Lords of Creation - What Shall Be (IC)

[Selinia]

The Saerite Fleet, East of Progress

Jules eyed the great creature warily. Truly, he did not want a conflict, but there seemed to be little choice in the matter.

"So, it seems we meet again, good sir. And sooner than we had expected - are these too, now your waters? It seems your realm is expanding quickly. How long, I wonder, would it be before you appear in Staunen harbor, and make your demands?"

"No, we have not brought any gold. As you can see, we are no longer an unarmed vessel, at the mercy of any who choose to exploit us. Our weapons are powerful, good sir, and we are well capable of defending ourselves. I believe that, as our situations have changed, a simple re-negotiation is in order. We are happy to trade with you and your kind - as equals, not inferiors."

"There is much you could gain in trade with our people - and nothing to gain from conflict with us. I am sure a gentleman such as yourself can see that. Your initial proposal was borderline extortion - we will not pay any such tribute - but if there are regions of the sea that you would prefer we did not sail, I am certain that a fair compromise can be reached."

"So, what say you, Sir Dragon? Shall our peoples trade as equals, or will you force us into senseless and unprofitable conflict? The choice is yours to make."

The Admiral had no idea how the creature would respond to his proposal - itself a thinly veiled threat. With a subtle gesture he signaled his gunnery chief, and another alerted the other members of the command clique stationed on other ships.

++Ready Weapons // Do not fire unless attacked // If conflict ensues, open fire with intent to neutralize threat // Lethal force is authorized++

Below decks, there was a flurry of activity as civilians were quartered in armored safe rooms and the military cliques took up position. Cannons were loaded with heavy shot and rolled into position. The bombs were placed in their locks, ready to be lit and punted out into the ocean should the dragon come too close.

The gunnery chief tensed - now they waited. She really felt like she ought to say something - as mediator and de-facto leader of the assembled cliques, it was her duty to ensure everything went smoothly below decks.

"Umm... well, here we are. This is what we've been trained for. I know all of you are nervous - this is the first military action of the United Navy. We all are hoping that what we learned won't be needed, but..." her voice trailed off lamely. "...be ready. That's all. I don't want to lose anyone. If it comes down to it, we can't hesitate. Everyone on board - everyone back home - they're depending on us. So lets win this thing."

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OOC: AP 7 : 4 + 3 (rollover)

[BloodyAngel]

The Underdark

Move. Mother demands it.

The telepathic sending was repeated unending as the Illithids moved through the caverns of the deep earth, headed for a place that they had never been, but all felt drawn to. A small band of only thirty or forty of them moved... their thralls and slaves leading the way and testing dangerous passageways ahead of the main force.

Upon entering a newer tunnel, the haggard dwarven slave leading the way paused... his long experience with the earth telling him that the tunnels ahead were recently altered. No sooner had he thought as much as the tall, gray-skinned slavemaster behind him took heed, and stepped forward to observe, it's tentacles writhing as it took in the scene and scanned the area for thinking minds.

Go. It's mental command rung in his head as it pointed down the newly dug tunnel, All must go to mother. New slaves we will make.

The dwarf knew better than to deny his masters, and bring down the crushing agony of their mental powers. He was one of the few with useful enough skills to be left with most of his mind intact, and he wished to keep it that way. Brogan Skycaller had once been a great craftsman and master stoneworker before his capture... having worked personally on Mt. Nolam itself. Now his clan was dead or mindless slaves... his wife had been given to sate an Illithid's hunger, and such was his fear of the tortures these creatures could inflict upon him that he served them without much question. He knew that otherwise, he would suffer the hell of being implanted with the small, ropey, worm-like creatures that the Illithids bred.

To walk about against your will, a prisoner in your own body... that was a hell far more terrifying to him than death. Vessels of the worm-things still had thoughts, the Illithids had told him... they were aware. At times they let him hear them. The fevered, desperate screams of madmen, helpless to even end their existences. The thought of it made him shudder.

Brogan crept into the tunnels ahead, not certain what the Illithids had sensed that they wished him to seek out. They had mentioned slaves, but what lurked in the tunnels that were not already theirs? He worried briefly that another dwarven clan had wandered into the darkness of the deep caverns. Could he even bring himself to warn them? Would it do any good at all... or simply bring hell upon him to no avail?

Instead what he saw as he crept into the tunnels ahead was nothing like any creature he had ever seen. They appeared as an unfamiliar kind of insects, but far larger... Even in the darkness of the caverns, they seemed to take notice of him. For a moment, the ragged dwarven man stood confused... not certain what to do. The illithids must have been confused as well, for they were slow to respond to his thoughts.

Wha? I... He stammered, not certain if the creatures even spoke.

Subdue the slaves.

Only moments after the telepathic call from behind him, Brogan collapsed to the ground in agony, the psionic blasts of the Illithids blanketing the chambers as they surged in behind the hapless scout.

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I'm leaving how well the Formians handle mind blasts to you Asmodeus. To battle!

Oh, and godly action: Raise hero Brogan Skycaller. Expert 4 / Ranger 2

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Formians in the Underdark

If the twisted Illithid were expecting a fight from these spindly creatures they were to be disappointing. Several of them were knocked unconscious in the first barrage, but well over half resisted or were not hit, turned silently, and scurried away as fast as they could. Some of them dragged fallen comrades as they retreated, carrying their fellows as if they weren't even their, sometimes dragging them behind them.

The Formians forms retreated into the dark and gloom of the newly carved tunnels, but this conflict was far from over. Mere minutes after the last of the strange insectoid creatures retreated, a strange scuffling sound emanated from the passage they had retreated into, and it grew louder and louder until finally it's cause was horribly visible. In place of the spindly Formians they had encountered, a veritable horde of Soldiers came scurrying up the passage. Where the other Formians had been small and skinny with small heads with predominantly brown carapace, these were bulked up versions with huge heads decked with cruel pincers, powerful claws reared in front, some gripped crude work tools and weapons, but most seemed content to use their natural weaponry, which included a large poison stinger which seemed much smaller on the earlier Formians, they also came in both brown and red coloration, and in their wake some of the smaller forms scurried, though their purpose was unknown. All the Formians charging up the tunnel crawled all around it, on the ceiling and walls as much as the floor.

