EMPIRE! Flux, In Spirit And Prowess Both

[WaylanderX]

For Empire Players, please only read this once the event has been over. That will probably be at the end of the current round.


Flux, In Spirit And Prowess Both.


426, First Solar Cycle, Pyrith of Kindness, Second Shou, Day of the Shield


This world, always moving, always shifting, for all eternity. But none can escape the will of Telluris itself, the need for balance. If not, one will only destroy itself. The scales must be balanced. Ashmar knows this. The ice spirits of the east know. From those of silvery sheen to those who dwell in the dephs of the earth to the fires of purgatory. Even the fallen dragon and the cruel shadow know this to be true. Without it, life is impossible. Life is forfeit. There is no upper god, no king. Even the god's are but pawns in the grand scheme of the dance.

Frowning, Nyllana laid the scroll beside her on the small table standing beside her. She leaned back into a long, well-made chair, looking around the room. Her personal study was a well-equiped room, with scrollcases full of precious old scrolls. On a Bucka-crafted desk, complete with hidden comparments, gadgets and traps only she knew about, stood a glass ornament, in which pieces of decayed pink cloth could be seen. The color and embroidery was faded and of a time long past. However, to her, it was still important. The pieces of cloth were once worn by the Doomkhan, a leader of the now destroyed Ignatio Empire. The last gifts her father gave her, more than a hundred years ago. Relics of a time long past. The Grand Coalition, the Great Tellurian War, PAIN. All those memories, all slowely desolving in the flow of time.

The Avatar's thoughts returned to the scroll laying besides her. She had received the scroll a while ago, reports on the objects claiming it to be found tucked away deep in the clothes of a corpse, it's body so mangled that the gender couldn't even be identified, let alone the writer. The killer couldn't be identified, but chances were he was after the scroll she now possessed.

“Balance...” She muttered, staring vacantly into the room. She was it's Avatar, the Avatar that upheld the balance. But so events were out of her control, her powers seemingly lacking. It was if something was missing, as if the picture was not complete. But what, she wondered. She, and Hurosha in general, was not seeing the whole picture. But why? How?

A knocking could be heard at the door. Shifting her thoughts to the unexpected visitor, she called him in. A guard humbly walked in, his head low, bowing a good distance away from her.

“Your Holyness, I bear news about the Watcher dilemma.”

Although her face revealing nothing, Nyllana grumbled inside. As of late, the people of Hurosha were taking a more and more negative stance about the Watcher. Crima's foolish persistance, rumblings from the Salterri and the outcome of the investigations all contributed to the unrest.

“Speak.” She simply said, her mood darkening.

“Yes, your Holyness. Empress Ryena in launching an all-out attack at the Watcher. External pressures are becoming excedingly great. The orders to deploy all aquatic troops are already on their way, as is the Empress.”

For a second, Nyllana's heart stopped. Ryena gave the order to attack the Watcher. Hurosha possessed about 3.000 to 4.000 aquatic forces. Even with militia supporting the main army, it would be a massacre, with Hurosha victory unsure. Ten's of thousands of lives would be lost. It would be an affront to the people that lost their lives to the Watcher.

She coldly stared at the guard, beckoning him to leave. The door slammed shut earily in the silence, a grim reminder of things to come. Without further hesitation, she leapt out of the window, flying faster than a Mantid towards the ocean. The fight had to be stopped. At all costs, even if it meant her own life.


426, First Solar Cycle, Pyrith of Kindness, Second Shou, Day of the Cloudiz

When Nyllana arrived at the waters of Corriach, the armies were already gathered, although from the state of the army and the amount of preparation, it would still be around two days before they began their assault. The One who Watches was currently residing in the deeper regions of Corriach, surveying the world from her dark den. However, even she had the right to live. She had to persuade her to stop spreading her influence any further. Had to put a stop to this. The Empress might not listen though. The rest of Telluris even less so.

Desperate, she made her way into the darkness, towards the Watcher and towards the unknown.

