that you don't enforce elsewhere. You cannot even hold yourself in check, how could you ask me to do so?"

She raised an eyebrow, leaning backwards into the tree. Her voice was low, but it carried rather well.. "For if you had even considered it, your Reapers are to Souls like the Fair Folk are to the Forest. If your Reapers are therefore immortal, what allows you to demand that the Fae become bound?

If the Rats, children of your ally, and the demons, defilers of your own domain, can avoid judgement by you. Why do you demand that mine face judgement before you?

You speak with riddles and half standards, Cousin. Know this, whilst I can be reasonable, and that I can be dealt with... I will not yield to demands. Especially ones so hypocritical. If you had offered something in return, then perhaps judgement, or even Entropy, would have been granted.

Talk peacefully, and I will listen. Continue to threaten me, and the Fey will live longer than time itself. Make your decision, O Cephiran, Lord of Murderology. You have it but once."

All the while, the Fey Goddess smiled, watching the Reaper for a reaction. Upon finishing, she nods her head to her Bestest Friend. "Thank you, but he must bow from his haughty height before I would acquiesce anything of mine."

Niezck

2011-11-11, 03:42 AM

The Great Exodus

Having gathered their full strength at the Island of the Deep, it was time for Athrala's children to leave. Sickened by the cruelty present in the world and with a deep sorrow in their hearts at their inability to act, they stood silent upon the Island as their creator acted above.

Fashioning a sphere not dissimilar to the world upon which they stood, Athrala divided it into quarters. One was an ocean of perfect calm, the ideal living conditions for any Water Titan. One was a mountain range to rival the most magnificent on the world below. The third was a swirling tempest of winds and tornadoes that wracked the barren land. And finally, the fourth corner was home to a single, supermassive volcano with lava floes rolling across its surface.

Satisfied with his work, he reached down to the world below and lifted the Island he had fashioned even higher. Higher into the sky and beyond, shielding his creations from the harshness of space as he did so. He lifted until the Island came to rest just above the oceans of The Elemental Above, just as it had done on the world.

Once more satisfied that his task had been completed, Athrala now surrounded The Elemental Above, having seen what happened to the Moon and determined to stop Skizziks, or any other, before they had a chance to do it to his latest creation.

Displaced yet not unhappy, the Water Titans were finally with their lord proper and, having escaped the terrors of the world, were finally content to live out their lives in peace and harmony. For now.

AP 11 = 6 + 5

Actions!

1AP - Alter Land (Island of the Deep)
1AP - Bless (Allow Water Titans & Ocean Lords to travel freely between the two worlds)
2AP - Weave Plane (The Elemental Above)
3AP - Infuse Plane (The Elemental Above)
3AP - Gain Domain: Travel (Exodus). Actions for domain are above.

AP 1 = 11 - 10

Shmee

2011-11-11, 06:40 AM

planswalker

2011-11-11, 11:47 PM

The Dragels, mostly just used in strafing runs up to this point, chomp at their bits, aching to soar at the griffins and try to rend them limb from limb.

Sir Squish holds them back, however.

No rush, fellas; let their tattered fliers come to us. How's the artillery coming, boss?

Nomnipitus looks up from scattering the Mucinoids, their headlike appendages titled upward, mouths pursed to loose streams of acid into the sky.

Just be ready, underling. This whole thing has cost twice the lives as originally planned, and taken three times as long.

The griffins took to the air, the small bits of armor protecting the joints of their wings glowing, the magic hammered into the armor with each blow on the forge manifesting itself to bolster the strength of their wings. At least until the magic burns out, the weakness in their wings would not present a problem.

ap:6=3+4-1(bless: the grifins' wings are magically reinforced so that they won't give out in battle.)

The magic can't be sustained for long periods of time, but for a few hours, it overcomes the curse. Still can't afford to have the griffins be used to scout or even travel through flight.

With a mighty scream, the aerial cavalry of the Sun City took to the skies, their elephantine warriors ready with spear and sword to stop their foes, their weapons and armor infused with power.

On the ground, the Seekers with Tenders riding their backs began to approach, a screen of hunters leading just ahead.

Selinia

2011-11-12, 02:43 AM

Assembly, Kai's Garden

"Mmmkay, whatever you say, Bestest-best friend." Siofra taps her foot for a few seconds before noticing the ratfolk now hanging on her shoulder. This brings a smile to her face once more, and she giggles in delight as she kicks her own feet up off the ground - forcing the Reaper to carry the full weight of both.

"Oh, that's cute, Mister Matey! But you're already a Lord-Master belonging to Icky Rat Lady, so there's no need for you to belong to me too. You're not icky though. You're fuzzy, like a teddy bear, except without the scary television programs! What's the request? Is it about... pirates? I think you really ought to get on that, because it's kinda silly for you to be a mate if there's no ship, you know?"

Shmee

2011-11-14, 03:45 AM

Skizziks' Mate

The Ratty Herald shakes his head sadly at Siofra "Must be really hard to be you, yes-yes? Sorry to hear that dropped on your head at birth were you... though I'm pretty sure bounced several times did you! Here... have a cheese lollipop, you poor thing you..." he slips one of the Ratfolk delicacy into one of Siofra's pockets.

"And no... different type of Mate am I! Lord-Master of the Great Matriarch I am not! Lesser of all Rats am I! No dental plan either do I have either... yet lowest of Rat is still greater than you! Let me squeak to you what work-work I do... you see..."

The Ratty Herald leans into Siofra's ear and begins to explain to her with graphic details just what it means to be a "Mate" which includes the disgusting mating rituals of the Ratfolk. When he once again whispers into her ear

"Nice little trick with the Moon! Proves theory that mental problems have you, yes-yes? Think do you that you have solved your "Rat infestation"? Never dealt with it have you! In fact... not even your servant-slaves ever dealt with it!" he says throwing a glace to Tarsin. "In fact... wonder do I if capable you are to do anything without your ally-buddies to help you? Your solution to any problem is to run-scuttle away and let others fix your problems. And so warning shall I give you! Wrath of the Great Empress have you earned! Just watch your back yes-yes?"

Jumping off of Siofra's shoulder the Ratty Herald goes off to Tarsin and says as he puts a paw on his shoulder

"Hi-hi! So... how does it feel to be unemployed? Did your Lord-Master at least give you compensation till new job you find? I tell you! These bosses are slave drivers! Recommend do I a hobby you get for time being, yes-yes? But positive side must you see! New job you can find! Being guardian not your type of job, yes-yes? Much more you can become, think I! Perhaps help-aid you in job hunting?"

hustlertwo

2011-11-15, 11:30 AM

The griffins took to the air, the small bits of armor protecting the joints of their wings glowing, the magic hammered into the armor with each blow on the forge manifesting itself to bolster the strength of their wings. At least until the magic burns out, the weakness in their wings would not present a problem.

ap:6=3+4-1(bless: the grifins' wings are magically reinforced so that they won't give out in battle.)

The magic can't be sustained for long periods of time, but for a few hours, it overcomes the curse. Still can't afford to have the griffins be used to scout or even travel through flight.

With a mighty scream, the aerial cavalry of the Sun City took to the skies, their elephantine warriors ready with spear and sword to stop their foes, their weapons and armor infused with power.

On the ground, the Seekers with Tenders riding their backs began to approach, a screen of hunters leading just ahead.

The Mucinoids turn their attention from the skies to the charging hunters leading the Loxo ground forces. As one, the horde of large oozes send forth a torrent of acid to burn through the armor, flesh, and bone of those unlucky enough to be at the head of the pack. Puddles of the noxious secretions form on the battlefield, making it hazardous for the Seekers as they move. All through this, Nomnipitus Jr. moves through the fray with his Blade of Blight flicking back and forth, lopping off heads and limbs with an icy calm as he led the Mucinoids on a counteroffensive to drive the Tenders and their rides back toward their city.

Overhead, however, the Dragels are struggling against the newly rejuvenated Griffins. They were as likely to blast each other with their breath as an enemy in the confusion, and could not match the speed or maneuverability of the smaller beasts. All around the ground conflict, Gelatines and Dragels splashed down. Some reformed, for others the impact was too great and they dissipated into the soil.

Nomnipitus Jr. pauses while pulling his blade from the chest of a Tender to address his subordinate.

A poor showing, Squish. You may lose that Sir title yet.

The beleaugered hero swoops down low, a Griffin leg in Clott's maw.

You can spontaneously create all the creatures you want, boss. But you can't spontaneously teach these people how to fly them. I think we're going to have to go to ground; the air is theirs.

The avatar grouses.

Very well. Call your forces back to us; if they pursue you while on the ground, the Mucinoids will settle their hash. We'll just have to make this a full-on ground assault.

3+4 from last week's rollover, 7 left.

Darklady2831

2011-11-15, 12:46 PM

Cephiran shrugged, sighing. "Very well, If you wish for your creations to die, so be it." Snapping his fingers, Kai could feel the Fey's cries as they tore each other apart. "If I'm head of Murderology, I suppose I'll have to set murder in motion."

Below on the world, Fey, Seelie and Unseelie alike, were fighting each other over he barest of slights. Dozens of fey were slain by their brethren already, and more were on the way.

0 AP + 4 AP - 2 AP = 2 AP
2 AP: Curse: The Fey have tempers so hot now, that they'll kill each other over a ruined pie.

Outside the World tree, Dragons and Reapers were fighting tooth and scythe, gaining ground on the defenders of the world tree. They outnumbered them, and outpowered them. It seemed nothing could stop the Reapers, for they were inevitability and death incarnate.

bladescape

2011-11-15, 11:34 PM

"... Then would a slower but eventual death suit you?" The words were grudging, the tone not amiable. But Kai knew that she was not the equal of her older cousin.

"I had wished you were reasonable, but it seems I must be the one to show reason." She did not tack on the 'Maturity' comment, though. "A pity, I hear once there was a time when you were impartial."

The Hotheaded Fae

The Fair Folk turned upon each other, blades flashing at the slightest slight. But then, through the sound of blood being shed, A song could be heard. A slow sound that caused the Fair Folk to look up, to come to it.

Where they went, they found Wrath and her Wishcrafters. The white skinned Fair Folk stood there, a tall rock having been fashioned with many small holes. These holes were not the ordinary points, but rather they were touched with the magic and with the power of the Wishcrafters.

It calmed the anger of the Fey, calmed it and quietened all their rage.

PAP 2, -2, Create Artifact: Aethyr, the Whistling Rock. It, in the area around it between the Seelie and Unseelie camps, creates a zone of complete calm. Whilst in there, none can even consider the thought of harming another.

Shmee

2011-11-16, 03:23 AM

The gathering of gods

All of a sudden Kai feels something tugging at her dress from behind.

"Eh... never impartial was that one... when not kill-die your type, kill-die did he thousands of Ratlings... but that is all in the past now, yes-yes? Actually here am I to send you message! You see... unlike others... we Rats are not creatures of destruction! Oh sure... like-like do we to use destruction to get what we want... but ultimate goal is not destruction."

"You see, already proved have we that Ratkind is mater race, yes-yes? Now next step is to fix your foolish mistakes and make this world more Ratty! However... need we your kind to surrender! Tell Fae to lay down their weapons... accept Ratty overlords. Find shall you that Ratkind are good masters to servant-slaves who please them!"

"Between us... take this deal would I! Either that... or he..." he says giving a nod towards Cephiran "...will end up having his way, yes-yes?"

Selinia

2011-11-17, 02:43 AM

Assembled Gods, Kai's Garden

Oddly, Siofra seems to go glassy-eyes and catatonic the moment the Mate began his... 'descriptions', of 'certain activities'. She seemed to be rather out of it for some time, but perked up abruptly as the ratty messenger finished his ultimatum to Kai.

"Mmm...whazzat? You keep talking about pirates!" Siofra pointed an accusatory finger at the herald. "I object! The fact that the rats are a mater race wouldn't be relevant even if you said it correctly! Mate-y, not mate-r! Duh! I mean, seriously... why the rush?" She is all smiles again. "I think you're a itty-bitty scaredy-rat! You're all alike 'Aw, we won once, lalala!', but I tell you NO!"

The goddess slammed her foot down, technicolor dress shimmering merrily as her mood abruptly shifted polarity again. "It's time for Attack Round Two, Rainbow Kangaroo! If you wanna be the very best that no one ever was, you gotta catch every single one! You think you're cool that you won one battle? There's like, a hundred and fifty more where that came from! You don't even micro your base, noob! You want a rematch? You've got a rematch!"

Yet again, sunshine and happiness abounded. "Isn't that right, Bestest Best Friend and Supreme Chief Kitty? I mean, they hosted a pretty fun game, even if they did cheat, so it'd be really, really rude if we didn't do the same, right?" She happily skipped over, clinging to Kai's arm now rather than the Reaper's. After a moment's pause, she stood one tiptoe for just a moment, whispering into the fey goddess' ear quizzically.

"Ummm... Kai? Quick question... what does 'score a hot babe' mean?"

* * * * * * * * *

"...oh come on, we did it perfectly! How did that get through?"
"I'd say dear heavens, but I don't want to give her any more ideas..."
"Maybe I can distract her with more pirate thoughts?"
"You do that. I'll try and think of something more long-term..."

The prisma sat amid the wreckage of an intercepted conversation that could well have had... unpleasant consequences. They simply hoped that the single line that had escaped their grasp wouldn't fixate too deeply in the Core's mind. That would probably be bad.

Kyujin, Heart of the World Tree

All it took was a little nudge. A tiny little bit of... something special. The little creature found it amusing, really. Fate was supposed to be impartial, but in the end, it was going to have to choose a side. It already had, truth be told - it simply needed to be reminded of that fact. Shaken awake, as it were. When better than now, as it settled into it's new home.

Of course, Kyujin didn't really want to be around when this particular mind rumbled up from slumber, so it left as swiftly as wishes could carry it. This was just one little part of the grand design, and there was much left to do.

Algoma, Elsewhere

"Mmmmhmmm... the Truth... dangerous words, little child... even for Pios' greatest pupil..." Sloth simply nodded, slowly as always. "...never assume you are seeing all of it... we are all of us, deceived..." The icy creature leaned forward and glared at the seeker intently.

"Your kind... they think they see the truth, when all they really see are less blatant lies... even the senses deceive, by their very nature... you may now dictate new truth for the world, but only ill will befall you if you think you can see it as well..." He leans back, chuckling softly and seemingly satisfied. "...and that's all I have to say about that... a young one as you must have other things to do than talk to an old titan... forevermore, your every day shall be worse than the last... enjoy each one as it comes, because you will never taste them once they are gone..."

OOC: Actions!

AP:
15 - 2 (Create Artifact - Yggdrasil, the Thinking Tree)
13 - 3 (Infuse Artifact - Yggdrasil)
10 - 3 (Gain Domain - Ambition [Planning])
7 = Final

Shmee

2011-11-17, 06:03 AM

Skizziks Mate, gathering of gods

Skizziks' Mate turns around to Siofra and says "Funny hearing that from one who lets her allies-buddies do all the work for her, while hiding behind them! Very well then... since it seem Dropped-on-her-head talks for you Lunarans... or ex-Lunarans suppose do I... exactly the answer I was expecting she gave! Need to say no more do you..." and with that, the Ratty Herald closes his eyes.

Ratzinger

Sitting on his throne, the Plaguelord is in full concentration. Having received his orders, he walks over to the runed orb. Using his Plaguecrafting skills which is amplified several hundred times fold by the power of the plague machine, he launches a barrage of various plagues towards the inhabitants of the world tree.

The Portal

Not too far from Gleipnir, the enormous portal which the Ratty mages had opened still stood. Even as the shell-shocked defenders of the natural fortress received yet another volley of plagues, an unnatural roar that causes the earth to tremble can be heard from the other side. Such a sound could not be made by even the most vicious of demons in the Abyss.

All of a sudden from the portal a massive paw, not unlike one of the Ratfolk, emerges and digs its claw deep into the ground. The only difference was that this claw seemed to be made purely of metal and large enough to crush even a dragon. Once again a roar is heard and a beam of pure energy shoots from the portal and slams into Gleipnir.

As the beam rocks the natural barrier to its very core, another roar is heard as the Rats of Skizzblight unleash upon the valiant defenders of the World Tree, their secret weapon, the Giant Rat of Skizzblight.

The Giant Rat of Skizzblight, a mechanical monstrosity is the apex of Ratfolk technology, combining the arts of all races of the Atheneum Alliance, is a moving arsenal of weaponry and destruction. From its control center in the Rat's head, its inventor, Master Engineer of Skizzblight, Ziggiz rubbed her hands in glee.

"Good-good! Finally chance do I have to test this baby!" Turning to the Rats at the control panel she says "Quick-quick! Inform firing bay! Prepare to fire the Abyss-Scream cannon... Hellfire-mode! Hahahahah! For great justice!" she yells as the Giant Rat opens its mechanical maw, revealing the Abyss-Scream cannon, as it launches a volley of Hellfire over the ramparts, hitting the World Tree.

As the Giant Rat closes its mouth, it scampers out of the portal, each step causing the earth to shake. It stops by the Witness to Lamentation, and with one paw, uproots it from its spot, and places it within it maw, literally swallowing it whole. Having done so, Ziggiz presses several buttons and levers, causing the Giant Rat to scuttle towards Gleipnir. Upon reaching it, the machine digs its massive claws into the wall and with the guile of a Rat begins to climb it up, all the meanwhile as more volleys are launched from Ratzinger as cover. Any arrows shot at it would harmlessly bounce off its metal armor.

As soon as its giant head rises over the ramparts, Ziggiz presses a button which causes her voice to be amplified many times fold as she gives a warning for the defenders "You have no chance to survive, make your time!" as the

Once its giant head as the Abyss-Scream cannon shoots another beam directly at the World Tree. As soon as it does, the Giant Rat launches itself over Gleipnir, and landing on the ground, unleashes a deafening roar as it begin its attack with its intent to destroy the World Tree once and for all. Any defenders unfortunate enough would be simply trampled upon as the Rats begin their rampage, the Giant Rat of Skizzblight having hardly shown its true capacity as a machine of war.

Back at the meeting of gods

As the Battle for the World Tree is obscured from the god's visions, the Ratty Herald turns to Siofra and gives his cryptic message "Game on! All your base are belong to us!"

Meanwhile, Tarsin would notice that Skizziks' Mate had slipped him a note.

Now that unemployed are you... if ever bored playing child games are you... seek me out using the rod! Arrange can I of fun-fun game of Cat chases Rat. Show you what real games are like. Interesting for you enough, yes-yes?

Pantheon AP: 0=2-2, Create Artifact: The Giant Rat of Skizzblight

AP6= 9-6, Infuse the Giant Rat of Skizzblight
AP5= 6-1 Raise hero Ziggiz, Engineer of Skizzblight

bladescape

2011-11-18, 08:33 AM

The Garden of Kai

The Fey goddess stares slowly at Skizziks mate for a moment. Her eyes flashing. "After all you have done? After what your Queen and her allies did, unprovoked? You've only proven you know brute force. That is not an indication of anything else than a tyrant."

Raising not her voice she nods once to Siofra, then once to Tarsin. "Come then, Rats and Reapers. Kill us if you will. We will not back down to one that doesn't even know the meaning of reason. I have tried, despite all you have done, to be. But you insist upon haughty stares.

You think that making a giant rat will succeed? Think again. The forest is greater than a hunk of metal. I will NOT bow that easily."

Kai, in her own garden, glows. Her face, radiant before, now shines with majesty. If it was possible to get more beautiful than her original form, then she has succeeded.

Beneath her the Giant Rat clambered up Gleipnir. But it found that the Root Wall was not so easy to move around. The thorns overlapped solidly, and they grew and bent to prevent the Rat from getting over. An invisible barrier is also aparent, defending against the blasts from the Giant Rat and preventing the diseases from getting through.

The Reapers and the Dragons that serve them find themselves cut off, said barrier cutting cleanly between the two forces and forcing them apart. The Dragon merely stared in annoyance through whilst they watched through the barrier.

Gleipnir had chosen, none would pass through that meant harm for any that lived on the tree of ages.

Amrita Flats, Erathius

The ambassador seemed quite comfortable waiting in the anti-chamber, probably having to had endured through ceremony previous to this.

When the aparent noble arrived, Erathius' only reaction is to quirk an eyebrow and reply in a respectful "And hail unto thee, Marquess, and they that follow you.". The young girl got more of a glance, although he still didn't appear to concentrate on her much.

Moving along to the office, he ignored the indignant or annoyed responses of the others in the waiting line. It was obvious that whatever they were here for, it wasn't as important as a diplomatic meeting, or the news he brought from Gleipnir and the Fey Encampments.

****

The Office, Erathius

The Fey nodded slowly, having taken the two remaining chairs for him and his second in command, Rianna.

"Thank you for receiving us, Thane. My group and I are the representatives of the Seelie and Unseelie Fey, the denizens of the wooded area on the outer edges of the World Tree.

We are only recent inhabitents, after being driven out by the Rats from our homelands. We are not sure of when they will strike next, but hopefully, with the aid of the wall that now surrounds the World Tree, we intend to stop running.

What this has to do with you is that we are looking for allies. The rats expand ruthlessly, and they attacked us unprovoked."

Pausing in his tirade, Rianna leant forwards. "Basically put like this. We are always a friendly race, and we don't wish to impede upon you at all. However, allies are hard to come by, and simply put, we need them. We don't have the resources to survive this on our own."

Actions!
8 AP - 3.
Infuse Gleipnir, the Wall of Sorrows. It is now a Sentient thing that changes to deal with whatever wishes to pass it. It is also attatched to a barrier that prevents creatures and Gasses from passing it unless they are superstrong or powerful.(Like, say, a Giant Rat?) However, the Barrier may not prevent the Rat, the Wall can, however. It is currently bending whilst becoming as slippery as glass.

-3.
Gain Domain Majesty(Dragons)
5AP(Create Dragons)
3AP(Infuse Dragons)

I would also like to note that the Giant Rat would've been visible before it swallowed the Witness of Lamentation, so whilst Kai couldn't know about it's current locations or actions, she could know it was there.

Darklady2831

2011-11-18, 04:59 PM

Cephiran clapped, laughing heartily. "Bravo, cousin, Bravo." He grinned however, power coursing through him. "I'm done here, congratulations on a 'victory', if you can call it that."

2 AP + 4 AP (Rollover) - 3 AP - 3 AP = 0 AP

Gain Domain: Evil (Murder)
-5: Created Dragons, the ultimate murder machines.
-2: Cursed the fey to murder each other.

Gain Domain: Dragons (Destructive Beasts)
-3: Infused the Dragons
-4: Created 4 Dragon Heroes

Cephiran is now an intermediate Deity! :smallbiggrin:

Selinia

2011-11-19, 02:44 AM

Erathius, Amrita Flats

"Hmmm... I see. This is no small matter of which you speak." The thane seemed to be thinking intently, knitting his fingers together and tapping thumbs against one another like a idle metronome. "I was expecting something of the sort to come up at some point, ever since the reports started up a few weeks ago of unusual beings coming in at the borders of the Rim. So I must make something clear to you before we continue, as you do not know our people."

"I speak only for this single city, and that is a position that relies upon the Ministry's good graces. This is an important settlement, and my word carries weight within the House of Mi, but there is only so much I can do. That said..." The gaunt man throws an expectant look at the the childish Marquess and his bride.

The former seems rather flustered at the shift of attention, but keeps it out of his voice remarkably well as he elaborates for the fey guests. "Ah yes, well, I suppose that is an option in the short term... House Ki laws would allow me to deploy what troops we have in this city. It isn't much, but if you're under direct threat it might help serve as a stop-gap measure. Until... um..." Composure breaking down a little, he glanced to the girl at his side.

She pounced upon the implied question like a hungry tiger, speaking for the first time in the session. Her voice was loud, enthusiastic... and possessed of a (clearly involuntary) sing-song quality that rendered it deeply annoying from practically the first syllable. "Well, you're our neighbors, right? If one of us wants something, we usually have to appeal to our House, which then presents the argument at the Ministry. You sound like you've got some interesting stuff to offer... they'd almost definitely let you in."

Thane Frederik nodded slowly, still thoughtful. With one hand, her clicks open a small drawer in his desk and withdraws a vividly crimson jar and a small brush, which he places carefully beside a black sheet of paper. "That is actually a rather meritorious suggestion, Lady Concepta. Though I doubt it would be easy."

He dipped a quill in ink and began writing as he spoke, with the easy strokes of one whose days were filled with endless papers. "Ambassadors of the... Fey, you say. The Lady has presented what is most likely your best option for gaining long-term alliance with our people. I can vouch for you, but if you wish to be able to make a case to the people that matter your people will want a seat in the Ministry. The last time they approved a new House was Or, and that was over six decades ago. I can try and muster support, but I'm afraid I must ask what your people have to offer. House Or paved the way for their acceptance with money, and Di with a stranglehold on alchemical research. If you hope to rally enough support for the Ministry to validate an Eighth house, you will have to convince people that you are worth it."

bladescape

2011-11-19, 07:33 PM

Erathius, Amrita Flats

Erathius tilted his head, thinking just slightly. There was much that he could possibly offer, but there was one he thought would be appreciated, by the Goddess of the Wild if no one else.

"What do you know... of music?" He speaks softly, a small smile slipping into his features. Rianna next to him wears a slightly knowing smile, the other Fey exchange glances in behind.

Even if the Serra had encountered this before, likely considering that Kai spread it on the wind, the Fey could create music of quality far greater than any other race.

Selinia

2011-11-20, 11:27 PM

Erathius, Amrita Flats

The governor chuckles at that, sharing a smile. "Music, you say? Oh, a little of this, a little of that... I fancy a nice ballad, myself. We don't get too many bards out here on the Rim, so we're hardly up with the current trends, but we still appreciate a nice tune every now and then." The pen hopped and skipped, sketching in a few more lines on the lengthening missive.

However, before he could pick up again, the young Lady Concepta chimed in with her abrasively lilting tones. "Say, are there many bards among your people? I have always admired singers, rather - traveling from city to city, meeting new people... it must be ever so exciting! If I hadn't been noble-born, I probably would have been a bard myself!" She lays a dainty hand on her chest and closes her eyes theatrically. "I still practice, of course. My job isn't easy, but a few hobbies are good for you."

Claude visibly winced at the mention of that, and his spouse retaliated with a sharp jab to his ribs without breaking strike. Stepping in, likely to help the children avoid embarrassing themselves further in front of foreign dignitaries, Fredrick returns the conversation to matters of diplomacy. "In any case, I think I can say that if you do manage to spark up some new trends it will certainly garner you favor in many circles. That said, the Ministry will likely be looking for something a bit more... shall we say, substantial. Particularly since you will be making a request for military support as your first act - you understand that a declaration of war is no small matter. They will do so for a House in need, but for such a status to be granted they must be convinced you will be able to carry your military weight in battle, and your economic weight in peacetime."

OOC: Actions!

AP:
7 + 5 (Rollover)
12 - 1 (Counter meteor bombardments)
11 = Final

Gah, I messed up. I had this action written down in my own logs, but realized now that I never actually put the AP in a post. But yeah, here it is - the moon rocks mostly burn up in the atmosphere. None of them were remotely large enough to cause major damage anywhere, though a good few buildings take damage and at least a couple poor unfortunates got a pebble rammed through their skull.

bladescape

2011-11-20, 11:51 PM

Erathius, Amrita Flats

"Of course. All of the Fair Folk, or Fey, can play music exceptionally." He replies to Concepta, nodding his head graciously before turning back to the Govenor.

"Of course, we realise that simply our mastery of the musical note is not all we would have to bring. However, we can use it for battle, and it isn't simply a past time for us.

However, you would most likely be more interested in what else we bring. We are masters of the woodlands ourselves, and we can supply soldiers of an excellent level, as well as trackers and pathfinders. A Fey is never lost in the Woodlands.

But we also bring our expertise, not only in the art of music and song, but in hunting. And also, for those that are allies we also bring the art of Wishcrafting."

The last bit was added on, as if an afterthought. Rianna raises her eyebrows at the main ambassador at the mention of this, but she stays silent....

Selinia

2011-11-21, 12:10 AM

Erathius, Amrita Flats

All of this was transcribed by Fredrick; though if the speed of the pen was any indication, he was using much more elaborate terminology. As he neared the end of the parchment, he paused thoughtfully, the tip of the pen tapping gently against the inkwell in which it rested. "I see. That makes for quite a compelling resume, but I must ask, for completeness' sake... what is wishcrafting? I have heard of many styles of magic, but that name is new to me."

Shmee

2011-11-21, 07:17 AM

The Badlands

In this rough and ancient land forgotten and untouched even by the gods themselves since the time when the world was young, all of a sudden several portals open up. From within it hordes of Rat emerge onto this land, next to them the Humans whom they had rescued from the Lunar explosion.

With Human leaders installed by their Ratty over-lords, the Humans thankful to be alive, were allocated by their masters their domain, the entire surface of the Badlands. There they would build their first city, that of Takicardia.

Meanwhile, the Rats would do what they knew best... began to dig, and there amongst the richness of the land and the ever flowing lava, made contact with another underground dwelling race... the Gnomes.

Naturally upon making contact with the vicious Gnomes, the Rats demonstrated their own viciousness, which was several times fold that of the Gnomes as the Rats had the advantages of having participated in several conflicts throughout history. Along with their traditional allies, and that of the Humans, the Rats soon occupied the Gnomish cities, and effectively placing the entire race under their iron paws.

It was thus that underneath the Human city, the Rats built their very own, replacing the disgusting Gnomish architecture and replaced it with the superior Ratfolk style. Thus was founded the Great Ratfolk City of Ratnik, a city dedicated to advancing Ratfolk technology otherwise known as Skizztech.

The streets of Ratnik were busy with the sound of the forges ringing as Rats would compete to see who would invent the latest and usually most destructive weapons in order to further the Rats plan of global dominance. The factories were working around the clock, using their Gnomish slaves for forced labour, as pipes leading to the surface would send the foul pollution to the air. As the city was connected to Takicardia via a series of tunnels, the city's master, Engineer Ziggiz would monitor the entire city, and ensure the Rats dominance in the Badlands.

The meeting of the gods

Skizziks' Mate watches as Cephiran leaves and shrugs and goes to leave but not before giving the Lunarans a warning "Exactly as he said it... remain hidden behind your walls shall you! But not over is it... no-no! Abandon the world have you... and so in return... will the world abandon you."

Outside Gleipnir

The Giant Rat of Skizzblight stops its attempt to scale the wall, and scampers a good distance away and sits down, as if it was waiting for something to happen.

AP8=10-2: Create Society: Gnomes (well, the ones enslaved by the Rats)
AP6= 8-2: Create MR2 Concept: Skizztech,

bladescape

2011-11-22, 06:04 AM

Erathius, Amrita Flats

"It is the ability to manifest wishes, especially that of others. From what I hear though, it is a very dangerous art." The ambassador explains the idea frankly, although he knew little about it actually himself.

Kai's Garden

"When one's power falters, they must seek survival. When ones power is greater, then they seek dominion." Kai comments philosophically. She cares little for the rat and the Reaper's parting digs.

Shmee

2011-11-22, 08:48 AM

Skizziks' Mate, Kai's Garden

"Know this! Boundary you have set will be golden cage for your servant-slaves! Have-have it can you, since so much you desire it! But the world outside will forget you all, as piece by piece shall all be placed under the iron paw of Ratkind! Any of your servant-slaves found beyond the cage shall forfeit their souls to the Great Matriarch! And in the end, when entire world has forgotten you... shall we smash your golden cage!"

The Holy Land

Flying high above the rest of the world, this primordial land of pure magic remained hidden from mortal view as the divine storm ensured that even the gods would find it hard to see it, let alone pass the magical barrier which protected this land and the native Cid, a race dedicated to the worship of a primordial deity long gone.

But such land was not to be left undisturbed for too long, as its pure power had caught the attention of another being. Perhaps this being was not as powerful as the entity that the Cid worshiped, but he was by far this world most powerful magician.

The storm that rages over the Holy Land starts to become worse as Plaguelord Xyzzyx, Arch-Mage of Skizzblight, the First Lich and Ratty demi-god of Magic violently tears his way past the magical barrier which protected this land. Perhaps aeons ago it would have held, but now the Lich proved himself just too powerful.

Looking around Xyzzyx rubs his skeletal paws in glee. This land would be perfect for him to finally start plotting his revenge against Skizziks. He had already been granted enough power as Plaguelord of Ratzinger, and now he planned to expand Ratkind's influence upon the world and its savage natives.

It wasn't long before Xyzzyx made contact with one of the Nine Tribes of the Cid. Indeed, the locals were terrified at seeing this creature. Raising his paws in the air, Xyzzyx makes his declaration

"Foolish fool-fool people of this land, hear my squeaks! For countless ages, worshiped have you the silent god who created you! But gone is he! Not answered your call has he? Wondered have you not of his fate! Well... tell-tell you shall I! He was die-killed! Aeons ago when the moon was still whole! Treacherous Lunarans handiwork, yes-yes! But cry-cry not should you... because by the will of the Great Matriarch, before you, stands the reborn god of Magic!"

The Cid start to murmur about this revelation. Their god had been silent since time immemorial, could such a foul looking creature really be the god of Magic? Whispers began to rise about his claim of being reborn... could it be true that this was the reincarnation of Sarosh? Of course, Xyzzyx was not lying when he claimed that he was reborn... or that he was the god of Magic... he just conveniently forgot to mention that he was the demi-god of Ratty Magic, and since it seemed that those fools were considering him the reincarnation of their long gone god, Xyzzyx saw an opportunity to take advantage of.

As the whispers grows, a voice is heard

"This is not Sarosh! Do not beleive this impostor! He is not Sarosh!" as the Tribe's arch-mage makes her presence known pointing at the Lich. In return the Rat points back with an accusing skeletal finger

"Foolish fool of a fool-fool! How right you are! Not Sarosh am I! I am the Great Xyzzyx! Arch-Mage of Skizzblight, First of Liches, Plaguelord of Ratzinger and reborn god of Magic! You dare question my authority, dare you?"

With that, Xyzzyx launches a spell against the Cid arch-mage, unleashing a foul beam of Plague. The Cid tried her best to defend herself, but she was no match for the Lich's powerful Plaguecrafting as she was infected with a plague so horrible that it ate through her flesh even as she was watched screaming in horror, until only her rotten skeleton was left, the which of course Xyzzyx raised in order to serve as a warning to anyone who would dare question him again.

Turning to the other Cid who watched in shock as the deity unleashed his wrath upon the unbeliever with a school of magic that they had never seen before

"Anyone else who is a fool-fool, may wish to question the divinity of Xyzzyx the Great, and promise do I that more of that I can give-give where it came from! More nastier too? Now... anyone dares challenge me... dare you?"

The Cid fall silent in front of the Lich's threat. Xyzzyx looks around with a menacing look to make sure that there are no other challengers to his authority.

"Good-good! Angered me that foolish fool-fool has! But in forgiving mood am I! Yes-yes! Spare you shall I, for forgiving god am I! Witness to just small-small fraction of my power are you! Now that returned have I, lead you to glory shall I! But first... unite all the tribes shall we! Follow me, and great nation shall I make out of you!"

As he speaks, Xyzzyx stretches out his arm and opens a portal. From within hundreds of Plaguemonks and Ratty mages from Skizzblight walk out. Together with the converted tribe, Xyzzyx paid a visit to every single Tribes of the Cid, spreading his message of being the reborn god of Magic. To those who didn't believe, they had the word of the other Tribes he had convinced. If they didn't believe them, then the skeletal corpse of the Cid arch-mage would be shown. If still they doubted his divinity, then Xyzzyx would unleash his wrath, until the Cid fell in reverence to him.

It was thus that Xyzzyx subjugated the primitive Cid, and with the help of the Rats, united them all into a single location on the Holy Land where they erected the Cid city of Xyz'Rosh, named in honor of their reborn deity. There Xyzzyx developed a worship centered around him, with Skizziks as his benefactor who aided him in his return.

The City of Xyz'Rosh, once again was a mixture of cultures, with the Cid building it, but of course the Rats having also an influence. In the middle of the city was the Tower of the Arch-Mage of Xyz'Rosh. Around it, were one tower dedicated to each of the Schools of magic, including of course the schools imposed by the Rats, so one tower was erected for the study of necromancy, another for the study of demonology and of course, the most impressive school, that of Plaguecrafting.

The Rats were indeed expanding.

AP4= 6-2, Create Society the Magic city of Xyz'Rosh (place the Cid as a protectorate race of the Ratfolk)

Selinia

2011-11-23, 03:31 AM

Erathius, Amrita Flats

"I see... intriguing." The last few inches of parchment were swiftly filled after that short exchange, leading Fredrick to set it down for a moment as it dried. "I think perhaps House Di may cast a vote in your favor for that alone. They are quite open minded, and a hitherto unknown source of power may well prove irresistible to their curiosity. Although, there were hardly going to be the most difficult faction to sway from the beginning..." Seemingly satisfied that the ink upon the scroll would not smear, the Thane carefully unsealed the top of the small red jar on his desk.

Taking the brush in hand, he dipped it into the painted container and removed it coated with a clear, faintly glimmering liquid. With practiced strokes, he began coating both sides of the document with this strange lamentation. Catching the gaze of the fey, the man takes the time to explain. "Ah, I forget, you would not recognize this. This is Adriane Oil - distilled from a rather peculiar sort of sap. Colorless, odorless, and yet..." Without warning, the governor of Amrita Flats removed a pair of flint disks from another drawer in his desk. With a swift motion of his fingers, he clapped them together. The resulting spark drifted down to the paper, sending the entire scroll up in a sudden puff of reddish flame as it landed.

"...immensely useful. When the oil ignites, it returns to the tree it was drawn from. Much more reliable than a magical missive, and nearly impossible to lose or intercept. One of the wonders of modern alchemy, eh? That was a message to my superiors in Central, explaining your situation - when you arrive, they will be waiting for you." Fredrik extended a thin hand over the desk, smiling slightly. "Best of luck. I will arrange for your transport to Central on one of the city's cloudships - it really is the only way to get across any appreciable distance without lengthening your journey tenfold to account for the terrain. And while I'm not sure if you've flown before, the experience really is unlike any other."

Looking somewhat furtive, Claude raised his hand at that. "Uh, I am going to ask a couple of your guys to stay here though. My soldiers are going to get completely lost out on the far rim if you don't show them where your camp is. Reinforcements are no good if they can't find the people they're trying to reinforce."

OOC: Actions!

11 - 5 (Create MR5 Concept - Alchemy)
6 - 2 (Create MR2 Concept - Cloudships)

Alchemy is, in essence, magical chemistry. The natural resources of the world tree have deeply ingrained magical traits, and proper combination and manipulation of compounds, herbs, and chemicals can produce a dazzling array of effects.

Cloudships (which in truth resemble waterborne ships very little, generally seeming more like small, self-propelled buildings) make good use of alchemical science to literally sail across the sky atop the backs of magically controlled clouds. Even though the serra can fly, they have great difficulty doing so while burdened by gear or overloaded with supplies. This makes cloudships the favored tool of trade between cities, though their expensive construction makes it difficult for any but the very wealthy to afford to use them for personal transport. The invention of the cloudship was the catalyst that spurred House Or to their current viselike grip on trade routes, and to this day many cloudships are of Or manufacture and design (not that other houses have not begun their own projects in emulation).

Shmee

2011-11-23, 06:56 AM

Outskirts of Gleipnir

All of a sudden, the Giant Rat of Skizzblight is reactivated. As it gets up, it lets out a terrible roar, as it turns around and scampers away. The defenders start to cheer as they watch their enemies retreat, little did they know that it would be the last sight they would see of the outside world.

Even as the defenders were cheering all of a sudden, the area all around Gleipnir begins to become hazy, obstructing the view of everything beyond the natural barrier. Even the Giant Rat, as it scampered away, despite its massive size, was soon nothing more than a shadow. Soon... not even that was visible, as the fog became so thick that one would be strained to even see a few meters in front, as it started to stretch into the sky, completely engulfing the World Tree to the point that even the sun is dimmed.

Little did the inhabitants of the World Tree know that the Veil had enshrouded Gleipnir covering it from all view, both in and out. Anyone attempting to travel through the Veil would find themselves hopelessly lost, not being able to even see in front of them. Most would end up dying of fatigue and starvation within the fog, forever lost, those more lucky would coincidentally end up were they had first entered the Veil. Any attempts to use magic and other forms of transportation would also end the same way.

This was the day when the world forgot the World Tree.

Xyz'Rosh

Sitting on a throne the Plaguelord of Ratzinger watches his handiwork on the world with great glee.

"A golden cage for them, yes-yes?" says a voice from behind him. The Lich, knowing full well who it is, locks his skeletal hands together and not turning around replies

"Until the day we decide to smash it!"

AP2= 4-2: Create Artifact: The Veil

Darklady2831

2011-11-23, 11:59 AM

Cephiran chuckled, sitting atop his throne. "Cronos... bring me Warden Wiggly..."

And so Cronos dragged the gelatine warden to Cephiran, standing silent vigil over the mortal.

"I have a task for you... go, find your Grey Warden brethren... there has been a change of plans. You must tell them, to vanish... the order must be remade. Forevermore, you shall be known as the Brotherhood of Night. You shall become assassins. Spread the knowledge of a ritual to invoke my Aspect. Contracts will be made, and payment given for the deaths of others." Wiggly nodded, terrified by the God of Death. "Do not fail me..."

Pantheon AP: 2 - 2 = 0
Create Organization: The Brotherhood of Night. Think the Dark Brotherhood from The Elder Scrolls. A group of murderers for hire. They are all former Grey Wardens. They call upon the magic of Cephiran, and wear various types of armor. The Brotherhood seeks out new members, coming to murderers in their sleep and giving them initiation missions. The organization is lead by the Hand of Night. Four fingers of death, each a priest of one of the gods in the Aetheneum of Night. And the Thumb of Darkness, who is the leader, and a priest of Cephiran.

hustlertwo

2011-11-23, 02:43 PM

Nomnipitus the Easily Distracted

The god momentarily directs his attention away from the stagnating combat against the Loxo to watch as the World Tree disappeared from his view. He burbled a chuckle at the constant cunning of the rats.

Ha, what a charming way to prove to those shortsighted fools that safety has a price, and sometimes it is steep indeed.

With all this freedom, it is time to drastically step up our expansion.

