[PDQ] The Grand Mythos Game Thread

[Terratina.]

Lleu - 5/8 AP


It was strange being here again. Vulgard, the seat of the Versipellis clan. But a quick look in a nearby pond had revealed to Lleu that the process had changed him, even to the point where he would be unrecongisable to his very own mother. His golden locks had faded to brown, and his blue eyes had changed to that colour as well. Not to mention the stained arms. Lleu laughed as he ran through the crowded streets. However, he spotted something and came to a halt. It was a wanted poster for some sort of resistance group. Shame about the name though. 'The Fellowship? How cute.' Lleu thought. He continued running through the streets and grabbed every one of those posters as he went. He reached the coast and tore up the posters, and jumped down the cliffs, eluding the city watch that was chasing after him. 'And that'll be your fate, Fellowship. You'll be ripped to pieces if you continue your cutesy-wutesy excuse for resistance.' He entered the sea with a graceful dive, and swam towards a lonely island in the Maroe Archipelago. Nah, Manor would wait. He had a somewhat special surprise for the bigwigs there.

'Goddamn... AMATEURS.' He thought as he spat the salty seawater out as he pulled himself onto dry land. However, his anger faded as he spotted some strange people. So this was the so-called forsaken clan. Lleu smiled, if he played this cards right, he had a whole army of outcasts. Perfect fodder for a revolutionary force. He called to them and a few gathered to see this strange sight. Using one of his long fingers, he drew out a map of the Empire and then stood up, "What do you see here? The Empire of Humanity. Yeah, that's right. But do YOU really feel a part of it? Or did the gracious Empire take you and your land just for power? I'm betting it's the latter. You were rejected by Eldarwen and by your blood-bequeather, Sontius. And you are rejected by the Empire as well. They just want you so they can add this set of island to their territory. And don't give me THAT. They don't give a fuck if you die or get sick. They only want your land and your lives. A storm is gathering in this Age. And YOU will be the first cracks of thunder and the final jolt of lightening that splits this bloated MESS of an empire apart! All you need to do is take the first step."

Spoiler: Action(s)/OOC

Inspire a large group of mortals (500) for life.

Bonus(es):

- Anarchy [+4] (

Inspiring people to revolt.

) - DC = 9

Zs'Wua'Itzala - 3/8 AP


She left the cursed throne room with a sly smile on her face and went back to the Eva'la Collective to report her success. But what was this? Another one? She had to find out more but the Verr awaited her. It didn't take long for the Lady of Shadows to reach them, even though they were in the far north, above the Borderlands. Many were staring at the sea, which had been calm but could fly into a rage at any moment. She remembered her own fear of it when she was a mortal. But that was at least an Age ago. All Verr present bowed before the Lady and she lapped up the reverence. Nevertheless, as she turned her head, she sawthere was a Human-like silhouette in the distance. But it dissolved and changed into a quadrupedal beast that ran up to the group. It came to a halt when it arrived at the Lady's side. Now, she could see it was just a Phantom and not a mindless Craver. It began to speak.

"There is... an ally we may align ourselves with." It said.

This was a rude one. "Name and rank please. You speak before the Lady." Zs'Wua sternly replied.

"Annw'Zsamtr." The Phantom replied.

"Why did you not sent a report of your findings?" She snapped.

Annw'Zsamtr was stunned. Surely the Lady knew the answer herself, "Too important for simple transit, my lady."

She nodded - a sign for him to continue with his report.

"There is a resistance group called The Fellowship. They have arms from the Dues Filli and they are spread all over the Empire." He said, "We may set up a meeting if it is to your wishes."

She nodded again, "A meeting would be... interesting. But all we have to do is wait for the Empire to fall to those rebels and attack while the Empire is weak."

"B-b-but. We may reach an agreement. Assistance for land." He stuttered.

"I see..." She replied, "It is always good to have a backup plan. I approve."

She called a Shadowshriek to her arms and stroked it. It was a tiny male, but it would do. The broodmothers were busy with their young and would be spotted in broad daylight. Plus they couldn't fit into the small crooks and nannies that a large city like Manor had. She stroked it. If The Fellowship was any good, they would be good at hiding. Enough so to warrant a scry. She whispered a words to the Shadowshriek, attached a small small containing a few choice words and let it go, to be collect by the Phantoms currently in the capital of the Empire. They would know what to do. A few Verr whispered as she called the shadows and created a dark pool of liquid in her hand. 'Shadows see more than people think.' She thought with a smile as she began to chant.

Spoiler: Action(s)/OOC

Scry an area the size of a Large City, namely Manor. - DC = 11


Bonus(es):

Shadows [+4] (

Looking from the shadows of the city.

)

Hatred [+2] (

Tracking the group with their feelings of hate for the Empire.[code])

[u]Questions[/u]

1.) Where is their HQ?
2.) How can they be contacted?
3.) Is there any secret codes, handshakes etc needed to reach them?

[/spoiler]

 

[JoJo]

Roe - 24, 1 and Petal - 7

"Woof! Where are you boy?" Petal called out yet again into the trees and blew on her wooden whistle a couple more times. Nothing in the garden stirred.

"He must be too far away to hear us... maybe he's lost?" Roe suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Lost?" Petal gasped in horror, "He can't be lost! This place goes on forever, we'll never find him..."

"Don't worry, I have an idea," Roe replied confidently and took the whistle out of Petal's hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked tearfully.

"Making it so he can hear it like I can," Roe grunted as he concentrated his powers upon the small whistle. The toy began to glow and change shape in his hands.

Spoiler: Actions

DC13, 5AP - Reforge a +1 Magic Item into a +2 Magic item (Same conditions as +2, failure will destroy the item) - Roe reforges Roe's Whistle from a +1 Childhood item to a +2 Childhood item that Roe, Petal and Woof will all hear if the whistle is blown, using +7 Childhood (to find a childhood pet) and +4 Love (Petal loves the dog)

Minas Kei

The march through the desert was long and hard for both man and machine. Armour, guns, sandals... none were free from the scourge of the sand. Finally as dawn broke on the third day, the joint army of the Empire and the Mizzen caught a glimpse of the city of Minas Kei, it's forested buildings reaching high over the flattened dunes. Kinderven scouts shouted with joy as they dashed upon their Velocifly rides over the leafy metropolis and then returned with news: the Ekiruru were already preparing themselves.


It was only to be expected. Such a large force marching through a desert was hardly inconspicuous; in all honestly it was a little surprising that the Ekiruru hadn't already launched some sort of preemptive attack. However, now that the joint forces were so close, they had no intent of letting such a thing happen.

While infantry units prepped for close quarters combat, artilliary units readied themselves to unleash a hellish barrage upon the city, great cannons and primitive rail guns all locking their sights on the still distant spires.

At the back of the army flew beasts far larger than the Kinderven's mercenaries tiny dragonflies: the huge dragons of the Kin. Each was ridden by a knight in heavy armour who saluted their fellow Changelings upon the ground. Besides them were the Rowan foot soldiers, some wielding basic firearms and others carrying long sabres and even the occasional axe. Ekiruru slaves were few and far between, a handful were pulling along artillery units but they were chained tightly to their vehicle to prevent last minute treachery.

The Mizzen, meanwhile, prepared their various engines of war. Squards of Burners fiddled with their flamethrowers and bombs, ensuring that their mixtures were set at peak effeciency. Some of Breakers did likewise with their acids and gaseous weapons, while others focused more on their warhammers, maces, and, in a few cases, gatling guns. Builders meanwhile made a few last changes to their sheilds and vehicles, making sure that they would be able to weather the coming storm.

The commanders of the army conferred one last time, ensuring that every squad and soldier knew what their duties would be in the coming battle. The best strategists from every nation and race in the allience had been gathered together to compile the best plan they possible could, and it would be a shame to let a simple misunderstanding muck things up. United in their agreement, they parted ways, each of them heading back to their stations. They were ready to begin.

 

[TheBlueShotgun0]

Auctor 6AP

Auctor walked through the crowded hospital flanked by two guards. The noise was almost to much to bear. Every corner seemed to be filled with either a mad synthetic or a doctor trying to heal them. Even though the affliction had been raging for over a week now, no one could tell what was causing it or how to treat it. The synthetic population was being effectively crippled, and it seemed that only a miracle could save them.

Hence why Auctor was at the hospital. Fertdra, Auctor's chief medical officer and head of the hospital, pushed her way through the crowd of nurses to be at her Lady's side. "Greetings, Lady Auctor. What brings you here?"

"I wanted to see if I could help the synthetics." Auctor said. "Have you any leads as to the cause of this aliment?"

"I'm afraid not." Fertdra said, and fell into step next to Auctor. "I'm sure it has something to do with their brain chemistry, but there's no way of knowing for sure." A synthetic shuffled by, muttering something about Rowan wine before being lead back to its room. Fertdra leaned it closer avoid anyone overhearing her. "My Lady, do you have any idea as to its origin?"

