Faith begets Faith [IC]

[Lord_Asmodeus]

A swirling ball of green and blue, like a glittering gem in the dark void of space, turns around a vast, blue star, which burns hotter by far than the sun of earth. Fortunately for the inhabitants of the world spinning below, it is far enough away to remain in tolerable, though often hot and humid, conditions.

The world is young, the other planets in its solar system are older by billions of years, and only in the last few million years has life began to appear. The world, the star, and the planets which circle it alongside this life-bearing marvel, are all as of yet unnamed.

This will soon change, as sapience, rudimentary and simple though it may be. has bloomed in a number of races. And as has been told throughout time, with such intelligence, comes a yearning for knowledge, and with that, comes faith in something greater... and such, are gods born.

[alexeduardo]

A trio of black.haired, medium-sized mokeys run through the jungle. They are afraid, and constantly trip and fall. Behind them, the leaves tremble under the steps of a massive Forest Bear.

After many miles of running wildly, the monkeys reach a small cave and dive into it before the bear can see them. The beast climbs up to the trees above, and he starts looking for his prey.
As the bear looks among the trees, the monkeys cower and tremble. They are small, defenseless creatures and could do nothing against their gigantic enemy.

Suddenly, from the far end of the cave comes a manly and vibrant voice.
"What is it that you fear? tell me and I shall guide you"
As the monkey turn towards the voice, a man with a chameleon head materializes in front of them.
One of the monkeys responds:
"o mighty one, we cower and tremble in this cave, for we are afraid of the beast wandering the trees. We art small and stupid creatures, and we can do nothing but wat here and hope it forgets about us"
The god laughs and says:
"My sons, you are not stupid, you are the smartest amongst my creation and I shall prove it to you.
Now, that bear you fear is but a rock. He is strong and unkillable, and he is headed your way downhill. What do you do against it?"

And one of the monkeys anwered:
"I know! I run from it, I use my speed to escape the rock!"
as he said this, he sprung out of the cave and started running, the bear pursued him, and eventually catched and ate him.

"You see?" said the clever deity "You cannot run from a rock headed towards you, you are not fast enough"

"I know!" said the second monkey "I shall destroy the rock, and it shall threathen me no more!"
As he said this, the monkey sprung out of the cave and headed towards the bear, he scratched and bited him, but eventuelly the bear killed and ate him.

"That son had the right idea" said the god "but he was too rash and stupid"
He then turned to the last monkey
"Tell me, furry one, how do you escape a rock going toward you downhill?"

The monkey thought for a while and finally said
"My lord, seeing as how a rock cannot be outrun nor destroyed face to face, I propose we get out of the way"
"And how would you implement that theory in the current situation?" answered the Smart One
The monkey thought, and after a while jumped out of the cave and screamed and hopped, calling for the bear to come. The bear jumped from his tree towrds him, and the monkey doged the beast, having him hit himself on the ground.
The monkey then repeated this operation until the bear was no longer a threat, and then proceeded to finish the beast off.

"Good" said the man with the chameleon head "you have done well, for this, you are now my son and so will all your descendants be"
As the majestic god prepared to leave, the monkey inquired for his identity.
"What is yours?" replied the deity
"Aleden of Sothern" answered the son of the Smart One
"Then so am I" and he vanished

[qube]

Setsumaru

On the icy plateau's of the north, a white skeletonlike humanoid traveled the baran planes. A polar gorbin* approced the traveler. Normally these big predators whould attack almost anyone on sight - as food is very scarse on these frozen plates - but now the gorbin just walked around the mysterious traveler. He was their master, their divine protector, and guardian of all that is cold.

((*ooc: for those who wonder: a I-can't-believe-it-isn't-a-polar-bear))

[Emperor Demonking]

Tip

Tip ran after the bear like creature using his godly speed to catch up to the bear. Tip finally smashed the bear onto warm ground. The bear lied their dead. Tip picked up the bear and moved it to his race and gave it to the glorious leader to eat.