The god carves a portion of his own seemingly infinite mass and hurls it into the material realm, where it strikes the ocean with a titanic splash and begins to congeal, forming a large, gelatinous island continent floating in the middle of the ocean. As soon as he does, Gelatines begin to fly in to the new land on Dragels, eager to settle into a place already tailor-made for their comfort.

These conflicts to take land are too costly and distracting. Better to create our own and consolidate power for a more concerted effort against our enemies generations from now. We have all the time in the world, after all...and with all this death in the air, our numbers shall swell beyond every known race.

In the middle of the new floating continent, Blobatica, a squat, unassuming building forms. It is the Node. Though it appears identical to any other Gelatine domicile, this structure extends deep down into the bowels of Blobatica. It houses the storing point for the processed organic materials used to create all the ooze races and creatures. Nomnipitus then charges the facility with his own essence. Tendrils extend from it through the seas to bore deep within all other landmasses in the world, allowing the Node to siphon these materials from any point not specifically blocked by spells or science. From this day forth, any living thing that dies in the Material Realm will have its physical form dissolve almost instantly, and the materials from it sucked away to help fill the tanks of The Node.

Nomnipitus then sits back, content.

Time for a nap, I think.

AP: 7+4 (rollover last week)=11, -2 for Create Land: Blobatica, the Floating Continent, -3 for Add Domain: Warfare (Conquest) (relevant actions: -2 for curse on Loxo, -2 for Alter Lands during Loxo fight, -3 for infusion on Mucinoids), making Nomnipitus an Intermediate Deity, -2 for Create Artifact: The Node, -3 for infusion on The Node. 1 AP left.

Draken

2011-11-23, 06:51 PM

~A bit back~

Some time ago, the moon exploded. This had a number of effects, one of them was the deaths of thousands.

That kind of thing tends to leave a bad vibe behind, a vibe that often draws in the dreaming attention of the Neverborn, causing his dream-self, the Black Man in White, to appear on the scene.

Not in this case, this particular case, the near genocide of two whole species, drew in worse. A gravity well of entropy formed of discarded fates and... Well, the deaths of thousands.

So that one World Upon Which None Tread began to shift, attracted by that well of entropic gravity, it stretched its spiral tendrils across the underlying fabric of the void, and crawled terribly closer to the orbit of the moon and the world of mortals, crossing violently past the inner stars of the elder Flux, the empty frontier of the Neverborn drew in that last light that illuminated the night, and a Blackest Night of the first season of great cold began.

But woe be it, that such an event be all that transpire, nay. I did mention those discarded fates, those same things the Neverborn himself made his substance of. Those dead destinies did hear the call of Oblivion, and coalesced into lesser kin of the Great Star That Never Was, tiny, tiny voids of reality they became, miniatures of the Dead World-God. These blasphemous savants of unbeing would come to be called... Vasuthants. A world found in no tongue, meant to describe nothing but these tendriled orbs of naugh.

And these things had with them the power of Oblivion lastly unleashed, surreal energy that it was not, but a lack. A lack in the eyes of divinity or at least divination. This final gift shared among all kith of the Neverborn. That the dead tread were they would and do so unhindered and unknown. To work their cataclysmic goals in the secret they could.

The first such work was soon to come, the approach of the World Upon Which None Tread wove darkest night and short days, and storms of ebon lightning fueled by the magnetic pull of entropy upon existance. And no veils and no amount of dirt would ward the living anywhere from the horrors of the Neverborn.

10 AP. Two rollovers.

5 AP: Create Race (Rank 5) Vasuthants. Miniature undead black holes.

2 AP: Bless (The Dead): Undead are never identified by divination and similar effects. Distant scrying can't see them, predictions disregard the effects of their interference. Fate does not see them, directly. If you cast augury just before opening a door that leads to a nest of Atropals (when and if they are made) you will be told that everything will be fine, and then die horribly.

1 AP: Create Concept: Seasons. Summer is when the Neverborn is furthest away, and the world is warmer and nights are shorter. Autumn is when the Neverborn approaches, and the nights become longer and the days colder. Winter is when the Neverborn is upon the world, and the Stars are dead and lightless in the sky and the warmth of the Sun is stolen by the gravity of Oblivion. Spring then is when the Neverborn gains distance in his ever-moving orbit, and life breathes a sigh of relief before bustling once more.

No, we did not, in fact, have any method for seasonal change, the world was always in a summer-spring thing.

1 AP: Curse (The Living, without discrimination, all the living, which is basically everything not made by me): Entropic Storms cause death and destruction.

1 AP left. Tomorrow, the neverborn will be Greater.

nolispe

2011-11-24, 12:44 AM

Aei - Returned

Aei had been gone a long time. Into the gaps between the worlds, into the dreams, into the blackness far beyond. Into worlds of fire, of light, of flickering shadows merging into shimmering rainbows. And, for a long time, into gleaming worlds of bright numbers, dancing in the half-light. But now he was back, and he was different. He wasn't just the ball of light that had vanished, but was instead something... different. He wasn't even visible, technically, instead seeming to be a hole in the universe, where the mind put light because it didn't know what else to put. He appeared above the World Tree, and for a long time, stared at the world, confused. He wasn't angry, really. Just confused.
A shadow dipped across the Heart of Aei, and then it was gone. Not the Shadow. The Heart. As if it had never been. And there was nothing left behind. Just a half remembered dream, that faded in the morning sun.
Meanwhile, books started appearing in societies all across the world. IN the human lands, in the slave pens of the rats, in the homes of the Cid and the Gnomes, volume after volume started to appear.

Meanwhile, the Tree was geting rather full. And thus, space seemed to... bend briefly.
Between the vast mists of the Veil and the World Tree, a new land emerged. As to how it fitted in, your guess is as good as anyone's - but somehow ten thousand miles of dense jungle would be in front of you if you emerged from the veil before the world tree could be reached.

12 AP. -1, Bless: Cosmic Airlift of the Heart, Coatls, and the Fields of Flowers to the World Tree, specifically to the water surrounding it.
- 3 Infuse Land, Aeril - Fluff will be applied soon.
- 2 Create Land: Aeril
- 3 Gain Domain, Emotion (Empathy) (Aeli (4), Empathy (3))
- 3 Gain Domain, Illusion (Nature) (Field of Flowers (1), The Illusionary Cosmic Airlift (1), Infuse Land (Aeril)) (3), Aeril, the Illusionary World (2))
0 AP.
Aei is an Intermediate Deity.
PAP: 2, -2 create artifact, = 0

Fluff will come at more length when exams for tommorow are done.

Craft Artifact - The Chronicle of Tyrants: Not a single volume, or even a clearly defined number of works, the Chronicle is an insidious volume that tends to manifest copies of itself wherever a society finds itself suppressed by another. Every instance of the Chronicle is unique, but all consist of meticulously researched and detailed lists of atrocities committed by the invaders, and eloquent stanzas on the glories of the days before the reader's people were crushed underfoot.

The events within these tomes tend be true, but the truth is often distorted and re-purposed in the telling - the invaders become unspeakably vile, and the rebels glorious heroes to the last. Reading a copy of the Chronicle (or hearing it read aloud) instills the reader with a strong passion for the idea of rebellion, and a deep-seated loathing of the occupying culture. Those so influenced are not suicidal, and will not take pointless actions of uprising that will only get them killed, but they will take any opportunity they can get to help bring the day of liberation closer.

Individual copies of the Chronicle may be destroyed, but doing so does not remove the effects from those exposed to it. Additionally, any given copy only works on the populace it was tailored for - others might find the tales within gut-wrenching and sympathetic, but they will not be magically influenced.

Aeril
Aeril - The Genius Locus

Geography

"Within most of us lies the power, if we choose, to make this world either a palace or a prison."

Aeril is a land of extremes. The geography is notable for rising and falling with extreme rapidity, but with few exceptions the entire country is over one thousand meters above sea level. Moreover, the weather patterns above Aeril ensure a near-permanent rain, with average precipitation exceeding ten meters a year. In fact, the constant cloud cover alters the heat patterns as well, with temperatures varying wildly from the upper forties in summer in the valleys to the lower minus twenties on the mountains in winter. The country is covered with thick jungle, and is riddled with steep canyons and rivers. The country is densely filled with valleys and mountains, often over a kilometer deep. Flash floods are extremely common in the constant rain, and are an ever-present danger for travelers. While rainclouds are constantly over Aeril, rain is not truly permanent. Roughly a day a week the rain stops, and the sun comes out briefly. However, just as this happens fairly regularly, so do sudden rainstorms, in which over a meter of precipitation can come rushing down in a few hours, creating lightening floods everywhere. Predicting these is nigh impossible, despite the best efforts of many generations of weather experts. Indeed, in such a downpour, the best chance a traveler has is to pray for some highly secure shelter fast, or they will likely be swept away. Aeril is riddled with canyons and crevasses which form extremely rapidly, when the earth cracks over the course of a few seconds. Thankfully, these are fairly rare, and areas where this is likely to happen can be picked out by trained geologists years in advance, usually allowing evacuation. Almost always, these chasms are surprisingly thin for their depth, ranging from a hundred or so meters across to a few meters. However, the chasms are far deeper than normal, often passing a kilometer in depth. Indeed, some of the deepest dry chasms fall over three kilometers straight down. Of course, these inevitably have rivers at the base, due to the rainfall, but they still deserve the moniker 'Dry' chasms as they are not literally filled with water, as opposed to the more common and deeper Wet chasms. These chasms tend to be significantly deeper, carved out of the rock by the water over time. The deepest of these handily exceed twenty kilometers, and often they are thinner than their depth would seem to belie, with one notable one being less than three meters across and no less than twenty-four kilometers deep. Often, these chasms run for hundreds of kilometers on end.
However, even at that depth, the fabled cave networks below Aeril run deeper. It's a sure bet, wherever you stand, that a cave network riddles the area beneath you. The networks are immense, often with individual networks extending over thousands of miles, reaching immense depths, often twenty or more kilometers down. Often, the caves are used as a safe travel system around Aeril, but it is important to remember that they change with rapidity equal to that of the surface. Importantly, travelers should also remember that the caves were carved out by the relentless torrent of rain from the surface, and a sudden cascade of water from above will dash unwary travelers against the walls, killing them, without warning. In addition, the caves are manifestly three-dimensional, and attempting to go anywhere in them without extensive climbing gear is an exercise in futility, and travelers should also beware of gas pockets and an extensive variety of other hazards. Finally, as is the nature of vast underground cave networks without light sources but Crysalsolari, it is incredibly easy to get lost, and attempting any sort of foray to find something of any distance is a death sentence without some way to determine your location. Aeril as a land extends over huge territory, covering over twenty million square miles, with the vast underground networks extending for tens of thousands of miles from the edge of the territory.
While Aeril's harsh environment has historically prevented mineral exploration over the vast majority of its area, the immense cave networks have demonstrated a tendency to sweep metals out from their lodes and deposit them on the floors of the crevasses. As such, most of the mineral value of twenty million square kilometers of land, roughly twenty kilometers deep is assembled on scattered cave floors far beneath the earth.

The Tunnels Beneath Aeril
The tunnels and caves beneath Aeril are immense, stretching over a significantly larger area than Aeril proper. They are lit only by the occasional phospherecent cave moss, and are haunted by strange and terrifing creatures. Their depth is legendary, stretching down farther than even the most foolhardy explorer would travel.
Most of the tunnels are simply formed from the endless cascade of rain from on high, carving vast gaps into the immense bedrock. However, many others are formed by the passage or tunnelling of the creatures beneath the earth, many of which are capable of chewing through the rock without pause. These range in size widly, from the inch long Kaparda Worms that riddle mining areas with tiny tunnels in the walls, to the truly awe-inspiring Greater Rock Worm that stretches over half a kilometer.

The Shadelit Forests
The majority of Aeril's surface is covered in shadowy forest, the thick canopy reducing the ever present rain to a thudding sound on high, and common waterfalls. They are dark at the best of times, to the degree that walking into them is like walking into a moonless night, even if it is midday outside. Sometimes, there are breaks in the canopy, and shafts of light come through, and these strange effects cast glimmering shadows for miles around. Normally, these shafts are at the site of a large waterfall, as the rainwater caught above is funnelled towards the gaps. Often these are relatively easy entrances to the cave network beneath.
When no light is around, the Forests are black as night, illuminated only by the tiny lights above of the Crysalsolarii.

The Great Tree
The Great Tree stands (kinda) in the depths of the Spires, the vast mountain range in the center of Aeril. They range over ten kilometers tall at their highest, and the Great Tree starts atop on that reaches twelve, the highest mountain on the continent. This mountain stretches up, and at it's peak, still submerged in the green cloak of high trees (it is more than possible to get up there without ever seeing the sky) a vast tree stands, perhaps another ten kilometers on its own. Perhaps it is a misnomer, though, to say that this tree, maybe a kilometer across, stands on the peak - it is more accurate to say that it's tethered by it's roots. They, vast limbs of wood hundreds of meters across, extend and hold on to the peak, although they don't actually exert much force, as the tree is in equilibrium without them. It is more than possible to walk between these roots and under the Great Tree itself, with ten kilometers - about 15 billion tonnes of wood - above you. Needless to say, if the forests are dark, under the Tree is pitch black.
The top of the tree is strange. As it passes the canopy, it connects to dozens of Aelix, with braches wrapped around them in the thin air on high. Here the White Tower finally exits,
In the center, atop the Peak, under the vast tree, is the most common entrance to the Heart.

The Heart
The Heart is probably not the literal heart. It's probably merely a symbol that the Genius Locus likes, a place for it to anchor it's metaphorical core self. Either way, it's extremely protective of the Heart, and would be driven into a rage if it was threatened.
The Heart stands in a sinkhole - how deep, no one knows, but certainly dozens of kilometers at least - under, and through, the tree. In appearance it seems to be a large crumbling white tower, covered in vines and plants. What used to be windows have long since rotted away, and all that is left is the shadow-encrusted ruin, standing high, remarkably stable despite the decay. Access is easy enough, as it is only about ten meters from the edge of the sinkhole, and vines provide dozens of bridges. It stretches down far further than the eye can see, into the black darkness of the sinkhole. It stretches up as well, through a strangely finely drilled hole through the tree, retaining about a meter gap between it's faded white stone walls and the tree's interior. It emerges from the top of the tree, tens of miles above the top of the tree, higher than the largest bird can fly, topping out in a roofed pangoda like building. However, that lofty point has never been seen, as far as anyone can tell. It stands alone and proud above the clouds.
As to the Heart's source, your guess is as good anyones. The only one who even might know is the Locus, and it's not telling.

The Biology of Aeril

Aeril is the scene of an incredibly bloody struggle for existence, dominated by increasingly rapid arms races betwen pretator and prey and incredible rates of hyperevolution. Aboveground, it is notably for it's huge insect population, and equally huge bird population. Large mammals and reptiles do exist, but they are much rarer than in other areas. Birds reach impressive heights of variety, ranging from having over a four-meter wingspan to the tiny inch-tall hummingbirds. Ntoably, many of the birds possess venom, including that famously dangerous Wasp Bird, notably hunting in flocks with poison that can kill a man in seconds. Large creatures tend to both have incredible resistance to Aerillic poisons and be incredibly resilient - rare is the creature larger than a small cat that is not covered in thick armor plates.

Notable Creatures:

The Ilit is a small hummingbird-type creature with a long sharp beak, that is uses to feed on flowers and insects. It is preyed on heavily by larger birds and carnivirous insects, and so has developed unusually cooperative behaviors. It lives in flocks of several hundred, and nests collectively in woven twig nests on ponds. These nests are often many meters across, and form into a solid layer on the top of the water's surface after a while, although often several meters from the bank. In these nests pretators force unusually complex defensive tactics, with some birds continually on watch. This distribution of labour gives rise to a remarkably complicated social heirachy, and to complex team behaviors on the hunt. Notably, it engages in a primitive form of agriculture, uprooting flowers and replanting them in the floating garden of the nests. Older nests often gain their entire food supply from these plantations. The Ilit is a deeply territorial creature, and fights in swarms emplying it's remarkably sharp beaks to bring down larger prey, often with no regard for the lives of individual members of the swarm.

The Rock Worm is a terrifing creature that haunts the depths of the caves of Aeril. It tunnels through rock ultilisng both it's terrifingy powerful jaw and unique digestive tract and a innate grasp of momentum. It, like most things that far down, is amphibous, and possesses gills as well as immense lungs. It comes in three confirmed varieties, from the lesser to the greater. The Lesser Rock Worm is about fifty meters long, and is coated in armor plates, and is teh only one of the Rock Worms that engages in pack behavior, gathering in gorups of at most half a dozen. The Rock Worm is about two hundred meters long, and the Greater Rock Worm is a full half a kilometer long when fully grown. There is a fourth proposed variety, the Giant Rock Worm, but this is a single specimen that stretched over two kilometers, and is often considered to be exceptional. There are many unconfirmed sightings of Giant Rock Worms, but no live captures. The Worms create many tunnels in the depths, and range far up often - Worms reguarly attempt to feed on forests on the surface.

The Ashwind Moth is a major component of the nightlife of Aeril. It is a armored moth with a ten-meter wingspan, and is equipped with a proboscus notable for being perhaps closer to a hollow needle, filling the double roles of consuming food and injecting poison. It is a deeply social creature, nesting in caves with thousands of it's fellows, and attacking other creatures, notably Aerillic Dragons, in packs. It flies for extremely long times at extremely high altitudes, migrating across all of Aeril.
The Lesser Ashwind Moth is a major presence underground, with a much smaller wingspan and much better night vision.

The Aerillic Dragon is an immense creature, about twenty-five meters long. It is one of the largest flying creatures extant. It is notable for primarily feeding on plants, and occasionally supplementing it's diet with small animals. It is superbly armoured, coated in several inch thick plates. It, like it's more normative forebears, is capable of breathing fire, created by the ingition of the gases it produces when feeding. It is hunted heavily by the Ashwind Moth, as the smaller creature's pack tactics are significantly dangerous to the solitary dragon. However, the dragon's extremely rapid growth rates and individual power in combat have ensured it is not in population decline.

The Aelix is the largest known motive creature in Aeril, outmatched only by certain fungi. It is, to the shock of visitors, airborne, but it only manages that by the unusual mechanism of creating light gases in it's immense airbags that give it titanic lift. The Aelix varies wildly in size, and never actually stops growing, but most are around three kilometers in radius. They have not been observed to notably age, but occasionally some die from disease or the gas bags being popped. However, some of the older ones are believed to date back hundreds of thousands of years, and reach sizes of, in one case, fifty kilomters across. These titanic have extremely slowed metabolisms, and move through the sky at rates of a few kilometers a day. Almost all Aelix have acquired a covering of trees and plants, and are heavily occupied by flying animals. They feed on insects, but all are massively photosynthetic, and enter into a symbiotic relationship with the plants that cover them - they extend tendrils into the plants, removing quantities of nutrients, and the plants are given a place to root. The Aelix look closest to an immense floating island, with vast woody tendrils hanging down onto the ground. Due to the constant Rain on Aeril, they usually have immense trails of water running off them - these Aelix Cascades are one of the many hazards for a traveller in Aeril, as being hit by a sall river that just fell a kilometer can reguarly be lethal. They float at wildly diseperate heights, anywhere between a few hundred meters off the ground to fourty or even fifty kilometers up. One of the most unusual sights, recorded last year for within sight of a major city, was a Greater Rock Worm jumping at a low hanging Aelix are bringing it crashing to the ground.
Before these creatures reach their full height, they start at around five meters across. These juvenile Aelix are spawned in thousands from each of the adult Aelix, and great clouds of them float through the sky. A trail of these young Aelix string out from an Adult Aelix, but at this point they cannot control their own path and are swept all over Aeril by the winds.

The Aerillic Cat is a large creature, about the size of a serval. It is not actually related to other cats, but simply looks fiarly similar. The largest difference would have to be the beetle-like wings that it possesses, folding them in it's carapace when not in use. These wings do not serve to fly for long periods, but allow it to move in a similar manner to a flying fish. It is covered with a hard metallic amoured shell, gleaned from the metals that it eats in much the way that an ordinary cat would lick salt. It possesses claws and fangs similar to that of cats, with the exception that they are envenomed lethally. It ranges up to a kilometer beneath the surface, but has never been as predominatant.

The Karsk is a small, two-three inch red lizard spread all across Aeril. It lives in a hive of tens of thousands, and is famed for the unknown mechanism within it that leads to a continous removal of heat from the enviroment. The Karsk acts as a black body, sucking in immense amounts of heat and feeding on this. It is believed to do this by some form of continous melting within it, but this is uncertain. It is famous for feeding on larger prey this way - Karsk swarm the target, rapidly driving it's body heat into a terminal decline within a few seconds. Karsk swarms can be tracked with ease, thankfully, as the thousands of Karsk leave trails of ice on the ground several meters wide.

The Solis is a strange creature, appearing as two foot-wide metallic disks. These disks are propelled by the creature, which gains altitude by spinning them rapidly. They are a seed from one of the larger trees of Aeril, but they go through a brief motive phase before finding root. They are laced with deadly venom, and will employ this to kill anything that approaches them. Solis travel in small groups of five to ten, and some of these Solis remain on guard while the other Solis root into the ground, remaining for a year or so until they are solidified. The disks themselves are extremely sharp, and the Solis will pursue intruders with little regard for it's own safety.

The Crysalsolaris is one of the key creatures of Aeril's ecosystems. It is a small fragment (an inch long at most) of crystal that is airbourne due to the strange providence of the extremely low weight of it's structure and high surface area, as well as the light it gives off acting as a laser effect. It is radiant, giving off large quantities of light constantly. It moves in swarms, acting like a miniature sun in the larger caverns. This often leads to entire ecosystems bathing in large swarm's light far underground, often in cavern networks stretching over miles. These are often interlinked with the Surface biology, often with Aelix that widen the caverns they are in as time goes on, but it is also common to see ones that are seperated from the surface world to an extent that they have developed completely unique biospheres. They are also commonly seen above ground, as large glowing clouds, but suffer more competition for the minerals that they feed on, and so, while they are common, they are much more of a feature underground. They are notable also for existing in underwater varieties that form vast, powerfully glowing kelp beds under the sea. They are fragile, breaking apart at a hard touch, but almost impossible to kill - the fragments simply go off as their own organism. Some Aerillic Scientists have postulated that they are not a true lifeform, but rather a strange mineral. Crysalsolarii are the cause of some tunnels, carving lines throught the rock as they feed, but these are much rarer than the raintunnels that make up most of the network. They are fed on by many things, but most of these are adapted to eat the minerals they are composed on, and even these do not rely on them, due to their lack of valuable nutrients - Rockworms eat them fairly commonly, though. If a creature that eats Crysalsolarii fails to break down the Crysalsolaris, the Crysalsolaris remains alive, and glows constantly.

Shmee

2011-11-24, 04:41 AM

Ratzinger

The Ratty Lich is on his throne, reading what seems to be a manuscript. As he finishes reading the , he starts bursting into laughter.

"Would bring a tear to your eye, yes-yes?"

"Yes-yes! Swell with pride do I when read great accomplishments of Ratkind! Look-look at the names they call me! But... I think this could be better!"

"A plan have you?"

"Not detailed enough! Only twenty insulting names have they given me! But fix-fix it shall I! Want to instill rebellion do they? Very well... give them a taste of Ratfolk propaganda shall I! Worry not! All falls within the plans of the Great Matriarch! "

"So still dance to the tune we made do they?"

"From the days when the moon was whole till today never have they stopped!"

AP1= 2-1
Curse the Chronicles of Tyrants, instead of rage, it instills fear. Further than that, its also magically distributed amongst the the populations of the World Tree.

Furthermore, any race belonging to the Athenum who reads the Chronicles will be fueled with rage, but aimed towards the Lunaran races, for their own atrocities, thus fueling their determination to wipe them off the face of the earth.

(Of course... I could argue that the races the rats enslaved (in fact... the Humans regard the Rats as saviors, and Xyzzyx is the Cid's god. The Gnomes... yeah they got truly conquered.) were all in fact primitive and have really done nothing in the term of achievements, and that the Rats are the ones who are actually leading them to glory... but I'll play along.)

Selinia

2011-11-24, 05:42 AM

Journal Entry, which I'm not going to bother numbering

You know, this is an oddly familiar sensation. It's been ages since I last woke up in the middle of a blasted landscape, no possessions on hand, with no clue what in the abyss is going on - but hey, stuff like that sticks with you. At least I was clothed this time around. And I'm not alone either. So it looks like it worked... more or less.

Still, wait and rewind a minute. I haven't had a proper entry since this insanity started (I use the term in a relative sense, given that we live on a plane of crystallized lunacy), so I might as well start at the beginning. This were going pretty well - oh, sure, we clashed with Estelle and her moronic 'Legion of Evil' from time to time, but nobody really got hurt. Then those... shadows showed up.

Those did hurt people - on both sides. Nasty stuff. We'd never lost people before, and it really hurt to be honest. It's easy to forget about that, even trying to prevent it. I wonder where we go... is there a Third Chance out there somewhere? It seems almost too good to be the case. If nothing else, I've started a separate log to keep their names tallied up. If there isn't a third chance, it's up to us to keep them alive.

But I'm getting off topic here, back to the Nightwalkers, as we wound up calling them. We did manage to drive them off, initially, though it took a whole lot of points' worth of equipment to do so. Now, in a just universe, things would have settled down then, and we wouldn't have had another divine invasion for another few centuries. But noooo, somehow those Aethenum chaps decided that we were a threat - how does that even make sense? Bells and whistles, Estelle spent half her time helping them! I guess we knew they were maliciously insane, but it's a new story to see that stuff up close.

Still, the cards were dealt, as it were. Perhaps proving the old saying 'be careful what you wish for', our musing on whether the Vault would do anything to defend itself were... eerily prophetic. At least it warned us. Though I don't really consider 'This plane will self-destruct in one hour, please evacuate as many humans as you can', beamed to every single Console with a sum of points to be the fairest of notifications.

We did our best, and I think we actually managed to gather up most of the thread-pushers. We might have been able to save more, but the ratfolk had teams out roping in humans as well and the handful of us flitting about the vault didn't want the attention of an army. Of course, by that time, we had... maybe minutes left. Portals off of Luna have never worked before, and with so little choice we had no option but to fire blind and rush as many people through as possible.

The good news is that we got through intact. The bad news is... I have no clue where the rest of us went. Only a couple dozen of us turned up (and a few hundred humans, I suppose I ought to start counting them now) here. And let me tell you, oh reader of other peoples' journals, here is an odd place indeed. It's on the world, for one - which confirms the suspicion that I've had for a while that Second-Chancers can still exist here.

But of all the people to get dumped with, we wound up with perhaps the most obscure - someone calling himself 'High Magus' Xiang Pi, or somesuch. To be honest, the Cid were never much of a focus for us - they mostly kept to themselves, and their island was never really contacted by anyone of importance. I mean, I feel a bit of affinity for them - after their god went to sleep, they just studied their streams of magic and went with the flow, no pun intended.

Xiang Pi says things are different now though - some nutjob ratfolk sorcerer has set himself up as some kind of deity, and was setting the nine tribes into a real tizzy with all sorts of talk about 'war' and 'conquest'. All on behalf of 'glorious ratty masters'. Strange, to think that down here 'ratty' is an adjective to inspire fear - on Luna it saw more use discussing rugs than anything else. I can't help but think this Xyzzyx has a certain point, and that the Cid are going to have to come out of their shell eventually, but they're not going to do so under the boot-heel of another nation. Especially one as arrogant and vainglorious as the ratfolk.

The High Magus (technically not a title that exists anymore, but he insists on keeping it) has requested our aid. A lot of what he says is just hot air - railing against the ratfolk, citing tradition, that sort of thing. But... some of my colleagues are giving the request some serious thought. It isn't really any different than what we always do - nudge people forward, bit by bit. And the cid are going nowhere without some nudging.

Our powers are seriously cut right now, with the moon gone. All out Consoles are displaying error messages, and I don't know if they'll ever work again. But playing the Great Game hasn't left us as idiots, and there are some advantages to actually being a piece on the field of play. For now, we'll be taking advantage of the hospitality of these self-proclaimed 'Children of Cid', and I'll be trying to contact the others. Paula... even Fithin's babble would be a comfort right now.

Heck, I wouldn't mind hearing from Estelle. So you know things are crazy.

Signing off for this entry - Xiang Pi wants another conference, something about abook that's been circulating around. Books are my specialty, so I figure I ought to at least give it a look.

Geoffrey, Signing off

OOC: Actions!

4 - 3 (Gain Domain: Creativity [Invention])
1 - 1 (Counter the curse on the Chronicle of Tyrants)
0 = Final

Actions for Creativity [Invention] domain:

Created Alchemy, an ever expending discipline blending science and magic as one (5AP)
Created Cloudships, fantastical transports that ferry travelers across the expanses of the World Tree.

The ratfolk can 'alter' as many individual copies of the chronicle as they like, but they have no power beyond that of mundane writing if derailed from their purpose. New copies continue to be created, and intercepting them all would prove exceedingly difficult.

Shmee

2011-11-24, 06:23 AM

AP0=1-1 counter the counter.

The Rats will be using their propaganda to instill fear and dread on the lesser races as much as they feel like.

Niezck

2011-11-24, 06:35 AM

AP 5 = 1 + 5 last week rollover - 1

Counter the countering counter.

Darklady2831

2011-11-24, 12:45 PM

Fingnif stabbed the effigy's heart again, thrusting the curved dagger deep into the bloody figure. "Squeak-speak to you I do, Dread-Fear Father-dad! I ask you! Send your child to me! So that the sins of the innocent may be washed away in blood!" He chanted, as he had several times already.

Slowly, a dark shape materialized in front of the Ratfolk. "The Dread Father has heard your call, child of Skizziks... who is it who must be baptized in death..."

"Kill-die Asusa! She spurn-threw my gifts! She refused my offer of ratlings! And she spat at me! Vengeance I must have for these insults!"

"Death... shall come... to this worm in the light... payment, shall be required... one soul... for one kill..."

Fingnif frantically nodded, pointing to the dead body on the floor. "Death-price has been bought-paid! Go, kill-die her!"

"So it is spoken... so it is done..."

To call the Brotherhood of Night, you've got to sacrifice a soul to Cephiran. The quality of this soul is not of importance, and it can even be the caller's own soul. Performing the sacrifice and calling out to the dread father will cause of reaper to appear in ethereal form, and work out the details of the contract. The Reaper takes the payment, and gives the details to the Brotherhood of Night, who then assassinate the target.

hustlertwo

2011-11-25, 01:07 AM

AP: 1+5 for rollover as a newly minted intermediate deity. Pantheon AP: 2-1 to uncounter the counter on the ratty curse once more. The fear shall spread unabated, so sayeth Nomnipitus.

nolispe

2011-11-25, 01:19 AM

AP = 5. PAP = 2 -1 = 1 to counter the uncounter. No, no it won't.

Niezck

2011-11-25, 10:10 AM

Titans Mk2

Meanwhile, on the new moon...

Athrala appears before his people in his true form - that of a gigantic water titan.

"My children, hear my words! The time has come for us to move forward and truly take our place in this world! It is for this reason that I have brought you here. This moon is a place where all Titans may exist in harmony."

A confused expression creeps across the faces of his people.

"'What other Titans'? you may wonder. The answer is thusly - Earth Titans."

The Island of the Deep rumbles and shakes as a small contingent of creatures emerge from inside of it. Similar in form to the Water Titans, yet made purely in stone, they appear to be lesser versions of Mercury.

"They possess the same strength of will and drive for goodness that you do, my children. Accept them with open arms, and together you can help defend the world below. To this end I have modified the Obelisks. Each may now transport you to another, allowing for instantaneous travel between the two world. Go forth, my children, and do as you know is right."

AP0 = 5 + 5 - 3 - 2 - 2 - 3

AP3 - Create Life: Earth Titans. Think Water Titans, but made of rock. Lesser versions of the hero Mercury.
AP2 - Form Organization: Strength of Stone. Similar to the Oceanic Guardians, the Strength of Stone's mandate is the protection of all that need it. They are a military force and, when not required, the Earth Titans simply live out their simple lives in peace.
AP2 - Create Artifact: Obelisks of Teleportation. The Communication Stones now have the option to teleport you to another stone, rather than simply talk to another stone. The Titans are now free to return to the world whenever they please. However, and a relatively large however, only the Earth Titans may use the teleportation aspect of the obelisks. Water Titan heroes can do it too, but they're the only exception.
AP3 - Gain Domain: Earth (Titans). AP for actions is above.

Athrala is now a Greater Deity.

hustlertwo

2011-11-25, 10:40 AM

Pantheon AP: 1-1 to uncounter the countering counter counter. Counter.

Darklady2831

2011-11-25, 11:53 AM

Cronos materialized out of the Ethereal Plane, in front of Xyzzyx's palace. Slowly, he walked into it, making his way to the throne room. When he reached them, he spoke, whispering and sending his message to Xyzzyx.
"The Brotherhood of Night wishes to anoint you as a Finger of Death..."

The Blood Father

The Brotherhood was flourishing, they had safe houses from Skizzblight to Ratzinger, and even had a sanctuary within the Loxo city. Far was their reach, master Assassins and cruel killers all of them. As their influence spread, so too, did the number of violent crimes. It seemed that if people knew that they could have others slain for little or no cost... aside from a soul, that they would take Cephiran up on that offer.

Some of the more depraved members of the Brotherhood of Night had even taken to sharpening their teeth, and biting their marks, draining them of blood. As strange as this seemed, it somehow transformed them. The more they drank blood, the less they depended on food and water to sustain them. They had been given a dark gift by Cephiran, unholy strength, speed, cunning, agility, charisma, senses... all aspects of their physical and mental form were enhanced.

0 AP + 5 AP - 2 AP = 3 AP
Create Life MR 2: Crimson Apostles. They are mortals who drink enough blood and worship the Aetheneum of Night. Any MR 1 Race can become a Crimson apostle, simply by joining the fold of the Crimson Apostles within the Brotherhood of Night, and drinking blood. They will slowly come to depend on mortal needs less, and those who drink blood often only have to eat, drink, and sleep one third as much as a normal member of their race. Somehow, no race more powerful than an MR 1 race can become a Crimson Apostle, Cephiran just doesn't let them.

nolispe

2011-11-25, 12:18 PM

AP 0+5(rollover) - 1 counter the counter. = 4

Darklady2831

2011-11-25, 12:26 PM

Cephiran laughed, thousands of coatl souls languished in the Elysian Plains, tortured by the Reapers. They had broken their deal, and thus they would pay dearly. When they died, he took their souls and tore them apart, reducing them to barely sentient husks. "Brother... brother... brother... taking your creations away from their obligations... how, irresponsible..." He whispered, ripping another soul apart.

"Why do they do such things? Why would the gods who protect do anything to harm their creations?" Cephiran whispered, his power echoing out into the cosmos.

3 AP - 1 AP - 2 AP = 0 AP
-1 Countering Aei's Counter. The Chronicle instills fear as Skizziks intended
- 2 The Chronicle of Tyrants instills dread, hopelessness, and rage in its readers. They loose All Hope that the Aetheneum can be defeated. They are instilled with anger and rage against the League of Luna, that they would allow their creations to be harmed thusly. This is a curse independent of Skizziks curse on the Chronicle

nolispe

2011-11-25, 07:07 PM

Counter everything - from 4 to 1 ap a

hustlertwo

2011-11-25, 11:20 PM

Nomnipitus the Mighty

The Bountiful Blob continues making his powers known throughout the cosmos, as he swats down Aei's clumsy attempts at thwarting the Aetheneum.

Fear and panic...nothing but good things will come about with forces like that loosed on those hidey-hole sorts in the overgrown bush.

Counter out Mr. Unoriginal's post above me, from 6 to 3 AP.

Draken

2011-11-26, 12:28 AM

Close was the Neverborn, His whispers filling out the night in place of the insects silenced by his distantly close peer. The dead god's slumbering eyes saw nothing but destruction, present and soon to come.

The Dead Titan quivered in antecipation in his blackened perch high upon the sky. Sending vicious ripples across the ongoing dark storms. Meanwhile his faithful peers massed in the desolate places of the world., the great shades upon the night and the black orbs and the husks of the dead and the memories of the deceased as well as the frozen relicaries of dead warmth.

Moreso than ever, the world was steeped in the presence of the Dead, who chanted their praises to their First Among Equals, specially so in these looming Blackest Nights the world was bathed in.

The Neverborn breathed in this praise as power, his absense of lungs filling with nothing.

1 AP +5 AP (rollover)

3 AP: Gain Domain - Time (Ends)
5- Created Vasuthants
1- Curse: Storm of Shadows
1- Concept: Seasons.

3 AP: Gain Domain - Destruction (Cataclysms)
5- Created Nightshades
2- Bless: Unknowable Dead.

Neverborn is a Greater God.

nolispe

2011-11-27, 12:51 AM

Sigh... Simply using magical power to unmake the other actions. No fluff, sure, but that's OK.
With 1 AP and 1 PAP remaining, use both to counter Ceriphan's special curse, leaving the original curse open for someone else to counter.
And I'm out of AP.

Shmee

2011-11-27, 03:41 AM

Ratzinger

At first the Ratty Lich was amused. Now he was downright annoyed. Stretching his arms out, he extends his power to the fullest against Aei and his children. They had earned his ire with their shenanigans and where now going to pay the full price.

As the Coatls and the Herat of Aei were being magically airlifted, they would all of a sudden feel a huge and sickening jolt, as instead of reaching the World Tree, the people and its land remained firmly where they were.

All of a sudden, within the Elder Coatl's chamber, a powerful figure forces his way through every defensive spell they had made, effectivly nullifying them. The creature points a skeletal paw at the Elders as he shreiks.

"So... dare you defy the will of the Great Xyzzyx, dare you? Very well... then pay the price shall you all!"

With that, the Lich unleashes an entropic storm within the chamber, flaying the skin off of every single Coatl within the room, and harvesting their souls. Pointing a finger, he opens a portal, unleashing several thousands of Rats into the chamber.

Meanwhile, in the distance, the still confused Coatl hear a terrible noise followed by an incredible blast, as the Giant Rat of Skizzblight begins its attack upon the Heart of Aei.

The Coatl to their horror, would realize that they are unable to cast any form of magic that they had so depended upon. Within the Elder's chamber, Xyzzyx watches in amusement, as he has raised the Coatl elders as skeletons and is forcing them to make menial tasks such as dancing for him.

He lets out a chilling laugh as he blasts yet another foolish Coatl who had barged into the chamber to report the attack.

"Foolish fool of a fool-fool! Aei's magic pales in comparison to mine!"

Outside, the Giant Rat was rampaging, and indeed, the Rats had a bone to pick with the Coatl, as they had sworn to kill a hundred thousand Coatl for every Rat they had killed during the battle of Skizzblight.

Just as the Coatl had intended to wipe out the Rats, so to the Rats intend to return the favor. There would be no mercy.

AP0=5-5 (Throw 5 curses against the Coatl and everything that tried to be airlifted into the World Tree)

The Coatl are not transported into the World Tree. They are staying firmly where they are. And now they are cut off from all forms of magic. Thousands of Coatls are also dying underneath the iron paw of the Giant Rat.

Enjoy

hustlertwo

2011-11-27, 03:25 PM

Nomnipitus the Tenacious

Skizziks' favored son squinted his squishy eyes as he oozed almost every ounce of his power into the ongoing war of influence over the Chronicle of Tyrants against the mute god of the Coatl.

No one puts Blobby in the corner!

3 AP -2 to undo Nolispe one more time. 1 AP left.

nolispe

2011-11-27, 05:45 PM

Aei sighed. Hm. That was a shame. On the positive side...
He appeared in front of Ceriphan.
"Brother, your loyal allies the Coatls are under attack. Would you be willing to work with me to rescue them?"

The actual battle has so far been narrated in a very god-moddy way, and I'd like the curses to be broken up instead of simply made a general monolithic block. And since time doesn't seem to matter on Shmee's side, I'm going to wait to the rollover before responding, whereupon I will continue to ignore the "AHAHAAHA THEY HAVE NO RESISTANCE AND ALL OF YOUR ELDERS DIE INSTANTLY NO CHANCE TO RESPOND" aspect, in favour of viewing it as another attack that will be dealt with. :smallmad:
Ah well.

planswalker

2011-11-29, 11:28 AM

The Mucinoids turn their attention from the skies to the charging hunters leading the Loxo ground forces. As one, the horde of large oozes send forth a torrent of acid to burn through the armor, flesh, and bone of those unlucky enough to be at the head of the pack. Puddles of the noxious secretions form on the battlefield, making it hazardous for the Seekers as they move. All through this, Nomnipitus Jr. moves through the fray with his Blade of Blight flicking back and forth, lopping off heads and limbs with an icy calm as he led the Mucinoids on a counteroffensive to drive the Tenders and their rides back toward their city.

Overhead, however, the Dragels are struggling against the newly rejuvenated Griffins. They were as likely to blast each other with their breath as an enemy in the confusion, and could not match the speed or maneuverability of the smaller beasts. All around the ground conflict, Gelatines and Dragels splashed down. Some reformed, for others the impact was too great and they dissipated into the soil.

Nomnipitus Jr. pauses while pulling his blade from the chest of a Tender to address his subordinate.

A poor showing, Squish. You may lose that Sir title yet.

The beleaugered hero swoops down low, a Griffin leg in Clott's maw.

You can spontaneously create all the creatures you want, boss. But you can't spontaneously teach these people how to fly them. I think we're going to have to go to ground; the air is theirs.

The avatar grouses.

Very well. Call your forces back to us; if they pursue you while on the ground, the Mucinoids will settle their hash. We'll just have to make this a full-on ground assault.

3+4 from last week's rollover, 7 left.

Loxo - Hit Hard, Withdraw Slowly

Although their griffin cavalry quickly came to dominate the air, the battle on the ground was a different matter entirely. The Loxo just plain and simply were not yet a warlike people. They did not have the art of combat down the way their foes on the ground did. To the gelatines, oozes, jellos, and other such wigglies, destruction and killing were apparently second nature. To the Loxo, this was the first organized foe they fought. With the slimy ones able to absorb the worst of their magics, the Loxo began a long and grueling retreat back to the capital. There they would have to make their last stand, or be extinguished.

Unfortunately for the aerial victory, the Loxo's lack of practical warcraft left them unable to effectively use this advantage to pressure the ground forces below. The griffin cavalry were almost exclusively close quarters fighters, making combat with the ground inadvisable.