Auctor had heard the reports of Mizzen in the city but had thought it was of no consequence. But when the synthetics started going mad, she'd been able to put two and two together. Clearly, Nivix's creations were behind this somehow. "I have a hunch." she told the doctor simply.

"Right." Fertdra mumbled, not completely satisfied with the answer. "Anyway, I'm sure you want to see patient zero."

Auctor was taken to a room near the back of the building. The lights were dimmed in this room, but Auctor could still see easily enough. In the middle of the room was a single bed, in which lay a sleeping synthetic. Patient zero, the first recorded victim. As Auctor approached it, the synthetic awoke and faced her Lady. "Hello, Lady Auctor." it said with a grin. "What brings you to my kingdom?"

Auctor was caught off guard by both the grin and the question. "Kingdom?"

"Yes, don't you see it?" the synthetic said, sweeping it's hand around the room. "All the mushrooms and the turtles. The purple sky and red grass and orange potatoes. It's all mine!" It started laughing, then suddenly stopped and face Auctor again. "So, what's up?"

Seith's wings. Auctor thought. This is bad. "I came to help you. You're confused. I want to heal you."

"Confused?" the synthetic asked. It seemed to toy with the idea for a moment. "No, no I don't think I am." it finally said. "You're welcome to check though. You'll see that I'm as sane as a wild cactus."

"Umm, ok." At least now Auctor knew she could approach it without it flipping out. She walked up to the patient and put her hand on it's forehead. Assembling the words in her head first, she carefully spoke a spell she hoped would counter the madness.

Wires and metal
Merged with flesh and blood
Shall not stumble in madness
But be sane as one.

The synthetic drifted back into sleep. "I hope that helps." Auctor said to herself.

Just then, a soldier in light armor burst through the door. "My Lady, my Lady!" she shouted, pushing past the assembled doctors and nurses.

"What is it, private?" Auctor said, stopping the young warrior.

"My Lady, an army is assembled out side the city walls. The Mizzen and Humans are going to invade." The others in the room gasped, but Auctor remained outwardly calm.

That's not to say she wasn't worried. "Take me to where I can see them, and have someone fetch my armor."

Spoiler: Action

Affect(Bless/Curse/Inspire) a large group of mortals(500) for life (DC 9): Create a counter-virus that cures the synthetics of their madness.
+4 Words: She used a verbal spell to channel her power.

 

[Arrogancy]

Vantric: 30, 2

Zareth and Aen left, each had their own agenda to see to, no doubt. Vantric turned and left for his own projects. So much work to do. He decided to check in on the situation back in Evalon.

Vantric appeared in Gaerv Vantric and changed into his avatar, a simple lainir, possibly a lord, certainly at the upper echelons of society. He often went to the city, it was without a doubt his favorite place on the mortal plane, the supreme center of power on Evalon, maybe someday even beyond. The city had changed considerably since its creation, Vantric considered, walking the crowded streets. Buildings had been demolished to make way for wider roads. The outer walls had had to be expanded to accommodate a growing population. Factories and businesses now opened their doors and steam trains now connected all the Impath's major cities. One thing, he noted with some pride, hadn't changed, the city's personality. That was eternal, burned into its bones, it had survived the first empire, and it would survive the Impath and even beyond.

The god made his way through the city. This would be one of his people's greatest tests, he had to know how they were approaching it. As he continued his walk, listening to various bits of gossip, a young boy stood on the sidewalk and began shouting, "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" He began, thrusting a paper into the air, "Dwarven king assassinated by revolutionaries! Monarchist forces vow revenge!"

Vantric immediately snatched a paper from the boy and began flipping through it. "HEY!" The boy shouted, following the god, "You have to pay for that!" Vantric didn't slow his pace, only willed a gold coin into existence and flipped it to the child, not looking back. The boy caught it, looking dumbfounded. "I...uh." He tried to get Vantric's attention, "Thank you very much sir!" He said, hurriedly and dashed back, continuing to hawk his wares.

Rapidly reading the paper, Vantric got a good view of the situation. Assassinating a king, framing the revolutionaries, starting a civil war. He nodded, not bad, not bad at all. It was clever, prepare for war by weakening your enemies. But that did lead to the question: who had they gotten to assassinate the king? Vantric smiled. That was certainly something worth looking into.

Spoiler: Aleis

Aleis looked out he window as the world whizzed by. After the assassination, the dwarven capital went on a temporary lock down, and after that she had to deal with a general panic. People fleeing the capital for fear of war, people coming to the capital hoping to help get rid of the revolutionaries. It took days before she could get a train ticket to return home.

A telegram had arrived from Sven the other day, congratulating her. Aleis leaned back. She was going to be paid well for this job. There was going to be war, she knew, Sven would try to find more contracts, but if she knew anything about her employer, he already had another few jobs ready for her. Aleis shut her eyes, feeling her bond-mate, Erach, a few cars down with the luggage. The spider wasn't happy about her accommodations, but it was the best that could be done.

After a few moments, she opened her eyes and bolted upright, seeing a lainir in a black cloak sitting across from her. How did he...? Aleis thought.

"Startled?" The lainir asked, Aleis didn't reply, only sat quietly evaluating the figure. To sneak up on her wasn't easy, she had spent years noticing every slight noise and shift in the shadows. What was going on?

"Terrible thing, what happened with the dwarven king. Who could do such a terrible thing?" So, that's what this was about, Aleis thought. Tying up loose ends. She should have known. It wasn't the first time that someone had tried to eliminate her after a job, and she wouldn't let it be the last. It would be difficult hiding the body until she could get her partner to get rid of it, but that was a minor inconvenience. Without hesitating, she lunged toward the lainir, grabbing the knife at her belt and driving it into the target's chest.

Aleis held it there for a moment, waiting until the heart stopped completely before moving the blade, she didn't want any blood to splatter on her clothes, it would be hell to get off if it had. Before she could begin contemplating her next move, Aleis heard a loud explosion and felt the train car lurch, tossing her and the lainir about like dolls. The last thing she remembered was the sound of glass breaking and a surge of fear, both internal and vicariously through the spider before passing out.

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

Vantric got up and dusted himself off. The train crash hadn't been accounted for, but it was helpful, in some sense, anyway. He stood up over the body of the assassin, Aleis. She was dying, he didn't need to be Zareth to know that. That wouldn't do. He had come to offer a deal, but this forced the issue. The god of ambition reached into his cloak and pulled out the jar and coin.

He knelt down, forcing a bit of the dark honey into Aleis's mouth, hoping that she wouldn't choke on it, but given the circumstances, that was a fairly unimportant possibility. Tossing the coin in the air, Vantric summoned his power. He would need it to try to save the woman.

Spoiler: Actions

Turn a mortal into a demigod-DC 15: +4 Secrets (Aleis is an assassin, very cloak-and-dagger) +2 Murder/Assassination (Again, assassin) +2 Luck (Her life hangs in the balance, Vantric is trying to shift the odds in her favor) +2 Sin (Murder for hire sounds fairly sinful to me)

Aleis: +4 Murder/Assassination, -2 ???

 

[JoJo]

The Storyteller

"After a frantic time of activity, many of the gods took a break. Up in the Hallowed Court however young Roe, as energetic as ever, reforged the whistle he had given Petal to boost it's power and to allow her pet dog to hear it's sound from wherever in Eldarwen's garden the beast had lost itself.

Meanwhile down on Evalon, the entire planet seemed to sliding into war. Aside from the assassination of the Dwarf King in Loth Ringard and the march of a joint Mizzen and Empire Army upon Minas Kei, Auctor managed to create a counter-virus that would cure her synthetics of the madness given by Ven in preparation for the invasion. Whether this was too little too late would have to be seen. To the west in Ortaw, Vantric saved the assassin of the King from imminent death and raised her up to be his third demigod.

Further down south, Zs'Wua scryed Manor to find out more about the Fellowship and found the following information: their headquarters in that metropolis were a large expensive house on the east of the city, they could be contacted by any of hundreds of lay members among the community but reaching the higher-ups was far more difficult: the Changeling butler at the HQ was a good link to them. One must recite a particular verse from the Book of Rowan to attain the trust of this man.

Not every demigod was successful however, Lleu's attempt to rally a number of the Changelings of the Maroe Archipelago ended in failure when his words were dismissed as folly and he was chased off the island by a torch-wielding mob."

 

[Arrogancy]

Vantric: 24, 2

Vantric waited for a moment after he finished the ritual, waiting to see the outcome. Aleis's body didn't move. Curious, he had felt the ritual complete successfully, she should have risen. He waited further. Still, the body remained immobile. Vantric looked to the coin in his hand. It showed the image of a body hanging from a gallows. Damn, He thought, putting the coin and jar away, Such a waste. She deserved better. Still, losses were acceptable, if unfortunate.

He turned away from the body and teleported. There was little to be gained in looking back and dwelling on what might have been.