[Xerxes Shadow]

The First Disciple of Tresid walked through the desert, seemingly talking to himself.

"My Lord, I wish to build a permanent place of residence from which to meditate on your holiness."

In his own mind, thoughts to answer him echoed. But, my son, your people have a long and proud tradition of migration!

"I realize that, Lord, but I think the time has come."

But what will you eat?

"These plants are... nutritious, when prepared a certain way. I shall farm them, and convert others to your glorious will."

I dissaprove, but... a good leader must follow the wishes of the people. So it shall be done. I shall commemorate this site with my presence! Suddenly, a massive cone of swirling winds descended from the sky, encircling the Wathu priest. It whipped up so much sand that it created a crater large enough for a city. A herd of Wathu, seeing the holy act, swiftly traveled to the site. The Disciple explained what was going on.

"I shall make a pilgrimage to the edge of the desert," declared a young, eager lad. "There I shall find bountiful wood and stone to build this temple." Others followed. And soon, the First Church of Tresid was constructed.

[Arioch]

The three Etal’ai Hivespeakers stood in a circle in their cavern beneath the earth. Each resembled a humanoid, but for their long, thin forms, compound eyes, and four many-jointed arms. The Etal’ai were a hive race, who lived in close-knit communities underground. Their low-level telepathy kept them working efficiently and kept their hives together. These Hivespeakers were the individuals selected by their respective hives as emissaries and diplomats, and were endowed with considerably more intelligence and independence than most of their race.

They were worried and afraid. The war was going badly for them. The human tribes above were taller, stronger and much more brutal, and they were winning. One hive in the region had already been slaughtered. They needed to take action.

Though the Hivespeakers were not speaking, they were nevertheless in conversation. Their enhanced telepathy allowed them to speak directly into their fellows’ minds.

Jatal’ka of the northern hive said, It has never happened before.
Etal’ka of the eastern hive said, Can it be done?
Ithul’ka of the southern hive said, It will have to be done. We are losing the war against the barbarians. If we do not act, we will all be killed.
Jatal’ka said, Yes, but all the same, it does seem a bit-
Ithul’ka said, It will be for the good of the hives.

The other two hive-speakers looked at each other. They couldn’t argue with that. It was for the good of the hives.

Etal’ka said, Are we sure we could control it?
Ithul’ka, who wasn’t, said, Of course. It will do our bidding. It will be our bidding.
Etal’ka said, Oh, very well. But we must be careful.
Ithul’ka said, smoothly, But of course.

The two of them looked at Jatal’ka. After several seconds, he raised his arms in a gesture of agreement.

The three Hivespeakers took up their places, equidistantly around a circle.

Ithul’ka said, Honoured cousins, let us begin.

They began.

[alexeduardo]

As the months passed, the Sothern clan started distinguishing itself from other monkeys by using tools such as leaf sponges (to eat small insects) and pointed stones (to defend themselves from bears).
Other clans soon started to offer their daughters so that they may join the sons of Aleden, and the clan grew to control most of the Eastern jungle.

But that was not enough for Aleden, who knew that it would all crumble once the patriarch passed away. That is why he tried to convince him to adopt a different kind of goverment, one that would resist the pass of time. But the once clever monkey had grown old and stubborn, and did not heed the orders of his god.

And so did Aleden inspire the other clan to the Great Revolt. A bloody monkey war in which the old monkeys were all killed, and the new clans merged wih the old clans. And Aleden declared that this would be the way it should be, and he inspired them to make a small senate on the base of The Greatest Waterfall.
A natural amphitheatre were all free Sotherns could talk and vote as equals.
And so it remained for a houndred years that the Sotherns had no king but the Smart One, and eventually even him lost importance when compared to the Waterfall Senate. The greatest achievement of the greatest of minds.