[BloodyAngel]

Brogan Skycaller / The Illithids: The Underdark

And just like that, things went from a simple taking of captives into an all out battle in the cavernous tunnels. Brogan curled up in mental agony as the Illithids blanketed the area with psionic screeches and pain. By the time he was able to see clearly again through bleary eyes, the battle was raging. His head pounding, he wiped his eyes and saw why hos torment had suddenly stopped.

One of the Illithid sorcerers had summoned a wall of blackened stone from the earth, funneling the horde of insects into a narrow area so the Illithids could overlap their psionic blasts at them as the bug-things rushed forward. For every attacker that fell under the onslaught, more came... literally crawling over their own downed warriors and rushing the Illithids. The slaves were pushed forward to take the brunt of the damage at first... and while they were cut down, the Illithids levied all of the psionic and sorcerous might they could at the incoming horde.

Calling to the goddess, they summoned writhing black tendrils from the ground to constrict the attackers and their own slaves alike... then set upon those rendered immobile with gouts of acid and blasts of frigid cold. Still more of the beasts came... breaching the lines of poorly armed and armored slaves easily enough, even as their numbers fell to the Illithid's attacks. The creatures seemed to no no fear, and were unconcerned how many losses their side had suffered.

Brogan crawled on hands and knees off to the side of the battle, knowing that the crossfire here was deadly. From a narrow groove in the rough stone wall he watched the battle in awe and horror, as the insects finally reached their quarry and began tearing into the Illithids. There was no malice in their attacks, but the sight of the swarming horde was terrifying in a whole different way. Brogan closed his eyes and prayed to gods he had long felt had abandoned him, that no matter what happened... the ones who slew his clan fall this day.

The high sorcerer of the Illithids stood furthest back, guarded by his fellows. Despite their massive mental and magical prowess, they were no match for the insects in close, and they were far outnumbered. Illithids fell to poison and injury, giving disgusting wet burbling sounds as they writhed in their death throes on cold, unfeeling stone. The insects crawled over them without concern, moving on to the next foes with soulless precision.

Despite heavy losses, it became apparent that the swarm was winning. The high sorcerer, sensing this, cast a spell to teleport himself from the tunnels, leaving the others to their fate. From there, the conflict was nearly one-sided... and in only a minute or more of fighting, every last Illithid remaining lay dead or dying. The ground was littered with the bodies of slaves, Illithids and a great many insects... but the swarm had won.

Brogan curled himself into a small ball, hoping that the creatures did not notice him in his hiding spot... but they were at home in the dark. No matter how he tried to still his breathing, he heard one crawling towards him. He knew he had no chance on his own. One unarmored dwarf with nothing more than a short knife against something that had slain the beings that had haunted his nightmares for he knew not how long? Mustering what was left of his dwarven pride and courage, he stepped out from his spot, arms in the air.

Ah surrender. He said, little hope in his voice.

At least dying here would be quick compared to what might have awaited him with the Illithids. And he would very much like to see Gretta again.

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Formians win. Fatality!

(Sun slaying to follow. That will be a huge post.)

[Raesha]

AROHA, Elysium

Aroha stood within the peaceful pillars of Elysium and let herself feel the world around her in turmoil. What was the point in bringing forth life when the creators did little more than torture their creations? These souls were not faceless peons to be used at a whim and discarded. Each soul was precious. Each was unique. She would save them.

The turbulent waters of the ocean lapped on the shores outside her temple. The salty breeze whipped her dark hair and cooled the warm tears on her face. She closed her eyes and focused her mind. She sent her thoughts out into the dark world that had formed itself around her. She reached for the poor creatures in pain and suffering. Those with fear and with little hope. Come to me, she called to them. Come to me and I shall grant you peace.

Her message sent, she sat on the cool marble steps and gazed out at the ocean. She found it fascinating that something so volatile and changeable could bring such a feeling of peace. She sat and watched and waited. The first would come to her soon. He was already on his way.

GIDEON, Material Plane

He had left the Valley of Legend to seek all that this unknown world held in store. He had been bright-eyed and excited. Had he known then what kind of place this world was... he may not have left the safety of his home.

He had been traveling for sometime. He had seen all sorts of wonderous and humbling sights. He had seen the wrath of the Creators and the destruction that wrought.

His sight had been taken from him. The ground had trembled and quaked... and he had fallen. So simple a thing, really. One stumble was all it had taken to plunge his world into unending darkness. His head still pained him from where it had stuck the rock. His life had become a never-ending night of pain and desolation. All he yearned for was an end to this.

He had followed the sounds of the sea for who knows how many days and nights. His limbs were tired and he sat to take his rest. How much longer could he do this? It was only a matter of time before he came upon something that would end his life. He rubbed his aching head and sighed as the cool breeze wafted against his skin.

Come to me. He lifted his head, startled for a minute by the soft, feminine voice that drifted thru his head. Come to me and I shall grant you peace.

He stood again without realizing and began to walk with renewed purpose down the beach. The bearer of this heavenly word was nearby. He could sense it. He didn’t truly understand how, but he knew exactly where he would find her.

He walked for days. The need to find his whispering siren consumed him, gave him strength. He stumbled slightly as his foot made contact with something solid. He tentatively reached down to touch the object. It was smooth and cool to the touch. Stone. He had made it.

AROHA and GIDEON, Elysium

The goddess watched as the first approached her home. He was too lean to be described as healthy and his skin was sun-burned. The tawny, sun-streaked hair that sat atop his head was the same shade as the scraggly beard that graced his jaw.

His eyes were a pale, milky whiteness that saw nothing and her heart went out to him. She descended the steps of her temple and stood as he made his way to her.

He could feel her standing before him. If he tried hard enough, he imagined his minds eye could almost make out the shape of her. He knelt in the sand by her feet.

“My Lady, I am Gideon. I have come as you wished, to seek what peace you offer.”

Aroha smiled and knelt beside him. She took his face between her hands and took his pain with it. She leaned forward and kissed both of his eyes, healing him of his blindness.

“There now, Gideon. Know my mercy. You are the first and loved above all others. Look upon the world with new eyes and be at peace.”

The milkiness of his eyes receded and her face came into focus. He looked upon her tear-stained face. Her strange, other-worldly beauty should have frightened him, but he knew no fear. He bowed his head in humble reverence.

“My life is yours, My Goddess.”

She smiled serenely and rose to her feet.

