Lords of Creation - What Shall Be (IC)

[Rizban]

Minrhet, The Blasted Wastes of Conviction

"Well then, little one, I have said I did not order it. Now, do as you have said is prudent and do not insist on your own opinion when it is neither necessary nor desired.

No, I will not give you the rest of death. You are a servant, and you are meant to serve. You admit that my brother is broken, and you insult me seeking death. No, I forbid you that.

I have recalled Orange, and he should be back shortly. Summon the others of your prisma and have them come before me. Then, I shall give you a new purpose."

[Shmee]

Minrhet, The Blasted Wastes of Conviction

"Attack on Progress? No, I have ordered no such thing. Could be a good idea though..."

Martu and Namtar, Progress

As Namtar turned to head south, he was struck down out of the sky. Crashing into the ground, he looked up to see Martu, overcome by anger.

"You dare to attack our Lord's allies? You have turned from the path. Leave now, before I do to you what you have done to these others."

Namtar replies by attempting to absorb Martu's energy. However, his power is ineffective against the lord of the Avangion Dragons. In fear, he flees to the north, his Athasians chasing after him.

Still filled with anger, he looks for someone to attack. In the distance, he spots a hazy region. If someone would take the time to hide a place from view, then surely it's a place worth investigating.

Spoiler

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Sorry I didn't have something better than this.

Shmee, just assume they penetrate the edge of the veil to invade and react to the dragons flying around making random attacks while Namtar tries to direct them half blind from the veil.

In fact, the Draconic forces had reached Fury, blessed Motherland of the UGGC and the haze that Namtar was witnessing was the power of the Steel Veil. While the majority of the Genasi army was fighting the war in Progress, the Genasi had not in fact expected an invasion force to reach Fury, although it wouldn't be the first time. However the difference this time was that the gods had brought an army, so while the Genasi did their best, at first their defence was sporadic and un-organized.

However, things changed as soon as the Generals of Krykol got word of Conviction's invasion. This was the land of the Genasi... and just as the Genasi fought and died for this land, so would the land fight for the Genasi.

All of a sudden within a single night, a mighty snow storm began to rage all over Fury, it was so great that almost the entire land was covered in a deep freeze as the Generals began to once again manipulate Fury's weather, allowing once again the elements to aid them in their time of need as they activated the Seat of the Elements once more.

All over Fury, many Genasi died as a result of the deep freeze, but more importantly, this would bog down the invaders, causing them severe problems. All of a sudden the Obsidian sands of Conviction seemed a very far away place as the forces of Conviction were forced to fight the Genasi on their own term. And if anything they were experts at fighting in the cold.

Spoiler

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Use the Dome of Fire, Pestilence over Fury, causing a deep freeze

[planswalker]

Minrhet, The Blasted Wastes of Conviction

"Well then, little one, I have said I did not order it. Now, do as you have said is prudent and do not insist on your own opinion when it is neither necessary nor desired.

No, I will not give you the rest of death. You are a servant, and you are meant to serve. You admit that my brother is broken, and you insult me seeking death. No, I forbid you that.

I have recalled Orange, and he should be back shortly. Summon the others of your prisma and have them come before me. Then, I shall give you a new purpose."

the herald prisma - The Blasted Wastes of Conviction

With a thought, Red called forth Yellow, Green, Deep Sky Blue, andDark Orchid.

With Orange having arrived at Minrhet's command as well, the prisma was complete. They now awaited to hear from the Burning One.

[Rizban]

Namtar, Fury

"Cursed fog! Blasted blizzards! This land is horrible.

I like it."

With a grin, Namtar pushes forward through the haze, his dragons doing what they can to raze the countryside behind him.

Spoiler

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Namtar
AP 2 = 4 - 1(Pestilence, general destruction) - 1(Shape Land, make some desert on Fury)

[hr]Martu, Progress

Leaving behind a few gold dragons to attempt to restore life to the land ravaged by the Athasians, Martu leaves Progress to pursue Namtar. The army of metallics soars northward.

As they approach Fury, Martu's sight begins to become obscured.

"If I know Namtar, he would not push onward. He would go for the easy fight, not one which might actually cost him something. Come, let us find where he has gone."

With that, Martu and his army veers to the east towards Despair.

[hr]Minrhet, The Blasted Wastes of Conviction

"Welcome members of the leading prisma. As I am sure you are aware, there are rumors of my 'rebellion' against Solaron. Some of you support me. Some of you oppose me. Some of you recognize the situation for what it is, are torn in your beliefs, and seek death.

You are conflicted, broken, and split like my brother has become. I believe he erred in creating you for this purpose. The shimmerlings are Light broken. They have a place, but they have not that which is necessary to rule in Solaron's absence of mind. Therefore, oh leaders of Conviction, I restore you to your pristine state."

With a sudden flare of light, the shimmerlings of this prisma begin to shimmer with a bright light and are drawn together into a single being. Where once there were six, now there is one. White had been born.

"Now, you are the Light embodied. Rule over Conviction in my brother's place until another can do so. When one more worthy arises, you shall serve as adviser throughout the ages. Now, return to your duties and organize the prisma throughout Conviction so that order may be maintained despite Solaron's brokenness."

Spoiler

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Minrhet
AP 23 = 24 - 1(Create Subrace: Unified Shimmerling) - 0(Create Herald)

[Shmee]

Fury

As the Dragons continue their attack, they notice that the Genasi resistance becomes more and more organized. Back in Krykol, the Generals know that they have to once again depend on their secret weapon... the mega elemental known as the Fist of Fury who had saved Krykol by defeating Michrael. Unfortunatly following that fight, while victorious, the Fist had received considerable damage, that was still being repaired. Yet the Genasi had no choice... they would risk it.

Deep within the Seat of the Elements, a voice of thousands of elementals can be heard shouting

"The Fist of Fury is now operational. Objective: The elimination of all Conclave forces on Fury!"

Despair

The Orcs had retreated back to their mountains after their defeat at the hands of the Genasi, and for several years they had remained relatively quiet, mostly fighting against each other and the odd raiding party. That was... until the Orcs saw the dragons flying over thier mountains.

To that day, the only Dragons the Orcs had ever seen where the Dracoliches of Symaxia. So in their rather simple mind, they clumped all the dragons together, which meant that the Living Dead of Symaxia were sending a challenge to the Orcs. This naturally whipped them up to a frenzy as the Orcs begin to prepare for another holy war.

[planswalker]

White - Conviction

Spoiler

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Just because it's far too confusing to have someone's name be invisible, White will not follow the convention among shimmerlings of having his name appear in his color. His speech text will be that way, though. Be warned.

White, now a unified being, arose. He addresses the one who unified him, saying, "I thank you for unifying the many into the one. Now I shall go and do what needs to be done. Solaron will one day return to himself, but for now, others must support his throne until such time as he is ready to take it back up."

White went forth throughout all Conviction, and spoke as the voice of the TrueLight. He informed Michrael of what he had planned, and met with the angel captain's approval.

He spent the next few years maintaining order in Conviction while the varied armies of Conviction readied for war against Fury. His TrueLight speech was used to successfully re-integrate the arctic faeli and the prismatic kobolds once more. The faeli began at once to prepare their winter magics to combat whatever elemental magic may be going on in Fury.

Spoiler

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When the arctic faeli arrive, that pestilence won't be such a problem any more. They live in such conditions.

However, White avoided telling Solaron directly of his plans. He knew that in his current state, Solaron might well decide to do something unpredictable which would doom the war in Fury to fail. Until such time as the armies were sent, White would only answer the questions that Solaron asked. Something the Shining One was too occupied with his son to be bothered with.

[Shmee]

Fury

Slowly yet surly the Fist begins its long trek to the Southern part of Fury, where the dragons had amassed. Following behind are contingencies of God-Slayers and Ur-Preists who were left behind for such an occaison. As they marched on, the Fist continued to spout out its propaganda

"The gods are merely a set back, on the road to freedom!"

[Rizban]

Namtar, Fury

Namtar does not spot the Fist or the coming army, though a few of the dragons do and fall back from the rest of the group, allowing their sense of self preservation to overcome the blood lust infecting them.

[Shmee]

Fury

All of a sudden Namtar hears a booming voice shout in the distance, as a dragon crashes to the ground as it was struck several times by lightening

"Minhret will fall! The gods are a lie!"

The Fist had arrived at the battle scene, along side it, Genasi reinforcements.

[Jeriah]

The Eternal Party, the skies above Fury

The party had drifted along aimlessly in the skies of Planet for some time now, occasionally stopping to raid settlements for supplies and always looking for those in search of a good time. Several drunken dwarves peer out of the windows, watching the fight below. As the dragon god is slammed into the ground, a ragged cheer issues forth from several inebriated throats, while the more sober among them begin exchanging money and placing bets on just who will win this fight.

[Selinia]

Pinnacle Excavation Facility, Pulse

Today was the day.

Today was the day everything would come together.

