Lords of Creation - What Shall Be (IC)

[Jeriah]

Solaron spots Inanna busy dancing with two dwarves, one standing atop the other's shoulders. Looking over her shoulder at him, she speaks, "Invitation? Why would you need an invitation? It's an open party."

[planswalker]

"Then why did the doorman say that it was by invitation only?"

As he is asking the question, his tail begins to tap and sway to the music.

[Shmee]

Testament, the Towers Above

Tn a dark chamber hidden deep within the mountain near the peak, a strange device clicks away. The only light in the room emanates from a single glowing diode which flashes on once every few minutes for but a second to remind the user that the machine is active. In the brief instants of light shed by the machine, one might notice that it is a ramshackle collection of detritus collected from the castoffs of the gnomes and what tech could be "collected" from trade caravans who carried goods from Progress. None of the materials were gained through proper channels to ensure that none could trace it back here.

What an observer might not immediately notice is a small, fluid filled tube laying horizontally at about waist level, just large enough to encapsulate a humanoid. Should that tube have a window, one might look inside and notice a figure familiar on the streets, Adoroar of the Sewers, now called The Mad Faeli. How he found his way to this chamber is unknown, yet here he lies in forced slumber, wires connected across his entire body. His nightmares come now without end, his mind and body unable to wake. As his form slowly atrophies and his mind goes ever more mad, the machine continues to watch, to record. It seems someone has orchestrated this "prophet's" disappearance in order to study his visions for himself so that he alone might know the future as revealed through this one Faeli's madness.

In fact, what ever visions of the future the Mad Faeli had, he had already written down in his infamous book the Tritoparousia. However, this time Adoroar did not dream of the future nor of the past... but of the present. Horrifying visions from realities beyond this one told of an ongoing struggle amongst the stars between two opposing entities, a conflict which swallowed up entire worlds in its wake.

All of a sudden, the Mad Faeli begins to writer in his sleep as one of the entities, realizing that he is being watched, turns his attention on the dreamer. The gaze too much for the Mad Faeli to bare, he begins to try and scream despite all the tubes and wires forcing him to sleep. The power behind the dreamer was so great that the machines began to overload, as finally, Adoroar awakens, screaming in horror before breathing his last.

However, as the Mad Faeli's body fell back limp, there was yet another creature who just as the Mad Faeli peered into his world, so did this creature stare into this one. All of a sudden, using the Mad Faeli as a medium, a portal is opened and a creature walks out, a creature from beyond this world, the Star Spawn maliciously eyes its surroundings and quickly goes on a trail of destruction within the tower.

What the Adventists had been trying to do for years, the Mad Faeli succeed with his death. As Sordend would say, not all knowledge is safe. Should the individual seek more knowledge of the future, he needs only to read the Tritoparousia.

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OOC
Use the Grimoire to cast a pestilence on the tower. Getting knowledge from beyond this reality should be dangerous.

The Freiherr
AP 4= 6-2Create Race: The Star Spawns

Mountains of Despair

Deep within the wilderness of Despair, stood a lone tower which was built into the very mountains. This old building housed an alliance of varying mortals, ones who put behind the politics and conflicts of nations, race and religions and who heard the Walking Death's final words. Fearing his return and upon getting their hands on a copy of the Tritoparousia, these people began to study and research everything they could about the worlds beyond this one, for unlike the gods, the Order of the Fourth Dawn would not sit idle, or squabble for power amongst them while this world awaited its doom.

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OOC
The Freiherr
AP2= 4-2, Create Organization: Order of the Fourth Dawn, Create Prestige Class: Alienists

[Selinia]

The Solar Ring

"The future can change. Nothing is impossible. Do not give into despair, the Freiherr can be fought! He will come, and I will defy him. The Conclave will defy him. Planet will defy him, with her thousand-million throats raised in in the unity of will to live."

Klashanna's glare was unwavering - it was clear that she had absolute conviction in every word she spoke.

"Perhaps we will fail. Perhaps we will rise to the challenge and find ourselves wanting, and you will have been right all along. But to not even try... to meekly submit to our end, dooming Planet's people with our apathy? That would be the greatest crime of all. Until that day comes... we can only prepare."

Turning back to the great screens behind her, she sighed as she caught an error in the mountains of scrolling text, correcting it with a swift series of gestures before continuing.

"I don't pretend to have seen what you have... but that does not mean I am blind to what the Freiherr can or will be able to do. His power must be finite, and all such things have their limits. Limits can be found, and exploited."

"Now... as you can guess, I have much work to do. I do not think I will sway your mind with simple words... but I have to try, yes? Forgive a girl her foolish hopes... but if you ever have a change of heart, the Conclave will not spurn the aid of the Lords, should you find it in yourself to for once preserve rather than destroy. I have nothing more to say."

NNHIS Headquarters, Hoffnung

"Infantry equipment eh? Well then, give me a moment... as for payment, your arrangement sounds quite acceptable, though we don't have a contract drawn up for such an... unusual payment method. Expect one in a week or so... if your reserves of resources are as robust as you suggest, it may be more fruitful for us to arange a barter of materials for equipment. Certainly, it would be a relief to not have to deal with those gougers from Colosoilus... Collos...soillius... uh, anyway, moving on, here's what you're looking for."

Neatly stacking the vehicle dossiers to one side, Kaito produces a fistful of new ones, these being significantly smaller folders, with somewhat simpler descriptions.

"Now, I'm afraid we don't have much in the way of armor. Bullets rather render such things somewhat meaningless, and our armies are designed for engaging at a distance, not close up. The firestorm any foe would have to wade through to get within striking distance of our lines is a better defense than any scraps of metal, and when we're on offense, we have our tanks and transports to see us through. We do, however, stock basic combat garb, if you're interested - it's fairly lightweight, tough, water-resistant, tear-resistant, and colored to provide a degree of camouflage. It won't stop a blade or bullet, but it might keep you from coming down with a fever on a rainy day on the front."

"I think you'll be a bit more satisfied with our weapon selection. The star of the show here is really our Gregor-Class General Infantry Weapon (VI). Solid accuracy, good range, nine-round clip, and best of all - it's our first rifle to be fully semi-automatic. Miss, I don't know how familiar you are with our weapons technology, but... normally you have to manually chamber a new round before a shot is fired, see? But with the Gregor, you can keep pulling the trigger, and the gun will keep firing until you run out of shots."

"That weapon is currently the primary infantry armament of every nation in the Alliance, which should say something in its favor, but it's far from all we've got. This next little gadget is designed as a sidearm, but it can do wonders as a stand-alone self-defense tool in situations where a rifle would be unseemly. I give you the Mokuba-Class Personal Sidearm! Twelve-bullet clip, effective up to medium range, fairly stable... it's a favorite with our police forces, and with vehicle crews - space is at a premium in the confines of a tank, and a rifle is hardly of insignificant size."

"While those are our most generally useful items, please, feel free to look through the files here to see if anything else meets your needs. I get the impression that angelic troops would be dangerous enough in close-range combat on their own that a shotgun would be mostly superfluous, but I can definitely see some utility in some of our heavier ordinance. A light machine gun can be difficult to fire for a faeli, but a larger creature should have much less difficulty. And of course, all of this is useless without ordinance - you can find descriptions of our different types of ammunition here... and here..."