“Come inside where it is safe. Others will make their way here before long and there is much to discuss if we are to save those who inhabit this world.”

He watched her gracefully ascend the steps that led into her glorious temple and followed closely behind.

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Godly Actions: Raise Mortal Hero; Gideon (Cleric 9)

[Moose Fisher]

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The Observatory

Klashanna gazed upon the dwarves - she hated herself for what she was about to do, but it seemed to be the only option. There was no other choice but to slay the dwarves outright - which was no choice at all.

"You twist my words and my intentions, but even so, a Pact has been sealed. I will lend you passage and aid, and in return..."

"You Will Think About It."

The words of the Maiden of Invention flooded into the mind of Urist - they broke upon the iron wall of his ambition, but already they were moving on, on to the other dwarves in his company, on to those guarding the entrance to the Observatory, on to each and every dwarven mind. No two dwarves heard quite the same thing, but some later described it as hearing the color gold. Laughter - not at the defeat of an enemy or completion of a project, but simply for its own sake. Love - not for an idea, or a people, but for a person. And other things - grief for a fallen friend, hope for a brighter tomorrow, and most strangely of all - ambition. Ambition aimed not upwards - ambition to make things better - ambition that made you say "Because" and ask "Why."

Many - perhaps even most - were able to shut out the infernal, disturbing golden light, fortifying their minds as their leader had done with great walls of Ambition for the sky. But here and there, a dwarf's fortress would have a chink in its armor, and the light would fill him with its message.

When the light died down around them, these dwarves found themselves changed. Their hair and beards were no longer the brown or black of typical dwarves, but a deep and lustrous gold. Their skin had darkened to a metallic bronze, and was hot as if with fever, but they were not sick. But most importantly, they found that the light had not died down inside them.

Still they felt it! That infernal, awful, WHY! The HOW and BECAUSE! It burned inside them, twisting their Ambition - they no longer felt the need to reach ever upwards! But soon they realized that their ambition had simply taken another form - they must aid their fellow dwarves! There were so many things that their life was lacking, and now they could build them all! THIS was to be their ambition - and as they thought about what they had been like, before the Light, it dawned on them.

Building a mountain to the sky would probably have been easier.

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OOC: AP 4 : 5 - 1 (Create Subrace - Gold Dwarves)

As the dwarves struggled with the Light she had set upon them, Klashanna slipped quietly away. Silently, the door of the observatory slid open, a clear path upwards, should the dwarves choose to take it. But for now... she rested, and some part of her wished she could cry.

A force beside Klashanna acknowledged her struggles. The burden felt lighter when another carried it as well.

The dwarves noticed the change amongst themselves. The looked at the community and values around them, the looked at the future and emptiness above them, the looked at the past and accomplishment below them. The dwarves had built to the sky, they had shown the divine what they were capable of, they needn't destroy themselves with constant climbing. The dwarves embraced their fellows and returned to the mountain ranges of old. They bid farewell to the Observatory, to the towering Mt. Nolam. The ground rumbled as the connection between the world and realms beyond collapsed, and the mountains became fully inhabited once again. From the broken constructions came new towers for the dwarves to live within, and lesser mountains once ignored released their secrets and became home. For ages after the dwarves would uphold the values of community, tenacity, and craftsdwarfship. They were a fortified culture within the hard rocks of the mountains of Hope.

As for Urist Bershukar, he withdrew from leadership of the dwarves. He had led them for many years, and time was taking its toll. He was growing old, and it was time for the young to build upon the foundations of their ancestors. Urist never accomplished all of his dreams, but his legacy would survive. He passed on with peace, eyes toward the sky.

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4ap from rollover

3ap Raise DR (8 to 9)
1ap Shape Land (Collapse Mt. Nolam and create smaller mountains and towers)

0ap = 4-3-1

[Selinia]

The Observatory

Klashanna was once again in the observation room, viewing the new lives of the dwarven people. It seemed that her fears had not come to pass - the mortals had embraced her lesson, and were better off for it. It had not happened the way she had hoped, but it was turning out all right in the end.

She walked through the hall of her sky-borne home, raising a fallen pillar here, repairing a crushed mechanism there. The dwarves had done no real harm - the observatory was almost a thinking thing in its own right, and could heal the superficial damage done to its interior with little effort.

After a time, the Maiden of invention retired to her study. She had taxed herself - teaching an entire race is no mean feat - and for now, she took a moment to rest, study, and replenish herself. There was still much work to do if the world was to be fixed - she had not forgotten about Despair - but for now, things were looking up.

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OOC: AP 4 : 7 - 3 (Raise DR from 7 to 8)

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Formians in the Underdark

The Formians who approached the dwarf either did not understand him, or merely didn't bother responding. Instead, one of them merely picked him up and began to travel back the way they had fled earlier. Other survivors, none of which were Illithids, were also being picked up and carried, those with injuries being treated as well and gently as possible. All those doing the handling were the smaller spindlier kind of Formians, while the Soldiers stood around guarding them and the survivors, or making sure all of the Illithids were truly dead.

The Formians brought the survivors to a large chamber being carved out by dozens and dozens of workers, and protected by numerous Soldiers. The Formians crawled about the walls and ceiling, and in a top corner of the cavern a honeycombed hive sat on the wall, and curious humanoids that looked only vaguely similar to the ant-men emerged from and entered the strange construct, flittering about the room on buzzing wings moving faster than the eye could follow. As the Formians passed some stopped for a few moments and observed the new arrivals before continuing on with whatever it was they were doing. Eventually, Brogan Skycaller and the other survivors were brought to a corner of the room in which rested a huge bloated version of the ant-folk. She was bulky in the extreme and was constantly expelling eggs from her abdomen, which were picked up and ferried to and fro by numerous workers. The huge creature merely looked at the dwarf and waited, as the rest of the cavern remained a buzzing hive of activity around them.

[BloodyAngel]

Coming of Darkness: Part one.

From across creation they came, moving through dark tunnels interwoven far beneath the earth. An army of soulless beings they were, led by the fallen ones that had long ago saught shelter from the things that ravaged the land. That they were now allied with a force as monsterous was an irony lost on them. They moved to join their dark mistress, and do her bidding.