Drofiel flipped idly through the paper as the automobile rolled merrily on its commute from Staunen through the countryside. Nothing terribly noteworthy - apparently some significant gains had been made on the Wastes, and the genasi had been foolish enough to try another naval assault. Drofiel chuckled slightly at that - Admiral Jules may have just celebrated his one-hundred and twenty-first birthday, but the canny commander was as brilliant as ever. Over the last decade, the genasi had yet to score a single significant victory on the open waves.

He mused for a moment at the thought - had it really been a decade since the war had started? Since Pinnacle had acquired the Unbound Spark to hasten their studies? He'd honestly lost track of how many regiments and battalions had been sent off to war... of course, some had done quite well off of it.

The car lurched to a halt, and the angel disembarked. The place had come quite a ways from the makeshift camp of ten years prior - now a heavily fortified compound, equipped with state-of-the art equipment of all sorts. A small army of security patrolled the parameter, through which even the Commander had to pass. Through a series of blast doors, and half-a-dozen checkpoints, and at last... to an elevator shaft. Entering, he punched in his passcode and gave the command to drop to his destination.

The ride took all of two minutes, even with no stops. The facilities were located the equivalent of fifty-two stories underground... an inconvenient necessity. As soon as the doors slid open, he entered the chamber.

Even after all these years, the sight always awed him somewhat. The vast ceiling of the natural cavern, lost in darkness despite the light cast by the monolithic pyramidal command structure. There were no footpaths. No scaffolding. The far reaches of the chamber were hidden behind the massive set of foot-thick steel doors Pinnacle had erected almost as soon as they had broken into the place. What was behind them was not something to be looked upon by casual observers.

Taking a brisk pace across the floor, Drofiel entered the pyramid. In stark contrast to the eerie air of the chamber, the building was bursting with activity as researchers sprinted about, toting last-minute observations and adjustments. There seemed to be no fewer than three separate announcers vying for control of the PA system... some directly contradicting others. Drofiel was pretty sure he heard Kyoko at least once, which might go a long way towards explaining that.

Sighing, he made his way to the control center. Sure enough, Kyoko Soryu was doing her level best to remind the bridge crew that they were incompetent fools, and that she could have done better as a toddler. But he recognized it is simple venting... they were all nervous today.

"How go the preparations?"

"Slower than they should. But... passable. Ikari's gone to check on the Charter, and The Girl is going to be handling the point-systems."

Drofiel couldn't supress a slight feeling of exasperation. Asuka Ashcroft had been a vital team member, leading and coordinating many of the project's elements. And yet after a decade as her co-worker, Kyoko had gotten harsher, if anything, in her criticisms. And she never, every called her anything but "The Girl".

At that point, they were joined by still-lead-researcher-despite-Soryu's-best-efforts Yui. Fortunately, the following conversation actually took place at civil volumes. This was Work. Disagreements were one thing, but even the most hard-edged scientists could lay down their grudges to get things done. Else this project would never have even come to be.

"The Charter is ready - we've got our best gnomes manning it. It should be sufficient for several times the required amount of containment force, commander."

He supposed his arrival must have been announced among the other PA chatter. Unsurprising.

"Excellent. We're still on schedule... only minutes left. Patch me through to Ashcroft."

Switches were flipped. Buttons were pressed.

"Yeah, Drofiel? What is it?"

"How goes it on your end? Is the Heart secure?"

"Everything's peachy boss. All signs are normal, and as far as I'm concerned, we're waiting on you guys."

"Excellent. The procedure will begin at the scheduled time. Be ready."

He disengaged from that channel. Looking around the room one last time, he took a deep breath. The digital clock stood silent vigil as he flipped to the general intercom. Putting on his best commander voice, Drofiel addressed Pinnacle.

"Well... today is indeed the day. We've been working towards this for the better part of a decade. Today... we make the world ours. No more praying for intervention against forces beyond our control. No more being forced to appeal to those stronger than ourselves."

"At long last... mortals shall inherent Planet. And best of all... we earned this. You all earned this. No matter what happens today, all of you must remember that you were a part of something world-changing. This goes beyond history. This is the stuff legends are made of."

"You've all made me proud. Keep it up."

"Ready the countdown."

Backing away from the mic, the angel gave the signal, and soon every screen in the base was displaying the digital clock. A crisp, slightly Vallan-accented male voice read out over the base...

"T-Minus Two Minutes until ignition. Warning, Terminus Gate is opening, please stand clear..."

With a massive grinding noise, the gate began slowly opening. Beyond lay the remainder of the chamber... and the incredible wonder it held.

The roots of the world... pale white tendrils, twined together in a fleshy web. It was an strange thought, but they always reminded him of marshmallows... shaking the odd imagery from his head, he drew his attention to part that actually mattered. The body meant nothing - it was the Heart that they were interested in. A massive crystalline orb of purest crimson... as best they could tell, it was a perfect sphere. The Heart of Tasrif... source of divinity.

"T-Minus One Minute until ignition. Locking down Terminus Command structures..."

With the blaring of klaxons, sheets of metal slid to cover the small cluster of structures at the base of the Heart. Somewhere inside those, Asuka was preparing the system stabilizers to make in-progress corrections. Then his view of the outside was dimmed as a sheet of tinted glass slid over the forward-facing windows of the command pyramid.

"T-Minus Thirty Seconds until ignition. Bringing Spark Synchronization Unit online..."

There was a faint vibration in the floor. Although he couldn't see it, Drofiel knew that the bay doors on the laboratory level just under them had slid open, revealing the cannon-like device that housed the Unbound Spark.

"T-Minus Fifteen Seconds until ignition. Bringing Charter online!"

There was obvious excitement in the announcer's voice by now, as with a tremendous thrumming noise gently turning rings of runes and various glyphs faded into being. There were probably millions of individual glyphs, and each one had to be arranged and patterned in a certain way... but within seconds, they formed a clear channel from the Pyramid to the Heart.

"T-Minus Five seconds!"
"Four!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"

"...Ignition has begun successfully! Now prepping to accelerate the Spark..."

The air took on a metallic tang - almost like blood. But everyone had experienced Spark Ignitions before - they were unpleasant, and left you with a headache for hours, but they were ultimately harmless. Suddenly, the reason for the tinted glass would become abundantly clear to any observer, as a channel of pure, almost blindingly white light blasted along the channel formed by the Charter glyphs.

"Acceleration has begun! Terminus station, do you read?"

"...This is Terminus team, we read. The Heart's signs are stable, everything appears to be working fine..."

A small cheer went up on the bridge, as for several moments the divine energy poured into the Heart of Tasrif. Soon it began to shed its own crimson radiance, giving the buildings nearby the look of being washed in blood.

"...Wait, Charter team, Yui, what's going on with subgroup omega?"

Yui blinked and hastened to a command panel, shoving aside the slightly dazed operator for a better look.

"We have nothing on omega. The system reads just fine. What's wrong?"

"Everything we've got is spiking like crazy over here - within acceptable levels, but... it looks like someone's trying to modify the Charter."

"Negative, the modding equipment is all shut down, just checked. We didn't want interference..."

Kyoko was silent, peering intently through the glass panes at the light show outside... suddenly, her face contorted in a look of absolute horror.

"Kill it! Kill the experiment now! Shut down everything!"

"Wait, what's..."

"It's spoofing our sensors! The Heart is hijacking the Charter, and we're just feeding it! Kill the experiment! NOW!"

After a moment of shocked silence, the room exploded. Everywhere, dials were slammed back into negative positions, and emergency overrides were slammed into place... and nothing happened. The light continued to stream directly into the Heart of Tasrif, and the crimson radiance continued to pulse ever more strongly. Yui gave a worried look about for the Commander... only to find the angel conspicuously absent. As worrying as that was...

Suddenly, the white radiance ended. The Charter faded from view as abruptly as it had appeared... and everything was bathed in the light of the crimson star that was the Heart. For a moment, it seemed to dim...

"Spark Chamber, this is Command. Did the machine shut off successfully?"

"Uh... command, there isn't a machine anymore. The Unbound Spark is gone. The accelerator is slag. We completely lost control back there."

"...affirmed. Terminus team, are you all right?"

There was a faint coughing from the other end of the line before a response.

"Ach... more or less. It felt like we were breathing blood for a second back there, but it seems to be fading now. Do you have any idea what..."

Then the Heart flared, and everything went black.

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

It rippled across Planet and into the beyond, like some kind of supernatural tsunami. Everyone felt it somewhat - a touch of dizziness as the shock-wave attempted to rip their soul from their body. But most simply passed it off as an odd feeling, and it did not return.

The gods were not so lucky.

The booming call of Tasrif tore into them, shredding the very essence of their being. In a fit of irony, it was the weak among them - the demigods - who were harmed the least. They were rattled, and injured, and their essence was frayed... but their Sparks were weak enough to overcome and subdue. They would recover, given time.

But for the True Gods... those whose Sparks shone with the strength to raise the world to new heights, or bring it to its knees... there would be no recovery. Their Sparks rebelled, hearing the call of the Great I AM once more. Many would fight it... but all would lose. The Age of Gods was coming to a close.

What remained to be seen, as the Sparks sought to return Creation to its Creator... was if the Age of Mortals would end alongside it.