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OOC: Munitions and such are more or less what you'd imagine. Most weapons you can think of are probably offered in some form or fashion, and while Blue doesn't, we all all know what a shotgun is, what a pistol is, etc... since I'm feeling lazy, I'm just going to say that their stuff parallels Earth equivalents pretty closely. That said, the Alliance tends to avoid using infantry when possible, preferring armored combat... so most of Blue's order there will be made-to-order.

Planswalker, feel free to close out the sale at any time, or to keep asking questions on various thingamajigs I may have missed. It'll take them a couple weeks for NNHIS to get a contract written up, but in the end it's going to basically be a trade agreement of manufactured goods for resources. Not having to pay gnomes for some of the rarer ores and such will be a huge boost to the company... and it's a lot less legally hazy than say... divinely morphic gold for instance. NNHIS prides itself on remaining above-board in all its dealings.

[Lady Tialait]

Mumbles

The Dark Jester falls onto his back, laughing.

"That joker was barely a challenge in the fight we had. I know certain captains, pirates..or something like that, and Raccoons that scare me more. Seriously."

The laughter of the Dark Jester twisted the room, music started to play, carnival music.

"The past is already past. The future is in the future. The here and now...is HERE and...NOW! Maybe the Old Death will return, maybe he won't. I ask one question, again and again. The answer decides everything. What do you want?"

Mumbles grins wide, his laughter echoing through the carnival music.

[planswalker]

NNHIS Headquarters, Hoffnung

"Infantry equipment eh? Well then, give me a moment... as for payment, your arrangement sounds quite acceptable, though we don't have a contract drawn up for such an... unusual payment method. Expect one in a week or so... if your reserves of resources are as robust as you suggest, it may be more fruitful for us to arange a barter of materials for equipment. Certainly, it would be a relief to not have to deal with those gougers from Colosoilus... Collos...soillius... uh, anyway, moving on, here's what you're looking for."

Neatly stacking the vehicle dossiers to one side, Kaito produces a fistful of new ones, these being significantly smaller folders, with somewhat simpler descriptions.

"Now, I'm afraid we don't have much in the way of armor. Bullets rather render such things somewhat meaningless, and our armies are designed for engaging at a distance, not close up. The firestorm any foe would have to wade through to get within striking distance of our lines is a better defense than any scraps of metal, and when we're on offense, we have our tanks and transports to see us through. We do, however, stock basic combat garb, if you're interested - it's fairly lightweight, tough, water-resistant, tear-resistant, and colored to provide a degree of camouflage. It won't stop a blade or bullet, but it might keep you from coming down with a fever on a rainy day on the front."

"I think you'll be a bit more satisfied with our weapon selection. The star of the show here is really our Gregor-Class General Infantry Weapon (VI). Solid accuracy, good range, nine-round clip, and best of all - it's our first rifle to be fully semi-automatic. Miss, I don't know how familiar you are with our weapons technology, but... normally you have to manually chamber a new round before a shot is fired, see? But with the Gregor, you can keep pulling the trigger, and the gun will keep firing until you run out of shots."

"That weapon is currently the primary infantry armament of every nation in the Alliance, which should say something in its favor, but it's far from all we've got. This next little gadget is designed as a sidearm, but it can do wonders as a stand-alone self-defense tool in situations where a rifle would be unseemly. I give you the Mokuba-Class Personal Sidearm! Twelve-bullet clip, effective up to medium range, fairly stable... it's a favorite with our police forces, and with vehicle crews - space is at a premium in the confines of a tank, and a rifle is hardly of insignificant size."

"While those are our most generally useful items, please, feel free to look through the files here to see if anything else meets your needs. I get the impression that angelic troops would be dangerous enough in close-range combat on their own that a shotgun would be mostly superfluous, but I can definitely see some utility in some of our heavier ordinance. A light machine gun can be difficult to fire for a faeli, but a larger creature should have much less difficulty. And of course, all of this is useless without ordinance - you can find descriptions of our different types of ammunition here... and here..."

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OOC: Munitions and such are more or less what you'd imagine. Most weapons you can think of are probably offered in some form or fashion, and while Blue doesn't, we all all know what a shotgun is, what a pistol is, etc... since I'm feeling lazy, I'm just going to say that their stuff parallels Earth equivalents pretty closely. That said, the Alliance tends to avoid using infantry when possible, preferring armored combat... so most of Blue's order there will be made-to-order.

Planswalker, feel free to close out the sale at any time, or to keep asking questions on various thingamajigs I may have missed. It'll take them a couple weeks for NNHIS to get a contract written up, but in the end it's going to basically be a trade agreement of manufactured goods for resources. Not having to pay gnomes for some of the rarer ores and such will be a huge boost to the company... and it's a lot less legally hazy than say... divinely morphic gold for instance. NNHIS prides itself on remaining above-board in all its dealings.

Blue - Hoffnung

"Personal firearms are more what I was meaning. Virtually every class of elite angel has magical means to ward off projectiles to some degree, and there are many whose bodies are already harder to penetrate than steel. Solars, our most powerful, are in fact nearly impossible to kill without massive force or evil enchantments of the highest order."

"I must confess that I am not entirely familiar with your projectile weapon technologies. However, from what I have seen, there is far more potential in this field than has been exploited up to this point. Would it be possible to expand the clip on the Gregor to hold more rounds without losing the semi-auto feature? Would it also be possible to increase the size of the payload delivered to be able to contain a small amount of special substances in it? The more powerful liches and dracoliches require supernatural aid to effectively harm. Basically, is it possible to fire more than just a bit of metal out of these weapons?"

Having found this topic to be one that fascinates her immensely, she sorts through the various selections, pulls out three or four and says, "Hmm... We really do not need any sort of short-range munitions. We all have spells that can more than match any of the short range weaponry. In mid-range warfare, lightning bolts and fireballs of various sorts are about as effective as bullets. Few of our spells, though, can match the range of long distance firearms. Specifically, modifying the design of the standard rifle a bit to increase its accuracy over a distance. Oh, and these 'scopes' To vies things from a distance more accurately, could they be added to a rifle to aid in selecting a target over a distance?"

"Also, the fully automatic firearms intrigue me. If they can unleash such a rain of bullets, why are they not standard issue to every soldier? It would seem like an excellent advantage, especially if outnumbered."

"Anyways, All these details can be worked out in the coming days as you churn out whatever contract, treaty, or miscellaneous document you wish me to sign. One of the advantages of our unilateral system is that I am fully empowered with the authority to sign any sort of agreement I need to without consulting another. We are also willing to finance research and development for any product we purchase. One of the nice things about the works of mortal hands is that there is always room for improvement."

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Blue dreams big and is quite a fast learner. She also likes to look at things from a different angle. Feel free to have as much or as little of what she said be innovative as you wish. She is by no means a studied expert on the field. She could very well be asking about something which is not standard issue but trivial to do nontheless or something just not quite feasible with current standards. I did a bit of quick research online and based her questions off of early WWII technology, things that would be commonplace by the end of the war but were new or untested at the start of the war.

[Jeriah]

"Then why did the doorman say that it was by invitation only?"

As he is asking the question, his tail begins to tap and sway to the music.

Whoa! We have a doorman? That's new.

