Lords of Creation - What Shall Be (IC)

[dr.cello]

Celis, The Shining Council

"Yes, yes! A sun! We shall build them a very big fire! A cold dead world is no fun for anyone!" Celis smiles cheerfully here. "Administer your oath, herald!" He swears the oath, then laughs again. "You are all very clever, but my idea is cleverest! You will like it. I am the Trickster, and what I say is always true!"

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Oh right, actions:
Join Pantheon: 4 - 1 = 3 AP

[Selinia]

The Solar Ring, The Void

Klashanna grinned as the final bits of circuitry fell into place in her great machine, and a handful of emergency power lights flickered on all across the device. A keen observer on the ground would see them as a belt of very dim stars... for Klashanna, they were a sign that the Ring was ready to receive its additional components.

With a small bow to the Many-Legged-Goddess, Klashanna spoke, "Thank you for your aid - it has proved invaluable, and has sped up my construction greatly. However, I must go now and prepare the systems to receive additional components... the process has only just begun. I recommend that you make whatever preparations necessary to make ready the contribution you spoke of."

With this, the goddess's face split into yet another genuine smile. "Its all coming together isn't it? Well... here goes..."

The Master Control Chamber, The Solar Ring

The doors to the room slid open with a slight "Whirrrr..." as Klashanna made her entrance on foot. The room wasn't yet braced against magical interference, so she couldn't risk teleportation, but she didn't begrudge the opportunity to inspect her creation from "ground level".

The room, like the rest of the ring, was a clean, white hue, dimly lit by the emergency lighting (full power would be granted once the reactors were in place). A large portion of the wall was taken up by a massive glass screen, on which several windows and images were displayed. Donning a pair of gloves keyed to the device, Klashanna gestured for a particular window to come front and center...

...Command Received... Diagnosing System Specifications...
...Hull Intact...
...Structural Support Stable...
...Circuitry Clear...
...Diagnosis Successful - Ready to Receive :
Power Core Alpha...
Power Core Beta...
Focusing Iris...

"Well... that's good, then. Now... to tell the other Creators - its their turn now."

Running a command in the Ring's system, she summoned her heralds. She'd been inspired by Solaron's little motes of light, and saw how tremendously useful such beings could be, but she'd needed the divinely augmented processing power of the Ring to finish her creations.

The three appeared as young girls - clothed identically, but distinct in appearance. They each hovered a few inches off the ground, and if one looked closely, their translucent forms seemed to be formed of the streaming code the operated the complexity of the Ring. Klashanna smiled - she'd known these three for some time, but had previously been unable to help them manifest.

She spoke first to the eldest, "Uplink, find Solaron, and if you can, his fiery brother. We need their energy to power this place." Uplink nodded her assent - she was a quiet sort by nature, and did not like to mince words.

To the youngest, "Sequence, find Ichmod, the Ironmaster. He should be in his home plane... probably. Still, you know how to track him, yes? Tell him that the device is ready to receive the Iris... he should have it designed by now...I hope..." Sequence grinned, "Of course! I can't wait to meet Ichmod, you say he's an Artificer? That's wonderful!"

Datamine sighed. "Aaaaand I suppose I'm to gather up everyone else, correct? Whoopee." Klashanna ignored the sarcasm - Data had a bit of an attitude, but she knew what she was doing.

"Good. So, no questions? Excellent - I'll remain here making last-minute preparations... and... keep safe, you three."

The three heralds nodded and dissolved into their component streams of information, moving quickly to reach their destination and relay their messages the the members of the Conclave.

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OOC: AP 1 : 4 - 3 (Create Artifact - The Solar Ring [Framework]) - 0 (Create Herald)

The Ring is now open to contributions from anyone and everyone - I think Planswalker is compiling a post for that.

[Draken]

Inovation

Sequence finds Ichmod infusing and attaching a glass-like pannel to... Well, to something titanic. Titanic and from what can be seen, spheric, as well as mostly hollow. But he soon turns away from it and to Sequence, pulling his helmet out of his grining face.

"Are you Klashanna's herald? Hoho! Just in time. The Focusing Iris is complete. I will begin the transportation now."

Ichmod moves over to a wall, pulling apart a pair of sheets to reveal a lever, and pulling the lever causes a crystal pannel to on a metal base to be lifted from the floor just nearby.

Kinda convoluted isn't it?

"Now, in three, two, one!"

At Ichmod's commands, the massive gears of Inovation turn, pistons move, lightning sparks. The room apparently dismantles itself to reveal the much, much vaster chamber in which the Focusing Iris was housed, a vast sphere of sheets of force-glass and an alloy of adamantine and pure frehenite - Mostly adamantine - in a room illuminated by blue energy.

"Now, open the transport hatch!"

On cue, behind the Focusing Iris, a circular hatch opens, followed by several gates in line, until it opens to the vast Void, with the Solar Ring visible in the distance.

This is how the Gates of Inivation, which transport Ichmod everywhere, work.

The gateway zooms in on the Ring, and Klashnna hears the tell-tale sound of the Gate of Inovation opening, right before the vast hatch opens before her, and out of it slides - slowly and carefully - the titanic device of the Focusing Iris.

The sound of gates comes another time, and Ichmod and Sequence appear by Klashanna, with his control pannel floating in front of him, guiding the Focusing Iris to settle into its intended position.

Not much later, finally, the deed is completed! The Focusing Iris locks in place, and only the power cores remain to be added!

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7 AP
1 AP: Join Pantheon. Harbinger of Dawn or whatever the name is if it changed. >_>
3 AP: Create Artifact: The Focusing Iris.

3 AP left.

[Shmee]

Sky Fleet

The draconic attack was swiftly identified for what it was.

"Undead? Here?! NOW?! What madness is this! Order all citadels to deploy Gold Golems and point weapons up! Shoot them down! Gather up and form a defensive ring! Fast! Fast! Fast!"

Onto the decks of the citadels, large creatures covered in golden markings, but still mainly and visibly made of steel, appeared from underneath, and quickly began unleashing flaming orbs at the Dracoliches.

At the same time, repeating ballistae and schorchers were pointed at the dragons, shooting great bolts and fiery rays at the airborne attackers.

Meanwhile, the five sky citadels moved inexorably closer to one another.

As the aerial battle raged, the Tyrants continued to mercilessly pound the flying fortresses. Even as the flaming orbs manage to down one of the Tyrants, the Dracoliches seem uncaring about their fallen commarad, since what the Gnomes couldn't know, was that it would eventually reform itself after a while.

However, despite the Gnomish defence formations, the would-be attackers had a new problem. As the Dracoliches bombarded the flying cities, scores of Gnomes would die. Yet their bodies did not lie still, as the Tyrants used their command over death to raise the fallen Gnomes as the Living Dead and turn them against their former comrades.