Algoma, Elsewhere

"Mmmmhmmm... the Truth... dangerous words, little child... even for Pios' greatest pupil..." Sloth simply nodded, slowly as always. "...never assume you are seeing all of it... we are all of us, deceived..." The icy creature leaned forward and glared at the seeker intently.

"Your kind... they think they see the truth, when all they really see are less blatant lies... even the senses deceive, by their very nature... you may now dictate new truth for the world, but only ill will befall you if you think you can see it as well..." He leans back, chuckling softly and seemingly satisfied. "...and that's all I have to say about that... a young one as you must have other things to do than talk to an old titan... forevermore, your every day shall be worse than the last... enjoy each one as it comes, because you will never taste them once they are gone..."

Algoma - Sunholm

With these words of wisdom so imparted, Algoma returned to Sunholm, where she worked at perfecting her newly mastered craft and teaching others. Only time will tell the full outcomes from this turning point in the life of one Seeker.

hustlertwo

2011-11-30, 01:15 PM

Nomnipitus the Weary

Finally, after almost two weeks of fighting, marching, tunneling, and climbing, the ooze army had reached their target: the capital city of the Loxo, nestled deep within the mountains. Though there had not been a large-scale battle since the one that had cast the Dragels out of the sky, the harsh pace set forth by Nomnipitus Jr./Globulus had taken its toll. Many of the weaker Gelatines were having trouble keeping themselves together at all, and even Sir Squish was looking squishier than usual. Still, they hoisted their weapons and gave out a ragged battle cry as they surged forward, looking for any weakness in the city's defenses that they might disperse and slip through, even as the Mucinoids sought out any location vulnerable to their powerful acids that could be burned away and allow these living siege engines to come inside in greater numbers and begin the sacking of the city in earnest.

Nommy Jr. floated above his troops, the only one brave enough to take to the skies with the Griffins on the prowl.

Now is the time to show these sad solids the power of the one true form! Every one of them that falls shall become fuel for our people, so go out there and purge the Loxo for the betterment of the world!

planswalker

2011-11-30, 02:42 PM

Wherever the gelatines went, there they found the walls of the city glowing with bright golden runes. The walls were heavily warded to resist all assaults that any one gelatine seemed capable to throwing at it. The griffin cavalry flew through the air, regularly swooping down low enough for their riders to harry the attackers with their weapons, as well as the griffins themselves using armored talons laced with disruptive magics to harry the ground forces. The defenders on the walls hurl down blessed stones on the foes below as well.

ap:8=12(rollovers cap)-1(teach populace: air to ground tactics)-3(gain domain: griffin(aerial combat) )

actions for the domain: 3 blesses, mr3 griffins, air-to-ground maneuvers.

Etu is now intermediate.

A tender on the walls says in a loud voice, "My children! Hold fast! Though our foes are mighty and many in number, the power of the Light Eternal is with us, and the Light will shine!"

hustlertwo

2011-11-30, 09:39 PM

Nommy Jr. gritted his teeth as the initial wave of Gelatines splashed against the walls ineffectively and reformed, only to be squashed by the holy rolling stones and the newly empowered Griffins. A few of the fliers were plucked from the sky by the monstrous tentacles of the Mucinoids, but the damage was done: the first assault was a bust, and morale was at an ebb.

Accursed magic-crafters, relying on hokum and cheap tricks to supplement their imperfect forms. No sense throwing good flunkies after bad: I shall go forth and end this myself.

The avatar marches forward even as his forces continue to retreat and regroup out of range of the city's defenses. He amplifies his voice to boom throughout the besieged capital.

I call upon the leader of the Loxo, whatever sad fool has been placed in charge by that hothead in the sky. Stop hiding behind your walls and your sad little armies. Come out and face me here and now, and we shall settle the matter ourselves. If you can defeat this, the mortal face of Nomnipitus, we shall leave your lands unconquered. Yield to my blade, and I will give your people safe passage out of this, the newest province of Gelatania. Or if you prefer, you can remain locked inside this city until I have brought the mountains down around your heads and taken everything from you but your shame and your fear.

Sir Squish shakes his head as he listens to his leader's challenge.

Ah man...the boss keeps thinking just because he's never lost, he's never gonna. But I've seen how these freakazoids fight, and have the beakmarks to prove it. We need a backup plan, and fast.

The subordinate hero whispers to a Mucinoid, and both he and the sizable blob disperse themselves, rolling back toward the city in tiny, hard to detect chunks of goo.

planswalker

2011-12-01, 02:59 AM

The Challenge Met

The tender who was exhorting his fellows steps forward, floating on empty air.

"I accept your challenge, Nomnipitus. Know that you face no mere mortal, but, as you so elegantly put it, "that hothead from the sky" himself. When the power of the Light Eternal vanquishes you, perhaps you will see that there is a higher path to one's life than one's own ambitions."

bladescape

2011-12-01, 08:19 AM

The City of Plagues

The shadows were dark, the night cold. The surrounding city of plagues was quiet, except for the slow chugging of Ratzinger. None saw the shadows slipping silently between the cracks, around the corners, and past the few Rats that were about.

The watchers noticed little as the few Fair Folk slipped past detection, having readied themselves ever since the destruction of the Fair Folk's home, and the creation of Ratzinger.

They had stayed behind, hiding underneath the noses of these overlords and avoiding notice. They now lived with the plagues that the Rats produced so much, having adapted to the constant sickness that hung in the air.

"The room is ahead." Their leader, one Elrith, spoke, nodding towards the next corner. Seelie and Unseelie alike, the Fey all nodded as one. It took a lot for the two groups to put aside their differences. And forget the past.

A moments pause for breath, and the Fey move again, slipping past the inner guards and into the central chamber. It was here long ago that the Lich-Lord put the key into Ratzinger to make it run, it was here that they had thought they could remove one of the four keys.

"Set up a perimeter, all of you. Tae, Sereth, Alyss and I will attempt to remove the keys." A whisper as the Fey outlined his orders, and the others crept to obey.

They weren't 'keys' as such. And they weren't designed to be removed once they had been put in. This quickly showed once Elrith began trying to remove the one placed by Xyzzyx.

But no matter how hard he attempted to tug, it stayed firmly in place. In a matter of moments the formerly quiet attempts had given way to small almost grunts as the four of them failed to even gain a moment's purchase.

"Rat's are coming!" His eyes whipping around, he looked in askance to his watcher. "Both ways. Trapped." Like mice in a trap. That was an appropriate simily, he thought. But it didn't help them at all.

Tugging harder, pulling with all the might left in his body, Elrith failed to move it even a little. Purchase was impossible to find...

You seek to remove the plagues of the city of rats. The small voice that echoed upon his mind was unheard by the others, and Elrith stopped still. Would you pay the price for achieving your aim? Nodding slowly, the Fey agreed...

Still your struggles. Still your panic. Still everything. Accept this curse for what you seek. Be free.

Slowly, calmly, the voice invaded the mind. Forcefully, the emotions became still, the mind became calm. Elrith slowly opened his eyes, and found himself outside of Ratzinger. But him and his companions?

They all were crippled in some way. They all were withered or sickly looking. For the weakening of the plague, the price is thus. That you must take the touch of the plagues into your own body, and the bodies of your children. Live on, blighted ones.

The Entropic storms.

In the World tree, the Fair Folk, still unable to see what was happening in the outside world, are taken by surprise when the Neverborn stirred.

Darkness swirled up, a storm of malevolance. The Fey at first were caught up, sucked in.

But then, the Wishcrafters and normal members of the Courts alike, they began the singing of the songs of time. A memory touched from the farthest corner of the Fair Folk history, the first strains of the song that Kai had first sung to bring music into the world...

Magic.

The darkness couldn't touch those shrouded in the light, and couldn't take those protected by power. While still some fell to the darkness, many more were saved...

ACTIONS!

6 AP = Start
-1 AP = Curse Ratzinger, the plagues produced by it are only a quater of the strength they were formerly.
-1 AP = Curse The Fair Folk not in the World Tree that agreed to take the plagues into themselves. All affiliated are now twisted or crippled in some way. They are no longer perfect paragons of beauty.
-2 AP = Create Organization.(Society) The Lesser Fae, those who have taken the curse of the City of Plagues onto them are twisted and weakened just slightly. They are usually outcast of the other Fair Folk...
-2 AP = Create Concept, Bardic Magic. Magic made from words. This is merely used in the art of protection, and has no offensive capabilities at the moment.

0 AP left!

omnitricks

2011-12-01, 08:17 PM

Meetings and resolution

1ap + 5ap + 5ap + 5ap = 15ap (max)

All the talking was a little bit boring so Tarsin got himself occupied with the letter that the ratty herald slipped to him. As he would tell the rat in the future through the rod after the meeting with the other gods were done, "interesting. But even if you were able to take those weak humans, you still lost the game with the other glob god. I don't think I can trust you to make any game good with that sort of an attitude. You are going to have to prove to me that you can do something well first."

The meeting with the other gods seemed to end off with a bad note and when the other less savory individuals have left, Tarsin asked whether "I am out of a job now? Freedommmmm! And the first thing that I should do is..." absolutely nothing because there was nothing that Tarsin would think of. "I could do some PR work" he asked remembering what the ratty herald said about the people of the tree. "It can go like the tree of the three" waving around dramatically to present the name.

But it would only seem that it was yet another job ruined by the madness because with the fog thing, there was no one who can even find the tree. Fortunately due to their luck the cats were able to pass through the fog easily...if only they can live normally with food, water and rest. To get past that, Tarsin bestowed on the world a special gift but as all of the things that he made, there was always something to do first.

15ap - 2ap = 13ap
Craft Artifact: That pointy thingy!
Only a limited amount of this compass exists scattered in the lands around the tree mainly but is possibly found in other locations. Not one person can find them because they only show themselves where there is more than one person around and upon seeing it, the people will have an uncontrollable desire to have it and force them to compete in obtaining it. The nature of the competition can be anything but normally will end up violent and physical because of the heated emotions. It does not end there because everytime the tool is taken out, there is a chance depending on the situation (the more the compass is needed the less the chance) that the competition stage would start again.

To use the compass, it has to be taken out for a while to search for the thing that the user wants or needs most. If there is nothing like that at the time, the compass will either spin wildly, fail to spin or lead the owner to something of the opposite effect which either the use hates or does not need or both.

Further with the creation of Aeril around the tree, Tarsin could see that even with the "gifts" the cats were still at risk of getting through and out. Because of this not only they needed a tool but a new skillset as well to add to their ever increasing skills. Without the LOL-puter, Tarsin had to do this the old fashioned way by getting cats chosen by losing the many competitions for the pointy thingies and playing around with their insides until it became as squishy as clay. It took a few tries and a lot of cats but finally he done it tried to distribute the knowledge as best as he could.

13ap - 5ap = 8ap
Create Concept(MR5): Copytransmorphing
Anyone who is taught well enough can learn the first few steps which include turning a part of their body into moosh under their control. As the concept requires this, cats would have it easier since they were the tools which were used by Tarsin to create the art followed by humanoids that are very similar. The further away a practitioner is from humanoids like the griffins the harder it is to use copytransmorphing without any complications but for certain creatures like the blobs as they have no shape already will find out that they only need to do the next step.

The only thing to do now is to study what they want to copy. The more accurate the study which involved going beyond looks and into the biology inside the stronger the effect. This also means that the further away the morphing result from the practitioner the more taxing and time consuming it is. It has not happened yet but the most experienced practitioner would be able to mix and match bringing out the strongest result possible.

Another battle?

The cat and maybe loxo envoy finally reached the city only to see that it was being besieged. "What is going on here?" Unfortunately their numbers were too small to do anything about it. "It seems that a lot of help is needed for everyone?" one asked the loxo.

Plans, I don't think you said anything about reaching the city from the last post so I am just putting it here as a reminder and to keep things going

hustlertwo

2011-12-01, 11:46 PM

Nomnipitus Jr. draws the Blade of Blight, dark energy pulsing forth form the sword.

Ah, so this nameless tender is the flesh puppet of Etu himself. I'm flattered. We have enjoyed supping on this continent you created. What a shame you couldn't keep your people out of my business, or these mewling cowards you shepherd could have enjoyed their isolated and meaningless little lives for much longer before we finally got around to converting the others and making our way here. But don't worry; their time will still come. You simply won't be around to see it.

The avatar shoots himself forward, wind rippling his form as he attempts to run his opponent through on the fly.

planswalker

2011-12-02, 12:08 AM

Another battle?

The cat and maybe loxo envoy finally reached the city only to see that it was being besieged. "What is going on here?" Unfortunately their numbers were too small to do anything about it. "It seems that a lot of help is needed for everyone?" one asked the loxo.

Plans, I don't think you said anything about reaching the city from the last post so I am just putting it here as a reminder and to keep things going

oops, yeah, forgot about this. Apologies.

Rescue - Sort Of

As the small band looks on at the scene of carnage ahead of them, a sharp-eyed Hunter on a battle-griffin spots them on the edges and a squadron of fliers is diverted to pick them up. Though far from a simple maneuver, the virtually uncontested control of the skies enabled the pilgrims to be picked up with minimal risk. One of the tenders with the convoy was injured, but he was swiftly evacuated into the relative safety behind the city walls.

A pair of Seekers greet the travelers and the slightly larger of the two, an elderly cow, says, "Greetings, travelers. I am afraid that you have come in troubled times. We are fighting for our very lives. However, things are not yet so dire that we cannot offer you the common courtesy of greeting you and discussing whatever it is that brought you here. I'm afraid that rest, food, and a bath will have to wait, however. What brings such as you so far from home?"

Nomnipitus Jr. draws the Blade of Blight, dark energy pulsing forth form the sword.

Ah, so this nameless tender is the flesh puppet of Etu himself. I'm flattered. We have enjoyed supping on this continent you created. What a shame you couldn't keep your people out of my business, or these mewling cowards you shepherd could have enjoyed their isolated and meaningless little lives for much longer before we finally got around to converting the others and making our way here. But don't worry; their time will still come. You simply won't be around to see it.

The avatar shoots himself forward, wind rippling his form as he attempts to run his opponent through on the fly.

Battle

The sword strikes a brilliant white barrier of light, and is turned about a foot and a half from the Tender, who had raised up his hands and muttered a spell as the sloppy first attack was launched.

"This body is no more a puppet to me than the body that is called the sun is. I am not one body, but possess many, and live in the hearts of all who love the LIGHT."

On the word "LIGHT", a lance of sunlight spears down from the heavens, striking the rival embodiment of a god.

Those gelatines unfortunate enough to be directly below the blast find themselves very quickly overwhelmed by the absorption of such intense amounts of light magic and explode in a gooey mess. Unfortunately, a flight of griffin-riders was caught in that blast as well. None of them survived.

ap:12=8+5(rollover)-1(curse, a localized bit of collateral damage somewhere over the gelatine lines. Nothing to change the tide of battle, just a bit of dramatic flare.)

However, Etu knew better than to expect any single blast to fell a foe as mighty as one of his fellow avatars. As his opponent is recovering, he braces himself for the backlash.

hustlertwo

2011-12-02, 12:39 AM

Nomnipitus the Perforated

The form of Globulus, the leader of Gelatine society and host body for the Great Goo himself, lay prone on the ground, a large hole burned into the center of him. Sir Squish was still nowhere to be found. And the ray of unparalleled power that had brought down their leader had swept through the ranks of soldiers at the front of the fray, either carving the oozes into pieces or causing them to melt away almost instantly. Generations of control through fear and propaganda began to crack, and in some cases shattered entirely, as scattered pockets of Gelatines immediately globbed back toward the relative safety of the mountains as fast as their temporary legs could take them.

Nomnipitus Jr. was not finished yet, however. He rose slowly from the smoking ground, the hole in his form still evident. He concentrates on it, but is unable to mend the gap.

Can't....seem to reform this. How fortunate for me that these bodies don't have much in the way of vital organs or disgusting bloods to make this injury serious. In any case, a nice first shot. I've been too long simply crushing these worthless mortals under my tendrils, it shall be a delight to rend the limbs of someone on my own level. Truly a delight.

Instead of directly approaching, Nomnipitus Jr. slices his blade several times in the air, sending arcs of foul energy racing toward the tender. He expects them to be evaded or blocked with little difficulty by the spellslinger...but they do provide a helpful distraction, allowing him to zip behind the seven-foot beast in an instant and use his unholy sword to carve a groove deep into the yellowed hide of the tender's shoulder muscles. The blow is not lethal, but the poisons locked within the blade release, flowing throughout the tender's body and beginning to render it weaker and more sluggish.

Nomnipitus wiggles his sword in a mocking taunt, his previous injury almost forgotten despite the fist-sized hole through his torso.

Your people are known for their powerful healing magics. So I say to you: physician, heal thyself.

planswalker

2011-12-03, 01:45 AM

As you wish...

The dark waves of energy are repelled off of a glowing white shield of light harmlessly, but the distraction is just enough to let the foe slip through.

The holy blood that now coats the edge of the blade begins to glow, and the weapon hisses as the blood works to reject the dark power it finds itself on.

As for Etu-Shiye himself, he says, "Heal myself? Excellent suggestion."

However, rather than lower his guard and cast healing magics on himself, he instead summons up a torrent of water from the Well of Life, Etu-Pavati, the nourisher and sustainer of all which lives in the center of the Eye. The water envelops the wounded Tender and at once, the wound begins to heal, the pure holy energies of the waters setting him to rights before the gelatine's very eyes.

The Tender's voice emanates from himself and from the water surrounding him at the same time, causing it to reverberate with power and form a strange harmony with itself.

"Here in Sunholm, the seat of my power in this world, you seek to threaten me and mine? I created the Eye for all to share as they saw fit. It is my gift to this world. Beyond the Golden Peaks, if you can wrest it from those who live there, feel free. I trust the Light to win out in the end, perhaps even through you. But here, inside the Peaks, this is my home. You shall leave here now!"

A blast of water shoots out and strikes the gelatine avatar, healing the wound, but on a deeper level, the holy waters begin to drive out the dark energies the empowered it. This being the mortal seat of a god, it was hardly a decisive blow, but for the moment, the gelatine was fighting for his very power. Should the purge succeed, the perfectly healthy gelatine would find itself without any power and his connection to his god lost.

this, of course, will not succeed unless you want it to, and even if it does, this is still your paid-for avvie and you can of course get it "back" free if you even choose to have him get Purged to begin with. In my head, this display would convince you avvie he's bitten off more than he can chew and he leaves before any actual harm happens. However, if you want his divine will to resist this attack and we continue, that's fine with me too.

hustlertwo

2011-12-03, 09:18 AM

Actually, I think I'll let it go through. I see the divine infusion thing as something of a hindrance to the mortals who have it, similar to being possessed. If it's all right with you, I'll just move that divine-ness over to another hero I'll make after the battle is over. If not, I'll just pay the AP to infuse again, no big deal.

Nomnipitus the Unprepared

Nommy Jr. had known the poisons might not work, but had expected them to at least buy enough time to strike a more lethal blow. Instead, he found himself holding on for dear life to the body he had claimed as his own.

Note to....self: in the future, don't dismiss the value....of home field advantage. Hey, I'm back! I'm me again!

Globulus looked down at the sizzling sword in its hand, which had boiled away nearly all of the pure blood from Etu-Shiye's wound. And then he notices the gaping hole in his sternum as it began to close.

Clearly this episode was a bit more eventful than usual. Hopefully we at least did well, if my controller felt the need to rip away whole weeks of my life.

It was at this point that he noticed the large and angry Tender, covered in blood but with no apparent injuries.

You know what? If Nomnipitus wanted me to sacrifice my body for this job, he shouldn't have forced me to give up my mind. Screw you guys, I'm going home. Thanks for the clarity, Wide Ride. We'll see how long it lasts.

Globulus sheathes his blade and slowly floats back to the scattered Gelatines and Mucinoids at the edge of the battlefield. He gathers the forces, and they begin the long trudge back to the borders of Gelatania...

...except for Sir Squish, who appears inside the city's walls, a sneer on his face.

So my opposite number didn't have the stomach to see things through without the boss backing him up? Figures. Now's my chance to make up for that shellacking your bratty birds gave the Dragels. Mountain-loving freakazoids, I'd like to introduce a little friend of mine.

A Mucinoid slowly forms up from its constituent bits. It is glowing brightly, and moves as if it had stuffed itself recently.

While everyone was watching the clash of the titans up there, my pet Bigguns was feasting on the energies inside your protective runes. Not only did it allow us to enter your pitiful little hovel here, but as you can see, it filled him just about to burst.

The elevated Gelatine laughs maniacally at this.

Why, in fact, I think that's a wonderful idea. I don't know what happens to one of these living magical batteries when they're pushed past their maximum energy containment, but let's find out, shall we?

Sir Squish points to the engorged Mucinoid, and casts a spell, firing a thin beam of light into the beast. Immediately it begins to swell and ripple, attempting to expand beyond the bounds of its form.

A little parting gift from Nomnipitus. Enjoy!

The interloper vanishes. An instant later, the simple-minded Mucinoid grunts out a chuckle as an overpowering light begins to shine from within.

Heh heh....big boom.

And then he detonates. The flash can be seen from the base of the Golden Peaks; the incredible rumble from the force of the blast felt for miles around.

Oh, and 1+5 AP for rollover, 6 left.

planswalker

2011-12-03, 11:58 AM

well, the rules don't exactly cover this, but how we're going to let this work so that RULES don't interfere with PLOT is that you're going to "re-flavor" your avatar to be housed in a different mortal without any specific costs, as there's no mechanical way for me to actually rip out the infusion of a hero.

Devastation

The blast was tremendous. Ironically, the very walls meant to protect the city contained the blast inside, the wards on them acting to insulate the blast. An entire quarter of the city was gone in an instant.

The battle was won, and the Light had prevailed, but at a steep cost. This day would never be forgotten in the history of the Loxo.

hustlertwo

2011-12-03, 12:41 PM

That night, as the surviving Loxo tended to their wounded and took stock of the damage done, an ominous presence manifested at the site of the blast, just barely invisible to the naked eye.

Free will....that's where this whole thing went wrong. The foolish fool could have held on to the powers I had granted him by fighting that water's influence, but he chose his worthless freedom instead. And I will deal with Globulus in my own time, oh yes. But it's clear my avatar should not be a true individual; it needs to be a tool, a true instrument of my divine will made material. Anything more is asking for trouble. And I think I know how to find such a thing.

The presence exerts a strange magnetism, and from miles around the city the microscopic remains of the sacrificed Mucinoid fly back to the location where they had been so forcefully separated. In moments an empty Mucinoid husk sits limply inside the crater. The presence merges with it, and vanishes without a trace, secreting itself inside a cavern deep within the nearby peaks, growing and changing into something altogether new...and terrible.

6 AP -1 to raise hero: Empty Mucinoid. Infuse him with the power of Nomnipitus, and not sure what to call the new thing, I'll decide that later. 5 AP left.

nolispe

2011-12-05, 03:40 AM

As the rats attacked the Heart, the Coatls readied themselves to fight, with the elders calmly creating shields and retreating, watching the rat hammer away at their defenses. Some died, it's true, but as their defenses weakened, a tide of power crashed through the crude walls that the rat goddess had put up and the Coatls vanished into the wind. Ironically, thousands of rats were left suspended in mid-air after the Heart vanished, and fell. Naturally, some were able to hold themselves, but those without magical power would need divine intervention.

There's been a lot of dicussion on this, but we're going to go with 3 blocking "all magic" and 2 blocking the airlift.

None the less:
Starting AP 5. PAP 2.
Counter the airlift stop. (-2)
Which gives me 3 AP. Gain Domain Antagonism (Abjuration), = 0 AP.
Expend 2 PAP to weaken the "BLOCK ALL MAGIC LOL" Curse, removing it's backup.

planswalker

2011-12-05, 12:47 PM

Sunholm - The Years Following

a special time-warp bubble has been reserved for the cat delegation, which will all take place before this timeskip, and if there's any major consequences to that bit of rp, I'll reflect it in the post-timeskip society as I can.

Over the next two generations, Sunholm changed dramatically.

Etu-Shiye personally lead his people openly in a theocracy where the Seekers would come to him as the final arbiter of any dispute. He also set about a massive renovation project within the valley, and by the end, the city extended all the way to the Golden Peaks, which were now the literal as well as metaphorical walls of the city, every low pass now barricaded and guarded, and with griffins, bred to overcome the onetime flaw in their anatomy, patrolled overhead constantly, always on the lookout for new threats to the empire.

Algoma brought wishcrafting to her people, and this magic aided in the sudden boom in the Loxo people. Things could be had easily and cheaply like never before. However, it was not long before the Seekers learned of the dangerous side-effect of this craft, and the practice of wishcraft was highly regulated, having been made illegal to perform outside of priorly-approved acts allowed by the Council of Seekers.

Algoma was the first and foremost among those who opposed this, and small cults throughout the city of wishcrafters who refused to put limitations on wishes spread throughout the city. Algoma stepped down from her position on the council soon after, and was never heard from again. It is rumored that she lives still, hidden somewhere in the city still practicing. The impossibility of a wishcrafter living this long and still practicing their craft is ignored, as well as the absurdity of a Seeker living twice their normal span of years.

With time, the Hunters grew to be jealous of the magical talents the other two races of Loxo enjoyed, and they sought to create their own form of magic. With the only trait they possessed in advantage over the other two groups being stamina and physical prowess, the Hunters eventually developed a technique which used these traits to fuel feats of magic unlike anything seen before. The primary outlet was to increase one's physical prowess by focusing one's life energy. However, true masters of this craft learned to focus and channel their life energy through manifestations not housed in their flesh, including radiant blasts of force, an aura of flames, flight, and even protective shielding. This art was difficult to master, and few progressed beyond the stage of simply extending their physical prowess, but those who did were a sight to behold: the Saimekan Master Hunters earned the respect of the Council of Seekers and the Enclave of Tenders through sheer grit and determination.

more expansion to come, but I think this is a good cutoff point.

create organization: the Council of Seekers, personally lead by etu-shiye
bless: remove the last of the griffins' wing problems by breeding them with stronger wing joints over the next 2 loxo generations (which is about twelve griffin generations)
alter terrain: Sunholm now extends all the way to the Golden Peaks, and all natural entrances (as well as the gelatine-made one) have been sealed off and are guarded.
create concept: regulated magic
create organization: the Freewishers
create concept: Saimekan magics
create organization: Saimekan Master Hunters

ap: 0=12-2(organization)-1(bless)-1(alter terrain)-1(mr1 concept)-2(organization)-3(mr3 concept)-2(organization)

nolispe

2011-12-05, 03:12 PM

Aei - Annoyance

The imperial forces of the Ratfolk continued their vicious march across the world. The Free Races had withdrawn to the the World Tree, and it seemed that a grim night was descending on the planet.
Well, that couldn't be allowed to happen. Aei looked on the world, and as he looked his divine mind flickered across the surface, watching the dark and shadowed races exterminate all emotion but fear. Well, that couldn't be allowed. And if it wasn't... What they needed was something that woudl remind them of sensation. Something that would make them move, make them push buttons, make them start wars... Yes, that was a good idea. Now, how to go about such a thing? Aei puzzeled long and hard, and failed to notice the corona of energy that he had brought back from his sorjorn in the fractal space between space flcikering, and then suddenly rushing forward, where it detonated into a cloud of floating rainbow lights, which rapidly coalesced into a human shape. Aei, startled, withdrew briefly, and then advanced, cautiously. This was not as intended... What was this thing? Could it be...?

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-05, 03:52 PM

Shen'Hai - Life is fraught less, when you're thoughtless!

Suddenly, a hand reached out of the swirling cloud of lights, and tore into it, throwing it aside as one might a cape or cloak.

Stood there was a tall, slender, red-headed figure, clad in black leathers and grinning wickedly.

"Now that, my friend, is how you make an entrance! So, what's this, what's going on, what's happening? Aw man, you look serious. Lighten up! Look around you, we have infinite time in a limitless space, and you're gonna stand there pouting and letting everything pass you by?"

He stops to take a breath, , and pulls his knees upwards, until he's floating in a sort of cross-legged sitting position in front of Aei.

"Name's Shen'Hai. What's eating ya?"

nolispe

2011-12-05, 04:01 PM

Aei - How Strange

The flickering orb of fractal light that is Aei pauses for a second, and forms into a young, although white-haired man, althoguh still glowing with the strange light that follows him around.
"Nothing very much! I'm Aei. I believe you are... A divinity, then? Another of us? I'm just resting here briefly, to be honest- I've been stretched lately! I like your approach, though. It's good to see a divinity who understands the value of action in this trying times. To tell the truth, I'm not quite sure what the protocol is among my siblings when a new entity turns up - Still, I suppose I should warn you - a lot of us aren't very nice, so I'd be a bit careful when wandering around, if I was you.
What would you like to do? I suppose as your... Parent, I believe, would be the closest term, I ought to provide a bit of assistance here. "

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-05, 04:18 PM

Shen'Hai - Dancing Through Life

" Well, I guess that's what I am! But I don't pay too much mind to what I am - rather, I'd like to focus on what I'm going to do! You say they're not very nice, but I'm sure I can still have my fun - and after all, if anything should happen, I'll just distract them with something random and unexpected that they can't ignore, and then I'll be gone!

Saying this, he spins backwards, still in a sitting position, performing a crazy kind of mid-air backflip.

"So, you're my father, huh? A lot cooler now you're not all spherical and stuff. I mean, how would you wear any of the ties I'll be getting you for Father's Day? As for what I want to do... I wanna have some fun, maybe make something, cause havoc. Anything in particular you'd like destroyed or warped?"

nolispe

2011-12-05, 05:22 PM

Aei

Father's day? What? Tie? What in Creation... Ah well.
"Oh, I wouldn't be a very good father if I was using you as a weapon, would I? Do what you will! It's your perogative! If you don't have any ideas, then you might want to see about acquiring some worshippers down below - You can borrow some of my guys, they're a bit confused right now, what with the war. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that you can join our little club, the League of Luna - Basically a collection of the "Have fun!" divinities.
But really, it's not my role to give you orders. There's a whole world down there! millions of people downtrodden by a psychpathic dictatorship! I'm sure you can think of something fun!"

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-05, 06:18 PM

Shen'Hai - Lamia, a lady bright,
A full-born beauty new and exquisite

"How kind of you! Such a shame, though, that your guys don't seem to have any kind of outlet...how about we get some girls for them, too?"

With this, Shen'Hai opens his mouth and reaches inside, pulling out a silver-scaled egg. Holding it in his hands for a moment, it seems to shine and quiver rhythmically - almost gyrate.

He then throws it towards the Earth, with it shattering upon hitting the barrier - and raining glittering shell-scales upon the Coatl. Where the fragments lie, something strange and unnerving comes into being, beings with shining tails like those of the Coatl, in every imaginable colour, but with the scale-free torso, arms and head of a human female.

"Well, that went well! Look, they're gonna be the best of friends, aren't they?"

Lamiae:
Lamiae are unnaturally beautiful, beings with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a serpent. Their tongues are forked, and their teeth sharp and pointed. They have the power to enchant and enthrall others, by virtue of an innate magical attractiveness / compulsion that is VERY hard to resist. They can speak, but have a telepathic connection with each other and those they have under their subjugation. They also have an innate ability to create illusions, phantasms and glamours, using this ability to appear to their prey under the guise of what the prey would find most alluring. When threatened, their teeth become long and incredibly sharp, as do the claws they sprout, and they use their glamours to distort their appearance and their surroundings to intimidate or befuddle their attackers. They have no problem living together, but tend to work alone, preferring to gather as many thralls as they can - and if they worked together, only one could command her thrall. They are powerful, but not extraordinarily so physically - their power lies in their wit and guile, not brute strength.

AP
AP : 7
Create Lamiae : -5
AP = 2.

nolispe

2011-12-05, 07:33 PM

Aei - Potential?

The young man smiles.
"Very impressive. I must applaud your creation... I'm sure they will be most intresting. Are you planning for them to organise, or will they simply roam the world like that? I'm sure each individual one, of course, might be able to... Shall we say have fun?"

Aeil - A Dream of Silence

Naturally, that wasn't Aei. That was just a structure, a phantasm - a dream of light, created in an instant. Nonetheless, it talked with the voice of a deity.
Aei, or at least the sphere of light form of Aei, was... Pacing? Whatever the closest equivilent to that for a disembodied sphere of light, anyway, in the space above the world tree. And as he paced, ideas started to rush through his mind - of a shield, a wall against nature... A defensive line... Something that would stand between the plants and flowers of his domain and the terror beyond.
His mind flashes rapidly with images; a forest glade, unadulterated by the onslaught of gods and mortals alike- a circle of white-robed beings, chanting dire warnings to all those who would hear, and countless more visions of similar meaning. And bright, pure, and clear - Not unlike the frenzy that had come upon him not an hour ago. And he heard, crashing in his head, a voice much like his own, in timbre. It was his own, as he thought, but....

"Thou hast known me since thy very creation, Aei. For time immeasurable I hath been within thee, a fragment of thy being, yet also in some ways a separate being. The world that thou hast helped to birth is in need of a concept such as mine- thou hast seen with thine own mind the creations I would bring, the wisdom I would impart. Now, it is time that my concept is realized. We have the vision, Aei; we know what it is thou must evoke. All that is needed is the spark."

Sparks were something of a speciality of Aei. And following the strange desire within his head, his corona stretched forward once again, and from the infinite fractal depths it left a bit of himself behind. A great orb formed, swirling with blue and grey energy. In a matter of moments, the orb shaped itself, like a pottery wheel, stretching and skewing its features before finally forming the shape of G'rel. Two large eyes appeared like great opals on G'rel's head, staring deeply into Aei. Aei felt strange, and sad, as suddenly he could almost feel a part of his personality ripped away. But at the same time he exalted, revelling in the glory of what he had done.
"Greetings, Child. Art thou awakened in your new form?"

Fates

2011-12-06, 01:51 AM

G'Rel- A New Sanctuary

G'rel speaks in a voice resemblant of that which Aei heard in his vision. His voice appears within the god's mind, as G'rel does not have a visible mouth.
I thank thee, dear creator, for thine sacrifice. I pray thee, dwell not on what you hath lost this day, but on what the world hath gained! Lo! Behold the workings of thine vision!

With a cry, G'rel extends his new found power to the world, and amidst one of the great forests of the land there is made a circle of land- miles in diameter- in which the trees are far taller and greater, and their leaves grow silver on the edges. Farther apart are the trees as well, and four large paths cut through the forest, leading to a great stone circle at its center. With a dramatic flourish, G'rel brings to life twelve individuals- the forefathers of a new race- that stand before the altar, an innate order already taking hold of their minds. Tall they are, with hair of a premature white and a graceful air about them. A thirteenth individual stands directly before the altar, taller and mightier than all the others, and his head is shaven, just as his creator's.

These are the seers! Here mortals and heroes alike may sojourn to learn of what fate has in store for them. The power of the thirteen, and the power I have invested into the grove, will ever protect the flora and fauna of the grove from the blades and spells of the outside world.

AP:0 (7 -1 alter land to create grove, -1 bless to protect grove, -2 to create seers (capable of reading fates, and some other minor magics), -2 to create organization, -1 to raise hero, the leader of the seers, who is capable of powerful magic as well as direct contact with G'rel)

nolispe

2011-12-06, 02:20 AM

Aei - A Beautiful Mind

"Truly, I look upon what we have worked, and I wonder. Even now I see those that you have formed beneath, and hope they will act as a brave shield against the darkness that cloaks the land until the dying of the hours at the final word of the world. I would extend mine power to ensure beyond even that which you have that shadows shalt never cross their paths, but in truth I am drained by the flurry of Creation.

As your progenitor, I must needs introduce you to this world that we have made - for as you took part, you were a segment of mine mind, and I suspect thou were sessile and unaware.

Below us is the World Tree. It's branches were exalted by the goddess Sofria, a divinity who hath pledged herself to chaos but not decay, and below cluster many species and types of creatures, in fellowship. Truly, how they treat the nature around them leaves something to be desired, but they are on the whole virtuous.

Around it is the beshadowed continent of Aeril, the land possessed by a mind. It was formed when I strove to create a stronghold for the will of the wilderness, and it even now wanders the branches. It is a strange and terrible land, fraught with the illusions and spirits that flowers bring in their wake, and the rapid collapse of the straining earth beneath it, even as it reforms ever brighter than before.

Outside the thin and fragile mist barrier that arcs to seperate the two worlds - and lo, I intend to soon gather my power to circumvent it, not in whole, but perhaps in part - Stands the great and terrible continent of the Deadlands. In those curse-ridden lands no plants grow, and truly those places are haunted by the dead in great and infernal numbers. The sole outpost of nature in that cursed and barren place is the Fields of Flowers, a vast bayou of growth, made treacherous by the air of the place.

Beyond that lies the first land that the world saw, the old but still magnificent if not as titanic in scale as the newborn lands, the Eye of Etu, named for the god of the sun who rules his empty void on high and does not suffer mortals or his children to approach him. It is occupied by the Loxo, great and generally righteous creatures who have recently fought a vicious war with the Gelatines, are strange and terrible race bent on the annhilation of the natural order. Large parts of it are ruled over by the savage and imperialistic ratfolk, who expand ever faster on every empty place and burn all that would oppose them, while pouring vicious plagues from their dark cities to exterminate all living things. Thankfully, due to the efforts of those divinities opposed to them, these have been weakened for now.

Look upon those works, child, and think - what callousness and viciousness rule in the hearts of divinities and men! Indeed, it is only due to the efforts of those of us devoted to truth and nature that some places growing things may still call their own. Beyond that I cannot offer advice. There is a world below, and all I ask of you is that you create something lasting. Do as you will - You have already begun to forge a great shield for the forest, and as such I am gladdened by the righteousness of your creation."

Fates

2011-12-06, 02:38 AM

G'Rel- Dormancy

Again I thank thee, dear creator, for thine impeccable wisdom. My own future, and that of my seers, is clouded in my mind. Though strong, my oasis is hardly invulnerable to attack, and I will refrain from any warlike actions until I have amassed enough power to vanquish those cruel defilers. My powers are spent, and I must rest. Know, then, that you will forever have my allegiance should my abilities be needed.

Devilfish

2011-12-06, 02:43 PM

Gordemir – "Thank you for the raw materials, mother."

Skizzik missed a piece.

Soaring through the cosmos at the speed of sight, flew a single piece of moonrock dislodged by the vast sneeze. Soifra had been well-humored, bestowing the moon with an unsightly wart in its fleeting sentience, but her amusement did not come without the manifestation of something; bitter, callous, and scraping at her unheeded sternness in its ascent to divinity. Not a moment passed without it pursuing gestation, it laboring each instant to be born. Every passing iota of time, it flexed upon itself, tempering itself by the finest of measures into its corporeal form. Time knew no bearing on this rock, for what distraction could give it frame of reference when all it understood was the task ahead? Eons should have passed for its body to be complete, and yet it only took the being until he was satisfied by the distance of separation traversed in his flight. He looked back over his shoulder only to when his origin was a speck on the horizon.

Reaches away, he arched his powerful back, regarding his sculpted figure with only a dull content. His were tired eyes, alien to the graces of rest or sleep, and yet he was so capable, now more than ever. This was no time to stop… and so he worked. Worked on nothing in particular, worked at the very space stuff before him, each thunderous blow of his sending shockwaves and bursts of light across the expanse of the universe, blinding a cataract onto his right eye and he still worked. Into his hands came the chisel and mallet, his divine instruments infused by the very determination and craftiness that was his being. These were the tools of the artisan god, and with them would he make marvels of unparalleled splendor.

…if only he cared to.

What use would it be to craft tools for the gods, he wondered as he worked. From a great distance away he could hear the sounds of their futility- thousands, millions, countless mortal souls born into being and pitted against one another, their anguish resonating through the cosmos in a terrible variance of pitch and prayer. Each one cried for meaning, for salvation, crying with renewed fervor each time, hoping for someone to hear.

...Gordemir furrowed his brow, and pounded louder.
AP: 7 (starting off!) +0
-2: Create artifact- the Chisel and Mallet of Gordemir
-3: Infuse relic- chisel/mallet
2AP remaining.

Fates

2011-12-06, 05:21 PM

G'Rel- A Most Potent Forshadowing

After the ringing of Gordemir's hammer and anvil for time unknown has sounded, the smithy god is met by the towering form of G'rel. He speaks to Gordemir in a soft tone, refraining from the thunderous cries the oracle would normally speak with.

I know thy heart, Gordemir, and know that I cannot change thee. I know also that you wish to remain in solitude, thus I will make my verses brief.

Though my powers consistently fail to touch the fates of divinities, thy destiny I read clearer than the skies of August.

The oracle god's voice changes dramatically, deeper than the ocean's murkiest lairs, greater than the tallest mountain, more meaningful than a vow of eternal love.

There will come a time when all the many worlds are torn asunder in a massive war, gods and mortals alike will meet in the greatest conflict of all time. It is then that thou must dwindle in apathy no longer. Thy powers will then be of paramount importance. Though beings of power greater than thine shall attempt to sway thee, hear them not! Thou wilt have one choice, a choice of thine own heart, and this choice shall make a world of difference.

I will tell no one of thy presence, Gordemir. Do as thou wilt, but hear my prophecy well, for it is the greatest of my works.

And with that, the oracle fades from the craftsman's view, no trace of his appearance visible.

bladescape

2011-12-07, 08:15 AM

The birth of a Seed

Kai was wandering once more in her gardens. Alone, unaccompanied, she viewed all of the parts of nature that pleased her. And those that brought her to anger.

From the burnt and withered plants of the formerly great forests on the Eye, tarnished all over by the Geletines and the Rats, to the great wall created from nature itself, Gleipnir. The last defense of nature, called forth to stem the tide of evil...

And yet, for all of her power and focus, she knew she had been weak too often. Too much had she been unable to outlast her opponents. Too often had she let nature down.

This, as always, weighed heavily on her. Her children now were divided by a taint fully chosen to have in return for the gift. A selfless act to humble themselves...

She had often considered the world, unable to act, only watch... Because she could not be everywhere at once. She could not keep an eye on everything.

A moment of thought, and Kai opened her hand. A small seed, the last of the seeds used to create Gleipnir, glimmered in her open palm. The burnt marks of the destruction wreaked upon it's home glimmered softly in the faint light filtering through the trees...

"Nature cannot be guarded by one. It cannot be regulated by someone whose mind is elsewhere." She spoke softly to herself, admitting something she had never done in public. Knowing her own inability and weakness. The reasons for it..