But do not fear for our chamaleon god, for he is constantly traveling through the jungle, solving riddles and creating puzzles to keep the Sotheners alert and aware

[Emperor Demonking]

Tip

Tip was a loyal servant to his king but he was merely the head hunter and protector of his tribe. That was until the old king died and a new king took his place.

The new king decided that it would be safer for the tribe to be in a place not populated by predators. They knew of such a place but had no way to be able to live their.

At least no way until Tip discovered that he could create plants. Tip moved into the harsh weather and created a grove for his masters. He took the king and a servant their to live.

A new king was crowned in the old king's place.

[alexeduardo]

Over time, the Sotherns started growing differences. Be it small, petty mental phobias, or huge philosophical disagreements, they became separate and alien to each other.
This dipleased Aleden, and because of that did he present them with a small riddle.
He gave sapien-level thought to jungle bears.

With this newfound intelligence, the bears started avoiding Sothern traps and setting their own. They started forming armies and kingdoms. And they killed monkeys by the thousands.
For ten years the bears ruled the jungle, but eventually some Sotherns decided that the clans should reunite once again, and a small group of elders kidnapped a baby monkey, and thaught him how to be eloquent and handsome. This baby grew to be king Ferdinand the First, and he reunited the monkeys and led the counterattack against the bears.
The first part of the riddle was solved.

After regaining a foothold on the jungle, king Ferdinand got his wise elder together, the ones that taught him to be a leader, and gave them the now famous order to solve the bear puzzle. After mch deliberation, the wise ones told the king that the only answer was to go into the caves at night and kill the baby cubs. Seeing the intelligence on their words, the king ordered there be nocturnal raids on bear lairs, and so there were. And the bears became extinct
The second half of the Second Riddle was solved.

And from then on, the Sotherns no longer consider themselves stupid.

But a problem emerged, king Ferdinand wanted his son to get the throne after him, but everyone wanted a new senate. And so it was that the Waterall Senate was reinstated, but it was secretly controlled by the wise ones, the monkeys that had raised the king were now the puppeteers of the Free Jungle.

[Emperor Demonking]

Tip

Tip's king grew old as did his mate. They both decided that it was time for them to leave and go into paradise. Tip picked them up and ran to the empty paradise that Tip had created. Tip left them their to live their last days.

Coming back to his new king, the new king pointed out the age of the great craftsman, the age of the brave hunter (who was one of the youngest tribe members) and the age of the great thinker. The new king decided that they too should have a paradise but a different one.

So Tip created the new paradise near but not to near to the king's paradise. That was where the great people would go.

[alexeduardo]

Generations passed, and the shady ones controlled the senate from behind.
This displeased Aleden, who decided to take manner into hisa own hands and challenge the seemingly old men to a tree battle.

Nut he did not attend said duel, and he left the Sothern to wonder about it.
And they realized the truth that way

[Arioch]

The three Hivespeakers began their ritual, gathering energies and chanting as their ancestors had taught them. Magical poer began to gather in the middle of the circle. Jatal'ka and Etal'ka shared a hopeful glance. It was working!

Ithul'ka smiled gloatingly. Slowly, subtlely, he began to weave another element into the chant. The other Hivespeakers didn't even notice.

After several hours, the ritual was complete. The power had manifested as a dark purple cloud hanging in the middle of the circle. As the Hivespeakers finished their chanting, the cloud suddenly contracted into a tight purple sphere.

The Hivespeakers stopped, tired by their exertions. Etal'ka asked, Is it ready?
Ithul'ka replied, It is ready, honoured cousins. This is the instrument of our victory!
Jatal'la frowned. It's not doing very much.
It is mindless for now. As it spreads and grows, it will grow in power and intellect. All we have to do is order it to proceed.

Ithul'ka raised his armes exultantly. Honoured cousins, join with me in releasing our servant into the earth! Uskna aelis ka!
The two other Hivespeakers hesitated, then raised their arms.
Uskna aelis ka!
Uskna aelis ka!