[QuintonBeck]

It was in the deepest black of the Abyss that the Watcher had made her temporary home. A place so deep that no creature but the simplest could cling to life in the inky blackness of the surrounding region, but the Watcher did not see as mortal creatures saw and to her she saw not an unending blackness but instead a door, closed to the realm she resided in now but connected to where she had come from, where her children now resided, and where she would open up the door and let them through. She was aware the being belonging to the world feared her, but it was rightful that they did and she knew she acted with the blessing and cooperation of Hurosha who had fed her, who had protected her as she prepared to bring her brood through to their realm. She would be sure to return the favor, as she had promised their Nyllana, Hurosha would be a friend to her and her family, just as her Eyes were. The hubris of those who sought to kill her would be punished and her family freed from the torture of the realm she had left behind, welcome at last in the lush lands she had made her home in.

Those approaching the spot the Watcher now floated would be overwhelmed with images, destruction, black ooze seeping from wounds, the spires upon which the Radurjics were mounted like kebabs. Repeating over and over like some unworded chant and below her in the blackest depths of Corriach the swirling of the sea as it twisted around a pinpoint in the land below.

[WaylanderX]

It was in the deepest black of the Abyss that the Watcher had made her temporary home. A place so deep that no creature but the simplest could cling to life in the inky blackness of the surrounding region, but the Watcher did not see as mortal creatures saw and to her she saw not an unending blackness but instead a door, closed to the realm she resided in now but connected to where she had come from, where her children now resided, and where she would open up the door and let them through. She was aware the being belonging to the world feared her, but it was rightful that they did and she knew she acted with the blessing and cooperation of Hurosha who had fed her, who had protected her as she prepared to bring her brood through to their realm. She would be sure to return the favor, as she had promised their Nyllana, Hurosha would be a friend to her and her family, just as her Eyes were. The hubris of those who sought to kill her would be punished and her family freed from the torture of the realm she had left behind, welcome at last in the lush lands she had made her home in.

Those approaching the spot the Watcher now floated would be overwhelmed with images, destruction, black ooze seeping from wounds, the spires upon which the Radurjics were mounted like kebabs. Repeating over and over like some unworded chant and below her in the blackest depths of Corriach the swirling of the sea as it twisted around a pinpoint in the land below.

Nyllana swiftly approached the great being. Her body could withstand the pressures for a while, but she didn't have much time before her powers wouldn't suffice any longer. She came to a stop a fair distance from the great being she called her friend, unable to come closer due to the swirling waters. Her voice rang out across the inky dephs.

"Friend, I come with grave tidings. The world has finally crumbled under your greatness, fearing the influence you have gained. Hurosha's resolve has also finally gave way."

"Tomo, my friend, the world is forcing Hurosha to attack you. The world is threatening to invade our lands to try and stop you. All of my people will be lost. Troops are already on their way to here."

"Please, I besiege you. Stay hidden and conceal your presence, at least until the world's fury has subsided. There will be another day, another moment for this. Please postpone your ritual for now, before it will be the end of us both!"

[QuintonBeck]

Images snaked their way to Nyllana's mind, furious red with blood soaked waters and rent limbs and bodies, some of them Huroshan. The water itself seemed to heat in their wake but then it abated and a new set of images arrived. The Watcher at the forefront side by side with Nyllana as they led Huroshan forces dominating the land and sea as one united force, unstoppable and unbreakable in the face of their combined force. The Watcher continued to work, awaiting Nyllana's reply.

[WaylanderX]

Images snaked their way to Nyllana's mind, furious red with blood soaked waters and rent limbs and bodies, some of them Huroshan. The water itself seemed to heat in their wake but then it abated and a new set of images arrived. The Watcher at the forefront side by side with Nyllana as they led Huroshan forces dominating the land and sea as one united force, unstoppable and unbreakable in the face of their combined force. The Watcher continued to work, awaiting Nyllana's reply.

For a minute, Nyllana stayed silent. Only the sounds of the currents swirling could be heard from the depths. Then, the Avatar slowly grabbed Aonami, the mystical halberd gloving bright blue at her touch.
The swirling water around her began to change direction. Instead of streaming downwards, it began streaming around her, mimicing the vortex below her.