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

Aleis: 8

She drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness, life and death. Dimly, Aleis was aware of things, but couldn't process their meaning, it was all she could do to know what was happening around her. She felt cold ground beneath her and a light breeze brushing against her skin, the air itself almost heavy with the moans of the dying. The smell of charred flesh and smoke reached her nose, but, like the screams, it was unimportant and distant.

Pain was close. Pain wrapped her entire body. Aleis didn't know what happened, or even knew what was happening. She felt, she didn't think, and pain was the overriding feeling. In the back of her mind, Aleis felt her partner, Erach. The spider was in pain as well, she could feel it even through the weakening bond. If she could understand what was happening, the assassin would have been afraid, concerned, and angry. As she was, though, there was little Aleis could do besides lay on the ground, feel pain, and wonder why the bond was weakening as she and the spider slowly died.

But she did not die. Aleis felt a new power flow through her, something new and different. Whatever it was offered some comfort, some relief. In the recesses of her mind, she realized that death had come at last, and wasn't certain how she felt about that. Death alleviated the pain, which was good, but she didn't want to die, not yet. There was still so much to do.

As the pain receded, Aleis began thinking more clearly. The train had crashed. That was what had killed her, she realized. Possibly an accident, or maybe revolutionary sabotage, not that it much mattered now. The train crashed just after she had killed the lainir silencer. It was starting to come back to her now. Yes, and then Erach...

Aleis's eyes opened. What happened to Erach? She felt the bond once more, felt it weakening further still. A tear rolled down the faredor's face. Erach was dying. Even if she were about to die anyway, the thought of losing her partner still disturbed the assassin. Struggling to gain control of her limbs, Aleis noted that her body seemed in better condition than she would have expected after a crash such as she had just gone through. That didn't matter though, what mattered was getting to Erach.

Slowly, she began dragging herself forward. If there were any silver lining to the situation, it was that the crash had thrown Aleis and her partner relatively close together. After a few moments of dragging herself, she finally felt well enough to begin crawling and steadily, if somewhat uneasily, made her way to Erach. It took a few minutes, but Aleis eventually found her partner.

Erach was caught between the overturned luggage car and several heavy trunks of luggage. The cage that the dwarves insisted she be kept in was broken, trapping and partially crushing the spider. She made a few pitiful hisses and gurgles upon sensing Aleis approach, wrenching the assassin's heart. There was nothing to be done for the spider, she could only wait until they both died, which should be soon, but then, there was one other thing she could do for Erach. One last mercy to give.

Aleis looked about on the ground and quickly found a jagged piece of metal small enough to hold in her hand. It was just enough to finish things. Erach looked up at her partner a steady stream of fear and pain and something akin to relief and confusion flooding the bond. Aleis brought her hand close to the spider's head and began lightly petting it. "Don't worry. It'll be all right." The faredor whispered, preparing the makeshift knife. That's when it happened.

As she pulled her hand away, Aleis noticed it covered in the spider's blood, and a warm, tingling sensation encompassing it. To her shock, the blood began to sink into her skin. Almost involuntarily, Aleis reached down again, wondering what was going on. Erach's blood began to run toward Aleis's hand, drawn to it like metal to a magnet. Trying to pull her hand away once more, Aleis found that she couldn't something new was happening. Fear flooded the bond, echoing in both partners. Aleis felt her bones break and snap, a pain more intense than the crash washed over her. When the darkness of unconsciousness came this time, it was with relief.

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

Aleis woke once more with surprise. She was still disoriented, but knew distinctly that she should not be alive. Between the train crash and the strange curse she knew she should have been dead twice over. Something felt different, but she took little notice, after everything it would be more or a shock if she felt similar to how she had earlier. Out of habit, Aleis sensed for Erach before remembering the spider's death. She was about to weep, when she felt the stirrings of her bond still in her mind. Exploring more deeply, she tried to find Erach, hoping vainly that her partner was still alive. To her shock, the bond didn't seem to lead anywhere, only echoing back into her own mind. It was a distant hope, but still...

Aleis began pushing herself up. She hadn't survived everything else just to die here. Erach was dead, and she would mourn later. Right now, she was alive, and needed to get going if she were going to stay that way. Her limbs felt sluggish as she tried to move, but persisted. Eventually, she made it up on all fours, she took a deep breath and pushed herself up once more, getting upright. The faredor stood there, trying to control her shaking legs, it took another few moments before they listened.

Taking one careful step, Aleis almost immediately stumbled, but was instinctively caught by another limb. Catching her breath, she looked over and saw a long, slender spider's leg holding her up. She felt it. She couldn't move or even breathe for shock as she slowly became aware of three other limbs like it, each one bending forward, moving itself into her view. Aleis stood there for a moment, taking in her new form, realizing, with no small degree of horror that she had become a monster.

Spoiler: Aleis, Death's Embrace

 

[Dogmatic99]

Zareth 24 , 2

Pandemonium reigned over the streets. Soldiers were scrambling, emergency services were run off their feet. People were fighting everywhere. Things were not going very well. Not very well at all. And he still couldn't shake that headache. Of course that shouldn't have been his biggest worry. His biggest worry should have been that the world had gone grey, that it was moving both slower and faster than normal, that the sounds seemed to come in delayed echoes.

"Where is that music coming from?" Was someone playing the flute?

He wandered down the street, following the sound of the music. There was a man sat on the roof of paper stand like a child on the rocks at the beach. He was dressed like an undertaker, buttoned and tied up so smartly it might have been their first day. His pitch black suit and hair served to make his skin and eyes look even paler. The tempo of his tune picked up and it lost its haunting nature as he switched into a country jig. He would have looked human if it weren't for the small pair of horns jutting out from under his fringe. So that must have meant he was a changeling.

"You know I'm not just a changeling." The undertaker said. It sounded ominous, especially since he didn't stop playing the flute to say it.

"So you're... who I think you are?"

The flute player jumped down from the roof, passing through the stand owner. "And you must be who I think you are. King Necarten, so sorry I'm late." He smiled.

"Yes that's me." Said the bemused dwarf king. "Was me."

"It still is!" Cheered the musician, patting the dead king on the shoulder. "Your situation's changed not your identity."

"I never pictured you as wearing a waistcoat. Then again, the old pictures always show you as a dwarf."

"With a pair of imposing scales, I've seen them. Thought I'd try a new look for a new age." Zareth straightened his tie as if to prove the point.

"So what happens now?" Necarten asked.

"Now you step through the door." The death god ushered towards the gaping doorway that had sprung out of the side of the news stand.

"Oh those... yeah those doors have been following me around for days." The dwarf seemed embarrassed that he hadn't worked it out sooner.

"Yes most people find them a little intimidating."

"But I thought... I'm a ghost. Don't ghosts have to see to their unfinished business before they can be laid to rest?"

"Oh nothing so dramatic!" Zareth waved the words away. "No, really all anyone needs to move on is the courage to take the first step." Necarten didn't seem convinced. "I know you don't want to go, kings never do. Trust me when I say you're done, there is nothing more you can do."

"It's going to be war isn't it?"

"Oh yes. Imagine some kind of metaphor for your death being a spark and the dwarf kingdom being a tinderbox and so on and so on. I am going to be very busy in the next few months, maybe years."

"I hoped so much that there wouldn't be war in my lifetime..."

"And there wont be. Put the crown down Necarten, this fight isn't yours anymore. Rest."

"Will I at least be able to sleep without this headache?"

THAT, Zareth could help with. He reached into the king's eyes socket with his slender, clawed, finger and rummaged around with all the grace of a five year old picking their nose. He dragged it out and with it a perfectly intact eye and bullet. Necarten spluttered and gawped in amazement but his questions were cut off.

"Don't question it." Zareth said. "We run on a whole other logic on this side."

He ushered the dwarf on and lead them to the threshold of the door, its light flooding over them. The stared into it, unblinking, unblinded.

"What's it like... on the other side?"

"The beer will never run out, I promise you that."

*****​

He rally had been late, how long had the dwarf king been wandering around? Zareth chided himself, between Evermoor, the stryfe and his plans for Evalon he was running himself ragged. He'd let himself slip. He had to admit that. He held the dead eye up between his fingers, it looked so angry. Who wouldn't after getting shot?

He remembered the devices that the mortals had been making, the ones to help them tell the time wherever they were. Watches, that was what they called them. I really am falling behind the times. Still, he'd studied their techniques when the inventors had started dying off. It wouldn't be too hard to add a few of his own touches, some that could serve his needs. He could even make use of the eye. Though looking at it one more time gave him second thoughts. This is going to be a very angry looking watch...

He clapped his hands, slamming the eye and the bullet together once again.

Spoiler: Action

Reshape Amour into a flute = effortless

Forge a +2 Item
DC 15 AP 6

Create a pocket watch. Domain: +2 Wither.