With this command, the circle was broken. The sphere split apart into a cloud of cloying gas and flowed into the earth around them.

[Emperor Demonking]

Tip

Tip taught his people how to better assist their glorious king. He taught them how to work as a team in order to create items that they can use. He taught them to fight together because then they could kill creatures beyond the ability of one of them.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

With an angry bellow it came. The Sajin, large jungle hunters, that swung from the massive trees of the jungle, that covered hundreds of miles, had brought it into being. It was their hunger, their instinctual need to feed and eat. It was named Crasin, and it was huge. It appeared as the Sajin but more savage, and stronger. It loomed over them, its hands and mouth covered in blood, slobber dripping from its fang-filled maw. Its eyes gleamed with hunger. It reached down toward the Sajin, and snatched up one who was too slow to escape. He brought it up to his mouth and devoured it, its blood and flesh streamed down its mouth. The Sajin whooped in hunger and glee, and they all charged off, ready to devour the weaker creatures of the jungle. Crasin loped off after them hunger and violence on his mind.

[alexeduardo]

Generations passed, and the shady ones controlled the senate from behind.
This displeased Aleden, who decided to take manner into hisa own hands and challenge the seemingly old men to a tree battle.
But he did not attend said duel, and he left the Sothern to wonder about it.
And they realized the truth that way

"After that" says Aleden as he gets up "I think the outcome is pretty obvious"

"An interesting tale with much to teach us" answers a young Sothern scholar as he gets up and takes a bow "will you be staying at the academy any longer?"

"Your academy has been done well and it serves its purpose, but I have more important matters to attend to. I shall come back in a few months for the conference"

"Oh, you shan't be dissapointed sir, Dector has worked for months on it and I've caught a glimpse of the props he's using. It's bound to be an enlightening experience"

"I never doubted that" and, as he said this words, he became the color of his surrounding, dissapearing to the monkeys.

He took a chamaleon form and started running among the trees. He was sprinting across the treetops, risking being spotted by a low-flying animal, but that was a risk he was willing to take.
After three hours of running, he arrived at the top of Senate Waterfall. From there, he could catch a glimpse of the jungle's edge. He called for a bird, and when it arrived he challenged it to a riddle. The stupid bird failed to solve it, and had to move the Smart One near the edge in payment.

When he arived at the edge, the Clever Lizard took his humanoid form and started creating Base Trees. Huge ten-story monuments to nature that stood separated half a kilometre away from each other. He created a houndred of them and deposited an ant queen on the geometrical middle point. Exhausted after such work, he made his way to a nearby Anteater home, were he spent the night.

The next morning, he went to see his creation and saw that it was already teeming with life, undergrowth, and even a Sothern traveler.
He smiled and started his way back to Waterfall Senate.

[Moff Chumley]

The Tarsins were mountain dwellers. Khaos gave them wings so they could traverse the deep chasms, and pointed, quivering ears, so they could hear their prey. The for the first several generations, the Tarsins were little more than savages, but Khaos eventually divided them into two castes: The Creators and the Warriors. The Creators would be the agents of Khaos, who's goals were simply to create all of the inventions Khaos showed them, and the Warriors would expand the species and destroy inferior ones. The two castes began to become physically different, with the Warriors breeding for size and strength (genetically, Tarsins CAN pass on acquired traits. :smallcool: ) and the creators breeding for Psionic capacity, wing size, and creativity. After a length of time, Khaos himself appeared in the Great Teple his creators had built, and taking the form of an androgynous, attractive Tarsin, he told his people of his intention to rule them as a God-Emperor, permanently controlling their society. The Tarsins prospered under Khaos's control, as agents of Khaos in his role as God of Decay infiltrated other societies and warriors under his War Aspect brought neighboring civilizations low, and agents of Khaos as the god of pleasure ensured that the Tarsin capital was a constant riot of sound and color.