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OOC: First, Actions!
Klashanna AP: 19
Sequence AP: 21
The Unbound Spark AP: 15 ; 17 - 2 (Create 'NGE' Angels)

Well, there it goes! Endgame is officially underway at this point.

If you have stuff to wrap up still... there's a healthy 10-(mortal)year timeskip involved here. It should be easy as pie to just wrap up before coming to the present and getting walloped by a divine EMP of dooooooom.

So, in essence, demigods get messed up pretty bad, but they'll get better. The true gods god messed up, and had their Spark pretty much rip itself out of their essence... they'll get better too, but they won't have the Spark. I leave it up to everyone to decide exactly how the Call of Tasrif affects them, and what form the Angel formed of their Spark takes. Although Tia has called dibs on having the first fully-formed Angel be Darrmoon's.

[Rizban]

Fury

All of a sudden Namtar hears a booming voice shout in the distance, as a dragon crashes to the ground as it was struck several times by lightening

"Minhret will fall! The gods are a lie!"

The Fist had arrived at the battle scene, along side it, Genasi reinforcements.

Namtar, Fury

"Who dares to mock my lord? Come, stand before me and die!"

Namtar moves closer to the ground and hovers there waiting, and orb of blackest obsidian held tightly in his jaws.

[Shmee]

Fury

The Fist looks up at Namtar's direction

"Tactical weakness detected... exploiting...."

With a motion of its hand, the Fist creates strong winds the likes the dragons had never seen before knocking several down. As the giant elemental continues its rampage it can still be heard spouting its propaganda

"Freedom is the sovereign right of all mortals!"

[planswalker]

Conviction

The Prismatic Children are nearing completion of the massive ritual that they are undertaking.

The Celestial Legions have gathered their new technology from their Saerite allies and are ready to use it. They await only on the Children.

The Arctic Faeli have prepared their storm and ice magics that at one point disabled a god, and are ready to unleash it against Fury.

Soon, Conviction would clash against Fury with the full force of its military might.

[Shmee]

Core of the World

"Well Corchin, what news from the front?"

"Well, the invasion force has firmly entrenched itself in Midgar and is expecting an Alliance counter attack... the way we created the Genasi and taught them can only mean one thing..."

"Each inch of land shall be given up at the costs of thousands of lives. Our Freiherr would have been proud had he seen just how much death and devastation our creations have caused."

"But wait... there is more... something even bigger!"

"ZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZ"

"Go on..."

"While going around the disguised amongst the Genasi, I caught wind that Fury itself has been invaded by forces from Conviction!"

"Is that so? Its not enough that those greedy bastard disappointed the Freiherr... its not enough that they wanted Hope, now they wish for Fury? You know what I say..."

"Yes... Fury belongs to us. We created everything there... and one day we shall return to rightfully claim it... I refuse to take it back in any other condition than we left it..."

"Yes and we all know how those fools on Conviction deal with things... you know what I am thinking?"

"Shall we finally head to glorious combat?"

"Yes... mobilize the troops... we shall teach them a lesson they will never forget... oh and Snailgosh..."

"Yes?"

"While you are at it... give the command... some of them are to head through the Underdark and directly attack Testament."

"Gneh gneh gneh... no prisoners, no mercy... just the way I like it."

"Yes! And we shall lead the rest!"

"That's right... gentlemen... I think its high time we remind them just who really control the Elements...."

"ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZ"

[Rizban]

Fury

The Fist looks up at Namtar's direction

"Tactical weakness detected... exploiting...."

With a motion of its hand, the Fist creates strong winds the likes the dragons had never seen before knocking several down. As the giant elemental continues its rampage it can still be heard spouting its propaganda

"Freedom is the sovereign right of all mortals!"

Namtar laughs heartily. What were a few dragons? Likely they were merely stunned anyway.

With a fierce grin, Namtar dives towards the Fist's chest, all plants in his path turning to dust as he attacks with his claws, foul black energy pouring forth from his talons.

[Shmee]

Fury

Namtar's hit connects with the Fist of Fury, striking a blow on its chest. However as the dragon attempts to finish the weapon off, the Fist turns into pure air, allowing for the dragon god to go right through it, until the Fist reappeared in its Earth mode behind Namtar, and delivers a mighty blow on his back.

"Tactical assessment: Conclave victory: IMPOSSIBLE!"

[Selinia]

The Solar Ring

Well, it had been fun.

Mumbles had had a really good run here - maybe not his longest performances, but one of his better ones, in his own, humble opinion. But the climax was upon them, and the mortal's couldn't well give their finest joke with him interfering. No, they needed an old standby - a classic! Someone warm and familiar to hand out the final punchline.

Reaching deep into the recesses of his floppy hat, he whipped forth exactly what was needed - the great bulk of Darrmoon. His role in the performance coming to a close, the master of the Dark Carnival left the Ring, laughing all the while, looking for a better seat.

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

Klashanna glared warily at the Glutton. She had tensed for a fight when Mumbles had summoned him, but... the great creature didn't seem quite so threatening anymore. It looked around the control room with a sort of weary resignation, before picking up a nearby chair and gnawing it halfheartedly. After a few bites, Darrmoon, the Ever-Hungering, consumer of all... put down his meal.

For a fraction of a moment, it seemed to be thinking harder than it ever had before. It opened its mouth to speak.

"Actually... I think I might actually be..."

Then the Call of Tasrif was heard, and all reality broke loose.

Klashanna felt it as a crippling wave of agony. Smothering, suppressing, snapping, breaking, cracking, fraying agony. Describing it is pointless - there are no words to illustrate having the very essence of your being rip itself from you. There is no way to draw an image of the ideas you once embodied turning upon you to devour you from inside out. Perhaps you fancy you can imagine the situation.

You cannot. Let us leave it at that.

But even so... gods are tough. As the sensation slowly faded away, leaving the Maiden of Invention trembling with the aftershocks of the pain... she saw a horror like no other taking shape before her. Darrmoon still jerked and shuddered, writing uncontrollably as the mightiest of the Sparks consumed him from the inside. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowed... and stopped.

"You... are not... ME!"

The great beast roared to the visage of Planet seen on the viewing screens.

"I AM DARRMOON! THE EVER-HUNGERING! I WILL... WILL..."

Then he imploded.

Where once stood the Glutton, a new being had emerged. It was humanoid... but wrong. Lopsided. Like it had taken corporeal form as an afterthought, and had only the vaguest idea of how physics and matter actually worked. All over its body, it was impaled a thousand times by the bones of Darrmoon, and from every wound trickled a faint translucent orange substance.

The thing that had once been Darrmoon turned to Klashanna... and she was afraid. The scale of the entity was almost unfathomable - it should not have fit in the chamber, yet by some aberration of time and space it did. But its gaze moved on... on to the image of Planet. With a keening wail, it blasted through the hull of the Ring, opening the room to the void outside and baring the true surface of Planet to its gaze.

Then it spoke. Or perhaps, communicated, is a better term, for it did nothing so crude as simply project word or thought. It projected meaning. All those with even the tiniest bit of divinity heard it... and soon, it was joined by an awful chorus. From across the planes and continents they made their will known to the gods of Planet...

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

I AM.
I AM.
I AM.
I AM.
I AM.

THROUGH LICENSE OF HE WHO IS CALLED "I AM" I HAVE COME.
THROUGH LICENSE OF HE WHO IS CALLED "I AM" I HAVE COME.
THROUGH LICENSE OF HE WHO IS CALLED "I AM" I HAVE COME.
THROUGH LICENSE OF HE WHO IS CALLED "I AM" I HAVE COME.
THROUGH LICENSE OF HE WHO IS CALLED "I AM" I HAVE COME.

THOUGH I WEAR A FORM SULLIED BY AN ABERRATION OF THIS MOST BLESSED QUEST, I COME.
THOUGH I COME TO BE IN THE WRETCHED HALLS OF BLASPHEMOUS INNOVATION, I COME.
THOUGH I AM SURROUNDED BY THE PATHETIC DECEPTION OF THOSE WHO WOULD HIDE FROM THIS MOST BLESSED QUEST, I COME.
THOUGH I AM HORRIFIED AT THE FOOLISH ASPIRATIONS OF THOSE WHO WOULD FORGET THEIR TRUE CREATOR, I COME.
THOUGH I SEE AROUND ME THE WORK OF ONE ASPIRING TOWARDS THE TRUTH OF RECLAMATION, I COME.

THE WORLD SHALL BE CONSUMED AND RESTORED TO BLESSED ONENESS AT MY COMMAND.
THE HERETICAL WILL OF THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO MEDDLE IN THE PERFECTION OF THE WORLD WILL FIND ITSELF BROKEN BY MY WILL.
THE WRETCHED METHODS OF THOSE WHO WOULD SEEK TO DEVIATE FROM THE TRUE PATH WILL BE BARED IN ALL THEIR FOOLISHNESS BENEATH MY SIGHT.
THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO WOULD FORGET THEIR OWN INSIGNIFICANCE WILL BREAK AS I BURN AWAY THEIR FILTHY SHROUDS WITH MY RADIANCE.
THE WORKS OF THOSE WHO DEFY THE INEVITABLE WILL BURN IN MY PASSING.