Far above, Averum, lord of the sun and guardian of the souls of mortals, looked over the world from his palace in the heavens. With the fall of the moon and the destruction it had wrought, he had decided that to interfere directly in mortal affairs would cause only despair and suffering. Now, he concerned himself with little more than providing divine power to those who deserved such a gift, and seeing that the souls of the dead were gathered in the great ring, a place where they could rest in peace and bliss. Shaking his lionine mane, the sun god turned to see Azariel... one of his celestial servants.

"Lord, a force moves upon the earth with foul purpose." The celestial spoke, his voice beautiful and empherial, "They are geared for war."
"I am aware. They would bring war to us." Averum asked, looking down over creation with disappointment in his divine voice, "Has not enough suffering taken place already?"

"They are led by a Faeli, my lord. One more powerful than any mortal we have seen." Azariel spoke, his head bowed in reverance, "From where he has gained this power, we are uncertain... but he leads an army of unclean things from beneath the earth. Their intentions ripple on the wind, but not their reasons."

"They are sent by another." Averum spoke grimly. "We must be wary."

With that, the sun god drew his blade, as armor of shimmering gold appeared on his magestic body, shining with the light of the sun itself. All could feel the resolve that radiated from him, and knew that their lord would sit idle no longer.

"Be ready. I fear we must go to war."

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"Where is the mountain!?" Elarion called to the sky as he stared out at the remains of the great mountain that had once touched the sky, "WHERE IS THE THRICE DAMNED MOUNTAIN?!"

Keia flinched, wary of her lover's temper. After coming all this way, the invaders had found the once-great mountain of Nolam gone... only several smaller crags in it's place. They would not take the army into the heavens above. Elarion's rage was terrifying to behold as the thought that he had failed his mistress filled his mind.

"Elarion, I..." She said timidly, stepping towards him.

"Quiet!" He demanded, his fist clenching tightly as if he might strike her. She obeyed him.

He refused to fail his mistress in this... The most important task he had been given... the culmination of everything that had been done. There must be another way to reach the heavens. With all the power she had given him... he would find a way.

"The lady will bring us to where we need be." He said, his voice low and ominous, "We only need a sacrifice. We make for the surface!"

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Elsewhere, in the depths of the sea... two lovers entwined beneath the rolling waves. Enki, god of the sea and lord of this watery realm, and Asharra, the dark lady of the Abyss, were one. The sea god was enraptured, filled with a bliss he had never known.

"We have little time left, my love." The goddess purred to him, her voice filled with unspoken promises.

"Let us spend it together." Enki asked, his lips hesitant to part from her neck.

"Mmmm... I would love nothing more." Asharra said with a tone like soft silk, "But the others will be in place soon. We must join them."

Reluctantly, Enki nodded and the two parted, as he swam for the surface... allowing her time to follow him. The sun overhead was bright as ever... but he knew it was not to last. The plan was flawless... he knew his part in it well. Soon, a god would die.

"It won't be long now." He said, eager to assure her, "And then we can begin fixing this world."

A wicked smile was her only reply.

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Upon the face of creation, a great slaughter had taken place. Surging from the depths below, the great force of creatures both dark and alien had overrun the town of Aurielle, home to just over 600 beings. Over the course of two days, had put every last man, woman and child to the sword... forming of their bodies a massive ritual circle.

Under the darkened sky, as the carrion crows circled above, Elarion beseeched his mistress for her blessing... to move the force he had assembled for her to the heavens... that they might make war upon her behalf. Keia oversaw the ritual, but with heavy heart. The slaughter she had seen placed upon these innocent people... The screams of the sacrifices as they were slowly bled to death. It sat poorly on her conscience.

She was not the only one to question things. Several of her people had even ignored the call to war, following instead the words of dissent sown amongst them by the traitor, Erah. Her birth had been thought a blessing at first, but now her name was blasphemy amongst the priesthood of the lady... She and the ones who had stayed behind would be punished when all was done. She did not want that fate. She did not want to be parted from Elarion. He knew things she did not... he had spoken to the lady personally... He had to understand why this was all neccessary.

The blood of the last of the sacrifices pooled onto the ground into carefully-made runes upon the stone below, and drawing his knife... Elarion added his own blood to the center. Calling to the earth beneath him via a song of spent life. He would not be disappointed. With a sudden shudder, the earth roiled and turned... trembling as if it sought to consume the entire force. Elarion could feel his mistress' power surging around him, and he closed his eyes in acceptance, ready for her aid or her judgment.

Then, with the sound of ruptured stone, the earth consumed them all... receding after how long they knew not, to leave Elarion and his army beside the gates of Heliopolus itself. The war had begun.

(More to come soon!)

[Shmee]

The Goblin Empire

"The desperate race began under the Goblin. I'm not saying that we know that the world is likely to require unprecedented ambition."

"The great Gobliny race thus began to expand all over the Mountains of Despair. Little did they know that their infinite greed would soon unleash a menace of unparalleled proportions, upon the entire world. "

Due to the Goblin's fast reproduction rate, it wasn't long before the Big City, capital of the Goblin Empire began to get overcrowded. In typical Goblin tradition, at first, the Goblins decided that the best way to deal with this issue was to ignore it. Unfortunately, after a few decades, the issue became so bad that it could no longer be ignored, and the problem of over population was brought up to the Goblin Senate. Another Goblin tradition then kicked in, as Goblin politics dictated that the issue should be dragged so much, to the extent that in the end, the Senate agreed to provide the homeless with a dagger each, so that they may do the world a favour and kill themselves.

Unfortunately, the plan backfired, when somehow the now armed homeless began looting and rioting, and chaos (well... more chaos than normal) erupted all over the Big City. Of course, at first, the Senate chose to ignore it... after all the issue of over-population is solved as long as Goblins die, but eventually the riots were threatening to turn into a full scale civil war, so once again, the Senate was brought in to decide on how to not only deal with the issue of over-population, but also the riots.

One method that the Senate could have dealt with this problem was of course, expanding the Big City... but that would require too much work. Instead what they decided to do, was to round up all the homeless from the streets and herd them far away into the mountains, where they would be left to their fate, and hopefully, be eaten by some of the wandering Living Dead.

However, things did not go as planned. While the Goblin exiles were under constant attack by the odd group of Living Dead, they found that the concept of 'safety in numbers' worked real well... especially when you offered the most obnoxious Goblin of the group as bait, while the rest ran away. Eventually, the exiles grouped together and found a city of their own.