[alexeduardo]

As generations came and went, the Sotherns developed a complex philosophy.
They had a scientific explanation for everything. They had solved manny riddles.
Some may even say they solved EVERY riddle, but this filled the Sothern monkeys with great dispair and a sense of emptiness. And so they decided that, to keep themselves from being engulfed in grief, there was a Great Riddle.
A riddle that explained everything, a riddle that solved them all.
That was their answer to magic ad gods: The Great Riddle.

And it was against the law to solve it

[Moff Chumley]

...Which is why, when the agents of Khaos heard of this law, they were determined to solve it and spread the knowledge to the monkeys. :smallamused:

[alexeduardo]

...Which is why, when the agents of Khaos heard of this law, they were determined to solve it and spread the knowledge to the monkeys. :smallamused:

You fiend...
the Great Riddle is not real, it is merely the explanation for the unexplainable.
If you soved it, the world would be empty.
in other words:
DONT DO IT, YOU BASTARD

but as for Aleden, he only wants the best for his monkeys. So you better not hurt them

[Xerxes Shadow]

Several generations had passed. The First Disciple was long dead, and the First Temple was long raised.

Several castes had come into being among the Wathu: the Pilgrims, those who endlessly gathered wood from the edge of the desert; the Priests; and the Warriors. Their army, although in existence, was weak. It was in their nature to study and meditate, not train and fight. Many began settling permanently outside the Temple, cultivating the desert plants. Dust storms, once feared agents of destruction, were seen as a blessing from Tresid, and indeed they were. All was good amongst the people.

One day, however, there were reports of Pilgrims dissapearing along the jungle "coastline." A few units of warriors were sent to investigate and were never heard from again. Sensing treachery afoot, the First Pilgrim, now an old wise man, personally led some brave souls to the jungle. Only one survived, telling a story of fearsome jungle hunters and one ravenous monster, who he called the Devourer. He succumbed to massive wounds a day later.

In response, the High Priest called for an end to all construction. All Pilgrims were to immediately come back to the Temple, carrying all their wood and exotic items. This new foe threatened to put an end to their civilization's expansion forever...

[Arioch]

Slowly, so slowly, the Usk spread through the earth. It engulfed any creatures it passed, absorbing, linking, assimilating. After a few hours, it had hundreds.

By the end of the day, it had tens of thousands.

Tens of thousands of tiny minds, working in tandem. Each was incapable of coherent thought, but together they formed a consciousness of fierce intellect.

Which was why, when the Hivespeakers met the day after, two of them were in a state of some agitation.

It doesn't do anything!, said Jatal'ka.
It's just sitting there, complained Etal'ka.
It's thinking, explained Ithul'ka. It's never had the opportunity before.
So stop it thinking!, snapped Jatal'ka. It needs to act! We're running out of time.
Soon the humans will attack again, agreed Etal'ka.
Ithul'ka smiled at his companions. Honoured cousins, I have an idea. The Usk does nothing because it has no central intelligence. It is, purely and simply, a hivemind. It had no goals. We need an intellect to guide it, shape it.
But whoever joined the Usk would become part of it, said Jatal'ka in disgust. Who would volunteer for something like that?
Ithul'ka bowed. I will, honoured cousins. For the good of the hives.

[Emperor Demonking]

Tip

The king tasked Tip with remembering the history which is how he found out about Tip's amazing memory. The king decided that Tip should map out the land they lived near.

So Tip, after making sure that his creatures were well stocked toured the near land and started to map it out.

[Athaniar]

The Great Plateau, Past

Upon the Great Plateau stood a great temple city, Oyeth Kar, the first and greatest of it's kind. It's spires and pyramids stood proud and divine, it's people had great knowledge and skill. From the top of the highest temple-pyramid ruled the Divine Lord, a man said to have descended from the heavens to bring the Plateau civilization into it's golden age. On the Lord's right side was his high priest, Al'esh-Han Limorandem, a middle-aged man, but with good physique and looks. He was the only one who was allowed to wear the Amulet of the Heavens, an eldritch talisman given to him by the Lord himself. The civilization prospered, and all were satisfied.