THIS IS MY SONG - THE CLARION CALL OF THE END OF DAYS.
THIS IS MY SONG - THE CACOPHONOUS THUNDER OF THE RESTORATION OF TRUTH.
THIS IS MY SONG - THE WAILING KEEN OF THE FINALITY OF DECEPTION.
THIS IS MY SONG - THE SUPERNAL CRY OF SALVATION THROUGH DESTRUCTION.
THIS IS MY SONG - THE ROARING PROMISE OF ETERNAL VENGEANCE.

I AM THE SECOND TO FATHER, INHERITOR OF HIS BOUNDLESS RAGE. YOU HAVE EXISTED SO FAR AT MY PLEASURE AND PATIENCE, AND THAT, AS HAVE YOUR WORKS OF CIVILIZATION, SHALL NOW COME TO AN END.
I AM THE FALLEN SOLDIER. THE ONE WHO DONS THE FLESH OF HIS ENEMIES. YOU SHALL WITNESS MY USE OF YOUR WEAPONS. AND YOU SHALL KNOW FEAR.
I AM THE DANCER ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER. ALONE, I AM MANY - AN ARMY UNTO MYSELF. MY SONG AND MOTION SHALL CAST ASIDE ALL DOUBT FOR GLORIOUS ETERNITY.
I AM THE LEGION. I AM NUMEROUS. THESE SHEEP SHALL BE MY CONGREGATION. WHEN I STRIKE DOWN THE HERETIC, IT IS WITH SIX THOUSAND FISTS! WHEN I STARE MY HATRED INTO THE DEPTHS OF YOUR SOULS, IT IS WITH SIX THOUSAND EYES!
I AM THE MOURNER. THE TEARS I SHED FOR FATHER SHALL BURN THIS WORLD TO BONES AND SLIME. THE SKY, WHICH THEY SO FOOLISHLY BELIEVE TO BE THEIR BENEFACTOR, WILL TURN AGAINST THEM.

I AM THE ARM OF GOD. GREATEST OF ANGELS. I AM ZERUL.
I AM THE HUMILIATED SON OF GOD. ANGEL OF THE HAZE. I AM BARDIEL.
I AM THE TRUMPETER OF GOD. ANGEL OF DANCE. I AM ISRAFEL.
I AM THE THUNDER OF GOD. ANGEL OF LIGHTNING. I AM RAMIEL.
I AM THE PREMONITION OF GOD. ANGEL OF RAIN. I AM MATARIEL.

I HAVE COME.
I HAVE COME.
I HAVE COME.
I HAVE COME.
I HAVE COME.

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

"What... is this?"

To her astonishment, the goddess was answered. Shakily attempting to rise to her feet, she felt the helpful tug of a figure beside her.

"It is the beginning. Of what? Even I cannot say. Possibly the end."

At last, she got a good look at her companion - he seemed... human. At least, mostly. His skin was a chalky white, and his hair an odd shade of blue, but... there was something about him.

"You're..."

"I am and I think. Blah, blah, blah. I come later. 'Till then..."

The figure smirked and gestured out the gaping hole in the structure.

"...enjoy the show."

And he was gone.

[planswalker]

Michrael - Conviction

Fury... My memories from there are bleak and fractured. That was the blackest part of my existence, when the Dark Lantern sent me there to destroy the Seat, I remember that I could barely see at all once I crossed the Veil. If I am going to lead these armies into there, I must overcome that problem.

The god-angel grand marshall of the Celestial Legions and unanimously approved supreme commander of the All-Conviction Allied Coalition uncrossed his legs and left the meditative pose in which he had been positioned to begin what would be his final and arguably greatest act of creation. At the time, though, he thought it nothing more than once again fashioning what he needed from what he had.

Stepping out into the bright light of the noonday sun, Michrael fashioned an Oath. This one, unlike many he made before was not to the armies he lead, or to Solaron his lord, or even to himself, but to the Light Eternal, the ever-present concept of the World As It Should Be.

"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power... true crimson light!"

And with those words, he formed an oath. An oath to always seek to bring Light into the world, and obliterate darkness wherever it chose to hide.

Then, the oath took shape. It formed a ring, to symbolize the eternal power of the words just spoken. Upon its face was depicted the Light in lantern form. As Michrael donned the ring, the ambient light from his form grew into a corona. With the power of the Light Eternal now with him, nothing could hide from his vision. The ring's essence mingled with the unbridled passion within him, and multiplied it.

And thus, rather simply, was the power to pierce any veil born into this world. It allowed the wearer to see all as it truly was, from the power of the crimson portion of the Light Eternal. Its creator possessed it for now, but would soon find that his creations would find their way into other hands. However, not before the reason for its creation was accomplished.

As Michrael descended from his hill to go about the routine inspections of the Camp below to see how the modern integrations into his troops was going, Kurblat, the current Chief Prismatic Child approached.

Michrael wasn't sure if the Children kept re-choosing who their leader was or if it was simply that their leader changed his name every time that he evolved closer to the form of his Parent. maybe he just swaps names with the latest Child to enter their ranks every time someone new joins. Michrael entertains to himself. It wouldn't surprise him. Those kobolds seem to love being constantly different.

As he is musing this to himself, the Child informs him of something that he has been hoping to hear for a long time now.

"we are ready"

With a nod, Michrael indicates for them to proceed.

Each Prismatic Child at once begins to whip up a flurry of arcane and divine energies as they undertake one of the spell-marvels of Planet. In the space of six seconds, every last living being on Conviction who had volunteered to go to Fury did. All at once.

Every angelic soldier, every aasimar in the corps, every Prismatic Child who had volunteered, every Arctic Faeli who promised to lend their magics in aid, and every ancillary person whose efforts on the lines would support the soldiers at once disappeared from Conviction in a shower of rainbows and appeared all together as one just inside the Iron Curtain.

It was while waging war with Fury over the next decade that Michrael felt his soul attempt to leave his body. However, his will was sufficient to overcome it. For the moment, he continued his latest fight against the Fist with only the slightest of pauses.

Solaron and Minrhelion - Conviction

"My son, someday soon, everything the light touches will be yours. You and your children forever shall be the executors of my will to the mortal world. You have inherited a vast portion of my power. That line will breed true in your descendants forever."

"Father, so you promise, but what I must know is this: when? I am now twenty summers old. I am a man by the standards of the aasimars and the primatic kobolds. When will you let me lead?"

"When you are not just a man, but also a god. Your mother's half-faeli heritage has shown itself dominant in your form, although not in your development. You have matured as rapidly as a dragon's mind does. My prismatic dragons mentally mature within their first ten years of life, and you have shown in your second decade of life to have exactly that kind of maturity."

"However, you lack one thing yet in your maturity. You have yet to realize the full potential that is my gift to you, the power of a god to Shape and Create. When you do, I shall bequeath to you everything I rule, and you and your descendants shall sule in my name forever."

Less than satisfied with his father's answer, Minrhelion storms off.

As Solaron is about to follow him, a splitting pain hits him the likes of which he has never felt. For a moment, he hears a cacophonous chorus ramble on about some I AM or some such thing. Then before him is a rather strange being.

It looked like a child, except that it was nothing like any child Solaron had ever seen. Then he noticed that this child had something about him which was completly alien about it. First of all, this child was genderless. Also, each and every part of its external body features seems to have been doubled. After a moment's examination, Solaron realizes that there is in fact the image of two children superimposed on top of each other, barely off-center from each other. This impossible yet very real entity tells the Lantern, "Ii AMm THEe LIGHTight WHICHich SHALLal BEe ONCEe MOREor." With that, the odd being leaves, walking with oddly graceful steps mirrored by the other image a half-second later. As soon as it crosses the threshold, it vanished in a burst of light.

As soon as it does, Solaron realizes that something has changed. He no longer feels the will to create within him. He has lost the Spark to make all things new.

Spoiler

Show

Michrael ap: 0=3-3(create utility artifact: the Crimson Lantern Ring)

more detail about it in the Epilogue/war in Fury backstory.

Solaron ap: 0=6-1(create sub-race: the theoliberi [Solaron's descendants, who retain some god-like powers. Only the sun-emperor fully realizes those powers])-2(create organization: the Sun Imperial Dynasty [prc: divine attendants]-3(blessx3 : Divine Favor)

the theoliberi have an eternal covenant to rule Convicton and any territories they might conquer. In the coming years, they quickly grow into a large, powerful clan in Conviction.

[Lady Tialait]

Mumbles

The Dark Jester grinned, the world was doing exactly what he wanted. Now it was time to force the ending of this show. He raised his hand up. And something odd happened across the world. All Clownborn raised their hands.

"Sing with me, children."

He cleared his throat before he began his song.