+6 Death, Using the eye of a dead dwarf (and the bullet used to kill him) to make it.
+4 Age, When opened the watch lets out the full force of all the years and lives it has seen aging any mortal that looks it in the eye within seconds. (effectively the more aggressive use of Zareth's Age domain).
+2 Crafter, Crafting himself a watch.

Spoiler: I'll just keep it in my pocket for later...

 

[Terratina.]

Lleu - 3/8 AP

He bit his lip. The strange Changlings gathered up torches and begin to gave chase. This wasn't going well. He laughed nervously and began to run. Lleu's face eventually broke out into a smile as he realised the irony of the situation. The rebels rebel against the Long Arm of Rebellion. Wait... He liked the sound of that. Oh, the things you think of when being chased by an angry mob. Why was he running, anyway? Surely a demigod had nothing to fear from mortals. He decided to lead them on a merry chase. All the way through the Maroe Archipelago to the Chama Peninsula proper. He had been thinking of going to Manor soon anyway. He jumped over the ocean and looked to the mob from a high cliff.

Then with all his might he shouted, "COME AND CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!"

Manor was, without a doubt, a grand city. Though the wanted posters were more common here, which irked him. 'Enough of these rookies already!' He thought as he tore off more of the posters. But that drew the attention of the city guard. They rushed over to him and pointed their weapons at the demigod. All he did was smile and wish himself away to the throne room. This time it was going to plan. But, what was this? He sniffed. There was something in the air. An enchantment? He had to met the person who did this. Nevertheless, more guards were on their way and so he exited the palace. But, to Lleu's dismay, one had the gall to shoot him in the chest. Lleu laughed and pulled out the bullet.

Still smirking, with open arms, he said, "Come, join the revolution!"

Spoiler: Actions/OOC

Inspire a small group of mortals (less than 50) for life. - DC = 7

Bonus(es):

- Anarchy [+4] (

Inspiring the palace guards to revolt.

)

 

[JoJo]

Roe - 19, 2 and Petal - 7

The wooden whistle glowed and shook in Roe's hands and then fell still. It had elongated and darkened in colour slightly but otherwise looked mostly the same as it had before.

"Here, try this," the young god told Petal, handing her the item. She put the whistle to her lips and blew it again, watching the trees as she did for any sign of movement.

"Nothing," she said in disappointment but then suddenly the bushes shook and out bounded Woof, barking dramatically. He ran up to Petal and almost bowled her over, she laughed and hugged the animal back.

"You made me worried," she told the dog sternly.

"Come on, lets go somewhere together," Roe said happily.

Some time later, the trio were resting on what would look to mortals like a cloud in the sky of Coelus. In reality the fluffy white surface was solid enough to support the weight of the two children and their pet. Woof sat to one side scratching himself while Roe and Petal were lent over a hole, watching the city of Quadringa below. The only Grigori in sight were those who stood guard around the walls of the city, watching for any Kinderven who might try their luck with the outside world. Most were happy to stay within the city though where meals and toys were regularly delivered by Rowan missionaries wearing extra thick protective clothing and their waste cleared away from the makeshift houses which lined the small metropolis. The plentiful supplies meant conflict was rare and when it did occur it was no more harmful than a mortal child's squabble: their poisonous bite had no effect on each other. There was always the chance to leave for other planets too whenever a wandering starwhale came close enough.

"It's beautiful," Petal breathed, "So many children and they hardly ever fight, they just play all day. What would happen if someone tried to invade them though?"

"I'd fight for them!" Roe replied confidently.

"What if you're busy or don't know what's happening?" the young girl asked in concern.

"Hmmmmm... I don't know," her friend replied honestly, "I'll make it so they can work together to protect themselves if they need to, then."

Roe closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Petal watched with delight as first one child and then many more began to gather in the city centre and run around in circles, waving red and gold banners.

"Something's happening!" she squeaked.

Spoiler: Action

DC13 - 5 AP - Inspire a huge amount of mortals (5000) for the rest of their lives - Roe inspires the Kinderven in the city of Quadringa to unite into one nation to protect their rules-free lifestyle with Childhood +6 (it's a city run entirely by children) and Chaos +6 (They will work together if need be to keep the city chaotic)

 

[Arrogancy]

Spoiler: Girls Talking

Aryx: 8

Aryx shut her book. She needed a project. All of existence was laid out before her, and it seemed...dull. Sighing, she continued to walk the halls of the fortress, intermittently passing by some devils who bowed to her in deference. At least she wasn't at the Battlegrounds, Aryx thought. Vantric wanted another report on Ren, though the angel was determined to delay the action for as long as possible. There had to be something else to do. Working on curses, while exciting, wasn't something she wanted to do at the moment. She wanted to test them.

There were things going on elsewhere, she knew. Across the solar system, her name was being invoked, people prayed to her, acted on. Most of it was dreadfully dull, the same tedious blather mortals usually spewed whenever they wanted power. Some were more worthwhile though, some wanted knowledge, some wanted to advance her grand work, and those she was more than willing to help. At the moment, Evalon in particular seemed to be in particular turmoil. Aryx felt more people praying to her than any time before, dark powers were being awakened and used on the planet. Vantric had recently gone there and begun a work of some kind, and she wouldn't doubt that he was somehow involved in whatever crisis was engulfing the planet. Aryx stretched out her wings, at least working for Vantric wasn't boring, and it was probably a good time to see what was going on.

The angel traced Vantric's power back to a location on Evalon, somewhere between Almia and Eva Lothi, if she had to guess. Of course, She thought. Vantric was always busy, and his recent project was consuming all his time. Aryx didn't particularly care, or understand why the elder god cared so much about the affairs of mortals, but it was hardly her place. Vantric could do as he pleased, provided he didn't interfere with her work, not that she had much to fear on that front.

Aryx set down on the broken ground and the chaotic scene. Wreckage and ruin were everywhere. Strange, it was hardly like Vantric to leave a trail behind in the course of his work, at least not one quite so noticeable. Why would he destroy a train? Or, perhaps, who was worth destroying? It was all very confusing, and exceptionally difficult keeping up with Vantric's schemes. Still, the train crash hardly made sense, killing a few hundred mortals a toppling a train hardly seemed like it should take all the effort that Vantric had expended earlier. Covering his tracks maybe...? But why? She began a careful search of the perimeter. Something else had to be here. The question was what.

*****​

Aleis: 8

Aleis had no time to reflect on her transformation. Before realizing what she was doing, she had fallen to her new legs, staying close to the ground, dashing toward the overturned luggage car. It was only once she was in the car that Aleis realized what she was running from. Something had come, she could sense it. Something powerful. But why had she run? She only just discovered there was something. It was as though... She tensed. It was as though something else had controlled her. Something instinctive, something primal.

Tenatively, Aleis felt in her mind for the bond she had shared with Erach. Once more, the bond only echoed back into her own mind, but this time there was something more. A shy voice whispered back to her, Quiet. Aleis held her breath, Danger.

"Erach?" Aleis asked as loud as she dared. It was impossible. The spider had died, she had watched it's body break apart in her hand, but then, it wouldn't be the only impossible thing to happen this day. Erach. The soft voice whispered once more into her mind, Aleis. An image formed in her mind, the faredor and her partner sitting across from each other, staring into each other's eyes, both beings seeing the same image though. Alive. It whispered. A strange sensation took Aleis by surprise. She felt...something through the bond. Something new.

Erach began moving in Aleis's mind, if it could be said to do so. It took in her partner's thoughts and memories, becoming sentient and thinking as her partner did. Aleis, meanwhile, began understanding the world through the spider's senses. She felt a predatory instinct, felt the need to hunt and kill. It was different than her assassin's training. That was learned, this was known.

A light, fluttering sound just outside the car sent Aleis immediately to the wall. Something was alive outside, she would have to be careful about how she approached it. Carefully, Aleis stretched toward the open door on the sideways train car, leading with her arachnid legs. She was thankful that Erach was with her, helping guide her movements, she was still adjusting to her new body, but at least the experiences vicariously lived through her partner helped make the transition a bit less awkward.

As she pulled herself up, Areis used her lower legs to push and get a grip on the walls. The assassin pushed her head just out into the open, silently cursing the lack of cover, both her assassin's training and Erach's predatory instincts reeled in discomfort at the prospect of being exposed to something so strong, but there was little alternative. Whatever was out there didn't come by chance, not considering everything else. If she were to survive, Areis needed information, she needed to know what had come.

The target wasn't difficult to spot, not with the feathers blowing in the wind behind it. It was a grigori, that much was obvious, but unlike any grigori that Aleis had ever seen, for a start, she had never heard of an angel with black wings. Despite the wounded still crying out for help, the angel ignored them. Odd, weren't they supposed to be all about peace, love, and help? The angel walked about the crashed train, running her hand along the broken cars, sometimes stopping to stare briefly at the dead or dying, then turning back. She's searching for something, Aleis realized, and she could take a wild guess at what 'something' was. Well, she was far from dead, whatever she was now, and she needed answers. If the angel had come searching for her, then the assassin would give her what she wanted.