In the distance, the Goblins watched in amazement, as the hated Gnomes were being fought on equal terms. At first, their Goblin instinct told them to lay low and not meddle when it came to the affairs of much more powerful creatures.

Yet Field Marshall Screechy was having none of this. The Goblins had created a new weapon to use against the flying cities of the Gnomes, and dammit, Screechy was going to use it! The Goblin's new weapon was a breakthrough in the field of Goblin technology; special explosives would be packed into a cylindrical tube with a pointy end. Upon the cylinder, a Goblin would be strapped on, most times unwillingly, and upon setting fire to the explosives, the explosion would launch the whole weapon along with the Goblin into the air, without the need of catapults. Its name, was the dreaded G3 Rocket.

As the rocket launched, it would let out a most horrifying screeching noise, though whether it was due to the rocket or the screaming Goblins strapped to it, no one knows. Yet upon launching a salvo of these rockets, the dreadful noise led to the G3 to be nicknamed "Screechy's Organ"

Far from the raging battle in the sky, Screechy watched in glee as the Goblins unleash a salvo at both the Gnomes and the Dracoliches. The rockets were far from accurate, yet if he launched a thousand Goblins, surely one would hit the target? Plus, Screechy has as much live ammunition in his disposal as he deemed necessary. Even if one hit, then it would be worth the sacrifices. The sunless sky was once again alight from all the explosions and spells, as it would seem that the 6th G.G. War would yet be the most destructive of them all.

Outskirts of Grindforge

As the Tyrants battled Nicabod's invasion fleet, the Liches chosen to purge the Iron Gnomes made a forced march from the Fields of Absolute Horror to the mountain range which surrounded the Gnomish capital of Grindforge. With great glee did the Liches set to this task, not having forgotten the injustice done to them by the Gnomes. As the Gnomes had ejected them from their ancestral halls of Valorum, so would the Liches, once Faeli mages, occupy the Gnome's precious city.

However, the horde of the Living Dead stopped just outside the flying city's range, and stood eerily silent. In the rear of the horde, the Liches prepared their dark rituals.

[planswalker]

Solaron, the Shining Lands

The Shining One has discovered the answer to his dilemma: How can he provide a source of light to something as massive as the Sun Ring is going to be? and how would this source be able to shine eternally? The answer is simple, really. He would have to use himself. Not all of him, of course, but a portion. The golden lantern then focused within himself to the very shining heart of his being and split it in two, taking half of it and manifesting it as a brightly burning pebble, the same size that he had originally been. He then went to seek out his brother Minrhet for his contribution. He knew that he could be found in the corner of the Shining Lands that Solaron had allowed him to shape as he pleased.

Minrhet, The Burning Cavern

Solaron approaches Minrhet in his cave. Minrhet is busy with the tasks given over to him, the gathering of followers and the spreading of heat in a way that will not cause more harm than good. He looks up, and says to his brother, "Well, my brother, What brings you by my caves today? What shall you ask of me in the path to power?" Solaron replies, "I ask that you make good on your oath you swore before the Radiant Conclave. Give me a heat source that I can place in the Sun Ring to power it for the eons to come." Minrhet reaches into his chest and removes half of his heart, made entirely of sand and which radiates a burning heat, burning everything nearby in the cavern to ash and scorching the rock. He hands this to Solaron, instructing him"Be careful with this, its power and heat are too great for any mortal to bear, and its very presence can scorch even the very bedrock of creation." He then returns to his work.

Solaron - the Solar Ring

Solaron, with his own shining heart on one side of him and Minrhet's sandy inferno of a hear on the other, places them into the central reactors, the two melding together into a force of light and warmth greater than the sum of the two halves of these two gods' hearts. With the source of this massive creation's power in place, the machine started humming and coming to life.

Ombrerus, The Plane of Shadows

I wonder... I wonder how I could contribute. How can darkness effect a source of light; the ultimate source of light for all the races. Perhaps... That's it! Ombrerus realized, as he set about his work. It would be an ultimate mix between both Shadow Magic and Arcane Magic.

The first part involved the drawing of the Arcane Sigils, masterful works of art, which drew into them both arcane and shadow energy. These would be needed to power the entirety of the spell, so that it lasted longer than any other spell that ever was; forever.

Next came the little things, small pieces of shadow energy placed inside of the sigils, enhancing their power multiple times over. The other purpose of the shadow energy was to be used as a focusing rod, so that it could spread across the entirety of the structure much easier.

Then the devising of the spell; it would take mixing of both Shadow Magic and Arcane Magic, a task that no spell had ever done before. Taking bits of the incantation from the greater invisibility with pieces of the realm of shadow, Ombrerus created his greatest work yet; a huge shadow-spell weave, spanning an area greater than any other spell had ever spanned.

The design complete, and the incantation finished, Ombrerus followed the herald who came for him; he went to the Sun Ring, and placed his entire spell weave across the entire Sun Ring, and then spoke one of the most powerful of incantations.

And the Sun Ring vanished, save for the light that it gave off. None who had not taken an oath to protect it would ever be able to find it.

Klashanna - The Solar Ring, the Command Center

With all of the critical components in place and a protective veil of secrecy hiding it from those who might seek to destroy it, the Solar Ring was ready to come online. The goddess of technology felt a sudden elation as she realized that her idea for how to enact the single greatest feat of creation since the forming of the world was about to become reality. With a smile of satisfaction, she pressed the button that brought about the first Dawn of a new age. For the first time since the god of hunger ate the sun, light shone down upon the world, bringing with it the warmth of light.

Celis, the Void, just outside the Solar Ring

"You are all only working on half of the day!" said Celis. "I will give them lights to guide them in the night!"

He took some of the light from the sun and kindled it into many brilliant stars--brighter than those that already twinkled in the darkened sky of the mortal realms. With it he created stars by which clever mortals could navigate and learn where they were, so that those who wandered by night would never be lost, so long as they knew how to look.

But he still had much of the light he had taken left over, and the sky still seemed empty. With what remained, he drew constellations across the night sky--he drew the nymph that was his mother, a great hero with a bow, pixies and dryads and satyrs, and other things besides.

"And now, so that they will always know that it was the Trickster who gave them their guides and constellations--" he began to make a constellation in his own likeness. But though he saved the brightest stars for his constellation, he did not have enough left to make anything more than his grin. Laughing loudly at his failure, he instead scattered them through the night sky, the brightest of stars left unchained to wander through the night.