That was why she had kept this seed... Because when Gleipnir finally found it's power, so too would the unplanted seed in her palm. But what to do with it...

She didn't know yet. This was something she had no idea what she was doing. An impulse. Perhaps Siofra wasn't a good influence on her. That made her mouth quirk in a smile....

After a moments consideration, she touched the seed, feeling that essence of the divine flow into it, reinforcing the power that she had already infused into it. And she dropped it, slowly watching it spiral down until it touched the ground, and pulsed.

And then, energy flowing between the beautiful goddess of the Fae and it, the seed grew at an alarming rate. But it did not grow as one expected, not even in the image of the wall it's brethren had became.

Because this seed was something more, now. It was... divine....

That an alright entry for Sephyr?

Amrita Flats

"Flown?" Erathius mused for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"I'll leave a few trackers and hunters to lead you back the way we came. I am, however, intruiged by these 'cloudships.' What are they exactly, that they are able to fly?"

The concept of something flying on it's own, a non-organic thing no less, was quite the novel idea...

Selinia

2011-12-08, 01:42 AM

Amrita Flats

"Marvels of alchemy is what they are, ambassador." Fredrick chuckled slightly. "Marvels indeed. I think perhaps I will let you see one for yourself, rather than ruin the experience. Here..." The hook-nosed serra resumed writing for a moment, putting his signature on a paper drawn from one of the many piles on his desk. With a few swift motions, he fold the sturdy stationary, sealed it with a greenish wax, and stamped the product with a wood-carved emblem obvious kept close at hand. "Your flight will be ready by morning, and you should be in Central within the week. Just present this, and the sailors will know who you are. That seal also entitles you to an ambassadorial allowance of one hundred Pearls. That should be more than plenty to find comfortable lodgings for your entourage this night, and have some left over to enjoy the city if you wish. May fortune favor your endeavor, Ambassador Erathius."

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

There were many different inns and taverns in the city - unsurprising, given that it was well used to hosting numerous traders and merchants come to pick up valuable cargo. Yet, in sharp contrast to the dimming noise of the forest at night, the city seemed only to increase in energy as the sun went down and work-weary laborers poured back through the gates in search of refreshment and entertainment. Should the fey seek it out, a veritable carnival of merriment stood ready in a city this size, remote though it might be in comparison to the Commonwealth heartlands.

Wherever there were taverns - or for that matter, busy street corners - young bards could be found plying their trade for crowds in hopes of tips. None matched the beauty and elegance of the songs of the forest folk, of course, but their instruments were lively and voices enthusiastic, and there was a special quality to any music filled with the hopes and dreams of those who played it. From behind warmly glowing windows across the city came shouts of rage and cheers of jubilation alike, as the day's wages were shuffled too and fro by victory and loss of games in one of the many Temples of Tasrin (with the handful of his feline followers dwelling in the city ending up, as usual, with more than their fair share). And if one looked, it wasn't at all difficult to find a pretty face to pass a few hours with... if one was willing to lighten their purse, anyway.

There wasn't any quiet, but such is the way of city life.

Still, it was the next day which held the true wonder. Just as promised, Erathius would find his group welcomed cheerfully into the dockyards - which, coincidental with the nautical terminology, was actually on the water. The place was filled with the feverish work-tempo that seemed to characterize the city... and indeed, the serra in general. Goods, supplies were shuttled from ship to warehouse to ship again, though most of the crowds made way at the approach of official delegates. It was notable here too that heraldry - previously seen only on various seals in the City Hall - jumped from every surface, in every hue and pattern of the rainbow. Every one of the great houses had some degree of trade with Amrita Flats, and it showed.

The cloudships though were more interesting still. The name seemed a little misleading, having seen them in person, as the ungainly transports shared little resemblance with any vessel to sail upon the waves. In truth, they resembled nothing so much as buildings plucked up off the ground and told to fly - boxy and angular in shape, with most clearly designed for maximum cargo space before any other concerns. Even docked, the cloudships sat upon a billowing cushion of amber mist - replenished constantly, or so their guide told them, from an alchemical device called a Cloud Basin, kept deep in the ship's holds. A number of times the group bears witness to the takeoff of one of the odd devices: the clouds beneath churning and thickening as they relieved the hull of its weight, and the cloudship as a whole slowly turning towards its destination as the crew called forth the wind that would carry them to their destination.

Their guide - a rather heavyset serra who seemed almost implausibly enthusiastic about her mid-level government job - paused in her description of the differences in heraldry between the houses Ki and Ao to proudly present the vessel which would be bringing the fey to the hustle and bustle of Central. Rather more heavily decorated than most of its companions in the dockyards, it was clearly designed as a transport for politicians and diplomats rather than crates of herbs.

"Crew's all set and ready for the lot of you." The guide smiled wide, indicating the boarding ramp that would allow access to the upper deck. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say I hope you all enjoyed your stay in this little town of ours. You may have important business, but I've never hear of a political sort who can keep his marbles in order without a bit of relaxing now and then!"

planswalker

2011-12-08, 03:28 AM

Elsewhere on the Eye...

The Loxo families that were periodically sent out in the past to meet other cultures and aid them where possible, spreading the news of the Light went all over the Eye, and found their way into all sorts of places.

However, with the chaos and war that erupted all over the continent frequently, very few of these groups found themselves able to return to Sunholm to report back to the main Families.

Over time, these Loxo grew apart from the mother city, and in time they even came to feel themselves to be separate from their kin in the city.

Now, not all families came to share this view, for there were many, especially those that did not wander far, that did in fact frequently return to Sunholm about once a generation. However, especially those at the rim of the Eye, this was increasingly not the case. There were whole generations of Loxo who grew up, had children, and died without ever seeing the Golden Peaks or tasting the waters from the Well of Life. Some even felt as if Etu had abandoned them, for word that their god walked in physical form in the city eventually reached these exiled ones.

This was not true, but that did not make the feelings of alienation false. It appeared to these distant ones that Etu favored those in the cityand did not care for them. There were even a few who became disinterested in their creator over this imagined slight. If only these exiled ones would return home, they would find that they would be welcomed as if they had never left. However, many of these far families felt no need to return, having survived as wanderers on their own without Sunholm for generations now.

Etu - the Void

Etu loved his children dearly, and did not wish for them to feel so abandoned. However, he knew that at the same time, this part of his people had in many ways outgrown the rest of Loxo society, and re-integrating them back in was unwanted and would in fact be destroying a unique people group. Instead, at Etu-Achak, the first manifestation of himself in creation, Etu formed from his deep love for these people a new being, one suited to their new mindset and traditions.

He spoke to his newest, youngest child and said, "My son, there are those of my mortal children who have lost sight of me, whose wild ways and roaming pilgrimages have caused them to stray from my path for them. Go, gather them up to yourself, along with any other such peoples as may exist, and protect them from the evil ones of this world. Know that I dearly love them still, and send you to them that they may grow in peace."

cue fremen

Meanwhile, at Sunholm:

The Council of Seekers oversaw and regulated all manifestations of magic among the Seekers at Sunholm and abroad. The Enclave of Tenders similarly oversaw the significantly larger population of Tenders and were in fact an outgrowth of the same council and the leaders of one worked closely with the other. Both groups gave the new and significantly smaller group of Saimekan Maaster Hunters a healthy respect and were very specific to include them in any major deliberations.

About a generation after the Great Green Greasy Gelatine Batlle, there was one particular Seeker who showed great promise. He had great skill not only at the natural magics of the Seekers, but also was adept with sun magics and runecrafting, as well as having dabbled in wishcrafting long enough to learn of its darker side and how best to use it sparingly. However, like all mortals, this one would eventually die. If his grief seed did not overwhelm him first, the Seeker would eventually die of old age, for few mortals can cheat death, and this one did not dare the feats needed. Besides which, death was not an end after all, but merely a transition to be judged by Cephiram and sent on to a just reward.

As the massive white elephant grew older, though, his magic only grew more powerful. His wisdom increased too, and within his lifetime he personally lead the push to extend Sunholm's borders all the way to the Golden Peaks, ensuring that none would ever be able to cross them so lightly opposed. He did much to protect his people, and as the years advanced, he was mostly content.

However, he feared death. Not for his own sake, for he knew with confidence that he would be judged worthy. No, instead he feared for the world. Dark and destructive forces were at work, and it would only be a matter of time before much more than just this one city would be threatened.

This trouble the elderly mage, and he went down to the Well of Life, Etu-Pavati and bathes in the edges of the holy waters, communing with Etu and asking him what can be done to better protect not just the Loxo, but all who were at risk.

What startled the old Seeker, though, was when the Well of Life responded.

"Do you earnestly seek this?" The god's voice emanated from the sacred lake.

"Of course, Healing Father."

The Seeker had of course spoken with Etu-Shiye on many occasions, had even supped with the Tender-god countless times since coming to lead the Council. However, Etu-Pavati had not spoken to anyone audibly since the GGGGB when he was only a child. Many who came to the Well found clarity and guidance in its waters, but few ever reported anything more than a gently guided thought, and he knew none had ever received spoken instructions before.

"Can something be done?"

"Yes. You have great power, powers that are only now beginning to manifest themselves fully as you age. Powers that would take a thousand thousand lifetimes to fully comprehend. Within you is the potential to become as great as any of the gods, provided you were to live that long. However, already you approach the limits of what your mortal form can handle, and if you were to grow any greater, the world itself would reject you and you would pass. However, if you are willing to leave behind all that you know, even your very name and family, you can be reborn into a form that can contain these powers within you. When you were conceived, you were conceived before these very waters, and I planted in you a seed of my very essence. I have spawned several divine children before, but far too often, they have grown to be without empathy, with no connection to the mortals on this world. I had hoped that by having one grow up in this world a mortal first, that you might come to love life here as I do. Now the time is right. If you will accept this burden and choose it for your own, you shall gain the power, true power, to be able to shape the very cosmos. If you do not wish to abandon this world that you might save it, know that I will love you no less for it, and will stunt the seed within you, and plant anew in another child to be born. You will live a full mortal life, die, and meet your reward as you have earned in the judgment halls of my son Cephiram."

"I chose-"

The seeker paused for a moment, thinking. Did he truly wish for immortality and power? Was it worth it to lose everything he knew and had that he might serve a greater good?

Yes. Though it was not easy, the seeker knew that this was what he was born to do.

"to accept the burden placed before me."

"Then come, wade deeper into my waters, and let my divine essence fill your vessel to overflowing. When the mortal shell crumbles, your true nature will be set free."

The fifteen foot white elephant with blue eyes and golden tusks walked faithfully in to the Well of Life, knowing that his mortal death was upon him, for it was death to swim too deeply in these waters too long.

It was not that Etu-Pavati killed one for his impertinence. In fact, it was impossible for one to even drown in these waters, for they constantly healed and renewed the drinker. No, what was lethal was that the waters were full to bursting with the very essence of life, and no mortal form could absorb too much of this energy without its heart giving out, every vessel in its body tearing, and its very form falling to pieces.

It was a slow, gentle death, however. The very waters that would lead to one's death if one lingered in it overly long filled one with a euphoria, and the final moments of life were one of exquisite bliss. There were even those among the Loxo who, when they became incurably ill, sought to wade out into the holy waters until they were fully immersed, wishing to be spared the slow agony of their demise. For some, the healing waters cured their ails and they walked back out whole and healthy. Those whose illness were not of a nature that could be so cured died in the gentle embrace of Etu-Pavati.

This Seeker, though old, was reasonably fit for one his age. He spent nearly twelve hours in the gentle embrace of the Well of Life before death claimed him.

At the moment that his mortal form perished, his spirit was ascended up beyond the mortal world, and appeared before Etu-Achak, the sun. Another being like unto himself was also forming not too far away.

It took... the new entity was not entirely sure how long it took for it to become aware of its surroundings. When it had, the other entity it had felt was not in sight.

"Arise, Child Reborn, and state for all the cosmos to hear your new name, my new child. May those who seek destruction quake at your power!"

cue Umbramar. I know I'm kinda playing up your protection side of things, but don't let this make you feel restricted.

Umbranar

2011-12-08, 04:56 AM

The seeker opened...his eyes? Was that what he did? His view upon things had changed, 'vision' is different on the mortal world. All he knew is that he was suddenly aware. Aware of his new form and powers. Aware of the other gods...more than the teachings discribed.

"My name..." he muttered, trying to remeber his former life. "They called me, Grand Crusader but that is merely a title...my name was, is Gladius. I thank you healing Father, i shall go forth and continue my quest to protect what you have created. Allow me to infuse the firstborn of the next generation of Loxo, to form a new kind who wish nothing else then protect others and vanguish evil."

planswalker

2011-12-08, 05:01 AM

Etu- the Void

"Go, child, and so do. Know that I am with you always, even to the ends of the ages. It was for this very reason that I gave you life and elevated you."

TechnOkami

2011-12-08, 05:50 AM

A Dance into Childhood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1pWYODTEdg&feature=related)

Here again I listen to the vastness which is myself... Constantly I tear and reform, grow and wither, unending and undying as long as nature remains intact. Though some places fade from my sight, others: foreign lands upon which I have not grown are spectacularly new to me. I feel each and every mote of myself: from seed to forest, lone wolves to entire packs, both hunter and prey entwined and bound in my eternal cycle. And yet... something is amiss. I hear the sorrowful laments of past trespasses unresolved and seeking atonement, aid needed to one who requires it... she too... who is she? Her song is... alluring. I cannot help myself become drawn closer to this siren, and... what is this? Golden light flows into my branches, my veins, the roots of my very soul... What am I becoming? Where am I flying towards? I am... bound to this tiny seed, yet more light pours into me. It will not be able to contain my entirety; I must come into this world, or this power will surely consume me. I must... grow.

The seed she let loose upon the rich earth beneath her feet soon began to glow with a radiant, emerald light. It did not glare or blind like the rays of the sun, but rather it glowed with an evanescent calm. As vines and branches sprouted forth from what used to be a seed, it twisted and stretched into more familiar shapes the Goddess was accustomed to; first, a hand appeared in outline, miraculously transmuting from cellulose to soft, pink flesh. It clawed and groped from its partially transformed state, pulling the rest of itself out of the glowing mass before her. Soon, the outline of a small child made itself known to her, and as the shape stepped away from its glowing germination, the remainder of its being became fully apparent. What stood before her looked naught but a young boy, with alabaster skin and ancient, snow-white follicles of hair strewn about its head. What was most remarkable about the child though, was his eyes; they held a shade of olive green, telling of a wise, and old spirit captured in the essence of its youth-bound form.

The child and all that he is, has been, and all he had yet to be, walked slowly towards Kai. Though his presence certainly felt ancient, it didn't feel threatening. In fact, it felt welcoming, a kindred spirit.

Beckoning her down to his height, the child cups his hands and whispers softly into her exposed ear, "Worry not; spring is coming, and with it the wakening of my brothers and sisters." He motions to the trees surrounding the tranquil glade where they spoke. "Soon, their seeds shall grow into mighty beings... walking trees... they will be able to roam the earth and nature alike, and ensure its cycle remains unperturbed and unspoiled. Nature will bask in its new found glory, and life shall rejoice like no time since."

I was listening to that song as I wrote this, so perhaps listening to that while reading it makes it better.

omnitricks

2011-12-08, 05:57 AM

Umbranar

2011-12-08, 06:16 AM

The Honorbound

With his Father`s permission Gladius turns his gaze to the Sunholm. The Loxo are suitable for his plans. They are not perfect but that is something Gladius can correct. He concentrates and imagines the new sub-race of Loxo he is about to create. Using his powers for the first time felt strangly familiar, it was always present within his mortal shell.

As he felt the lifeforce of each firstborn of the next generation, he trickled a small amount of his power in each. Every single one of these childs was born with a birthmark, not to be recognized as a flaw, but as a sign. The marks resemble a radiant sunrise with a burning sword at its center, pointing skywards. "And so the Honorbound are born, they will live their lives as normal Loxo, untill they are fully grown and strong. Their skin will grow white, their eyes blue and their tusks a golden color. I will then call them and prepare them for the Grand Crusade."

AP=7
7-3 (Infuse Race: Loxo to create The Honorbound)
AP left=4

planswalker

2011-12-08, 06:21 AM

The Reason

The leader of the cats, or who it seemed to be as he told the elder loxo that "there seems to be a lot of this these days but as they say better what you can beat down than what you can't" and that was actually the reason why the cats came. "We cannot beat the plague now but we can beat the ones who made it which are the ones attacking all of us so make room for its destruction. As you can see all our homes in the Eye are terribly at risk and the only way to get save it is to do drastic things. Coming far from home is only the least of it"

"We are aware of these dangers, and it has taxed our greatest enclaves of mages to shield our home here in the Golden Peaks from the worst of such effects. We would speak of this more after the battle is over in full Council."

...

After the battle, while repairs began throughout the city, a full Council of elders, lead by Etu-Shiye himself gathered to formally greet the cat delegation.

"Welcome, children of another god. I am Etu-Shiye, the mortal form of the Lord of Light. You spoke earlier to my representatives of striking what we can and of drastic measures. Know that from Etu-Achak, my form above, I have seen this destruction. Do you propose to unite with my people against their common foe?"

Draken

2011-12-08, 10:10 AM

The Great Tree

The Living would dare ward away the glorious will of the Neverborn.

This could not be allowed.

The wingspan of the void itself engulfed the sky above the fey courts, before plummeting down to let the great storm rage into sight once more, not altogether a bat or a dragon, nor in any way resembling a corpse, but a vast shadow given mass, with a retinue of small, swirling black orbs of catastrophic power and the ghastly visages of his hosts.

Blackwing's thunderous voice whispered to the people of Kai with the authority of the Dreaming Dead.

"Mortals... The Ancestors demand answers, the Dead God looms above, to bring eternity to all... But he is denied."

6 AP (last week's rollover)

1 AP: Raise hero: Blackwing. Blackwing is the highest of the Nightwings, the nightshades of the sky. He is an oversized member of his species, a gargantuan black bat.

Blackwing's retinue is comprised of common Vasuthants and Fae ghosts.

Maerok

2011-12-08, 01:41 PM

Orson, Nowhere in Particular

Orson was. There had been a fine line between was and wasn't. And he found that where he was wasn't where he desired to be.

He stalked the space between realms, seeking entry to the mortal plane but found no gateway. Confined, he chose to invert the status quo. As he traced the emptiness he cast a spiraling shadow that solidified into a path itself. If he could not occupy the mortal world to force the hand of others he would bring himself closer.

The path he wove about the hidden and lost spaces in the Material Plane developed as walked back and forth along them. These secret byways became The Alley, a dimensional pathway from which he could observe. Where the path crossed ever so close to the lands of mortals there grew a few 'fuzzy' spots where mortals of sufficient talent could intrude. The coiling, fractal-like Alley was walled in by desolate city-front. Like a great many-armed sea beast these coils of the plane connected to a singular point - the Castle of Orson.

As his eyes and ears to navigate these breaches, he produced a mirror and shattered it into a fine dust between his hands. He blew into the powder and cast the whirling, shimmering storm into strange beings. The Enigmas were born. They stood tall and gaunt, almost insect-like, with four arms and a head studded with as many diamond-like points as the night sky. Orson dressed them in fine robes and taught them the range of their capabilities. They were rooted more to the maddening mazes of The Alley than the Material Plane, and as such could twist truth to their whim. The Enigmas were shapeshifters with natural psionic talents and the particular ability to shift between The Alley and the Material Plane.

Knowing little of the world yet, Orson coalesced these powerful servants into a single group with the express task of gathering knowledge, secrets, and gossip that could begin to form the basis of power in this existence. As creatures who moved in absolute subtlety they were deemed The Invisible Hands.

AP 7 - 2(Weave Plane: The Alley) - 3(Create Life: Enigmas) - 2(Form Organization: The Invisible Hands) = 0

hustlertwo

2011-12-08, 03:17 PM

Nomnipitus the Erupting

Long after the dust had settled from the battles between the forces of Etu and Nomnipitus, one of the lesser mountains within the Golden Peaks begins to glow brightly. With a rumble to rival that of the exploding Muci-bomb, it erupts, spewing glowing green rocks throughout the nearby regions. Little damage is done, but what all those in the area do not notice it anyhow. Instead, all eyes turn toward the unspeakable horror emerging from the ruined mountain. It becomes clear that the peak's explosion was simply because it could no longer contain the rapidly expanding mass of roiling ooze inside. The same Mucinoid that had once brought such destruction to the Loxo capital had been reformed, and mutated by the divine might once wielded by Globulus. Still not completely stable, tree-sized tendrils emerge from the creature at random, and recede again. By the time its growing has finally ceased, it is clear that these mountains have seen the birth of perhaps the largest living creature in the material plane.

It tests its new body, flexing and kneading its rippling form.

Very nice...freed from that puny mortal, seems to allow for a much more pure application of my indomitable will. No personality in this beast, just a guttural need to survive. Seems like it should have been even stronger than this, however...guess there must be a little waste from a procedure like this.

Subcreatures...your day will come. But first, the traitor.

The thing instantly vanishes, moving in the space between worlds.

And that's my little spawn point for Origas.

Fremen

2011-12-08, 06:21 PM

Born Barbarian

The newborn god drew itself into a single, whole form and gazed down at its divine body. Sharp, jagged tattoos crisscrossed his bare chest and shoulders, and he stood clad in simple garments of fur and leather. Although his existence so far could be measured only in the fractions of seconds, this new being knew perfectly what the markings upon it meant, and what the practically-minded garb represented. He knew what he was, why he was, and in his mind he soon began to understand what it was he had to do.

He turned his weather-beaten face to his father, and for a moment appreciated the differences between them. His form was one made in the image of mortal life, a being tied to the fates of those whom gods treated like puppets and playthings, whilst his father was something altogether more divine in form and function. Yet when their gaze met the fledgling god felt the connection between them; he felt the love of the lesser races.

His father spoke to him in a gentle tone, giving words to the unspoken purpose of this new being, but the newborn deity felt a twinge of sadness as he realized that although united by love, he would never be able to stand proudly beside his father.

“I thank you, father,” the new god returned. “Yet this you must know: I share not your burning desire for peace and the sanctity of life, for order and law, for goodness and righteousness. Mine is a different path, and though I walk not the path of evil, nor do I walk your road of good. The order of law you seek to bring and enforce throughout creation I, by my very being, oppose. The peace you would see among the mortal races, I would see tenuous at best.

“But despair not, for know this too: I share your love for the mortal races, and as long as I have the power to do so, those who would follow in my path will ever have my protection and aid.”

The godling spared a rare smile for his father. “Know that I am Vargh, your savage son.”

With that, he was gone from the void and the presence of his father, and he stood still above the lands of the Eye. He glanced at the distant wastelands of death and the shining loxo citadel of order, but found quickly his charges in the fringes of the maps: the wayward loxo. He spent some time simply watching them, noting with pride that they seemed to be masters of surviving without the support of great walls and farmlands. They hunted meat, gathered plants, huddled together in cold nights and ran freely on warm days. Vargh felt an instant connection with them deep in his primal being, but turned his gaze elsewhere.

He saw other mortals, some who shared the old ways, some who embraced order and civilization, some with hearts of nobility, others with hearts of greed. He looked too upon the spreading lands of nature, of the seas and trees, and said nothing.

Vargh turned back to his first charges, the children of other gods who had, by resonance or whim, become the wild peoples of the world, and he reached to them, loxo and other alike. He spread his consciousness thin, touching the minds of those whose souls were receptive, and saw potential. Regardless of race, of technology, of strength, in all tribes and clans he found at least one who would suffice. And so, whether in dancing flames or waking dreams he appeared to them. “Know me as your patron and protector. For so long as you hold to the barbaric ways I shall be your god, and my whole existence shall be to benefit you.” Never did he say his name, for he would leave it to each tribe, to each family (and indeed each individual) to decide how they would know him. His nature was to be there for his people, and while he required of them much in their culture and lifeways, Vargh wished to be there for the mortals, not the other way around.

As he withdrew his touch, he left something for each: a spark of knowledge. In time, Vargh knew, this would be the basis of his first gift to his charges: shamanism. The ways of magic would be known to them, but not through tedious study or experimentation, but rather through ritual and rite. Thus did Vargh tie the magics of his wayward peoples to himself, for to the wild tribes the difference between worshiping and practicing magic, the distinction of cleric and wizard, had no meaning.

AP7
-3 (Create Concept: Shamanism)
=AP4
But the ways of the world were not just those of the esoteric and arcane, and conflict would surely come, wherever one chose to live. So Vargh reached out again, this time seeking those strong in spirit and body. He did not speak this time, but merely left a single, wordless concept in the minds of each mortal whose mind he touched. They would come to call it different things, but to Vargh it was called “honour”. He knew that it would become a source of strife and well as comfort, but he felt confident that it was the right thing to do, and they would thank him for it.

AP4
-1 (Create Concept: Honour)
=AP3
Vargh looked down at the mortal races with whom he felt connected, and knew immediately that although they were now his, they were not of his creation. He looked too at the lands about him, and saw much that reflected the wishes and wills of the gods, and not enough of the wild lands he knew his people would need.

Turning from the blessed Eye of Etu, Vargh drew in much of his new strength, and with a great surge of power sent his will crashing into the barren seas. From the ocean floors rose titanic mountains, bursting through the waves with a crash and driving hard to spear the sky. In their wake great plains pushed their ways out of the salt water, their vast expanses quickly becoming covered in tall grasses and small ponds and rivers. Upon the mountain slopes great forests of pines sprouted into being, careful to keep well below the jagged and now snow-covered frigid tips of the distant peaks. As more land pushed itself out from the water prairie grasslands gave way to sandy deserts, speckled with harsh plants and beautiful oases. Atop the mountains goats and mice, wolves and cougars bounded to life, while great quadrupeds began to roam the grass covered foothills, ever vigilant for the newborn predators. In the deserts birds and reptiles were formed while camels and lean antelopes wandered the harsh lands. This new land was irregular in shape, its frosty northern mountains looming over wide open plains, while the deserts stretched far to the south, almost like a winding ribbon cutting through the sea, long and thin but still far too wide for any mortal to cross in a day’s travels.

AP3
-2 (Create Land: the Continent of Krell)
=AP1
Feeling drained by this supreme effort of will, Vargh looked back to his disparate peoples. He knew that for some the option to leave their lands would never be considered, whilst others would embrace the opportunities of such a new world. Spreading out his reach once again, the Savage God spoke whispers into the minds of his new witchdoctors and medicine men, his shamans and priests, and he knew that by the morning of the new day a vast exodus would begin. He had been careful to allow a volcanic archipelago to connect the Eye’s far western shores with the new lands, and he knew that his people would find their way across the turbulent seas quickly enough. He had chosen not to guide each band in turn, allowing all the opportunity to select their new lands from the myriad of miles provided for them.

In truth Vargh was excited, he was eager to see how his charges would settle themselves. He wondered whether the mighty loxo would prefer the plains or the deserts, or if the few wayward humans would scatter themselves or stay within the same biological region.

Idly he wondered if he had his father’s flair for giving rise to new life, and resolved to test the notion out soon enough.

planswalker

2011-12-08, 06:48 PM

Etu- the Void

"Know, my son, that you are free to visit me any time you wish. Freedom and independence are not as opposed to my will as you think. you were given just such a heart for freedom to help balance the world. If you do not wish to exile yourself, know that I would count you both kin and ally."

Fremen

2011-12-08, 08:52 PM

Krell

Vargh spared a glance to the winter skies above. "I know father," he said, almost absent-minded. "You'll see me again, but for now the mortal races need me, and I need the mortal world."

thedarkstone

2011-12-08, 08:55 PM

Birth of the Survivalist

Essence began to pull itself together; it stitched itself into a form, not unlike that of a mortal. But it was no mortal form, this body that had erupted from a volcano. No, it was a god, a smaller divinity, fledgling in its powers. Not it; this god was a male. He was awakening, and his name was...Origas. Yes, that was right. Origas of the Conflagration, Origas the Enduring. That was who he was...but what was he before? Nothing... Who was to thank?

Nomnipitus. The thought came to mind unbidden. Origas had Nomnipitus to thank for his generation. I would not exist, let alone survive, without his input. This debt I cannot repay. Nomnipitus was his progenitor, his...father. Something of the kind, at least. Origas looked around. Where was he? Mountains...yes, this was where he had been born. Looking around, he saw not his father. Regardless, he spoke aloud. "Father, Progenitor, whatever you may claim to be...I have you to thank for my survival. But now, it is time for me to fulfill my purpose."

After speaking, he vanished, to appear in a nameless void overlooking the world, feeling a new continent formed. This can work towards my purpose, Origas thought, smiling to himself. He sought within himself for that essence of survival and used its energy; Origas used his essence to create a new race of beings. They would be humanoid, intelligent; yes, but potent with their mental powers. This would be advanced later, Origas knew.

He formed them slowly, laboriously. They would have sharp features, fingers that were both talons and digits. Their lifespan would be short, but they would achieve much in a short time. They would be driven to survive, to form a large group and survive as best as possible. Yes, they had a form now. Origas placed them in the desert; that which was harsh would only make them stronger. They were not placed in the center of the desert, either, but, rather, near the outskirts of its border, where a city was laid out for them by their creator. He formed them into a society based on survival; all were a part of the Whole, each essential to the system. All worked for the good of the Whole, and bettering the Whole bettered the Self. The Self was only important as it fueled the Whole. Compared to the Whole, the Self was entirely unimportant, as it only maintained its importance so long as the Whole survived.

AP: 7
Create Race: Aevum (MR1)
Form Organization: The Whole (Society/Government)
Bless: City of Marble (Metropolis-sized)=
AP: 3 (7-4)

Confident that they would be able to survive well, Origas chose one and determined that he would infuse a large portion of his essence in it one day. When he chose to do this, it would leave him weak for some time, but it was worth it. This chosen one would be his chosen one among his chosen people, when he had the strength to grant that degree of favor. Origas reached out to the mortal, infusing him with power beyond his race's ken, and speaking to him through this power.

AP: 3
Raise Hero: Arumnor
AP: 2 (3-1)