Slowly, Nyllana herself began to grow in size, becoming bigger and bigger, until she was around half the size of the gigantic Watcher. Her flesh made way for rocks and liquid fire, the water boiling where it touched her skin. Her wings changed to fierce whirlwinds and rapids, making the currents produced from Aonami even stronger. When she finally glared at the Watcher, her eyes were cold, furious and full with hatred. A whisper, soft but painfully clear for the Watcher to hear streamed through the waters.

"You dare threaten my people? My family? We fed you. We cared for you. Consider you our friend. Yet, you repay our kindness with this?......."

Then suddenly, fierce images flashed through the Watcher's mind. Armies, hundreds of thousands strong, decending on the Watcher and her children, rending them apart with easy. The Watcher's head on a pike, being triumphantly held up high by a human of unknown origin, while a horizon stretching fleet cheered him on.

Nyllana's voice thundered, no longer recognisably mortal.

"So be it! Once regarded as a friend, you are fallen. I will erase you from this world, not for Balance, nor for any foreigner's benefit. This is personal. To the Bale with the Balance. YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT!"

The next moment, she charged the Watcher, striking a massive blow with Aonami. Colliding with the Watcher, the two divine beings fought eachother, striking eachother with tentacle, tail, weapon and bite. The walls of the Abyss partially collapsed from the sheer force exerted. As fierce as the battle raged, it raged as fierce in the mental domain. The One who Watches continuesly assaulted Nyllana's mind, only to be repelled time after time by neverending hate and fury. For almost half an hour, the battle raged on, neither able to get a large advantage on the other. However, over time, the Watcher slowly overpowered Nyllana. She was larger, stronger and her mind began to tire against the relentless mental assaults. Meanwhile, the Avatar could see smaller shapes swim out of the portal, swiftly fleeing to safety. Four, five, no...eight in total. If this would continue any longer, the oceans would be swarmed with Watcher-spawn, all hungry for flesh.

An idea popped into her head. A reckless plan. A suicidal plan. The only plan. The only plan that could potentially get rid of both the Watcher and the portal in one fell swoop. Gathering her last strenght, she used all the power within her to charge the Watcher one last time. Behind her, the waters moved ever faster up to a current that could smash rocks. With this current behind her, she pushed the Watcher down into the blackness, closer to the portal. The Watcher, sensing her plan, lashed out once again, with all her strenght. Countless tentacles, both physical and mental, lashed at her, damaging her in more ways than one. Through sheer force of will, she clinged onto life. Twenty Mantid-lenghts, ten Mantid-lengts, five.....

Finally, the Watchers tail touched the portal. The portal grabbed a hold of it, seemingly eager, as if the Watcher was but a tiny fish on which it fed. With a horrifying mental screech, the Watcher began to disappear. Visions full of blood, gore and death filled Nyllana's mind. Nyllana impaled on a spire. Nyllana's head eaten by her children. All of Hurosha transformed into a feeding ground, only serving as lifestock.

And Nyllana smiled. She just smiled, slowly changing back to her regular form. Although heavily wounded, so bad a normal person would have died long ago, the avatar started to swim back up, back to safety. But the Watcher had other plans. Just as Nyllana thought herself safe, a tentacle snapped fast at the end of her tail, dragging her through the portal to her doom.

A last thought drifted through her head, moments before her inevatable demise.

Sorry...father...Ashmar...Forgive me....

A moment later, the portal swallowed her up.

[QuintonBeck]

If Nyllana had expected something similar to the Abyss on the other side she had been mistaken. There was no water here in this realm, but neither was there air. In fact it seemed almost as though there were nothing at all. Nothing except the Watcher who gripped her tight around the waist and the screams and bays of unknown but terrible things across the landscape. Landscape. There was land. Or something. It was grey like the color had been sucked free from the world around her. Looking down she saw the Watcher pale and grey now in this realm though Nyllana maintained her earthly color.