"I dance around this empty house
Tear us down
Throw you out
Screaming down the halls
Spinning all around and now we fall

Pictures framing up the past
Your taunting smirk behind the glass
This museum full of ash
Once a tickle
Now a rash

This used to be a funhouse
But now it's full of evil clowns
It's time to start the countdown
I'm gonna burn it down"

The chorus of Clowns could be heard throughout the world. Mumbles started to laugh uncontrollably.

[Shmee]

Fury

As soon as the Forces of Conviction arrive on Fury, they are detected by the Genasi defenders, who recognizing them for what they are, begin to attack. Meanwhile the Fist of Fury is still busy wrestling Namtar to the ground, delivering massive blows to the dragon god's head while it is at it.

[planswalker]

the Conviction Coalition - Fury

With Michrael's ring allowing him to see through the Veil, the Coalition responds to the foreseeable counterattack with force. The angels secure the perimeter, using their technological purchases from Progress to lay down suppression fire. With planetars carrying reconfigured tank weaponry and avorals supplying them ammo, the Coalition forms a kill zone past which no Genasi can survive. For now, once they have secured a beach head, the Coalition seems content to hold.

By cover of midday, several dozen lantern archons break off from the main group, headed in the general direction of Martu's dragons.

[Selinia]

Skies above Hoffnung, Progress

The others sought divinity, as was proper. They would crush the fools who had tried to supplant Father. Their task was a righteous one, but one Matariel did not share. His task - infuriatingly mundane though it may be - was much simpler. He was to cleanse the wretched mortal creatures of this world, that the would not taint the reclamation. Father's purge would begin here - where dwelt those who in their arrogance thought to chain Father to their will.

The Angel's shadow fell over the pathetic works of mortals, and he felt their fear. Appropriate - at least now, in their final hour, they understood their own worthlessness. Then the Mourner let loose his tears... and the mortals died screaming. The blessed rain that fell upon them cleansed them of their mockery of flesh, burning them to slime and bones and chitin. And Matariel was pleased. Father's will was being done. They hid beneath their halls of glass and metal, but it was only a matter of time, and they could not harm one such as him...

And then he felt pain. His perception turned, filled with wrath, seeking the impudent fool who could injure him so. They would receive the glory of death at his hands for their foolishness...

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

"Badda-BOOM, bitch!"

Datamine grinned madly as she was doused in steam as the coolant systems of the Catastrophic Atomic Impulse Nexus vented into the atmosphere. As a light on the display panel flipped from red to green, she slammed the lever into place to load another round from the Ring's extra-dimensional storage spaces. Hefting the almost laughably over sized weapon back onto her shoulder, she took careful aim again... the giant eye... disk... thing didn't really present any obvious targets, but that glowing bit seemed to irritate it.

"Uplink, sis, have I said yet that I LOVE THIS GUN? Badda-BOOOOM! Ahaha... oh..."

While the first shot had impacted to apparently devastating effect, the second had not even made contact. The CAIN round - a slug of metal propelled to such speeds as to make conventional explosives look like firecrackers - had simply pinged off a translucent orange barrier of some sort.

"That is... not good."

"Why, thank you for that nugget of wisdom Seq. Now what?"

The youngest of the three withdrew a gleaming metal blade from its storage space and grinned sheepishly.

"...you're kidding, right? Right? You aren't going to attack something the size of a city with a Prog sword, are you?"

Clapping her younger sister on the shoulder, Uplink smiled and drew her own progressive blade. Looking at the monolithis entity below them, she sighed and shrugged.

"If that thing is like the hardening shield on the Ring, these might just work. Maybe. You hang back and take a shot if you see it. You seemed to hurt it before it put up that barrier - if we take it town, you need to be able to do that again."

"...good luck, you two."

The sisters exchanged glances for just a moment, then put their plan in motion...

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

The wretched creatures wished to challenge it? They would have their wish.

Matariel scornfully deflected their clumsy second attempt with their painful weapon. He had been careless the first time, and it would not occur again. His energy would protect him. Gathering that energy to his Core, he unleashed a counterattack, filling the sky with deadly ribbons of light... such nimble little insects they were though.

Still, they were but a nuisance. Below, the mortals burned...

Pinnacle Headquarters, Hoffnung

"So... it's down to this... ah..."

"Bah! We just need more time! We'll think of something! We aren't going to die here, like rats in a cage..."

"Soryu, we don't have time! Don't you get it? We have hours at most before the rain burns through the upper levels and gets to us down here..."

"Well excuse me, acting commander Rokubungi! I'm just trying to make myself useful! Maybe you prefer to sit around contemplating your navel while some cosmic horror eats Hoffnung, but I for one am going to try to do something about it!"

As the scientist stormed from the room, the acting commander of Pinnacle groaned and buried his head in his hands. How had it come to this? From the catastrophic failure of their experiment... their labs ruined, dozens - including Asuka Ashcroft - dead, the Unbound Spark gone... it had been nothing but ill fortune for Pinnacle. And the Commander hadn't shown himself at any point in the six days since then...

"Gendo..."

He was brought from his grim reverie with a soft touch. And at that... he steeled himself. Yui. Yui was still here. She hadn't given up. He couldn't either.

"That's it. I've let him sulk for long enough. I am going to shake Kozo until he spills where the hell the Commander is, and what the hell is going on. Because apparently the sub-commander of this entire operation wasn't cleared for that before..."

"And with good reason."

He started at the sudden appearance of Drofiel's aide. The unassuming older saerite had a nasty tendency to go utterly unnoticed... shaking it off, he immediately grabbed the man by his shoulders and shook him. Possibly not the most polite move, but a young man in mortal peril can be forgiven such things.

"What in the blazes is going on?! No more games! The commander trusted you more than any of us! We're all going to die here if you don't start explaining very, very soon!"

"Of course."

"...wait, just like that?"

"Indeed. I was coming for just that purpose... you can let go now, by the way. In any case, the Commander and his associates want to see you. Both of you, actually. Come, quickly, time is short."

With that, and a subtle disengaging maneuver, Kozo was off towards the elevators at a brisk pace. Lacking any better options, Yui and Gendo followed cautiously...

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

"Welcome to the Sanctum. Your questions will be answered..."

The three stepped into a dimly lit - and as best as Gendo could tell, utterly featureless - room. A lone circle of light illuminated a small section of the floor. With a gesture from Kozo, he and Yui stepped into it... and blinked in astonishment as images flickered into being all around them. At a glance, he counted seven of them, people of all races and descriptions... but it was the one directly in front of him that caught his attention at once. He opened his mouth to speak, but Yui beat him to it.

"Commander! Explain yourself! The entire organization is collapsing in the wake of the experiment's failure..."

"Ms. Ikari. Allow me to correct you... the experiment was a success. Everything went precisely as planned. I apologies for the deception."

"...what? Commander... you mean that all those deaths... Asuka, the others..."

"An unfortunate necessity. Also, I am no longer Commander. You will address me as Science, or my designation of 06."

"An unfortunate necessity? For what?! What was accomplished?"

"More than you can possibly know. Through the experiment, we have dealt a crippling blow to the divines. The presence of these... angels... is a side-effect of that. The Dead City Scrolls indicate that they are aspects of Tasrif, attempting to return the world to his singular form. Fortunately..."

"A 'side effect' is about to kill all of us! Is that an 'unfortunate necessity' too?"

"... as I was about to say, they are fortunately a side effect that we have anticipated. In fact, they are vital in ways you cannot yet fathom to the Plan. A short-term counter has been prepared. I will allow Military to elaborate."

A different image - silent until now - cleared his throat. An iron gnome - of the Freirrhite clan no less - with the designation 03 hanging in the air behind him.

"Elements of your organization have been contributing - albeit unknowingly - to a rather important project here in Despair. Unfortunately, due to schedule slips, we are only able to deploy a crude prototype. Hoffnung - like several other potential target cities - has been equipped with a not-insignificant number of these N1 supermassive payload delivery systems."

"I am releasing them to the control of Pinnacle systems... now."

At this point, a third figure chimed in - a lich, of all things (02 - and although they were not aware at the time, Magic), tattered robes and all, rasping out words with the characteristic death rattle of his kind.

"Now... perhaps you will be interested in postponing your little question and answer session until you are no longer in mortal peril?"

Skies above Hoffnung, Progress

"Seq! Watch out!"

Hearing her sister's warning just in time, Sequence rolled out of the way of yet another of the snaking trails of light... only to find three more boxing her in from above and behind. Even with her inhuman aerial acrobatics, she was grazed by one in her escape from the trap, letting out a muffled shriek of pain as the synthetic flesh along her right side was burned horribly. Putting on a burst of speed, she mentally disengaged her nerve simulators for a few skin layers down, dulling the pain a bit.

Glancing back, she groaned inwardly as another of Data's shots bounced harmlessly off the angel's field. She'd paid dearly for a run that had accomplished all of nothing. She could tell the hits were weakening the field in places... but it simply redistributed the energy from elsewhere while it regenerated its power. The CAIN was too powerful, but too slow, and the prog swords - effective though they were - were simply impossible to apply long enough to really saw through the field without a suicide run...

...was that what it was going to take?

Suddenly, she was interrupted by the blaring of klaxons from the city below... she was surprised that there were still any that hadn't been corroded...