- - -

The Great Plateau, Present

Upon the Great Plateau stood the bleak ruins of a once-great temple city. Destroyed by an unknown disaster, the megacity now served as the home of several tribes of primitive humanoids, scuttering about in the ruined streets. The only structure still remaining whole was the temple-pyramid that once had been the center of Karan life. Each tribe inhabiting the Plateau, no matter other differences, regarded the Pyramid as taboo. They called the structure Psadufum Ulghard, the Forbidden Throne. According to legend, it's high priest still remained within, immortally guarding the secrets of his master.

But now, an event is taking place that will eventually unite all tribes of the Plateau: as predicted by their ancestors, a huge ball of fire had appeared in the skies, swiftly approaching the world, and the Great Plateau. The fireball is destined to bring great power, and so the shaman are beginning to worship it as the harbinger of yet another golden age, and as more and more shaman takes to worship it, the ball of fire grows in intensity.

[alexeduardo]

As the generations passed, Sothern philososphers all over Aleden's jungle started questioning the Great Riddle. They started asking the Whys and the Hows of life.
Normally, Aleden would have applauded such inquisitive behavior, but he knew that asking those questions right now could divide the clans once more, and that the jungle would once again be engulfed in an age of Unenlightement.

The Smart one tried to stop the ones now known as the Askers, but they had the support of a group called the Wise Ones. A shady assosiation that once raised a king and controlled the waterfall senate. And even though Aleden would have liked to believe otherwise, the Wise ones were willing to leave the shelter of the jungle if that was what it was nesessary to solve the Great Riddle and gain infinite power.

And so it was that a troupe of a houndred Sothern monkeys left the jungle, leaving the rest of the tropical nation puzzled, and only offering "we shall return with the answer" as an answer for their many questions.

The Quest for the Answer was a long and ardous one, while Sothern philosophy and science slowly converged over at the jungle, the wise ones became more and more evil and angry with the scholars that were following them. They grew impatient, and demanded the answer arrived soon, but the intellectual monkeys replied that they couldn't change the laws of physics, and that they needed to settle in a permanent base if they wanted to learn more.
But that answer angered the Wise ones, who murdered their bethren out of impatience. Ashamed of their actions, the Wise ones ran to the mountains far to the northwest and seeked refuge in anyone who would be as kind as to open their doors to 30 evil monkeys...


The Curse Of The Answer, chapter one

[Emperor Demonking]

Tip

Tip returned to his people with no answers for them, but then again he hadn't gone that far. Tip wondered whether or not he was alone as a creature created by worship. His only personal goal was to find out whether or nlot that was true.

[Athaniar]

As the fiery sphere from the heavens approached, the Plateau grew warmer and warmer, and the shaman got stranger and stranger dreams and visions. The visions had a shared element: a two-headed reptilian-avian creature made of fire, speaking to them:

The time for renewal has come. In the flames of my coming, a new empire will rise to greatness!

[alexeduardo]

The National astrologers witness a strange happening in the night. A random comet comes down upon earth to the east of the jungle. This was most unexpected, and every Sothern in the country with a doctorate degree (that is, everyone over five years of age) has their own theory about his happening. Most simply rely on the ages old Great Riddle, but many deny it and propose a different, more godlike atribute to the comet.

Aleden, when questioned about it, says that while he does have vague memories of falling and burning, he doesn't believe that there's a new god in this world. He would have felt it otherwise.