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bookkeeping:
planswalker's ap: 2=5-3 (create artifact: The Shining Heart
Shining Conclave ap: 1= 0+1(rollover)

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Many Legged Goddess, Solar Ring

The Many Legged Goddess watched as the Sun was re-created, and it's great techno-magical additions were created. When the other gods had finished forging their many contributions to the massive fiery construct, the Goddess approached the gods. "And now I shall add my own contribution. I do not doubt the skill or craftsmanship put into making these great wonders, but to ensure they never lose their lustre, to make sure our agelessness shall never cause them to fall into any sort of disrepair, I offer these craftrats, to live upon the Sun and it's Ring, to maintain the whole of it, and to protect it from those who would do it harm. I give the contribution of my new fiery children, to forever maintain the Sun and your Works upon it."

And as she spoke these words, the fiery sparks of the sun began to take form, growing tall and long, eyes glowing more brightly than their fiery forms gleaming from newly formed heads, tails of naked writhing worm-like flame lashing behind them, claws growing from thin crafting hands and slender feet, a long muzzle with wicked teeth and gnawing incisors set under cunning and instinctively knowledgeable eyes. Their fur was the red of flame, their tails were like naked fire and their eyes blazed with hidden power. Flame and light were the stuff of their make, creation and maintenance was their purpose. And they set upon this duty with the furiousness of their earthbound cousins upon a corpse.

Thri-Kreen expedition

The Thri-Kreen ship, manned by Abeil and Formian sailors and soldiers, led by Thri-Kreen officers and scientists, made it's way into the seas between Despair and Hope, sailing over the blackened sea of Blackwater, the protective magic of the ship keeping the passengers safe from the waters ill affects, it's magic speeding it along it's way toward Hope, it's weapons ever vigilant to threats.

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4AP=6AP-2AP Create Populous: Pyrodents

[planswalker]

Milronas the Ophanim - Northernmost Shining Land - the Celestial Hosts

Dawn had come. Milronas' new lord had fulfilled his promise. There was a Sun once more. Now was the time to sharpen weapons, to practice the magical incantations, to renew the rituals of Light. Milronas would approach his lord, and, with his blessing, he would go forth and remove the blight of the undead from despair once and for all. the time for action had come. With his hosts of angels at his command and his lords blessing, he would rid all the lands of the undead scourge and turn all hearts from despair to hope.

Sabim and Branna - the Arctic Faeli lands

Sabim and Branna could not believe their eyes. There, on the horizon was a New Sun, marking the First Dawn. Though their Faith in the Shining One had never wavered, it had been hard to believe that this eternal gloom would ever be lifted. The message of hope they had delivered to their kindred was not finding fresh hope. With the rising and setting of the sun over the next months, their following spread. Those that had turned to worshiping the dark ones tore down their cursed altars. Those that had sunken into despondency were once again filled with life. Their numbers grew daily, until the phrase "Shine the Light" came to be not merely a religious phrase, but a common greeting and farewell in their language. Every settlement they went to was filled with a renewed energy brought on by the dawn. Almost all arctic faeli turned to the worship of the god whose promise to bring back life had come true in a very literal sense. Hope had been found in the furthest reaches of the arctic wastes.

Few other peoples could live in the harsh endless plains of ice where these Faeli thrived. Fewer still would consider these lands worth taking. Nonetheless, this was Home. This harsh land had melded them into a harsh people who had come to be resourceful and adaptable. Now they had a Light to guide them into a future where they would eventually impact the world. This gave them a renewed sense of purpose and hope.

Roygbv - a kobold mountainside enclave

The Kobold clan in the Rainbow Cavern, as the mountainside enclave where the prismatic dragon taught them had come to be called, was alive with activity. For the first time since the old sun died, they could safely hunt along the surface of the mountain once again. With the dawn came a renewed warmth which over time turned the climate from deadly to nourishing. They began worshiping the prismatic dragon who had brought them the sun back, as they perceived not the difference between the messenger and the one who had fulfilled the message. Nothing Roygbv could say could make them understand that this was not so. Eventually, he gave in and decided to have them call him "Shining One". This would be close enough for now. He sent one of his shimmerlings born from his hatching to Solaron, to explain this predicament. Surely the Shining One would know what to do. For now, it was enough that the kobolds had been filled with hope.

Solaron - The Shining Lands

He basked in the radiance of this new dawn that he had helped to bring about. As the First Dawn was felt all across creation in turn, with the blighted lands of Despair being the last to feel the gentle caress of this new light, Solaron felt a change in his being. The very basic fundamentals of who and what he was is being expanded upon. He had brought back hope to the world, and it had become irrevocably intertwined with his being from this day on. He was solaron, The Shining One, The Light of Hope.

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divine actions: gain portfolio element: Hope/Inspiration
domain to come as soon as I have the ap for it and have gotten to DR6 and evolved (my next 2 planned actions)

[dr.cello]

Celis, The Endless Court of the Laughing God
"Yes! They are very clever!" Celis laughed at the first dawn of the new sun. "And very lucky that I was here! But now we must celebrate. Come, my friends! Go and tell these sun gods that the clever and handsome Lord Celis wishes to see them in his court!"

Even as he elevated them, his pixie heralds left bearing the message, leaving Celis alone in his court. He created a throne of polished river rock and seated himself upon it. And he said: "I did not draw my picture in the stars! I shall hang the stars from the sky in my court so that all who visit will know!"

And as he spoke he darkened the sky and hung stars above his forest, brighter than they were for the mortal world but otherwise a perfect replica of his designs. "There! Now we can be properly introduced." And he took the form of a pixie and awaited the arrival of his guests.

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Actions:
Create Heralds
Create Artifact (previous post)=Constellations of the Trickster: 3 - 3 AP = 0 AP

[Rizban]

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Just doing AP bookkeeping

Minrhet
AP 1 = 0 + 4 (rollover) - 3 (create artifact)

Martu
AP 2 = 0 + 2 (rollover)

Namtar
AP 2 = 0 + 2 (rollover)

[planswalker]

Solaron - The Shining Lands

Solaron graciously accepts the pixie herald's invitation and gathers abut himself his six heralds as well as a host of shimmerlings to accompany him. A pair of prismatic dragons with four prismatic golems each go before and behind him as an honor guard. Two Arctic Faeli disciples who had made the long journey from their homelands to the Shining Lands accompanied him as well, one from each of his two orders. as a cornerstone for all of this, a trio of trumpet archons follow behind, playing his victory hymns., led by their Seraphim commander. With this divine entourage he transports all of them at once in a great flash of light to the Endles Courts.

Solaron and entourage - The Endless Courts of the Laughing God

"Greetings, Laughing One! Should we not celebrate today and every day that follows as a victory for those who enjoy life? What matter did you wish to discuss with me?"

