Pan-aeons: a God Game

[Maryring]

The last days of summer

The sun is warm.

ChiChi yawns as he steps out of bed. His limbs are stiff. He tries to stretch them out, but a sharp pain makes him whimper. Friend did the water thing yesterday, but it already hurts again. How unfair. It takes a few tries before he manages to climb up on his feet. He looks over at his bowl. It's full of food. Meat. Shredded cheese. It smells faintly of that red fruit that burns the tongue. But it tastes good when it's only a tiny bit. So ChiChi takes a tiny nibble. One piece. Two pieces. But no more. He's just not hungry.

A sound outside grabs his attention. He walks towards it, but the air is foggy. He bumps his nose on wood from time to time. That's no fun. The knocking must have caught friends attention, because his scent is suddenly present. A warm, gentle touch on ChiChi's back. He looks up, pressing his muzzle into friends body. "Heya buddy. How're you holding up?"

ChiChi lets out a half bark. HIs tongue laps out over friend, slow, steady licks of appreciation. His tail wagging behind him. He wriggles out of the grip to start kneading his head against friend's thigh, before taking a few steps towards the door. The sun is warm. He wants to go out and play.

Friend laughs even though the game hasn't begun. But the sound makes ChiChi happy. "Okay, okay. Let us get you out." The door opens and ChiChi walks forward a few steps. But then the ground gets unsteady and he flops down. That hurt. Friend immediately rushes over, steady hands helping ChiChi back up. Friend is the best. ChiChi continues to walk out, to lose himself in the warm sun that shines down between the leafwork. The smells of the earth, of plants, and of fresh water fill ChiChi's nose.

He laughs. And he plays. He sniffs out scents. Gnaws on a hardnut. Gets scritches from friend. Also the water thingy, where it swirls around his form without making him wet. It feels good. His joints feels less stiff. But sometimes the ground still shifts. It's annoying when he falls like this. Hurts a little too. But it's okay. Friend is always there to help ChiChi back up on his feet. The playtime eventually leads them to the cliffs. From the cliffs, ChiChi used to watch the whole island. There were so many others on the island. Probably still are. But he can't see them anymore. Sometimes he smells people who come visit friend though. They smell weird. Sometimes oddly familiar. ChiChi doesn't like these visits. Too often friend is sad afterwards. Why can't they be more like ChiChi? ChiChi will never make friend sad.

"Enjoying the view old friend?" Friend settles down on the ground next to ChiChi. His hand rests heavily upon ChiChi's neck, stroking between his ears. It's warm, warm like the sun. The sun is sinking down on the horizon now. A perfect place for a nap. Friend pulls ChiChi's head into his lap and rubs his neck tenderly. This feels nice. He could fall asleep here. Just...

"Hi!"

ChiChi opens an eye slightly. There is someone there. Another dog. Oh, but her coat is a single colour. She looks like autumn grass, but she smells like air and clouds. "Hrm?"

"Who are you?"

"ChiChi." He struts his chest out a little with pride.

"I'm Amy." She noses against him. "Do you wanna play?"

"Sure. Oh, but..." He looks up. Friend is there. A far off look in his eyes, still hugging him. "I am tired. And friend is comfortable. He would be sad if I left to play."

"Friend?" Amy looks up. "Friend is Amy's friend too. We play a lot together."

"Friend is fun yes. What do you play? We should all play together after nap."

"That sounds fun." Amy wags her tail, nosing gently into ChiChi. "Promise you'll come after your nap? All the friends of friend is waiting for you."

"I promise." Friend clutches tightly on ChiChi, holding him close. His grip quivers. Why does his grip quiver? "I'll just... I'll just sleep a little first."

The sun is warm.

[Xinnies]

--The Birth of a Champion and the Awakening of a God-King--


Small pockets of resistance. Fighting both the pirates and the Tyrant's incursion forces. One in particular is lead by a tall man in full plate. Long, black hair tied up in a bun, piercing grey eyes and a voice that carried across the battlefield. Polaris was a man of action, decisive nature and a gifted commander. Currently, the former knight was leading his forces, a fiercely loyal band of mercenaries, against a horde of the Tyrant's warmongering subjects. The mercenaries were faring well, but slowly being pushed back by the tide.
Suddenly, Polaris pulled a daring maneuver, taking an elite force and piercing through a section of the forces arrayed against them, to allow the knight-general's men to flee.
It was flawlessly executed. However, an unfortunate event unfolded. The enemy rallied behind a particularly bloodthirsty individual, one that Polaris blocked to allow his small army to escape. He slew the creature, but was gravely wounded in the process. He cried out, shouting a name he shouldn't have known, that he knew before he became this man, to the heavens. A former King, whom was slumbering deep in forgotten ruins. A King who would be a God. Xinnies, the beast-king of the Islands. Long forgotten in ages past, not even the ruins were remembered. Polaris was a reincarnation of the King's beloved general, and the cry from the knight formed a resonance.


Something stirred deep below the shallow sea at the center of the islands. Hidden ruins beneath the waves pulsing. Something awoke, and ascended, suddenly aware of the situation of the Islands and many more things beyond mortal ken. The dying knight's body burst with light, rising up off the cold, hard ground upon which his lifeblood had pooled. The Tyrant's forces were blown backwards, and a deep, resounding voice cried out from Above.

"My Friend, my Herald, my Champion. Arise and take this Token of my favor. Use it to protect the Islands and unite them under me. Their suffering must end, they will know my Authority and Mercy. The invaders will have neither my protection nor my pity. Expel them from my lands."

The man's body vibrated, form blurring. The new Celestial, new Demigod opened his eyes, his appearance now matching his strong heart, a towering ten-foot blue dragon-man with an impressive mane. "I name thee Polaris." the voice declared, a large, ornate kite shield emblazoned with the Risen King's symbol, an out-stretched bestial hand presenting a crown palm-up.

Polaris the Champion slammed the point of the divine kite shield into the ground, scattering the Tyrant's forces, and giving the islanders a symbol to rally behind. The mercenaries cheered, and routed the Tyrant's small contingent of forces.

There was more to be done. Pirates to be subjugated, an invading army to be repelled, and a kingdom to rebuild. Xinnies has awoken to spread his Mercy and Authority throughout the Islands and beyond. Down with the Tyrant, Long live the King.

Spoiler: Demigod- Polaris the Champion

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Domain: Honor +2
Weakness: Subterfuge -2

Spoiler: Action

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14(0, Free Action)AP/10 DC: Create a greater magical item
Xinnies creates Mercy's Aegis as a gift to his devoted general Polaris, and as a symbol of royal authority, proving his divine right to the five islands.
+2 Authority: The Aegis is a symbol of the crown that rules the islands. It's symbol is recognized by the natives of the five islands, it inspires in them servitude to their rightful king
+2 Honor: The wielder becomes a bastion of honor. Their voice carries commands with a pure voice. Allies understand and obey them, and the frightened are rallied of their fear. Even enemies may find themselves compelled to obey the commands of the wielder.
+2 Mercy: To be merciful is to put yourself at risk. When the wielder of the shield engages in an act of mercy, the shield will shift, actively seeking to protect the wielder from treachery.
+1 Behemoth: The wielder is given the strength and size of a behemoth, growing to at least ten feet of height.
+1 Art: The shield is a brilliant piece of artistry
+1 Nobility: The shield judges the nobility of the wielder's soul. A worthy wielder has access to all the blessings, an unworthy wielder gains no benefit from the shield, and a despised wielder is consumed.

Spoiler: Help/Hinder the Tyrant

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Grant the Deaths-O-Bots a more refined set of morals, making them reluctant to attack the helpless and those who have surrendered (+2 Mercy)

[The JoJo]

The Crow Republic and Kanweland

Five centuries past in a blur for the peoples of southern Tria. The remaining tribes of Sunset Forest were drawn into the Crow Republic, leading to a single confederated nation across the forest. Overwhelmingly Neanderthal, the Crow Republic has remained isolationist and, as in the third age, foreigners are required to request permission before entering any part of the forest except for a trading outpost to the north and a port on the eastern coast. Owl pilgrims are begrudgingly allowed in visit the sacred places known to their prophet Juniper, who lived among the Neanderthals as a child.

Tallhead-occupied Kanweland, in contrast, has embraced Avestra's gift of the balloon plants and for the first time, its people reached beyond the confines of Tria. Through this, they brought knowledge back to their homeland, where it was blended with the wisdom of the Divine Owl to create a new ecological civilisation. This has not always been smooth -- conflicts between livestock-owning nobles and the more devout, ordinary populace are not unknown.

Spoiler: Map of southern Tria at the beginning of the Fourth Age

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At the dawn of the fourth age, Kanweland was divided into the following four realms:

• Kingdom of Bechauland: The wealthiest and most populous state of Kanweland, Bechauland historically benefited from close trade links to both the former Empire of the Holy Flame and the Crow Republic. This previously fortuitous position proved a double-edged sword, however, when the conquests of the Tyrant Empire brought the war to the edges of their border. For the past decade, Bechauland has been the frontline in the war against the Tyrant and has seen great loss of life along its northern and eastern borders.

• Kingdom of Malucca: A coastal realm, Maluccan ships have traded for centuries along the western coast of Tria and the island of Torin, some ships reaching as far as Val-tae and Qing. There has been some skirmishes in the north between Malucca and the Tyrant Empire, but total warfare as in the east has yet to have broken out.

• Duchy of Ode: To the south of Bechauland, the Duchy of Ode has fiercely protected their independence for generations. Ode holds many important relics of the Way of the Divine Owl, the faith followed by most in Kanweland. In recent years, they along with Bechauland and the Crow Republic have been key in the fight against the Tyrant Empire.

• Luo Protectorate: Nominally a personal fief of the King of Malucca, in practice the Luo Protectorate has been de facto independent under three generations of Lord Protectors. A cold, barren land with poor soil, Luo is least developed state of Kanweland and has yet to have much involvement with the war.

The island of Torin, to the east of Malucca, is not formally part of Kanweland but nevertheless has been strongly influenced by its culture for the past millennium. There is no single nation state on Torin; rather, it is split between a number of tribes loosely aligned with each other. Its human population are known for their striking combination of dark skin and blonde, curly hair.

[Godzillarich]

Ka'al Russ (90 AP)

(1d20+9)[16]

Melwas (90 AP)

(1d20+6)[24]

Kalani (90 AP)

(1d20+6)[19]

[b]Xeema (90 AP)[b]

(1d20+7)[17]

Xinnies (90 AP)

(1d20+9)[27]

[Godzillarich]

Ka'al Russ 100( AP) success Ka’al Russ now has full control over his people

Melwas 100( AP) success Dregs are ready to blob into action

Kalani 100( AP) success When all hope seems lost, hope started to rise in Kalth

Xeema 100( AP) success The Sicurin are ready to be really annoying to Tyrant

Xinnies 100( AP) success Polaris is given the glory of Mercy's Aegis to lead his people

Ymon-Thal 100( AP):

Petr 120( AP): for spreading the most influence you get 20 extra AP this age

Su'ule 100( AP):

Avestra 100( AP):

Grawissen 100( AP):

Timorin 100( AP):

Dulnori 100( AP) :

Tyrant blood is now 285- Xinnies battle to recalm his kingdom and with Kalth hoping returning has hurt Tyrants power.