A formal invitation appears in her hands, and she tosses it to Solaron. As he grasps it, the invitation melds with his body so that he can not misplace it.

[Shmee]

The Solar Ring

"The future can change. Nothing is impossible. Do not give into despair, the Freiherr can be fought! He will come, and I will defy him. The Conclave will defy him. Planet will defy him, with her thousand-million throats raised in in the unity of will to live."

Klashanna's glare was unwavering - it was clear that she had absolute conviction in every word she spoke.

"Perhaps we will fail. Perhaps we will rise to the challenge and find ourselves wanting, and you will have been right all along. But to not even try... to meekly submit to our end, dooming Planet's people with our apathy? That would be the greatest crime of all. Until that day comes... we can only prepare."

Turning back to the great screens behind her, she sighed as she caught an error in the mountains of scrolling text, correcting it with a swift series of gestures before continuing.

"I don't pretend to have seen what you have... but that does not mean I am blind to what the Freiherr can or will be able to do. His power must be finite, and all such things have their limits. Limits can be found, and exploited."

"Now... as you can guess, I have much work to do. I do not think I will sway your mind with simple words... but I have to try, yes? Forgive a girl her foolish hopes... but if you ever have a change of heart, the Conclave will not spurn the aid of the Lords, should you find it in yourself to for once preserve rather than destroy. I have nothing more to say."
[B]

"Ah... but that is were you are wrong my dear. You place too much faith in unity. Last I saw the unshakable unity of your Conclave was shattered was it not? United the Conclave stood as they watched helpless as he rained destruction on your Conviction, how will they stand now that you are squabbling amongst yourselves? The mortals? Hardly united shall they stand either. Such ignorance to think that all mortals shall flock to your cause, for while some mortals shall try to oppose us, there are just as many who support our cause... hard as it may be for you to beleive."

"And as for you... Klashanna... my own word of advice... your love for science shall be your undoing. You have sheltered yourself by convincing your own mind that everything must have a scientific solution. Let me tell you this: it does not... there are things beyond the scope of logic and reason... things that you cannot and never will understand... the Freiherr is one of them."

"For example... my dear Mumbles... you asked before to find out as to how magnets work... now you see, Klashanna may go on and on about something she would call 'magnetism'... but I say... that magnets work because of..."

Simply focusing her power Kryokoli wills for two small pieces of metal to begin attracting each other

"...Miracles!"

Symaxia

Sitting in the Necropolis, the Skull Knight was beginning to lose patience. He had defeated Ichmod and Michrael, gone through great lengths to make his message clear, but it would seem that the Conclave was still cowering. It would seem that the Skull Knight would have to press his point further. Looking at his newly created dark creatures which would cause everyone to fear the dark, the Skull Knight gives his command

"Living Dead of Symaxia... prepare yourselves... soon we march to crush Grindforge under our heels!"

As the Liches and the Living Dead go off to prepare for war, the Skull Knight summons his steed. Before he begins on his march, the Skull Knight had yet another place to visit, this time closer to home than his other destinations. To a forgotten people in Despair, between the Greenlands and the Mountains of Despair.

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OOC
The Skull Knight

AP0=3-3, Evolve

The Freiherr

AP0=2-2, Create Race: Nightwings, Nightshades, Nightwalkers

[planswalker]

Whoa! We have a doorman? That's new.

A formal invitation appears in her hands, and she tosses it to Solaron. As he grasps it, the invitation melds with his body so that he can not misplace it.

Solaron - the Party

"Thank you. So, what exactly am I supposed to do here?"

[Selinia]

NNHIS Headquarters, Hoffnung

"You suggestions, miss, while excellent, are frankly things our engineering teams have already thought of. The problem is that when it comes to these things, it's all give and take. Yes, a larger round would be more powerful - our sniper variant actually uses rounds of significantly higher caliber, if you'll notice, as do all our machine gun variants - but for the average soldier, a larger round means a smaller clip, and more recoil. Neither one of those things is at all desirable."

"The blunt truth is, what infantry we deploy is designed to be quick, lightweight, mobile... that comes first in our designs. The exceptions to that rule are intended for defensive purposes. When we want heavier firepower, we roll in tanks, or call for artillery support or air strikes. Or our own caster auxiliaries for that matter - I must admit, I'm a man of science, but those dark faeli from the Sorcerer Corps are bloody terrifying. It'll be years before we can deploy concentrated firepower with that kind of efficiency."

"Specialized rounds encounter many of the same problems as larger ones - mostly because they often happen to be one and the same. It is one thing to pack an artillery round with incendiaries, but it is another entirely to pack enough high-explosive into something as small as a rifle round to make a meaningful difference in destructive prowess."

The representative pauses for a moment here before continuing thoughtfully.

"However, you've spoken very highly of the incredible physical prowess of your angels. It seems to me entirely within the realm of possibility that we could re-fit some of our vehicle-mounted heavy machine guns and cannons to be carried by an extraordinarily strong humanoid. Such a design would have it's flaws of course - the biggest one I can think of being the fact that their wielder would have to tote around a crate to have enough ammo for any sort of combat endurance. In any case... if you're interested, I'll see if we can't deprive R&D of a bit more sleep."

"And I wouldn't underestimate the prowess of even basic gunfire against supernatural creatures. Concentrated gunfire comes too fast, and in quantities too great, for any but the most masterful defensive magics to block entirely. Even a dracolich would wither under an full-strength AA battery if they were unwise enough to remain in range for more than a few seconds. And most of our higher-caliber rounds are tested against Iron Wyvern hide from the gnomes - it isn't quite dragonhide, but it's the closest we can get without offending some very powerful creatures."

"On the other hand, the Ashcroft Foundation is looking for a way to apply anti-magic effects en-masse to bullets with a single system incorporated into a gun. At NNHIS, we find that enchanting a device results in an end product hideously more expensive than a non-magical equivalent, but if they succeed it would prove a remarkably efficient... if expensive... anti-caster weapon. But that's their line, not ours, and it's pure theory right now."

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OOC: Most of what Blue asked for is feasible, but not really in the realm of what the Alliance deploys to its infantry (which tend to be either recon or specialist teams, not heavy-weapons crews). On the other hand, it's absolutely in the realm of what they deploy for their vehicles.

You have to admit, an eight-foot angel spitting fire out of a handheld version of a tank cannon would be bloody awesome. And I really doubt even a dracolich would laugh off a AT found hurdling at his face.

"FOR THE LIGHT ETERNAL!" *BOOM*

Somewhere on the coastline of Pulse

The waves lapped against the locks of this tiny inlet in the sheer stone face that predominated this region of coastline. For a moment, all was still... then the spell of the night was broken as a brilliant lamp flared to life at the flick of a switch. Silhouetted against the glare were three figures.

"You are certain this is the place Kozo?"

"Of course sir. It was clearly marked on our map. Relax, they'd never miss a chance to get paid."

As if on queue, the waters of the ocean broke abruptly as the coils of a massive beast broke the surface of the waves. As the brine cascaded from its scaly form, the sea serpent seemed to almost grin - Drofiel had never really found it necessary to mention that what the creatures took for a grin looked to most like the look one gives a particularly appetizing morsel. The creature's next words indeed seemed to confirm that it had in fact been waiting to make a dramatic entrance.