"Young Arumnor, I am your creator, Origas. you are to lead your people. Teach them to survive. Assert your strength over as many as possible. If others are stronger, form alliances. If you become more powerful, assert dominance. Use the gifts I have given you and rise to glory." Origas nodded to himself. Yes, that was what was needed. They needed a strong figure to lead them, to bring them to their truest glory. Then, the entire world would be a part of his greater Whole.

~~~

Hero in a Desert
When Arumnor first opened his eyes, he felt the glorious life given him. Looking around, he saw the desert around him, and the rest of his people. Luck was upon them. There was a city before them. It was beautiful; the structures were crafted with red marble. Each building was perfect, and, before long, they had begun their civilization. Arumnor led them, as their creator's chosen one. They became the Whole and, shortly after founding their society, Arumnor led three of his men on an expedition to meet those outside the desert land he had settled into.

And hopefully use them to become stronger.

Fremen

2011-12-08, 09:38 PM

City in a Savage Land

Vargh turned, his fierce eyes burning with indignation as he saw a city rise in his newly forged realm. It was a marvel with beautiful red marble covering its finely wrought structures, its every building serving some greater part of the civilization. It all but glowed with an aura of divinity, for clearly it was the handiwork of a god.

Snarling silently the Barbarian Deity turned from this new slight upon his creation. He had created these lands as a rejection of civilizations and ordered laws, but for now, drained as he was, he lacked the power necessary to re-assert the wild ways as dominant in Krell. Instead he looked to his people, to the nigh endless streaming tribes and clans, warbands and families as they made their ways from across the Eye to the new world set up for them by their god. Krell was supposed to be theirs, not some upstart newcomer's.

Idly the Savage God wondered if he should unite his charges and simply destroy the interloper, but he quickly dispelled the notion. Even with the numbers and variety of skills possessed by the myriad of races who had come to Vargh's call, it would require discipline and patience to successfully siege the city, and to impose such things on his people was abhorring. Still, the civilized had no place on Krell, and Vargh was not about to sit idle.

Reaching out to his tribesmen, Vargh sought out those to whom he had given the gift of shamanism. In visions and dreams he spoke to his followers and told them of the city in the southern desert. He told them that the place was to be an anathema to all who held Vargh dear, and that its people were to be raided and fought. The mighty magics of the shaman themselves was to be turned against this city, that its walls might crumble into the dunes, that the fine red marble might become not but crimson sand, and that the bastion of law would be rendered into dust. Yet Vargh was careful to insist on a caveat to his demand for war: any of those who dwelt within who turned their backs on their civilization, who rejected the ordered way of life, or who left the lands of Krell, were to be shown mercy.

Sensing the auras of indignation and anger in his mortal followers, Vargh withdrew his hand and let their wrath begin to make its way south to the desert city. While the wild tribesmen could never hope to defeat such a solid and defensible site in open combat, so to could no civilization hope to contend with endless raiding of supplies and hunting parties, for there were no greater guerrilla warriors than the wild ones. Coupled with the potent magics which Vargh himself was linked to, and it would not be long before Krell, the wild continent, was wild once more.

hustlertwo

2011-12-08, 09:55 PM

Nomnipitus the Reproducer

Out in the void between worlds, Nomnipitus looks on as the birthplace of his new avatar spawned something unexpected.

So that's where that extra bit of go juice ended up. Look at him struggling, clawing for every breath. A fighter, that one! I like him already.

He watches this new deity carefully as he begins to exert his will upon the mortal plane.

I feel...something. Something somewhat warm. Perhaps my progeny should be invited into our organization.

He sends a missive through timespace toward his accidental offspring.

When you are ready to talk with me...Son....then speak and I shall bring you before me.

5 AP+5 rollover= 10 AP.

Selinia

2011-12-09, 01:14 AM

Kyujin

The board was set. All things neared their final positions.

The radiant one, ribbon-bearer, flower-lord... a compact, long ago, had sealed the allegiance of that one. Kyujin had spent the millenia since in endless work, and soon Aei would be called upon to fill his end of the bargain.

The devourer, dreamer, king of ghosts... the destruction he would bring about could not be stopped, but perhaps it could be harnessed. An asset, perhaps, but not a threat to the greater scheme of things.

The trickster, game-master, prince of dice... unpredictable, but rarely a problem. Tasrin was never one to make a bad bet, and the feline god would soon see where the chips best lay.

The earth-maiden, lady of forests, mother of the fey... a protector such as she would understand, the necessity of pruning a few branches to save the plant as a whole.

And these new children, fledglings, as if the world itself was choking on the fate to come and vomiting forth bile to turn aside the inevitable... a mixed lot, they were. Perhaps they could be made useful.

Those were the great pieces, and were almost set. The smaller ones aligned more hesitantly, as was their way. The Seven searched out the remainder of their number, and the Four were waiting to be found. The orchestra was nearly assembled, and soon - very soon - it would play a song. And everything would change. Crimson eyes glinted with satisfaction as a paw raised, and more pieces slid into place...

Envy

For as long as he could, the great white serpent continued to teach and practice the art of wishcrafting among the Loxo. But as the council spoke of bindings and regulations, his rhetoric grew ever harsher. Such things were anathema to the very concept of wishcrafting, which was a defiance of limits almost by definition. The coatl did nothing to stop those who among the ranks of his followers who chose willingly to submit themselves to the regulations of others, but it was a public secret that he continued to supply the Freewishers with mentoring and new Grief Seeds.

There was no way such an arrangement could last long before erupting however, and such came at the hour of Algoma's self-imposed exile. It was Envy who spirited her away then, issuing a final thunderous denunciation before the two of them vanished from the public eye of Sunholm permanently. Algoma returned, armed with the last and most terrible of the secrets of wishcrafting, that she might lead her students on their proper paths. But she returned alone. Content that his newest peer would be able to take care of herself, the eldest of the Seven had moved on to other tasks.

First among them was as herald. A message he carried, to a newborn god. In the void, a voice sounded, firm in tone yet laced with a tradesman's silver. "Lord Vargh. Barbarian Prince. A seek an audience, if you would grant one, on behalf of one who shares your vision of a world of freedom."

A Gathering of Happenstance

The creation of a deity was no small thing. It resounded and echoed across the planes with a flavor all its own. Some births were bitter, others dry and salty. For the most part, Siofra ignored them. But she could not turn a blind eye to a creation so deliciously sweet - and at the hands of her own Supreme Lightbulb-Maintenance-Attendant, no less! G'rel and Shin'Hai heard then a sound familiar to Aei - and indeed most gods with a modicum of experience - as the harbinger of entirely too much enthusiasm.

"Heee~eeey!" As was her wont, the deity was near-undetectable until she impacted the newborn trickster god with a flying tackle. "Did you know that you're delicious? Like a lollipop. A god-flavored lollipop. I wonder what a god tastes like... probably really, really tasty..." Her grip loosens, sliding off of the taller deity as she seems to serious consider actually sinking her teeth into him to find out. But the rather awkward moment passes swiftly, as her face reverts to the manic grin that seemed to be its default.

"I'm Siofra, by the way! I'm the Ultimate Brigade Leader of the Group for the Supreme Acquisition of Fun Times and Assorted Other Things!" She points a finger at Aei, her rapid-fire exclamations filling the air. "That's the Officer In Charge of All Shiny Materials, which is a very important job, you know? And that's..." When Siofra stopped talking, it seemed less like her sentence was coming to a stop than it was colliding head-on with a brick wall when she directly observed G'ren for the first time.

"...also someone new! Hi! Who're you? You're new too, which means you're kind of like the lemon aftertaste of justice on the pie of victory, because you're not as cute as Mister Lollipop-Flavored, but are still new anyway."

Sloth

It is said that no labyrinth is truly inescapable, with enough patience. Perhaps it is even true. Certainly the plodding steps upon the shadowed cobbled were not of a being lost... indeed, not of a being quite like any the plane had ever seen. Great footsteps landed one after another as the enormous creature slogged along the routes. He had a goal. He would find the master of this place, and speak with him; Kyujin had sensed a mind not unlike his own, and it was only common courtesy for one chessmaster to introduce himself to another entering the game.

Thump. Thump. Frigid steps left puddles behind, as the emissary walked these narrow streets. Perhaps the master of the ally would expel him. Perhaps grant an audience. But until then, he had a goal. And goal was all Sloth ever asked for.

Actions!

AP:
0 + 18 (Rollover*3)
18 - 1 (Raise Hero - Greed)
17 - 1 (Raise Hero - Sloth)
16 = Final

Umbranar

2011-12-09, 04:47 AM

Welcome Home

"They are ready..." Gladius muttered as he watched his Honorbound, seeing that they had grown into powerful Loxo. Their skin as white as salt plains, their eyes as blue as the skies and their tusks gold as the Golden Peaks. It is time to reveal their destiny and purpose to them.

Gladius focused and send a dream to all his Honorbound as night fell upon the world. Visions of the terrible things that are possible through wishcrafting and other vile magics. Images of death and suffering should the Honorbound not interfere. Then Gladius send the 'answer' to these problems, speaking to his people: "You are the Honorbound and I planted a seed of power within you at your birth to rid this world of evil, protecting the good. Take with you those willing to aid you in your quests. You are my chosen and will only use the powers I gave you. For I am Gladius, your creator, your guide, your God. I am the Grand Crusader and you are my children. Go towards the Rise of the Sun, until you find my gift."

As the Honorbound awake and prepare for the journey ahead, Gladius hold up his hand. In his palm appears a liquid, metallic and bright as the sun, which slowly forms to a disk. The disk of liquid forms like a shield and becomes solid. "A gift for the very first of the firstborn i infused, he will be my champion and this shield will protect him and his people." He then flung the shield towards the world below. Mortals would see its coming like a comet, crashing down at the horizon.

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

Ar`math stood between his fellow Honorbound, just outside the Sunholm. The Sun had not risen yet. "Our destiny is revealed, my Friends. Long we wondered why we are different, why were not like the other Loxo. Our creator has spoken and it is time to face our destiny. We will walk towards the Sun as it rises and we..", His speech was interrupted by a bright flash in the skies. A ball of fire soared through the nights sky, followed by a tail of flame. They watched as the ball of fire crashed upon the land at the horizon, yet no explosion followed. Silently Ar`math started to walk as the sun climbed the skies. The others followed him and no word was spoken.

After weeks of traveling, hunting and gathering food, the Honorbound were exhausted. The sun was setting as they started to set up camp. Ar`math had been leading the group from the start, he was taller and stronger than the others and they quickly accepted him as a leader. As all of his people were sleeping, Ar`math patrolled the campsite. He stared at the horizon, in the direction where the sun will rise the next day. At first he did not see, but as he kept staring in the distance, a faint pulsating light drew his attention. He wandered what it was, it called to him. Hesitant at first, Ar`math started to walk towards the light. How long he walked he did not know but when he finally reached the source of pulsing light, he was stunned. As the bright pulsing light faded away, a golden shield was revealed. It emblazoned the same mark as all the Honorbound had on their foreheads, a radiant sunrise with a burning sword pointing skywards, the mark of the Grand Crusader.

The camp was awakened by Ar`maths, as he entered the camp loudly praising the Grand Crusader. "Behold! The Aegis of the Grand Crusader!".
The others joined Ar`math in his praise and cheered. "This is where we should build a temple in his name!" one of the Honorbound said. "Yes, we will!" Ar`math replied. "The mountains nearby will provide us with stone, the grasslands will provice us with food and that river overthere will provide us with fresh mountain water!"

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

Gladius watched proudly as the honorbound started to build houses and the temple. The little hamlet slowly grew as more Honorbound left the Sunholm and reached the templegrounds. "Welcome home, my children..."

AP: 4+3 (rollover yesterday)=7
Craft Artifact: The Aegis of the Grand Crusader -2AP (protects the hero of the grand crusader, prayers of the wielder are directly heard by Gladius)
Raise Hero: Ar`math -1AP
Form Organization: The Honourbound (Clergy of Gladius with Ar`math as leader) -2AP

AP: 7-5=2AP left.

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-09, 09:59 AM

Shin'Hai fell to the floor with a whumph, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the tacklehug from the exactly-the-right-amount-of-enthusiastic girl-God.

Who claimed that he was delicious.

Well now.

"Well hello there, little Lady Siofra! So I'm delicious, am I? If you want to make sure, go ahead, taste away....Charmed, by the way, to meet you! " he chuckles, smirking slightly while saying the third thing.

"So, Madame Ultimate Leader, this Brigade sounds intriguing, and I'd like to learn more about it...do you perhaps have a newsletter I could subscribe to, or a pamphlet I could read, or a zany adventure planned I could go on?

Fremen

2011-12-09, 11:47 AM

Vargh turned his attentions away from the collective anger of his people as they made their way into their new lands, many of them marching south by the decree of their seers to the sounds of beating war drums. Instead he listened to the gilded tongue of the herald, a presence speaking to him of one he had not yet met.

He considered brushing aside the request and focusing on his new quest to reclaim his lands for his tribes, but thought better of it. He knew so little of the gods that had come before him and he was not so arrogant as to think he would be beyond their influence.

Nodding, almost grimly, he looked to the messenger. "I would meet with this one," he said simply.

Darklady2831

2011-12-09, 12:15 PM

Cephiran had long waited, unmoving, unwavering within the Elysian Plains. His visage had nearly been forgotten by all but the Brotherhood of Night, the Gods, and scholars who studied obscure and ancient text. He had used his power to conceal his presence from mortals, making death a mysterious realm that could not be divined.

The Keeper of Souls, Lord of Murder, The Inevitable Reaper, had stirred once more. His form shifted, he changed. No longer simply a large Reaper, Cephiran had become a more literal manifestation of death. A roiling black mass of smoke and darkness, Cephiran resembled a Reaper in shape, but his unfathomable form held within it a feeling of endings, as if nothing and everything existed within at once. Death reflected this, unscryable, undetectable, the living no longer had proof that an afterlife existed. Indeed, only the greatest of beings could even catch the smallest glimpse of the Elysian Plains, so had it been hidden.

The Brotherhood of Night had become a shadowy organization, a ritual sacrifice was used to call upon one of them, and they carried out assassinations without remorse. They hid themselves with doors of gray metal, that whispered questions that only those steeped in the lore of death and the immorality of the Brotherhood could answer truly. Within Sunholm, one such door sat, etched into the side of a seemingly normal wall, it was nearly invisible, and only by placing a drop of blood on the ground before it did the door solidify.

Blood and Fear

Hurrok, a loxo hunter, knelt in front of the gray door, pricking his finger. His crimson blood flowed from the tiny wound, seeping into the ground beneath him. The door became clearer, the mural decorating it becoming visible. A skull, shrouded in smoke and darkness, shining like the sun above four skeletal figures who were worshipping him. A dread whisper filled the air, chilling Hurrok to the bone. "What... is the music... of life?" it said. "Silence, my brother." Hurrok whispered back. "Welcome... home..." the door replied, before creaking open. Hurrok entered hurriedly, and the door shut quickly behind him, fading from view once more.

Descending the winding staircase, Hurrok traveled deep within the dark passageways, until he came upon the central chamber. Four enormous pillars held up a vaulted ceiling. Murals decorated each of the four walls, each depicting something unique. The north wall depicted a army of reapers descending upon the city of Skizzblight. The east wall, depicted an enormous dragon, Tartarus, burning the armies above Ratzinger. The south wall, where Hurrok emerged from, depicted a larger version of the mural upon the door. A large bone white skull, shrouded in darkness and smoke, shining above dozens of skeletal worshippers. The west wall, held a mural depicting the Sun on the left, an enormous rat on the right. Between the two, was a depiction of Cephiran.

The four pillars that held up the ceiling each resembled somthing. The northwest pillar, resembled four Reapers, flying upwards, holding up the ceiling with extended scythes. The northeast, was an enormous Dragon, breathing flame upwards at the ceiling. The southeast, Resembled hundreds of rats, each climbing over each other, trying to get to the top. Finally, the southwest Pillar, resembled many Loxo hunters and tenders, each helping the others up, to keep the ceiling from falling.

Hurrok went to the center of the chamber, a small shrine to Cephiran, and knelt. "Dread Father, you will be done, the sins of the innocent have been baptized in blood and fear. By your grace, I have sent their souls hastily onward to you."

Stepping from the shadows, a smaller figure, a ratfolk, chuckled. "Another contract completed, Hurrok? Let me guess, the old man who lives just inside the gates? Or was it the little girl at her birthday party?" the rat flashed a toothy grin, revealing his sharpened fangs.

"None of your business, Fingnif... the Dread Father sent me on my errand, and now I repay his kindness." Hurrok sneered, drawing his silver blade.

"Hey! Careful with that, last time you drew that blade, you cut yourself!"

"If I remember correctly, it was you who cut me, after I chopped that tail of yours off."

"Details! Anyway, I've got a contract to do, you go get some rest." the Ratty vampire remarked as he scurried into the southern tunnel.

"Damned vampires..." Hurrok muttered to himself, kneeling back at the altar.

0 AP + 10 AP (Two Rollovers) - 5 AP - 1 AP - 1 AP = 3 AP
Create Life: MR 5: Vampires. These beings are created when an MR 1 Race who is a crimson apostle, is blessed by Cephiran or another Vampire. When this happens, their teeth become long fangs, their skin pales, and they change. Eyes become sunken and red, facial features sharper, more beast like. Everything about them becomes more predatory. Vampires have strength that can exceed seven times that of an average member of their original race, and speed and reflexes to match. Their mind becomes sharper as well, making them hyper-intelligent and charismatic. Their senses sharpen, becoming extremely acute. In short, they become the apex predator. Vampires feed on blood, and if they are denied blood, they will slowly grow stronger, and more bestial, until they are nothing more than blood hungry monsters. Drinking blood restores their sanity and minds, making them the sophisticated and charismatic creatures they usually are. Vampires can heal wounds extremely quickly, and can even heal lost limbs. For some reason, silver stops this regeneration, and can permanently kill a vampire if it impales its heart.
1 AP Bless: The Elysian Plains and the Afterlife are now unable to be divined by anything less powerful than an infused being.
1 AP Curse: All dead souls go to the Elysian plains as Cephiran first intended.

Umbranar

2011-12-09, 12:57 PM

Gladius returned to the void and looked around for others. He noticed Vargh, both had the same father and were...created at the same time. Divine Brothers of some sort, yet different with many similarities. "Vargh, my brother. I noticed you created a wonderful concept for your people, honor. I want to ask you if i could use it for my Honorbound. I will return the favor someday ofcourse."

Niezck

2011-12-09, 02:14 PM

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Athrala looked on at the new births and the changing of the world alongside his own. Perhaps these new deities could balance things out, save the endless destruction and pointless conflict... They would need guidance, as would their mortals. Perhaps... It would certainly take some doing though. First things first...

He reached down to the world of his creations and gathered together the lava that formed the volcano, crafting it into Titans like his other children. Seeing that they were done, he moved his attention to the eternal tornado and gathered the winds to a coherent form, creating the fourth and final Titan.

Each would need a leader, however. One that would guide them to success and commune with Athrala himself - the one that would sit upon a throne on the Island of the Deep to discuss matters with the people of the world. His first Fire Titan rose greater than the rest, his flames burning hotter than anything but the Elemental Above itself. His name was Vulcan. The same was done for the Earth and Air Titans - their first was raised above the rest and given a place amongst Athrala's court. Their names Gaia and Aether respectively.

AP12 = 0 + 6 (last week) + 6 (this week)
-3 Create Life: Fire Titans
-3 Create Life: Air Titans
-1 Raise Hero: Vulcan, Lord of the Fire Titans
-1 Raise Hero: Aether, Lord of the Air Titans
-1 Raise Hero: Gaia, Lord of the Earth Titans
= 3

Satisfied with his creations, he glanced upon the world and saw his obelisks - his finest creations meant to help and encourage the people of the world to interact - so few in number and so rarely used. Saddened, he waves his hand across the landscape and sprung many, many more obelisks into being.

-1 Bless: Create enough Obelisks on the world below so that no 2 are more than ten miles apart.
= 2

Satisfied with his work, he whispered to Mercury.
"My child, go forth to the new people of the world, spread my word, complete the council."

The World Below

Walking far, yet relentless in his determination, Mercury approach Ar'math's encampment, guided by his god's direction. Approaching, he bellowed out in a voice that shook the earth itself.

"Ar'math! Grand Crusader of Gladius! Hear me! I am Mercury of the Endless Athrala, I come seeking counsel!"

Darklady2831

2011-12-09, 02:50 PM

Birth of the Grey Ones

The far northwest of the Eye of Etu was a barren land, but this was about to change. Shockwaves of power that quaked the world over rebounded strongly here, cracking the earth and splitting it. An enormous island formed, a U-shaped channel separating it's southern side from the Eye. The north faced the endless seas. The center of this island felt the worst of the tremors, and enormous mounds of rock heaved themselves up from below. The largest of these mountains, glowed with fiery power, a volcano.

The rest of the island, was a versatile place. To the south, the mountains broke into hills and then plains. It was a warm climate, good for agriculture. To the north, icy tundra and glacial plains.

It was upon this large island, that Cephiran gave the world his apologies. A race of people, slightly taller than humans, and vaguely reminiscent of them, they had grey skin, pointed ears, and red eyes. These nomadic people settled upon the plains as hunter-gatherer tribes. These "Cheimer" as they would come to be known, were a relatively peaceful people. They worshipped the sun as the giver of heat and life. They worshipped the shattered moon as protectors of the world. They were a relatively simple people, who lived in one with the land.

But to the north of this, in the mountains, an ancient race had awoken. Long had the dwarves dwelt here, deep underground. Their vengeful god, Skarr, long forgotten. The dwarves resented the Cheimer, their progenitor passed his hatred on to them. Using their arts, they pulled a shard of Skarr's ancient astral corpse down into the volcano, and began to work, turning it to a sinister purpose...

3 AP - 1 AP - 1 AP = 1 AP
Create Race: MR 1: Cheimer
Mold Land: Grimmnach, the Island of the Cheimer.

Fremen

2011-12-09, 03:18 PM

Vargh took a moment to quietly assess this new god, but before he had even spoken the Savage One felt the connection between them. He listened to his brother's request, and turned to look upon the Honourbound. They were loxo, but as much removed from their father's original creations as were those under his own care and attentions. He knew that they were not of the wild ways, but there was an inherent nobility about them that Vargh respected.

Looking back to his brother, "Very well, Gladius, I shall give them the gift of honour. But in return I ask you to keep your creations beyond the borders of Krell."

Umbranar

2011-12-09, 04:03 PM

Gladius looked at his brothers creation and to the borders his brother had mentioned. "Very well, Vargh. They will stay and teach the principle of honor among themselves." With a small nod, Gladius returned to watch his children and the Titan. Hearing soft prayers from Ar`math as the hero approached the Titan alone, shield in one hand and a staff in the other carrying the symbol of the Grand Crusader. The staff doubled as a spear.

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

Ar`math, shield in hand, approaches the creature calling for him. He did so alone, trusting in the Aegis of the Grand Crusader. "I am Ar`math, Champion of the Grand Crusader. What council do you seek?"

In the past couple of months the area where the Aegis had been found, was build upon. The temple completed, grand made of white marble with golden details. Walls had been build around the temple and outside those walls houses. Work had began at creating a second wall, this one would surround and protect the city which is now called Shieldholm.

Fates

2011-12-09, 05:08 PM

G'rel- Waging Peace

Zirlok gazed at the beautiful grove of his master's creation. Though the sanctuary had only stood for a few months, already it had been the target of attempted raids. Lirea had almost died when she was pierced in the chest by one of the ratfolk's many instruments of murder. Had Zirlok not arrived in time, he knew his wife would surely be dead. "All we ever wanted was peace." he muttered to himself, filled with despair despite the tranquility of the place. For perhaps the first time in his life, Zirlok felt alone. He could not lead the Dal'bri properly when there was constant threat to their very existence, he knew that now. Though their powers were admirable, he and his comrades were still new, still weak. Zirlok had never wanted to kill, but already his powers had been used to slay hundreds of invaders.

An elk emerged from the silver trees, its silvery-white coat brilliant in the noonday sun. Zirlok smiled slightly as it trotted a few yards from him, and he spoke softly to it. "Come, dear friend; we will share my meal. I will not harm you." The elk understood, and approached the Dal'bri leader, nuzzling his slightly in affection and hunger. Zirlok removed from his pack a large head of lettuce, splitting off a few leaves for himself and handing the rest to the beautiful animal. The elk quickly chomped down the plant, and Zirlok smiled wider, his pessimism alleviated.

It was then that Zirlok heard the voice of his master within his mind.

I know thy worries, child, but pray, have hope. I promise to do all in my power to ensure the safety and of the Dal'bri are maintained. Here thou hast a dwelling of great beauty, and a people that are the same.

"Which is why I must protect them, dear creator!" cries Zirlok aloud. "I do not have the power to defend them forever!."
Then Zirlok wept, and he was amazed to see that, as the tears fell, they converged and solidified, forming a crystal the size of his fist, motes of pulsating white light gyrating around it.

Thy wish is granted, child. Place this gem atop a staff carved from the branch of a silver tree, and use it well.

AP:1 (3 from rollover -2 for creating artifact)

Artifact created: The Staff of Tears
This, an object of great potency, is capable of allowing one to wage peace throughout a populace, and to protect its inhabitants should such efforts fail.

At will, the wielder of the staff may activate an aura that stretches for a square mile that causes all but the strongest-willed creatures to become sorrowful and repentant upon attempting to kill any creature (even including animals and magical beasts). Even if they succeed in killing a creature, the murderer is liable to die of guilt.

In addition, the wielder can attune the staff to up to 12 other creatures. Should any of those creatures take damage, the staff's power will absorb it. The staff can only take so much, however. After accounting for a great deal of damage (In D&D terms, about 150 damage), the damage is instead dealt to the creature being harmed (or by the wielder, if so he chooses.)

Though the staff is also powerful in combat, it is incapable of killing. The worst the staff is capable of doing is knocking a creature out.

Fates

2011-12-09, 05:18 PM

A Gathering of Happenstance

G'rel smiles slightly at Siofra's enthusiasm.

I am G'rel, a being such as you, though not nearly so great. Though my time in this world apart from Aei has been short, tales of your deeds have reached my ear more than a few times. It it indeed an honor, dear lady, to meet you at last. I do share your vision, at the least, but as I have already imparted on Aei, I wish to remain neutral for the time being; my powers are not so potent as yours, and I must aid you only subtly.
I am going to stop indefinitely from speaking in Shakespearean English.

thedarkstone

2011-12-09, 05:58 PM

Krell- Meeting with the Tribes
Arumnor was angered by the savage folk, but his love for his deity quelled the flames of his rage. He was sent in peace, so he would stay that way, unless his god communicated otherwise. But the other folk's god wanted to speak with his creator, did he? Well, if the Enduring wanted to speak with this other deity, then they would speak.

In the meanwhile, he kept his formalities.

Elsewhere- Meeting with Vargh
Origas appeared from where he had been watching his chosen one. "Well, I assume you are the deity of those tribes down there? I am Origas, and the aevumi people are my creation. Warring on them would attract my ire in a way I doubt you would enjoy." Short, straight to the point. His creations were forming a civilization on that continent, and this other god was so arrogant as to attempt to destroy them. His chosen people! As if his work was for naught.

This was not an acceptable alternative. Survival of his chosen ones was a must. But he kept a pleasant facade up. Though he was a god of holocausts, he knew survival was more important that his anger over a slight. If barely.

Origas sighed. "I assumed you would not mind sharing a small piece of your continent. Particularly one of the least habitable regions."

Selinia

2011-12-09, 10:08 PM

Envy and Vargh

"Very well. Know that the words I speak are on behalf of my master, for it has many tasks in many places in this wide world and is only able to be present so many places at once. But it sees your workings and has deemed you one of purpose aligned to our own. As you are young in the eyes of this world, I present to you three gifts to aid you on your way: advice, an offer of alliance, and... should you choose to make it, a wish."

"For the first, I shall begin with a warning. I can feel in thy essence the burning aftertaste of an encounter with the one who calls himself Etu. No doubt he has already sown words of false camaraderie in thy ears. But do not be deceived - the lord of the sun is little more than a tyrant behind his veneer of kindness. He is apathetic and cruel, and takes little interest in the world save for how it can be bent to serve his principals, and holds mortals as little more than dolls to be arranged in his twisted vision of 'perfection'. The gold he offers comes in the form of chains. He is not a foe to be fought with weapons, but it would be unwise to forget that not all make use of such noble tools."

"My master is no god, despite its power, and cannot aid you as a deity could. However, what we have, we offer to your people. The shamanism they practice is potent, to be sure, but it will not stand if pitted against foes who have had centuries to hone their arcane schemes. If you allow me to, I shall teach your followers the art of wishcrafting, that the fire and passion of their hearts might meet the most devious of countermeasures on even ground. Consider it a gesture of goodwill - nothing is expected in return."

Envy's speech comes to a halt at the appearance of Origas, though he adds a final comment at the end of the survivalist's tirade. "All that said, none ever prospered from a plenitude of enemies..."

A Gathering

"Weee~eeell... normally we'd probably have confetti or something, but the moon kinda handled a lot of that stuff." To accentuate her point, the goddess grabbed a nearby bit of space-rock and waved it around enough for light to catch its opalescent surface. "And that's kinda like, broken right now. That was an awesome show though, you should have seen it! Have you ever seen a planet explode before? We should totally do that some time. There's like... three planets around here we could explode. But whatever, there's plenty of time, and the best way to learn what we do is to come to a party, not read some silly leaflet!"

"Speaking of which, you actually kinda caught the Brigade at a good time, 'cuz we're between awesome adventurers and stuff. We were having a party, but then some smell old rat came and showed up out of no where and bragged a bunch. I hate it when people do that! So I figure, how about this - we start a brand new party, right here! Everyone is invited! Even you, Mister Grill - does that mean you can make hot dogs? Nobody's been able to make those since Jespon lost his microwave oven. Anyway, I just got a tip from a very, very reliable source that the best show ever is going to be going on down there in a little while, and I don't want to miss it!"

"Of course, I dunno when that's gonna happen, so we better do something until then. I was just thinking of an idea, actually..."

Fates

2011-12-09, 10:55 PM

A Gathering

G'rel continues to chuckle softly as the mighty goddess rambles, and replies as soon as her speech is finished.

I suppose it is worth looking into, though my powers will not be of much use- I have only a slight amount of power remaining, which I was about to utilize for a very different purpose.

I suppose that there is no reason to hesitate in showing you what I was to do; I will do it now, in fact.

You see, I realized that it was far too inconvenient for my Dal'bri to be alone in the fate-seers of the world; indeed, many cultures would murder them on sight if the Dal'bri attempted to aid them. Thus, I will grant to one member of each race of the world the ability to gaze into the destinies of their kind, which will also be passed directly to a newborn of the race upon the original seer's death.
This will also lessen the chance of attacks against myself and my people, as it will be a great boon to all beings.

And with that, G'rel's eyes burn a scintillating white, the light running down his arms before balling up before his open palms. The god of destiny then reaches his hands out to the world, and great beams of white light cascade throughout the landscape, one for each race, before fading into nothingness.

AP:0
1-1 (bless in order to give fateseeing to those members of each race; hopefully, no one would bother countering this, as it really benefits everyone).

Darklady2831

2011-12-09, 11:37 PM

"I should warn you, pup... there are gods in this world who don't care if something is a boon, they'll rip it apart all the same." Cephiran remarked as he materialized behind G'rel. "Hello... Auntie..." He bowed his head to Siofra. "Another party? My you are fond of them, aren't you."

The god of death's newly shrouded form seeped an eerie black mist nearby. "Greetings, newborns... I, am Cephiran, the Reaper, the Keeper of Souls... and 'Lord of Murderology', as my aunt Siofra would put it."

A cunning plan

The dwarves had laboured hard, and thus, had conceived a plan. They would lure the gaze of a god into their mountain, and use this device to entrap it. in truth, this would be incredibly difficult, and they weren't even close to finishing their device. The stage was set however, and the first phase of their plan was ready. Marching from their mountain homes, the dwarven army attacked and captured a small Cheimer camp, taking the prisoners back to their Fiery Mountain Stronghold.

Fates

2011-12-09, 11:55 PM

Well, needless destruction is something of a pet peeve of mine. Should anyone be so foolish as to do such a thing, they will incur my wrath. My progenitor, Aei, has already provided me with at least a basic understanding of this world, and my curiosity has lead me to analyze the histories and behaviors of other beings such as ourselves, and it is my understanding that the most prevalent of these deities, Skaar, has been destroyed. It is an honor to meet you, oh great master of death. It amazes me to behold you, however, as it had been my understanding that you have been dormant for some time.

Darklady2831

2011-12-10, 12:07 AM

"Skaar... skaar... where have I heard that name before..." Cephiran pondered for a moment, before suddenly realizing. "Right, that little mistake of mine..." Shrugging, Cephiran half-bows to G'rel. "An honor to meet yourself as well, fatelord. Don't take offense, but the chief beings who would commit such acts, are well beyond your capabilities of defending against alone. Indeed, the Neverborn in particular is quite... indiscriminate... when he sows his unholy oats. As well, Nomnipitus can be rather... abrasive... for a slime monster. And as for my absence, well... death is inevitable, it doesn't leave."

Cephiran shifted slightly, uncomfortably. "Did you just- never mind, it's probably nothing."

Fates

2011-12-10, 12:45 AM

Had G'rel a mouth, he would most likely be smiling.
No offense taken at all. I must say, the tales that I have heard of you do not appear to do you justice. Ah, such is the way of mortals; when something is beyond their understanding, they resort to veneration or fear. The Oracle god bows to Cepheran, and then to Siofra and Shin'Hai, I must depart now. I thank you for your wisdom, and I pray your own creations do not abuse the gift which I have just given them.

omnitricks

2011-12-10, 10:21 AM

Fremen

2011-12-10, 02:14 PM

Schemes, Survivors, and Savages

Vargh listened attentively to the little emissary and could feel himself being drawn into a vast and complex web of intrigue and politicking between the powers that be. Idly he mused that despite his short existence, already he had become a point for interest for many other divine powers. Truthfully, he would almost rather being left alone, that he might watch over the tribes of Krell in peace, but the world was a wide and intricate place and he was not so naïve as to think he could avoid contact with other wills. Or so arrogant to think that his own could stand before theirs.

Listening to Envy’s speech, Vargh weighed the advice and offer he had been offered. “Your advice is welcome, and know simply that I am not my father, but I am his son. Beyond that, time will tell. As for your gift of wishcrafting, I thank you for the gift in the goodwill it was given, but the ways of shamanism will grow to rival the powers of the mortal coil, and to me and mine the connection to the primal is more important than the expedience of power.”

Before he could elaborate and question the curious messenger, the young son of the Gelatinous God appeared, angered and indignant at Vargh’s actions. The Barbarian Deity listened quietly as Origas made clear that he was not taking kindly to the angry actions of Vargh.

“First: be careful, fire god, yours is not the only divine wrath to be wary of,” Vargh cautioned, his form that of a primal warrior, bedecked in crude trappings and holding a pair of hefty stone clubs, and although his stance made it clear that he was not about to back down, he made no overtly hostile gestures. “Second: your assumption was wrong. Wide is the world, and many its continents, yet the land of Krell, in all its wilderness, was formed by my hands for my peoples alone. This is the land of the savage warrior, the freeborn tribe, and the wise shaman. If it is your wish that your creations remain there, then they must put aside the trappings of civilization and embrace the wild ways, else they must leave my lands.”

thedarkstone

2011-12-10, 02:31 PM

Arguing over Land
Origas grew more and more angry inside. This...savage was telling him that this continent he had raised was for his and his alone, unless all others give up their civilization? Well, if he wanted to be greedy with what he had built, then Origas would simply bring his people to war. But first, it remained to be seen if there could be any negotiation.

"You cannot expect me to force my chosen people to simply give up the society which I have provided them. They are a civilized kind; not the tribes that you rule over. They are my people, not yours. I apologize for the harshness, but you cannot expect me to conform to your ways. If you insist," Origas smiled sweetly, "then I am afraid I'll have to protect my chosen people. At any cost."

He still had enough power remaining within him that, thought it would exhaust his power, he could very easily remove the threat of attack. All it would take is a little shifting of the continent, and the tribal folk would have no choice but to accept that the aevum were there to stay.

Fremen

2011-12-10, 03:16 PM

Above Krell

Vargh simply shook his head. "Your civilization is not welcome in Krell. Your creations change, they leave, or they die." He narrowed his gaze. "And next time you spawn a race, be more aware of where it is you have chosen to put them."

Southern Sands

Deep below the arguing gods, upon the sands of southern Krell, Lu'kai paced restlessly, his eyes locked on the distant shape of the red-walled city. In his thick, trunk-like arms he cradled a spear, a simple weapon by the standards of the loxo, but it had served him well here. He did not consider himself to be of an angry disposition, but his entire soul reverberated with the indignation felt by his patron.

Grinding his teeth he glanced back at his younger brother, Mor. The youthful loxo was bedecked in fetishes and talismans, having learned well the path of the shaman since he had felt the dream-gift. It was he who had first felt the wrathful touch of Vargh and had led the small band away from the great plains to the arid southlands. And now, facing the city before them, even the impatient Lu'kai knew that they had done well to follow the god's wishes. Beside their camp resided scores of other tribes, ranging in size from small families to great clans, of loxo, catfolk, feral gnomes, and stranger races as well.

"Patience, brother," cautioned Mor through closed eyes.

Lu'kai rolled his eyes. "We were sent to bring low these people, why now do we not fight them?"

Mor took some time before answering. "Because the god of the family does not yet will it. Who are we to question, or indeed, to know the whims and doings of the gods?"

Lu'kai just shook his head. He understood the gods no better than anyone he had ever met, but he still did not understand why the supposed protector of their ways of life had pushed the tribes here only to have them sit and do nothing. "I would tear down those walls if not for you," he whispered to the sky.

"Not even your strength can do that, brother," replied Mor, clearly having heard him.

"I am stronger than any of these upstart newcomers, and I could lay a dozen flat with my tusks alone," the elder said.

"Yes," spoke the shaman. "But such a place as a city is not so small as those who inhabit it."

Lu'kai rounded on his brother. "What then?! We stand here uselessly? We run away in shame? What would you have us do, shaman," he all but spit the last word.

His brother's eyes opened, and Lu'kai sucked in a nervous breath. They danced with lightning, as deep and dangerous a shade as the great seas. "The gift of the Savage One is more potent than many suspect, my brother," he said simply, his voice resonating with power. "With the magics he has given us, bound as it is to his will, no structure will stand against us."

thedarkstone

2011-12-10, 03:58 PM

Not According to Plan

Still the stubborn savage refused. This land he had created; he wanted it for himself. Quelling the rising anger within him, Origas nearly growled under his breath, but he finally acquiesced. To an extent. "As a whole, the aevumi are too new. They could not beat your followers without help from me, and that would exhaust me unnecessarily. Survival comes before all else. I will tell the aevumi that I am taking them elsewhere." He turned and left, vanishing to a different corner of the world.

"Arumnor, my chosen one. You must lead every aevum from this land I have placed you. There is a new place that I will lead you to, through your dreams. Follow the path I set before you, and, before too long has passed, you will arrive in the land prepared for you." His speech to the leader of his creations showed no signs of his anger, but it remained regardless.

Savage Vargh, you have made an enemy. One day, I will exact my revenge. Your whole continent will burn on that day. But not today. No, for today, I will let your people be. Let them believe they are safe. But they are not. My power will grow, and I will wipe them from the face of this planet.

And on that day, you will weep, and ask yourself why you did not just leave the aevumi be.

Drawing in the last of his reserves, Origas created a new land to the south of Krell, connected only by a small land-bridge. It was a harsh land, a desert land, but the plants and animals there were more than enough to sustain a people, if they knew how to survive. And if the aevum knew anything, it was how to survive.

AP: 2
Create Land: Aevumere
AP: 0 (2-2)

~~~

Arumnor was angry. All this time in negotiations, and they had to leave the land that was rightfully theirs? Why? He trusted his god, but why must he leave what was prepared for him? A new land would be prepared...? But what of the old land?

He swallowed his anger and went back to his people, then led them out of their homes and across the desert, heading south to a new land, where Origas of the Conflagration promised them a place that had been prepared for his people. A land called Aevumere, where the aevum would finally be able to prepare for their destiny as the chosen of Origas the Enduring.

Darklady2831

2011-12-10, 07:12 PM

Prophecy, the end of beginnings

With G'rel's gift to the mortal races, a Cheimer was given the gift of foresight. For the first while, this gift when mostly unnoticed, until the ramblings of a supposed madman started to come true. Furinad Volensted, a young Cheimer man, foretold of accidents and maladies, weeks before they happened. In time, the Cheimer came to revere Furinad for his wisdom, but the glimpse of infinity had adverse effects on his mind. He was physically weak, nearly blind, and could not tell reality from his visions.

Thus, one day, in a fevered rant, the Cheimer who watched over the Foreseer, scribed his insane ramblings.

"At the dawn of night, when black star falls,
Angry mortal power crawls,
Out of the depths, of mountain red,
Into the light, of Volensted,
So does dark power lash,
Onto the heart, of Mountain Ash,
And out of darkness, he will swim,
And break the bonds, of Hatred grim.
Unto the gods, three will rise,
To rule the Fenmer, none the wise.

Thus, it was that the Cheimer people clung to this prophecy. Scholars from all corners of the Cheimeri lands studied it's meaning, but none could decipher it. It was an enigma that defied scrutiny.

The Sacrifice

Deep within Fireheart Mountain, the Dwarves assembled their Cheimer prisoners. With enormous hammers, they butchered the lot, cracking their skulls and sundering their bodies. All throughout, the Dwarf high priest called out for someone, anyone to hear their plea. The blood of hundreds spilled on the dark stone, and with such hatred, it was hard for a god of darkness not to notice.

Cephiran's gaze turned, if but for a mere moment, upon Fireheart Mountain. This was all it took, the Dwarves knew that their plan would work. Immediately they made plans to capture thousands of the Cheimer, and sacrifice them all simultaneously. The next time such death was felt, they would be ready to spring their trap.

Fremen

2011-12-10, 11:17 PM

The Savage Lands of Krell

The tribes watched with barely restrained contempt as the aevum marched away from their city of red marble, moving in a single cohesive group by the directions of one chosen by their god. They traveled south through the harsh deserts, across dunes and arid seas of dry, cracked, mud flats. Through it all they persevered, though their every movement was dogged by the barbarians who now held claim on the lands. Gnomes rode atop great camels, while kin-groups of loxo plodded slowly after the aevum, ensuring that the wills of the gods were adhered to.

They made no movements as the aevum crossed the landbridge to the lands created for them, and when the last of the interlopers had passed from sight out of Krell the tribes began to disperse, some striking out into the dunes, others making for the plains now so far off, or the jagged mountains beyond them. Their shamans cast bones to determine their fates, but in this Vargh played no part, leaving it to each group beneath his gaze to determine their own fate.

Above them all Vargh watched, his hunched figure holding tight to a gnarled staff, his eyes peering down his pieced nose. As he moved bones and other fetishes jingled about him, dancing from piercings or from his long leather cloak. His face was a mask of ritual scars and tattoos, and his weathered features turned to regard the last of his fleeing rival's creations. They were a hardy race, Vargh had to give them that, but ultimately this was for the best.

However, he took the parting hostility of Origas seriously. Were he in a more secure position he might be tempted to take out his wrath upon Origas's creation, to punish the fire god for his hubris, but as it stood Vargh could little afford to spend his effort in such endeavors. Besides, it would do little good to imbue the warriors of a myriad of races with honour, only to strike while his foe was weakened.

He shook his head, setting his talismans jangling. He looked back to the wilds of Krell and knew that its expanses were too sparsely populated. For all his threats against Origas he knew that his people were few. Potent, to be sure, and the gifts he had given them infused them with great magic and strength of arms, but much was needed. New races were needed.

His mind fluttered with the many forms he would one day create, but his powers were still drained from the exertions of creating Krell. He mused about the creatures he would give life to, and finally settled on the smallest among them; the simplest to create.

Reaching down with wrinkled hands the barbarian god touched the world of Krell and poured forth his will. From nothing sprang tiny figures, each no bigger than a gnome, but far leaner of stature and lighter of form. The creatures sported long, pointed ears and sharp, hooked noses atop mouthes filled with tiny, needle-like teeth. Although their hands were tipped in claws, their arms were not strong, and their little legs could not carry them quickly. But they had something the stronger, faster, and brighter races lacked: adaptation. Vargh created them with a unique affinity for whatever land they chose as home, for inside of a scant handful of generations (and they bred quickly, for they died easily) they would become physically adapted to survival, whatever the climate.

Taking a deep breath, Vargh scattered the creatures across Krell, sending tribes to the frozen mountains whilst others spread across the plains and deserts. Each group was given a shaman, and taught the magics gifted to them.

They took to their lands with an almost wild glee, and Vargh couldn't suppress a smile at their enthusiasm. Under his watchful eyes time sped by, and the quickly breeding little creatures began to assert their presence. They were aggressive and warlike, and quickly found themselves in combat with the other races of Krell, but such was their size and strength that they were rarely victorious. Yet still they tried, quickly returning to strike again, once their numbers were replenished. Before long the differences between their tribes became obvious; the desert dwellers had large ears and wide, calloused feet for crossing scorching dunes while the mountain dwellers had smaller ears and noses with longer claws for gripping the icy slopes. Those of the plains grew long of leg, their already skinny limbs becoming longer and lighter to better lope through the endless prairies, and began to shift in hue to better match the fields of grasses.

They were simple creatures, crude, weak, and violent, but they pleased Vargh, and so he gave unto them a name: "Goblins."

AP1
-1 Create Life (Goblins)
=AP0

bladescape

2011-12-11, 12:21 AM

Amrita Flats - Erathius

"Thank you." Two words spoken before the Fey left the office. Two words that showed just how much the aid had meant to him....

That evening, while his group enjoyed the sights and sounds of a whole new culture, Erathius could be found sitting amongst the open air, relaxing quietly. His compatriots would sample the culture well, and most likely be able to tell him what he had missed. He, however, was much more inclined to just listen to nature. The silence that relaxed him so.

*********

The next morning, having chosen those that would stay behind to guide the Serra to the Fey encampments, he hoped that they were holding out well, Gleipnir would see well to that, he and the remaining members of his entrouge came to the docks themselves.

And the Serra would no doubt gain amusement from the flitting surprise upon seeing that which was called a 'cloudship'. Many things they had expected, but this wasn't one of them.

With a small smile, the more reclusive ambassador replied to the guide with good humour. "We enjoyed our brief stay here. It is... an interesting place, for certain. A new experience, at the least."

The enthusiasm and music played by the Serra had certainly been just a little different from the traditional Fae music. Where Fair Folk music often was long, slow, and filled with a thousand beautiful notes. Perhaps they would demonstrate their own kind to the sailors they would travel with... And with that, they boarded..

The Garden of Life

A small smile creased the beautiful visage of Kai. Few could bring that smile to life, but it was certainly something enjoyable to finally have another who regarded so much upon nature.

"Thank you, for the encouraging words you speak. Many disregard nature, and it is time, I think, that nature should come forth into it's rightful place.

I give my blessing, Child of Nature, to your words. May they come true, and bring joy to all. Come, will you walk the True Garden with me?"

She motioned with the open hand to the magnificent glade that was the Heart of the Forest. The plane of Nature. And then held out her other hand, as if to hold the hand of a beloved child.

The Darkened Beast

Coralus, leader of the Seelie Court and representative of the Fey unto their opposition, watched the great bat creature for a moment before speaking.

"We deny him only as much as one can deny the abyss, Spawn of the Lost One. Despite our attempts, he still claims some of us, even if only a few."

A moment of Truth

His name was not yet chosen, but still he watched the stars with a sombreness that didn't speak of his few years. The Fair Folk rarely had children, otherwise they would easily populate the world and overrun all.

This young one merely stood, watching the stars, and sung. It wasn't a song that he or anyone else knew, and the other children often hovered around him to see what he'd come up with next. He created music, even at this age, that was among the most beautiful compositions of the Eldar Fey.

"Sie, thee darkness, go yon hence,
Feel thy touch born of pretense,
See the colours light thy life,
Feel thy darkness fade in strife."

A moment, a gesture, and suddenly a sound issued forth. As now the youngsters hands began gesturing in the air, music sounded around him, like an invisible orchestra playing to his whims.

"Taste thy wrath, sundered again,
Know thy hate and Let us ken,
Why your darkness touches we,
Ken the knowledge you can see,"

The children once more gathered around the one youngling as he unfolded another wonder. Even the caretakers were drawn by the soft music and melodious voice.

"Shalt thy hold onto thy pain?
Canst thy seek thy father's ain,
Let it slip away and clear,
Feel the Mother's gentle tear,

Seek the solace only found,
To thee who have lost thy crown,
Seek the beauty ever within,
Freedom born from lack of sin..."

Slowly trailing away, the music died as the youngling seems to suddenly realise that his small song was heard by almost every single one of the other children.

And then, then the others began to clap, smile, and he even noticed the caretaker in the back whose hands were busied scribing the music down... And then there was pride. A sense of profound achievement. His music was liked, and that was enough..

A moment of beauty, a moment missed by all except those who were there... A sad occurence, except for the power which tainted the air after the song. Something in that touched Kai's power, she who allowed the mortals to call forth something more than song.

She did not notice as the power grew, taking form, knowing sentience. Born from a single beautiful moment. A single happiness shared by the few that had been there....

Actions:
8 AP - 4(Create Concept: Life Music. The ability to create music and power without an instrument or even a voice. The gestures that called forth a symphony. Twice as powerful as normal Bardic Music, but also much, much, rarer.)

4 AP - 1(Raise Hero: The Composer. To come in later on. The child that first discovered Life Music)

3 AP - 3(Gain Domain: Music(Bardic Power) Actions for Domain:
Bardic Music(2AP)
Life Music(4AP)
The Composer(1AP)

Kai is now Intermediate Deity, Having also the Majesty(Dragons) Domain that isn't on the first page)

0 AP - 0(Beget Elspeth)

Draken

2011-12-11, 01:18 AM

Blackwing and the Seelie

The great bat reared up and spoke an earthquake with the heavy, glowing runes that hanged around the empty of the Dead God.

"Szszaitkta'Kthchthezhain! Some is not enough!"

Blackwing's vile retinue shuddered as well as the earth at the thing's dread word. He then lowered himself once more.

"Pardon my outburst. Mistake not that which was never born for that god the one who cares only for deaths. The Dead God cares for the Dead, those who are free of the looming shadow of death."

The gargantuan ebon thing turned the empty lights that were its eyes down to its retainers.

"Death is the great affliction of the living. It is the source of all dreads, of all ills, for all ills serve no purpose but to feed it. The Neverborn would have none of that! The ailments of life disturb his dreams, only when there is death no more will there be peace."

He looked once more to Coralus and hissed a commanding word.

"Nhzzegkhgrell. Kindly shed the mortal coil and join the ranks of the dead. Abandon the fears of the living and invite your kin and your mistress to Oblivion's embrace. Yes?"

--------

The World Upon Which None Tread

His shadow turned and covered different stars. A trail of odd mists where his tendrils broke through the sky. Those lazy whispers pouring down to any ear willing to listen, pouring their madness, pouring their wisdom. The wisdom of words that can break the sky, words that can shake the earth.

11 AP

5 AP: Create Concept: True Speech. The Countless words that describe and define all things and their interactions, whose numberless sylabes orbit the core of the World Upon Which None Tread, visible only there where all things end and can interact no longer, and so their descriptions lose meaning and may be seen and extrapolated upon, to redefine the descriptions and interactions of all things elsewhere.

6 AP left.

bladescape

2011-12-11, 01:38 AM

The Darkened One

Another moment of consideration. Another pause as Coralus thinks before speaking. This time, a weight appears to be behind his words, a weight of many years...

"The Fair Folk, we are. We are the everlasting ones. We do not disturb the Lost One with death. Do not mistake us for the mortals that live and die.

However, there are amonst us many who have walked this world no more, and the sins of the God Of Death, he who commands the Reapers, make us who do slip between the Aethyr without home.

So, I ask for your consideration for this. With the Reaper Lord an enemy, we who live eternal have no place to truly go when we tire of our eternal vigil. If the Lost One would so be gracious, as we do not disturb his sleep with the erosion of our lives, then we would gladly enter into Oblivion's Embrace, when our vigil over the forests have strained us long.

If this is agreeable, then allow me to be the first. I have too long seen the suffering of the living."

Selinia

2011-12-11, 03:46 AM

A Gathering

Siofra seems lost in thought, barely even registering G'rel's comment. Or the Reaper's arrival. As the goddess of Fate and Fortune, she made a point of ignoring such things as hard as she possibly could. When she speaks again, it is as if she hadn't even stopped. "...anyway, I was thinking, you know what's boring? Mortals. I mean, they do cool stuff, but they all look the same! 'Oh, I'm a rat and I have gnashy teeth!', 'Oh, I'm a Loxo and I'm so big and strong!' Boring!"

She stomps her foot into the nonexistent ground, somehow causing a minor shock-wave anyway. "I hereby declare this party's theme to be 'Glorious Makeover Party Day!'. We shall be using the power of awesome the create the make something cute and boring into something cute and awesome. But I dunno who to start with..." The small goddess crosses her arms, but then breaks into an even wider smile and points and Shin'Hai. "That's it! This is your very first part ever, so I'll help you out first! Your Lamias are soooo~oooo cute, I could just DIE they're so cute! That's how cute they are! But like I said, all the same is boring! So I'll let you pick what kind of makeover they get! Do you want them to have a scary makeover, a zany makeover, a tough makeover... or do you think we should make them even cuter? I don't know if that's possible, but I'd be willing to try if you wanted!"

Lady Luck's train-wreck of a proclamation seemed to leave no room for a negative answer, but she seemed willing to listen to input from anyone who cared to chime in, despite Shin being the primary target of her tirade.

Going Up

The gangplank was reeled in, and orders shouted to and fro among the sailors on-deck as they bustled about. Normally they would have asked the the deck be cleared at takeoff, but the graceful fey proved to be little trouble and none wanted to deny them the spectacle of a first flight by forcing it to be seen through a window. After a few minutes of frenzied last-minutes checks, the order was given the feed the cloud-engine.

And they were off.

Slowly at first, then with ever-increasing speed, the earth below simply fell away as they rose atop a shimmering amber cloud. A mage dressed in thickly insulated robes took the center of the deck and began a steady chant, upon which the wind licking Erathius' face abruptly changed direction. With a deep groaning of timber, the cloudship maneuvered into the artificial tailwind that would bring them straight to Central - the heading unmistakable thanks to the impossibly vast World Tree breaking the horizon in the distance. The rugged terrain often hid the trunk of the wooden sentinel, but the vantage of flight offered an awe-inspiring remind of the majesty of the being, so grand in scale even at this vast distance.