Age ends when Someone runs out of Ap, it’s past round 7 and Tyrant’s dead or everyone runs out of Ap

[Godzillarich]

Ostrom-Grawissen (Ap 100)

MegaHorn walked back and forth in his office. In the room with him was the prop up skeleton of Graw body. Megahorn looked at the skeleton. “Come on lazy bones, wake up, for the love of god wak…” just then the bones started to rattle and shake. “...yes.” Megahorn said in relief…
____

Muji

Two giants on the edge of the floating continent. Seeing how far they can throw them “Ha you if you can beat that.” One of the Giants said with a smug smile.

“Oh yeah?” another giant said as he grabbed the rock and threw it as hard as he could

(KLAG)

The two giants looked at each other “Do clouds usually make metal noises?”

Then from the beneath the clouds an army of Death-o-Robots emerged from the sky below walking up the chains of the continent. “OH **** AHHHHHHHHHH!” they both screamed out as the robots swarmed them, hacking them the bits.

Spoiler: action

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20 AP/16 DC: influence a continent of mortals (~100M), influence a continent-sized area, begin the invasion of Muij, and the Golden Wastes.
+285

There was a method to Tyrants madness, Death-o-Robots were made for an invasion of Axia. The plan was to take the Golden Wastes as a strategic point. The land was so barren for organic life that it was basically impossible to rule but to the Death-o-Robots it’s easy taking. A launch point for the rest of the invasion to come. Any human who surrenders will be spared but no mercy will be given to the gods creations. The continent will feel the spell of blood

____

Ostrom

Graw set there thinking over the information he was told, ”“It seems... I have missed… a lot…” Graw ponded to himself. “...I assume Déjà Vu... has had... his plate filled”

Megahorn nodded “He’s been traveling the world fighting tyrants forces.”

Just then a Terror guard barged through the door. “The giants of Axia are being attacked.” Terror then noticed the legendary God sitting in front of them. “...um…”

Graw look that the young guard. ”... It is fine… Young one… There seems like much... I must do…”

Graw got up from the table.“Wait…” Megahorn set as he showed Graw a scroll with his wooden arms. “An ancient document. A request from you when you wake up. To head to the Council in the northern monastery when you wake up.” He gave Graw scroll.

“... I will start... my fight there…” He said as he put the scroll in his rib cage. ”“...the people of the endless forests... need help anyway.” and with that he disappeared.

Spoiler: hinder

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+2 knowledge: information about the invasion will travel fast helping to save many lives by having them evacuate.
+2 mining: to those trying to escape the tunnels beneath the earth will be the friends helping them to escape to other lands
+2 architecture: evil structures built by tyrant will have difficulty standing upon the golden wastes, very prone to falling apart
+1 sing: the invading force will be quite easily distracted by music. In fact, they will become infatuated with their musical culture, helping to build sympathy for them.
+1 humility: The invading robots will experience first-hand war and many will be disgusted by its, and question why tyrant has the right to call this invasion.

Spoiler: Morgana leaders

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Ostrom Leader: Mega Horn

Spoiler

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“I will save this world even if I have to burn it first.”

Much can be said about Megahorn, his followers seeing him as a noble incorruptible leader who refuses to stand by as others suffer and will whip those corrupt back in line. Others call him Nero 2, a bully forcing other cities to fall in line with his vision. What is mostly agreed about him is that he is a determined and prideful Tongue and one of the greatest Su sorcerers to ever live. He was voted into power when Tyrant threatened their land and he has made great pains to not only fight back in the home territory but help others fight against the mad Tyrant. He has also been trying to tighten his grip on power especially with the other cities which has earned him much hate and mistrust especially with Nero rule still being a well-known story. Nevertheless Mega Horn is determined to not only stop Tyrant but make Morganada a better place... even if he has to force people into his vision of what a perfect place is

Uyellic Leader: Capt. Mast Charter

Spoiler

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“Back in my day, it was sailing adventures, not political bureaucracy.”

A raptor of the high seas and a businessman on land. Mast is a fun-loving adventure type who will talk to you for hours and hours about a fish he caught once and has an extreme hero complex. For most of his life, he sailed the high seas fighting pirates, monsters and anyone else would find his ship, legend has it that he even fought off Leviathan with only a sword. However, with his increasing age he decided to retire from the venture business and actually manage very many ships. Life was profitable for him, so much so that he eventually became the most powerful man in Uyellic, and eventually elected to the highest position of power a native could be. His support was so great he started butting heads with the viceroy of the city. Despite all of his earnings, however, he feels helpless against Tyrant's wrath, that if he could battle in his prime instead of sitting in a political chair he could be saving so many more lives.
___

Viceroy Steelwood

Spoiler

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“Remember everyone, For the royalty.”

A powerful Dramo shaman working for the monarch. He's best described as a busybody loyalist who is often criticized for putting the people of Axia over, Especially with the war effort. Over time Mast has been able to wrestle power from him which Steelwood is not happy about. There has been a slight power struggle between the two. One thing they both agree on is they both dislike Megahorn more as such to make sure Uyellic thrives they been trying to work together the best they can to make sure Megahorn doesn’t take greater control of the city

Basalik Islands Leader: Snaggletooth

Spoiler

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“We may have lost Hope but we have not lost our resolve....also our murdering skills.”

Snaggletooth is one of those people you could say is a bit headstrong. By that, we mean homicidal, even for a group called the Mad Cult, but what he lacks in ethics he more than makes up for it in his efficiency in combat and war strategy so the people in Morganada and the Cult are willing to somewhat tolerate his existence as long as he’s on a short lease. He also a brilliant military teacher, helping those fighting Tyrant in other parts the world the best way he can. Interestingly despite his personality and his people’s history with the Prehist his closest ally is actually Megahorn mainly because he’s the one who often doesn’t say no to his unethical plans although Megahorn does have his limits as well. The Cult themselves often look at him as jerk for his vicious ferocity.

Juniper planes Leader: Rosebush

Spoiler

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“Always keep an eye on the flowers, they may have some good political advice.”

Often described as the most... out there leaders of Morganada. Chieftain Rosebush usually let’s her visions decide the political moves leading to rather strange decisions. Blind and old that still has it and her methods have been successful for the Owl people. During this time she is fighting on multiple sides. One being one of the main contributors against Tyrants forces in Tria the other to make sure the greedy and nature hating allies do not steal her people’s land for their own purposes. Megahorn has been attempting for her to industrialize more for the war effort but she has pushed back. Attempting to stop the people of the cactus trenches from ruining the environment with underground digging and Chadarchy straight-up stealing the resources whenever they can.

The Cactus Trench Leader: Digment

Spoiler

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“Digging is like an art, it’s hard to make but it can be beautiful if done correctly.”

A Choblin who started as nothing special besides really liking to dig his tunnels over the years he became so famous for the beautiful craftsmanship that he eventually was elected to the highest power. Digment didn’t even know why he was chosen on that alone, hell he didn’t even run but he took the job nonetheless. Digment can best be described as a simple worker. He’s polite and always tries to make sure his fellow workers are feeling well. He also likes to ramble on about random details of his job and really likes bad puns, I mean REALLY LIKES THEM. of all the leaders he’s the one who tries to bring all of them together and the stop fighting over pointless stuff. He also has extreme hatred when it comes to Tyrant. As a Choblin it’s easy to see why.

Chadarchy Leader: Robert Rand Rothbard

“The main purpose of life is money, all else is secondary.”

A Celestials that once lived in sanctuary, Robert loved his business opportunities his old home offered. Unfortunately for him he was kicked out because of his less ethical ideas for making a quick buck. Eventually finding his way to Chadarchy he climbed his way to the top with clever business decisions and little bit of murder. He then went about being far more ambitious than those who ruled before trying to consolidate power for the entirety of Morganada. As you can kind of tell Robert is the most morally bankrupt of all the leaders with even Megahorn wanting nothing to do with him

[DarthArminius]

Su'ule, The Awakening

The Goddess had discovered that there was some strange "Tyrant" invading the lands of Axia! This simply would not do. The giants were under direct assault and it would only be a matter of time before they came up North. Schirach, and by extension, Su'ule felt that this was crossing a line. Su'ule had loved her people since time immemorial. Likewise, Schirach had great appreciation for the land that she had matured in.

Hinder Tyrant:
- 2 Sorcery : Su Sorcery would work much better against the Tyrant's invading forces, even pyromancy, which usually harmed the caster, didn't singe the hairs on the caster's head, but Su'ule let them knew that as the invasion would end, the curse of pyromancy would return.
- 2 Monsters : By now, monsters were all over the world. The monsters would congregate to the North, sparing the regional inhabitants and driving out the invaders, both good creatures and the cursed would be rewarded well.
- 1 Birth : The Death Robots who would show sympathy and compassion for the locals would have the ability to craft single generation off spring.
- 1 Metamorphosis : Innocent creatures of Su'ule had the power to cry out for Su'ule to have mercy, and she would respond by temporarily transforming the innocent into something that could escape.
- 1 Strength: As long as the enemies were in the lands of the North, they would find their bodies somewhat more fragile than ordinary, the only two ways to reverse this curse would be either leaving the country or joining the defenders.

[Xenopax]

The Tyrant Wars - The Resistance

This chapter goes over the Resistance put up by the People of Axia against the Foreign Invasion by the Tyrant. Certain words don't have an exact translation from the language (An older form of lower Axian) they were originally written in, and as such, the nearest possible words have been used instead.

---

Upon the year 1650 D.G.¹, The Tyrants forces landed upon Axia. The native peoples there were no match for the "Death-O-Bots"² and most, excluding the humans, were purged with impunity. Whole villages and towns in the way of their March disappeared under their feet. However, soon, Villages and towns were disappearing before the Automatrons arrived. After the war, the reason for this was made finally clear when a certain manuscript was recovered from one of said villages.

"Dear Floe,

The chief said The Endless Ocean³ visited him in his dreams today. He told him to use the Tunnels given to us by the Bone Lizard⁴, not to escape but to give the Tyrants metal-men and his own people a headache for generations to come, until we could take back our land. Some were against him, but after seeing him turn Davis into an Abomination⁵, we listened. We're taking to the Tunnels tonight, don't follow us my love. Head to your mother's house instead. I love you,

Eternally yours,
Rell"

From this document, the following conclusions can be made. First, Ka'al Russ was responsible for starting atleast part of the Resistance, for unknown reasons. Second, he was the source of some of the more estoric powers shown by the Resistance.⁶

---

¹During Gods
²This is the direct translation of the name used, but the meaning was more Robots that cause Death.
³Another name for Ka'al Russ, derived off the current title of the Eternal Shifter.
⁴An Archaic name for Grawissen, invoking his appearance.
⁵This was proven only partially true.

Spoiler

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Basically, I wanted to tie together my hinder into one thing that made sense. If this isn't fine, just say so and I'll delete.

-1 insanity, since he infects the leaders with a form of battlemadness, that consumes then with the sheer want to take down the tyrant. Some of these leaders organise in cells to operate against the Tyrants rule.
-2 Flesh, Members are given similar abilities to those people who are in the promised land.
-1 Change, Any land that is taken over by the Death-Bots is Eternally shifting and hard to keep control over.
-1 Mutation, Any humans that surrender to the Death-Bots have a 1 in 10 chance of turning into fleshy monstrosities. Along with that, Crops in the Tyrants land mutate defences against being eaten, like horrid neurotoxins.-
-2 Science, Improvements to the Death-o-bots and attempts to find out a scientific way to get rid of the poisons in the food are much harder to do.