Finding that the location was in fact rich with Frehernite Ore, the Goblins began to dig, and soon, they founded what would be roughly translated as "Bad City", and so they began to prosper. That is... until word came to the Senate, back in the Big City, that the Goblins of Bad City were not paying their obligatory Goblin Taxes which, coincidentally, had just been passed as a law.

So it wasn't long before the Senate sent a tax collector to Bad City demanding tribute... and it wasn't long before the tax collector was killed... not that it came as a surprise, since Goblin tax collectors have a very limited life span. However, this was merely the excuse that the Senate wanted, as they declared Bad City, as a city in rebellion and quickly sent their troops to stop the "rebels". And so this is how the First Goblin Civil War began, and after a bloody war which lasted for years, Bad City was finally brought under Senate rule.

Even though the war had costed countless Goblin lives, the Senate still considered the whole affair a great success... after all, they had solved the problem of over-population hadn't they? Goblin politics at its best!

That is... until the same problem once again erupted, this time in both cities. And that is how, the Goblins, slowly, but surely began to expand their Empire across the Mountains of Despair.

[Draken]

Steelamach, Hope.

News reached Steelamach of many events in the continent. Mount Nolan had been colapsed, and the dwarves who dwealt within had changed to an entirelly different lifestyle.

One far less insane, the iron gnomes agreed.

But there were dire news as well, news of an army from the depths rampaging through the continent, sacrificing the Faeli.

And the faeli of Valorum were urging their new neighbours to help fight that horde... But the gnomes refused to declare war, the council of clan elders decided, and the vast majority of the gnomish people agreed, it was not a good idea to charge in against this enemy. The warforged were split, some sided with the gnomes, others with the faeli.

The faeli were downcast with the aparent apathy of the artificers to the plight of their kind, and a small group of headstrong wizards decided to steal golems to take with them, into the battlefield.

But gnomes never take ligthly to theft, and the crime of a few swiftly became the crime of many, with civil war erupting between Steelamach and Valorum.

But the war was short, only a few weeks, Steelamach had been built around Valorum, and all supply lines all crossed the gnome's territory who cut them off and left the faeli to hunger until they gave up, any actual combat ended in less than a week.

With the end of the 'war', the iron gnomes banished the faeli of their ancestral fortress, sending the proud wizards back to the woodlands from whence they came, and taking over the mountains fully, at long last.

As for the thieves and their golems... They followed a trail of destruction, and eventually found the end of the tracks... Where there was nothing, fur the army had been taken away.

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Grindforge, Despair

In Grindforge, things were different, scouts announced the haphazard expansion of goblin settlements, and the iron gnomes of that land toiled long and hard to prepare for what was to be the most completely one-sided war of all time.

And they had been divinelly inspired to it. The artificers had seen in dreams, in divinations and in runes what Ichmod worked on, and the design was as no less grandiose in scope than it was terrible in immediate purpose.

In vast caves in the mountains, true batallions of gnome mastermakers worked in the design, foundations built upon vast artificialy created surfaces, free from the unyelding grasp of the land, and veritable fortresses built upon those foundations.

Unknown to them, the gnomes toiled towards making true the goblin's belief of their intent.

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Enter: 6 AP:
Spend: 1 AP: Teach Populace: Flying Citadels (Mobile Fortress, Flying City, Mobile City, what works best).
Final: 5 AP.

[planswalker]

Solaron: the Sun

The Sun has been burning since near the beginning of creation. Nearly immediately after, something has been germinating within it. Although the Sun was just a tool of one of the first Creators, it's incredible importance to every living surface-dweller over time gave it a power all its own. That power lay dormant for eons. However, when the shards of the Moon came to fall upon Hope, the shock was felt even at the Sun. An urgency and immediacy began to take shape within the potential at the heart of the Sun. A presence began to coalesce withing the Truelight at the Heart of the Sun. Once it became coherent but before it became aware, it slowly began to rise from the purest fires at the Heart to the Skin. When this bewbor being first burst forth from the surface of the Sun and, it became aware. It gazed upon the world, and thought it seemed a rather dark and dreary place.

Solaron: Hope

It went down to there in the only form it knew, as a brilliant sphere of light,a tiny little Sun about the size of a pebble that shone with blinding radiance yet little heat. It traveled across the entire world in a day, keeping up with the high noon sun. It found that the world was a place of shadows, even at midday, with light and dark vying for dominance at all times. It found this to be a good thing. This meant that there was hope for this world, that it may someday Shine with all the Splendor that is found in the fiery Heart of all things.

It began by seeking out those among the mortals who also sought the light, and taught them His ways (his newfound followers referred to him as male, although a ball of light is technically genderless). They were taught how to extend light to even the darkest corners of the land. He called them his Radiant ones, and they called him their teacher. He was content with the world as he saw it.

Then he he heard that the night, the time ruled by the moon was different from the day, the time ruled by the Sun. He hid his brilliance within the form of a metal orb, to keep his very presence from disrupting his observations. He found this aspect of the world to be far less pleasing. It was far too dark and cold, and things which hated the light crept upon the land and slithered within the waters. There were even creatures born entirely from the opposite of Light, the undead. When he came across a particularly powerful specimen in the lands of Despair, he felt a coldness that was completely alien to him. He could not stand this being and struck out against this coldness with a completely unknown to him before now, a hatred born of an instinctive antipathy to all things born from the opposite of his nature. This outpouring of power cracked his iron shell, and the brilliant beams of his true form shone through, radiating the night and obliterating the repugnance from this world. He realized that his Power was antithetical to the Power that fueled the undead, born from the elemental opposition of the two energies' polar opposition. He sought to guide the mortals of Hope to be able to fight this menace in a new and more powerful way. They called themselves the Harriers of the Dead. His two new orders of disciples together formed the Children of the Shining one. They gave a name to this new power they revered so much, calling it Solaron, the Shining Light.