"We could have ruled as equals," it was a voice, completely unknown in tone but somehow Nyllana knew it was the Watcher, "We could have overthrown the opponents of Hurosha. Dominated your fruitful realm. For you the land and skies, for myself and my daughters your rich oceans. You threw it away. For what? Because the meek fleshlings around you told you to? Because they feared me? Feared us? You are weak Nyllana and you will remain trapped in the prison that contained me and all my brethren. Perhaps you'll escape as I did, as others did, but until then you'll suffer here in this cage, this forgotten point beyond time and space. Perhaps you may learn then why I came to your lands. Why what was done to your people was done. At least then should you return to see the slaughter my daughters will have wreaked you might understand why. You may kill me here if you wish. I would welcome it. It will only make this far worse for you. As weak as you are, as dumb and foolish and scared as you are you do understand power even if you are too afraid to use it and perhaps in time I might teach you the proper way to wield it. Kill me though and I promise you the other inhabitants of this realm will not be so forgiving."



I'm wondering if perhaps rather than Nyllana straight up absorbing the Watcher she instead turns her into a sort of conduit to the Bale Realm thus bringing Balance through that, much like Nyllana isn't possessed by a spirit from the spirit realm or the direct embodiment of Ashmar she's his representative Nyllana could tie to the Bale Realm through the Watcher as her "eyes" so to speak in this realm dominating her into subservience but not necessarily physically bonding with her and with the One retaining an independent mind but shackled to Nyllana as the Chain Link between Spirit, Material, and Bale. Just an idea. Seems like it might make more sense.

[WaylanderX]

If Nyllana had expected something similar to the Abyss on the other side she had been mistaken. There was no water here in this realm, but neither was there air. In fact it seemed almost as though there were nothing at all. Nothing except the Watcher who gripped her tight around the waist and the screams and bays of unknown but terrible things across the landscape. Landscape. There was land. Or something. It was grey like the color had been sucked free from the world around her. Looking down she saw the Watcher pale and grey now in this realm though Nyllana maintained her earthly color.

"We could have ruled as equals," it was a voice, completely unknown in tone but somehow Nyllana knew it was the Watcher, "We could have overthrown the opponents of Hurosha. Dominated your fruitful realm. For you the land and skies, for myself and my daughters your rich oceans. You threw it away. For what? Because the meek fleshlings around you told you to? Because they feared me? Feared us? You are weak Nyllana and you will remain trapped in the prison that contained me and all my brethren. Perhaps you'll escape as I did, as others did, but until then you'll suffer here in this cage, this forgotten point beyond time and space. Perhaps you may learn then why I came to your lands. Why what was done to your people was done. At least then should you return to see the slaughter my daughters will have wreaked you might understand why. You may kill me here if you wish. I would welcome it. It will only make this far worse for you. As weak as you are, as dumb and foolish and scared as you are you do understand power even if you are too afraid to use it and perhaps in time I might teach you the proper way to wield it. Kill me though and I promise you the other inhabitants of this realm will not be so forgiving."



I'm wondering if perhaps rather than Nyllana straight up absorbing the Watcher she instead turns her into a sort of conduit to the Bale Realm thus bringing Balance through that, much like Nyllana isn't possessed by a spirit from the spirit realm or the direct embodiment of Ashmar she's his representative Nyllana could tie to the Bale Realm through the Watcher as her "eyes" so to speak in this realm dominating her into subservience but not necessarily physically bonding with her and with the One retaining an independent mind but shackled to Nyllana as the Chain Link between Spirit, Material, and Bale. Just an idea. Seems like it might make more sense.


Hhmm, quite a nice idea. That would also maybe allow me to get some influence on the Daughters, as their mother isn't dead and might even return, depending on if she accept Nyllana's proposal.

Nyllana heard the Watcher's word. And she laughed. Her laughter rang througout the Bale Realm, a amused laughter.

"Oh, Tomo*, how foolish you have been. Always without patience, failing to see the small before it's too late. Your plan was doomed to fail. There are forces moving against you that even you cannot comprehend. Your only fate was annihalition, and your daughters would have died with you. If you cannot see that, you're an even bigger fool than I have imagined."

"I must admit, I did think of killing you for a while. One does not threaten my family without consequence. However, you daughters need their mother. It would greatly disturb the balance to leave them without their mother. But you acted to fast, to sure in your own strenght. And now you are stuck here. Not me, you ask? No, I can go back as easily as I came here. This realm cannot trap me."