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okay, just maybe solaron is showing off a little bit.

[Selinia]

Control Chamber, The Solar Ring

Klashanna laughed in simple relief as the view-screens shifted to show the ring flaring to life and bathing the world in its warmth and radiance.

"Ahaha! It worked! Its working!" - whatever dignity the goddess may have had was quickly removed as Sequence began an impromptu dance with (well, technically around, lacking physical substance) the Ironmaster and Klashanna did a double take before scrabbling for the controls, hastily inputting a command to prevent the newborn pyrodents' death-by-city-sized-piston.

As the laughing Creator moved through the void, sowing the stars in his wake, Sequence mimed a sharp intake of breath (as she understood it, this was a good was to convey surprise.) The glowing points of light - distant and unknowable, yet still warm and inviting - were the most beautiful things she had seen in her brief existence.

"O-Neeeesaaaaan.... may I go out and look at the stars?" - the Herald looked pleadingly at Klashanna, motioning at the jewel-studded blackness visible on one of the screens. Taking a distracted nod as assent, she whirled out into the void.

The Void

As Sequence hovered - behind the ring, where there was no bright light to blot out the stars - she wondered what secrets they might hold. Were there other worlds, floating around their own stars? Or were some of them like her own, that floated about worlds? Were there other places, with creators of their own, looking up at the newly kindled ring, and wondering at it? Taken by a sudden whim, the herald waved out to the void.

A voice caught her by surprise. At first she couldn't find the speaker, but then her attention was drawn to a diminutive figure hovering beside her.

"You are a herald of the Maiden of Invention, yes? Please, convey the message that Lord Celis, The Trickster, The Laughing God, Who Paints with the Stars and Speaks Only the Truth, issues a formal Invitation to meet at His Endless Court."

Before she could even begin to answer, the tiny creature zipped off through the void, doubtless seeking another to deliver his message to.

A chance to meet the one who had created the beautiful constellations in the sky? Sequence was enthralled. Of course, she'd give Klashanna the message but... a little detour beforehand couldn't hurt.

The Endless Court

Sequence slid quietly unnoticed among the beautiful denizens of the Court, looking for the one who had sent the message. She could go unseen and unheard if she wished - her sisters were better at it, but she still had little trouble with those engaged in festivities. Guards were tougher, but even they had stray thoughts that could convey a sentient parcel of information unnoticed.

Eventually she found him - sitting on his throne of stone, laughing and making merry at this momentous occasion. He seemed to be speaking to a floating lantern... maybe that was Solaron? Sequence couldn't be sure, as she had never met the god of Light personally, only heard about him.

Curious, she drifted closer... only to realized that her lapse of concentration had caused her to materialize. Suddenly, she became very conscious of the fact that she had not been invited at all - Klashanna had been - and that the guards had likely been stationed specifically to keep people like her out of this room. (Not to mention the fearsome entourage flanking what she was now sure was the head of the Radiant Conclave) She barely managed to mumble a simple greeting through her sudden panic.

"Ummmm... Hello."

The Saerite Expedition, Tunnels Beneath Hope

The floor of the tunnel had been sloping up for some time now. Jules had considered turning back... this heading would simply take them to another icy cave opening. Last time the expedition had wandered to close to the surface, several members had been badly frostbitten, and he had no desire to make the same mistake.

And yet... even as they climbed further and rounded yet another bend, he did not feel any colder. Confident that he would feel the chill in time to reverse the column, he took the lead once more, alongside Drofiel (who he had learned was much more resistant to the extremes of the elements) and Liaria (who he felt wise to keep near at all times - she knew the dangers that lived in the deeps better than he did, certainly.)

Then it happened. As he skittered around another sharp turn in the tunnel, Jules suddenly found himself squinting against the brightness. As his eyes adjusted, he found himself staring out at a familiar scene - one they had left behind months ago in their retreat from the cold. He heard an awestruck voice murmur beside him...

"What... is it? What does it mean?"

His reply was short, but as the awestruck saerites and faeli filed out of the cave - gaunt and pale after so long below ground - many thought that sweeter words had never been spoken.

"It's the Sunrise. It means... we can go home!"

No one heard Drofiel's quiet murmur over the cheering.

"It's the Sunrise... we have Hope again."

Hoffnung, Progress

Asuka huddled closer to the heating coil as she nibbled at her rice-cake. She wasn't hungry, but... she had to keep her strength up, everyone said. She wished they had some bacon, but livestock were a thing of the past - citizens of Progress would eat their rice-cakes and like it.

It hadn't been so bad at first, back when you could still go outside without a heat-suit. They'd tried to save as much as they could - experiments, people, anything at all. The Hoffnung complex had gotten very crowded, and became more so every day as refugees from the countryside poured in. Until the day that even that stopped, and the doors Outside were sealed shut and insulated. Now their only knowledge of the world outside came from the thick, heavy glass in the handful of viewing rooms. Asuka was in one of these now.

She wasn't sure what drew her here - Gregor said that she was being silly and wasting energy. But... as she gazed out at the snow, tinted red from the light of the heating coils behind the window...

Wait, the heating coils aren't nearly bright enough to get through that glass! Asuka stretched herself, all torpor gone - hesitantly, she put a hand to the glass pane, expecting it to sting painfully, as it had when she had tried the same stunt once before. But no... it was... almost warm.

She wasn't sure what was happening, but she had to see it firsthand. Quietly moving back to her clique's sleeping quarters (stealth wasn't exactly difficult when Rosie's snores are your competition), she donned her heat-suit (really just a floor-length insulated jacket with heated wires built in - but Heat Suit sounds much more dignified) and made her way to a nearby compound exit.

Asuka hesitated before she opened the door - what if she was wrong? What if nothing had changed? The glimmer on the snow... the fleeting warmth of the windowpane... what if she had imagined it? In all probability, she would open this door and see nothing but the same icy dark that had smothered the land these months. Even so, she shrugged and half-smiled - if nothing else, it would be a grand adventure, out in the cold alone. The door swung open at her touch...

...And the hallway was bathed in sunlight. Asuka stared in wonder - her eyes watered as the sun crept over the horizon, aching dully, but she did not avert her gaze for many moments. This... this was a New Dawn. And she might have been the first to see it. As the rays beat down upon her, warming her (she'd almost forgotten what it was like to be really warm - the dry, static heat of her coils paled in comparison) until she started to feel uncomfortably hot in her suit and discarded it.

She stood there, taking in the moment - a single small pajama-clad child, basking in the first rays of the New Dawn. But soon, the spell broke, and a massive grin split her face. Laughing, she ran down the street, occasionally stumbling as she worked muscles that had been idle as she huddled indoors. Yet for every time she fell, she simple got up and laughed again, dripping with quickly melting snow. She danced from door to door, knocking, shouting, calling everyone to get up and head outside to see the wonder that had happened.