"Ssssomeone mentioned payment, no?"

"You know the agreement. You show us the retrieved object first. I trust you have it? The instructions on how to retrieve it were quite specific."

"Of coursssssse. We're professssionalssss, no? Your prissssse... sssssir..."

The serpent's tail rose from the water, slamming with a resounding thud on the sandy beach. As the coils loosed and drew back into the waves, Drofiel caught a glimpse... then a good solid look at the object in question. He did his best to hide his excitement - it fit the descriptions perfectly. A jet-black chest of unidentifiable substance and craftsmanship.

"Agreeable... sssssir?"

"Indeed. Kozo, the chest."

The young saerite aide nodded and dissapeared up the path for a moment. After about a minute, he reappeared, pushing a trolly laden with a single chest - almost impossibly ornate, solid gold, with every surface encrusted with diamonds. The serpent's eyes shone with open greed as it beheld the chest, only intensifying as it flicked it open with a deft snap of its tail to behold the contents - precious gems and other stones, all of the finest cut and craftsmanship, and without flaw."

"Assss alwayssss angel... you are our favorite cusssstomer... I will be taking my leave now. Thissss must be divided amongsssst us... fairly. Enjoy your toysssss... ssssir."

As abruptly as it had come, the sea serpent vanished beneath the waves, dragging the precious chest with it... and leaving the true treasure behind. Drofiel paced his hand gingerly upon the obsidian surfance of the chest, eying it for a moment before bending down and lifting it in one great heave. Hefting the load onto one shoulder, he eyed the dumbfounded look of his aide with amusement.

"I AM an immortal being, you know. It has perks. Anyway, this ought to be faster, and I don't want to trust this to a trolly."

The angel was obviously in an excellent mood, humming a catchy Pulsite tune. Everything was going According to Plan, more or less. Now if only those bloody genasi would hurry up... as his personal automobile loaded up the cargo and set off with all due haste back to Pinnacle, he eagerly anticipated what he would find within the precious chest.

The words of a god were not things to be read lightly.

[planswalker]

Blue - NNHIS Headquarters

"Very well. Those modified vehicle weapons sound like exactly the sort of weaponry we are looking for. If we can get 10,000 of such weaponry within the next two years, we will pay whatever price you wish to charge for them. As for ammo, I believe what we will do is have one of the lesser angels or two carry the ammunition for the stronger ones."

"Now then, unless there is something else we need to discuss before your people draw up detailed sets of paperwork, please let me know. I will call in a planetar or two to aid in specific negotiations."

[Jeriah]

Solaron - the Party

"Thank you. So, what exactly am I supposed to do here?"

Inanna, the Party

Have fun. Duh.

With that, she dances off into the crowd. A few seconds later, a cute half-dragon girl approaches Solaron and offers him a strong, alcoholic drink.

[planswalker]

Inanna, the Party

Have fun. Duh.

With that, she dances off into the crowd. A few seconds later, a cute half-dragon girl approaches Solaron and offers him a strong, alcoholic drink.

Not seeing what the harm could be, he accept the drink and begins to party with her.

A few days later, his unconscious avatar is found hanging from the ceiling. He had a BLAST at the party. Once he understood the concept, he embraced it wholeheartedly.

After a few more weeks of moderate partying, he finds his hostess Inanna again and says, "I thank you greatly for educating me in this most wonderful of activities. This type of fun and joy should be more common among the mortal races. If there is ever anything you need or want from me, do not hesitate to ask. For now, though, I must depart. Please accept this gift of gratitude for opening my eyes."

He takes a scale from his neck and plucks it off. With a moment of brilliant golden light, it is infused with a portion of his power. He gives it to Inanna. When she accepts it, it is absorbed into her being, and she gains a small boost to her own power.

A month or so later, that cute little half-dragon will find herself pregnant. When she does, a Prismatic Child will approach her and say, "Congratulations, Blessed One. You bear the child of Solaron, conceived in a moment of absolute bliss. Please come with me. Solaron wishes to personally thank you for this gift and asks you to meet him on Conviction. He would have come personally, but he has other pressing matters that keep him away at the moment."

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ap bookkeeping:

I forgot to notate rollover on Sunday, but that's the only one i've missed.

Solaron - ap: 6=3+5(rollover)-2(gift to Inanna)
Solkiran- ap: 8=4+4(rollover)
Michrael- ap: 4=0+4(rollover)

of course, until his soul is freed, Michrael's ap isn't exactly very usable at the moment.

Solaron - across Planet on his way to Conviction

As the dragon avatar is returning to Conviction, a trio of Roygbv approach him and give him a message in the TrueLight tongue.

"My Lord, a new god has been born in Symaxia by the name of the Skull Knight. He challenged Michrael to single combat and defeated him. Michrael's soul is now trapped in the undead horror's armor. It has challenged you to avenge his death if you dare."

Solaron's form bristles with rage as he responds. "I shall not let this stand. Such an act is one of the most terrible crimes committed in the history of creation. We have gone to war before over such acts."

Conviction - within his mind

Solaron quickly rushes back to Conviction. As soon as the golden dragon form touches the barrier separating Conviction from the rest of Planet, it disappears and the golden lantern at its center reawakens. He then confers within his own mind how best to handle the problem. He sends the prismatic Child to the half-dragon to convey his message. Solkiran confers with him, taking a slightly different view on things.

I cannot allow such acts to go unopposed. However, if he is powerful enough to kill Michrael, my avatar could never hope to match him in raw power.

Then don't try. Make him come to me on my terms. On Conviction, every advantage is mine.

But such an act comes with horrible risk. Should he choose to repeat the Freihrr's actions, many countless innocents could die.

Then I need to ensure that he cannot do so. I know of a way. It is not without risk, but none of ours will be harmed if I succeed.

I know that plan. It is far too dangerous. If even one of my planned points are wrong, many thousands if not millions will die.

It is the only way. I know it. When I pull it off successfully, none will be hurt but the guilty.

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bold italics are Solkiran's thoughts. Non-bold are Solaron's. Since they are the same person, they use the first person singular when talking to themselves.

Unable to figure a better solution, Solkiran takes command of the divine body and sets the pieces in motion. Having successfully negotiated with his lighter half into allowing him to take control, a change overcomes him. His aura of dissonance becomes one of devious scheming and aggression.

From within his brother's containment tanks for the Blackwater, dark things begin to stir.

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Solkiran ap: 3=8-3(evolve)-2(create monsters: the Blackspawn. More details on them later.

Solaron has 6, and Michrael still has 4

[Selinia]

Pinnacle Headquarters, Hoffnung

The doors were locked. Drofiel could go for weeks without food, and he wasn't about to waste a precious second on such frivolities... not when he was so close! And yet, no matter how much progress he made, the answers seemed no nearer.

Slamming his fists against his desk in frustration, he glowered at the scroll carefully spread before him. Aevum had written it in the First Speech... Drofiel had not even been aware that the primordial tongue had a written form, and deciphering it was proving... difficult. He had spent twenty-three days and seven hours pouring over them without pause, hoping to crack the code they held...