Prologue to The Curse of the Answer
by Dector the Young

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Crasin

For a while, Crasin had lead the Sajin people well, and they feasted on the flesh of many creatures. Several weaker tribes of creatures were destroyed, others assimilated, and the assembled tribes now known as the Kas'sajin were running out of food. Crasin was troubled, he lived to feed and hunt and fight, and the number of prey and tribes was dwindling in this area. They needed creatures to hunt, and enemies to fight. Crasin turned to his instincts, as he often did, but they were little help. And so, he turned to his keen cunning, and his sharp but brutal mind. His thoughts turned to the south. It was hotter in the south, and strange creatures, unknown even to him, lurked there. Still, his people needed food and fighting, and so he decided, South it was. The Kas'sajin began a great exodus southward, in search of plentiful game.

[alexeduardo]

Crasin

For a while, Crasin had lead the Sajin people well, and they feasted on the flesh of many creatures. Several weaker tribes of creatures were destroyed, others assimilated, and the assembled tribes now known as the Kas'sajin were running out of food. Crasin was troubled, he lived to feed and hunt and fight, and the number of prey and tribes was dwindling in this area. They needed creatures to hunt, and enemies to fight. Crasin turned to his instincts, as he often did, but they were little help. And so, he turned to his keen cunning, and his sharp but brutal mind. His thoughts turned to the south. It was hotter in the south, and strange creatures, unknown even to him, lurked there. Still, his people needed food and fighting, and so he decided, South it was. The Kas'sajin began a great exodus southward, in search of plentiful game.


y'see, THIS is why we need a map.

As the years cam and went, and the senate was changed many times to he political right or left, The birds started telling Aleden of an exodus. A massive movement of living beings headed to the south.
After riding on Birdback and seeing the things for himself, Aleden realized that they would miss the jungle limits by a houndred miles, but still he convinced the local birds to stops flying to the jungle and prevent being seen when flying. He then went back and demanded the Sothern army be reasembled. And that Watchhuts be built on the edges of the jungle.
His people did not know it, but he spent the following months alone on a cave, working on a Great Dragon in anticipation
for the Sothern's extinction


The Curse of The Answer, chapter one

[qube]

Setsumaru

On the icy plateau's on off the North, Setsumaru detected the flaming orb comming to the planet. This predicted warmth and change ... nothing that good. The only good thing that came of it was the impact winter. All races of the planet woud once more remember to pay hommage to the keeper of cold.

[Emperor Demonking]

Tip

Tip captured a bird and found out that it could speak a language and that it could return to its home if it was taught one. Tip spent all of his free time teaching it to say. "Are you a god?"

Tip then tried to make it return home when it heard the word. "yes."

Tip let the bird go.

[Athaniar]

The great fireball crashed into the Plateau. By all reasoning, the ruins of Oyeth Kar should have been wiped out by the blast, but when the flames and dust had settled, a magnificent sight was revealed: the grand temple city, renewed as it stood at the height of it's power. On the top of the highest temple-pyramid sat perched a giant avian-reptilian creature with two heads, seemingly made out of flames. Below the pyramid, all the peoples of the Plateau had gathered. The God-Phoenix spoke:

Let the golden age begun! What once was great is now even greater! The empire is renewed, and the civilization of Oyeth Kar is ready to conquer the world! Let no one, mortal or god, stand before you!

[Moff Chumley]

And Khaos observed this, and said "Just as planned..." :smallamused:

[alexeduardo]

And when he was finally happy with his creation, he started training his Great Dragon in the ways of war. The dragon eventually became a master general and a respected figure amongst the Sothern.
And even though they did not comprehend why, the Sothern Phalanx was reassembled once more, and the jungle's borders became an impassable swampland.
All this was part of Aleden's effort to survive the coming end

The curse of the Answer, chapter 1

[Emperor Demonking]

Tip

Tip's bitrd continued to fly.

A new king was crowned and this new king decided that it was only right that Tip had a temple. So Tip got to work trying to build his temple and trying to make sure emobodied himself as much as possible.

[qube]

Setsumaru

with a single thought, Setsumaru teleports to the evelasting snow area's of the highest mountain of the world. From there he could well see what was going on in the mortal cities.