[Godzillarich]

The Northern Monastery, Counsel-Grawissen (Ap 100)

Graw arrived at the Council’s headquarters in a flash of green light, the area around it was viciously snowing. The bone God turned behind him towards the vast land behind him. “... I must… Make this quick…” He then turned around and walked towards the building.

A guard looked at the bone figure in absolute amazement. “...it’s...it’s...:” at this point everyone in the building new who was at their doorstep

Graw looked down at the mortal. ”“Excuse me sir…” Graw pulled the note from out of his stomach. “... Do you know… Who… Wrote this.”

Just then the door behind the guard slammed open. “It was me…” The figure said as he looked up at Graw. The figure appeared to be a terror in a white robe and carrying a walking cane by his side.

“Why did you summon me?” asked politely as he walked past the guard.

“Come on it should be obvious friends…” The terror then removed his hood... “... Your old partner in Julian kicking butt.” revealing a very old Cheek.
____
Uyellic

“What do you mean you’re not moving forces to Axia!” Steelwood yelled at the top of his lungs upon the dock. “Tyrant is invading, the royalty is in trouble!”

Mist Simply shook his head at his simple-minded colleague. “You are asking me to move most of Morganada Navy to Axia, remember that much of the islands around you have already been taken by tyrant’s forces. You’re asking me to make this place a sitting duck.”

“But for the royalty!” Steelwood explained in a panic.

“I am loyal to my people but that also includes the people of Morganada. I will not abandon my allies.” Mast explained explained in annoyance

Just then the Gaurd from earlier came running. “I have great news Sir!”

“Thank God I need some good news.” Mast turned towards the excited Gaurd “What is it?”

“The rebellious force of Polaris is finally having success, their starting to pushing them out.”

Mist smiled. “Good, I was worried the swordsman was walking into his own grave.” he then turned towards Steelwood. “If we manage to clear them out of the islands above then I would be willing to have my Navy go to Axia.”

“Wait, sir there’s even better news than that.” the guard yelled.

Mast looked at him with curiosity. “And that is?”

“Grawissen, he has returned.”

[Maryring]

The Pearlescent Moon Festival on Sanctuary

"Nervous?" Dewey smiles warmly as his strong hands gently knead upon the shoulders of a young raptor. The Celestial's blue form shimmers softly, and he extends a hand, creating a thin, cool mist to envelop the dino. "It's not too late to say no. I'm not gonna force you into anything."

"SSh... shut up." The raptor hisses. His feet digs into the soft sand that surrounds the Moon Pool. "I didn't... didn't come all this way to just turn back. I just..." He breathes deeply, the soothing mists calming him down. "There's so many people here. I didn't think there'd be so many."

"Yeah. It's the Pearlescent Moon. Every year, when the moon is full and shines right above the Moon Pool, all of Sanctuary gathers here. They say that, when Lord Peter manifests after his slumber, he always first manifests during this festival."

"So what. Everyone here is hoping for a glimpse of the gods? A glimpse of something that hasn't existed in this world in... in forever?" The raptor kicks his feet hard into the sand. "What good are the gods? They're not here to help us against the Tyrant!"

Dewey softly tightens his grasp on the dino, pulling his head against his chest for a warm, loving hug. "It's okay. You're safe here. Lord Peter's barrier holds strong. There's no way that he can get an army through the barrier. Sanctuary will always remain..." His voice trails off. The sound of festivities dim. The attention of everyone is drawn to the pool, where the waters are churning violently. Small pinpricks of light begin to shine within the torrent, being drawn up into a water spout that shoots up in the middle of the lake. For a moment the spout manifests as a vaguely humanoid shape of water surrounding a truly massive amount of pearls. Then the water shoots up into the sky.



First Justice University

"Status report." Nerassus stares intently at the assembled group of Celestials.

"We've beaten them back for now, but this was a hard fought victory." Mika stretches her fiery wings out behind her, giving them a bit of a shake as she tosses tiny flickering embers throughout the room. "I managed to burn down three of their siege weapons before one of them got in a good shot. By the time I reformed, they had brought the rest back to safety into the Myr infested fields.

"Well. 'Safety' at any rate." Robin tsks, shaking his head. "The 'Myrs took down a few of the retreating force. Mostly tongues who'd been enslaved as beasts of burden."

"A shame. For better or worse, those fields are starting to become impenetrable. Counter raids are becoming more and more difficult."

"We could just do a pure air raid for once." Mika leans forward, her red eyes staring intently at Nerassus. "Fly over the place and rain blasts from above. Send em scampering."

"Mika. No." Nerassus rubs his forehead with a sigh. "If we can't seize the mountain pass, then it's no use. It's just a waste of manpower."

"Well as long as we waste more of theirs then."

"Shh!" Nerassus lifts a finger towards Mika.

"Who. Prickly today aren't."

"Mika. As your commanding officer. Be quiet!" Nerassus look away at something in the distance, while the others of the council look about, frowning as an awkward silence falls over the room. "... momma..."

"Pardon?" Robin tilts his head in Nerassus's direction.

Nerassus snaps back to the room, looking at the assembled crew with fire in his eyes. "Everyone. Get your crews ready to move out on my command."

"What? But sir. We just fought. Everyone is tired. This is."

"A direct command. Move it." Nerassus does not wait to take further questions. He rushes out of the meeting, eyes staring at the horizon. A sky that was clear only minutes ago is now rapidly darkening with omnious clouds.



The tyrant outpost on the border between Al-Sinai and First Justice.

"By the Blood, I hate those little sprites." The captain growls as he punches a nearby wall. "I swear, we should just round up a few dissidents and use them to flood the whole valley with bloodfire. Show those creeps who is the boss."

"Excessive and yet, not enough." The quartermaster clicks his tongue as he lifts a porcelain cup to his lips, taking a long draught of tea. "We've tried it before. Those creatures just respawn in a week or so, and it's too far away from the city walls to do any real damage."

"How can you be so calm? We've been banging our heads against this wall for the past... five years!"

"Twenty five." The quartermaster takes another sip of tea. "You're not the first commander to be stationed here, and you probably won't be the last. The place has a demigod defending it. It won't fall easily."

"That's even worse." The captain sinks against the wall. "Ghr. I've no plans of dying out here."

"Then don't put yourself in harm's way. It's not like they have the strength to challenge us outside their walls."

"Ah yes, because when I get back home, I can tell my parents and girlfriend how I bravely hid like a coward in the border garrison." He tsks. "I'm gonna take stock of things. We're gonna need a lot more slaves."

"Sure. Whatever." The quartermaster doesn't even look up as the captain leaves.

Outside the skies have grown darker. "Oh great. Rain too?" His feet kick at the muddy grounds. All around him are soldiers and slaves tending to their battle wounds. The stench of rot from the corpse pit is especially foul today. The manpower of the Tyrant may be functionally endless, but the waste still lingers. At least they make good ammo for the siege weapons.

Water begins to drip from the sky. If nothing else, the rain should wash away the stench. Some of the soldiers are rolling out empty barrels to try and capture water. Smart. He'll have to take note of those clever souls. Maybe.

*Plonk*

Something hard strikes his head. It's small enough that it doesn't hurt, but it's still very noticeable. The neanderthal extends a hand, frowning thoughtfully as something hard strikes his palm. A tiny round, greyish thing. Hail? This far south?

More and more of the peculiar hail begin to fall down. A vague sense of dread begins to thrum in the captain's heart. The air feels thick with a peculiar, oppressive atmosphere. Like a fist pressing against his heart. His mind. His core.

There is a flash of white light.

And another.

And another.

The hail in his palm shines and cracks, and a small, silvery-blue creature appears in his palm. And it immediately launches towards the captain, punching him in the jaw. A waterspout follows from seemingly nowhere, striking him with enough force to send him sprawling to the ground. More and more lights sparkle. More and more of the peculiar creatures appear. Like the sprites that plague the plains to the south. But in colours vastly different from the dark blues and purples.

"A... attack! We're under attack!"

Spoiler: Action: Cleanse the Tria coast

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18 AP/14 DC: Influence Country Sized Area (Eastern and northern coasts of Tria):
Petr creates a massive bloom of Mon'Dai sprites all across the coastal areas of Tria, stretching from the Boa Jungle pygmies to the north, all the way to Al-Sinai to the south. New Mon'Dai are born, resistance fighters are granted supporting Mon'Dai, and the 'Myr variants are purged of all the pain and misery they've soaked up throughout the Tyrant's occupation. The Mon'Dai immediately begin attacking followers of the Tyrants as best they can. Primarily through disrupting supplies, sabotaging weapons and liberating slaves. But whenever an army is poised to attack and secure an actual location, the Mon'Dai jump in to assist the assault.

+2 Moon: The power of the Moon is what creates the Mon'Dai and allows the bloom to happen.

+2 Water: The Mon'Dai'Vei created during the bloom create walls of water and ice to protect liberated areas, and conjure up paths of ice to allow slaves to escape from Tria to outlying coral spires.

+2 Healing: Petr's healing power purges the 'Myr born from the constant warfare across the region. This first wave of rain also heals the wounds of all who resist the Tyrant, giving them a massive surge of vitality.

+1 Rainbow/+1 Purity: Petr marks informants for the tyrant caught in the rain, allowing everyone to see who would betray their friends to the Tyrant.

+2 Justice/+1 Medics: In between ages Nerassus has organized defenses and cooperative agreements, placing the troops allotted him through his agreement with Timorin's Hope on various spires as well as First Justice himself. He now calls upon those troops, the Hunter's Guild, and First Justice's own entourage of Celestials and Sorcerers to take the opportunity and attack the now vulnerable coast areas directly.

-2 Pain: This is an act of war and aggression. People will be hurt. This is difficult for Petr.

The Captain swings his sword, cutting through the sprites that appear about him. A single swipe is generally enough to defeat them, and yet it seems for every sprite he cuts down, another two appear to take his place. His troops are having less luck. A couple cadets have been pinned to a wall with ice. Rainbow coloured monkeys pelt the slave managers with rocks. Pink imps steal weapons right out of the hands of soldiers, passing them on to golden spirits that use them to strike back against the soldiers. "Gh. Everyone! Regroup at the flag post. I want slaves ready to fuel bloodseeker missiles this instant."

"No." The captain winces as the deep, rumbling voice echoes painfully in his mind. Gazing up he sees Nerassus. The demigod he has spent the past five years fighting, and yet this is the first time he has actually seen him. A massive titan covered in blue fur. Broad, muscular body clad in no armour. He has no need, for the arrows of desperate soldiers bounce of his skin.

He is surrounded by five Celestials.
A witch flying on wings of fire, surrounded by a corona of flames. Beams and spheres of fire fly wildly from her hands.
A human-like soldier clad in armour of polished silver, with sword and shield poised and ready. Energy beams of silver and gold strike at the ground beneath him.
A woman clad in a green dress with a pale, blank white mask upon her face. Other masks swirl about her form, moving to intercept any Blood Energy aimed at them.
A small person completely covered in a thick, black robe. The hood draws a peculiar shadow over his face, leaving it completely obscured.
A tall human-like person, though with the sleek head of a ferret. Golden fur crowns her face, and she directs small dolls that float about her with but a flick of her finger.

With a snap of his fingers Nerassus sends a bolt of electricity from the sky. The lightning chains through the slave managers, frying them. The fire witch and hooded creature send destructive bolts of energy that reduce the walls of the outpost to rubble. With a flick of her hands the ferret woman turns the rubble into golems, directing them towards assaulting the still off balance troops. The armoured man flies down to the slaves. There he slams his shield into the ground, conjuring up a shimmering wall of energy to cover their retreat.