Quickly, quietly, Aleis jumped out of the luggage car, hopping to the side of the train opposite the angel. With a new agility, Aleis moved rapidly along the train. Careful, Erach warned, accompanying the word with an image of a bird swooping down and eating a spider.

Aleis shook her head, We aren't going to end up like that. She assured Erach.

Angel. Came the spider's reply.

Once more, Aleis pulled herself up to look over the side of the train. She could just make out the tip of the angel's wings, fluttering to keep the grigori hovering just off the ground. Stretching out her arachnid legs once again, the faredor lifted herself on top of the train silently in one swift motion. She was now in a position to strike, but still felt lacking. The human and spider knew the value of a first strike, and the importance of making it the last.

Contemplating the best course of action, Areis became aware of a substance secreting from the claws her fingers ended in. An image of a statue filled her mind while Erach searched for the word, but Areis understood well enough. Now she was ready. The grigori began pushing herself up higher, trying to get a better view of the wreck, and then Aleis struck.

As she rose, the assassin lunged, pushing upward on her four lower legs, striking at the angel's neck. They collided in midair, the angel letting out a brief gasp in stunned surprise. The angel hit the ground, with Aleis on top of her, the arachnid's legs wrapping around and pinning down her prey's wings, keeping her from moving as she let the venom drip into the angel's wounds. Slowly, the angel stopped thrashing, and went limp, Aleis carefully lifted up her prey and turned her over. The venom was supposed to be paralytic, at least Erach believed it was, but in their new body, neither was particularly sure what was going on.

She supported the angel up in her arms, bringing the face to face, holding up the angel's head in a spider leg. Staring into the paralyzed girgori's eyes, Aleis was pleased to find that they stared back at her, cold and hateful. Good, The woman thought, now she might be able to get some answers. Dragging her to the side of the train car, Aleis once pushed her against the metal, and stabbed her upper legs through the angel's wings, both propping her up and immobilizing her, she hadn't used much venom on the target, and with any luck, it should wear off soon.

It was subtle, at first, a few twitches at the edges of the angel's fingers, but she eventually began regaining more of her body as the poison worked its way out of her system. Aleis took a step forward, wrapping a hand around the angel's throat. Her captive would soon be able to speak, she was already starting to snarl, at least, inasmuch as she could. "Who are you?"

The angel quietly muttered a quick phrase, too fast for Aleis to hear, suddenly, her body erupted in pain, it felt as though her blood were being forcibly pulled out. Instinctively, she clenched her hand on the grigori's neck as tightly as she could until the feeling went away. What sort of grigori uses dark magic? An image of a fly with its wings torn off filled Aleis's mind, and she considered it for a moment before turning to her captive, slightly loosening her grip. There would be plenty of time to torture the angel once she had what she needed.

"I'll ask you once more, this time if you don't answer I'll make things very painful. Who. Are. You."

The angel wheezed before answering, "Aryx."

Aleis raised an eyebrow, "Like the goddess?"

"I AM the goddess, mongrel. Now, what are you? One of Vantric's failed projects?"

"Vantric? I...What do you mean?" This was unexpected. Vantric? Was a god actually involved in this? And...Aryx? What was happening?

"Not the brightest one, are you? I honestly don't know why Vantric bothers with failures like you and-" Aryx was cut off when Areis began choking her again.

"What did he do to me? Why?"

"I can only guess he thought you might be useful." Aryx said as the pressure was eased off her throat, "Vantric keeps his own counsel."

"Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to know what Vantric's interest in this area was. Looks like I found it. You should be thankful, he usually doesn't bother dealing so directly with most mortals."

Aleis paused, if the angel could be believed, then a god had come down from the heavens and...what, exactly? Cursed her? Maybe, but it seemed like there was something else here. She couldn't think of anything she had done to particularly offend the god of ambition, or even much to draw his attention. One way or another she'd get to the bottom of this. Aleis loosed her grip on Aryx, letting up her grip on the angel's wings. "Where is Vantric? I want answers."

Aryx stretched out her wings, then folded them back. "I don't know exactly. Also," Aleis was sent flying by a bolt of energy the witch launched. "That's for ambushing me." The spider took over, catching Aleis with her arachnid legs before she hit the ground, and righting the woman. The pair stared at each other once again, waiting for the next move to be made. After several tense moments Aryx snorted and turned diffidently away from her opponent. "You're hardly worth my time."

"Wait," Aleis called, going toward the angel. Erach tried to warn her against drawing the sorceress's attention, but she persisted. "Where are you going?"

"That's none of your concern."

"It is now." Aleis put herself right in Aryx's view, arms folded across her chest. "You're going to lead me to Vantric. He'll summon you at some point, right? I'll follow from there. You're not leaving my sight."

The angel smirked, "We'll see about that." Then vanished.

Aleis stopped, dumbfounded. Stupid, She scolded herself. How could she catch someone who could vanish with a thought. She grit her teeth, wishing that she could somehow follow Aryx. Aleis felt the world shift for a second and found herself once more next to the black-winged angel.

"I didn't think you'd manage that so soon." Aryx grumbled.

Aleis didn't know what she did, but smiled anyway, "You aren't getting away so easily." She looked around, seeing a strange city in the distance, surrounding it was a sea of gleaming metal and human soldiers. It took her a while to realize that she was seeing Minas Kei, remembering it from long ago, having once passed the city at a distance. "What's happening?" She asked aloud.

Aryx looked over the fields of machinery, magic and men, all leading toward the forest-city at its center. "Let's find out."

 

[TheBlueShotgun0]

Loth Ringard, Intende Commons

Markous Falma Intende looked at his watch as he exited the pub. Nearly curfew, though the still wasn't tired. But he had no intention of being arrested, so he headed down the street towards his home. The streets were still very busy, despite the late hour, but Markous was able to flow seamlessly with the crowd. Having grown up in Loth Ringard, it was nothing that he wasn't already used too. He passed several police patrols on his way. They'd become much more common after the assassination.

The assassination. To many, it was as if the world had ended with Necarten's life. A king had not been killed in over 10,000 generations, and the last time it had lead to thousands of years of darkness. At least this time there was a heir to take his place, but he was still a boy. Meanwhile, the government couldn't decide who would rule in his place. And with the Kingdom beset upon on all sides, that indecision could prove deadly.

But while the politicians argued with each other over the Kingdom's future, Markous had his own worries. His family, the Falma, were famous for their innovations in armors and shielding. So it was only natural that the government would approach them asking for a new and better material to make armor out of. The project was given to Markous, and he had put his heart and soul into it. He knew how much honor his family could gain from his success, and was hardly keen on letting them down. But it seemed that all of nature was working against him. Every time he thought he was making progress, another ten problems would crop up. He had brought in metallurgists, chemists, and physicists, but to no avail. He was beginning to think that it was an impossible task.

Lost in his own frustrated thoughts, Markous didn't notice an old man walking the opposite way. They ran into each other and the old Dwarf fell to the ground. With a stream of apologies, Markous bent down to help him up. The old man merely laughed it off and graciously accepted his help. Once righted, he wished Markous a good day and continued to his destination. It was only after the old man had walked away did Markous notice the neat scroll on the ground were he had fallen. He picked it up and tried to call the old man back, but he had already disappeared. Markous inspected the scroll further and this time noticed what was imprinted on the wax seal.

To: Markous Falma Intende
From: Pentar, God of Order

Spoiler: Action

Affect(Bless/Curse/Inspire) a single mortal for the term of their natural life (DC 5): Within the scroll is the recipe for Dwarven Steel, an incredibly strong and light metal. Markous will be credited with it's discovery, and only a hand full of important Intende and Maktom will understand how to create it.

+2 Government (It was a government contract, after all)
+6 Order (This new metal will be used against the Dwarven rebels)

 

[JoJo]

The Storyteller

The Storyteller coughed to clear his throat and then continued the tale.

"Deep down in the grey space between Evalon and Evermoor, Zareth forged himself a powerful pocket watch infused with not only the essence of withering but also an eye plucked from the King of the Dwarves.

Meanwhile back in the mortal realm, Lleu caused the guards of the Emperor's palace in Manor to revolt, an event that would mark the Empire's history forever more. To the west in another great city, Loth Ringard, Pentar granted the reciepe for Dwarven Steel to a mortal dwarf. Far across the void on Coelus, Roe inspired the Kinderven of the city of Quad to resist outside influence from their neighbouring Grigori and others except on their own terms."

The children seemed particularly fascinated with the concept of a city run by Kinderven, chattering amongst themselves whenever it was brought up.

"Did they get to choose their own bedtime, because they had no mamas or papas?" one little girl asked the Storyteller.

"Yes, I believe they did," he smiled gently.

"I wish I lived there," she said ruefully, "I'd never go to bed ever again!"

The Storyteller laughed and passed the girl his pipe.