It was noon (noon... another thing that had nearly been forgotten. Many clock-makers would doubtless be dismayed that it came at 3 AM) before she collapsed, her legs a jumbled heap, gasping for breath and sore all over. It was only then that she allowed herself to look up (not difficult, from a prone position) at the fiery yellow sun, traversing the sky on tracks of shimmering white tracks, not with awe or wonder (although she still felt plenty of both) but with simple admiration.

"I wonder... what makes it run? How did they make it work?"

"Not by hiding in bunkers, that's for sure. And divinity, which strictly speaking is cheating - but in this instance, I think we can forgive them, eh?"

Asuka whipped around, searching for the speaker, but whoever it was was long gone...

[Draken]

Ichmod

Ichmod proudly crossed his arms, looking at the finished product. The Sun.

---

Nicabod

The undead wyrms were raising fallen gnomes as their soldiers now, but Nicabod was prepared, hohohoho, yes he was. The gnomes were prepared for several possibilities, including the possibility of the goblins using foul magic to animate the corpses of their kind.

Because seriously, what other reason would there be to strap live goblins to ammunition? It was kind of pointless. It reduced aerodynamics, in fact.

So Nicabod ordered the five Citadels, now orbiting each other, to raise shafts of pure frehenite, devices that activated to create a field that would weaken, erode away and destroy the undead.

But of course, life is unfair, so the goblins too began attacking.

At this, did Nicabod begin with his old tactics. The goblins were an enemy on the ground, so the flamebuster was still very tactically sound against them. And so did he, Nicabod, command the goblins to once again be flamebusted.

But now five times as quickly as before!

----

Grindforge

Reports of undead assault on the fleet reached the city through arcane means, and so, when an undead army was spoted by Feuerkraft in the distance, they did not wait, pure frehenite golems were deployed to the frontline, to defend the path beneath the sky citadel, and the long range trebouchets of the citadel were aimed at the still distant army, to pick at their numbers from the distance.

[Shmee]

The 6th G.G War

It wasn't long before the Dracoliches realized that they had to shift their strategy in order for their plan to succeed. Indeed, the only thing they had to do, was keep Nicabod's invasion fleet busy, and buy time for the Liches to attack their capital.

Thus the Dracoliches gathered up, and focusing on a single citadel, began clutching it with their massive talons, and began to rock it back in forth in an attempt to destabilize it. If they could drop a single citadel, then the Gnome's defensive formation would be broken.


The Siege of Grindforge

A silent command is given and the horde of the mindless Living Dead rush towards the walls of Grindforge, and within firing range of the flying fortresses' rays. However, in the rear, several of the more powerful Liches had completed their rituals.

As the Iron Gnomes within their flying cities begin to fire against the attackers on the ground, they hear a weird sound coming from behind them. Turning around, they see that a portal has opened and from within it, several Liches walk out of it, and behind them, their strike force consisting of all sorts of Living Dead. The Liches were striking directly at the Gnome's core defence.

Thus, chaos erupted within the Gnomish fortresses, as they now had to repel the invaders from their very own fortresses. In particular, a great catastrophe occurred on the Sky Citadel Feuerkraft, were one of the first victims of the surprise attack, was it's Magistrate-Captain, who along with the rest of the fallen Gnomes, were quick to join the ranks of the Living Dead.

The Coast of Hope

The god of Death scratched his incorporeal chin in confusion. He was nearing the competition of his plan, yet one more important element was still required, and unlike the other four he had found, this element was really difficult for him to locate. This was no good, so close, yet so far.

As the ghostly figure is pondering his next move, a great light washes over the entire world, and temporarily blinds the god of Death. Once his eyes had recovered, he looks into the sky, while shading his eyes, as he witnesses the New Dawn. Giving a grin, he mostly speaks to himself

"They actually pulled it off! Most impressive!"

Indeed it was more spectacular than the old sun, and yet the god of Death shook his head

"And yet... amateurs... the whole lot of them. If they wish to protect their precious sun, then they must give their rivals no repose, and no time for them to regroup and organize themselves."

He gives a sigh as he looks to the ocean, now crystal blue, thanks to the new sun.

"I guess it once again falls to me to do what needs to be done. I suppose it can't be helped."

Raising one palm up towards the sun, the god of Death begins to focus, as his hand turns into a reddish colour as it absorbs the newly created sun's warmth. Then looking at his other hand, he simply dips his finger into the ocean.

"It is only fair... they wished to condemn the whole world to an icy doom, and so shall the gifts of the new sun be brought to them!"

As he speaks, the god of Death begins to act as a conduit, directly flooding the Ocean's with the sun's warmth. All of a sudden, the water around his finger begins to bubble, as the heat begins to boil the water. Yet he kept going, until soon the entire sea became so hot that it also began to boil, the hot water killing off all aquatic life.

"Justice shall be served!" He growls mockingly "Your crimes against the sun shall now recoil back onto your own heads! For too long you sulked in the darkest parts of your oceans. Now let it be burned into your memories; there is no save haven from my wrath! Fly to the highest mountain? I shall tear it down! Swim to the deepest of oceans? I shall dry it up!"

He begins to laugh, as he puts down his hands, having done his part, and watches the result of his work. He takes a deep breath and savours the scent. No, not the scent of the boiled fishes, but of the widespread death. All over the world, the very oceans were boiling and evaporating from the Sun's heat. Everywhere, fishes and all other forms of aquatic creatures were being boiled to death, regardless of how deep under the ocean they were. All were affected and none were safe.

It was the sun's revenge for the ocean's atrocities. How ironic that the new sun would herald the death of the oceans. Laughing at the whole irony, the god of Death vanishes, resuming his search for the last element to complete his plan. As far as he was concerned, this was his contribution to the creation of the the new sun.

Spoiler

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OOC
AP7= 8-1 Pestilence, Boil the Oceans
AP4= 7-3, Raise DR

Spoiler

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The Freiherr is DR12
16 True Necromancer
12 Dread Necromancer
10 Cleric

Actions Done:
1)Created Avatar
2)Created Dracoliches
3)Created Liches
4)Evolved
5)Pestilence on Oceans

AP0= 4-4 Pestilence x4, Boil the Oceans
(Total Pestilences 5... so... half an Apocalypse)

[dr.cello]

Celis, The Endless Court

Pixie-Celis leapt from his throne as the guests arrived and flew around them, laughing. "Ah! Guests! Have you met Rodica?"