The captain curses softly to himself as he struggles up to his feet. "Too much. This is too much! Sound the retreat!" He turns to flee, only to find the quartermaster standing behind him with his head bowed low. "What? Move out. Didn't you hear me?"

The quartermaster's head tilts up, revealing a face covered by a pristinely white porcelain mask. The captain barely manages to cry out in fear before the quartermaster presses another mask over the captain's face.

---

The Aftermath:

"Mother!" Petr has barely manifested themselves before they are grabbed by Nerassus. The giant demigod squeezes the watery shape hard against his form, almost crushing the avatar in his excitement. "You've returned!"

"Indeed. I'm sorry to be gone for so long. It seems there's always work for us to do, isn't there?"

"Sir." Robin, the armoured soldier, steps over to Nerassus and performs a quick bow. "We've secured the slaves. The First and Third regiments of the Aquamantic Corps are tending to their wounds. I've sent the Fifth and Seventh to support Maria and her troops as they siege Al-Estria itself."

"Good. Where's Mika?"

"She took Anu. They left their troops under my command in order to do a foray to destroy all the remaining outposts to cut off the city from the outside."

"Good. Good. Oh Mother, meet Robin Cortez, one of my five generals."

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am." Robin gives Petr another quick bow.

"The pleasure is all mine, but we should save socializing for later. I can only maintain this empowerment for so long. It'll be a while until we can make another attack like this, so make it count."

"Of course. Permission to join the attack?"

"Granted." Nerassus and Robin give each other a quick salute before the Celestial flies off to rally the troops. "Your creation of the Celestials have been... quite a boon for us. I don't think I could have protected First Justice alone without the help of the strength of Robin and the others."

"Mmm. You should get going though. You're still a symbol for people to rally around. Before you go though. I was expecting you to use the Blood Dagger to help empower the assault. Why didn't you?"

Nerassus bites his lips, gazing away sadly. "It... it's gone. Look, I'll explain later. But someone stole it."

"Oh dear..."

---

"Boss? Boss, the dagger is shaking in it's case."

"Hrm? Interesting. Seems the gods are finally making a move."

"Boss. We just got word that there's chaos on the coasts of Tria. Spirits have appeared all over the place and are attacking the Tyrant forces."

"Really? Well well. Looks like we have an opportunity for a test drive then. Move out boys and girls!"

Spoiler: Blood Help:

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+2 Blood: A peculiar wave of power washes over the inhabitants of Foementer Way. Cut off from Blood Energy, the city is left entirely defenseless against a sudden attack by unknown forces.

[Red Lenses]

Frostreach - Feylthal

Comparatively Recently

The tallheads that first arrived in Feylthal were wandering nomads: fickle, fearful creatures living lives that were equal parts nasty, brutish, and short. Melwas took no notice of them until some of them attempted to breach the Valley of the Black Pools, only to be frightened off by the Dregs.

Melwas, insofar as he was capable, pitied them immensely.

These were the slaves of misery and chance, desperate for respite. And so he would offer it, though it would hardly be pretty. Dregs slunk from the Valley, tracking down and harassing figures of spiritual importance to the various clans.

These visits were not a pleasant experience. Many shamans interpreted these interactions as terrible dreams and horrifying omens. Though this was not intentional, it did leave them a great deal more likely to listen... And obey.

Routine and ritual were required, and so the Dregs relayed the proper methods of preparing and interring the dead. The unceremonious sky burials would end. Burial mounds would be constructed, the corpses wrapped and arranged, and then interred with their worldly goods.

The increasing religious importance of these mounds led to the establishment of permanent settlements in Feylthal. Most were small farming villages, but some grew to a modest enough size to warrant the construction of walls and keeps. These rulers styled themselves as Jarls, and were generally the descendants of the clan leaders who had wandered into Feylthal generations ago.

More advanced settlements meant for more advanced burial practices. Large, subterranean stone tombs became the norm. These were bleak, but sacred places, and often decorated with carvings detailing personal deeds and local legends. Despite varying traditions, the humans of Feylthal shared similar motifs in their carvings: representations of Dregs, and of a one-eyed vulture they came to know as Melwas.

Owing to the increasing complexity of tombs and embalmment procedures, a priestly caste soon emerged not long after the Jarls. In emulation of the one-eyed vulture, these men and women dressed themselves in black-feathered robes and wooden, beaked half-masks. For both their countenance and their ritualistic reclamation of the dead from battlefields, these devotees became known as Carrion Priests.

Like the shamans that preceded them, the Carrion Priests took much of their cues from the Dregs who communed with them, who were in turn relaying the desires of Melwas. The Dregs shared the secrets of alchemy and anatomy, and the Carrion Priests soon became as much scholarly figures as religious ones.

For all this, the humans of Feylthal remained a factional, contentious bunch. Though they shared worship of Melwas and other traditions, ancestor worship and reverence of local folk heroes remained a significant part of their daily rituals. For every similarity, there seemed a dozen differences.

Petty wars were frequently fought for land and prestige, and the Carrion Priests never lacked for work.

Spoiler: Action!

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Melwas: 100/100 AP
12 AP/8 DC: Influence a city of mortals (~100k)

+2 Stasis: The humans of Feylthal are gathering in settlements and adopting strict funerary traditions, giving them a greater sense of permanence and stability in the hostile climes of Frostreach.
+1 Anatomy, +1 Alchemy, +1 Embalming: To solidify their funerary traditions, Melwas grants them the knowledge needed for the preparation and preservation of the dead.
+2 Sanctified Area: The Valley of the Black Pools, being the source of the Dregs and the presumed seat of Melwas, becomes a place of spiritual importance for the humans of Feylthal.

Melwas:: 88/100 AP

[Godzillarich]

The Northern Monastery, Counsel-Grawissen (Ap 100)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOOHlZ2v_cU

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That is so...Violin...” Graw laughed as he sat at a table with Cheek.

“Yeah and that was only the most insane thing she did that week.” Cheek commented before taking a chunk of water. Graw then stopped himself and turn towards one of the windows. Cheek looked up at his old buddy. “So I assume you want to go out kick the **** out of that ******* Tyrant?”

“...Yes…” Graw then got up from his seat. “...it has been fun… But I have a duty… To stop… This mad man…” he then started walk out.

“Wait!” Cheek yelled as he stumbled closer. “I want to fight with you!” Graw turned towards Cheek. “I’ve been wanting to claw that bastard’s eyes out, come on give me a chance just like old times sake.”

Graw smiled. “...I should have… Expected… As much…” as he said that Cheek’s body started to glow.

Spoiler: action

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“I Grawissen, ask you for your blessing. help me give strength to a mortal to battle against Tyrants wrath.”
18 AP/14 DC Make Cheek a demigod of Command +2. Cheek will be brought back to life as a demigod and fight alongside those of the Stricken Lands to help free them from tyrants wrath and lead the people of the endless forests to victory

+2 knowledge: Cheek will be a military genius as he commands his forces against in the war effort tyrants evil
+2 mining: the suit of armor and weaponry he has will be crafted from the most viable materials of the earth themselves a golden shining armor that can block a cannon shot or a mighty fireball without so much of a scratch and a blade that can cut through mountains
+2 architecture: In the endless forest they will be a mighty castle which will be the center of Cheeks war effort against Tyrant
+1 singing:he will have a mighty battle theme that will be played by his forces that will shake his enemies to their very core.
+1 writing: his military effort will have an underground messaging system allowing them to be one step ahead of the enemy
+1 humility: Cheek will understand that he has to listen to others concerns, taking their suggestions and not let his pride or anger the side his sstrategies

[Xinnies]

Xinnies awakes with a start. Not used to 'goodhood' the divine being had defaulted to sleep after the process of granting divine power to his former general. The blue, dragon-like celestial was currently rallying forces, and trying to unite the continent. The god of Authority and Mercy rubbed his eyes gently, careful of the large forward-facing horns that wound around his head.

"...A bad dream, one of events long past. I should pay the one responsible a visit sometime...but for now..." he said, eyeing an event far away, put into motion by another god and a demi-god whom had once been his mentor. "I should lend them some aid." he decided.

Spoiler: Bad Dream

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So many centuries ago

A small boat arrived at a port city. A small cloaked figure walked out of it with a strange object in his hand and onto the dock. Two guards ran towards the strange figure. “Hail” one of them yelled out. “What business do you have here, the king was not expecting any outsiders today?”

The figure looked at the two guards. Just then two spikes emerged from beneath the dock and impaled the two of them. “I do not need permission from the soon to be dead King.” he then continued walking slowly, everywhere he went the villains around him collapsed and more people were impaled from spikes coming to the floor. Chaos erupted throughout the kingdom, much of the Armed Forces attempted to stop the cloaked figure but none of them were a match for him and his strange device. Soon he made it to the castle. “Time to talk to the king about new management.” The cloaked figure thought to himself as he blew open the door.

By this point, Xinnies had heard of someone, or something attacking villages and making a b-line to the castle. The big fellow had never been one to hide, and instead ordered his general to arm himself and retrieve the kings arms as well.

Polaris nodded, and moved execute his king's will. As the figure entered the castle, Polaris returned, handing over a gigantic shield and a halberd. Xinnies had just finished strapping the shield to one arm as the figure slammed its way into the throne room.

The general struck first. Polaris had always had a way with ice magic, a sub-school of water. He could never use it to heal, but in return he had increased offensive capabilities. He drew upon his Sorcery now, and flung a wave of spikes from his large claymore at the invader, charging in behind the advancing magic, weapon held high.

The cloaked figure simply smacked the spikes away and then with lightning speed slammed his raptor arm through Polaris chest. “I hold in my hand the powers of God, you think someone who can make ice can stop me.” He told the doomed as started to drain the magic from Polaris' body with his vampiric powers. “You are just a simple mortal human…” He then threw Polaris' drained body to the floor like trash. “...but I am so much more...” The cloaked figure then turned towards the King. “I have to thank you for the good drink you gave me… Along with your kingdom. “

"...Better to stand and die, then run like a coward." he responded, the general's face neutral, even as his body wasted away.

"As my general stated, it is better to die fighting. I will give you nothing, you will have to take it." he responded, his deep voice resounding through the chamber. The huge man pulled back, and swung his long weapon, combining that with his incredible reach to strike from afar.

Much like Polaris, Xinnies was a sorcerer, though his specialty differed from his loyal friend's, a combination of Warrior and Enchantment schools. He had managed to imbue his body with certain enhancements, as well as the weapon and shield he wielded. What all this meant, basically, is that he could strike far harder then appearance gave. Not that the mortal assumed victory, much the opposite in fact. Xinnies knew he wouldn't win, but...that didn't mean he wouldn't try.

Pllkkkcchhhh!

And then a spike came from the ground and impaled Xinnies as his sword was inches from the cloaked figures face. “Quite anti-climactic but you are only my first obstacle. “ the cloaked figure lowering his hood revealing a young Julian. “You should not be too sad King boy…” He showed the dying king his artifact, Archimedes Grawissen pickaxe. “This place will be my glorious start of my underground Empire, away from the minds of the demigods and with this empire I will become a God.” He then turned away from the King. “But I will make your last moments at least somewhat interesting. “ The spike then blasted off from the castle. Enjoy your grave in the sea HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” the king could hear the laugh of the mad Julian as he was plunged into the depths of the sea

There was a grunt of pain, but that was all. A comically tiny crown fell from Xinnies' head and bounced along the floor, as his form was tossed clean out of the castle, and into the ocean. "...This will not be the end, I swear it..." the king mumbled, before slamming into the sea, everything going dark as his body broke upon impact.