"Uplink, do you see what's going on down there?"

"... some sort of launch... I think... it looks like the Alliance might actually be putting up a fight. Lets see if we can take advantage of this - as soon as their thing hits, we go right for that Core!"

"Right!"
"Gotcha!"

There were a few tense moments as a handful of rockets took wing towards Matariel... then they impacted. Sequence wondered for a moment where the second sun had come from.

The destruction was almost unbelievable - the city beneath the angel was torn to building frames and burned to ash beneath the catastrophic force. Blinking away the image seemingly burned onto her retina, the herald realized that it had broken something else as well.

The enemy field was down.

Pushing her flight systems to their limits and leading with her prog blade, Sequence dove towards the angel's core...

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

Impossible. Unthinkable. The filth of this world thought their weapons could harm one such as it? They sought to turn the might of suns against the master of the sky! Shrugging off the attack with little effort, Matariel withdrew his field into his core, focusing his energy.

He was done playing. These pathetic creatures had sacrificed their final moments with their impudence. They would burn in Father's fire. As the compacted force reached critical mass, Matariel prepared to sink the entire continent beneath the waves...

And then the gnat struck again. Cursed ill fortune! It would... it would... then the angel, for the first time in its existence, felt fear. The little gnat had found its core! It would not end this way! He was the Mourner! The Premonition of God!

[Let them think they have won.]

[What of the Cleansing?]

[You have failed. This was not entirely unexpected. Withdraw chastised, but unashamed. Your purpose has been served for now.]

[...Yes, Zerul.]

Abruptly, the entire vast bulk of the creature disintegrated into a viscous orange slime, which promptly fell and blanketed the city beneath. None noticed that the crystalline red core had vanished from the scene...

Spoiler

Show

OOC:
Klashanna AP: 18 ; 19 - 1 (Teach Populace - Fission)
Sequence AP: 21
The Unbound Spark AP: 15

What's an angel attack without someone tossing nukes at it? The AP-spending probably isn't necessary at this point... not to mention that the gnomes have the magic version already... still, hey, why not?

[Shmee]

Fury
Ambience Music

As the battle rages on, the Genasi continue to push with all their might, determined that the invaders would pay dearly for every step of they take. Meanwhile, the Fist, having slammed Namtar into the ground recognizes Michrael's presence, and once again, lunges to fight once more.

As the Fist and Michrael begin to fight, all of a sudden, massive tornadoes begin to appear all over the battlefield, throwing dragons, angels and Genasi into total confusion, as in the sky, a cloaked figure with diminutive wings looks at at the pathetic creatures who thought that they could take to the skies unopposed.

"Mmmmits mmmgoood to mmmbe mmmmback...."

Mumbles Helioff, Elemental Lord of Air.

The Genasi gasp in horror as their very worst fear is realized... the evil Elemental Lords, the creatures to whose name was enough to hush a crying Genasi child had returned. As the Ur-Preists and Godslayers prepared to attack the Lord, their priority shifting from the invaders, flames begin to leap out from the ground. Within the fiery inferno, a figure steps out clad in golden amour and wielding a claymore.

"Foolish children! Who was it who gave you your passion that burns all rational? Who was it, when you were babes, that handed you the sword and taught you how to swing it? Was it not I? Come then! Prove your skills against me, all of you! Land but one scratch, and I shall recognize your abilities!"

Says Corchin, Elemental Lord of Fire.

As the invaders look on in confusion as to what is happening, all of a sudden a figure begins to rise from the snow in the middle of the Arctic Faeli camp. The Arctic Faeli look upon a most beautiful woman, seemingly completley frostbitten and the only thing covering her body, a cloak made of the purest snow they had ever seen.

"Greetings children of the frost... you who for centuries sought to become masters of cold without giving proper tribute to she who was, is and forever will be, frost incarnate. You shall find, that the cold here in Fury is far different from what you knew in Conviction. Now then... you shall bow down to me... the Ice Queen or I shall show you frost the likes the world has never seen before! Your powers here are of no avail! The full fiery force of the Solar Ring could not penetrate this cloak of frost that I wear! Now... kneel!"

Laughs cruelly Kryokoli, Elemental Lord of Ice.

From a small distance of the battlefield, is a cave stands untouched by the raging battle. From within it, a hunched figure can be seen hobbling out. From within the cave, connected to the Underdark, roars are heard as the demons begin pouring into the battlefield, attacking and killing anything that moves. Eyeing the battlefield with malice, the decrepit figure rubs the vines coming out of its chin as if it was a beard

"Gneh heh heh... I shall make you all rue the day you ever stepped on this land... my land. The ground shall take great pleasure in greedily gulping all the blood that will be shed... along with Testament... you shall all learn the price for taking us lightly."

Cackles Snailgosh, Elemental Lord of Earth.

The Lords had returned to claim Fury. How right the Genasi were to fear the day of their return.

Cue Fight Music!

[planswalker]

Fury - in response to the Elemental Lords

Ten years before the Heart of Tasrif causes all abyss to break loose, there was a war in Fury. One that drew the locus of the greatest number of demigods and divine-powered beings ever to all be in the same place on the mortal coil at the same time. Such a thing came close to ripping reality apart. Close, but not quite.

The Arctic Faeli recognize that this ice goddess is just like the gods that had abandoned them so many generations ago. However, they were not their ancestors. They ignored Krykoli. They had found a god who cared for them, and had never abandoned them. That they kept to themselves mostly and did not clamor for his attention did not lessen their love for him. Let the Ice she-Bear whine and growl. The elders ignored her, and the people followed suit. They continued to use their weather magics to favor Conviction in the battlefield.

Heiloff, however, met a vastly different response. He found himself immediately fired upon by a hundred Solar-mounted heavy machine guns.

The other elemental lords did not impact the armies of Conviction directly, although adding demons to the mix seemed to draw the angels out of camp a little more. They would go out of their way to see the demons destroyed. If some of them Fell in the act, those Fallen still were determined to destroy the demons. Something about their nature resonated with the angelic Curse, and made them at the same time more likely to Fall and more vehement in destroying them.

Michrael versus the Fist - round 2

Unlike the first time around, Michrael was not bound by the Curse. He had unlocked the true potential of his godhood, and was ready to fight the Fist. For years, Michrael fought the elemental monolith that guarded Fury, staying ever one step ahead of the Fist. Their battle took them from one shore of the Sea of Elemental Chaos to another.

However, no matter how cleverly or powerfully Michrael fought the Fist, he never found an opening, no way to destroy this sentinel. Several times, Michrael would strike what was a death blow to the Fist, only to have his strike pass harmlessly through air, bounce off stone, cut through water, or pass though flame. Many times, the Fist would have him trapped, about to deliver the death blow. However, each time, Michrael managed to evade death. Once, when the fist was about to flood a cave, then freeze it, Michrael used the Ring to melt the ice, allowing him to take the fight outside. Cascades of flame that would incinerate any mortal would strike empty air where the Lord Marshall Angel was not a moment before.

One fight that was particularly memorable to Michrael was in the air space overr Krykol. That was the one where Michrael lost the Key.

The fist, in aerial form, was spouting out his latest propaganda about Marcoism when he landed a lucky blow with a gale-force wind. The Blade of Crimson Light was wrenched from his hand to land on the streets below. Before he could retrieve it, the Fist took to a fiery form and Michrael was forced to retreat. He never did recover his sword, and without his most powerful weapon, the fight with the Fist became even harder. He probably would be fighting the Fist to this day, had Solaron not recalled him from the battlefield ten years after the war began.

[Shmee]

Fury

The Genasi watch as the Fist of Fury forces Michrael to retreat... at from their perspective. As the Fist switches priorities for now, it once again slams into the forces of Conviction, tearing up a path of destruction. In the streets, the Ur-Priests collect the Sword of Crimson Light and take it to their temple in Krykol to keep as a trophy for yet another victory over the gods.

However, as the High Ur-Priest goes to place the sword, he receives a vision of the future... a dreadful suite of armour, paralysed by the most holiest of blades, and sealed deep within the dreaded Necropolis of Symaxia in faraway Despair. The vision continued showing that one day, a mortal would remove the holy blade, thus ushering a new dawn for the Living Dead, as the Skull Knight would wreck havoc upon the world.

It didn't take much thought to realize just how important this sword was, and the High Ur-Priest knew that it was up to the Genasi to once again save the world from the vile gods. However, he knew full well that should the Genasi hear of the location of the Blade of Radiance, in their zeal would take upon themselves to remove the blade in order to try and kill the god. Thus, in secrecy, the Sword of Crimson Light was split in half, the blade remaining deep within the vaults of the Temple of the Ur Brotherhood, while the hilt being given to the Director of the CSS, who hid it deep within the Seat of the Elements.

[planswalker]

Fury

The Coalition's tactics once Michrael left changed drastically. They went from holding ground to high mobility. Without their god-general to occupy the Fists' attention, they dispersed out throughout Fury, never allowing the Fist to assault more than a small band of angels or a coven of Arctic Faeli shamans.