"Tomo, I have a proposal for you. We work together once more, but instead of two seperate entities, we act as one. The influence of the Spiritworld increases, and such, so much the influence of this Realm increase. I see that now. Bide your time here, gather your compatriots, and strenghten your influence, teach me your ways and of your powers. When the time comes, I will be the Chain, the Link that connects the realms together. I will be the Gateway."

"This doesn't need to end in hostility, Tomo. I can forgive, and I'm sure you can as well. Your children made it into the Material Realm. Work together with me, be my Chain, and I will take care of them until the time has come and be your eyes, so you can gaze upon your offspring once more and guide them."

"Tomo, what is your answer? Will you fight beside me, as an equal? Or will you be further imprisoned here, never to see the bountyfull world again?"


* Tomo is Nyllana's name for the Watcher. It means friend.

[QuintonBeck]

OOC: For expediency (which I already trimmed on with Her being able to speak in the Bale Realm I'll just hit the bullets.


Her daughters will need intelligent minds to feed on eventually. Animals are alright at first but they will grow and need more. If Nyllana can promise that can happen then it's a deal.
Nyllana needs to promise on her Prowess that the Watcher will be able to return through Nyllana when the time comes for the Bale to Rise.


I guess that's it.

[WaylanderX]

OOC: For expediency (which I already trimmed on with Her being able to speak in the Bale Realm I'll just hit the bullets.


Her daughters will need intelligent minds to feed on eventually. Animals are alright at first but they will grow and need more. If Nyllana can promise that can happen then it's a deal.
Nyllana needs to promise on her Prowess that the Watcher will be able to return through Nyllana when the time comes for the Bale to Rise.


I guess that's it.

Just for completeness sake, what was your first idea when you suggested the linking instead of the merging? The mechanics and terms and such?

[QuintonBeck]

I hadn't thought it through that deeply.

[WaylanderX]

She didn't know for how long she lost conciousness, but when Nyllana opened her eyes, the sun greeted her, shining through the 8 Mantid-lenghts of water above her. Still partly stunned, she looked downward. The ocean-floor couldn't be seen. If she was back in Hurosha, she must be back in Corriach. She brought a hand towards her head, her ears still buzzing. Wait...buzzing. No, this wasn't buzzing.

The Avatar be bles......ive ships damaged...der what my wife is going to.....

Voices. So many voices. But it's was not confusing. Quite the opposite, it felt familiar, comforting. It was almost if she was born to this.

Her attention shifted to her own body, in particular her hands. Something was off. On closer inspection, it was not something on her hand that was off. It was her hand itself. She still had her normal, chitin covered fingers. But the back of her hand and her palms were covered in softer tissue.
The Avatar inspected the rest of her body. Her tail was longer, only the upper half covered by hard chitin plates, the lower half elongated into a tentacle like appendage, with a broad, eel-like fin at the end. Her breasts were covered in a green-red chitin-like exoskeleton, her stomach was free, exposing the purple, fish-scaled skin.
From her arms, two tentacle like appendages jutting from her elbows, both extending about a meter and a half.
Her wings were also longer than they were before, still resembling dragonfly wings, but much more elongated and covered partly in chitin. Jutting between the two pairs of wings, two pairs of long tentacles, each as long as the wings, drifted gracefully on the ocean current.
As she brought her hands to her face, she felt that her hair was a swirling mass, consisting of long, slender tentacles.
Her face itself was normal for the most part, abeit scaled. She pressed her hand against her forehead, feeling a bump there. Suddenly, the bump opened, revealing a third eye in the middle of her forehead. Images came flooding in, images from Kasumor, Alzeroth, Cuan, from all across the Hurosha Empire.

She focussed more on her powers, feeling the balance has shifted within her. One part Cloudiz, one part Spirit. And one part Bale-creature. The material, creation and destruction. She understood now. All this time, she had denied herself Balance, only taking insignificant steps towards her goals. But now, she had come so much closer to her goal that is was basically within her grasp.

Nyllana let out a laughter, ringing throughout Hurosha, but in sound, in soul and in mind. She was brimming with power, sweet sweet power. And it felt so good.....