He gestured at a spot next to his throne, and a wind blew through the forest, detaching leaves from their branches until they coalesced and swirled around that spot, forming into the form of the fairy queen in her leafy dress and floral crown. "This is the Fairy Queen of the Trickster's Vale, born of wild passion and revelry! She will celebrate with us!"

Rodica flicked her wrist, and a willow tree bent and wove its branches into a throne, upon which she sat regally. "Praise the clever works of the sun gods!"

"And I?" Celis laughed again, and vanished, the sound of his laughter and that of his pixies filled the air even as the stars in the sky began to fall, a dazzling display of bright lights and melodic whistling. They fell to a spot above his throne of river-stones, and stayed there, glowing and smoking, until they exploded with blinding radiance and flew back to their spots in the heavens of the Endless Court, even while Celis took his true form on his throne: tall and beautiful and smiling, the child of a nymph, crowned with dancing lights, dressed in flowing raiment woven of laughter. "I am the great Trickster, the Laughing God! I hung the stars in the sky as guide to the clever and boon to the night people, and as eternal testament to my infinite cleverness! And I say:

"WELCOME TO MY COURT!"

"Brilliantly performed, my lord."

"Yes, it was, wasn't it?" He rose from his throne. "I have called you here in celebration of our great deeds!" He vanished, and reappeared behind Solaron. "But also, I have a request for the gods whose knowledge in such matters surpass mine for now!" He appeared back on his throne, and took the hand of his Fairy Queen. "My mother is a nymph! See how her picture hangs in the sky and dances round the horizon all night? Is she not beautiful? She spoke of her father, a great god himself! But I have not yet found him. He should know how clever his grandson is! I ask you tell me of him."

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Actions: showed off.

[planswalker]

"I am afraid that I have not heard from him. I suspect that he knows about these events, for how could a god not notice such things, but i have never heard from him. I do believe that his daughter Aroha is searching for me in the Shining Lands. With your leave, I will seek her out and discover the answer to your question, as I myself would like to know."

[dr.cello]

Celis, The Endless Court

"Of course! Find me when you have learned more! You are welcome in my court. And perhaps tell Aroha that the great and clever Lord Celis wishes to meet her, if she is willing!"

[Selinia]

The Endless Court

Sequence hesitated for a moment - with all the fanfare the great Gods were tossing about, she could likely slip away unseen... but... the Laughing God's request stopped her. This was something she was good at.

The little herald squared her incorporeal shoulders and spoke up, hoping to gain the gods' attention.

"Ummm... hello, Honored Creators. I came here hoping to meet the one who painted the beauty of the stars. But if you would like, O-Neesama has programmed me with the historical archives of the Celestial Observatory... I could... ummm... access them for you. Neesama always says that knowledge is to be shared, not hoarded."

Sequence looks at the Laughing God expectantly (and not a little nervously) awaiting permission to continue.

The Control Chamber, The Solar Ring

"WARNING! Catastrophic Energy Spike in Power Core Beta!...WARNING! Catastrophic Energy Spike in..."

The blaring of alarms and sirens throughout the Ring's command sectors jolted Klashanna from her newest endeavor - a public transportation system for the pyrodents - the ring had had greater square footage than some continents, and it was vital that permanent residents have a means of moving about.

"Oh... no... nonononono... Bring up schematics, dispatch drone teams, get me security feeds, Ichmod, help here..." Then her voice trailed off... the screen was displaying an all clear again. Strange...

"Run a system check - was that a bug?"
"...Check Complete. OS is fully functional, readings were accurate."
"Very strange... Run an infrastructure check, how fares the Beta Core now?"
"...Check Complete. Power Core Beta has ceased all anomalous activity. Stability is restored with no permanent damage. Outside influence is suspected, but further evidence is required to support hypothesis."

Klashanna started to sigh in relief when an awful hunch struck her. Outside influence...

"Hex, run a full surface scan of Planet. Is there anything out of the ordinary? Anything at all?"
"Large Task Requested. Please Wait a Moment..."
"..."
"..."
"...Scan Complete. There are no anomalous signals coming from any major landmass. Notice: Requesting Repairs to Deep-Sea scanning suite. Deep-Sea Scanning Suite has failed to return an information. Error: Redact Former Statement. Deep-Sea Scanning Suite is fully functional - Scan results were merely void. There are no life signs from any of the ocean regions."

"Personal Opinion: This is a Bad Thing."

The goddess slumped back in her seat. The river spirits... the ocean drakes... all gone? Some must have escaped but still...

"Whats a Bad Thing? Neesan, if Hex thinks its a bad thing, I think I ought to know."

Datamine materialized - onscreen this time. Her usual smirk slowly faded as she processed Hex's scan results.

"Bloody... talk about collateral. I can get wanting to fry a few mutant fish, but this is overkill above and beyond the call of duty... Do you think Minrhet did this? It was his artifact that spiked. Ichmod-sama, professional opinion?"

Klashanna shook her head vigorously. It didn't bear contemplation that one of her allies had performed this atrocity.

"No, no I don't. The data doesn't support it - if our fiery friend wished to burn away the oceans, he could do it himself. There is more to him than is what is bound up in this station. No... whatever did this needed access to heat... and we gave it to them. Data, find Solaron. Tell him what has happened, if he hasn't seen for himself."

Data merely nodded, uncharacteristically quiet, and dematerialized, heading towards her next assignment.

[planswalker]

Solaron - the Shining Lands

The Shining One and his entourage made their departure from the endless courts and headed back to the Shining Lands. Surely Aroha would know where her father was. Upon arriving, he was struck with a deep sense of pain, the likes of which he could not have imagined. The ocean surrounding the Shining Lands was barren. Someone had boiled the oceans. He could not grasp how someone could conceive of such destruction of life, much less carry it out. Again, this all tied back to the elusive water god, Enki. He must find Aroha. She would know where he is, and he should know something of what happened. He also sent out Red to find Minrhet. Surely his brother would have some insight into who could have done this.

[Selinia]

The Shining Lands

Datamine materialized beside Solaron (wondering vaguely who in their right mind would have painted a target on a nearby hill) ready to relay her message... but although a lantern couldn't frown, the Shining One's doleful shade of violet seemed a rough equivalent.

"So... I take it you know what I'm going to say, huh? Anyway, I'm Datamine, Herald of Klashanna - pleased ta meet'cha. I'm supposed to tell you what we've found out topside - which is pretty much nothing. We know that the broiling was absolute though, its not just around this island. We also know... well, think we know... that it was caused by someone tampering with your brother's power core."

"That's it, really. I'm supposed to find out if you have any additional intel on the situation. Also, to tag along, if its not a bother. Neesan's really tied up with sifting the data she can get with the ring, and she and Hex need all the info I can get them. For all we know, there may be someone out there who could waltz in and hijack our Ring at any time - which would be, as Hex likes to put it, a Bad Thing."