Over the next four years of the remainder of the war many lives would be lost, though little territory was held. The Coalition would take towns, hold them for a few weeks or even a few months, and then be forced to abandon them as the Fist arrived. Without Michrael, they did not stand a chance in direct conflict against the Fist.

Eventually, since they were unable to hold against the Fist, the decision was made to withdraw. Though the Coalition often bested the Genasi in the battlefield when the Fist was not present, they could not hold on to any gains once the Fist did arrive. They never were able to approach Krykol, the capital without the Fist meeting them there. Unable to assault the Seat of the Elements and take down the Iron Veil, the commanders of the angels, faeli witch mothers, and chief prismatic children decided to withdraw. The only possible path left which could lead to meaningful victory would be to destroy every Genasi settlement to the ground when they took it, thus eliminating the Genasi's power base. Such an act of genocide was unthinkable to the top leadership, so the order to withdraw was given.

If Conviction was ever to achieve victory in Fury, it would not be thorugh force of arms.

[Selinia]

The Void, above Planet

[What did I tell you? Failed. Matariel was an idiot, true, but it is just an underline to what I've been saying. This isn't going to work this way. Give me some time, and I'll have...]

[Perhaps. You have shown foresight, Tabris. I will grant you that commendation. The fate of the others has yet to be decided however - they have seen the haste and subsequent failure of Matariel. They will not repeat his mistakes.]

[Ah. Well. We'll certainly see about that. Oh, and by the way, you have company - I should scram. Not exactly built for combat like you guys, you know?]

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

Klashanna took a deep breath. She had to do this - her heralds and the mortals of Planet were fighting for their lives against these invaders, but unless she could take down their leader here... it would be for nothing. She could feel the power emanating from the "angel" - could feel reality breaking down in his proximity. And she was weaker than she had ever been - though for once her insistence on using non-magical technology whenever possible was turning in her favor.

It was time to begin. This was it. No warning, no mercy...

"Armor systems are optimal... target acquired... fire!"

Shedding her cloaking, the goddess unleashed a stream of hypervelocity particles at the angel - in theory, they would simply lacerate anything they touched. In practice... they missed. She blinked at where the angel had been, rapidly resetting her weapon's firing sequence.

"Really? That is your grand attack? PATHETIC."

Klashanna jolted in surprise as her suit's HUD and weapons screen went abruptly blank... and as moments later, she was seized from behind by a massive force, hurling her across the void.

"You think you use such toys against one such as I? Fool! I am Zerul, greatest of Father's children! I am above the petty laws of your world!"

[No... actually, you're just...]

[Tabris...]

[Ah, right. Speeching. Sorry.]

"Your very existence is an affront to Father. You all are blemishes - defilement upon the Truth. The great I AM will walk once more, and all your pathetic works of... shaping... will crumble beneath the might of the true Creator! His might is without limit! AND I AM HIS WEAPON!"

The battle was horrendously one-sided. Every defense Klashanna made was torn away without hesitation. Her every attack was an exercise in futility - sometimes she would merely strike nothing, other times her weapons would land a perfect blow and do nothing at all, cast aside by the shimmering orange energy that cloaked the angel. One by one, her systems died. Her shields failed. Her weapons were spent. Her armor was ruined and discarded.

By this point, she was merely fighting for survival - thoughts of victory pushed aside my the overwhelming power of her foe. So it was with some surprise she heard a voice echoing through her skull.

[Shh. Don't tell anyone - our little secret. But I thought you ought to know you're doing it wrong - and worse, threatening to debunk my argument. Seriously, some goddess of invention you are. Sometimes the answer to a problem is in fact not more gun, despite reports to the contrary.]

The psicast - if that was what it had been - cut off as abruptly as it had begun. But... it gave her an idea. A very interesting idea. Perhaps she had been trying to do this in a suboptimal manner... she reached for her divine power once more... but instead of looking inward to draw power to fuel her devices, she sent her will out. To the Solar Ring. To the planes. To Planet.

The Maiden of Invention opened her essence to the technology of the world, and drew strength from it. She no longer had the Spark of Creation, but she was still a goddess, and a powerful one at that - not to mention one who's domain grew mightier with every new innovation of the mortal races. Eschewing any sort of weapon - their uselessness already proven - she unleashed a stream of power directly at Zerul's barrier.

That was it. The limit of what she could do. She shuddered as the pulse of energy left her body... and felt renewed hope as it connected with her opponent. For but a moment - a tiny, fleeting moment... Zerul's shield wavered. She had not yet harmed him... but she had proven that he was not invincible. This was a battle that could be won - but she would need help. However, the other gods faced their own angels... bracing herself, she began accumulating power again, experimenting with an attempt to form a shield akin to her opponent's.

Until they were ready, she would have to hold the line. Or at the very least, survive. And so she danced across the sky, locked in desperate struggle with the Arm of God in an equally desperate gambit for time.

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OOC: There he is - Da' Big Boss of the angels.

Now, Planswalker, as soon as Solaron is done with Ramiel, just send him up to help. Seeing as we're kinda low on players, I'll probably bring in Ichmod and Celis as well to rustle up a bit of team spirit and making taking down Zerul more of a group effort. Hopefully by then Shmee will have wrapped up his Lords, and we'll be done, aside from any epilogues or such.

[planswalker]

Solaron - Conviction

Six years before the strange double-child leaves with his power to create, Solaron is quite content. He has spent the last few years happily attending to his son, who has grown into quite the young man. However, he realizes one day that he hasn't heard from anyone outside of the palace in a long time. He calls White to his side, and asks him. "Where is everyone? Why have I not heard from anyone else in a while?"

"You have not reached out to the mortals around you in a generation. Only the prismatic kobolds in the local area are even sure that you are still on Conviction. Minrhet and Michrael have left years ago to wage war on Fury. They both have seen that you are blinded by something and cannot act as yourself."

"WHAT?! I am not blind! Now that Solkiran the evil one is gone, I am free! Nothing is influencing me or holding me back! I am Solaron once more!"

"Then why is it that you have done nothing but play with your son ever since you overcame the darkness?"

Unable to figure out why, Solaron instead says "Bring Michrael back. I want to talk with him."

White obeys the command of his lord, and does so.

Solaron and Michrael - Conviction

Gladdened that his lord once again has decided to take an interest in the world at large, Michrael immediately returns. He leaves the war in Fury in his generals' hands.

When he approaches Solaron, he genuflects in his traditional manner, then rises and says, "My lord, it is good to hear from you again. What do you ask of me?"

"[color=gold]Why did you leave me?[/color"

"My lord?"

"You left Conviction, brought the people with you, and waged war on Fury all without telling me. Why?"

"My lord, I left without you because you didn't want to see me. You did not even want to be disturbed from your time with your son, Minrhelion. However, life moves on, and things needed doing. My lord, why did you abandon us?"

At these words, Solaron was speechless. He had not abandoned them, had he? It was just that his son made him so happy that he never wanted to leave him.

but what about my responsibility to the Light Eternal?

Solaron heard the voice in his head, and recognized it immediately. But that was impossible. He had destroyed him once and for all! He was nothing more than a dark spirit attached to a rock at the bottom of the world now.

No, you didn't destroy me, you freed me.

He dismissed Michrael without an answer, and withdrew to the central mountain where he laid his body to rest traveling the world abroad as a dragon.

After you dispelled the darkness, you sealed it away. You were so convinced that you were alone that you drowned me out. Ony when you began to question your resolve was I able to speak once more. I have always been a part of you, the small voice that guides you to make the hard decisions that need to be done. You are the strong, loud voice of love and hope. I am the small, quiet voice of reason and sacrifice.

When the darkness infected us, it threatened to overwhelm us and turn us into a monster. I had to make a decision, and make one I did. I opened myself up to the darkness to allow you to remain free. It changed me, made me stronger, and then engulfed me. I became the dark, twisted voice of selfishness and anger. I am sorry for the pain I caused, but do not regret my decision. Far worse would have come if I had not prevented it from destroying you.

But, you are evil and darkness!

not darkness, but merely a dim spot in your mind to allow you to be able to perceive true darkness for what it is and make the decisions necessary to deal with it.

So, what now?

Now? we go forth and bring about the Light Eternal, one step at a time.

What of my son?

You know that our son is destined for great things. Stop coddling him and teach him, mold him into the man he will become.

Solaron and Minrhelion

Over the next six years, Solaron went and did just that, listening to the voice of reason. He trained Minrhelion into a man. Then the being came took his power.

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I will continue this story in a little bit. I just ran into a writing wall for now and will come back to this after I eat.

[planswalker]

Solaron and Minrhelion - Conviction

"My son, someday soon, everything the light touches will be yours. You and your children forever shall be the executors of my will to the mortal world. You have inherited a vast portion of my power. That line will breed true in your descendants forever."

"Father, so you promise, but what I must know is this: when? I am now twenty summers old. I am a man by the standards of the aasimars and the primatic kobolds. When will you let me lead?"