The god manifested an avatar next to his general. Though Polaris himself was ten feet in height, Xinnies' avatar was a towering eighteen. Polaris had been addressing a crowd, and got quite a start when his god-king appeared next to him on the raised dais.

"Good day to you all." the large divine creature said, bowing softly. "I am Xinnies, the god of Authority and Mercy. I bestow upon my faithful servant, Polaris, the Right and Authority to unite the Isles under our rule and begin construction of a kingdom." he said, his voice booming over the crowd. "Now go, and spread word of his coming, and warn those whom dissent will face our Might, however they too shall know my Mercy as I will refuse to kill unless absolutely nessisary." he said, addressing the crowd with arms wide.

Polaris nodded and joined in, raising Mercy's Aegis high. "My king, my god, has bestowed this artifact upon me as a symbol of Authority and proof of his Divine Nature!" the dragon-like Celestial boomed, slamming a fist into the shield, causing it to ring loudly in a pleasing tone.

The crowd went nuts. Religious fervor, excitement, the thought of having the chaotic elements of the Tyrants and the pirate gangs forced out or forced to submit...it was like a dream.

Spoiler: Action

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Detectable Action: Influence Country 18 AP/14 DC

Addressing the crowd gathered before them, Xinnies and his demi-god general Polaris reveal the god-king's presence to the Islands and pledge to unite them under their rule.

+2 Honor- Polaris is staking his reputation on Xinnies being truthful and an actual deity just awoken.
+1 Behemoth- Xinnies is using his prodigious size (18') to create awe, and make himself purposely more visible in his Avatar form.
+2 Authority- Xinnies is declaring sovereign rule of the Five Islands and pledging to bring dissidents into line.
+2 Mercy- In addition, the god is going to attempt to Exile or Convert over killing said dissidents. After all, they're family to someone.

"...Now then, I sense my Mentor on another continent. My friend, I must go." Xinnies said, smiling to Polaris, placing a huge hand on the Celestial's shoulder.
"I understand, my king. May the glory of your reign never be dimmed again." the man said, falling to one knee before the behemoth god-king.

Xinnies laughed. "No need for such formalist. We're practically family. Rise, and let us go as friends, rather then master and servant." the big god chuckled. Polaris blushed faintly and rose to his feet, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know what else to say, but smiled.

Xinnies nodded, and looked towards something that only he, out of all the gathered could see. The godly avatar vanished, moving to the Borderlands where Nerassus and his forces are currently decimating various Tyrant outposts. One moment he wasn't there, and the next he was. Xinn didn't really believe in flashy entrances, but now he was next to the demi-god. The sudden arrival likely prompted a few reactions, considering the huge beast was a newly-minted god whom had apparently risen from the dead.

"Hello, Teacher. I have come to lend my aid." he declared, smiling and bowing slightly to the demi-god as he exerted his Influence to help with Nerassus' army's actions.

Spoiler: Help/Hinder

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Xinnies has gone to help his former mentor Nerassus, and by extension Petr, with their assault.
+2 Mercy- Influence the forces arrayed against Nerassus to throw down their arms and surrender
+1 Behemoth- Force the officers of the invading forces to suddenly grow in size, making them huge targets.

[DarthArminius]

Su'ule

Su'ule was laying her eggs repetitively throughout the Fire Maw crater. These would be her children when they hatched, they'd be "The Blackhorn Dragon Clan". Large, hard scaled, monsters who, thanks to the fact Alatadriel was no longer here, could breath fire, as proper dragons could. The Blackhorn Dragons could also naturally use magic such as Su Sorcery very well, and lived for a very long time. These would be creatures that, during the first generation would be born fully grown, later generations would start out as cute bubbly dragons and mature like the other races. True to their name, all the Blackhorn dragons would be born with black horns, some would have different colored skin or scales, such as red, white, black, green or blue, but their horns would always be black. Schirach, noting the atrocities of The Tyrant, decided it would be time to aid her mother, Su'ule with her blessings of the Blackhorn Dragons.

Spoiler

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-20 Create A Supernatural Race/ 16 DC
+ 2 Sorcery : The Blackhorn Dragons would be created with high aptitude for Sorcery.
+ 2 Monsters : The Blackhorn Dragons were wise in the Mandate of Su'ule, and were sought after by other monsters created by the Mandate of Su'ule. These Blackhorn dragons could easily live for literal Ages.
+ 1 Birth : The Blackhorn Dragon Clan are born in very large numbers. The Fire Maw Crater is mostly filled with very large eggs.
+ 1 Metamorphosis : Blackhorn Dragons had the ability to transform into Humanoid shapes and back to dragons at will.
+ 1 Strength :Blackhorn Dragons weren't just smart with magic, they were unbelievably strong even for their size.
+ 2 Force : Blackhorn Dragons had the ability to manipulate offensive forces with their magic, getting around common restrictions such as getting burned with fire for using pyromancy, for example, and could cause great harm even more easily than they should be able to, thanks to the blessing of Schirach.
- 2 Willfulness : Blackhorn Dragons are naturally strong willed, in addition to being vain, and cat like. They will likely see the Tyrant as competition, and thus, although many might revere Su'ule, the real reason they would attempt to annihilate the Tyrant's armies would be for selfish or convenient reasons rather than either obedience or altruism.

[Maryring]

"Maria. Reinforcements are coming from the north. Get ready to animate the bridge while they're crossing it. Anu, I need you to eliminate priority targets. We need to take out their blood casters so our mages can go on the offensive. Robin." Nerassus is stunned to momentary silence when Xinnies appears before him in the flesh... or at least the divine equivalent of flesh. "Xinnies?! What? But... how. Oh. Thank you." His eyes flicker back to the battlefield, his face lighting up at the prospect of what the blessing can do. "Robin. I want you to draw as much energy as you can into your sword, and unleash it as a massive slice across the battlefield, aimed above everyone but parallell to the ground. Release it only at my signal."

"Huh? Well, you got it." Robin rises up into the air. The warrior holds his silver sword, making it glimmer as the Celestial channels his spirit energy into the weapon. Nerassus gazes over the battlefield, and as Xinnies's curse begins to take effect, several humans, neanderthals and pygmies suddenly grow rapidly in size.

"Now!" In one swooping motion, Robin releases the energy. An arc of shimmering light that shoots across the battlefield, cutting down the generals before they even have a chance to understand what's happening to them. "Ahah! It worked!"


The big beast chuckled, watching the display. "...Size isn't everything, as they say." he teased gently, his long tail swaying softly back and forth. The unleashed energy took them all down easily enough, and without their leaders the invader's forces began to mill about in confusion and terror. Shortly after, they started surrendering in droves.

"As for how, that I am not completely sure on, other then I heard my name called, and I felt a world in turmoil, my former kingdom warring with itself and invaders at the same time...I couldn't just sit idly by." Xinne explained.

"Sir!" Robin floats back down, landing with a heavy thump. He bows quickly to Nerassus. "How did you know that would happen? And who is this one?"

Nerassus smiles warmly. "Meet Xinnies. An old student of mine. Way old. He was the king of the islands south of Axia. Was being the operative word. At some point... I honestly don't know what exactly happened, but his capital was massacred, and he himself disappeared." Nerassus exhales softly, turning towards Xinnies. "But now... here you are. And as a god. I sense in you the same energy as that of Petr. I guess they didn't call you the Soul of the Southern Islands for nothing."

Xinn chuckled at the explanation. "More or less. As for my departure...let us say that had some divine influence as well." he continued, shaking his head softly.

"As for how he knew that would happen, well...I exerted some of my influence to curse the opposing officers. Size can be a great boon...but without the power to back it up, you're just a target." the god-king stated, with a wide grin of sharp teeth. "Their sudden insistence on surrender is partially my doing as well."

The big fellow turned to Nerassus and slowly pushed himself down into a sitting position with his legs tucked under him, knees on the ground, hands on his thighs. "I believe we have some catching up to do."

Nerassus looks over the battlefield, nodding slowly. "That we do, and this battle is over and won. Robin, organize the surrender. When all the troops are accounted for, I want you to prepare traps to cripple counter attacks coming from further inland."

"Yes sir!" Robin salutes and flies off, leaving Nerassus to take a seat opposite Xinn.

"It's good to see you. I'd offer treats, but I don't tend to bring my tea set on military campaigns."

"It is fine. I am just happy to see you again." Xinn said with a smile. "You remember my old general, I'm sure. Polaris? Tall, long black hair, fiercely protective? Well, he's sort of my Champion now. Turns out he was reincarnated as one of those Celestials...so I gave him a fraction of my power and his form changed." he continued, tail-tip flicking.

"Then again, since ascending my own form is quite...different then before too." he said, stroking along his chin slowly.

"Hard to forget. The guy was one of the best cold focused aquamancers I had the pleasure of teaching. Too bad he never got a hang of healing but..." Nerassus shakes his head. "Indeed. You were easy to recognize for me though. I guess you'll have a tough time getting people to recognize you as who you are."

"Well, unlike you, they cannot sense auras. And even then, I get the feeling that my kingdom was...forgotten. The capital was under the ocean waves, after all." he said, shaking his head. "And yes! Though I suspect his new...form will allow him greater freedom with his sorcery. I doubt he could heal, however...I've only ever seen him using the cold, and never liquid water. An odd quirk, truly." he admitted with a smirk.

"That being said...I am currently trying to bring the islands under my guiding hand once again. That's where Polaris is, with the artifact I forged for his use. A wonderous item for defense and a symbol of my Authority. I am rather...proud of it." he said, adjusting his sitting stance a little.

"Oh?" Nerassus smiles. "I would very much like to see it. I recall you being quite the patron of the arts back in the days. It would be nice if you turned those pirate infested backwaters into true bastions of science and art. In fact... hrm. Why don't I help you out? I've got a lot of the history stored away." Nerassus taps his head with a smirk. "If I declare your historical claim to the throne, well, it'll be undeniable to those who care."

The big male nodded. "Indeed. I intend to have an art renaissance once it's all done. True art does wonders for a downtrodden spirit. Of course, I'll make sure their needs are met too." Xinn said with a nod and a much wider smile. "And I would welcome your help any time. If you ever need me again, all you have to do is ask." The big king finished with a greatful smile.

"We never got around to finalizing a proper alliance in the past. I'll make it a high priority so that we don't make the same mistake again." Nerassus glances over at the battlefield. "As soon as we finish these campaigns, I'll contact Sanctuary and have them arrange an immediate envoy. We have to stand together against the threat that is the Tyrant after all."

"Yes. From what I understand they're just a superpowered child. Which is rather worrying on its own..." he sighed, gently putting a hand on Nerassus back, pulling the other fellow into a sudden, but brief hug. "...For now, I must go. I have blinded myself to other goings-on while I have been here. I feel I should return, and make sure Polaris hasn't run into any trouble. I'm glad you're still around, my friend, and I am positive our alliance will be of benefit to us both." he said, slowly standing, and dusting himself off...before dismissing his avatar. One moment he was there, the next, gone.

Nerassus watches the empty space for a moment before taking a deep breath. This'll be a story to tell Petr when they're done.

Spoiler: Help:

Show

Petr and Nerassus help Xinnies with
+2 Justice/+1 Purity: Nerassus prepares a historical proof for Xinnies claim to rulership over the islands, confirming his story and elaborating on his good works prior to his death. He also recreates the code of laws as they existed back when Xinnies was king, offering him this document as a starting point for his modern state.
+2 Water: Petr provides Xinnies a boon of bountiful rainfall for the fields of those who accept Xinnies and Polaris's claim.