"So... whaddya say? Go Team Sunshine?"

[planswalker]

Solaron - The Shining Lands

"Yes indeed, little herald, the first challenge to the Radiant Conclave's authority has arrived. I do not know any more than you do, but i believe that Raesha is around here somewhere, and Red has been sent to find my brother. If someone has tapped into his power core in the Solar Ring, then they must have been in the Shining Council at some point. The Ring is now hidden even from Divine detection. Though not unable to be overcome, the one responsible for this must either be very powerful and/or already know exactly what he was doing. Please stay with me for now, and you can return to tell Klashanna what transpires here if that should become needful."

[Rizban]

The Coastlines

The boiling of the oceans causes billions upon billions of gallons of seawater to evaporate, dropping ocean levels by several feet. Long stretches of sandy beach appear along the coasts of all landmasses. While not actually involved in this ocean boiling, Minrhet senses who has toyed with his heart to do so. In response, he smiles quietly to himself and continues with his plans.

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Minrhet
AP 1 (No Change)
Burning Heart of the Sun Artifact
AP 0 = 1 - 1 (Mold Land: Create sandy 'desert' beach along the edges of the continents.)

[planswalker]

Red finds Minrhet here. "Solaron requests that you meet with him to discuss the matter of the boiling of the seas."

[Rizban]

Minrhet absently waves Red away, curtly dismissing him without a word. As Red leaves the cavern, Minrhet transforms himself into a shimmering of the air and flies almost instantly to Solaron, where he takes his draconic form once more. He stands before his brother with head slightly bowed but says nothing.

[planswalker]

"I am sure that you are aware of the boiling of the seas that just occurred. DO you have any information about who could have done this? I can't even fathom why someone would do this, much less who. Whoever did this must be made to pay for this wanton destruction."

[Rizban]

"I felt my power used, yes. I did not know for what it was used until I had looked upon the world. As to who could have done it, I would say it is likely someone within this pantheon who has detailed knowledge of the sun ring. That is not a certainty, but it must have been someone with access to the schematics."

[planswalker]

"This is disturbing news indeed. There are many deities who were at the Shining Council and saw the schematics for the Solar Ring. Not all of those took the same oath that we did. The Nothing and the lord of death come to mind. Nontheless, it is possible that one who took the oath with us did not consider it a violation of that oath to so misuse the powers of the Solar Ring. This shall require further investigation. Thank you for this piece of the puzzle."

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completely unrelated to this: the mouse you loaned me works like a charm now, Rizban. the whole cordless thing is great!

[dr.cello]

Celis, The Endless Court

"Then you shall meet him!" The Trickster leaped from his throne and extended a hand to the heavens and waved it about, trailing silvery light in its wake."You may tell me what you know, archivist! But first, I shall answer the questions you have for me! I am very clever, you know."

[BloodyAngel]

Bloodletting

Asharra: The Abyss

Floating once more amongst the familiar darkness of her realm, Asharra mused at how she would be rid of this irritating side of Aevum that seemed to remain. As if to taunt her, even here is hindered her, and she found herself unable to assume her natural form... instead she was imprisoned in her human form. Every attempt to revert caused her seething, burning pain. Even in death, the damned sun-god was defying her... and it brought her the first anger she had felt in a long while.

Taking to the surface, Asharra stepped out onto the jagged black rocks as piteous screaming and wailing could be heard from above. Even in the darkness of the Abyss, Elarion could see her... though he could form no coherent words, trapped as he was within the thorny grasp of dozens upon dozens of grasping tendrils that tore at his flesh and skin, leaving him endlessly flayed and exposed to the salty brine of the water below despite the rapid healing she had granted him. He would not perish of his wounds unless she allowed it. He struggled to draw her attention with half of a tongue, making a weak burbling noise as she coldly disregarded him.

Instead she stood upon the rocks and thought, seeing how much control she had over the force of Aevum left within her. She could suppress him, but doing so took such concentration that it precluded anything else. Irritating. She could not seem to eject him from her without a host, and he fought hard enough against it that she did not like her chances. Perhaps in time... but she scarcely had a few centuries to spend in the act.

Then, as she thought, a sudden surge struck her all at once... the link she shared with her Aboleth children. Each had been made to shore up that which she did not know, passing their knowledge to their offspring and to their goddess. She felt as the hundreds of her spawn upon the material world skittered from the surface in pain, and a new light filled the sky. Some fool had created a new ball of light for creation.

That alone concerned her not... until it was followed by a ripple of pain and anguish so strong that it made her clutch her chest and collapse to the rocks below her. Outside, the new sun had seared creation, and the oceans were boiling, and she could feel the prolonged death throes of every aboleth there as they were boiled alive. In only a few moments she was able to muster the willpower to sever the connection to them... but it had made it's impact. Somewhere deep inside her, she could feel Aevum's amusement that she felt now what he had when she slew his children and destroyed his creation.

Her anger rose as it never had before, as she climbed to her feet on the broken rocks and foul energy surged across her body. Someone would answer for this. She felt no need to hide her power any longer.

------------------

Aurelia: Hope

With a great scream, Aurelia thrust forth her spear into the skull of the last Skum brave enough to face her... driving the rest back into the water from whence they had come. It had been some time since she and Azariel had parted ways, and she had tried to calm herself down... but everywhere she seemed to go, she had found only more of the servants of darkness comitting atrocities and slaughter upon the mortal races of the world. Only when slaying them in battle did she feel any justice was done for the death of her lord and her kinsmen. She had flown from battle to battle, taking out her fury against those she felt deserved it.

And do not return! She screamed out over the water, as if the other skum could hear her.

Then, without warning, light was reborn into the world. The mortal warriors around her shielded their eyes, even as their faces lit with hope at the sight. Her joy was somewhat diminished, feeling no rebirth of her lord within her heart... but she smiled for the first time since the coming of the dark to feel warmth upon her skin again.

Azariel... you were right. She admitted to no one in particular, I should have... believed in you... like he did.

----------------------

Asharra: Hope Play for ambiance

With a violent shudder, the earth tore in two. Cracking and splitting down the middle as the small, human form of Asharra rose from the bowels of the rock itself, floating towards the sky in a seething miasma of darkness and shadowy, writhing tendrils. The massive scar gouged in the earth below her crumbled and shook, consuming everything about it before finally the earth held still as if with baited breath. Beneath her now there was only a massive gorge that ended in inky darkness... like a great, hungry maw upon the earth itself.