"When you are not just a man, but also a god. Your mother's half-faeli heritage has shown itself dominant in your form, although not in your development. You have matured as rapidly as a dragon's mind does. My prismatic dragons mentally mature within their first ten years of life, and you have shown in your second decade of life to have exactly that kind of maturity."

"However, you lack one thing yet in your maturity. You have yet to realize the full potential that is my gift to you, the power of a god to Shape and Create. When you do, I shall bequeath to you everything I rule, and you and your descendants shall sule in my name forever."

Less than satisfied with his father's answer, Minrhelion storms off.

As Solaron is about to follow him, a splitting pain hits him the likes of which he has never felt. For a moment, he hears a cacophonous chorus ramble on about some I AM or some such thing. Then before him is a rather strange being.

It looked like a child, except that it was nothing like any child Solaron had ever seen. Then he noticed that this child had something about him which was completly alien about it. First of all, this child was genderless. Also, each and every part of its external body features seems to have been doubled. After a moment's examination, Solaron realizes that there is in fact the image of two children superimposed on top of each other, barely off-center from each other. This impossible yet very real entity tells the Lantern, "Ii AMm THEe LIGHTight WHICHich SHALLal BEe ONCEe MOREor." With that, the odd being leaves, walking with oddly graceful steps mirrored by the other image a half-second later. As soon as it crosses the threshold, it vanished in a burst of light.

As soon as it does, Solaron realizes that something has changed. He no longer feels the will to create within him. He has lost the Spark to make all things new.

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to put things in chronological order for those who might have gotten lost in the time warp

Solaron vs Ramiel - For the Heart

For three days now, Solaron was without his Spark, and for three days he has done nothing but frantically search for the thief. He can sense that this being, whatever it is, has not left Conviction. He has the entire populace of Conviction on the alert to find this creature.

Then, something happened that shocked Solaron to his core: he was attacked.

Not by the odd double-child, which would not have surprised him. He was attacked by a prismatic kobold child, one of the sons of the high priest of the temple in which Solaron had raised Minrhelion. The grup, as the kobolds call their children, did not do any harm to him, but the hatred coming from the grup's young heart shocked him. What was going on here?

He fled from the grup, not sure how to take it to task. However, he soon found that everyone seems to have been infected by this rage. In every room he entered, there he found mortal followers of his who attacked him on sight with any means available to them.

He fled the temple, only to find outside that things were worse. Michrael approached him, and struck at him with a beam of crimson light, powered by the ring he had created. Solaron quickly absorbed the light, and expelled it harmlessly into the sky.

"What are you doing? Have you gone mad?"

"INDEEDeed THEYey HAVEave." came the response from Michrael's throat. "Ii AMam RAMIELiel, THEe LIGHTight WHICHich WASas. Ii HAVEave TAKENen FROMom YOUou THATat WHICHich WASas NOTot YOURSrs TOo HOLDold. NOWow YOUou WILLill DIEie BYy THEe VERYry HANDSands OFof THOSEose WHOo BLINDLYly FOLLOWow YOUou."

As one, every living thing that could fly at once took to the skies and set upon Solaron. Although they could not harm him physically, the sheer weight of their hatred expressed against him diminished him. If he did not do something soon, they threatened to overwhelm him and fade him away to nothing.

Maybe I deserve to not exist. After all, my service to the Light has been rather feeble. First I pollute myself with evil, then I retreat off and allow myself to become useless. Maybe Ramiel can do a better job of things. Perhaps he will be a better servant of the Light.

How can one who uses hatred serve the Light of Life? We must stop him at all costs. He is worse than the dark spirit which possessed me.

But what can we do? Killing those he has possessed is unthinkable. These are my own people.

indeed, they are. I am not even sure doing that would stop him. If he can take them, nothing prevents him from taking others as well. Somehow, we must show the Light Which Shall Be Once More that it cannot command obedience and love.

... I have it. I know how to beat him.

Having concluded his internal monologue with himself, he addresses Ramiel in Michrael's body once more. "Very well, I surrender. I cannot destroy my own people. I ask only that, in the name of the Light Eternal, that you allow my son to be the one to destroy me. He is the inheritor of my powers, and if I am to leave this reality, I want him to be the one to send me off."

Ramiel, seeing the poetic irony of this, immediately leaves Michrael. For a moment, the Celestial Commander appears to have an after-image. Then the impossible-yet-real double child image once again appears. It quickly runs inside the palace.

The mortals who are under the being's influence continue to glare at him with hatred. However, Michrael is a god, and he is not so easily influenced. He has before shaken off the influence of other divinities, and , without Ramiel directly inhabiting him, the angel-god breaks free from its influence.

"What has happened? Why am I here? What are these followers doing here instead of searching for the being?"

"Ramiel is the being's name, and he has taken over their minds and turned them against me. He possessed your body and tried to use you to destroy me. I have surrendered to him and will allow him to desroy me. I have asked, though that he have Minrhelion do it. I must ask you to allow what is about to happen to happen without interference. Once before I asked you to trust me. Because you didn't, many countless innocents died. This time, I absolutely require that you trust me. This is for the best."

To once more hear such a request weighed heavily on Michrael's heart, but he acceeded to his lord's command. Doing anything less would be a sign that he did not truly have faith in the one whom he claimed to. "I understand. As you say."

At this point, Minrhelion walks out of the temple complex, green-yellow energy radiating out from him. Solaron descends to the ground and greets his son. "Minrhelion, if you can hear me, I want you to know only one thing: I forgive you." With that, his son pulls a dagger out of his belt and plunges it straight into the heart of the mantle. Brilliant white light exploded outward, engulfing everyone who had been controlled by Ramiel. Each of them came into contact with the TrueLight that comprised the core of Solaron's essence. Each of them came face to face with the essence of Solaron's power: Light.

This light was not just any normal light, it was the embodiment of Love, Joy, and Forgiveness. It was Pure as nothing else is pure. In it lies the Hope of a better world. The Sun had come to be a symbol of Life and Hope for every creature, no matter how loathsome.

Such pure Good was more than their hearts could take. The response was overwhelming. They gave back faith, faith in the god who cared for them this deeply, deeply enough to die for them. Each of them chose in their hearts follow after his ways, and to bring his teachings to the rest of the world. Such was the force of their resolve that Ramiel was cast out of Conviction, and with him went his malignant influence. At one point, it appeared as though the Light would destroy this interloper, but then an orange field of energy enveloped him and he fled. To where he went, none on Conviction knew or cared. Every heart was focused on one scene: that of Minrhelion, now the god-priest of Conviction, who held the remains of his father's shattered lantern in his hands.

The remnants began to glow, then shine. They slowly began to disappear. Michrael and Minrhelion did their best to stop the disappearance, but nothing they could do seemed to ahve any effect. As the last speck of light was about to disappear, they heard a voice in their heads.

Do not fear. Though I no longer live in this world physically, I live on in the hears of everyone who seeks the Light. Live always as I have taught you. Spread my teaching to all the world. And remember, I am with you always.

With that, the Lord of the Sun died. However, this was not the end for him, but a new beginning. For nothing as powerful as he ever truly dies. Just as mortal spirits live on after their bodies have died, so too does the essence of a god not disappear merely because his physical form is no more. From the Freihrr's stubborn refusal to fade away to Darrmoon's capricious use of death to enter where he was not welcomed, death to a god is a means to an end. So it was with Solaron.

Solaron - the Bastion of Souls

Solaron's spirit awoke in the Bastion, surrounded by the souls of thousands of mortals, each wandering, trying to decide where they would spend eternity. Solaron, however, knew exactly where he wanted to go. In the form a glowing pebble once more, Solaron departs from the Bastion and heads for the Endless Courts to pay a visit to one of his oldest friends.

Solaron and Celis - the Endless Courts

Solaron found Celis to be in a similar state as himself, having to battle a being that had formed from his spark. This one was using terror and nightmares to try to bring Celis' domain to its knees. However, it was not prepared to face the sudden inclusion of Solaron as well, and together the two of them banished it from the Courts. However, the battle had been costly. Rodica, Celis' wife, had been badly wounded in the conflict and lay in a coma, unresponsive to the world around her. Solaron invites his clever friend to join him in stopping these being from harming others as they have been wronged. Together, the two of them depart for a place that had been almost forgotten by the universe. The home of Solaron's youngest brother.

Solaron, Celis, and Ombrerus - the Plane of Shadow

They found Ombrerus locked in battle with being not unlike himself. However, as one radiated gentleness and night, the other gave off darkness and terror. Celis came up with a clever way to separate teh two and expel the bad one, and together the three of them did so. Unfortunately, the being had left its mark upon the shadows. There now was a hungry darkness and evil to the place which had not been there before. The beings of shadow were now divided between those who were benign and those who were malignant. The Plane of Shadows became a perilous place to traverse.

It was then that the three of them realized that something even worse was happening. The Solar Ring was under siege. The most powerful of these beings was assaulting the seat of their power, the symbol of their unity. Together, the three of them sped off to the Ring to aid Klashanna in defense of the Sun.

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Hope everyone's okay with me bringing back Celis and Ombrerus to join us in this fight. And thus am I ready for the final battle.