Then it hit him, and he almost laughed out loud. It wasn't a language at all! It was an encryption that looked like one, and knowing Aevum... yes, yes, the hierarchies of Heliopolis worked perfectly! Typical... he'd assumed Aevum would make a much greater effort to hide the secrets of these scrolls, but then again, the sun lord had never been terribly keen on subtlety. He'd probably thought the encryption terribly clever, and truly, it had stumped him for a good while.

His weariness banished by the breakthrough, he tore through the pages with a fervor, looking for one particular piece of information but marking several other mentally for later review. Much of it was rubbish, but there were a few things... and there it was! Allowing himself a tired grin, he picked up one of the phones at his disposal, dialing a local number.

"Kozo?"

"Sir? Are you all right? You sound..."

"I found him."

"...wait. What? You mean..."

"Organize our teams, set out tomorrow, meet me to be briefed on specifics in one hour. I want excavation to begin no later than three weeks from now. We've got a long way down to go..."

Spoiler

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OOC: AP!
Klashanna AP: 19 ; 22 - 3 (Create Artifact - the Dead City Scrolls)
Sequence AP: 19
The Unbound Spark AP: 13

NNHIS Headquarters, Hoffnung

"Excellent. Well then, I shall begin setting the process in motion. Do you have a mailing address here in Progress, or shall you be staying in one of our hotels? I'm afraid the postal service is unable to access Conviction until someone figures out how to bypass that irritating barrier effect, and your people lack an embassy to my knowledge."

"In any case, don't worry, we don't gouge clients. I expect that your payments will be made largely in raw materials, as there are numerous things that it is exceedingly difficult to acquire through other channels. Also, we'd appreciate if you could send a team of angels down to our research facilities at some point in the near future - it would be a great help in refitting some of this gear."

Clearly, the session was drawing to a close, and Kaito was scooping up the various files into their proper folders and drawers once more.

"It has been a pleasure Miss Blue. The New National Heavy Industry Society eagerly looks forward to a long and mutually profitable arrangement with your people. If you lack a place to stay, we would be happy to provide one for you at our own expense until you make arrangements of your own."

The Solar Ring

"What do I want? That is unchanged Mumbles - I want the mortals to be free... free to choose their own path, without us if need be. But as long as there are those who wish to destroy or enslave them, there must be those who will come to their aid. One day, mortals will no longer need us for that either, but until then..."

Klashanna's speech broke off as a flashing icon appeared onscreen. Scowling, she inputted a furious series of commands, which were sent winging through the ether to their destination...

Conviction, with Solkiran

Projected from the Ring's psicaster, a simple message found its way into the sun god's mind.

"I am reading a resurgence of negative energy from border sensors in Conviction, similar to the one that occurred when you lost control to Solkiran. What is your situation, and do you need support? Klashanna out."

[Lady Tialait]

Mumbles

Mumbles scratched his chin, "Klashanna, I have a way for you to have all you ever wanted....Have you been talking to The Destroyer?"

He snickers and floats in place for a moment before returning to his speech. "You want the Gods, even yourself to be Impotent? When I came to this world, in the belly of Darrmoon I learned of the source of all Godly power. I propose that you go into my stomach, and find it. Severing it from all the Gods. The Freiherr could return, but when he did, he would find himself nothing more powerful then his Liches. However, we would all age and die....well not me. I would fade form this wold. I am the spirit of joy and all that jazz. Without Godly power...I must move on. You would eventually die, but that is something you said you WANT. What do you say? No more Gods...Game over man...game over."

[planswalker]

NNHIS Headquarters, Hoffnung

"Excellent. Well then, I shall begin setting the process in motion. Do you have a mailing address here in Progress, or shall you be staying in one of our hotels? I'm afraid the postal service is unable to access Conviction until someone figures out how to bypass that irritating barrier effect, and your people lack an embassy to my knowledge."

"In any case, don't worry, we don't gouge clients. I expect that your payments will be made largely in raw materials, as there are numerous things that it is exceedingly difficult to acquire through other channels. Also, we'd appreciate if you could send a team of angels down to our research facilities at some point in the near future - it would be a great help in refitting some of this gear."

Clearly, the session was drawing to a close, and Kaito was scooping up the various files into their proper folders and drawers once more.

"It has been a pleasure Miss Blue. The New National Heavy Industry Society eagerly looks forward to a long and mutually profitable arrangement with your people. If you lack a place to stay, we would be happy to provide one for you at our own expense until you make arrangements of your own."

Blue - Hoffnung

"Five of each angel, one of them paragon, shall immediately be sent for. They should arrive within the month. As for sleeping arrangements..." She draws attention to her body, about two inches high. "I have never bothered with housing before. Do I have to start now, or may I just stay in a nearby tree?"

Without waiting for a response, Blue immediately disappears from Progress, appears on Conviction, tells one of the Ophanim about the current state of affairs, and a contingent travels forth. Blue returns to Progress, gone no more than 10 minutes. There are advantages to being an ex-herald.

"The angels are on their way. I think we may want to include the paperwork to allow us to have an embassy here in Progress. If there is nothing else, I await the arrival of the paperwork and the official recognition of whatever bureaucratic whatchamajig you need."

Conviction, with Solkiran

Projected from the Ring's psicaster, a simple message found its way into the sun god's mind.

"I am reading a resurgence of negative energy from border sensors in Conviction, similar to the one that occurred when you lost control to Solkiran. What is your situation, and do you need support? Klashanna out."

the response was rather short. Solaron responded. Michrael has been captured by the Skull Knight. Solkiran has the only plan which has a chance of not harming innocents. I have allowed him to take control to implement it. Also, he does apologize for his rude behavior earlier.


Conviction and Abroad

Solkiran began to set his plans into place. The Skull Knight would not know what hit him. First order of business, he sent Dark Orchid to the Skull Knight to deliver this message: "The Shining Lord recognizes your challenge and demands that things between you and him be settled at once. Meet him at Conviction at your earliest convenience. As for your entry, so long as you have Michrael's soul, Conviction shall not be barred to you."

As the brave shimmerling delivered her message, changes were happening all over Conviction. In the perpetual twilight dusk that has been over Conviction ever since it was sealed away, the mortals prepared to meet a hostile god in their lands once again. Unlike the Second Advent where they pitted their might against a god directly, this time they prepared to avoid confrontation at all costs. Everyone but the Prismatic Children and the Celestial Legion. In Michrael's absence, each echelon of angels was allowed to determine their own part in this plan. Centuries of training, though were not abandoned. The five major echelons coordinated their strategies.

The Prismatic Children, those kobolds who so thoroughly mastered both arcane and divine magic that they were able to literally morph their forms to those of prismatic dragons, began a ritual. The exact purpose of this ritual was kept a secret from all outsiders. Surprise is to be the most critical element.

Orange sought our Minrhet to deliver a message to him.

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Solkiran now has 8 ap, Solaron has 11, and Michrael has 8. I'd spent the ap right now, but metaknowledge seems to be something that we have a hard time not acting upon.

[Rizban]

The Burning Desert, Conviction

Minrhet stands with Namtar and Martu close at hand, each feverishly whispering amongst themselves, obviously planning something. They abruptly stop and turn to look at Orange as he approaches.

"Welcome, messenger, what news have you?"

