The small army of gods seemed to dissipate rapidly as its leaders temporarily called off their apparent vendetta. She supposed she ought to be satisfied at this outcome, but she was not. There was a near-zero probability that this would not repeat. She had somehow become a catalyst for conflict, in direct opposition to her purpose. The armored goddess saw one remaining solution.
She rose to her feet, indigo mail clanking softly with the motion. The visor turns to her ally.
"Watcher of Birth, I must ask a favor. I need leave this world. I cannot fulfill my function so close to it. From the furthest rings of creation, I can observe, unable to act or be acted upon. Nothing more than an essence, if that. Perhaps I shall be punished for my failure. In any case, I will be unable to act here. I must request that you continue to uphold our alliance - some must still act to hold this world together, even if I am not among them."
"You are not this world's most stable guardian, but you are perhaps its fiercest. One day soon, a threat to all your children shall emerge. I know not what form it will take, but consider this a final warning - when it arrives, you must oppose it. Fail, and all your daughters, and their daughters, and theirs forevermore shall be broken and shattered beyond all hope. One does not reason with the collapse of the universe."
"I leave what tools I can. Fare thee well in their use, my ally. We shall not meet again. And... if you have the time, please look after Inale for me."
Mailed hands wrapped briefly around the edges of a deep purple helm. They lifted. And the suit of armor collapsed to the ground, empty as if it had never been worn.
The goddess was never heard from again, true to her word. But sometimes, upon the world below, some mortal seeking purpose might find themselves guided strangely, brought to places where the world was weak and needed strength. Never common, and with nothing shared but their singular purpose, they wandered the lands in the name of their Quest.
And perhaps, far beyond the furthest stars, a single mote of shadow fled outward.
Spoiler
Show
AP:
2 - 1 (Create Concept - Cosmic Upkeep) Good!Domain Use
1 - 1 (Create Organization - The Wanderers) Cosmos!Domain Use
= 0
PAP:
1 - 1 (Create Concept - Cosmic Upkeep)
= 0
Some mortals have a knack for finding what's wrong with the universe. They're closer to it than gods - on the ground level, where problems show up as more than a funny scent in the atmosphere. Guides have an uncanny sight, able to tap slightly into the vision of the oculus. Mechanically, they're focused casters in the vein of Beguilers or Warmages, but with a focus on the Divination and Abjuration schools. Wardens, in contract, hunt and destroy Things That Should Not Be, rather than merely warn others of their presence. They're known for their restless ways and strict moral code - despite having no formal organization, only the most upstanding individuals are ever called to become Wardens. Mechanically, wardens are just re-fluffed Knights with a grudge against cosmic threats.
Wanderers are strange individuals who use what seems to be divine power, but lack a patron god. They are few in number, but tend to recognize one another and form small bands, often with Wardens and Guides. Their precise origins vary, but all share an almost compulsive drive in their duties. Mechanically, they're an alignment-flipped Ur Priest.
All three of these classes are globally available, and will probably have at least a few representatives in any race with Good aligned characters. They tend to be a little distant from their respective societies, but anyone who wishes to use them is free to do so.
Further,
YIASIAL IS NO LONGER AN ACTIVE GOD
She effectively no longer exists, has no AP, gains no AP, cannot be targeted, etc. The same is true of Inale.
Her artifacts go to the Cosmic Conclave, and Adminship of the Conclave goes to Akna. While Akna technically now owns the set of artifacts, I would kindly request that she share with other members when they need to use them.
For convenience's sake, here is the full list of artifacts Yiasial is dumping on her:
The Oculus (Utility Artifact, discounts the creation of a combat art 1/week)
The Vessel (Armor, Combat Artifact)
The Reduction Scepter (Black Hole on a Stick, Combat Artifact)
The Lens of Doom and Loss (Scrys Enemy Weakness, Combat Artifact)
The Lens of Smoke and Lies (Pierces Enemy Deception, Combat Artifact)
The Lens of Writ and Measure (Analyzes Enemy Abilities, Combat Artifact)
Null Profusion (Smothers divine power, Combat Artifact)
The Radiant (Laser Lance, Combat Artifact)
Grace of Aeons (Ability to revert self to a recent state in time, Combat Artifact)
Total of Eight (8) Combat Artifacts, and One (1) Utility artifact. As mentioned, these are now in Akna's possession to use as she sees fit, I have no true authority over them. I really would appreciate if they were used for the good of the team though.
Thank you for reading. I should be back with a more interesting deity soon. :smallsmile:
EDIT due to request that the Oculus be destroyed rather than passed on. Consider it gone.