The light of the new sun burned her eyes... though she had long adapted to the light, it had never stopped being like salt in a wound. Asharra curled her lip in anger, dark power surging over her. She felt a stab of internal pain as Aevum's spirit sought to stay her hand, but she would not be stopped now. Her voice oddly calm, her face losing expression, she spoke a single word of black speech... letting it ripple throughout creation.

Bleed.

The air rippled, as a ominous stillness crossed creation itself... and then, ruin. The ripple of her call sunk into the fiber of creation itself... a literal blasphemy against existence itself. The black speech was made of that which was beyond existence itself given sound... and for a brief moment, the creatures of the plane felt a sudden shudder of immense disquiet and wrongness comer over them... as existence shuddered under the strain.

And then... it broke. With a sudden crack, all that had been made shuddered and responded to the call. Across the plane, thousands upon thousands of mortals found their bodies warping to the whim of the Dark Goddess. Blood flowed from their eyes, their ears, their mouths... From every pore their precious life seeped, giving them several moments of helplessness and horror to realize their fate before they were claimed by the darkness of death. The weakest seemed affected first. The old... the infirm... the weak... and most horrible, the young. Countless mothers watched their children die before them... and were helpless to prevent it.

The earth itself responded to the call as well, as the ground split and tore in places, releasing it's own searing blood across it's surface in great droves. Volcanoes burst and magma flooded into the underdark, as earthquakes tore across the land, bringing more ruin and vicious, boiling waves that smashed against the coasts. Ash belched into the sky, darkening large areas... and scalding magma flowed across the world's surface... burning everything it touched.

A new sun would not save this world. Not from her.

-------------------------

Godly Actions - This... will hurt. Starting AP = 8 Pantheon AP = 1

Mold land: Making a huge maw-like crevice several miles wide, and a bunch of volcanoes and random shifting from the earthquakes. -1

Pestilence: Causing roughly a third of the living things on the planet to hemmorage blood from every pore and orifice until they die. -8

The sheer, gut-wrenching horror of it all: Priceless.

AP = 0 Pantheon AP = 0

And yes... everyone just lost a third of their mortal followers. (Save the Illithids, and anyone on another plane or inside the wards of Elysium) Named heroes are, of course... fine. Probably horrified... but otherwise, fine.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Many Legged Goddess, Despair

The Goddess returned from her creation of the fiery rat-men, her part of the suns creation, to find the oceans boiling, and a third of her people, and all people, dead. Even many gods would be horrified, stunned, in deep depression, but The Goddess felt only what she had felt when her children had first been killed en masse by the Halflings exterminators. Rage. She descended to Despair, walking to and fro. She saw the many gnomes, halflings, goblins, humans, and her own children all dead. Millions of Formians and Abeil choked the tunnels underground, their bodies used for different purposes, like food, and experiments for the Thri-Kreen. But, in the end, this would only benefit the restless dead... but this gave the Goddess an idea. However, she would no longer need her current form. Her people did not need a great breeder-queen any longer. Once more they needed a protector, a bringer of vengeance and retribution. And so, fittingly, her form began to change.

Her body lost it's excess bloating, it became slimmer, quicker, and more deadly though it kept it's great size. Her front set of limbs remained much the same, but sported cruel claws and the ends of the fingers, and her set of legs beneath that grew into long, huge pincer-claws. Her many legs grew sharp at the tips, they grew longer and more powerful and lifted her farther from the ground, jagged points growing upward at the knee. Her body became more segmented and began to slenderly form up at her back, turning into a massive segmented tail, a huge stinger, like a broadsword, that dripped acid and venom. She retained the humanoid upper body, though her head changed from that of an ant to that more like a scorpion or a spider, a number of cruel blood-colored orbs dominated her head and massive mouth parts chittered and hissed, and last but not least, she was a she no longer. Once more, she became The Many Legged God, and this time he would bring vengeance upon his peoples killers.

Many Legged God, The Moon

The massive unnatural scorpion-thing arrived on the moon, home of Death. Quickly casting about, he scuttled toward the visage of Death itself as soon as he located him, moving with the speed of thousands of hatefully spiked legs, like great pointed pistons being driven into the ground time and again, until he at last stood before Death, and he chittered in his strange language, the magic about him translating it as he spoke, giving it a rather sinister and unworldly quality. "I do not trust you, but you and I both know I would be a fool to truly do so. Some of the others may not believe these "Dark Ones" need to be dealt with, but I know better, and so do you. Now the oceans boil, and a third of the world lies dead thanks to these monsters. I would ask for your help, great Death. I have a plan, I had first thought to destroy these Dark Ones forever, but as your own re-emergence has shown, such a death may be far less than permanent. Though a god may be able to make a death stick longer, I feel the best course of action is to imprison them, and I shall test this theory. If you are willing to help me, you and I shall bind one of the Dark Ones where they cannot influence the goings on in the world, to isolate them and make them completely incapable of acting against us. Will you help me in this endeavor, Death?"

Spoiler

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1AP=4AP-3AP Evolve Physically, become a freaky Scorpion-man thing

[Moose Fisher]

The World

Great evil moved about the world, sowing chaos in its wake. Forces worked to stabilize all which is good, but still the earth reeled from the blows against it. Scars covered the world and open wounds ran with lifeblood, healing was needed.

The dark beings within the depths of the ocean were being excised, but so was the healthy bounty of the sea. The scalding heat was pulled away, leaving a comfortable warmth. Life within the sea adapted and flourished, bringing back great riches unguarded by malevolent forces. The warmth of the sea and heat of the sun energized a caring heart.

The cruelties of the Dark Lady made the world weep blood, but for some the tears were wiped away. A number of those inflicted with the Lady's punishment were miraculously rewarded with life. Though weak, they recovered their strength and lived out additional days.

And Hope, valiant yet often forgotten Hope, stood firm against the assault from below. No evil may damage this fair land, for it represents something inextinguishable. Dark clouds fade and wounds are mended. That which is lost is replaced and regained. In one instant the surface of Hope was torn, in another came great rains. The angry fires were soothed and the rough mountains were smoothed. The maw threatening to consume Hope was filled with its own teeth and life flourished once more. The fields and forests returned, forming contours with soft mountains and hills. Great forces may press against Hope's borders, but Hope shall overcome. Despair ensnares many, but Hope is the true power in this world.

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3 rollovers... 4x3 ap = 12

3ap Nourish (Cool down oceans and bring back mundane aquatic life)

3ap Raise DR (9 to 10)

3ap Nourish (Only 1/5 of the world's population perishes from the bleeding)

1ap Shape land (Return where the giant hole in Hope is back to its original condition)

2 = 12 - 3 - 3 - 3 - 1

EDIT: Made the shape land... better!