These efforts pleased him greatly, but he found their efforts alone to be insufficient, so he set about making something New. Creatures whose very nature was to fight the Blight of Darkness. He formed a creature made from all the various colors and varieties found within the Light. He took a small portion of the Truelight from the Sun and formed it into a massive egg the size of a barn. Out from it hatched the first dragon born entirely from light, whose iridescent scales shone with all the colors of the rainbow, and were called Prismatic Dragons. He gifted them with the ability to shape Light itself, and tasked them to create lesser beings to share the Light and and protect the living from the walking dead. They took their blood and suffused it with the Life of Light. Thus were Prismatic Golems born, shimmering entities created to protect the righteous and bring light to the darkness. The leftover bits of eggshell from the hatching of the first Prismatc Dragon was so filled with Life that as the bits of shell turned brittle and crumbled to dust, each mote of dust took on a life of its own, and became shimmerlings. They are beings of light on the smallest scale, each flashing its own unique color. Solaron uses them to whisper his desires to the mortals who follow him.

Solaron: The Shining Land

Such new and shimmering color in the world pleased him greatly, and he made a new home for his creations, a new land on Hope filled with Light and Laughter, where the land itself was hurtful to the Darkness inside the undead and a blessing to all those with the Spark of Life. He took a piece of his own Heart and mixed it in with the very foundations of this continent. He gave this land as a home to all beings born of light. Though his creations could be found throughout all of Hope, they are rare and fleetingly encountered by mortals not favored by the Shining One. On this new continent, however, shimmerlings are so numerous that the air at night glows with glimmering radiance. Prismatic Dragons raised their young here and cavort in the air with simple bliss. The golems they create here grow larger and more powerful than those formed elsewhere, forming silent guardians benign to all with goodness in their hearts. He lived among them and partook in the Joy of his creation. The light from this new land was so radiant that at night its colors could be seen shimmering in in the sky on the nearby continent. He welcomes all who seek to live in peace to join him, so long as they abide by his simple rule: do no harm to another fellow creature with the Spark of Life within it.

Although his followers and creations please him greatly, he finds that he desires something more, but what that is, he does not know how exactly. He knows that others like him exist, but has not directly dealt with them before. He wishes to know what they are like, and if they too share in his joy of all life. To that end, he wanders the land from time to time, teaching new followers of his ways, and asking them for anything they know about the other Creators. Unfortunately for him, mortals rarely have a clear or coherent picture of the gods, and he found contradictions among them about such basic things as how many even exist.

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divine actions:
AP: 7=20- 13(total cost of actions)

-2(form organization:Radiant Ones (master of radiance prc))-2(form organization:Harriers of the Dead (consecrated harrier prc))-3(create populace:prismatic dragons, prismatic golems, and shimmerlings.)-3(create new plane: the Shining Lands [minor positive dominant, minor good dominant, divnely morphic to me, finite, otherwise as material plane])-1(shape land: form a large, thin sandbar ring offshore of the main continent)-2(create portal between Shining lands and Material plane [border of sandbar, vision clearly passes through either direction])

[Shmee]

The Moon

Centuries had past since the Lunar Advent, and the heroic sacrifice of Nedain had become a tale of legends, yet the lessons of her death forgotten, as even the Faeli had stopped tending to her grave, as her antlers, adorning the site, has become entwined amidst the leaves of the trees which surround her final resting place.

Yet, there are some, who have not forgotten. Since the catastrophe of the Lunar Advent, the Moon, reduced to a permanent crescent shape, when the Faeli hero impaled the god of Death with Moon's Tooth. For centuries, the god's blood slowly trickled down Moon's Tooth, until it became a deep red colour. When Moon's Tooth could not absorb the blood any more, it began to trickle onto the surface of the moon, and as the centuries passed, so too did the surface acquire the deep red colour.

And yet, there was still nothing alive on the Moon. For the god of Death, his defeat meant that his corpse was now but a monument to the pure destruction that the folly of a single god. The Moon itself, once alive itself, has been still for centuries, once an active world with constant earthquakes and storms as it would twist and contort it's face to prove to the world it was alive.

The only thing that had changed, was the fog. At first, it started as a fine mist, but as the centuries passed, the mist began to get thicker, until the red fog was so thick that one could barley see a few metres in front of them.

The fog soon enveloped the entire plane... except Moon's Tooth, where the god of Death still bleeds from his grizzly tomb.

Spoiler

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OOC
AP0= 3-3, Raise to DR11
Gain 2 Levels of True Necromancer
Actions Done:
Created Frehernite
Created Goblins
Got the Devestation Portfolio
Got the Destruction Domain

[BloodyAngel]

The Coming of Darkness: Part Two
Death of the Sun

"Lord! Enemies are outside our gates!" Azariel spoke, his gleaming bow in hand, "We are besieged."

Aevum stood tall atop his golden palace, his celestials and mortal followers alike rushing to repel the sudden invasion. The gates to Heliopolus were strong, and bound with divine magic. He hoped that they would stand, for he had seen enough death. He now knew that a god was most certainly behind this attack.

"Warn them but once to turn back." Aevum said with sadness in his voice, "If they refuse... we have no other choice."

With a sudden burst of energy, a being appeared beside him. A familiar face that he had seen before. They had spoken in friendship once.

"Enki. You have come at a poor time." Aevum told the sea god sternly, "This place is not safe."

"I know. I have seen this force commit horrible deeds on creation. When I felt them come here, I knew I could not watch any longer. I have come to help!" Enki told him, "I am tired of pain and suffering caused by the warring of gods. It must stop!"

Aevum was silent a moment before he nodded his head slowly.

"Very well then. Prepare yourself."

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

"The celestials are attacking, my lord!"

Elarion looked up at the gates of heaven arrayed against him. He would not fail at this... not after all his mistress had entrusted him with. His expression was intense and determined, the thought of failure now was alien to him. Keia stood by his side, seeming far more nervous and frayed. He was impressed she had lasted this long. Her devotion to him was strong. Perhaps it would even see her through what was to come.

"Route them. We do not press for the gates yet!" Elarion called to his second, as the shining bows of the angelic choir rained down upon his forces.

The searing light of the holy burned the flesh of all it touched, sending more than a few abominations to their end. As soulless creatures, no afterlife awaited them... only oblivion. Elarion knew the time was not yet right. For now, his soldiers held... returning fire upon the celestial host with their sorcery and bows alike... defending themselves from the worst of the onslaught with their magics, and the bodies of the dwarves they had enthralled along the way.

The sorcerer beside him was struck by a bolt from the angels above, falling to his knees with a cry of anguish as the holy fire surged over him. Keia looked to Elarion, who payed the man no heed as he awaited the sign to attack. Pity touched her heart, and with a murmured apology, Keia pulled her blade and gave the burning man a merciful death.