"Here, try a puff of this, it'll help keep you awake,"

 

[DarkRawen]

Dåre 24, 2

The bird chirped gleefully, it had noticed the changes, prancing around proudly as it said one last goodbye to the mad world it had called its home. He had not only been helped by Melanthios, but also another god, albeit he did not know which. He was sure the god had been at the meeting, though. Dåre then picked the new demigod up, it had not yet received a name. It was only proper for someone to have a name, especially if they were to live that long.

"Hm..." Dåre thought. "Stormageddon? No, no, that sounds a bit... Frikk?" Yeah, that sounded a lot better. "Would you like to be named Frikk?" he asked it, and it nodded, having understood most of what he said, at least. "Then then will be your name. Congratulations, and happy birthday, Frikk," The god said, smiling. His first demigod was staring at him, head tilted. It made him happy, and feel bubbly and cheerful. It was at this time he felt the nudge from M'endar, though he didn't know who it was at this time. Someone. "Oh." He suddenly realized, having almost forgotten that he was done exploring Ilea. "That's right. There's a whole world out there. I should probably see what's going on." Frikk looked at him, expectantly, probably wanting to see what was beyond the vast ocean in the sky. It was as curious as him. Was it as mad? Did that really matter? "Let's go, then."

The two of them got on the carpet, and it took them out from under the sea in a hurry, swirling around, and carrying them to outer space. However, the shock of suddenly realizing the situation reached Dåre as they did. War? Why was some of the mortals fighting? When had that happened? He had been too lost in his own business, he hadn't noticed. However, the amount of madness and blood, and hatred, he somehow knew what it was. Was it familiar? Or just simply instinct? Melon?

"What can I do?" he asked himself, feeling powerless. Some of the god had to want this to happen, else they would have stopped it by now. Not everyone could be lost in their own business, right? Could he stop it, then? No. Was there even anything he could do? Was he to He looked around, and noticed his own planet. His mad mind formed a connection between two dots, and he suddenly started making a new item, one capable of entering mortals minds when they fell asleep, and letting him alter them. Now, he didn't have the intention of manipulating the mortals, but this would come in handy. The item he had in mind was a flute, a flute which would open the dreams of every mortal who heard its tunes.

Spoiler: OOC

Frikk:

Actions (Daare):
Forge a +2 Magic item: DC 15, 6 AP
Dream Flute: +2 Dreams
Domains:
+6 Madness (Entering and altering the dreams of mortals can be dangerous and risky. Anyone would be oposed to doing so, if in their right mind. Now, a dose of refreshing madness always helps with those pesky sane thoughts. Not to mention, any mortal who hears the flute while being awake, might find themselves drifting into the same comfortable madness.)
+6 Charming (Daare's presence is pleasant and well-liked, making people drop their guards around him. This isn't limited to when people are awake, thus making it easier for him to enter dreams.)

Spoiler: Flute

Not the woman, the flute. Ignore the woman. Seriously, ignore her.

 

[JoJo]

Roe and Petal

Roe lowered his hands as his inspiration ended and looked down at the city below in satisfaction. The Kinderven had worked themselves up into a frenzy, thousands upon thousands of them gathering in the city square and shouting. Roe grinned and then put his hands to his head in concern.

"Hey Pets, there's some stuff happening on Evalon I've got to look at, I'll see you back at the house,"

He stood up and without any further delay leapt off the cloud into space. Petal watched him soar into the distance and then turned to Woof.

"Come on boy, let's see what's happening down there," she enthused.

The little demigod cast a spell of invisibility over herself and her canine companion and then slowly flew downwards until she landed on a crumbling diamond building at the side of the city square. Kinderven filed the square in front of her, many of them waving red and gold flags she had never seen before.

Spoiler: The Flag

Proud cries came from all around the square from Kinderven of all sizes, big and small.

"All hail the Children's Republic of Quadringa!"

"The Grigori can't tell us to do anything now!"

"Hey, I want a flag too!"

Petal watched silently with wide eyes at the roaring crowd, she had never seen anything like it before. She glanced back at Woof and then suddenly an idea hit her.

Valor IV

It was just a day after the rebellion of the palace guards and the royal temple priests had been warned well in advance to retreat into their rooms that afternoon. The temple was therefore empty when Valor IV strode in, a bloodied bandage wrapped around his bulging middle. He was otherwise dressed in the finest silks and a golden crown perched on his head.

As he walked in, Valor passed a number of large paintings, each depicting a scene from the many Rowan tales of the gods. Seith, Eldarwen and Ailish plotting their rebellious scheme against the other deities, Pentar gesturing angrily at Vantric and M'endar, Melanthios and Zareth talking to the dead, Nivix and Daare sharing a passionate moment. The Emperor of Humanity strode past the paintings with barely a second glance though, there was only one he was looking for. He halted in front of the largest artwork of the temple and fell to his knees with his hands clasped. He gazed up at up at the painting of Roe and Aen standing together, holding the white flower and dragon banner of the Empire between them and each with an impossibly large crown on their head. In the top lefthand corner Petal could be seen riding Grix.

"Lords..." he breathed, "My deepest thanks for saving me from the rebellious guards, why you let the Fellowship exist to rebel against your divinely mandated order I don't know but I trust in your judgement. I have already dealt with those assassins but what else should I do?"

With grim satisfaction he recalled the screams of the surviving guards as he had them sent off to the torture chambers, and their families brought in as an extra incentive to talk if the first round of interrogations were not fruitful. All would eventually meet a painful death as was just but first they would reveal their secrets.

"What would you do Lords, if the other gods were rebelling against your divine royalty?" he asked aloud. Of course, the painting remained as static as ever. "You crushed the dark trio who threatened your rule a millenia ago, I suppose I must do the same. I swear I will root out every dissident in these lands in your name, however long it takes."

 

[Arrogancy]

Spoiler: ...and in the distance echoed the thunder of War." -Of Blood and Shadow, a History of the Great War

The dragon dove through the early morning fog, surprising the sailors on the deck below. It landed quietly, as quietly as a dragon could, anyway, and its rider descended. A lainir officer ran up to the rider, there was a brief exchange and a message was handed from the rider to the officer. Reading the message quickly, the officer nodded to the rider before dashing off. A few moments later, the officer entered the room of his commanding officer. "General Halon sir, message from Air Marshal Weils. He wants to begin moving the airships forward for the attack."

Halon was sitting at his desk and looked over the map before him. He plotted where the airship fleet currently was, then its distance to the targets on the dwarven coast, then calculated how much time it would take to get there. "Send a message to Marshal Weils, he is to stick to my timetable. We are to move forward at the appointed time and not beforehand."

"Yes sir." The officer said, saluting before quickly leaving. Halon turned back to the map. Years of planning and maneuvering had led to this. In a few hours they would launch the first strike against the dwarves, and then all Hell would break loose. He had met with all the officers he could in the last few days as the fleet moved toward its destination. There was just one last person to speak with. He leaned over and picked up his cane where it leaned against the wall, slowly rising.

Halon carefully walked across the ship, many of the soldiers, sailors and officers stopping to salute him as he passed. The I.A.S. Kraken was the largest cruiser in any navy on Ortaw, it was commissioned specifically for the Impath, specifically for this campaign. He made his way below deck, the steady thrum of the steam engines which powered the hulking ship grinding steadily forward. The steady beat reminded him of the heart of some ancient monster, awakening after millennia dormant. The analogy felt oddly appropriate as he arrived at the door of the figure he had come to meet.

A pair of soldiers in black uniforms flanked the door, rifles at the ready. Their uniforms were cut differently than that of the normal soldier in the army, full masks affixed to the helmets, and dimly glowing purple marks on either arm with a deep purple crystal on the chest of their uniform. They stood unnaturally still, making no move even as Halon approached.

"General Halon to see Marshal Kleis." He announced. The guards didn't move for a moment, only kept their stiff posture, leading Halon to wonder whether he should try to announce himself again, when one of them reached behind and opened the door.

Taking the advantage, Halon marched in quickly before the sentry changed his mind. Just after entering, the distinct sound of the metal door being pulled back into place. The room was sparse, containing only a bed, a small desk in the corner, and the room's single occupant.

Marshal Kleis was light skinned for a lainir, with white hair. He was the oldest officer on the campaign, even older than General Halon himself, it was to be expected, though. Kleis was Soulless. He was the commander of the Arcanist forces on the campaign. To most though, it was simply known as the Black Legion, for more than just the uniforms. He sat on the floor in a meditative trance, eyes shut, separate from the world, and Halon was uncertain whether or not he should try to interrupt the lainir's meditations.

"Greetings General Halon." Kleis said, opening his eyes.

"Marshal Kleis," He replied, offering his hand to Kleis, "I came by to check in on how your preparations were going."

Kleis shook Halon's hand then pushed himself up, "Of course general. The acolytes have been up perfecting their incantations. When our forces touch down on Eva Lothi, I assure you that the enemy will be debilitated by the power we have wrought against them."