[HalfTangible]

Praise to the Tyrant, slayer of false idols and mightiest of men!

My lord, I am a Heartbinder within the city of Kalth; you may be aware already that as of late, the city has gained a reputation for romance and love. The people of this city are, for lack of a better term, blessed with boundless love and beauty unsurpassed in all the world. Heartbinders are a form of matchmaker within Kalth. We are tasked with helping to find romantic partnerships that will stand the test of time, a task I am proud to say I have succeeded at more times than I care to count.

However, unless my ears deceive me, I have heard tale that you have no wife of your own. This is simply unacceptable; our glorious leader should enjoy the bounty of his subjects, should he not? This is a situation I would remedy post-haste if you would allow it.

In summation, I wish to extend my services as a Heartbinder to our glorious leader. I intend to find you the loveliest woman in all of your empire, for surely nothing less could prove satisfactory to one of your immense strength and power. Please, come to Kalth, or invite me to your capital if you prefer. I promise to help you find the woman of your dreams.

Your humble servant,
Kalani

The letter to the Tyrant smells of her perfume, and there is a kiss mark is next to her signature.

---

Spoiler

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Kalani AP: 100
14AP/10DC - Influence one Immortal. Kalani writes a letter to the Tyrant, promising to help him find the woman of his dreams (+2 Love). She invites him to Kalth (+1 Allure) so that she can introduce him to the loveliest woman in all the world (+1 Beauty), namely her. Her tone is deliberately flattering in order to stroke his ego, and she intends to seduce him once they are together (+2 trickery). Kalani is writing this letter alone (-2 Lonely) but in Kalth (+2 sanctified place)

+6 total

[DarthArminius]

Spoiler

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Kalani AP: 100
14AP/10DC - Influence one Immortal. Kalani writes a letter to the Tyrant, promising to help him find the woman of his dreams (+2 Love). She invites him to Kalth (+1 Allure) so that she can introduce him to the loveliest woman in all the world (+1 Beauty), namely her. Her tone is deliberately flattering in order to stroke his ego, and she intends to seduce him once they are together (+2 trickery). Kalani is writing this letter alone (-2 Lonely) but in Kalth (+2 sanctified place)

+6 total

Help Kalani
While things like allure, beauty and trickery are more Kalani's forte, Su'ule can be subtle in her machinations as well. For this reason it would be a good idea for Kalani to invite Su'ule in her plans to topple this wicked Tyrant.

[SquirrelWizard]

It was a strange sensation for Beran to pad after the squirrel into the small sea cave. He thought of it as his pet, though doubts were creeping up that it might be the reverse. It had shown up out of nowhere, stealing away on his boat, eyes glowing like green embers in the darkness. The squirrel was hideously more intelligent than its normal brethren Beran discovered, being made a fool trying to hunt the damn thing on his ship. It had clearly been sent there weeks ago, it was only now the thing seemed to urgently want him to follow.

The cave wound deep into the interior of Helvang under the territory of the Tongue village of Smudstung, and he was surprised that he hadn't run across one an entrance to their warrens given how much they liked to tunnel into the ground. He heard noise, arguing, coming from the chamber ahead, and Beran readied his hatchet as he approached; the Sicurin seemed unfazed as it boldly walked inside.

"Kri-kla does not have to explain herself." The raptor-like terror snapped, "Smudstung freely invades Traeklo landss, so Kri-ka goes where she pleasess."

"Traeklo forests for roots, and flowers you Terrors do not use." Jorgan growled in return. "Not Traeklo itself, you stand under Smudstung tunnels."

Beran saw similar squirrels lingering near the bickering duo, completely disinterested in the squabble, seemingly waiting for something.

Kri-kla's head turned towards him, and her eyes narrowed as she hissed. "Flore seathief!"

Unwilling to get caught up in their squabble, Beran cleared his throat and pointed his hatchet at the rodent he was following, "So...squirrels?"

The Tongue and Terror hesitantly glanced down at their feet to see their furry companions scamper off to the far side of the room. As they met, their forms distorted, swirling together as a magic mist into the shape of a woman with a glimmering green gem in an eyepatch over her left eye. The three felt as if the air had been flushed out of the room through the sheer force of Xeema's presence.

"Mortals of Oerch. You, among others elsewhere, have been called because you have found favor with I, Xeema. The cunning of the hunter, the knowledge of the ranger, and the shrewd planning of the trader."

The three glanced between themselves. To judge from their expressions, Beran though the others were suffering from the same problem as he; in that every fiber of his being told him to run, but his legs weren't listening.

"Tyrant, the petulant god of self-aggrandizement grips much of Oerch, and hungers for the rest. I offer you a choice. You can grovel under the heel of Tyrant's boot and die in obscurity. Or you can serve me." Xeema grinned, "and prosper in sweet defiance of the God of Gods with my blessing. The Sicurin you have found, are my eyes and ears but I need followers, devotees to do my works among mortal kind. You would be my agents, my teachers, my priests. You could shape the world, if only you were willing to accept Xeema."

Across Oerch, other talented individuals were being brought together for the same message, the same blessing.

Spoiler: Actions

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Xeema 100AP

6AP/3DC Influence ~1000 mortals (Establishing the Cult of Xeema)
+2 Foresight (Establishing agents abroad and to set up groundwork for future plans)
+2 Thievery (While some are just skilled individuals, most of the people Xeema contacts tend to fall on the "less than legal" side of the law.)
+1 Messages (She's sending a message)
+1 Squirrels (Using the Sicurin)
+1 Secrets (the message is done in secret and in secret places)

[The JoJo]

Avestra, Sunset Forest, Ebonbark Bay - 100 AP remaining

Upon waking, Avestra let out a cry of anguish. She felt it at once. How could she not? Ebonbark Bay, once the jewel in Tria's crown, had been despoiled. Burned. Exploited. Only her own beloved forest still stood intact, holding back the might of the Tyrant Empire.

She took off from her perch, soaring over polluted towns, barren farmland and deserted battlefields until her claws were clenched in rage. She found herself homing in on a small town on the north Trian coast. A dingy tavern. An empire soldier tucking into a meat and gravy pie. Avestra dived down until she was at one with the contents of the pie at a molecular level and then, taking the nearest virus particle, began twisting it and mutating it into a new shape. Soon, they would learn the true power of nature.

Spoiler: Action

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8 AP, 4 DC: create a basic living species -- the "Warriorpox" virus -- with +2 Nature and +1 Reproduction.

The Warriorpox virus can be carried by any mammal, but it only causes symptomatic illness in members of the Homo genus, particularly Homo sapiens (tallheads). In a reversal of what might ordinarily be expected, children and the elderly tend to only suffer a mild form of the disease. Rather, it is those in the prime of their life who are struck down. It tends to spread quickest when many such people are living in close quarters, hence the moniker it quickly gained.

The severe form of Warriorpox will leave a healthy adult bedridden for several weeks with a fever, red spots and an unenviable mortality rate. Those who do survive will be left with distinctive facial scars and almost invariably will be infertile.

The Marble Palace, Kingdom of Samara, The Stricken Lands

For as long as anyone could remember, the miniature ginkgo tree had sat in its familiar corner of the palace gardens. Admittedly, worker antfolk didn't live very long, and so that didn't necessarily mean much. Despite its apparent lack of growth or seeds, though, the ants tended it with as much care as any other plant in the garden. On the day which the gods awoke, it was being attended by Grey Mandible.

The first thing the giant worker ant noticed was that the tree was shaking. This was not ordinary behaviour for a tree and so Grey Mandible took a closer look. She was surprised to find that the tree had, apparently overnight, grown a mouth.

"Bring me... water," the mouth croaked. Grey Mandible was perplexed, but she had been brought up to follow orders without question and so she scuttled off to find the nearest jug of water. Clenching it in her pinchers, she brought it back and held it up against the ginkgo's tree's wooden mouth. The mouth chugged down the water noisely, letting out a loud burp.

"Thanks!" it whispered. There was then a poof and the tree vanished into a cloud of smoke. Moments later, a small, brown face with an ear-to-ear grin appeared from the dirt.

"Missed me?"

Spoiler: Secondary action

Show

Spend 12 AP to revive Kismet

[Maryring]

Deep within the forests of Xaolai

Sparkling ruby wine trickles out of the wineskin and down Chen Li's throat. The delectable liquid quenches his parched throat, while his keen eyes gaze out over the mercenary band breaking camp around him. One tends to the horses, another refills the water barrels from the nearby river. One stands guard over the cart carrying the chests filled to the brim with Icewater lilies. So far so good. But the captain is wasting his time. "Ricky! Hurry up! We're leaving!"

"Captain Fa Tua. What is the meaning of this incessant noise." Li frowns, glaring angrily at the neanderthal.

"Forgive me Master Chen." Tua bows quickly. "It is our youngest. He was sent out to scout the area, but he has not returned."

"Hrmf. The fool probably spirited himself away for a nap. What is there to scout? We know the path, no?"

"Of course sir." The neanderthal looks about himself thoughtfully. "But as rare as attacks may be along this route, your safety is still our concern."

Li tsks loudly. "Appreciated, but time we waste here is time spent allowing my goods to wither and dry up. Help get the horses ready. I want to reach the markets tonight. Let the boy catch up with us when he's done wasting time."

"Sir." Fa straightens up, his gaze firmly aimed at the pygmy. "Forgive my disrespect, but Ricky may be hurt. I wish to find him before we move on."

"And if you do that, I will dock you the value of every withered lily."

"Sir..." The captain frowns, as his expression hardens and his gaze ends up focused firmly on the merchant. "Sir, you couldn't pay me to abandon my boys for all the lilies in the world. Zhu! I want you to go out and search for Ricky!" He maintains the gaze, awaiting a confirmation. When he receives none he turns to look at the river. The barrel is there, but there's no sign of Zhu. "Huh? Xe. Have you...?" The words dry up in his throat as, looking around he finds none of his men anywhere.

Li, face originally red with rage, is now pale. His angry tirade against the captain dying before a single word is uttered, only replaced with a worried "what's going on?"

"I don't know." The captain reaches for his sword. One hand on the hilt, the other pinching his scabbard, ready to draw at a moment's notice. "Who there?" His deep voice rumbles. "Show yourself!"

A nearby bush behind Li rustles. The merchant turns around towards the sound, seeing nothing. He turns back, still seeing nothing. "Captain Tua?!" Where the captain once stood is nothing. A light rustling of grass as if something moved there a moment ago. But now? Nothing.

Li grabs the dagger from his belt and jumps down on the ground, his eyes shifting left and right. He swipes it at nothing in particular whenever he thinks he sees something. But all he hits is empty air. Until one swing is intercepted in midair. His arm is grabbed and yanked behind his form violently, while another wraps about his neck, constricting his air flow. "That's enough outta you." A voice growls in his ear. A thin, white dagger is pressed against Li's throat. Not hard enough to break skin, but one wrong move.

"Wh... what do you want?" Li swallows, wincing at the sharpness against his throat.

"Not really your concern now is it. Because there's nothing you can do to stop me from taking what I want."

"Please... please don't hurt me."

"And why not? Your guards. They're useful. Strong, with solid work ethic. While you guzzle wine and complain when things don't go your way. Why shouldn't I hurt you? You're of no use to me."