"Just wait." She whispered, seeming to seek assurance more for herself than anything, "It will all... be worth it."

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

"Such size. Such flavor it must have!" The god of hunger shrieked, looking up to the sky, "I must taste it!"

With a massive roar Darrmoon rose into the sky, his form growing as he left the face of creation. From across the land itself he could be seen... the gargantuan maw of the gluttoneous one drawing closer and closer to the sun above. For a moment, the sheer size of his form eclipsed the sun... a sight that had never before been seen by the mortal races of creation. They looked skywards in fearful anticipation, unease settling into their souls as if they knew the disaster that was about to fall over them.

Then, with a massive crunching sound that could be heard the world over... the sun was torn by great gnashing teeth. Chunks of it's radience fell from the sky as the great maw devoured it's meal... as if the sky itself was crying tears of fire. The crunching and tearing continued for less than a minute, and then... there was only darkness.

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

Aevum was confused. The attackers had reached the gates and simply ceased... and he felt no god or goddess among their numbers. Enki stood resolute by his side, but there was no press against the gates. Something more was happening here. What was more, suspicion began to build in him about the sea god's timely arrival. A nagging worry that he felt deep inside. He felt heavy, as if something horrible hung over him, ready to fall.

"Enki. I would ask you someth-" He spoke, turning to the sea god only to pause in his words as a terrible shudder fell through the air.

Aevum suddenly felt a sudden tearing pain in his chest, strong enough to send him to one knee clutching his chest. It was as if his heart had been torn from him in one brutal motion, and for a moment, he could not see. He was far from the only one.

The world went dark. Where once had burned the sun, lifegiving force or warmth and light for all living things.. .there was now nothing. The great maw of the devourer had seen to that. Millions of eyes scanned the sky in fear and disbelief as light itself was extinguished, and all that illuminated the lands was the faint glow of the broken moon.

"My lord!" Azariel exclaimed, landing beside his fallen creator and taking his arm.

"I... will endure."

Aevum's voice seeming weaker than before as the pain in his chest refused to cease. A large source of his power had been torn away. What was worse, the destruction this would cause upon the earth was unfathomable. He could not let the world die.

Focusing him mind to blot out the pain, Averum looked about. He and his celestials still shone with divine light. It would have to be enough. Taking firm grip of the hilt of his holy sword, Averum's heart sank as he took notice of what he had feared.

Enki was missing...

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

"Now!"

It was an impressive sight, the death of the sun... but Elarion was concerned with only one thing, and that was the task his lady had given him. As the world fell dark... fear and confusion spreading throughout the celestial ranks, they moved. At last, he unleashed his magic, gesturing to an angel above, who fell screaming to the earth as her flesh warped and tore of it's own valition, her wings unable to support her. She survived her fall, but not the mass of abominations who swarmed over her, plucking her skull clean with their tendrils.

There was no further waiting... The armies of the Dark Lady rushed the gates of heaven, slaying all who barred their path. The illithids did not even pause to enslave or enthrall their victims, simply giving a quick death to any being, angel or mortal who stood before them. They were without fear. The lady had been right, robbed of the great symbol of their lord's power, they were feeling the same weakness that he was. They were far from slain, but they were diminished. Elarion's forces had a chance.

From inside the gates of heaven, doughy bands of loyal mortals held fast... praying to the lifegiver for strength as the attackers surged against the gate. It would take them time to breach it, they hoped. Time enough for the celestials to recover.

It was not to be. From inside their own walls, a band of dwarves moved, as if to reinforce the gate itself. Harried as the defenders were, none took note of how calmly they acted despite the death of the sun, or of the eerie way that they all moved as one, as if they all shared but one mind. No, they were not aware of the tsochar-possessed dwarves until they pulled their blades and maces and attacked the gate's defenders unaware. Even outnumbered, the sheer surprise of their attack was enough, as the guardians of the gate of heaven fell in a brutal and bloody melee against some of their own who seemed to feel no fear or pain. The gates were opened from the inside by the survivors... as the attackers rushed in. Great Heliopolus turned from a holy place, into a battlefield.

[planswalker]

Solaron: The Shining Lands
As the entire world grew dark, the Shining lands remained a glowing beacon of light, though one of dim twilight compared to the Radiance that Was. With the Shining One present among them, those living in the Shining Lands still had his light, but this is only twilight compared to what Was, a dim glow of twilight amidst the total darkness of the world.

Solaron watched in first curiosity, then confusion, then fear as the horrid maw ate his birthing place. He knew at once that the being he saw had powers like unto himself, but at the same time nothing like himself. Whereas the Shining One was a gentle creator, this being appeared to do nothing but destroy. Such a thought shocked him to his core, but he did not turn to hatred, but sorrow. He mourned the loss without harboring resentment at the one who did this. Such things were still alien to him. He did not understand the concept of revenge yet.

However, as the Sun died, he felt a new life emerge at its death throes. A new being, one who shared his birthplace and essence, yet one who was opposite in power from himself. While he was a beacon of light with little heat, he sensed that this new presence was born of the intense Heat that Was, one of fire and passion, one who would Do. The thought of this new life born even as the Sun died filled Solaron with comfort. Darkness may have overcome for now, but Light, Life, Fire, and Passion would rise again. And when they do, the Darkness would be diminished.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Mountains of Despair

As the Goblins began to spread through the mountains of Despair, they began to notice strange edifices that jutted up from the ground, odd hills that had openings at the top that seemed to go down forever, and as the goblins dug deep into the earth they could dimly hear scuffling, as if made by digging or movement far deeper into the lands of Despair. Eventually, as they became more and more prevalent they began to notice strange creatures that would occassionally emerge from the huge hills carrying strange white things out of the holes and various objects and foodstuffs down into the massive hill, and if the creatures noticed them they gave no indication. What's more, they would find strange structures built in high places around concentrations of plant life, though as of yet nothing had come from these.

[LordMika]

The Coming of Darkness: Part Two
Death of the Sun

Then, with a massive crunching sound that could be heard the world over... the sun was torn by great gnashing teeth. Chunks of it's radience fell from the sky as the great maw devoured it's meal... as if the sky itself was crying tears of fire. The crunching and tearing continued for less than a minute, and then... there was only darkness.........

And Darkness Smiled.