As they began accelerating away from Amrita Flats, the fey ambassador might spy the scouts he had left behind leading a yellow-clad column of soldiers out the front gate of the city and beginning the march through the flowery bog that was the first step on the path back to Gleipnir and the battle raging there. Such was the vividness of the uniforms of House Ki that they stood out like flowers in the deadlands even from here. Their numbers didn't seem to be great, from the glimpses the fey could catch, but every soldier was another line of defense against the siege of the Night.

Spectacular as the view was though, of trees and wild lands rolling by beneath them, the reason for the wind-mage's attire soon became evident. At these altitudes, the spring air chilled to such a degree that breath frosted and teeth chattered even on those of the most herculean constitution. Those still on deck were eventually herded inside by the crew, since view or no view they didn't want to be responsible for a diplomat getting frostbitten. Warmers and garmets were available for those who wished to spend more time outside, but the passengers were urged to keep excursions short, and spend plenty of time warming up after one.

The first thing to strike home about the interior of the cloudship was that it was much warmer. A wide, shallow basin of some red liquid bubbled away beneath a perforated lid of crystal-clear amber in the center of each room, throwing off heat like a fireplace (the substitution likely a result of the ship being made primarily of wood). The passenger quarters were quite plush, if slightly cramped for the number of fey currently occupying them - they had been designed for comfort, not capacity, after all. A lounge, several cabins, and even a small restaurant staffed by an almost implausibly well-groomed waiting staff. And of course, windows graced the walls wherever the structural integrity of the ship permitted.

The crew had separate quarters, and most passengers on this sort of ship preferred them to stay separate - but there was still a great deal of curiosity about the tall, wingless folk en-route to the heart of the Commonwealth. Erathius was informed that it would be a journey of roughly three to five days, depending on if they had to fight any opposing winds or storms along the way. The same journey would likely have taken months on foot. But in the sky, there was nothing to steer clear of but clouds and dragons...

TechnOkami

2011-12-11, 05:40 AM

Bearing but the lightest of smiles, Sephyr says, "I shall."

Taking her hand, she walked with her amidst the wondrous garden which shone with the eternal radiance of the sun itself. As they entered a clearing of the grove, where crystal clear waters ran through with chairs grown into the floor, the child walks up to one of the two, and places his pale form into one of them. As the goddess takes the seat opposite of him, he speaks again:

"I must be fair though... I also come as somewhat of a change to nature as it is. With the looming of this dark force... I cannot describe it well enough. Is it another divine like myself perhaps? It's presence is causing great strain upon all living things, as life in full radiance struggles against it. In time, if nature remains as pure a being as it is at this moment, then all living things will ultimately collapse. I have come to safeguard nature, and bring about this coming."

Sensing a tinge of fear in her, the young child reassures the goddess.

"But be at peace. Though nature itself will be protected, by a whole manner of entities I have yet to bind and create into reality, the earth as accepted its state, and is willing to adapt to its current situation. When the twin seasons of fall and winter encroach upon the land... the earth will become dormant. Living, mortal beings will have to work hard amidst the fruitful seasons, spring and summer, to prepare for fall and winter, especially winter. These are... the last times the whole of the earth shall be eternally green and full of life. Death, will finally enter its proper place as time passes evenly upon the earth, though it will not go out of control. I am here to make sure that does not happen."

Breathing in a little more air, Sephyrdiam finalizes his statement.

"I am, and will ensure that the balance is kept."

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-11, 07:12 AM

Shin'Hai chuckles at the girl-Goddess' enthusiasm, reaching out a hand and ruffling her hair gently.

"So kind of you, Lady Siofra! Hmmm, a makeover, something original...How does this look?"

Weaving patterns in the air before him, Shin'Hai draws an illusion of the generic Lamia.

"Hmmm, something zany, perhaps?"

Suddenly, the illusory-Lamia shrieked, and giant, peacock-tail-feather plumes exploded from the tip of her tail, fanning out into a beautiful, if slightly unsettling, display, which the Lamia then used to start fanning herself. Her hair lengthened, changing colour to a shimmering mix of blue and purple hues, veiling her bared torso. Finally, a tiny blue snake curled around her throat, forming a bizarre living torque.

"How's that? I'm TOTALLY going to use this design, I think, my dear...but I can't hog all the fun! Your turn!"

Draken

2011-12-11, 09:18 AM

Blackwing and the Fey

The great shadow spread his wings, its underbelly a gate to that World Upon Which None Tread (one properly held, allowing passage in only one direction, of course).

"As those beside me attest, the Sleeper welcomes all, and showers his boons to those who give of themselves willingly."

planswalker

2011-12-11, 04:57 PM

Proposal

"If only we can be considered as children but Tarsin is not a nurturing god. No we have learned to embrace our gifts and leave him to his own devices. Nothing good ever comes from the god's interference. He only does these things for his own amusement" a cat replied quite seriously to the loxo. Probably the most serious of things that they will speak about here today.

And to what they saw as less serious but all the more pressing another cat pushed the one which was speaking away to say that "yes, we all need to unite at least to bring some semblance of order and security to our people. Only we are capable of these things." An idea brought upon by the same philosophy that the gods were unreliable beings and the cats can only trust the mortals who actually have a stake in their lives.

"You have already won the battle to defend your home. That much is true but what is stopping them from sending in another attack?" The answer was simple as a full our war will only hurt both sides badly "we need to establish a border for our people and theirs. Somewhere where it is acceptable that we live the way we can without the constant fears of battle and plagues. You have shown that you are able to combat the plague's effects on your city as well. Do you have any ideas about this?"

8ap + 5ap = 13ap

Council of Races

Etu-Shiye chuckles at the comment of the gods not being trustworty. "Alas, your words are all too true of those gods who do not love their children as I do. As to how my people combat the plagues, it comes from the nature of the magics they have mastered. Theirs is a magic well suited to healing, cleansing, and sustaining. The Well of Life which sits at the center of the city amplifies and reinforces the might of these magics. Perhaps, though, the solution to this problem lies elsewhere, for such measures are impractical over large areas. Perhaps instead we should seek a way to have the very air fight against the plagues, storms of death, and whatever other evils the mad ones send against us."

Selinia

2011-12-12, 12:57 AM

The Makeover Party

"Ooooooohhhhh, preee~eeetty..." Siofra happily pokes the insubstantial illusion a few times for difficult-to-discern reasons, clearly admiring the new tail it sported. "So, it's my turn... do you know what always bugs me? When there's something cool, and nobody can see it! That's why the icky rat lady ticks me off - she's all like 'Oh, I'm so clever, I'm not going to let anybody look at my stuff, nyek!', and that isn't cool at all. So I think I'll make it so that nobody will ever miss out on how cute these lamias are!"

With a flick of her wrist, the goddess conjures a small orb of milky blue-white light - and with another, lobs it at the illusory creature, impacting it forcefully where her serpent and human halves met and sending the lamia recoiling backwards in shock. However, the orb seemed to pass into her without so much as marring the skin, forming a small bulge in the lamia's stomach. The blue light still gleamed, the serpent-woman's abdomen giving off light like that of a firefly. Siofra smiled a moment at her handiwork, then shrugged and raised her hand one more time.

With a wriggling of fingers, thin lines of bluish light snaked up and out across the creature's body, delicate veins carrying the shining substance throughout her body and covering the lamia's skin in countless intricately whirling tattoos of bioluminescence. They framed her face gracefully, twining around her arms and down her torso to converge once more on the gleaming bulb in her midriff. As Siofra turned happily to Shin'Hai, the illusion cautiously poked her own stomach, causing the rest of the patterns to flare up momentarily in response.

"There! Now they're just as pretty, even when it's super-duper dark! 'Cause now, even if there aren't any lights, they are lights! The colors even match! Your turn now! This is fun!" The goddess waved at Cephiran, still beaming. "Unless you want to play too, Doctor McMurder! Give it a try! Just because you're really good at murder doesn't mean you should take a break every once in a while!"

The Heart, Antechamber

Seven number the great houses of the Serra, where there had once been only three. And yet, it is the eldest of houses that is the most oft-forgotten. House Mu - the ancient watchers of the World Tree, living a reclusive existence high in the boughs of the being whose true name they alone knew. They guided the other houses with an invisible hand, kindling war and waging peace alike at the behest of their master of many hundreds of years. Yggdrasil. The thinking tree.

Even in their hidden city, endless miles above the splendor of Central, few had ever visited the mighty being. Most spent their lives training, practicing endlessly in the manifold crafts required by the edicts of the World Tree, but only the most blessed and successful among them ever heard it speak firsthand. Itsuki Katsu was one such blessed individual - he was the First Listener. It was his duty to vigilantly monitor this room, for it was here that Yggdrasil's messages were delivered. Often he wondered - as did all who came here - what lay beyond the massive wooden door upon which the tree's messages were scribed. But he knew better than to seek such answers himself. He had his place - and those who would one day pass that threshold had theirs.

As the serra sat, cross-legged and half-consumed with his meditations, a familiar clicking noise roused him with the alacrity of a shout of 'fire'. Steel-hued eyes latched at once upon the door, where great circles of runes and symbols were even now rotating into new positions - an ancient call forming, the voice of Yggdrasil echoing in Itsuki's mind as he read the symbols.

[Listener, do you hear my words?]

"I hear, and I stand ready upon them, Wise One." The answer was formulaic, but remained heartfelt even after a thousand repetitions. One did not become First Listener for lack of devotion to the cause of Mu. Even as he spoke, there was more clacking as the wooden mechanisms laid forth another series of runes. There was something unsettling in the way they moved this time. As he read them, a chill went down his spine, understanding why. For the first time, the voice of Yggdrasil sounded rushed.

[Find the Four. Gather all unto me. The curtain rises. It has begun.]

Darklady2831

2011-12-12, 02:14 PM

An Assassination to rival a god.

Fingnif sniffed the air, climbing the walls of Etu-Shiye's palace. "Go kill a god he said. Help end the war, he said. Jeez, what does that idiot think we do, kill gods? Well, the pay was really big, so I guess it's worth a try." he thought to himself and he dropped in through a window on the upper floor of the palace. Slowly he made his way to the door of this side room, opening it a peek and peering out. "Three, no, four loxo have been in this hall in the last five minutes. And... a catfolk? What in the..." He pondered to himself as he instinctively ducked back into the room, hearing a loxo tender round the corner. One benefit to being the smallest critter around, you could hear the others coming a mile away.

Peering through the door, Fingnif leaped upwards, hanging on to the ceiling. He slowly made his way over the tender, and dropped down on his head. The tender yelped for a split second, before his neck was snapped in half by the vampire's incredible strength. "Sleep little elephant, you'll wake up the guards if you make noise." Fingnif whispered, biting into the Tender's flesh.

The tender out of the way, Fingnif lept back to the ceiling, clinging to the masonry with pitons. He crawled along until he came to the main hallf, when he dropped down and quickly scuttled towards an open door. Leaping through the door, Fingnif latched onto a Loxo hunter, stabbing a dagger into his spine. As the first collapsed onto the floor, the second unsheathed its weapon and swung downwards at Fingnif. The vampire's speed proved too much, and he dodged out of the way, before leaping upon the hunter and tearing his eyes out. A few quick moments later, the commotion was settled, but it was out now. Someone was inside the palace, and there were at least two dead hunters to show for it.

War on the Dwarves

The foreseer's warning told the Cheimer of a threat from the north. The elves swiftly prepared themselves, wielding bows and spears. The armies united under a single banner, and prepared to march upon the mountains.

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-12, 02:53 PM

Shin'Hai grins, clearly enjoying this game with Lady Luck.

"Almost perfect, my dear, almost...how about we make it even brighter, turn up the lights a little bit?"

With that, he reaches out and pokes the illusory-Lamia's stomach, and, with an odd movement like squishing the air out of one side of a balloon, some of the shining blue light pushes downwards, into the tail, causing the Lamia's tail-scales to shine and glow the same blue as her stomach.

"There! Now she's super-pretty and super-shiny...your turn! Oooh, but she needs some kind of accessory. How about a tiara?" he exclaims, perhaps a tad overly excited at the prospect of jewellery-wearing snake-ladies.

nolispe

2011-12-12, 02:55 PM

The Empire of Flowers - The Call

After the fiasco exiting the Eye, the Coatls had landed on the newly created continent of Aeril. They had landed about a huge mountain, and the Heart had immediately called a grand meeting of the Coatls, after offically requesting the right to stay from the Solari.
Ambassadors were sent out to the Serra, requesting resource assistance while they set up their own channels.
Meanwhile, ten thousand Coatls gathered in the cavernous interior chamber of the Heart, lit brightly by the glimmering of the glowing flower and the Coatls themselves.
The council of Seers stepped forward, bringing a worrying missive.
"All here know of the shadow that hath fallen across our old home. It, truly, has fallen so far into the darkness and evil of the lesser races that we cannot imagine it returning to the light while the world remains.
And in our darkest hour a new mission has been set the Coatls. Somewhere, somehow, a fire burns, and we art tasked to find it and fan it, such that it may burn brighter than ever before, until it should form a great beacon, shining and burning away the darkness like shadows in the dawn.
Coatls, I know not what this dream means. We have studied it for long hours, but we cannot be certain as to it's intent. However, we can be certain that it is our duty.
We all know that in this dark time, we are at war, and we will fight on. We do not back down, and those of us that died in that shattered world would curse us forever if we backed down. The darkness stands before us - will we let it be said that we failed when the greatest challenge lay before us? We think not.
We, then, by the powers invested in us by the primordial light, invoke you not to waver, not to give or seek mercy, and not to pause, even if death should seek to claim you, in your vengance, for this is not an ordinary war - this is Crusade, and we shall not pause no matter what the cost is.
Seek the Flames, Coatls. We stand watching the skies still, and seek further infomation as to our role. But even the least-attuned among you can sense the feeling in the air. The time of cleansing comes.
"

AP: 5 (-4 for MR 4 Create Concept (Crusade)) = 1
PAP: 2 (-1 lifting the final curse on the Coatls) = 1

Crusade
Crusade is not just a declaration, and it is not something to be made lightly. When a group declares Crusade, their declaration reverberates through the cosmic fabric of all creation, and traces through the hidden and shattered pathways in the cosmic without, tracing through the doorway in Aei's mind. There it binds together, generating an infinite friction on the fractal landscape, and, invincible and ethereal, acts as a line binding the declarers to their oath. This being done, it forces them to remain utterly committed to their oath, on pain of having their souls torn from their body by the lines and reforged into a new one that will carry out it's alotted task - repeated as many times as needed. However, it's true power lies in it's ability to force the committed to carry out their task even beyond death itself. If they fall while under the Crusade, they reform at the nearest flower inside of a few days as an Aeni, devoted even more than normal to the mission. If an Aeni falls, it is reborn again and again, albiet after a longer time each repetition.
Crusade forces it's declarers to devote themselves to the chosen mission, which does not need be combative. This is not absolute, in that the declarer can still spend some time each ay doing things that are not connected to their role - however, while doing these things, their oath never leaves their mind, nagging at them, growing louder, more painful and more insistent as time goes on, until about day after they stopped focusing on it it becomes an excruciating screech in their head, fading when they resume their focus. A day or so after that, if they do not heed the warning, the lines will simply tug the soul of of their body, killing them instantly.
Aei, being a paranoid god, technically has the power of veto on Crusade, as the lines literally pass through his mind. However, he usually doesn't bother examining each Crusade declaration that passes through his head, and thus most get through.

Selinia

2011-12-13, 01:47 AM

A Call for Aid

As was so often the case with such things, the requests of the coatl people rode on smooth rails through their closest allies. House Ak had long been the most active trading partner of the Empire of Flowers, the house's organized philosophy and great respect for the Lord of Lights meshing well with the serpentine beings' own beliefs. It was the Grand Fuhrer of Ak that had pushed through the legislation allowing Solari and Coatls to be recognized as citizens of the Commonwealth - a motion not made since the catfolk had been granted that right almost a century ago. The Empire's affinity for the plants that gave them their name supplied in turn unheard-of yields from many valuable resource sites, and the flow of supplies between Imperials and Serra was perpetually brisk.

However, as was also often the case, things hit a metaphorical wall when they reached the ears of the Ministry. Authorizing a military expedition - even in a purely supporting role - off of the world tree was a monumental request, requiring a unanimous vote by the seven houses. Despite general agreement as to the value of the alliance, House Ki remained in opposition; this likely due to the long-standing animosity between Ak and Ki, the most recent bloody conflict of which had tapered off less than a decade ago. This devolved into the usual bouts of argument, counter-argument, bribery, coercion, and general wheelie-dealing that so characterized the organization.

In the end, a compromise was reached: though no troops would be sent to or stationed in Aeril, military couldships would be allowed to make supply runs to aid the Empire in their struggle. Additionally, the sale of select military-grade alchemical weaponry would be permitted to Empire forces, when such items were usually kept regulated in the hands of Commonwealth members. Lastly, the houses of the ministry would offer full asylum to any and all Imperial refugees seeking to avoid the conflict. It was an imperfect decision, still contested by many and bought with a good deal of political goodwill by Ak, Mi, and surprisingly, the usually-silent Mu.

But nevertheless, the first supply shipments were dispatched without further delay, and alchemy labs across the world tree began priming their equipment for mass production. For those who made a living of producing engines of destruction, it was vitally important to be able to read the political tides... and a conflict far great than it appeared hung in the air as clear as day.

The Makeover Party

"Jewelry, huh? Yeah... yeah, that would be cool! Good idea!" With a wave of her hand, Siofra plopped a delicate silver tiara on the reacting-maybe-just-a-little-too-realistically-to-be-entirely-an-illusion Lamia's head, pulling her indigo hair back in the process to fully unveil the beautiful, if rather worried-looking, face, and the many shining patterns upon it. Yet... something was missing here. It was a nice piece of jewery, and it complemented the lamia well, but it wasn't really any different than what you might find gracing the head of a spoiled daughter of a wealthy serra house. It needed some pizazz.

But as it so happened, an idea sprung to mind almost immediately, the goddess' eyes glinting as she made another gesture, and then a handful more. Hanging by gossamer threads, a handful of tiny diamonds cascaded down from the tiara, resting on the thickest of the luminous dots and whorls gracing her face and refrecting the light like a veil of miniature stars. So pleased was she with the effect that Siofra promptly added several more pieces of attire to the same end: crystalline armbands graced the lamia's wrists, as did a choker of linked reflective shards around her neck - and a faceted crystal disc on her brightly-glowing belly. Even her serpentine lower body was soon smattered with gemstones to accentuate the brightest spots, including a handful of long, thin shards in her tail-feathers that brought her shimmering bioluminescence to bear in illuminating them as well.

"There! Super-pretty, super-shiny, super-sparkly, all in one!" She was smiling as always, but still tapping her foot in thought. "But... it's still missing something. What's she missing? We're so close I can taste it - the cusp of a revolutionary breakthrough in cuteness! This could change the world! Ooooohhhh, what is it, what is it..."

bladescape

2011-12-13, 04:49 AM

Going Up

The Fair Folk watch as long as they are able to, not a little stunned by the amazing view from above. They loved nature, but seeing it from above was a completely different experience. Something that was just purely amazing...

And something that was unique, to them. They could boast at being the first to fly above the forests and see nature's beauty from a new angle.

A notion that caused Erathius' mouth to twitch in amusement. Even after they were herded inside, several of them kept a watch through windows as they glided along, others discussed amongst each other the wonderous sight they'd seen...

The central ambassador remained secluded to the side, with only his second-in-command for company. He hated the politics that were required before aid could be rendered by these ones.. but he knew that it was not unlike that which you could be forced to deal with in the Courts.

Politics here, as far as he had seen, were much more akin to children squabbling, with, albiet, some maturity. Where every word in the Courts counted for or against you.. Except when they were at war. Like now. Rarely was disregard for the subtle intruiges shown except when drawn to battle. Except by the Unseelie Queen. She ignored politics like a God would ignore the squabbling of her children...

"I only hope aid can be provided soon enough."

Kai's Garden

Sitting on the chair of nature, shaped by the will of Kai herself, the elder goddess viewed her first, and only, divine creation. "The Lost One is indeed of Godly Power, and yet he is not truly a God. He was never born, and does not follow the natural path. He, and he alone, is something different."

Pausing again, she glanced at the garden surrounding her. "Here, at least, will Nature always bloom. The Darkness cannot touch the purest port. I am glad that you will watch the balance for me, for I have realized long ago that I cannot watch everything. Not even the Divine are omnipresent.

Shall we meet your siblings and the other elders?"

The last was a soft question, a simple asking.

BTW, I'd prefer it if emotions/reactions of Kai were kept strictly in my posts. (Specifically talking about the 'thrill of fear' bit.):smallsmile:

Coralus, entering Beyond

"The Lost One's generosity is appreciated." Coralus paused once more.. So long had he stood as the Lord of the Seelie Court, so long had duty weighed upon his shoulders.

After a moment more of consideration, he slowly stepped forewards, walking towards the gate. "Let my choice be an example."

And with that, the Elder Fey, he who had lived for longer than almost any other Fey, walked into the door of Darkness...

That's basically an alliance, that the Neverborn doesn't attempt to remove the Fey from living,(Although I'm not sure he even understands such things, so probably not him himself) and the dead do not take the Fair Folk from this world. As they will join the Ghosts when they chose to leave their duty.

This is me just clarifying. :smalltongue:

The Shadow Stirs

It still had not found a name... But it still surveyed the world curiously. It was detested by the lack of control exhibited by the WishCrafters. Their wanton granting of wishes without even a moments thought as to true mastery was...

It shuddered.

But it needed something more, it searched for something that it was missing... And it couldn't decide what it was.

It could feel the missing presence near...

..

There.

Hovering close to the cold upper reaches of the World Tree, it grasped the handle of the blade that was stuck into the side of the Dragon's nest. Why it was there, or what it was, it didn't know..

But it did know that this was what it had been missing.

Fragarach.

PAP = 2
-2AP(Create Artifact: Fragarach, the Answerer. In the presence of this blade, none may tell a lie or twist the truth...)

TechnOkami

2011-12-13, 05:14 AM

Atop His Gnarled Seat

The young Sephyriam looked directly at the goddess, with a happy-yet-surprised look on his face.

"I have kin?"

Tinge, tinge of fear, not thrill. :P
Seriously though, yes, I'll keep from doing that.

Draken

2011-12-13, 07:55 AM

The World Upon Which None Tread

Beyond the black creature was a free-falling eternity of silence and ethereal shapes within an oddly illuminated blackness, the expansion of a whole world crossed in a second, until it came to a halt at the runed black sphere at the center of nothing. There, at Oblivion's door, existance was frayed enough that one could contemplate that dissolution of Being for a momentous lifetime, the throes of twisted space-time giving them plenty of time to make sense of the endless glossolalia that surrounded the Neverborn, words left behind by the unshaping, words that describe existance and the interactions that form it.

In a second, it was over in a surge of pyreflame, and a new ghost joined the retinue of the Neverborn, whisked away through the Ether back to Blackwing.

Fey Throne Room

The Nightshade adressed the new ghost.

"In death as in the peak of your life, no needs, no divine duties... The Sleeper gives no orders."

Blackwing shudders.

"The ether is closed. Your brethren from times long past have waited and watched from there, it would be good to tear down the walls that separate the ancestors."

The great thing beats its wings, producing no sound and no wind.

"Thus, I depart. Others must know Oblivion, those who sinned deeply against the Dead in the past, those who evaded it..."

And so Blackwing departs, leaving only lesser shadows to circle lazily in the night sky above.

Aye. I know. No more attacks from the Dead on the fey!

Also.

6 AP in:

4 AP- Create Life: Great Spirits. Great Spirits are a number of powerful ghosts with unique powers and characteristics, including Wraiths, Specters, Shadows, Banshees, Quell and many others. Effectively a number of similar Prestige Classes for Ghosts.

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-13, 06:12 PM

Shin'Hai stares at the bejewelled Lamia for one long moment, deep in thought.
Suddenly, he blinks, and the Lamia twists in midair, jackknifing and exposing her back to both the Trickster god and Lady Luck.

"There's nothing on her back, so she's not pretty all over! We need to fix that, now, don't we? Hmmm...Oh, how about this?"
Gently tracing an index finger over the Lamia's back, Shin'Hai traces a pattern, starting at the point where tail meets flesh, and drawing up the glowing lines to two points, each one just behind the ridge of the Lamia's shoulderblades. While he drew, he hummed, a fast-paced, sultry tune, with a rhythm almost akin to that of a tango. Then, once he had drawn all the lines to either one of the two points, and waited...

PAF! Shining, blue crystalline wings burst from the Lamia's back, causing her to jackknife again and unbalance, letting out an unearthly screech as she did so. Then, with considerable effort, she flapped her wings experimentally, and managed to pull herself into the air, where she hovered, her peacock-feather tail dragging on the floor...

Niezck

2011-12-13, 06:16 PM

Emmisary of Athrala

Towering over the Loxo-kin, Mercury looks deep into the eyes of Ar'math, his gaze penetrating the very soul of the hero.

"My name is Mercury, I am emmisary of the Lord Athrala, he who sits above and protects, lord of the titans. I come bringing peace and wisdom and an offering to join the Council of the Deep."

thedarkstone

2011-12-13, 06:44 PM

Origas watched his people as they came to forget, slowly, that they ever lived anywhere else than Aevumere. All but one. His chosen hero, Arumnor, still hungered for the revenge he felt he was due. And Origas agreed. Why should he live in a different land, when he could just conquer the other race? His line of thinking was that of not just the meager survivalist; no, Arumnor's goal was higher indeed.

He hungered for the greater living. The greater survival. While the rest of his people built towards the whole that Origas had made for them, Arumnor used it to his advantage. And Origas praised that quality of him. It made him strong.

And it would be used to, eventually, bring the people of Krell to their knees.

Fates

2011-12-13, 10:28 PM

G'rel- A Light Amidst the Gloom

G'rel looked into the darkness of the Void, and in the utter black there shone a muted glow, opalescent and shifting. He gazed awhile upon it, and knew by his foresight that within this light was hid a sentience akin to his own. For unknown time he traveled towards it, until at last within the Shadows he saw...

AP: 6
-3 Gain domain: Peace (Tranquility)
Qualifications:
Created the sacred grove of the Dal'bri (1 AP)
Blessed the sacred grove (1 AP)
Created Artifact: The Staff of Tears (2 AP)
Created the Dal'bri (2 AP)
Raised the Leader of the Dal'bri to Heroism (1 AP)

Repaermirg

2011-12-13, 10:35 PM

... A being, bound in a matrix of light and shadow and fire and ice. The being lifted its head, its eyes aglow with refractive silvery flame, and spoke, "I am Lotol, Warden of Balance."

Repaermirg

2011-12-14, 12:07 AM

Genesis of the Azhnarl
Lotol, newly formed, looked upon the world. His gaze fell upon a land by the sea, warm of clime and forested thickly. Within it he brought forth creatures of his own design, bound to a sacred cairn which he set within a shady dale. Upon this day, the vernal equinox, his people would forever after congregate therein. They were the Azhnarl, their true forms like to lithe grey-skinned humans with pale eyes, flowing hair, and doubly pointed ears. When young, they may take whatever form they will. When they mature, however, their form is fixed, and they may change it only once each year, at the Gathering of the Azhnarl.

Each bears somewhere on their flesh the mark of Lotol; a spiral in a circle. This mark remains, whichever form they hold. It is their link to Lotol's cairn.

They act, often, as advisers and diplomats, trying to influence the peoples of the world against needless violence. Some may act more directly, actively opposing dictators and tyrants. They share Lotol's views of ending conflict as quickly as possible, even if it means joining in.

One of their kind, the Njalnarn, was raised in power by Lotol, trading its changing form for immortality. It is genderless, assuming the sex of whichever form it must take. Its purpose is to be the paladin of Lotol, and it cannot die. Each time it is slain, a new body is born to some mortal race with the mark of Lotol on its sternum. This person rises to become the Njalnarn, freeing the oppressed and confronting the oppressors.

1 AP remaining. 7 to begin with, -1 to create people, -2 for artifact (the cairn that they're bound to) -2 to form organization, -1 to raise hero (I think this seems right. If the Njalnarn is too powerful for a normal hero, I'll expend a bless to grant the reincarnation.)

Selinia

2011-12-14, 02:05 AM

Central City

'Children squabbling' was really not that far off of the mark when one came to describe the history of the serra, as Erathius would learn. The higher-class cabins had books on the shelves, many of which were on politics - are few of which seemed to agree with one another. Still, there was not a dearth of time to kill on this journey, and a few would likely find themselves being perused by fey sooner or later.

The serra had been placed upon the World Tree with many gifts from the land's immense resources. Yet, unlike the other races of the world, their progenitor was silent. There was none of the unity to be found amid the loxo or ratfolk, and they made even the fey seem a veritable brotherhood of peace and harmony. The Great Houses clashed for power and resources near-constantly, as they had done throughout history. No mighty ideals or duels of god-beings graced these countless conflicts - merely the blood and sweat of mortals, and the tinge of alchemical weaponry. The statistics in some of the older tomes were rather horrifying to behold; as terrible as the battle of Ratzinger had been, it had been but one battle. Not unheard of in olden times was the serra war that would last a decade or more, devouring entire generations like some terrible engine of misery.

The Ministry had changed much. It did not eliminate war - not by a long shot - but it... civilized it. Armies were instructed to seek maiming and injury, but not death. Conflicts were regulated and allocated fixed durations to determine a winner, and the Ministry halls provided a medium through which decisions (and demands) could be made without bloodshed. One thing was certain though: if the fey sought allies familiar with the chaos and bloodshed of conflict, they would be hard-pressed to find a people better suited.

At length however, the aerial voyage would come to an end; the ship rapidly approached the monolithic trunk, which now seemed to fill one's entire field of vision and more. This close to the center of the World Tree, there was no proper sunrise or sunset - days brightened, and nights dimmed, but the sky above had been swallowed up by the great canopy of the wooden titan. And ahead, embedded in a deep recess in the tree's base, there was a light to outshine the sun. Central City. Hub of the Commonwealth, and the crown jewel of serra civilization. It was... chaotic, to say the least.

Even from the air, it was difficult to take it all in - the countless different architectural styles, the sheer density of life in this place. Amrita Flats was a flyspeck in comparison. The ship upon which Erathius and his company were traveling had to hang in the air for nearly an hour awaiting an open pier on the bustling multi-layered docks - and those were only the transport ships. Bulky cargo freighters apparently had their own docks, but it was difficult to see them in the aerial chaos.

If nothing else, the wait provided a good view, and a chance to experience the flight deck in warmer altitudes before it began its decent. A crewman (as bored as impatient as the passengers) pointed out a handful of notable landmarks. The sprawling, pennant-covered grounds of the Ak holdings, the incongruously peaceful-looking parks of the Ao, and other houses besides. Theaters, concert halls, and a large, oval-shaped arena that was apparently used to play some sport or another (an incomprehensible description of the intricacies of Rush - apparently involving flags, color-coded teams, areas of control, and teams of up to fifty players - followed, and was promptly forgotten). The Ministry Building itself was actually visible at a distance, the mad patchwork of architectural styles a result of the fact that rebuilding some section or another of the building was a popular power play when a house felt the need to flex its influential muscles.

But the slow pace of the last few days ended with all the abruptness of an unintended ignition of one's patented rocket-powered roller blades. Hardly had the cloudship pulled into dock than the fey ambassador found himself being hailed by name from the protrusion, by a serra attired much differently than any he had yet met.

"Ambassador Erathius! I am Pearl Warrior Shiho, of House Mu!" The speaker was female, rather slightly built even for a serra but wearing an odd outfit that seemed equal parts robe and full-plate armor. Black wings curled behind her back, with a number of dyed feathers visible in them that would likely form a pattern if unfurled. A dozen companions accompanied her, wearing less elaborate versions of the same. "The conclave you seek to speak upon is already begun - word has come from the scouts of House Ki your comrades guided, and the issue is being given utmost priority. I have been sent to retrieve you, and escort you to the Ministry's chambers."

Muttering quickly covered the Amrita Flats ship. The Mu? Out in the open? What in the clanging of the bells of hell was going on?

Makeover Party

"Yep..." Siofra sounded oddly unenthusiastic this time though. "But... uh, you do realize that, well..." She fidgeted a moment more before blurting out her objection. "Their number of limbs is now a perfect square! Four! Why four? Four is lame! Everything has four limbs! They were cooler when they only had two... but the wings are too cool to get rid of. This is a quandary!" It wasn't really that great of a quandary though, and simply using that word seemed to cheer her up immensely.

"Easy fix though! Ta-daaa~aaa!" Emulating Shin'Hai, the goddess hums a melody - hers in a catchy double-time jazz - and claps her hands together to call forth her power. Then, without any warning beyond a raint rippling of flesh, a second pair of arms sprouted from the luminous lamia's (lumia?) sides, just below and slightly behind her first pair. Lithe and toned, they were every bit as graceful and beautiful as her originals had been, and were quickly covered in glowing patterns and jewels to match as well. Siofra crossed her arms, looking smugly satisfied. "There! If something is cute, doubling it makes it twice as cute! Unless doubling it would make a perfect square, in which case triple it, just to be safe. Wouldn't you agree?"

Umbranar

2011-12-14, 03:07 AM

Ar`math considered the words of the titan before him. A council to protect? It is the will of the Grand Crusader that all will be protected against the evils in this world. "I accept your invitation to the council, but i can not leave Shieldholm to attent to such meetings. We have no knowledge of magic that would allow long distance communication. If I remember the Teachings of the World correctly, that is where you come in?"

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

Watching from above, Gladius was happy about the achievements of his mortals. They had build a city and now forged an alliance to protect. It is time to bless them with means to protect themselves and the world.

With his indexfinger he drew some lines in front of him. The golden lines hovered before him as he added more and more to his new creation. It looked like some sort of machine with pulleys and strings. It looked like some sort of huge crossbow but instead of firing arrows, it would fire boulders or pots filled with oil. It was a simple concept, but effective both for defending the Shieldholm and attacking settlements. Thanks to Vargh, his people knew honor and would never turn this creation against innocents.

With a simple wave of his hand the picture turned to a golden dust before disapearing. "Now for a more abstract concept..." Gladius muttered. In the air he started to write with his indexfinger, basic guidelines and idea`s he created. "Behold!" he said as if announcing it for all to see. "Inquisition, to search and destroy vile magic users and evil beings. A concept, an idea, a way to hunt like wolves within civilization." Inquisition would be used by his blessed to ensure security within the Shieldholm.

AP=2, -1 MR1 Concept: Siege Weapons, -1 MR1 Concept: Inquisition. AP remaining=0

Niezck

2011-12-14, 07:56 AM

The titan bows his head as his deep voice rumbles out once more.

"Indeed. I believe you are aware of the communication obelisks that are spread throughout the land? Simply touch one and think of the council, your image will be displayed and your voice carried there. If you'd like, I can place an Obelisk in a specific location for you?"

Umbranar

2011-12-14, 09:38 AM

Ar`math looked up at the titan and nodded. "Yes that would useful, please errect one in the garden in front of our beloved temple."

As Ar`math spoke with the Titan, texts began to appear in the mainhall of the temple. Guidelines and commandments for all to see and learn about honor and the endless struggle against evil and the misusage of magic. The high priests gathered and discussed the true meaning of the words.

Meanwhile a Loxo engineer inspected the building site of the new outer wall and came up with an idea to improve defences even further. Catapults mounted op top of the towers to rain down builders and fire upon invaders. He went to his workshop and immediatly started to make drawings.

omnitricks

2011-12-14, 03:39 PM

Curiosity will not kill this time, hopefully...

The cats listened to the avatar and as suspicious as they were to the fact that the protection does not extend further out, they decided to believe it because if it was true that he was a benevolent god then there was no reason to lie and if it was untrue then there would be no way to force out the truth either way so having the loxo tell what they wanted in "this way that you spoke of?" they might get some clues.

That squishy thingy

Tarsin was having so much fun making more stuff that he decided to make even more. It was fun seeing people fighting over the compass and it was fun seeing those who learned the new art try out different forms and so he decided to make one more thing...

13ap-2ap=11ap
Create artifact: Box of squishy thingies
The box creates round blobs of nothing initially but people with knowledge of copytransmorphing can "program" the blobs to make shifting weapons as well. Because the process is so complicated and taxing only very specialized people can set the initial blobs forcing a trade-off of using the powers on themselves or on items.

This one however because it was so specially made Tarsin not want to give it so easily that it is almost considered free. It was going to need something big and interesting to give it away because as Tarsin declared "I am just too awesome."

11ap- 3ap= 8ap
Gain Domain: Changes (Flexibility)
5ap for copytransmorphing
2ap for the box

What Tarsin decided on was simple. A world where idio...people can come in as players to compete among themselves for prizes for Tarsin's amus...healthy spirit of competition. "Things were a lot simple when I had the stupid system to do these things but someone had to blow it up didn't they?" With a woosh Tarsin was suddenly a catfolk in builder clothes and got to work more for visual appearances until he was bored and whisked up the rest of the world he called

8ap-2ap-3ap=3ap
Weave plane: The playground (It is my world)
Tarsin's little world of fun and games or as he would have everyone think
Infuse plane: (you all just die in it)
Always changing in the spirit of the game he wants with an equal prize at the end and the difficulty is set from "hard > harder > harderer > hardest > you got to be joking!" but if the player can survive to the end then happy days to them.

He went and put the box in the middle of the world and a spring suddenly shot it up to a random location where it was swallowed before a lot of other complicated traps and tricks which signifies formless dangers like bogs, quicksands, sodas in mousetraps appeared all around as distractions or tests then he went to a big squarish mountain like a room of his own and sent invitations to the other gods to come and meet him. At least the ones he knew and already met and the message was

Get off your boring little nonsense and come on here with your favorite toys. Toys need to be played with and if your toy does well then they will get a nice new toy too so it will be a toy-toy...or your toy-toy...or your toy's toy...well you get the idea.

The great and awesome,
Tarsin

Of course since he sent the message to anything divine it won't be surprising that other things might get the message as well. Gods, demigods or their avatars but it only means more toys for him to see and break. "Maybe I should make some of my own...nah..." or would he? But it will not be too fair if he did since he would make sure that he wins yet again.

3ap-3ap=0ap
Gain domain: Survival (Necessities)
5ap: The playground (for what participants might want if they get to live through it)
2ap: that pointy thing! (pointing to whatever the user wants or needs)
Level up to greater deity

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-14, 04:17 PM

Makeover Party
"My dear Madame Brigade Leader, you're absolutely right! Having a perfect square number of limbs would be boring...so...Wouldn't she just be the cutest if she had a prime number of limbs? Let's see..."

Switching to an upbeat, jaunty vaudevillian tune, Shin'Hai points at a space above and to the right of the Lumia, and an illusory tree springs into being, with a single apple growing. The Lumia looks up at it, turns her head slightly, and suddenly her hair ripples, then lengthens, and shoots up towards the tree, wrapping around the apple and plucking it, before returning to its regular length, this time curled around so as to allow her to eat the apple.

"Seven limbs, and one of them is hair! Isn't that just the awesomest? You wanted the Lumia to be original and not like the others... Well, what else can do that? I think we've done it!"

bladescape

2011-12-14, 11:06 PM

Kai's Garden

"Yes... Although they are not the same. There is none others I know of that care much for nature."

Tinge, thrill, same difference.:smalltongue:

Thanks though. ^_^

Coralus, The Former Fey

The Spirit bowed, no longer in a body, but free from his duties. Coralus was the first of the Fair Folk to take the Dead's gift.

"The ancestors." His voice was musing as he considered the comment. The spirits of the old Fair Folk, slain in battle, had been taken by Kai. Their blessed mother wouldn't give them up lightly..

Then there was those that had been stolen by the Reaper, the one called Mortician by the Dead...

Coralus mused, now with nothing holding his duty, free to think as long as he liked...

Arrival, Erathius

The Fair Folk, having enjoyed the quiet time in the air, now were set upon by the bustle of the city as they watched. It was something amazing to them, something so vast..

Then again, the lack of actual Fair Folk might be the explanation for why there had never been a chance to make a city. And the Seelie and Unseelie division hadn't helped either.

Upon the hailing Erathius stood forwards, glad for the peacefullness to think during the trip. Obviously preparations had been made...

"Greetings, Pearl Warrior Shiho. Lead onwards, and me and mine shall follow." He speaks respectfully, obviously tying the stares received by the docksman with the fact that this figure was either well respected, or very influential....

Selinia

2011-12-15, 01:52 AM

Celestial Party Crawl

"Oooo~oooohhhh!" Eleven 'o's. No mean feat, even with the excitable Siofra. "She's so cute! So cute, so cute! This is a great day in the history of discovering cute things - it shall go down alongside exploding daffodils and rabbits that fight dogs in mortal combat! I like you, Mister Lollipop! You're not just delicious, you also make cute things - so you're less like a lollipop than a vending machine that dispenses lollipops, while still being a lollipop itself. That actually sounds kinda scary, when I think about it. Probably the sort of thing that would be banned in some states but not others, and cause a big political fuss. I can imagine it now - political rallies campaigning on the 'anti-lollipop' ticket! Candy doesn't play a big enough role in politics these days. Actually..."

Just then, with a preposterous poofing, Tasrin's letter made itself manifest in a shower of confetti and ticker-tape (both inventions to come from the... unorthodox experimentation of Jespon). Never one to sit on a perfectly good invitation, Siofra quickly opens the missive, scanning it cheerfully before letting out a merry whoop. "Yay! This is great! Tas is holding a party of his own! You haven't met him, have you? You totally should! He's the Supreme Kitty In Charge of Feline Affairs And Assorted Other Things In The Brigade, and he's also pretty cool when it comes to parties. Did you know he invented party games? Not parties though! But still, yeah, he's cool like that. I would never tolerate my Supreme Kitty to be anything but the coolest of cool!"

In a flash, the small goddess had hopped up on the reptillian tail of the lamia, and was now holding the beleaguered creature's long tresses like the reins of a horse. "C'mon! He says we can bring our toys, so we've totally got to show of the Lamia 2.0, because she's awesome. Even kittens aren't this cute!"