Halon nodded, trying not to show his discomfort to the other lainir, "Very good. And your uh...other forces? Are they prepared?"

Kleis smiled, "General, when you recruited me for this campaign, I promised you an army that the enemy could not hope to match. I have delivered on that promise, and I will continue to. The undead forces will not fail this campaign, nor will they back down in the face of the enemy."

"That remains to be seen."

"Do you doubt me commander?" Kleis's voice adopted a harsh edge and Halon tightly gripped his cane, trying to hold his ground. The marshal smiled, "Then it seems I will have to prove my work to you on the campaign. Necromancy is a very tricky art, but by far the most rewarding."

Halon only slightly nodded, looking to back out of the situation as quickly as possible, "Yes. That concludes my work here, the invasion begins in three hours, I will be calling a meeting of the senior officers beforehand."

"And I will attend. This will be a war for the ages, commander."

 

[TheBlueShotgun0]

Spoiler: Loth Ringard, Royal Palace

Loth Ringard, Royal Palace

"Excuse me, I need to see General Damicus." the young Private said to the pair of guards.

"For what?" one of them replied, still rigid in front of the door to the General's office.

The Private searched his memory for the password that the Major had told him. "I need to tell him that Zareth's wife still lives."

The guard nodded and opened the door, revealing the dark office beyond. The Private quickly entered the office before the guards shut the door again. He heard the ***** of the door's latch as he advanced towards the desk. "General Damicus, sir." the Private said, saluting.

The Dwarf of about 60 years looked up from his paperwork on his desk to face the Private. His long red hair and beard, which were turning grey in some areas, flowed over his decorated uniform as he tapped his cigar against an ashtray. He placed it back in his mouth before addressing his subordinate. "Yes, Private?" General Damicus said in a deep and gravelly voice that none the less commanded respect.

"I've got a message here from Major Earmal." the Private said, and produced a note from his pocket. He passed it to the General, who snapped it open and began reading. "Um, may I ask you a question, sir?"

Damicus looked up from the note quizzically. "Yes, I suppose so." he said, and took another drag from his cigar.

"Who do you think should take control of the regency?" the Private asked, a bit more bluntly than he meant to. "The politicians can't come to a consensus, so what's your opinion on the matter?"

The General smiled and starred off for a moment, as if he was pondering the question. "Well, I look at it this way." he finally said. "The Representatives and the treasurers and the advisers can take all the time they want on the issue, but it's our job to make sure they can do so in security. So, to answer your question, I don't really care who rules, I just want to make sure they have something left to rule over once they take charge."

The Private thought it was an answer that made sense. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome. It was a good question, I'm glad you think like that." The General returned his attention to the note. When he finished reading, he tossed it in a pill with some other papers and took a puff of his cigar. "Looks like we've tracked down were that assassin got their weapon." he said, beaming at the Private. "Some little Gente village near Loth Flori." He took a pen and wrote a short message on a slip of paper, then folded it and handed it to the Private. "Tell Major Yemla that she has orders to dispatch a team to that location."

"Yes, sir!" the Private said happily as he took the paper. Finally, they would get retribution for Necarten. The turned to leave, but as he reached for the door the General called him again.

"Private." he said. "We will avenge our King. This, I swear."

Spoiler: Nadash Village, 10 kilometers west of Loth Flori, Surface

Nadash Village, 10 kilometers west of Loth Flori, Surface

Corporal Vymar jumped out of the armored truck with the rest of his team , pump-action shotgun at the ready. The Dwarven villagers looked on in silent curiosity; Vymar didn't think visitors usually came here, certainly not with armored cars and guns. But the villagers weren't what they were interested in. Their real quarry was somewhere in the house that the trucks had stopped in front of. Detran Ramious Gente, cattle driver and apparent arms dealer for the Rebellion. The sniper rifle used to kill Necarten had been traced back to him, and it was Vymar's team's job to bring him back to the capital for questioning.

Ignoring the stares from the villagers, Vymar took his position next to the front door as his teammates lined up behind him. He could feel the sweet under his armor and in his palms. This was the first step in getting revenge for the death of his King. Not only would this bring great honor to his family, but he wanted to bring justice to this traitor, this bastard of a Dwarf. He was privileged to carry out the will of his people.

When everyone was in position, Vymar knocked his fist against the door. "This is the Royal Dwarven Army!" he shouted. "Surrender yourself!" Personally, Vymar didn't like the idea of giving the traitor a chance to surrender, or worse, prepare, but protocol was protocol.

At any rate, no response came from the house. Vymar glanced at his Sargent, who gave the signal. Vymar nodded back and hit the latch of the door with the butt of his gun. The door flopped inward revealing a dimly lit hallway. "Squad A, move in." said the Sargent, and Vymar entered the house followed by five other soldiers. The hall continued strait into a kitchen and there was a stair way to their immediate right.

"I'll take the stairs." Vymar said under his breath to the others, though it sounded as loud as thunder in the quiet house. He and another Dwarf crept up the stairs with Vymar on point, their weapons ready. As they reached the second floor, Vymar could hear a stream of soft muttering coming from a side room. The pair took positions on either side of the door and listened. There was certainly someone in there, and it sounded like they were talking to them self. It must be Detran. Vymar thought. Now he would avenge the King. He gave the signal to his comrade and kicked in the door.

The room was lit only by a single candle, but Vymar could tell there was no furniture. As he advanced into the room and his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the news paper clippings that covered the walls. Every square centimeter of wall, ceiling, and floor was covered in news articles about Necarten's death, or pictures of the late King himself. In the center of this room was a lone figure hunched over the candle and with his back turned to the soldiers. He was on both knees and muttering to himself, apparently oblivious to the gun-toting soldiers in his home. "Are you Detran Ramious?" Vymar said, keeping his shotgun pointed at the Dwarf.

The figure stood up and turned to face the pair. Vymar could see that his face and hair were uncleaned and he was cradling something in his hands. Two blood shot eyes focused on the soldiers. "I-I swear, I didn't mean to kill him." he said as a tear rolling down his dirty cheek. "It was just business, just business, just business."

"Once again, are you Detran Ramious?" Vymar asked again, this time more forcefully. This whole thing was giving him the creeps. "I will not ask again."

His blood shot eyes focused Vymar, and the Corporal felt as if that gaze pierced his very soul. Detran worked his mouth, as if trying to decide what to say. "I'm sorry." he finally said in a shaky voice. "Pentar forgive me." With a yank of his hand he pulled a component off the object he held.

Too late, Vymar heard the destinctive click of a Lustravine III hand granade. "NO!" he shouted, and jumped towards the arms dealer, the traitor, the coward, just as the bomb exploded.

 

[Arrogancy]

Vantric: 20, 2

Tension seemed high everywhere, unless he was mistaken, and Vantric was rarely mistaken. War had broken out in an isolated pocket of the world, Minas Kei, he was almost certain. In the north, the dwarves were dissolving into civil war as the lainir crept in, preparing their strike. There was another tug, however, in the Empire of Humanity where ambitions ran wild and dark deeds were rising. He smiled, it was time he took a look.

Vantric had had many dealings with humanity over the centuries, not as many as with the lainir, but much more than the dwarves or the grigori. They were an interesting lot, never seeming to have a clear direction everyone pulling against everyone else then coming together again. At the very least they couldn't be said to be static. The capital of the human empire was awash in ambition and dark desires, most capitals were, but the pronounced tension in the air lent something different to the city, a certain flavor, almost bitter, permeated the atmosphere.

As was his custom, Vantric sought out the leader of the city. The true measure of a place was the character of whomsoever ran it. It didn't take long to find the city's leader, unlike in the Impath where any number of shadowlords ruled over a given territory, the emperor seemed to be vested with the power of the state and the autonomy to exercise it.

Emperor Valor IV was a fairly unimpressive man, aside from the flowing regal robes. He hardly seemed particularly striking, aside from the air of paranoia. Vantric had been working in politics long enough to know fear. Fear was sensible, smart people feared many things, they feared their enemies getting the better of them, opportunities passing by unexploited, their base of power cracking under them. Paranoia was different, and only the beaten were paranoid. He shook his head in disgust. Paranoia was sickening, and it boded ill for any government when it infected its leaders. Perhaps he could do something about that...

Vantric made himself visible, adopting his human guise and approached the emperor openly in his garden. He was without his guards, which was good, it would make dealing with him that much easier. "Hail to Valor IV, Emperor." He said, giving a mocking salute.

The man stopped, uncertain, no doubt wondering what was going on, "Who are you?" He demanded, leaning back on the balls of his feet, preparing to run.

"I came to pay my respects to you, Emperor Valor." Vantric said, taking a step forward, "I mean you no harm. In fact, I came to help."

"Help how?" The human asked, with rising suspicion, but rising curiosity as well.

"Do you love your empire, emperor?" Vantric took another step forward, "Your crown?" Another step, "Your life?" Another. "What would you be willing to do to keep those things? How far are you willing to go?"