"I..." Li writhes a bit, wincing. "I have money. I don't... bring too much with me on the trips. But... I'm good for a lot of money. You can ransom me. I'm worth more to you alive than dead."

"Ugh." The voice sounds positively disgusted. "You're absolutely no fun. Where's the joy in stealing you when you just give up like that."

"What do." A sharp pain strikes Li in his lower back, followed by a numb warmth that passes up his spine. His vision swims and he collapses onto the ground.

...

He has no idea how long he's been out. But when Li wakes up again he has a severe pain in neck. He looks about himself. The horses, carts, everything. It's all gone. His silk clothes have been replaced with ugly, torn clothes of hemp. His dagger, fan, everything is gone. All that remains is his signet ring, a waterskin, and a loaf of stale bread. And a note.

"20 barrels of beer
10 bags of sugar
5 crates of eggs
30 bags of flour
10 crates of fresh vegetables
50 crates of potatoes
50 crates of onions
5 barrels of pickled fish
5 barrels of salted meat
2 crates of icewater lilies

Beneath King's Rock the next full moon.

Deny the request if you dare.

The Swift Paw."

---

The inn of the Golden Parrot

Dewey allows himself an exhausted yawn as he steps into the stale air of the tavern. The air is thick with the smell of cheap beer, and the heady air of poppyseed smoke that drifts up from the basement. Thankfully his usual table near the bardic stage has been cleared and prepared for him. He lumbers over, sinking heavily into a chair as he allows a hand to rest on his gravid belly. "Dewboy." A youthful, cheeky voice echoes from somewhere behind him, and Dewey doesn't have to bother turning around to recognize the speaker.

"Long time no see." Dewey relaxes on the chair, waiting for the youthful humanoid raccoon to settle in the chair opposite him. "How are things brother?"

"Can't complain. Some new hotshot Celestial calling himself Polaris or something is trying to establish himself as king of the islands. And I hear that University is attacking the east coast of Tria. Which is a thing. Never expected that outta those. Lots of changes. But we'll see if they're of the good kind or the bad kind."

"Don't I know it." Dewey chuckles as he gives his belly a tap. "Anyway, as you can see you're about to become an uncle again."

"Hah." The raccoon rests a hand upon Dewey's belly, gently brushing across the soft, blue fur that covers his fellow Celestial's form. "Should you be out and about on your ships these days?"

"Trade never stops, and so neither shall I." Dewey grins. "You're not planning on having kids of your own. I don't think I've seen you at a pearlescent moon in... what, thirty years now?"

"I'm busy. Gotta keep this place up and running after all."

"And I'm grateful for it. Best place to stretch my feet before the long journey to Axia."

"That does remind me." The raccoon gets a devious glint to his eyes. "You've planned a journey there soon right? Selling some food to University and such?"

"Among other things yes. Always a lucrative trade. Why?"

"You heard about the fighting going on right? I know it's a bit much to ask and all." He rests his hands upon Dewey's stomach. "But. If you're up for it. I've got it on good authority that Foementer is soon going to be open for trade."

Dewey narrows his eyes, starinng intently at his brother. "Really? Hrmf. Well you ain't steered me wrong in the past. I'll see about stopping by near Foementer."

"Excellent! As thanks, I've got some goods that you can sell. It'll be a steal." The raccoon turns to a young human boy standing near the kitchen. "Yo, Ricky. Bring me a bottle of the good stuff."

"Sure thing Swift."

[Xenopax]

The Blackhorns Blessing

This was a Commons children's tale about why one should be kind to their siblings, however any scholar can clearly tell that the Mysterious Stranger, is yet another Title for Ka'al Russ. Indeed, some of the blessings the Stranger was said to give the Blackhorn Dragon Clan can still be seen today, although whether it was truly the Lord of the Nameless or not who gave it to them, is up for debate.

---

Once upon a time, there was a baby dragon. The baby Dragons name was Fire-Dweller¹ and despite being the runt of the litter, his parents took care of him². However, his brother and sister dragons frowned upon him for being so small and weak. As such, one day they took him out to hunt, before savaging him with their claws and fangs and leaving him for dead, stuffing his unconscious body into a small burrow. They would then go home and report to their mother that Fire-Dweller had been eaten.

However, Fire-Dweller remained alive! He survived by eating crickets and other insects that crawled near his mouth. He couldn't get out of the burrow, but he had enough to eat (albeit, with his growth heavily stunted). 2 months passed and all the young dragon did was eat insects and think about how much he hated his siblings, how he'd kill to be free, horrible dark thoughts that attracted a Stranger in a hat. The stranger looked like a human but his face was constantly shifting to look more and more attractive, atleast by human standards. The stranger fed Fire-Dweller and talked to him about what had happened. He heard the hate in Fire-Dwellers voice and offered him the chance at Revenge...for a Favor and his Name³.

As any good child knows, one should never give their name, but Fire-Dweller cared little for such rules. He accepted and the man lifted him out of the Burrow. At the same time, the man activated power in the Dragons blood, Power left by taint during their creation. The Dragon-to-be⁴ felt his skin harden and his flesh shift as he grew. The stranger Waved his hand over the Abandoned Hatchling, and told him what he could now do. He could control his flesh to a certain extent and his claws and teeth now had the ability to infect people with a new venom that he called, the Changing Plague⁵. Unknown to him though, he was also infected with a certain urge to conquer and despoil, to make all he saw his own. ⁶

Using these new found powers, the Lost Wyrm returned home to butcher his former siblings and display their corpses to their mother, before slaying her as well. One decade after, The Stranger came to him to call in his favor. 1 out of every 5 children would be given to an old man who would come by his cave, or the Old Man's followers⁷. The Tyrant on the Mountain considered consuming this Stranger, but decided against it. He would rule upon his mountain for another 5 centuries, before being toppled by a human knight⁸.

The End

---

¹This was the closest that one could get to the creatures actual name.
²It is unknown if ancient Blackhorns committed filicide upon the runts as the text suggests.
³Another Way to identify the God behind it. No God except the Eternal Shifter has been known to strip names from their servants
⁴From here on, most story tellers use a variety of different Titles instead of Fire-Dweller, invoking the loss of his name.
⁵The Changing Plague is actually the Venom produced by the Blackhorn, rather than any actual sort of disease. When exposed to the bloodstream, it begins destabilizing the victims genetic code, causing it to mutate rapidly and without control.
⁶From this it can be inferred that the Ancient Blackhorns propensity for hoard building and demanding tribute from nearby kingdoms came from this encounter. Of course, the truth of whether it was just the natural effects of a beast more powerful than most things around it wanting to use it's power, or whether it's a divinely inspired madness is up for debate.
⁷This is clearly referencing the Blackhorn Dragons increased presence among the Nameless. Ancient Documents mention a tribute of children to the Nameless, inexchange for their Patrons aid for some unknown cause. While this is no longer done, plenty of Blackhorn Dragons remain among that group, creating families in service to their God.
⁸This tale is further continued in the Story, "The Knight of Hathoway", which describes the slaying of the dragon in great detail.

Spoiler

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Helping Su'ule! (this only applies for about 75% of Blackhorn dragons, the descendants of the blessed one)
+2 Flesh, Blackhorns have control over their own body. They also have aptitude for Flesh-Crafting, something those chosen by the Nameless will have a chance to learn by being taken to the Promised Land.
+1 Mutation, Blackhorns have venom in their mouth and claws that cause victims to mutate
+1 insanity, Blackhorns become solitary as they age and suffer from Megalomania.
+1 Change, Blackhorns are highly adaptable, and evolution for them happens in generations rather than millions of years.

Then my Demi-god tosses em a help/hinder. I'm not sure which one this would be taken as.
+2 1/5 Blackhorns are taught how to Fleshcraft and made into Nameless.

[SquirrelWizard]

Su'ule
Xeema's eye was closed as she focused on the Aether. There were other gods than Tyrant, moving, acting, in Oerch. She wasn't sure about these other gods, if they were any better or worse than Tyrant. From what she sensed a new race was in the making but another was twisting them, molding them into a replica of Tyrant's arrogance. While she was no stranger to hubris, she appreciated it when it was grounded with experience. Reaching out she wove her own powers around the new race. She couldn't undo the megalomania, but she could make the covetous self obsession work to her own ends, and temper it.

Grawissen
Grawissen's message reached Xeema, and she thought for a brief moment on how to reply. She knew nothing of this Grawissen, but if what it said was true, then it could be an acorn planted for a future tree. "I know not who you are," Xeema replied, "but if this mortal would lead others against Tyrant, then Xeema will grant them the use of some Sicurin, my messengers, to aid in their task."

Tyrant
It wasn't hard to find Tyrant's forces attacking Muji. His death constructs swarming the floating island in a sudden invasion. This was a chance to learn of Tyrant's means and motives. With a silent nod, she sent some of her minions to Muji, both to observe Tyrant's forces, but also to sew chaos where possible, stealing small yet important means, and sabotaging the invader's means of communication.

Spoiler: Help/Hinder

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Help Su'ule
+2 Foresight (Blackhorn are gifted with a limited degree of prescience, understanding roughly what potential effect their actions will have on the world around them. For their impending hubris, Xeema curses them with dream visions of their own death based on the actions they have taken.)
+1 Secrets (As the Blackhorn age and descend into isolation they horde secrets like any other dragon would horde gold)

Help Grawissen
+1 Squirrels (Xeema grants Cheeks the use of some Sicurin to use as they see fit, and to spy on the General's plans.)
+1 Messages (The Sicurin granted are, among many things, messengers and can deliver messages anywhere both quickly and discretely. As long as you can accept the occasional bauble going missing.)

Hinder Tyrant
-2 Thievery (Sicurin thieves nab messages and other small baubles from invading forces)
-1 Squirrels (Sicurin are sent to the invasion zone to both observe the combat and hinder the invading forces.)
-1 Messages (Either through the theft of messages or the creative rewording of them, Sicurin so chaos through misinformation or lack thereof.)

[Xenopax]

The Death of a Man - The First of the Faceless

Despite the Authors claim to be the First of his kind, Scholars have recently disproved this. Records show that after Ka'al Russ took Yimir, he turned all those souls sent to him into the first generation of Faceless at once, rather than making them in any particular order. However, the Authors dreary wordage about leaving the embrace of the Eternal Shifter gives much insight into the mind of one of the Original Faceless.

---

My first death, was in a small room surrounded by my new family. I gave them my name so they could slay it and through it's death, I became pure¹.

My second death was upon an Altar², my heart ripped out so I would go to the Master in the Sky³.

My third death was when I was ripped from His bosom, and placed back upon earth. I was bound to a False face⁴, and given a shifting form⁵, pleasing to The Lord of Masks⁶.

My fourth death was when a Steel Monstrosity⁷ of the Faker⁸ ripped off my Mask, causing all to go dark for eternity⁹

My Final Death was when my Mask was broken in two, sending me back to be with my He who saw the Wheel.¹⁰

---

¹This is showing the Process of becoming Nameless. Many of the members of that Ancient Order talk about how names ruin purity, so a name is symbolically slain in a ceremony. To use that name ever again is a deeply set taboo in most races, not wanting to cause strife with the Nameless Cult.
²The part about their heart being ripped out let's the reader know that the Author of this story was from the Promised Land. Removing hearts was their favoured way of sacrificing their elderly to Ka'al Russ, while most others were satisfied with a death in battle or simple decapitation.
³A relatively obscure title for Ka'al Russ with unknown etymology.
⁴Once again, the reference to something being fake or missing, in this case the Speakers face.
⁵Said shifting form is referring to the natural amorphous state of a Faceless's body. While most keep it hidden, when their mask is pried off or they relax too much, they go back to a natural form that varies from Faceless to Faceless.
⁶Another name for Ka'al Russ, with it's earliest mention being from a small tribe in Al-Estria during 1670 D.G. It invokes his shifting face, and how it never looks the same.
⁷This is believes to be a Death-Automatron
⁸The Faker being another name for the Tyrant
⁹Clearly the Automatron didn't survive long after and the Speaker was given back his mask.
¹⁰Mentions to a wheel behind the world are common among Followers of Ka'al Russ, and to speak of it with an outsider is seen as heresy. As such, the existence of such a wheel is still unconfirmed by third party scholars, or whether it's just a metaphor.