Spoiler

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Minrhet
AP 24 = 10 + 7 + 7 (two rollovers)

Martu
AP 15 = 7 + 4 + 4 (two rollovers)

Namtar
AP 15 = 7 + 4 + 4 (two rollovers)

[planswalker]

"Solkiran requests that that the Elysium artifact be moved to Conviction temporarily."

after delivering his official message, he adds, "Michrael's soul has been stolen by the Skull Knight, and Solkiran has a plan to stop him without harming the innocent. Will you aid us?"

[Draken]

"Ah... but that is were you are wrong my dear. You place too much faith in unity. Last I saw the unshakable unity of your Conclave was shattered was it not? United the Conclave stood as they watched helpless as he rained destruction on your Conviction, how will they stand now that you are squabbling amongst yourselves? The mortals? Hardly united shall they stand either. Such ignorance to think that all mortals shall flock to your cause, for while some mortals shall try to oppose us, there are just as many who support our cause... hard as it may be for you to beleive."

"And as for you... Klashanna... my own word of advice... your love for science shall be your undoing. You have sheltered yourself by convincing your own mind that everything must have a scientific solution. Let me tell you this: it does not... there are things beyond the scope of logic and reason... things that you cannot and never will understand... the Freiherr is one of them."

"For example... my dear Mumbles... you asked before to find out as to how magnets work... now you see, Klashanna may go on and on about something she would call 'magnetism'... but I say... that magnets work because of..."

Simply focusing her power Kryokoli wills for two small pieces of metal to begin attracting each other

"...Miracles!"

Symaxia

Sitting in the Necropolis, the Skull Knight was beginning to lose patience. He had defeated Ichmod and Michrael, gone through great lengths to make his message clear, but it would seem that the Conclave was still cowering. It would seem that the Skull Knight would have to press his point further. Looking at his newly created dark creatures which would cause everyone to fear the dark, the Skull Knight gives his command

"Living Dead of Symaxia... prepare yourselves... soon we march to crush Grindforge under our heels!"

As the Liches and the Living Dead go off to prepare for war, the Skull Knight summons his steed. Before he begins on his march, the Skull Knight had yet another place to visit, this time closer to home than his other destinations. To a forgotten people in Despair, between the Greenlands and the Mountains of Despair.

Spoiler

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OOC
The Skull Knight

AP0=3-3, Evolve

The Freiherr

AP0=2-2, Create Race: Nightwings, Nightshades, Nightwalkers

Grindforge...

Was silent for a long time since the war between Mumbles and the Freiherr, when the mountain within which the city had been carved was sunken into the earth, not deep enough to reach the underdark (at the time) but still enough that the flattened landscape was irrecognizeable.

And irrecognizable it remains, because where once the mountain stood proudly, now there was a vast spiralling structure, the gnomes having all but raised a city shaped like a mountain, Grindforge becoming a much, much larger structure than ever before.

But that was but a minor aspect, for more pressing than that were the vast figures looming perfectly still around the city, colossal iron images with the finest armor etched in their patterns, far too easy to take simply as another symbol of the small people's love of ostentation.

If not for the tremendous magic that each of these colossi emanated. The same magic of golems, but a thousandfold each.

And those were but the beggining, for high above loomed the lands of Niflheim, not a city or a country, but another continent looming overhead, its contents unknown if not for the constant movement of flying engines between it and gnome flying fortresses, as well as the city itself.

A bastion the likes of which mortals and gods alike could not hope but be awed by, not a mere citadel, but a nation with only the barest need to touch the ground of Despair, but extending far above and deep beneath.

[Shmee]

NNHIS Headquarters, Hoffnung

While the city slept as night came over Progress, there were some who were up and about. Some of these people who were up at this ungodly hour, were spies sent from Fury to gather intelligence on the status of Progress. Thus it was unavoidable that the spies would eventually break into the NNHIS building.

For the Genasi, the NNHIS building was pure madness. The main manufacturer of weapons and technology was sitting there in broad day light, making little to no attempts at secrecy. It was almost as if they were asking for spies to break in... and that was what was happening.

It was almost too easy, for the Genasi spies as they collected their information on various technologies, but something caught their eye, a large shipping order, to the angels of Conviction. This was just the sort of information the Military leadership of Fury was looking for, and indeed, the Genasi Generals looked at this information with great interest.

The Skull Knight, Formian Lair

Deep underneath the Mountains of Despair, were burrowed the insect people, long forgotten by the Vermin Lord himself, and the world for centuries. While the collapse of the Underdark by Snailgosh was a blow to them, they did their best to continue on. Until the Skull Knight arrived.

From his days as a mortal, he was aware of the insect people's habit of preserving their dead with certain rituals, and it was these preserved dead that the Skull Knight was looking for. Upon reaching the chambers were the dead were laid to rest, the Skull Knight commanded them to rise once more, and using their minions the Mummy Lords of Despair began to re-build the underground network all around Despair, using large reanimated worms.

Spoiler

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OOC
The Skull Knight

AP1= 3-2, Create Race: Mummy Lords, Mummies, Nightcrawlers

Having completed his work, the Skull Knight receives the message from Solaron.

"Tell your master that the Skull Knight comes for him...." he hisses...

Tranquillity

Though these islands had been abandoned for quite a while, there were some opportunists who saw the strategic importance of these islands. There were many uncharted islands which provided refuge for ships, and their location was ideal for privateers who wished to strike at busy shipping lanes, such as ships sailing to and from Progress, or those headed towards conviction. Thus, it came as no surprise that as the shipping lanes became busy, so bloomed the Great Age of Piracy as pirates from all over would head to the port of Buccaneer's Den, a place where pirates of all sorts would find safe-haven provided to them by the Pirate Lords, each one of them commanding a pirate fleet of their own.

Spoiler

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OOC
The Freiherr

AP11= 13-2, Create Organization, Buccaneer's Den; Create Prestige Class: Dread Pirate

[Selinia]

Progress

If the genasi had been surprised or alarmed at the presence of trade agreements with Conviction, the very next morning would find them shocked to their core. By the standards of intelligence gathering, it was practically handed to them - one could hardly miss it, emblazened on the front page of most papers in one form or another.

Historic Treaty Signed! Conviction to open Embassy in Hoffnung!
"In light of the recent trade agreement between renowned industry giant NNHIS and the people of the shining lands, representatives from Conviction today signed a treaty of peace and cooperation, proving once more that..."

Were one to read thoroughly, they would find that the treaty itself was a rather bland affair - merely establishing guidelines for trade and future diplomacy. But it was an agreement nonetheless... and what operative worth their salt would refuse information practically shoved in their face?

Excavation Site, Somewhere on the coast of Staunen

Everything was going According to Plan.

That had been Drofiel's mantra the last few weeks. But he couldn't help but feel a tad uneasy as he watched the digging equipment excavate further and further into the ground, the displaced earth forming little mountains of their own all around. Though the sea was a good mile away, he could feel the cool breeze blowing in from it... everything was going according to Plan. Nothing ever went this closely to the Plan, and it was making him nervous.

He was brought out of his reverie by the refreshing sound of an argument. Turning from his vantage of the dig site, he was greeted with the familiar sight of his lead researcher and the person who really, really wanted that role. As their shouting threatened to drown out the equipment, he figured that he probably ought to intervene. Approaching them had the desired effect... for all of about three seconds. But now their shouting was directed at him.