The emperor took a half step back, though tried to hide it, "I would do anything and everything, but what does this have to do with anything? Who are you?" He demanded again.

"I am the answer to all your problems." The god offered his hand, "If you really are willing to go so far as you claim, then take my hand. I will help you secure your throne."

Valor stared at the god's hand, "Why?"

Vantric smiled, "Because I have an interest in seeing how far people will go to keep power, and what they will do to get it. The cost of this deal is only what you are willing to pay, but that directly affects what you receive as well."

The emperor thought about it some more, the tentatively took the god's hand, "Deal."

"Good." The god vanished, and in his place, rising out of the ground was a great metal structure. A large basin at the center of which was a guillotine, leading to ornate metalwork covering the thing. At the front of it was an inscription: "Blood for blood, death for life. Pay the price and Purge your enemies."

Spoiler: Actions

Enchant a Large City: DC 11- +2 Murder/Assassination (It is a killing device), +4 Secrets (Those affected by the device are compelled to reveal what they know when posed a question)

The Blood Fountain is a device which imbues all members of a city (the Human Capital) with fear of the current authority (Valor IV). When used against enemies of the state, it acts both as an inquisitor and executioner, forcing the victim to reveal their deepest secrets, and then mercilessly killing them.

 

[Dogmatic99]

Zareth 18 , 2

"Sir! I really don't think this is wise!" Cried one of the craftsmen, struggling to be heard over the roar of flames and clang of metal.

"I!" CRASH "Strongly!" CRASH "Disagree!" CLASH

Zareth was like a man possessed. He was storming through the forges of Evermoor, stoking fires and smashing tools against burning metal. Workers and blacksmiths were diving out of his way as he sped through the vast expanse, kicking up sparks wherever he went. Every forge in Evermoor was buzzing with activity as fresh heat was breathed into the dead fires. One by one they rose up from the flames, dark, tall and cold.

Yes, yes it was all falling into place. The ground work on Evalon, the research, the planning. Soon... He though to himself. And just in time, with the mortals gearing up for war and the death callers getting more active... this new creation would be in great demand.

Zareth rolled up his sleeves and started to vigorously hammer against a stone pedestal he had put aside to use as his own personal workstation. Unlike the others it burned with a cold, dark flame. Arranged on it were a collection of small metal trinkets, Zareth began to scratch thin lines into them, the patterns they formed didn't seem to follow any kind of rhyme or reason. Each one was as individual as snowflakes and they seemed to pulse with a subtle energy that began to make even Zareth's eyes ache. One the symbols and runes were done he began to hammer them with the flat of his palm and bent them into shape. Each one the final piece in its own puzzle.

A Few of them were finally ready. Their stark black plates reflecting the glow of the fires they were forged in. Zareth had them lined up like soldiers on parade, inspecting each of them for even the tiniest flaw, in the end only a dozen made the final cut. the others were sent back. With a feather light touch he placed the final shards of metal into place, their runes faced down and hidden among the stark black metal, each one slotting into place with a satisfying click.

And there they were, a perfect set of pitch black suits of armour, each one standing as a silent sentinel.

"I hope you'll make some in dwarf size soon." The late King Erik said, sidling up to him.

"Hopefully we'll have them in every shape and size... but first let's see if the first batch work." Zareth Placed his hand over one's chest and giving it that final spark.

Spoiler: Action

Grant transmittable immortality of a sort to a small group of mortals.
DC 11 MP 1 AP 2
+6 Death (Suits for ghosts!)
+2 Crafter (Making suits for ghosts)

Spoiler: Sentinels

Perks: Immortal
Hollow- The Sentinels are simply suits of armour inhabited by ghosts of Evermoor, sent on specific tasks by Zareth. Since they have no physical form sentinels are immune to physical pain and hurt.

Flaws: Rune point - There is a small plate on each suit that allows a spirit to bind itself to the armour while in the mortal realm. As the rune point is damaged the ghost's hold on it is weakened and their movements become sluggish and lethargic. If it is destroyed then their hold is completely broken and the ghost is ejected from the suit and left without physical form again.

Black knights by moonlight - In order to try and keep order among the sentinel candidates and to stop any of them from going AWOL Zareth placed a fail safe, causing the rune points to only become active when the sun is down. This gives the sentinels a limited window to complete their missions in and forces the soul out of the armour and back into Evermoor come sunrise.

Carnivox 8

What was he doing with his life? All these years he'd been alive, all this power and here he was... stuck in a rut... again. The hunter wandered the world of Evalon in a melancholic state of boredom. He'd killed one of every species on every planet he came across and then some. Sure the gods kept making more things but none of them put up much of a challenge, even the big fish things Zareth and Aen had made hadn't put up much of a fight. Grix had been the only one who seemed to put up any kind of challenge and he was too busy these days doing dragon stuff.

He turned the metal tube Zareth had given him a few days ago. It was full of holes and covered in weird little nubs and button this. He said he didn't have much of an ear for music and that maybe Car could make better use of it. What was that supposed to mean? Car wasn't even sure what it was let alone how he was supposed to make music out of it. It smelled strange as well, like Eldarwen used to but more than that it smelled... like power. That indescribable but unmistakable smell that all the 'gods' reeked of. Still he had to admit it made a hell of a good back scratcher.

Eventually he came to the trench in the earth that marked where he'd first come into this world, well, when he crashed into it anyway. How long had it been until he'd been here? Not long enough, Car decided. He didn't like things that reminded him of his old life, he'd practically bitten Val's hand off when she'd tried to pry about it. But it looked like it hadn't stayed empty for long, houses and buildings, stacks of stone and wood. The place reeked of civilisation. Well it was something new at least. Off in the distance were a swarm of mortal things gathering together in neat lines, their scent found him on the wind. Fear, sweat, powder, metal, excitement. This was an army, no mistaking it.

The mortal things hadn't fought like this in a while... this could be interesting. But beneath their smell was something more, two others, strong ones, scents he hadn't smelled before. He scanned the canyon walls and rooftops of the stone stacks until he saw them. Both of them. A thing with wings and a thing with legs, lots of legs. It was there, under the smells of magic, poison and blood, the smell of power. Like his power.

Maybe that was what he needed! To meet more people like him. Mel's pack were fun on the rare times he let them off the leash and Grix was always up for a hunt. If that was anything to go by then these two would be fun too and they'd have a show! If nothing else they'd be someone to talk to.

He leaped across the rooftops and landed next to the other two. One was a grigori, he could tell that once he was up close. The leg thing was like nothing he'd ever seen, this would be good.

"Hey." He said. "What we watchin'?" He slumped down to the floor, trying to get comfy.

Spoiler: OOC

Between posts Zareth has given Carnivox Amour, he will be the new owner from now on.

 

[JoJo]

The Storyteller

The little girl took a deep breath of the Storyteller's pipe and then bent over, coughing.

"It's very... smoky," she choked with a pained expression.

"Ha, you get used to it," the Storyteller laughed and taking back his pipe, continued with the tale.

"Whilst he was flying with Frikk far above Minas Kei, Daare created the Dream flute, a musical instrument that would allow the bearer to enter and alter the dreams of mortals if he or she desired.

Meanwhile in Chama, Vantric talked to the Emperor of Humanity and in doing so, enchanted the capital city of Manor so all it's citizens would fear the current authority and put in it's palace the Blood Fountain: a terrible device that would interrogate and then butcher the enemies of the state.

Down in Evermoor, Zareth created a new immortal strain that would be unique in that it would only affect those whose souls had already passed beyond the mortal realms, given a new chance to return to the land of the living but bound inside a dark suit of armour."

 

[Terratina.]

Zs'Wua'Itzala - 3/8 AP

She now knew everything there was to know about these rebels, but this ugly suit of armour was not something to wear for introductions. She passed a strange looking man. The elongated, stained arms shown that this Changling had the mark of M'endar. She snuck into an alleyway and took off the armour, finally free from its toxic grip. She passed the man again, and handed him the item. There was a certain something about his smile, it masked unending anger. As soon as the item was passed to him, she was gone. One does not meet rebels in hiding in open plazas like this after all.

Lleu - 0/8 AP

After the revolt, he had stayed for while to watch the He had been staring at that bloody fountain ever since its creation. No doubt a results of his recent actions. That was the great thing about revolution, all about pushing and shoving and he relished it. It would be fun to see how much the state would push back before it caved in and crumbled. And this little number would help him. As soon as Lleu got the armour, he put the gauntlet on. Inquiring about the strange lady who had given it to him would come later. Hatred surged through him, and he roared as the veneer of smiles broke to reveal primal anger and punched the fountain with all his might.

Spoiler: Actions/OOC

Break the focal point of the enchantment - the Blood Fountain - DC = 9

Bonuses:

- Anarchy [+4] (

Destroying a tool of authority.

)
- Hatred [+2] (

The action fueled by hate of the control methods that the authority uses.

)