Spoiler

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Creating a new Race! Supernaturally gifted.
AP: 80
OG DC: 16
+2 Flesh, While the Faceless are relatively controlled as long as they have their Masks on, they still have great power when it comes to manipulating their own flesh to their benefit.
+1 Change, Their bodies are Eternally changing and improving upon themselves.
+1 Mutation, When their Masks are detached from their body, They rapidly mutate into monsters until their body is killed or the mask is put back on.
+2 Science, Faceless are good with most branches of science and can do specific chemical reactions inside their body by growing the proper tools for it (ex. Turning water into Ice, or making medicine from two different compounds).
+1 Insanity, Without their Masks, most Faceless go completely insane. Ancient ones that have grown used to it can take it off for longer periods of time though, and can exhibit some control over their mutations. However, all ancient Faceless exhibit certain tics from their old age, mask or no mask.

And a help from my demi-god!
+2, Nameless across the world contribute to the Faceless population, and become infiltrators against the Tyrant.

Current DC: 7

[Batcathat]

Ymon-Thal, the Boundless Garden, The Passing (100/100 AP)

Ymon-Thal cautiously watched the Yithal.

"Oh look, they're just like we left them", Ymon said, looking at the Yithal for the first time in centuries.

"Yes."

"And totally not the same", he added, after an unusual amount of thought.

"Yes."

The Boundless Garden looked the same – at least as much as something constantly changing can – and so did the Yithal, technically. They still gave the impression of humans drawn by a talented artist with a taste for bright colors, good looking but not quite real. But looking into their eyes, at least with a god's sharp senses, they were very, very different from what they had been. As quickly as the first generation of Yithal had taken to their powers they had still been born "normal" mortals in the world of the living. The beings that now inhabited the Boundless Garden however, had never known anything other than shaping the world around them with a thought, only occasionally visiting the mortal world to play.

The Yithal had become something quite different indeed.

"They are not the only things that have changed." Thal-Verys was suddenly standing next to them. "Welcome back, my lord."

***

The Boa Jungle stretched out far below Ymon-Thal and Thal-Verys, floating in the chilly air as the Shepherd of the Passing finished her story.

"The Tyrant? That's such a stupid name. So stupid."

Thal-Verys smiled joylessly. "He will have worse things to worry about now that you are back."

"Indeed", Thal said as he started gathering his power.

Ymon realized something. "But what about the thing?"

"What 'thing'?"

"The thing! Y'know, the thing thing. The thing we were gonna do with the Yith and..." He waved his hand in the direction of the vast stretches of Tria visible far below. "...all that stuff."

"Odd as it is, you might have a point. It may be wise to finish that before announcing ourselves to the Tyrant." He turned to Thal-Verys. "Go fetch Ymon-Desha and meet us at the Landing."

[DarthArminius]

The Death of a Man - The First of the Faceless

Despite the Authors claim to be the First of his kind, Scholars have recently disproved this. Records show that after Ka'al Russ took Yimir, he turned all those souls sent to him into the first generation of Faceless at once, rather than making them in any particular order. However, the Authors dreary wordage about leaving the embrace of the Eternal Shifter gives much insight into the mind of one of the Original Faceless.

---

My first death, was in a small room surrounded by my new family. I gave them my name so they could slay it and through it's death, I became pure¹.

My second death was upon an Altar², my heart ripped out so I would go to the Master in the Sky³.

My third death was when I was ripped from His bosom, and placed back upon earth. I was bound to a False face⁴, and given a shifting form⁵, pleasing to The Lord of Masks⁶.

My fourth death was when a Steel Monstrosity⁷ of the Faker⁸ ripped off my Mask, causing all to go dark for eternity⁹

My Final Death was when my Mask was broken in two, sending me back to be with my He who saw the Wheel.¹⁰

---

¹This is showing the Process of becoming Nameless. Many of the members of that Ancient Order talk about how names ruin purity, so a name is symbolically slain in a ceremony. To use that name ever again is a deeply set taboo in most races, not wanting to cause strife with the Nameless Cult.
²The part about their heart being ripped out let's the reader know that the Author of this story was from the Promised Land. Removing hearts was their favoured way of sacrificing their elderly to Ka'al Russ, while most others were satisfied with a death in battle or simple decapitation.
³A relatively obscure title for Ka'al Russ with unknown etymology.
⁴Once again, the reference to something being fake or missing, in this case the Speakers face.
⁵Said shifting form is referring to the natural amorphous state of a Faceless's body. While most keep it hidden, when their mask is pried off or they relax too much, they go back to a natural form that varies from Faceless to Faceless.
⁶Another name for Ka'al Russ, with it's earliest mention being from a small tribe in Al-Estria during 1670 D.G. It invokes his shifting face, and how it never looks the same.
⁷This is believes to be a Death-Automatron
⁸The Faker being another name for the Tyrant
⁹Clearly the Automatron didn't survive long after and the Speaker was given back his mask.
¹⁰Mentions to a wheel behind the world are common among Followers of Ka'al Russ, and to speak of it with an outsider is seen as heresy. As such, the existence of such a wheel is still unconfirmed by third party scholars, or whether it's just a metaphor.

Spoiler

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Creating a new Race! Supernaturally gifted.
AP: 80
OG DC: 16
+2 Flesh, While the Faceless are relatively controlled as long as they have their Masks on, they still have great power when it comes to manipulating their own flesh to their benefit.
+1 Change, Their bodies are Eternally changing and improving upon themselves.
+1 Mutation, When their Masks are detached from their body, They rapidly mutate into monsters until their body is killed or the mask is put back on.
+2 Science, Faceless are good with most branches of science and can do specific chemical reactions inside their body by growing the proper tools for it (ex. Turning water into Ice, or making medicine from two different compounds).
+1 Insanity, Without their Masks, most Faceless go completely insane. Ancient ones that have grown used to it can take it off for longer periods of time though, and can exhibit some control over their mutations. However, all ancient Faceless exhibit certain tics from their old age, mask or no mask.

And a help from my demi-god!
+2, Nameless across the world contribute to the Faceless population, and become infiltrators against the Tyrant.

Current DC: 7

Help
Su'ule didn't like that many of her children were kidnapped and made into abominations. However she needed allies in her war against The Tyrant.
+2 Monsters, Unwilling Faceless can gradually transform into creatures more akin to comedy relief than malicious lunatics. The downside to this is that they are still nuts. The positives is that they are quite happier and more at peace than they originally had been.
+2 Sorcery, Faceless find themselves gaining an aptitude for Sorcery.
+1 Metamorphosis, however willing Faceless find themselves even more able to control their transformations than unwilling.

Su'ule and Ka'al Rus

The avatar of Su'ule appeared before Ka'al Rus. . .
"Hello." She simply stated, clearly angry, as if her greeting was more of an accusation than an actual greeting.

[Xenopax]

The Meeting of Gods

Ka'al Russ was currently moulding one of the Faceless to be sent to the mortal planes. He released it with an almost fatherly tap on the head, and the thing vanished. He then wiped off his hands before turning around to face his visitor, A mask covering his own face much like his creations own. Where the lips and eyes of the wearer would be on a normal person, there was only blackness that even Su'ules Godly sight could not penetrate.

"Hello Sister! Or Aunt! I'm not entirely sure about our genealogy. What a pleasure it is to see you here. If you'd called ahead, I could have made tea. Please, take a seat,"
There was almost an infectious tone of humor in his voice, like that of a child being bought a balloon or prying the wings off a fly to see how it managed to get away from his swats. "Do you need something? Or is this just a courtesy call? You're always welcome in my humble domain,"*

[DarthArminius]

The Meeting of Gods

Ka'al Russ was currently moulding one of the Faceless to be sent to the mortal planes. He released it with an almost fatherly tap on the head, and the thing vanished. He then wiped off his hands before turning around to face his visitor, A mask covering his own face much like his creations own. Where the lips and eyes of the wearer would be on a normal person, there was only blackness that even Su'ules Godly sight could not penetrate.

"Hello Sister! Or Aunt! I'm not entirely sure about our genealogy. What a pleasure it is to see you here. If you'd called ahead, I could have made tea. Please, take a seat,"
There was almost an infectious tone of humor in his voice, like that of a child being bought a balloon or prying the wings off a fly to see how it managed to get away from his swats. "Do you need something? Or is this just a courtesy call? You're always welcome in my humble domain,"*

Su'ule
"The same, I'm afraid, cannot be said for you, whatever your name is."
"The Blackhorns are mine. I am their mother. Get your filthy paws off them."
Her demand was succinct and simple, backed with the fury of a powerful mother, perhaps the most powerful of them all. Her voice was echoing, with her words beginning to coalesce into something resembling a roar with each syllable.

[Xenopax]

"Unfortunately, that wasn't the Deal I struck with one of your children. one child in every five from him and his descendants lineage is owed to the Nameless. He seemed rather eager to accept it and get his revenge,"

Ka'al stood unperturbed underneath the fury of the angry mother. He was a god, beyond the fear of loud noises. There was a deal struck, and he intended on keeping it. "If you'd like to keep all the Blackhorns to yourself, feel free to kill every last one of his descendants. That would nullify the Deal struck. Otherwise, you could take a closer look and see that they're being well treated, and given power," Well treated was a stretch. They were treated as equals, and that's all anyone could ask for.

[DarthArminius]

"Unfortunately, that wasn't the Deal I struck with one of your children. one child in every five from him and his descendants lineage is owed to the Nameless. He seemed rather eager to accept it and get his revenge,"

Ka'al stood unperturbed underneath the fury of the angry mother. He was a god, beyond the fear of loud noises. There was a deal struck, and he intended on keeping it. "If you'd like to keep all the Blackhorns to yourself, feel free to kill every last one of his descendants. That would nullify the Deal struck. Otherwise, you could take a closer look and see that they're being well treated, and given power," Well treated was a stretch. They were treated as equals, and that's all anyone could ask for.

Su'ule's transformation into her draconic dino cobra goddess form was instantaneous, no longer that of a blue haired beautiful woman. She gave a serpent's hiss before exploding verbally at Ka'al.
"Do you know how crazy they are? One of them said that they can tell the difference between butter and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! That's insane!"

[Xenopax]

Now this? This made Ka'al Russ's mask eyes widen. Not in any sort of fear of course...more interest. Her new form seemed a little much. Like someone tried to jam all the most useful parts of a reptile into one creature. It had potential though. He subconsciously mimicked her form, before making improvements upon it. Hooking Venom glands to it's hands, improving wings and giving it new wings, until it looked like a perfected form of what hers could be.

"I'm afraid whether they think that fake butter is real butter or vice versa isn't exactly my problem. I'm sure if you went down to them, and explained your beliefs, all would be well?"