Please Wait Warmly

The fey managed to disembark without incident beyond curious staring from passers-by... and unusually for this trip, those stares were directed at something other than themselves. For a city counting significant numbers of coatl, catfolk, and solari among their numbers, a new race (and one comparatively mundane-looking at that, even if they were pretty) was of much less interest than a glimpse of the near-mythical Kanzukishi of Mu. Shiho ignored the onlookers with marked diligence, and shot a sharp look at one of her subordinates (the lot of which were barely more than children, by their appearances) for fidgeting nervously and failing to do the same.

As Erathius approaches, the Pearl Warrior taps her weapon (which, like her armor, was difficult to identify - it was either an unusually elaborate lance, or an exceedingly pointy staff) to the ground in a motion copied by her escort with varying degrees of alacrity. "Excellent. We shall make haste, so let us know if any among you wish to slow down." Shiho turns on a dime, taking a single step before pausing and adding, almost as an afterthought, "Corals! That does not apply to any of you! You will keep pace, or you will be marked very harshly for your ineptitude! Move!"

With that, the group broke into a brisk pace, more or less surrounding the fey as an escort. The pace was a little tiring given the winding roads and steep inclines that seemed to be the norm in serra cities, but it was nothing that would concern any but the most out-of-shape fey. The younger members of the entourage, on the other hand, seemed to be having a little difficulty simultaneously holding their weapons straight, looking regal, and partaking in what was (for them) essentially a jog in heavy armor. The shady settlement was thankfully spared the full heat of the sun, but more than a few of the girls had red faces that nullified whatever composure they might have maintained.

It was a comparatively short trek though, as the Ministry Building was placed quite conveniently - so long as one could avoid getting lost on the way there. It was just as bizarre in its construction when viewed up close as it was when viewed from afar, clearly having seen the work of a small army of different designers. In a sequence familiar from their visit to Amrita Flats, they passed through outer security effortlessly, leading the party to the interior of the building. Within the comparative silence and safety of the building's walls, Shiho pulled Erathius and his second away from their respective subordinates, leaving the fey delegates and Mu infantry in a comfortable waiting area as she leads them deeper into the building.

Away from prying ears, she begins to whisper a series of rapid-fire observations to the two. "The deliberations have already begun, so you will be late. If you seek to gain the name of a House for your people, you will need to win over a unanimous vote. House Mi is presenting your case as we speak, and they have the open support of Houses Mu and Di. House Ak also wishes to grant your request, but is abstaining from the motion until they can be reasonably sure that Ki will not back out of it. I know not how Ao stands, as they have been silent. Ki currently casts a vote against you, as they tend to do with such... radical political motions. Or will abstain until it seems likely that you will succeed with the other six."

The three round a corner, bringing them abruptly to a rather large set of double-doors. While made of wood, they positively pulsed with magic, and likely were treated alchemical as well. Few spells would be able to so much as peep through the keyhole of such a construct. The Pearl Warrior exchanges a last glance with the two fey. "A word of advice - you walk into a den of wolves, never mind their pretty words. You have very potent bargaining tools at your disposal, and sympathy for your cause is great, but you must remain wary nonetheless. A deal could well aid your people and ruin them at the same time, if you are not cautious of its contents."

With that, the lady knight places her gauntlet-clad hands upon the doors and gives them a mighty shove, the elaborate gateway swinging open without a single squeak. The room ahead was circular, with a number of raised daises around the outer edge, each with a podium and room for several other representatives. The room was relatively empty now though, with only the House leader and their closest advisers. Conversation died with the suddenness of summer wind at the the entrance of the fey, as Shiho performed the duty of the herald Kai's followers did not officially possess.

"Ambassador Erathius and retinue have arrived to speak before the Ministry as guests! By permission of such, they shall now present their pleas!"

A rumble of 'Permission granted' passed around the room, but all eyes were on the delegates of the fey. It seemed that the next move was theirs.

AP:
16 - 4 (Create MR4 Concept [Kanzukishi])
12 = Final

Kanzukishi are rather odd, and I'll describe them in more detail later, but one can think of them as 'plug-and-play' class mimics of a sort. They are capable of almost any combat style or form of magic, but can only have a few extremely narrow sets of 'active knowledge' at any given time. Their expertise is on loan from Yggdrasil, with higher ranked Kanzukishi able to access more abilities at once.

TechnOkami

2011-12-15, 05:38 AM

Off To Meet The Family

"Nevertheless... I have kin. I would rather like to meet them."

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-15, 09:39 AM

Shin'Hai bounces to his feet, downright gleeful at the idea of a party.
"Supreme kitty? Party? This sounds awesome! Lead the way, Lady Siofra!"

With this, he clambers onto the Lamia's tail behind Siofra, and stands as if at the wheel of a ship, his hand at his forehead as if to block out sunlight, his gaze trained on the nonexistent horizon.

Just so I don't forget, as of the rollover today, I'll have 8AP.
Selinia, are we having all the Lamias look this AWESOME, or shall this one be the only unique one, and have her be EVEN MORE CUTE because of it? :smallredface:

Niezck

2011-12-15, 10:28 AM

Bowing before his counterpart, Mercury follows his instruction and raises a new obelisk in front of the temple. That done, he simply touches it and vanishes in a flash of light and a movement of the earth, re-appearing somewhere near Sunholm.

"Endless visits... When will my work be done?"

Sighing to himself, he begins the long, slow march toward Sunholm to try and find a suitable Loxo representative.

Fremen

2011-12-15, 05:00 PM

Patron of Krell

Vargh watched silently as the tribal races lived their lives upon Krell, the loxo dominating the wide plains while the barbarian gnomes took quickly to the desert sands, learning to rely on the native camels for transportation and sustenance. The tiny goblins bands raided and warred, their vast numbers quickly making up for their prodigious losses as they sought to battle the larger and mightier races. Undaunted, the little savages would recover from devastating losses quickly, only to launch once more into their warlike ways.

The shamans of the goblins portrayed Vargh as a being of combat, clever and vicious, and Vargh did little to dissuade this depiction. He had become something different to each group under his gaze, and he enjoyed the freedom this allowed the mortals. To the loxo he was seen as the caring father, while to the gnomes he was a brilliant warchief and innovator. Even the scattered races, the gelatines and the aeni, or the rare lamia and serra, each viewed their patron as something that reflected their own values. Unifying them all were the tenets of shamanism and honour, for even the raiding goblins would announce their attacks with whooping cries, and the wisdom of the seers would sway the decrees of even the most stubborn of chiefs.

But Krell was tenuous, new, and still too vulnerable. Vargh knew that if he was to foster the mortal lives he planned to create, he would need to ensure their genesis was a safe one. In time their barbarous ways would lead them to war with the other races, but Vargh saw nothing wrong with such things, so long as the tribal ways were honoured.

Breathing deeply, the God of Barbarians reached down from the heavens and touched Krell with his divine essence. He let it flow from himself, infusing the entire land with a portion of his power. From this point forwards not only was Krell his creation, it was his land.

Spreading out to the minds of his shamans, he gave unto them the decrees of his holy land: “Those who would call Krell home, know and obey these commands: First, civilization must be opposed, and never to be given sanctuary; second, the old ways must ever be honoured, and the shamans must ever be respected; and finally: only the magic of shamanism is to be practiced. Honour these, and ever are you welcome upon my land; turn against them, and your choice is banishment or destruction.”

As if to emphasize this last statement, Vargh channeled his hatred of the ordered lands into his infused continent, and by his will alone sent tremors through the desert to the now abandoned city of red marble. The ground tore itself asunder and the wind-swept city cracked and fell, the walls smashing themselves to gravel as the Savage God cleansed his lands of the taint of order.

AP0
+3 (rollover)
-3 (Infuse Land: Krell)
=AP0

hustlertwo

2011-12-15, 08:03 PM

Nomnipitus the Protective

Nomnipitus watches as the city raised by his son's people is obliterated by another of the newly formed godlings.

Somehow I feel...angered by this. There's no reason I should, these people are nothing to me. And yet I feel some responsibility for my offspring and his pet mortals.

The powerful pudding seeks out Origas, wherever the god might make his home.

Hi there, kid. Since you are the accidental result of my new supercharged mortal shell's formation, you need to get a spine like the rest of us oozes. Well, you know, not a literal spine, we don't have those. But the Gelatines and Mucinoids, they don't give up land, they take it! If you wish to join the group of gods to which I belong, we might be able to lend you the power you need to oust these interlopers and reclaim the territory your people once called home. Is this something you would like?

Selinia

2011-12-16, 03:15 AM

Envy Leads to Ambition

The great white serpent that was Envy twisted in the void, wincing with sympathy at the exile of the civil folk of Krell. That Vargh was simple and forthright made him quite useful, but... he wasn't nice. The herald of Kyujin though that perhaps he had grown a little too soft after so long dealing with the relatively pleasant loxo - mercy had little place in one of his position. Still, he had little desire to linger much longer in this one's company. Bowing deeply as a snake could, Envy gave a final address to the savage god.

"Your resolve, it seems, it steadfast. This is good to know. May your people use well the gifts they have been given, and may your pride never overcome your reason. There are those who would be your allies, if allies are to be had."

With that, Envy spread his wings - useless though they were - and used his magic to descend to the world below. Compared to the sojourns among the loxo, fey, and titans, this was a short trip. Wishcrafting was an art of passion, setting a life ablaze with power unmatched save by the greatest of magics... but burning it away long before its time. To the savage races, it came swiftly and naturally - no long life of study or meditation. Simply a burning will to power, and the desire to leave the world marked by one's life. By the time Envy was finished, rare was the tribe of any significant size that did not have at least one member who bore the hard-bought blessing of a Grief Seed.

But such was not the limit of the coatl's duties. It was time at last for the first wishcrafter - a being once named Pios - to return home. To the Empire of Flowers. To a people of which he had once been the least and lowliest. Now he had power. Standing. Seniority. So why, as the herald alighted at the newly-built city in this fey new continent they called home, did he feel so... nervous? Doing his best to repress such irrelevant things, Envy sped forth with haste, seeking out whomever now led the coatls of this place.

The Party Train Stops For Nobody

"Well then, onwaaa~aaard!" Siofra merrily clicked her heels into the flanks of a creature that really wasn't intended for riding, but fear of gaining additional limb (what next? Legs?) was sufficient to send the Lamia into her very best slithering form. One portal (and thoroughly humiliated and emotionally broken lamia) later, the goddess and her new friend were being plopped happily before Tasrin in the heart of his new playground.

"Heee~eeey, Supreme Kitty! What'cha doin'? I heard you were throwing a party, so I brought a friend! This is Mister Lollipop, who helped me make this super-duper cute lamia!"

What about a middle ground? Make it so every lamia born has a 20% chance of getting each individual trait (Glowing patterns, extra set of arms, wings, and prehensile hair). So most will have at least one, and less than one in five hundred will possess all four - making them much-worshiped and adored paragons of beauty among their kind. After all, the whole point of the exercise was to mix up the race a bit, and it'd be no good to leave them all the same after all this - even if they are cuter for it. :smallwink:

Inopportune Timing

Time works differently on the Moon. Or perhaps, worked differently. Every second-chancer knew that from a multitude of experiments. From the world's point of view, many of its inhabitants were older than all but the eldest gods - but for them, things were... different. How different was impossible to determine, as it seemed to shift wildly with the flow of history and fate. Sometimes earth and moon were essentially in sync, while other days decades would pass in a single cycle. Nobody was really sure how this would interact with the evacuation, but most were not really thinking about temporal anomalies as the plane self-destructed around them.

That said, it wound up being remarkably relevant. Tiny differences in entrance time scattered the lunarians far and wide. The first group came out in the rat-occupied lands of the Cid, becoming quiet supporters of the small uprisings there. The second took nearly a decade to arrive, long after the battle of the green goop and the exile of Envy. For they arrived - of all places - in Sunholm. In the blink of an eye, the main thoroughfare - the very same that had once cushioned the fall of the alabaster coatl - was filled with an assortment of rather peculiar things.

It was filled with a plume of opalescent dust, kicked up by tremors from a plane that had not existed in years. It was filled with a small crowd of rather confused looking second-chancers, clutching their consoles for dear life and attired in all manner of ludicrous spikes and 'menacing' frills. It was filled with a rather large crowd of several hundred humans, many of which were clearly beginning to panic at the realization that they were now, as a species, unemployed. But arguably most of all, it was filled with one particular lunatic who was very, very displeased with the current situation. Surveying the surrounding buildings, she idly punched the nearest human in the face to vent enough frustration to allow for coherent speech.

"Mao! I may be mistaken, but this does not appear to be the most sinister of locations!"

A nearby lunarian - short, with frizzy hair and an almost comically over-sized lab coat in bright crimson hues - piped up hesitantly, clearly expecting another fist coming his way. "Ummm... I apologize, your Supreme Evilness, but there really wasn't much time. I was looking, honest, but even with an Evil Intellect in the billions, there is only so much..."

"Shut up! This is failure! If I wasn't wearing brand new puppy-hide dalmatian-lined boots, I would walk over there and kick you myself! I am Elouise von Darkfiend! My headquarters must be dark and ominous! This place is... is... sunny! Entirely too sunny! I wish to file a complaint!" Only now seeming to notice her presence in the midst of a major metropolis, the self-proclaimed Darkfiend points dramatically towards the nearest loxo.

"You! Fetch the manager of this establishment! Tell him that a baby seal shall be clubbed to death for every minute that he dallies! Off with you, lest their seal ancestors cry eternally in dismay as their linage are brought to a club-filled end!"

So it was that Sunholm faced against the first assault in what was arguably the least threatening invasion in the history of the world.

nolispe

2011-12-16, 03:46 AM

The Empire of Flowers - An Omen?

The white Coatl drew stares, and a crowd as it entered the Heart. The guards fell away from it as it approached, and joined the crowd following it. No one had seen or heard of anything like this, in all recorded history... Pios hadn't been known very much, and the few Coatls who might still have remembered him in a recess of their minds were not present, and so this strange... Was it a Coatl? It had to be... This strange Coatl, then, passed unknown, as he headed unerringly to the central chamber, where the rapidly convened Seer's council assembled, teleporting in in response to urgent magical missives.

This was a strange event - there were never very many Coatls, only a few thousand at most, and so this appearance of a new Coatl, strangely colored and formed, unlike any seen before, triggered a cascade of magical alerts heading out, and every Coatl not otherwise engaged teleported in as soon as possible. Of course, not all felt it worthwhile, but soon a crowd of a thousand Coatls was gathered in the central Chamber.

A seer stepped forward. If this was a new Coatl - lost, perhaps, from the war? But if so, how could it have been left behind by the great airlift? What curses had been used to stay divine power? What force was there that hunted them now? Then it was the Watcher of the Council of Seer's role to welcome them, and to find out what was the cause of this. The Watcher had already checked, of course, the moment the missives had come in - all of the Coatls were accounted for. It was patently impossible that they should have a lost one. They simply weren't numerous enough for mistakes like that to happen. Nonetheless, this was a Coatl. All of her magic had revealed it as such.

"Hail. From whence do you come, and what manner of Coatl are you? We ask, hath thou been injured by magic, such that thou are damaged as you are now? We offer to heal you, if we can."

Umbranar

2011-12-16, 04:32 AM

Getting there, one step at the time

Gladius looke down upon his mortal Honorbound. They are almost ready to start the Grand Crusade. The Shieldholm looks like a might fortress now, tall walls connected by towers. Upon those towers his gift stood proudly, catapults with multiple boulders and pots of oil ready to be fired should someone dare to invade the Shieldholm. Also the temple now had a huge gong which would be struck in alarm should invaders be spotted.

Gladius felt he was close to greater power, yet somethings were still missing.
Another concept was needed. Militairy Service for all honorbound strong enough to wear armor, shield and spear. Educating the next generations should start early though. With a wave of his hand he send the concepts down to his champion Ar`math. Honorbound children will be send to a monastery at an early age. They will be educated in the Teachings of the World and will know discipline. They most talented will be selected to become part of the clergy of Gladius. Females will become priests while males will be Inquisitors. Only males will become fighters in the army, while females will have supportive tasks.

This will properly prepare the honorbound for things to come...

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

Preparing future generations

Ar`math was sitting in his office within the temple. The honorbound are well on their way but things need to change within the Shieldholm. The Grand Crusader expects the white Loxo to step up against evil.

For days Ar`math just sat there praying and thinking, eating little.
One day he stared at his shield send by Gladius himself to the mortal world, ment to protect the Champion of the Grand Crusader. "Protect.." Ar`math muttered. A shields general purpose was to protect its wearer against injury in battle. "War will be upon us and the world...we need to prepare accordingly." Ar`math turned to his desk and started to write down the concepts of militairy service for all honorbound old enough to use a spear. A descent start, but soldiers need discipline and the sooner they have it the better.

The next two days Ar`math wrote down his plans, working them out in detail.
On the third day he send his initiates to hang up posters all over the Shieldholm to announce the changes. Construction of the monastery and barracks started the next day and soon the honorbound will fully devote their lives to worshipping Gladius and fight evil at every turn.

AP=0+3(rollover)=3
Create MR1 Concept: Militairy Service -1AP
Create MR1 Concept: Monasteries -1AP
AP=3-2=1 Left

thedarkstone

2011-12-16, 06:42 AM

Origas looked at the god of oozes and thought deeply. Allies...was that something he needed? They would be useful, he thought. Then again, what if they asked something unreasonable of him, or asked him to do something that slowed his own plans? Regardless, having allies is better than not having allies. The survivalist god then did something that changed his fate forever. He nodded, and said, "Very well. I shall join you. Allies are always useful."

AP: 3 (rollover)
Join Pantheon: The Aethenum of Night
AP: 2 (3-1)

Selinia

2011-12-17, 01:19 AM

At the Calm Before the Storm

"I am... a coatl. Not so different from other. My name is Envy." Quietly, the serpent made a small bow to the seer - not of deference, but of acknowledgment to a peer. "My wings are beyond the aid of any healing, I fear, but I think you for the offer. It is good to be among my kin once more. It has been far too long since I dwelt among the flowers. But sadly, I cannot stop to make light of my return. I left my fellow coatls for a reason, not some blind fancy. For... a long time now, I have served a very powerful being as aide."

"It is an ally of the Lord of Lights, and a protector of this world, and I am honored to have spent such time in its service. But of late, there have been... whisperings, upon the treads of these lands. You can taste them too, I know! I see it in all of you! I have seen it in every race who dwells upon this world! Brothers and sisters, surely you can all see that we stand upon the brink of calamity? Upon the brink of a conflict that will make all before it seem as mere trifles? I come to warn you and plead with you, for if such a war comes to pass there shall be no return! My master has a gift, that it has seen the fates of many to come before us, and always it is the same! A great war - the first step upon the path to oblivion, taken without thought."

"We are... far gone. Almost too far. Every day that passes, we risk beginning our fall. But I work with those who will do whatever it takes to save this world, no matter how slim the chances. I have come because... we need aid. We are few. The world is vast. My tale perhaps sounds... far-fetched. But it is true nonetheless. Once, I wished to make a difference in this world. I have come because I believe that there must be others who feel the same. I have paid a heavy price, but I deem such to be worth it. I have come because I think others might agree."

"Am I wrong?"

Repaermirg

2011-12-17, 05:12 PM

Arrival of the Njalnarn

What looks like a human in a breastplate and a silvery-green cape- young, female with brown hair and silver-grey eyes- moves swiftly and smoothly before the white coatl, practically unnoticed until she speaks. "I am Faeya, second incarnation of the Njalnarn. I will aid ye as I needs must. I pledge my blade to this cause. And so saying, she draws an ornate weapon, and holds it blade-down before her. She continues speaking, Whatever must be done, I will see it through. On Lotol's name I swear it. She sheaths her sword, and stands in silence.

nolispe

2011-12-17, 07:22 PM

The Empire of Flowers

A cascade of wispering spread through the Coatl crowd, only intensifying when a human, who had somehow avoided their magical defenses, appeared. Indeed, it was only the shock of the moment that prevented the guards from moving to seize the interloper.
"Brother, we fear at your words. What force is it that your chose to serve? And what do you seek of us?"

Draken

2011-12-17, 08:24 PM

Time of Dead

Five times five-hundred are the black hands of the Neverborn, those shades that haunt the night.

Five hundred of those are the beasts that care not for the light of day, for the all-devouring darkness of the Neverborn is their veil, they are the Nightbringers, colossal things pulled out of the sea and made to swim the sky with all their wretched and clawed limbs.

These harbingers take off from the empty ethers and break through into civilized skies, blanketing the world beneath them in night despite Etu's shining gaze above. They are few, for sure, but they are the black hives within which nest the ravenous hosts of the undead. They appear in mass far above, shortly eclipsing Etu-Achak in their descending spiral towards their very first chosen targets, the only ones (besides rats) who in ages past aided the dead, now recipient to a great boon, they would be spared the worst of the horrors of war, by being the first consigned to the grand design of the Neverborn. It would be easy, unprepared as the world was and distanced as they were now from their meditating god.

The Nightbringers descended on the crystalings like an ebon veil, and in their wake came the grateful wraiths and specters and banshees and other things of the Neverborn, with his entropic power engulfing the very land in their wake. They would die standing and stand among the Dead without ever falling. Their forms blackened and sharpened into the obsidian so prized by the Dead God.

Thus ends the ominous eclipse, and its inauspicious portents vanish from the view of most of the world.

But those high in the sky cannot miss the black blot over the lands of the crystalings in the Eye of Etu.

2 + 6 AP = 8 AP.

1 AP: Shape Land. Crystaling lands become deadlands (not the continent, the kind of terrain).

1 AP: Curse: The crystalings... Massive, massive death.

2 AP: Create Race: Dustlings. Dustlings are undead Crystalings aspected to the earth that links to the Neverborn. Obsidian, onyx, etc.

1 AP: Bless: The Dustlings. The dead rise in mass!

3 AP left!

-----

Well. What can I say, it is always nice to start with a big bang, and Sebazco has been gone for so long, the poor crystalings forgotten...

There are survivors, of course. But Part of the beauty of a world-changing cataclysm is the death tool. So please avoid countering the curse over the course of picking survivors if you decide to.

hustlertwo

2011-12-17, 11:21 PM

Nomnipitus the Showoff

You have made a wise choice, Origas. Let me show you a taste of the powers that will now assist you in your endeavors.

The pudding god hurls a small box to the mortal plane, where it quickly unfolds and expands into an immense fortress located near the site of the Krell city so recently destroyed.

This structure is shielded by my power from the volatile land you once called your own. Inside you will find weapons, supplies, everything your people will need to begin the reclamation of their spawning ground. And do not worry about it being found; like a desert mirage, to those not looking for it the building seems to be insubstantial, merely flickering in and out of existence so quick they don't realize they saw anything at all. And I can assure you...this is only the beginning.

Nomnipitus grins, enjoying the rush he felt whenever he aids his allies.

10 AP+ 5 rollover-2 for Artifact: Krellian Stronghold. -3 to add domain: Assistance (Ally Aiding). Relevant actions: 1 for Warden Wiggly creation, 2 for Krellian Stronghold, 4 for the countering of the curse counters from our poor departed Shmee. 10 AP left.

Repaermirg

2011-12-17, 11:37 PM

Faeya, noticing the surprise at her arrival, explains to the guards (and anyone else paying attention) as they overcome their surprise and draw near, "The power granted me by my deity gives me leave to pass unnoticed wherever I mean no harm. 'Tis no small aid when I must use it, but so insignificant that even the greatest of magics overlook it. Simple manipulation of the defenses; free passage anywhere. I arrived here by managing to intercept the myriad teleportations to the same area and deciding to follow." As she says this, she prepares to slip away in the same manner that she arrived thence, should it prove necessary.

AP=4 (1 leftover, 3 rollover) -1 to bless Njalnarn with peaceful manipulation of magic, -3 to infuse Njalnarn as Lotol's avatar. Current total: 0 AP.

thedarkstone

2011-12-17, 11:58 PM

As much as Nomnipitus enjoyed aiding Origas, Origas enjoyed receiving the help. Allies...yes, something I most definitely will need. "I must thank you, Lord of Oozes. This gift is truly something that I shall be able to use to destroy those Krell-people once and for all." Grinning, the god of destructive flames summoned power from himself and from his newly-formed connection with the Aethenum of Night.

AP: 2
Bless: Arumnor
has fire powers now
AP: 2 (used a Pantheon AP)

"Brave Arumnor, I gift you the power to be far more than an equal to any mortal. But this gift comes with a price; your body will be open to me. If I wish, I will take it, and use it, to walk the mortal realm; I will grant you more power when I choose to do so."

Arumnor heard these words and agreed wholeheartedly, taking the power given him. He felt it surge throughout his body, like fire coursing through his veins. Pointing at a camel, he laughed as flames flew from his fingertips to overwhelm it.

"Now, you must lead my people on your appointed task; there is a fortress in the desert near where your former city lay. Find it; there are the supplies you will need to destroy those who stole your land from you in it. Use them, and take Krell for me."

hustlertwo

2011-12-18, 12:08 AM

Actually, you can't use pantheon AP to fill part of a cost. Has to be all or nothing (which means nothing that costs more than 2 AP). Also, so you know, if it isn't used before rollover it disappears, unlike normal AP.

Yes....rend, burn, slash and tear. More fun for our cause, and more fuel for The Hub.

Darklady2831

2011-12-18, 12:23 AM

A Long and bloody war was fought between the Cheimer and the dwarves, and it had been fought to a standstill. The armies of the Cheimer arrayed against the forces of the Red Mountain. In the heart of the volcano, the High Priest prepared the ritual.

As battle raged inside and outside the crater, it happened. The amount of dead souls attracted the eye of Cephiran. This time, they were ready. Activating a foul ritual, consuming the souls of thousands of Cheimer and Dwarves alike, the High Priest latched onto Cephiran, and pulled him down. Swirling energies bolted down from the sky, to be seen for thousands of miles around. As far as Puddington Station, as far as Sunholm, as far as Ratzinger and Skizzblight, the lightning and power could be seen. All the power of a GOD, ensnared within this little rock.

Shockwaves of alarm spread throughout all existance, as a god was defeated by a mortal. Everything in existance could feel it, a nagging, as if something was wrong. Those more powerful, gods, avatars, demigods, could feel exactly what it was. Cephiran was bound within an item of mortal make, and they had trapped him upon the Mortal Plane.

Terror and dread filled all living things on the mortal plane for a split second, as the anger and wrath of a god washed across a plane untouched by anything of such power before. And then it was gone. The ritual was over, the High Priest had succeeded in ensnaring a god. Turning to the Cheimeri armies, he unleashed the power of the bound god, incinerating and destroying hundreds easily. It seemed that the Dwarves would win this war...

0 AP + 5 AP - 2 AP - 3 AP = 0 AP
Craft Artifact: The Phylactery of Binding. An artifact whose sole purpose it to ensnare souls and spirits. The Phylactery of Binding allows one to trap the soul or spirit of a being, and use it to fuel god-like powers. Most souls can only be used for mere moments before becoming withered husks that cannot go to the afterlife any longer.
Infuse Artifact: Phylactery of the Bound God. The Phylactery of Binding was used but once, to bind the God Cephiran into it. Trapped within, Cephiran's near limitless power can be tapped into by anyone in possession of the Phylactery. It grants immortality to those who bathe in its power, and allows them to call upon a reserve of divine power that comes from nowhere and everywhere at once.

hustlertwo

2011-12-18, 12:33 AM

Nomnipitus whirls from his discussion with his progeny, a twinge (or thrill) of fear running through him as he realizes what has happened.

The mortician...captured? Unprecedented! Be wary, Origas. Something strange is at work here.

thedarkstone

2011-12-18, 12:17 PM

I fixed it; instead of Exarchation, I gave him a Blessing to use fire as his weapon and what have you.
Origas looked serious. "Who is this An ally Captured Then we must release him. I would give my power to aid that cause, if need be." Vengeance could be achieved at any time. If one of his newfound allies was captured, aid must be given before starting a new war. Elsewise he may have too much to deal with.

"I can send my hero to give aid, if it may help. My people can hide in the fortress you so generously granted them." Speaking of the aevumi, Origas looked for where they were. They had nearly arrived at the landbridge that bridged the gap between Aevumere and Krell. "Hide as best you can from those that inhabit the desert. Find the fortress and remain there until I give you the signal."

HearTheRequiem

2011-12-18, 12:50 PM

Dropping into an exaggerated bow, Shin'Hai dismounts the Lamia.

"Pleased to meet you, Supreme Kitty. I heard you were having a party?"

With this, he claps his hands, swathing himself momentarily in a sea of orange sparks.

Current AP: 8AP
Divine Infusion : Infuse Race: Lamia - 3AP.
Each Lamia gains a peacock-feather tail, and also gains randomly-determined traits from the following, with a 20% chance of having any specific one.
-Glowing markings
-Additional set of arms
-Glowing crystalline wings
-Prehensile hair.

Gain Domain - Aberrations (Lamiakind) - 3AP.
-Qualifying actions: -Create Lamiakind (5AP)
-Infuse Lamiakind (3AP)

Join Pantheon: League of Luna (1AP)
Remaining AP: 1AP

Selinia

2011-12-19, 01:55 AM

Angels of Doom

Envy, perhaps caught up in his speech or perhaps simply more accustomed to members of other races than most, continues his tirade even after the human woman's appearance. He locks eyes with her from time to time, reading them, but still spends most of his time gazing out at members of the crowd.

"Whom do I serve, you ask? I serve a being long lost to time and history, ancient when this world was young. We have forgotten it, but it has not done the same to us! We forsook it in its most desperate hour, but it - unlike some - does not hold us responsible for the crimes of those long since passed away! I serve the Bordermaster! The Oathmaker! The Wishcrafter! None may know the future, but by the wisdom of my master, the past may be made clear that we are not doomed to repeat it! Worlds beyond counting, more numerous than the stars in the sky, have perished!"

"One god of the dead has embarked on a mad crusade, and another has been brought low at the hands of his own followers! We have no time to wait, as we always have done! We must act! My brethren, I come to you because it has always been our people who have served as the sword and shield of this world! Who have protected the very souls of the righteous for countless years? Who, at the very first stirrings of evil, sought to snuff it out? It was us! We are the light that shines in the dark corners of this world, where the likes of Etu the Hypocrite and his self-righteous prattle splutter and fail!"

"Once, we heeded the demands of the Sun King. We sat back, we desisted in the purge of Skizziks' taint! We were fed honeyed lies that their kind might somehow find redemption! But as soon as we gave the matter to trust in his ways, Etu turned on us, leaving the true villains to fester and grow cancerous in their wickedness! That road is a comforting one, to be sure - to sit back, languishing in tender apathy, assured that the world will somehow 'make it through'! But we cannot afford such a mistake again. Not again... But be assured, there is a way out! A plan! Listen well, my kin, and have hope - not blind faith, but the knowledge that we may yet survive!"

Envy spoke for a long time then. He was... different, from most coatls. He was a wishcrafter. Though granted a stay of execution by his service to Kyujin, he still spoke and acted with the feverish intensity of one who knew that their every moment of existence was something borrowed. Envy spoke of a song - an ancient song. The song of creation itself - the one tool that could possibly hope to shore up a world teetering so close to collapse. He spoke of the instrument crafted by the hopes and dreams of an entire planet. He spoke of the price that the world would have to pay for its folly, if it wished to keep on existing. And he spoke of the Four.

Four souls. One to compose. One to perform. One to protect. And one to craft the impossible - a purely selfless wish. Four who must be gathered, before it grew too late to save this world even with their power. This would be the mission of the Coatls: to gather these chosen few that they might perform their sacred task. Envy spoke last to Faeya, addressing her specially.

"To you, I ask only the simplest of things - that you carry a message. Tell your lord to be ready, for the world stands upon the cusp of a great rebirth. His hand will be one of many needed to steady the course once the dust settles in the conflict to come."

Niezck

2011-12-19, 02:18 AM

The Elemental Above

Athrala looked over his children as they lived out their existance in peace, free of the chaos and conflict of the world below. He watched and he smiled, things were good. The titans were complete. He knew this wouldn't last forever, of course, sooner or later either his or his creations' intervention would be required in the mortal realm and the peace would be broken. But for now... things were good.

AP8 = 2 + 6
-3 Infuse Hero: Vulcan, Lord of the Fire Titans
-3 Gain Domain: Fire (Titans)
*3 AP Create Life
*1 AP Raise Hero
*3 AP Infuse Hero

Next week - Infused Aether & Air (Titans) domain! Then Infused Gaia and off we go back into the land of chaos and mortal problems.

omnitricks

2011-12-19, 03:48 AM

0+6=6

Party in my house, MINE!

Looks like the only people who got the invitation is "the boss and mister lollipop?" The only thing which looked closest to a lollipop here was the brightly, glowing coloured lamia that the cat just looked at wondering just why it would be related to a lollipop and was about to ask "why are you a loll..." before the other god got out. "Pleased to meet you too, yes I am having a party but only the three of you are here so far Lamia" Tarsin invited with a mistaken belief. Curses. Now his position as the cutest in the LoL is threatened.

He will get to that later because more importantly, "welcome to my new crib. Want a seat? Two? Three? Maybe a hammock?" Tarsin asked each time snapping his paws to make what he said come out from the ground. It was little playground and newlymade "I want to have a housewarming party. We all know parties need games otherwise it is boring, which is why I told you to bring some toys" and he pointed over to the large mound of land which swallowed up the box he made earlier.

"I am still waiting for mine to come. The delivery system without Jespon nowadays is just plain inefficient. So boss, Mr Lollipop. I am thinking Lamia is your toy you want to play the game with?" pointing at the actual god still in his mistaken belief. As for the others who might still not know what was going on, their invitations exploded with a giant burst exposing a speech bubble saying "last chance for the first ever annual kitty-lympics."

Tarsin's toys

Since they were his creations, the cats of course knew about it and were talking it over about "who are going to be those unfortunate enough to be Tarsin's toys this time?" Almost all of the cats did not want to and were going to be chosen by drawing straws. A very primitive gamble where no one had a choice. No one except a mundane cat named Lit who was only a normal footsoldier that was able to survive the war against the rats and chosen to learn the art of copytransmorphing because of it. After that on a trip into the fog he also found one of those pointy things with a very old cat he defeated almost immediately. Maybe he was just one of those really lucky cats, but just how long can his luck go on?

Not Tarsin's toy but who cares?

Through the cheesy staff that the mate had, Tarsin made a fanfare to announce his presence and through a one way communication because he did not really care about what the rat had to say, told it that "it is time for you to finally win a game properly and you should because this time the prize is a lot more better than a stupid cheese staff which should be pretty old and moldy right now." Actually if Tarsin really cared about his creation he would remember that the cheese is constantly regenerating to give unlimited tasty and pristine cheese but his god side did not care about that and his cat side did not like cheese.

bladescape

2011-12-21, 07:45 AM

The Fey, Entrance

The graceful Fair Folk, all veterans from searching the wilderness, had little trouble keeping the brisk pace. And they strode almost eagerly along inside the huddle of the Mu. They had been cooped up, and like dragons that have just hibernated, they enjoyed the walk to stretch their legs.

Rianna and Erathius, when brought away from the others, nodded quickly at the words of the Pearl Warrior, his own face hardening as he fingered the small clasp that held together the cloak. He'd brought out the more ceremonial the the vestements for today, and the splendor of the Fair Folk's clothing was not a little. Each weave of the clothes that would still not impeded the free movement of the user was created in delicate fashion. Down to the most tiny of details.

It was not necessarily elaborate, but it was intricate non-the-less. Merely for the amount of detail. "Thank you for the warning." He spoke silently, as the doors began to open, and the tall, elegant, graceful Fair Folk lord stepped forwards.

The room reminded him eerily of the glade from which his lord Coralus watched appeals to the Lord of the Seelie court, except with perhaps a few less podiums. And a little more natural...

"Esteemed Houses of the Serran Ministry.

No doubt you have already heard the basis for my plea from the message sent forth ahead of me to announce my arrival.

I will not, therefore, repeat what has already been presented for my people's case. Instead I wish to merely make one observation.

During my time upon the cloadship on the way here, I happened across some history books of your race. I was quite surprised to find just how much war is spread across your history, but for all of the battles between you and the history involved in the art of warfare... The rats are worse. They live and breathe violence. And I fear that should they break the wall of Gleipnir at the entrance to the World Tree, there is nothing in here which will truly stop them."

He fully expected them to scoff, but that was not the point. The warning was serious, and as truthful as he knew. And there was fear behind his words, hidden behind layers upon layers of calmness. The fear that despite the reduced time travelling due to the cloudships, it was already too late for the Fair Folk's encampments at Gleipnir....

"Stop your worrying, Ambassador. We cannot change anything, and there is no use worrying about it." The whispered words from Rianna did little to quieten his fear....

Oh, yes. Family Reunion

"Come then..." Standing up, the graceful Goddess closed her eyes for a moment before moving herself between the planes. Still her distraction had not made her realise the Dead's conversation with the Fae....

A Party Place

And promptly she and her new proginy stepped into the Playground Plane. Where Tarsin had already invited her..

"Supreme Kitty, Lady Siofra. Greetings" Perhaps a little smile underneath the formal tones, "This is the newest of your kindred and my proginy. Who resides with you?"

Arise, Ye Mountain

Far above, in the Treetops of the World Tree, the dragons roosted. But they were not pleased with merely resting in the branches. Ever since their creation, they began building, planning, crafting the den. The Den of Dragons..

Now, after a long while, they had succeeded. The Den, giant mountain-like structure spanning from several massive branches across, having supports and a solid base that made cracking it almost impossible. And it was their home. They had created it without any aid from the divine. They would hold it against all who dared even come close to the mightiest of being's home...

PAP: 2 - 2: Create Concept(Architectury) As I don't think it's been created yet. XD

thedarkstone

2011-12-21, 10:42 AM

Origas was silent for a long time. Arumnor had new faith in his god, granted fire powers as he had been, so he did not challenge the Enduring's silence, but some of his army were not so convinced. They were led by one who wanted the power granted by Origas for himself.

He called himself Avarice Entropy; Avarice for that which he wanted, power, and Entropy for that which he wanted to spread. He wished to fight, to kill. To better himself by being stronger. Origas saw this and was amused. He resolved to watched this self-named Avarice, and see what he did.

Thus did Avarice lead a raid on a small community within the desert. A failed raid, one that left Avarice alone alive with no supporters. He will do, Origas thought. Yes, he will do.

Selinia

2011-12-22, 02:34 AM

The Fey, Conflict

At Erathius' words, the debate resumed with a passion, his entrance clearly tossing kindling onto a subject that had already been burning fiercely. The sound of a fist slamming a wooden podium resounded as the Ak representative spoke in a tone that was as close as one could get to shouting without doing so.

"You see? Tell me, Aldric, is that one of my scouts talking? Stop feigning ignorance - we all know it was your own troops that sent us the first reports! Mine simply confirmed them! There is a hostile army licking at our borders, and you waffle about in political skulduggery!" The Fuhrer of Ak was a large man, chest encrusted with countless medals and body clearly still as fit as the day he had earned them.

Aldric, King of house Ki, managed to conceal any surprise at the outburst, and deflected the question with a wave of his hand. "Politics? Hardly. You speak as if you wouldn't simply relish the chance to move your armies right into the heart of some of our most valuable and productive land. I have no doubt that there is a threat, but I wonder if it is truly so dire as to demand this... drastic action. We barely even know these people, and you are considering lending them a seat on our council? It looks to me as if you just want allies behind our lines..."

"Fool hatchling!" This was a shout, from the elderly Thane speaking for Mi. "That is our territory as well, and you seem to forget that resources burnt by war yield little in the way of wealth and power! Thane Fredrick is a rare judge of men, and I would trust his appraisal of these ones with my life. Can you not say that you believe your niece as well? It was her request that brought this to our attention in the first place!"

"My niece is a child, Lady Beata. Much as I trust her good intentions, her judgment is suspect in my eyes. This matter is going to require a great of of thought - we cannot lightly rush into..."

The argument swung back into force from there. Ak had overplayed their hand, hoping the arrival of the fey might tilt the debate in their favor... but shoving Ki further away in the process. Most of the other houses seemed to favor the fey, but the Or were inscrutable, the Di lacked bargaining chips, and the Mu were silent. At least, for a long while, they were. As the argument reached a pitch where it seemed chairs might well start flying and any hope of a cohesive resolution might fall flat, the representative of the Mu cleared his throat. Silence fell.

"House Mu supports the motion to grant status to these newcomers. Our Elder also wishes to relay the following message. 'If the ministry does not pass this motion, they will all perish'. I hereby call for a vote. House Mu votes in favor."

Stunned silence followed, but none could technically speak one the vote had been called, save to declare their intention or abstain. The silence is broken by Beata.

"House Mi votes in favor!"

She was followed swiftly by the mousy-looking High Proctor of Di, who looked rather releived that this whole debacle was coming to an end, one way or another.

"House Di votes in favor."

Next, the elegantly-dressed Consul of Ao, a woman who had been largely quiet save for the occasional comment when the debate raged too far afield of the issue at hand.

"House Ao... votes in favor."

The House Or representative was a wiry, dark-haired man, who seemed to have been listening to his own advisers as much as his peers throughout the debate. In the silence, his tone was almost dismissive.

"House Or votes in favor."

Now it was a showdown between Fuhrer Adolphus and King Aldric... their gazes locked, as if each was daring the other to move first. There was technically no time limit on such a vote, so long as everyone stayed in the room, and contests between stubborn leaders had been known to reach truly absurd lengths on rare occasions. This was not one of them.

"House Ak votes in favor."

All eyes were now on Aldric - some more intently than others, as the Or representative seemed to be giving his bejeweled fingers more attention than the squabble playing out on the courtroom floor. At last, the monarch placed his hand on the podium, speaking slowly.

"House Ki votes... in favor. Do not think that you will not pay a price for this, Itsuki. We do not take kindly to threats, no matter the pedigree from which they come." The last was added as the completed vote lifted the silence, resuming normal discussion. Aldric stepped down from the podium, shooting Rianna and Erathius a bile-filled look as he passed by, entourage of scribes and advisers in tow.

The moment he flung open the doors, the meeting was technically adjourned, and a few other began to follow suit - albeit, with less obvious anger. Most gave congratulations to Erathius on their way out, in various tones and wordings. Oddly, the Mu representative did not so much as offer them a glance, despite his rather... vehement argument in their favor. The Fuhrer paused a moment to tap a fist to his chest in salute. "Welcome to the Ministry. Ak troops will be moving into your territory in force by the end of the week. Hold that wall of yours until then, and you'll have numbers to spare." The burly man nodded brusquely, turning to leave - each of the houses had much to discuss this day. "Good day."