"Ladies... please... let's be civilized. We're not wild animals here..."

"Some of us..."
"That's arguable..."

They glowered and muttered for a few moments before trailing off as requested. Sighing in relief, the angel gestured towards the higher ranking of the two.

"Yui. You first. What world-shattering development do we have to deal with today?"

"Sir, thank you. I have been reviewing our plans, and believe that in order to meet our deadline, we're going to have to expand our department somewhat. I recommend offering Miss Ashcroft a place in our project. Her genius with electronics is legendary, and to be frank, we need better computers..."

Drofiel raised a hand, stopping her from continuing. Her companion had the look of a parcel of high explosives with seconds left on the timer.

"There. Civil discussion. Kyoko, you may now speak."

"Yes, commander. I was merely asking Ms. "I'm project lead so Its my prerogative to get us all thrown in the slammer" Ikari here if she's lost her blazing mind! How could bringing that self-righteous bitch onto our team accomplish anything but bringing down the Alliance on our heads? Do you seriously think... oh dear glass lady, you are thinking, aren't you? You're going to get us all locked up - I hope you know that..."

He struggled to maintain his "Contemplative Commander" look. It wasn't that he wasn't considering his options... more that he had to make absolutely sure that everyone in the vicinity knew just how carefully he was considering them.

"I... believe it would be in the best interests of the organization to allow Miss Ashcroft to join the project, if she wishes. I have known her for some time, and I cannot see her passing up an opportunity for an experiment on this scale. Kyoko... you are letting you past history with the woman blind you to her merits. You..."

He barely dodged a heavy ringed binder sent hurdling in his direction. The scientist's words were laced with venom as Kyoko spoke.

"Of course. Commander. Just as long as I get to say 'I told you so' when you're filing the papers to sic one of our teams on that girl. It's good to know you've given the matter careful consideration. Commander."

Storming past him to pick up her research notes, she vanished into one of the temporary building that were serving as housing for those working at the site. Sighing - partially out of relief that nothing had exploded, and partially out of frustration.

"Apologies Yui. Sometimes I wonder if bringing her on board was worth the ordeal of working with her..."

The younger woman shook her head, already visibly calming down from the altercation.

"No, you know as well as I do that we couldn't do this without her. Soryu's a genius - no doubt about it. I'm sure you've heard all about how she single-handedly saved her village with a functional dynamo a good few weeks before Asuka patented the designs in Hoffnung..."

She sighed and flicked a strand of hair from her eyes.

"... but she's... hollow. Somewhere along the line, she started living for nothing but the praise of others. She doesn't want to be a genius... she wants to be the genius. When she's not actually around, and I can actually think... I feel sorry for her, you know?"

Drofiel nodded and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder, but said nothing. Instead he gazed downward - the excavators had begun boring into the bedrock by now. It was just a matter of time. Everything would be resolved soon...

Everything was going According to Plan.

[planswalker]

Conviction

The shimmerling returns with the message, and Solkiran seemed pleased. Things were falling exactly as he hoped they would.

The inhabitants were laboriously working to hide their dwellings from the impending confrontation. If the Shining One could help it, no one would die at this time.

With everything almost complete, a hush fell about the continent. The calm before a storm.

[Shmee]

Krykol, Fury

Indeed, the news of Conviction opening an embassy on Progress, along with the intelligence in which showed NNHIS dealing in arms trade with Conviction, had reached the ears of the Military leadership of Fury, and they did not like what they were hearing at all.

Already they knew full well of the Draconic forces attacking the Genasi on Hope. There was little doubt in their mind that the evil god-lovers of Conviction would soon be sharing weapons technology to try and stem Marcoism around the world. There was no doubt as to the fact that NNHIS and in fact Progress was now considered a threat to the security of Fury. Several times before they had tried the Genasi's patience, but now that patience had run out.

The Generals gave their commands and began to mobilize. Soon they would make their move.

Conviction

The skies around Conviction grow dark as the Skull Knight comes galloping through the sky. It was finally time for his showdown with Solaron, and this was something the Skull Knight was anticipating greatly. He had succeeded in his plan, for the first time in history, the Living Dead would tread on the soil of Conviction.

With Michrael's soul, the Skull Knight flies through the sky and straight into Conviction. Looking around in triumph, the Skull Knight brings out the gem containing Michrael's soul as he calls out

"Eternal Light! I have answered your call, and accept to challenge you on your own turf! Now face me, and suffer the consequences as you join your Marshall of Angels!"

[planswalker]

Solkiran - Conviction

"You wish to challenge a god on his own term in his own domain? So be it. You have taken from me my most valuable servant. This crime will not go unpunished. Witness before you now what happens to those who attack the Light Eternal!"

And with that, the battle had begun. The Dark Lantern had maneuvered the Moon's Tooth, until it was directly beneath the Skull Knight. Right as he finished saying "Eternal!", the mountain burst forth, directly below the horse and rider.

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Just a reminder to myself:

Solaron has 11 ap
Solkiran has 8 ap
Michrael has 8 ap

[Shmee]

The Skull Knight, Conviction

The Skull Knight was taken by surprise, as Moon's Tooth burst from the ground attempting to impale him as it had once impaled the Dark One. The Skull Knight's quick reflex caused him to make his horse jump out of the way, and that quick thinking probably saved the Skull Knight from meeting the Freiherr's fate... although it came at the cost of his horse.

Landing onto the ground, the Skull Knight hisses in anger, and slowly unsheathes the Blade of Radiance, and pointing it towards the one he thought was Solaron he says

"As you tried to impale me with the most unholy of substance, so in return shall I impale you with the most sacred of blades..."

The blade itself, Evil's Bane seemed to be singing within Solkiron's mind, singing hymns about the absolute destruction of all evil, for the blade was torn between striking the Skull Knight and Solkiron, both creatures of evil.

[planswalker]

Solaron and Solkiran - Conviction

Upon realizing his danger, Solkiran fears for himself. The Dark Lantern does one of the thing he knows how to do best. He retreats within his own mind. Solaron then takes over, having been prepared to do so. He knew that the darker part of his psyche was craven. He had never stood up to a direct conflict before and did not start now.

Solaron, though, was everything that Solkiran was not. The lantern floated out of the way, the blade barely avoiding making contact.

"This weapon... It is good. It is the essence of holiness. How are you able to even touch it?"

[Shmee]

The Skull Knight, Conviction

"Just as the Blade of Radiance is the epitome of Holiness, so is my armour its very antithesis... the epitome of Blasphemy. Just as the Blade has been imbued with a thousand righteous souls, so has my armour been imbued with the souls of a thousand Liches... but the very fact that though Armour and Blade are equal, I am still able to wield it. Where the blade is Evil's Bane, my will is yet more powerful... and now that you are enlightened... you may die..."

In a blur of motion, the Skull Knight viciously strikes at Solaron, stabbing the sacred blade deep in the centre of the Lantern's mantle. Still digging the blade deeper, the Skull Knight hisses victoriously

"...your soul is now forfeit... Eternal Light..."

[planswalker]

Solaron - Conviction

The god was struck right into the very core of his being, and was engulfed in... Light!

At first, all was searing pain. The darkness within himself was burning away in the radiance of the Blade.