From Oyeth Kar, wispers of prayers come to him. He did not care: these one-day-believers should suffer the same as anyone else: icy cold makes no difference between those who pray and those who don't ...

in fact, it seemed that Oyeth Kar had got a patron of its own. One who likes renewal. The other side of his coin...

what else is happening ...

Mortals, who call themself Sajin ... expanding to the warmer south. As long as they remain away from his icy empires, they are of no concern to him.

[Athaniar]

Quite some time had now passed in Oyeth Kar. The Great Phoenix-God dwelled in the heavens, represented in mortal affairs by his high priest, Haknesh-Muruk Kry'Bennu, and his high priestess, Haknesh-Otyaraij Ahghi'Bennu, the former's wife. From the newly-built Grand hlE-ro'kHo* of Duality and Renewal, the Phoenix's worship grew larger and larger, but from within the Rée-lImorkgha'aH**, a dark prescence grows.


Former High Priest of Oyeth Kar's Divine Lord Al'esh-Han Limorandem, a withered husk of his former self, yet more powerful than ever, stepped up to a circular array of rotating golden rings on the wall of what used to be the private chambers of the Divine Lord. In the center of the array was a pulsating crimson orb. Al'esh-Han touched the orb, and chanted quietly for himself: "Soon, my Lord, You will be unleashed upon those who have betrayed You, and this time, nothing will be able to impede Your righteous wrath. aMakORi, amAKorI, makor mAkor ah turaFH, niGora'hshaAlshem-ayAtH, zJ'jalke-R, soon, my Lord, soon You will be free."


*A hlE-ro'kHo (pronounced "Shlee-rack-hau") is a sort of Karan monastery, where devotees can both dwell and learn the teachings of the faith.

**The Rée-lImorkgha'aH (pronounced "Rie-el Imor-keega-ej") is what remains of the ancient and forbidden temple of the old times, formerly known as Psadufum Ulghard ("Saddu-foom Owl-gahd"), the Forbidden Throne. The aboveground temple was razed by the Phoenix, but the belowground level could not be ravaged even by him. It translates approximately as "The Forbidden Abyss in which the Limor Dwell", a Limor being a mythical demonic being, most likely referring to the legend of Oyeth Kar's former high priest.

[qube]

Setsumaru

Time had come once more ... the god of cold had gathered enough enegry since the last ice age, and now was the time to use it ...

In the blink of an eye, Setsumaru teleported to the worlds core. There he manifested two icy blades from his hands. With a circular movement he jabbed both blades into the core, and the blades scattered. With a second blink of the eye, the god of cold was once again at the summet of the worlds highest peek, to look down upon mortals.

A new ice age had begon ...

[Athaniar]

The Phoenix felt a disturbance in the force natural elements. Suddenly, an unnatural cold had begun to place it's frigid grasp around the world. A god of duality he may be, but the Phoenix had never been a bid fan of the static cold, sticking to the everchanging fire instead. He would have to resolve this situation.

Soaring over his Grand hlE-ro'kHo, the Phoenix sent down a beam of concentrated heat towards the monastic temple. Not long after the beam had hit, twelve priests came out of the temple, all dressed in flame-hued light armor and robes, and wielding dangerous-looking weapons in both hands. Their eyes glowed with sacred fire. The Phoenix spoke to them:

You are my bëNar'kAga-h'sH, my sacred emissaries, my unrelenting champion, wielders of the flame! You will go forth into the world and find the source of this cold, and nothing will stand in your way! Show no mercy, and carry out the task at hand!

And so, with great haste, the warrior-priests of the Phoenix went off in all directions of the world, in order to uncover what was causing this ice age.


At the gates of the monastery, a lone monk stood watching the champions go. He was dressed in a concealing cloak, and held some sort of box-like artifact before him. He spoke quietly for himself.

Soon, my Lord...