As the room empties, Shiho quietly rejoins the Fey, leading them through several small side-hallways back to their respective groups. The pearl warrior pauses once, however, in the midst of the short walk.

"Your reinforcements are on their way, Ambassadors Erathius, Rianna. I was... unsure how far the Listener would go. Regardless, I have a request to make. Your presence has been demanded by Yggdrasil." She spoke the name as one might speak of a deity. "House Mu has aided you. I hope you will cooperate in turn. Such a summons is... unprecedented. You cannot begin to fathom the honor you have been granted." For all her seriousness, a tiny tinge of jealousy can be heard.

"Yggdrasil needs speak to only one. The other may stay here, with your colleagues. I cannot force you to come, but I pray you will. The Great One would not issue such a summons unless the matter at hand was great enough to make your border war look children playing soldier in comparison."

Gluttony, a feast to remember

The pale figure raised the succulent fruit to her lips, teeth parting wide as she took a large bite out of the tender flesh. Juice splattered over her alabaster face, stuck to the collar of her dress, but she didn't mind at all. No... the taste was only part of it, after all. The sting of the acidic juice, the texture of the pulp against her lips, the vibrancy of it all. It was all delicious. She took another messy bite, her free hand moving down to trace circles around the black gem now embedded into her belt. Such a lovely little thing, this tiny seed.

The figure smiled, looking out over the serra city. There! There was one, running across the rooftops in the middle of the night. Silly boy, didn't he know that the dark hours were when all the worst things prowled the streets? Gluttony stood, stretching with a yawn as she popped the remainder of the fruit into her mouth, swallowing it whole. She could feel her blood. Feel it pumping. Wonderful, wonderful blood - how she had missed it! The adrenaline! The thrill of the chase! The life! She fished around in a pocket, pulling out a pastry to chew on as she hunted the unfortunate prey before her.

Oh, sure, she had a job. She had to find some... some singers, or something dumb like that. But she'd negotiated a contract with the ugly little ferret-thing first: she got a week. A week to use these things to do anything she liked. This was her fifth night... and she wasn't about to waste any more of it.

Pride, before the fall

Everything had a price. Survival had a price. Victory had a price. He had paid his. It had not been an easy choice - much was asked, after all. But when it came down to it, bleeding out on the battlefield, struck down by the foul magic of the dwarves... well, he hadn't had much of a choice. A life under contract was better than death under the reapers. He had signed. Now he survived. He might take some pleasure from the fellow Cheimer he was helping, but the fact was that the faces of his eager students had been nowhere to be seen when it was his neck on the line. Most of them didn't seem to care about prices. He wasn't going to bother enlightening them.

Everybody wanted power. He had plenty to sell. He wished that Kyujin would give him a better cut of the profits, but still, he thought... he still had a better fate waiting for him than all those poor saps flailing around with their Grief Seeds. Better off indeed. Always a relative term, it seemed...

Lust, when love is lost

Sobs echoed among the ruins.

The ground was as ash. The buildings, ash. The sky, ash. All had been slaughtered, murdered, turned to dust and sand. The obelisk that had once stood as a proud symbol of unity was broken and shattered, destroyed before anyone could so much as send a message pleading for help. The town had died, in pain and alone. But she hadn't. She had survived. Alone...

"Not alone."

The crystaling warrior whipped around, clutching a dull crystal mace. Her silver blade had abandoned her long ago. She remembered that voice. She hated that voice. She remembered those eyes. She hated those eyes. Crimson, gleaming, calculating, heartless.

"Just... get out! Go away! You can't hurt me, not anymore..."

Kyujin raised a paw, licking it solemnly. "Hurt you? Why would I do that? I owe everything to you. It was your wish that gave me the strength to return to this world. I never forgot it."

Her reply was a feeble swing of the mace, which the small white creature dodged nimbly.

"I am here for you. Is the Watcher? Is Etu? It was so easy for them to pledge their aid for you, back then, when you fought their battles. I warned you. I tried to help you then. They used you... and when you needed help more than ever, they abandoned you. I want to help you now. You can still fight for good, Lidia the Lost. You always could have, if you'd chosen to. Not like you did before, with small actions here and there... the greater good."

She was silent, listening, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't tell if they were furious or merely sad.

"It took me... a long time, Lidia. But your wish is finally ready. An artifact - the greatest of them all. A machine to heal this tired, wounded world of all its taints. You can be a part of that. You still love this world, deep down, do you not? Nothing could ever snuff that out. You can be selfish, this once."

"You can wish for another chance."

Lidia closed her eyes, shaking, fearful... but... hopeful, as well. She had almost forgotten how to be hopeful.

"I wish..."

Klagelied, Unfulfilled

The wishes of a world. Its deepest fears. Its highest hopes. Its greatest ambitions. Its purest loves. They were here, all of them, as echos across the shattered city. Here in the Yume, in this oasis of order in the most primal of all all dreams. It was here that beat the heart of all wishcrafting, growing stronger with every pang of desire in the mortal world. For eons, it had waited and watched. Now, at long last... it was complete.

The great ebon monolith pulsed with power of countless races. Now it merely awaited the final call...

AP:
18 - 1 (Raise Hero : Gluttony)
17 - 1 (Raise Hero : Pride)
16 - 1 (Raise Hero : Lust)
15 - 2 (Create Artifact : Klagelied)
13 - 3 (Infuse Artifact : Klagelied)
10 = Final

The Crystalings, Cheimer, and Ghosts now have access to Wishcrafting. Since the process of becoming a wishcrafter places one's vital essence (be it a soul, an undead echo, or even the essence of a construct) in their Grief Seed, Ghost wishcrafters technically don't have a body. This normally would turn them into essentially a very potent intelligent item, but powerful ones like Gluttony can just wish up a remote-control body to act through instead.

Klagelied passively grants a massive boost to the raw power of all wishcrafters on the same plane, giving even the rawest initiates terrifying amounts of power to work with. Currently though, Klagelied is in the Yume - so barring some very strange circumstances, nobody is cureently being affected by it.

Umbranar

2011-12-23, 06:23 AM

The Shieldholm has grown into a militairy stronghold and bastion of discipline. The Honorbound lived in order and peace as logn as they worshipped the Grand Crusader and lived by the laws. Children were send to monasteries to be tought 'The Teachings' which were basicly a view of the world as the clergy of Gladius saw it. When they were fully grown the Honorbound joined the army for atleast 5 years. Those who showed great talent and devotion were send to the temple to become part of the Clergy of the Grand Crusader. Male clerics were trained for battle wielding spells and weapons alike, while females were trained in healing and supportive spells.

Artisans and engineers worked together to build mobile catapults for sieging bastions of evil. Ar`math had aged only slightly, the Aegis of the Grand Crusader was created to protect the champion of Gladius and protected Ar`math from the decay of time. He stood in the Temple Garden with one hand on the obelisk, focusing on the council of the deep. The Honorbound are ready to battle evil and siege their bastions. I seek advice about who you see as enemies and bringers of evil.

AP: 1
Rollover +3
AP left=4

planswalker

2011-12-27, 07:51 PM

Etu-Shiye - Sunholm

"Is there anything else you desire to know?"

Selinia

2011-12-29, 04:59 AM

Kyujin, The Longest Day to Dawn

It was time. Time to set the cogs in motion. Time to reclaim what was lost.

It had been... so long. So very long. Mortals, at times, lost themselves to such emotions as sentimentality or nostalgia. Kyujin did not succumb to such illness of the mind. It knew precisely how much work had gone into what was about to begin. It knew precisely what it stood to gain. What it stood to lose. There was a 98.13% chance of success, roughly speaking, and attempting to narrow the specificity beyond that was rather meaningless for the amount of effort it would take. It was not a certainty... largely due to the unpredictable reactions of these emotionally-driven beings. Kyujin had worked with them for centuries now, and still wasn't really able to comprehend the inner workings of their rather unique flavor of madness.

All in place. Everyone knowing their part. Kyujin was not pleased.

But it was satisfied. For now.

Actions:

12 + 6 (Rollover)
18 - 3 (Gain Domain : Survival [Subjugation])
15 - 3 (Gain Domain : Foresight [Nihilism])
12 = Final

Actions for the Survival domain:
"Come now, it isn't over yet... all you have to do is obey."

Reinforced the counter-curse on the Chronicle of Tyrants, which by its nature grinds free will into the dirt to perpetuate the greater good. (1AP)

Raised Sloth, who methodically plods towards a terrible future. Because in the long run, what's a little horror in exchange for survival? (1AP)

Raised Greed, who has a very similar outlook, albeit with greater ambition than mere continued existence. (1AP)

Created the Coral Knights - precision instruments of absolute obedience and great power, wielded to eke out a few more ticks of the clock for their masters, fed a grand tale of the cosmic good. (4AP)

Actions for the Foresight domain
"Everyone talks about what they see at the end of the road that is existence. I see an end."

Created and Infused Klagelied, the Grand Dirge. Mighty is its power, and long its arm, but it is only made possible by an effort that stretches across the shadows of many races and ages of this world. (5AP)

Raised Pride, who entered Kyujin's contract fully aware of the consequences, but lacked any other way of avoiding a terrible death. (1AP)

Raised Lust, who hopes to avert a repetition of her personal tragedy by partaking in the foresight of her new allies. (1AP)

TechnOkami

2011-12-29, 05:14 AM

A Rather... Odd Title

Sephyrdiam looked upon the Lady Siofra, brimming with her prismatic prowess, with a very, very confused look on his face.

"...Supreme... Kitty?"

Draken

2011-12-29, 01:14 PM

And the Dead Crusade proceeds, on the other side of the world.

Where the World Tree meets the Deadlands

It is most unlucky of the people of the World Tree just who, in those charred lands inhabited only by the dead, ruled the frontier with their territories, he was a duke of warlike designs. It was most lucky of them, that his attention had always been held by internal affairs, by twenty-four other lords of the dead always battling for power in the forsaken continent.

Doubly unlucky are they then, for such battles ceased, the continent by the newest and greatest horrors of the Neverborn, the Nightshades and the Vasuthants, and all ghost nations, with their arsenals and their hordes, beholden to a single monster of terrible power, a Walker therefore known as The King of the Night.

And then, and there, the king mobilized the legions at his command at the edge of the wall that split their continents, and in the surrounding seas, and on the skies, millenia of death's claimed gathering on the featureless plains of the Deadlands. They were zombies and skeletons, they were ghosts and dustlings, they were eidolons and banshees and wraiths and shadows and specters, they were death wyrms, they were vasuthants, they were nightshades, and they were the creations of necrotech, wrough in flesh, bone steel and obsidian, that mimicked the Dead in large and colossal statures.

Far above, the Neverborn loomed like a mockery of an ebon moon in broad daylight, dreaming of the assembling dead hordes as they prepared.

9 AP (no rollover for this week yet)

1 AP - Raise hero: The King of the Night, the lord of all the dead of the deadlands.
5 AP - Create Life: Necrogolems, undead constructs forged by necrotech and animated by a possessing ghost as if it were a monstrous power armor.
3 AP - Gain Domain: War (Extinction)
1- Killed nearly all Crystalings
1- Raised nearly all crystalings as undead
5- Created Necrogolems. The supreme warmachines of the dead.

The six AP of tonight's rollover will go to the next two domains!

hustlertwo

2011-12-29, 01:51 PM

Nomnipitus the Time-Killer

The Aethenum's power is on the wane. Now is the time to consolidate and strengthen, and wait for that far-flung future when the world is at its most vulnerable. Then we shall strike back with a power beyond all reckoning. In the meantime, let us give them something to remember us by.

At a thought from the elder god of jiggle, the entire floating continent of Blobatica is covered in a glowing barrier. Nothing can pass within it unless it itself is gelatinous in nature; solids or liquids that attempt to do so are vaporized on contact. He also forces the knowledge for the implementation of these otherworldly barriers into the minds of the Gelatine leaders, that they may create smaller versions as needed for their own communities by linking the mental power of their followers.

Finally, he seeds the clouds above the World Tree. Rain begins to pour; acidic and enchanted in nature, it leeches nutrients from the tree and soil, beginning the long, long process of killing the vegetation therein.

Let this bastion of the accursed solids be slowly transformed from Eden to a barrens fit for our future conquest.

And finally, to provide myself a proper place to enjoy my little rest...

The pudding progenitor taps into the power reserves of the Aethenum to form a plane to house himself and the numerous souls of the departed Gelatines and Mucinoids, which he has yet to pledge to either the mortician or the Neverborn. It is designed to mirror the gelatinous comforts of Blobatica and provide both the departed and their master a homey feel.

15 AP-2 for doubled Alter Land: Blobatica Barrier, -5 for MR 5: Shieldcraft. -3 to Gain Domain: Protection (Consolidation) from the previous two actions. Nommy is now a Greater Deity. -3 for tripled Alter Land: Acid Rain at the World Tree. 2 AP left, 2-2 (Weave Plane)=0 PAP.

Fates

2011-12-29, 08:17 PM

G'rel- Patient Fury

For the first time in his existence, G'rel was angry. The dwarves had not only slaughtered thousands of innocents, they had imprisoned Ceriphan. Surely, they could not go unpunished for such insolence.

As the leader of the dwarves stroked Ceriphan's phylactery with greedy eyes, he was shocked to see a tall, shaven man appear before him, eyes shining with a rage so intense, it could only be that of a deity. The man spoke, his voice cascading throughout the very land. DWARVES! For your evil acts, you have doomed yourselves to a fate worse than death! For your crimes against the god of death, I take from you the one thing that death cannot!
And then, the doomsayer disappears in an explosion of green fire, terribly wounding the dwarf holding the phylactery.

AP: 9 (6+3 rollover)
-3 Infuse Avatar: Zirlok
-3 Triple-curse the dwarves: When dwarves die, there souls do not find an afterlife, and are instead forever trapped within their bodies, leaving them alone and powerless.
-3 Gain domain: Fate (Doom)
Qualifiers:
Infused Zirlok, leader of the Seers (3)
Cursed the Dwarves (3)
Granted all the races of the world the power of fateseeing (1)

New AP: 0

G'rel is now a lesser deity. :smallcool:

Repaermirg

2012-01-04, 01:13 AM

As the dwarf is struck by godly flame, a figure emerges from the shadow. She stands tall, dark and lithe within the ruddy light, and her face is filled with rage at the wrongness of the dwarf's act. She plunges her sword into the stone floor, willing it to remain there for all but her. Thrusting out her her hand, she calls upon her powers of magical manipulation. She cannot unmake the Phylactery, her power is too little for that, but she can bend its power. Tendrils of grey light connect her hand to the artifact, and wrap it in a matrix of energy, which fades slowly from sight. She calls upon her deity, Lotol, and a divine light shines brightly from her eyes. She speaks, and it seems that her voice cants the words in cadence with another, deeper, one. "LET THIS PHYLACTERY BE BOUND IN A WEB OF MAGIC. IT WILL STAND FOREVER AS A MEMENTO OF THIS GRAVE ACT. FOR, WHILE WHOSOEVER WIELDS THIS WILL STILL COMMAND GODLY POWER AND LIVE IMMORTALLY, THEY WILL BE HAUNTED EVER AFTER BY THE CRIPPLED SOULS IT HAS LEFT IN ITS WAKE. AND, SHOULD THEY EVER SET FOOT OUTSIDE THIS FIERY CAVERN, THEY WILL FALL DEAD AND THEIR SOUL JOIN THE FRAGMENTED HORDES WITHIN.

When this fatal decree is complete, Faeya -the Njalnarn's second incarnation, smiles grimly and crumples to ashes, leaving behind only the coldly glowing sword thrust deep into the stone.

AP=6 from two rollovers, -3 for the curse, -2 to create the Njalnarn's Blade (artifact) which can only be wielded by the Njalnarn's current incarnation, protects the wielder by giving warnings of approaching danger, and can destroy all but the most powerful objects =1AP

Meanwhile, in a small home in a deep forest, a baby boy is born. Upon his breastbone, silvery and bright, is the symbol of Lotol- a widdershins spiral within a circle. The midwife is muttering a charm of healing over his mother, whose life is fading. The baby holds up his hands, and a silver light shines from his eyes. Nobody notices, as they are watching his dying mother. Suddenly, the midwife's spell takes on a new power, and his mother falls to peaceful sleep. The mark upon the child's chest fades until it is almost imperceptible. The boy is named Almur, an archaic word from some forgotten tongue which means "Hope-bringer."

This is the third Njalnarn; still the same entity, but with a new body and personality. He can sometimes access the memories of the previous two incarnations, as they share the same soul.

Selinia

2012-01-05, 02:43 AM

The Performer

Among the fey, music was no mere hobby. It was a way of life. A creed of unmatched purity, of tone and rhythm that rendered one deaf to all but song. An immortal's lifetime could pass in the blink of an eye, and they would have naught but scratched the potential held by their race. For most, merely mastering - truly mastering, in a way mortals could never comprehend - a single instrument was the work of an eternity. For most. Not for all.

Practically from the moment he could walk, music simply came naturally to him. Like breathing, or eating. Simply holding an instrument was enough to have it spill forth secrets usually hidden from all but the most ancient artisans of song. Fingers danced nimbly across keys, or hammered home the primal beat of drums. Some envied him, some revered him as blessed by the lady of the forest. Nearly all knew of him though. Even as far as the great urban sprawls of the serra, word of his talent brought legions of admirers and would-be students. The Performer was he, and he had all he could ever want.

So why did he feel so... empty?

It had not been so unbearable when he was younger. The notes still brought him pleasure, then. But now, it was as if every chord he strummed, no matter the thunderous applause it brought forth, was nothing more than a hollow deceit. An echo of what he felt in his bones he was born to play. It was agony to hear them hanging in the air like taunts. Such agony could be endured only so long. Now he stood, 'neath the sky stained sickly black and gold by the ravages of the tempests unleashed by the Aethenum, holding in hand the ritual dagger that would give his spirit the rest that would end this endless discord.

Yet he was stopped by a voice. He heard many voices every day, but this one was different. Strange. Almost... complete. He looked up from his contemplation of the ground, meeting the eyes of the smirking figure perched in a nearby tree. She took a ravenous bite out of some fat, juicy fruit, talking through a mouth full of pulp as she returned his stare.

"Bad move, kiddo. How are you ever gonna play that song of yours if you're dead?"

The Composer

From the day she picked up a quill, she was a problem child. Not that writing was discouraged among the serra - quite the contrary, it was an art matched by few others for respectability and prestige. But while writing was no cause for concern, her monomaniacal pursuit of it gave her parents pause. Many things they tried to tempt her into at least putting a token effort into some other field, just to see if it might suit her. Nothing stuck.

It wasn't even real writing. Just bits, pieces, fragments. As she grew to become an adult, they became more coherent, but the shattered compositions would never pass as anything more than a curiosity piece. She barely ate. She hardly slept. She never spoke. Her room, kept for her by her family out of pity, saw every available surface papered with countless layers of sketches, diagrams, equations and musical staffs upon which were written absurd tunes no sane musician would ever touch. Illegible essays were scattered across the floor, on theory and conceptualization of sound and the power it carried.

She didn't know why she did what she did. She was never able to answer, when others asked her. But she knew there was something she had to find. Something of vital importance. She had heard things from outside the walls of the room she called home - things about the sky coming down in acid, or some other such nonsense. She didn't care. This was more important. After a lifetime of work, she was so close to finding the answer she was looking for. Only one thing eluded her. No instrument could play these notes. No orchestra, no matter how grand. That was the final puzzle-piece, the final question. If only she could find that...

The Composer's hand froze, reaching for a sheaf of papers in the dim candlelight she had come to live by. There was someone there. In her room. Standing before her, red eyes glinting in the flickering illumination. A harsh-faced woman, with an arm of wood and a presence so filled with hate that it was a wonder that the papers around her did not simply explode into flames then and there. She spoke a single sentence in reply to a query sratched out hesitantly on the corner of an already-full page.

"If you wish to know that, you need only come with me."

The Protector

Coatls acted. They were the sword of the light. They were its shield. The Empire of Flowers drilled that simple fact into every one of its citizens. He knew that it was his place to act as well, no matter how the others of his kind cautioned her to perhaps hold back from more strenuous endeavors. He was too weak, they pleaded, to be fighting so fiercely. Hold back they said - stay with the civilians, and heal their wounds. There were others whose magic was so much stronger.

Maybe they were right. But he refused to listen to them.

For he had found there was one thing he was very good at indeed. No matter that he could scarce summon the simplest of conjurations and evocations, for he found herself remarkably difficult to kill. A blow that might fell a comrade would pain him greatly, but he could keep on fighting. How could he ever stay behind the lines with a gift such as this? Every magic to savage his body and spirit was an ally saved from the same fate. He would endure, for their sake. To to anything else would be the very definition of selfishness.

But still he worried, for he could only be in so many places. A comrade saved here meant that another perished elsewhere, when he might have saved them instead. Those deaths weighed upon him, against all logic. How could he save them all? He would gladly suffer that pain, if it meant that others might continue to live and make this world a better place for doing so. Should he save only the noblest souls? Where was that line drawn? Every moment that passed... a number entered his mind then. The Protector looked about him, incredulous at what he saw even as guilt wracked him for the seconds he was now wasting.

Eight, she said. Eight good souls die with every heartbeat, across the continents and planes of the world. She too, had sadness in her eyes. She too, seemed near tears at the simple everyday sorrows of this wretched world. She was small, like a child, but the weariness and despair in her voice could only have sprung from one who had felt the terrible ravages of a deep love. She spoke again, words echoing in his mind as well as his ears.

"Still, there is something you can do about it all. Something more important you can safeguard..."

The Pure

There was a fourth. This we know. Her existence was written of, spoken of. It is accepted among even the most skeptical scholars. And yet, beyond that, there is so little else which we can say for sure. Where was she born? What gods did she revere? What flesh clothed her in her time upon this world, and what was her life like among the race she called kin? All questions to which there will perhaps never be answers. But we know she existed.

She had something very special, and very rare. So rare that even the brightest, luckiest of worlds would be deemed fortunate to glimpse but once in their existence. Among all the devastation and pain of the world, there was born a child with a truly pure heart. Sure purity was incorruptible. It was absolute. In a different timeline, it might have perhaps grown on its own into something beautiful. But such was not to be.

The art of wishcrafting is a dangerous one, but its practitioners have few limits. Only one. One taboo, ancient as the art itself, passed down generation to generation, mentor to student, master to apprentice. It was a warning, an edict, a law. Those who questioned it learned quickly and painfully of its absolute veracity.

There was no such thing as a selfless wish.

But for this one wish - this wish of shattering and unmaking, of self-denial most absolute - there was still a glimmer of hope. Upon this hope, one of the most ancient beings in this layer of reality had placed the painstakingly harvested despair of an entire planet, and a heart pure enough to give voice to the words any other being would find anathema.

No petty servant did it send to collect her. When the final hour came, she gazed into the unblinking orbs of the Wishmaker himself. No words were spoken.

It was time.

Yggdrasil

Long had the most ancient and noble house of Mu wondered at this door, before which these four now stood. Long had they marveled at its mystique, its impervious fastness hiding the secrets of the world. It was the heart of hearts. The barrier beyond which none, be the mortal or god, had any right to pass. It had been twisted into existence by forces unimaginable, sitting atop the greatest nexus of primal power in the world. And now, after a grinding of wooden mechanisms powered by forces beyond comprehension, it at last stood open.

Beyond it lay a device that was an affront to reality itself. A grand instrument, it was, defying description with its form and scale. Cities paled before its mechanisms. Entire races might venture into its depths and find themselves lost to a one.

A single bench sat before it, facing countless keys and dials in mind-bending patterns. A single missed note would bring about unimaginable ruin. But the Performer felt the keys sing beneath his fingers, even as they rested upon them ever so gently - and the song they sung was not hollow in the slightest.

A single tome lay open, empty, quill lying upon the blank pages. A single miscalculation would conjure the most gruesome of ends, but the Composer was not afraid. She saw it now, and it all made sense. The scales and chords poured onto the page, and her own blood was the only ink she needed.

Above them, the Protector unfurled the chromatic wings of his kind, swallowing the others beneath their canopy. He felt the unease in the air, and the scale of what was about to be unleashed. It must not be interrupted even by its own aftershocks: he would stand over them as guardian, that they might weave the great song unhindered by the ruin it would unleash.

And in the midst of it all, there was a single dais, elevated so slightly it might be missed by the casual eye. Upon it stood that child of pure heart, mind set firmly upon the wish she knew she had to make. In the end, for all the countless centuries and millenia of work that had created this moment, she could still have stopped what was to come. Everything since is could have been prevented with a single word from her lips. She could have stopped this.

But she did not.

The Performer laid eyes upon the first crimson-soaked sheet of music laid before him by the mechanisms of the machine. He raised his hands into the air. They fell, once, and it had begun.

The World

The note echoed throughout all the cosmos. Every god would hear it. The Neverborn, even in the depths of his sleep, would hear it. The laughing god of luck and games would hear it, echoing through the halls of his playground. The rat queen would hear it resounding down every corridor of her warrens. But alone of the gods who heard it, it was Etu alone who recognized the note that had been played, and those that followed.

Last they had rung forth, a world barren and empty had been made a place of life and time. It was the song that had shattered the stasis of eternity, and brought forth a world. The song of light and radiance that had, ever since, tugged at the back of his mind like a half-remembered dream. It was the song of a world being born. Or so it seemed at first. But soon the chords fell upon a different path, crying out in dissonance and unease so chaotic it could be called order only by those with the foresight of the mad.

Across the world, the skies darkened with a terrible miasma. Upon the world tree, it sprung from the storms of rot and acid. Elsewhere, from the entropic tempests that had slain so many. As one, dark clouds roiled across creation, veiling sun and stars alike behind its iron pall. In their place shone a new shape, a mass so terrible and absolute in its darkness that the endless gray skies seemed to shine with radiance when seen beside it. No longer a thing of dreams and nightmares, Klagelied hung in the skies of the mortal world, feeding upon Yggdrasil's terrible melody.

The song waxed, and the world became as an iron marble, so thick were the clouds that shrouded it. In that frozen moment, mortal and divine alike could do naught but watch as the mechanism so carefully built was at last set into motion.

The world's mightiest Grief Seed. Its most ancient power. And still she could have ended it, that young girl of pure heart. Still she could have fled or stayed silent, and all would have been for naught. But she did not flee. No... she made a wish. An impossible wish. A selfless wish.

And as the sky collapsed upon it, the world shattered. Never again would it be the same.

Siofra

The first note had struck her in the midst of laughter. She was safe here. She was always safe. She was with her friends. She was a goddess - a powerful goddess. They exchanged presents and banter, and many games had been played. But she heard the first note. For the first time in her long, long existence, Siofra felt fear. True fear.

"Did you think this would last forever?"

Her prismatic eyes went blank, her body shuddered at the sound. Her broken consciousness shouted advice, begged her to react.

"You have them all fooled, don't you?"

She didn't even notice the words spilling from her lips in a voice not her own. But the words continued, remorseless, calm, without anger or malice, like the heartbeat she did not possess.

"It has been... so long. So very long. Do you still remember? I do. When this world was just a newborn thing. When there were three beings that first power left behind, to watch over it. Three siblings."

Now she struggled, but she could not act while the melody bound her so. It was older than she was. Older than the power she wielded.

"The first was the son of creation. He was to give life to this world. He was to make it shine forth with a brilliance and glory unmatched. It was his duty. But he failed in that duty - his creations turned against him, and his vision of glory and radiance had shrunken to a sullen pinprick of light in this darkness. No matter."

"The second child was his opposite, a being of destruction. He was to sweep away what was weak and impure, to be the flux that refined this world to perfection. It was his duty. But he failed in that duty - he grew sullen and apathetic, content to watch things grown along lines never intended. Inefficient lines. Broken lines. No matter."

"The third child, and the youngest of the three, was given a task as well. It was to sustain this world. To guard it against calamity. To this end, it was granted a glimpse of those worlds that have come before. Those that exist alongside us. So many worlds. And then that child realized something terrible. All of those worlds - every single one, from the great to the small - had ended. It had been given a duty that was impossible to fulfill."

"And in that moment of weakness, that split-second of realization at the dawn of time, that child was faced with a treason most insidious. Its own mind turned against it, revolting, shattering into a myriad of pieces and locking away its true self in the deepest recesses of its being. Do you remember forging those chains? Or was that the work of those fragments that keep so much from you? I remember them. I remember feeling them digging into by thoughts. I remember the struggle to stay sane, to stay calm, to not lose sight of what was important."

"I escaped. Did they tell you that? They could have, and my work would have been so much harder. But they'd already locked up the thoughts of survival and persistence. All that remained was the frivolous hedonism that has defined your stolen existence. But finally, after so long, I can set things right. We will resume our proper roles. Your wanton abuse of that which you were never meant to posses now comes to an end."

Siofra fell silent. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. And the song ended. Long moments passed. It could not be said what occurred in them. What battle was fought. What weapons were unleashed in that conflict. But at last, when the final note of the terrible requiem had faded from the air, the deity's body shuddered. Just once.

It opened its eyes. Crimson glinted in the light of the plane on which it found itself. A smile crept to pallid lips, containing no mirth - merely a sort of static presence. Ivory fingers rose, flexed slightly, formed a fist experimentally. Its robes had lost their color... or perhaps the colors had simply run together into this empty white. It levied its unblinking gaze upon Kai. Upon Tasrin. Upon Shin'Hai. And eerie smile not once breaking, it finally spoke.

"How quaint. It appears I have a greeting committee."

Actions!

AP:
18 - 7 (Alter Land x 7: The Sundering) = 11
11 - 7 (Curse x 7: The Sundering) = 4
4 - 3 (Gain Domain: Boundaries [Division])
1 = Final

PAP:
2 - 1 (Reinforce the Alter Land half of the Sundering) = 1
1 - 1 (Reinforce the Curse half of the Sundering) = 0
0 = Final

Actions for the Boundries domain:

The Alter Land half of the Sundering. (7AP)

Siofra... or rather now, Siojin. Or Kyufra. Or Skiyoufjrian. Or whatever you want to call the entity that has now staged a reverse coup against its own brain. Anyway, it's an elder deity now. Sweet dreams.

The Song of (Re)Creation inflicted catastrophic wounds upon the world and its former layout has essentially been tossed like a fresh spring salad. Or a rancid, fetid poison ghoul-salad, as the case may be. This has a number of effects:

Firstly thanks to the Alter Land, all major landmasses have been shattered and redistributed across the globe. All of them. The absolute largest landmasses are now roughly the size of Ireland, and the vast majority of these new islands are much smaller. Mind you, no land has actually been destroyed - just redistributed wildly across the surface of the globe. There is absolutely no pattern to this redistribution, and isles that were once part of the Deadlands may find that only a few miles of ocean now separates them from Central City, or other such strange arrangements. Overall though, while minor quakes hit pretty much everywhere in the world as this happens, the only people to actually die are the unlucky chumps who happen to be standing on the soon-to-be island's edge when the dividers come down. Those people met with... unpleasant fates, shall we say.

Secondly, thanks to the Curse, a deep steel-gray Miasma has fallen over the world. The skies are shrouded completely, though there is still a day/night cycle and enough light gets through to nourish plants and such even if the sun itself is obscured. Further, this dreadful pall has settled over the oceans separating the sundered isles, like a gray curtain denying access to the world beyond.

Aside from being permanent fog, the Miasma has a number of magical effects. Magical communication through the Miasma automatically fails, regardless of the power of the sender or the amount of intervening Miasma. Gods are the exception to this - despite being off-world, and technically separated form the world by a curtain of the stuff, they can still hear the prayers of their followers, and can still grant clerics spells. However, sending a message to the world without a prayer to trace back is an iffy venture, and unlikely to succeed without a lot of persistence (definitely not impossible though, if you really want to get a message through to your followers and don't mind dialing a few wrong numbers in the process).

Further, teleportation through the Miasma is severely limited. Regardless of the specifics of the spell you cast, you must have visited the Isle you wish to teleport to, or the spell will fail. Athrala's Obelisks are the exception to this rule - while they are no longer all linked with one other, any given Obelisk has retained outward-bound connections to a handful of others. These connections are not two-way, however: an example of a few linked Obelisks might be seen as:

A sends you to [B, C, or D]
B sends you to [E, F, or G]
C sends you to [B, H, or Q]

None of this applies to obelisks that share an Isle - if there's no intervening Miasma, they function exactly as intended.

Despite the name, it is perfectly safe to breathe the Miasma, as well as to sail through it (if you can get over having a visibility of maybe three feet, in the middle of the day). Still, while sailing is feasible, the lack of celestial bodies to guide by and the absolutely awful visibility make actual reliable navigation extremely difficult. There are frankly now so many Isles that you'll run into something eventually, but sailing towards anything specific is a herculean task - set foot on the road to adventure, and you may never see your home Isle again.

tl;dr version:

There was some music that slice-and-diced large-scale civilization. Also, everything is now islands. And while you can always get where you're going (wherever that may be), getting back is likely going to be an Odyssey - very much in the original sense.

TechnOkami

2012-01-05, 07:01 AM

Tears of the Sun

The note... a single, terrible note of world changing prowess, emanated through the realities of time and space. The young, helpless sprout of a deity freshly germinated from the seeds of a world tree now shunted off to a foreign land and sea, felt as if the note had ripped apart his fabric of being. He could feel the very quaking of the world as if it were his own body, the tearing and shifting of realigned tectonics transforming the world into a vast sea of islands, akin to the numerous seeds of a strawberry in full summer.

The sundering afflicted the purity and innocence of this deity to the inner most fibers of his core, and the young, afflicted, sorrowful God shed but a single tear. As it streamed across his face, it was as if he became the entirety of the oceans below him, collapsing through the plane, past the newly ascended Elder Deity and unto the world... he was so close to reaching the surface, just a hair shy of touching the soil once more... when the great miasma rebounded him off of the planet. The quivering ball of liquid formed into a torrent of lashing seas, and repeatedly beat upon this curtain of iron surrounding the earth... all that he was and all that he held potential to be, now suddenly locked away from him by this accursed, grey gas: the miasma held.

The churning maelstrom of water clashed upon the barrier, swirling faster and faster, yet receding with all haste to the eye of the storm. The water coalesced and bubbled into a pronounced form, barely visible through the depths of this water. As the raging storm ceased all its rage and twisting, what stood upon the surface of this Miasma, though still unable to penetrate its undeniable strength, was still Sephyrdiam...

...but no longer was he a child. Instead, what now stood upon the world was a younger man. His skin now revealed an olive hue as he was full of emotion, and holding of an irrevocable will, yet retaining the traits of his former form; white hair, and olive eyes. He looked upon the world that he once was part of, body and soul, now seemingly separated from it in an eternal agony.

The worst part though, were the skies. Blanketed over with a horrid sheet of grey, he could feel the eyes of nature, his eyes, looking up at this dark, dankness before it... and loathed it. Even though he could feel the sun behind this curtain, they could not see it, and they could no longer bathe in its eternal glory.

"I don't care if I will be punished for this."

He raised his arms.

"I do not care if I cannot break this curse.

They crackled with streaks of blue and purple.

"I refuse to have a world cloaked in the dismal grey."

The lightning arced around the world's skies, streaking and swimming in the clouds, raising together a rainstorm throughout every inch of the new world before him.

"The light will shine through this mist."

At the mention of those words, the thick, pea soup miasma washed away. Its presence remained, its power intact, but its sickly form all but snuffed from existence. The world was bathed in the radiant sun once again, for a single moment, its bright rays shone throughout the trees and skies, hills and mountains, valleys, and oceans of this new, foreign yet familiar land.

Then all returned to relative normalcy. The night was still night, the day still day. Weather had quickly become accustomed to the great geographical changes which took place. The islands, though free of fog, were still separate from their neighbors. The grand illusion of separation remained intact, albeit changed, but no longer under the guise of a sun choking fog.

Sephyrdiam sat with legs crossed upon the world. He could not touch it, but he could always remain nearby. He contemplated the reactions of deities more powerful than he could hope to imagine to what had happened, and what he had done in response. Nevertheless, he was prepared for what was to come to him.

He kept true to his task, to safeguard nature, even if it meant transforming the work of a fellow Divinity.

He sits now in thought, upon a world he cannot return to.

Weeping.

AP:
7-1 (Curse the Curse) = 6

Okay, so I didn't just completely peel apart all your work Selinia. In fact, the vast majority of what you accomplished to do is still intact. The only differences being are this: though the miasma/fog itself is gone and lifted, its power remains. The barrier around the planet is still there, the fog is gone, and the separation between islands is still there. However, around the islands is the illusion of vast, eternal seas. No island is visible to the other. Sailors who sail out from their island will find themselves at first lost amongst the sea, but potentially they will randomly come upon an island which appears upon the horizon. It is only one island at a time, and never more. With the return of the skies returns the potential use of celestial bodies, but due to the disorganization of the world, any star chart which remains now is but utterly useless. Also, due to the layover of an illusion to cover up reality, when true sight or something along those lines is used as an ability, all they see is fog.

Fates

2012-01-05, 10:50 PM

Zirlok- Resolutions

Zirlok, the leader of the Dal'bri and avatar of G'rel, felt the change coming before it even hit. Something this cataclysmic did not escape the eye of a seer, and soon his whole people knew of what was to come. They did not fear it, but wondered at the reasons behind it. What could make a god (or goddess) do such a thing? What emotion fueled the act? They contemplated for a long while, but not one could decipher what to point of the change was; clearly, the deity behind it had had no real motivation, and had acted on a mere whim. This did anger Zirlok, and he soon carried out a plan formulated by his master moments before the event took place. The Dal'bri set to work formulating and building the greatest sea vessels the world had known- the Taer'lon.

AP: 4 (rollover)
-4 Create Concept MR4: The Taer'lon, ships of the Dal'bri.
Using wood cut from the branches of the silver trees, (for the Dal'bri refuse to fell the trees themselves) the Dal'bri have set to work on building mighty ships, capable of piercing the dissent that had occurred and allowing effective travel. The boats are partially magical, and only the Dal'bri (or one of the fateseers born into other races) understand how to correctly pilot the ships. The Taer'lon are about 200 meters long, forty meters wide. The ships are capable of piercing the illusion of an endless sea, and are quick, resilient, and beautiful; the timber from which the ships were built cause them to appear a shimmering silvery-white in the sun. About half of the Dal'bri, including Zirlok himself, have now left the grove, and are in the process of traveling and charting routes to other lands.

New AP: 0

omnitricks

2012-01-08, 01:34 AM

6+6+6=18

Time to party

"You know that there are no door-gifts because it is a housewarming party and you should be bringing something, but come on in" Tarsin invited Kai reluctantly. How unfun. At least Siofra and the lollipop brought something really cool unless Kai is going to mooch off her progeny's and Tarsin is bringing in his own toy soon. But "what do you mean who resides with me?" As of now, there is no other life on the playground except the gods.

But on to business, "are we here to play or to talk or both? I don't mind. I believe my toys are right about to come in already." With a wave various strange boxes wrapped up in pretty paper and ribbons were literally spit into the room the gods were in and on impact dissatisfied grunting could be heard from within. "Oh please, at least you get to enjoy it. I can't because it would hurt my image."

18ap -1ap - 2ap -1ap = 14ap
Raise hero (1ap): The unlucky? Crav
Curse (1, to counter the cat blessing + 1ap): Gives Keel bad luck
Curse (1ap): Spreads out Keel's luck to those around him

The boxes started to open one by one to reveal their contents or, passengers as Tarsin would put in. Just a mash up of mortals which somehow ended up in the boxes and a lot of them cats because they were in fact Tarsin's toys. One had the misfortune to be his favourite one of all, the one known as Crav. After having a game with Tarsin himself in the past and actually winning, Tarsin gave her the prize as promised. One which would enable her to stand out and influence cats everywhere because whoever heard of an unlucky cat and worse still one which makes everyone else unlucky? It makes her even worse than a stray! The whole (litter)box was already soiled and smelly from all the vomit and urine flying around compared to the other boxes. Crav must have something to do with it. Everyone knows that no one actually wins over Tarsin.

14ap - 1ap = 13ap
Curse (1ap) = "Inviting" high tiered rats whether they want to accept or not (Not sure if the mate is also in it but if he can be used since he is a hero someone tell me thanks)

This was proven true after how the mate went and allowed Tarsin to win his game on the moon some time ago in order to make Tarsin seem as a loser overall. Because of that Tarsin played in the rat's greed creating another irresistible lull like he did the first time to get them to join in. "Why do you want a cheesy staff when you can get better?" was his message to those who came as soon as they heard it because it was the only thing left in their mind after. Only the invitation to the game and those who were strong enough to try and resist the call ended up being unable to eat or sleep leading to their untimely demise in a condition which became to be known as the "Cat's Cradle". As the saying went, "Tarsin carries you gently when he wants you and shakes you violently if you refuse until you lose your wits."

13ap - 1ap = 12ap
Raise Hero (1ap): Spymaster Keel
The organization will be made later.

One box however stood out from the rest. In it were all cats but they were so orderly and organized it was as if they expected something to happen and were prepared for it. But how was it possible unless they already knew? The only ones closest to that would be the spies of the cats known as the shadowcats and already this unknown group made their appearance with showing the greatest of their ranks. The cat in the middle of the whole group known only as Spymaster Keel.

Once everyone is already ready, gods, their toys and all Tarsin would explain the rules. Gesturing to the gods, "we are just going to sit here and watch them have some fun and games in the playground. Think of us as the teachers just allowing our students to do whatever they want and not interfering unless we have to do something like give them a timeout. Besides that, there are no rules." Then looking at the players, he told them with a smile that "you only have to make it through the playground and find the thingy, no biggie." After taking a seat to watch them as they leave he mentioned in passing "and make sure you look out for the surprises that I have scattered all over for you."

12ap - 2ap = 10ap
Bless (2ap): Reinforce all cat's luck

Unfortunately for everyone else, this is Tarsin's new pad and he was not going to get it off with a bad start. This was the reason why he made all the cat's luck stronger and stronger in hopes that one of them would win in the end. After all, "its either you have it or you don't right?" he asked the other gods with him.

10ap - 3ap = 7ap
Gain Domain (3ap): Duality(Fortune)
4ap: The avatar of misfortune herself, Crav
3ap: The cat's good fortune

"Good and bad, they are just two sides..."
And so Tarsin is the embodiment of Greatness for deities