Then, something within ripped. He felt his mind tear in two. Solkiran was unable to withstand the force of the Light upon his Shadows. He had to abandon this form, and Solaron was being dragged along with him.

And then Solaron realized something, something new and profound. The sword was whispering to him. Telling him to finish what he started. Complete the Work.

He once more began to push the darkness away. Unlike before, this time was different. Before, he was pushing against himself. Something his scientific friend could point out will not actually take you anywhere. Now, though, he had an ally. The Sword itself was helping him. With it as an anchor point to push off from, He fought once more with his darkness.

This time, two pebbles shone against each other. One was dark, the other was bright. Behind them was a window, with sunlight streaming in.

Twin brothers are wrestling on the ground, each trying to force the other to submit to his choice of game to play. The older one has a headlock on the younger.

Two generals with opposing armies send their troops into battle, trying to capture their rival. The general in white has artillery.

Two cities are located on a hill. Both have a vital resource that the other needs, and will not give up what it had. the two break off trade relations and do not allow their citizens to intermingle. One then finds a well within its limits which provides all the water it needs.

A two-headed prismatic dragon is debating with itself about whether or not to split the Purple echelon into Indigo and Violet. The one against it has just caught his opponent in a fallacy.

Once again, all these metaphors tell a piece of the story. This time, though, Solaron has a decided advantage. In a brief moment, the struggle is over. Solkiran is pushed out of the Divine Body. Unable to remain with the host, yet unable to survive on its own, the now non-sentient Essence of Shadow latches on to the first unoccupied locus of darkness. The Tooth. Though not quite alive, it retains a small portion of the Moon's awareness.

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Solkiran transfers his 8 ap to Solaron, and now is retired into the Tooth. Which can now be a plot hook for a campaign. I'll be sealing it off away soon, once Michrael is freed. Solaron now has 19 ap.

As soon as the dark power is purged from him, Solaron feels a surge of energy unmatched by anything he has felt since his birth in the Sun Which Was.

With newfound power, Solaron removes himself from the Blade of Radiance and says, "I must thank you for that. I had been plagued by Darkness for centuries. Now at last, I am free and whole. Now then, you have something which does not belong to you."

Using the full power of his birthright, Solaron calls for the Sun. The Solar Ring, though mechanical in nature, heeds the call of the Sun God. Brilliant radiance unlike ever seen before bursts from the heavens and is targeted directly at the Skull Knight. This blast of pure holiness at once begins to make the Dark One smoke.

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Activating the Solar Ring. Since I am the sun god and have the sun domain, I am calling for the Light to obey me. Selenia, if you want to add a tag line about pressing the button or somesuch, feel free, but I do not see why I should have to work through you to access my own domain powers.

also, bookkeeping on that:

Using the positive energy Shining Heart to blight the Skull Knight.
Using the Solar Ring's recharge to add another.
Converting the pantheon ap to do it again.
I then add 6 of my own personal ap to it.

total of a 9 ap blight against the Skull Knight

Solaron ap: 13=19-6(Smite the Unholyx6)

While the Skull Knight is wracked with the pain of his antithesis directed at him specifically, the Prismatic Children strike.

They had been biding their time, staying back at the edge of the conflict. As one, they teleport in a circle around the Knight and form powerful runes of warding to trap him in place. As the final words are being spoken, a cherubim, seraphim, and ophanim drop from the skies, and grab the gem containing Michrael's soul. They then fly off towards the Angelic Forest.

Once the deed is accomplished, the Prismatic Children likewise vanish in a hastily cast spell.

Solaron says to the Skull Knight. "Leave. Now. I give you this one last opportunity to pass through the barrier and back to Symaxia though the portal you created. If you remain, I will destroy you."

Against even this despicable foe, Solaron found it in his heart to spare him. He did not relish killing and will avoid it when possible. He had already taken from the Skull Knight everything he needed. That shell contained a thousand souls. Souls Solaron was loathe to destroy wantonly.

Thus at last did Solaron finally unlock his ultimate power: Forgiveness.

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ap: 6=13-3(dr to 10)-2(gain portfolio element: Forgiveness)-2(gain domain: Purification)

I just did 6 divine actions. In addition to everything else since I hit dr9 (which was just before I created Solkiran)

And thus Solkiran's story ends.

Solaron is now dr 10, has Forgiveness as a portfolio and Purification as a domain. He's a cleric 24/Master of Radiance 5/Consecrated Harrier 5/Heirophant 2

The Shining Light Eternal waited for the Skull Knight to leave.

[Shmee]

The Skull Knight, Conviction

"What the..." says the Skull Knight as he realizes that something was wrong. Where he should have harvested Solaron's soul, there was another one which was removed, something that the Skull Knight had not been expecting.

And then the trap was sprung, and having lost the gem containing Michrael's soul, the Skull Knight watches as his armour made of Raw Freihernite begins to smoke, even the evil within it, not enough to overcome the sheer power of the holiness of the purest of light. The Skull Knight knew he was defeated.

Yet, Solaron offered to spare his life, an opportunity that the Skull Knight was not prepared to waste. Opening a portal, the Skull Knight takes his blade and prepares to retreat back to the Necropolis of Symaxia, but not before giving a warning

"Eternal Light... today you make your gravest error... for the day may be yours... but my hate is everlasting... all I need is a single victory over you... and it will be all over. Until then I shall persecute with great vengeance, your followers outside of Conviction as you watch helplessly... and then you will know... that as long as there is evil... the Skull Knight rides!"

With that the Skull Knight makes his hasty retreat, back to Symaxia, where he will no doubt plan to fight yet another day.

[planswalker]

Solaron - Conviction

Such threats did not concern him. He had won for today, and that was all that really mattered to him.

Looking upon the dark mountain which once was his darker self, Solaron casts it down to the very deepest parts of Conviction. He seals it away, far away from all life.

The Shadow Mountain - the edge of the Abyss

Unfortunately this places it somewhere that Solaron had not anticipated. Right at the edge of the Abyss. With its power calling to them, the Blackspawn Horrors begin to congregate in the deepest oceans. There they find kindred spirits among the aboleths. The two groups work together to reach the Shadow Mountain.

Periodically, they will rise to the surface, looking for something. Who or what that is, only they know.

Solaron and Michrael - the Caverns of Rebirth

With the three paragons who had retrieved Michrael's soul, Solaron approaches the Caverns of Rebirth. The ophanim smashes the gem containing Michrael's soul, which then is returned into the land of Conviction. The Celestial Pact then begins at once to restore Michrael's body. Solaron gives a sliver of his own essence into the form, to speed the process. Withing three days, Michrael awakens once more and is Reborn.

"My Lord, I heard a prophecy when the Skull Knight stabbed me with the Blade of Radiance. I am destined to destroy him with his own weapon. Please allow me to confront him."

"I have chosen to spare him for now. How can I turn back on my promise?"

"Then at least allow me to go to Symaxia and confront him about this. You know as well as I that he is not destined to wield that blade."

"Very well, go forth and do. However, do not strike a blow against him unless he makes the first move."

"As my Lord commands"

Michrael - Symaxia

Michrael once more moves towards the den of evil known as Symaxia. He flies to the place at a stately pace, his crimson wings delivering powerful, smooth strokes to bear him aloft. Red sword and shield at the ready, he goes to confront the Skull Knight once more.