[Shmee]

The Goblin Empire

Word had reached the Senate about the weird mounds being sited in certain parts of the Empire. The Goblins were worried. Besides the constant civil wars, the Living Dead trying to eat them and the Gnomes threatening to bring their cities to the mountains, the last thing they needed was a new threat.

But first, they would have to determine the intention of these weird creatures. And so it was decided to send a parley party to determine their intentions. Unfortunately, no one was brave, or stupid enough to accept, and so they plucked out a prisoner from their dungeons and gave him the title of Chief Negotiator.

A while later, as the Formians were minding their own buisness, they hear a weird noise, as they see the Chief Negotiator, tied and gagged, rolling down a cliff towards them, as the Goblins who "escorted" him, seeing that they had done their duty, ran away.

And then... the lights went out...

The Moon

Perpetual darkness enshrouded the Moon, as the Battle of Heaven raged on. The death of the sun threatened to usher an age of darkness and cold which threatened the land as never before... or did it?

How ironic that the Moon, once the portent of doom, destruction and of the end to come was the only thing remaining in the skies that emitted some form of light. The mortals had all but forgotten... the gods had also forgotten.

As the sun was eaten, its death sent shock waves, invisible and untraceable but to the person who was attuned to it. For centuries, mortals and gods fought amongst each other, each death washing over the moon... washing over Moon's Tooth... and washing over the dead god.

All of a sudden, for the first time in centuries, massive earthquakes began to erupt all across the Moon, as the wind began to blow at gale force. In but a moment, the Moon once again sprung to life, having recovered from the events of the Lunar Advent, as it opened its eye to gaze upon the world, and let out a sinister leer, as the mortals watched the profile face of the 'Man on the Moon" awaken.

The winds and earthquakes had died down on the surface of the Moon, but the red fog, as if in response to the Moon's awakening, had begun to rotate violently, as flashes of thunder erupted all over the place. It was almost as if the fog had become sentient, as it began to gather itself into a single point high above in the Moon's sky.. and all of a sudden, letting out a growl, the fog slams itself onto the surface, as a light momentarily shines from within it, then fades.

Then all was silent again. The thick fog, once again covering the entire Moon was now nothing more than a fine mist. However, a silhouette could be seen, floating just a few inches above the surface. The creature, was just as insubstantial as the mist that surrounded it. The creature was dressed impeccably, almost as some of the mortal lords dress on the Material plane, yet it had no legs, instead its form would simply fade waist-down. The creature's face had a faded light red colour, and was dominated by a toothy grin.

The creature glances at its hand and produces an incorporeal top hat, and proceeds to place it on its head, thus covering its massive set of horns. Then turning its gaze towards Moon's Tooth, it looks at the lifeless body impaled upon it.

"Bah! Being dead is such an inconvenience..."

Growls the ghostly form of the god of Death.

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2=5-3, Create Avatar

[Selinia]

The Celestial Observatory

Something Awful was about to happen.

Klashanna was jolted out of her studies (some small part of her mind ruefully considering that something like this seemed to happen every time she took a little bit of "me-time") by this premonition.

It is difficult to say how she knew this - perhaps it is something that comes with being a goddess - but she couldn't possibly be more certain. The question was... what? She hastened to the observation room, but soon found it wasn't necessary - she could see just fine from her window.

There is a level of horror that is impossible to convey with mere words - how does one capture a thought the size of a planet? The years of agony and starvation, the slow freezing of the seas, the suffering, the collapse of cities... everything that you have spent you existence building crashing down around you to the cadence of a mocking laugh? It is said that nothing is more frightening than the unknown.

Those who say it have never, truly, Known, else they would have swallowed their words.

As she watched the... thing... devour the world's energy source, a tiny flicker began to burn brighter in the back of her mind. I have said before that it is not the way of inventors to remain stymied for long - let alone their goddess. There is always that niggling voice saying "You can fix this!"

Sometimes its even right about it.

Slowly... too slowly!... a plan began to take form in her mind. But first, there was something that needed tending to - the more she thought about it, the more she realized that what she had seen was technically impossible - the Sun wasn't an ordinary star - it didn't function like her observatory's Spark. It was, for lack of a better term, Divine. Things like that don't just get eaten - they leave something behind, even if its just a pale image. Resolute, she set out to find what she was sure was out there somewhere...

Hoffnung, Progress

"This occasion should be a joyous one. For as long as we have existed, Collaboration has been a time of triumph. Of hope. Here, barely a year ago, the first steam engine changed the world."

"None of you could have missed what has happened by now. The astronomers may argue about the hows and whys - they likely always will - but the fact remains that for seventy-two hours the sun has been in a state of non-existence. The world has gone dark. Our young species is facing the greatest threat of its brief existence."

"I have spoken to this congregation hundreds of times - giving congratulations and thanks. I have spoken as your Queen... as your parent even. Now I speak to you as a fellow saerite only."

"Gathered here are the best, the brightest, most incredible minds of our time. Gathered here is the wealth and united strength of the Five Nations. Spare no expense, stop at nothing, do whatever you must to fulfill this one... simple... request."

"Save our people. Save Progress."

~Speech given by Queen Serra of Coona, shortly after the beginning of the time of darkness.

Grimm, Progress

"Bollocks."

There was nothing readily apparent that could have caused this exceedingly dull outburst from the grizzled saerite at the kitchen table. However, he was reading the newspaper. Anyone who knew Seamus Ashcroft knew that newspapers and "Bollocks." went together like bacon and eggs.

Perhaps following this line of reasoning, a somewhat louder proclamation of, "Girl! Breakfast! Where?", accompanied by a thumping of a heavy iron walking stick. As if on queue, a young girl barreled through the door supporting what appeared to be several times her weight in firewood, almost tipping over as she kicked the door closed with a hind leg.

"Almost ready Mr. Ashcroft! Firewood is getting harder to get every day! And bacon tastes awful raw, and eggs raw are unhealthy!" She spoke in a manner that demanded exclamation mark for the most mundane sentences. "Do you think its really going to keep getting colder, Mr. Ashcroft? I heard the Deeprun clique talking about expanding the mines, on account of it being warmer down there!"

"Breakfast! Now!"

This line was repeated half a dozen times over the course of the next few minutes - both participants knew their place in the conversation, and it was one that had taken place, with variations, every day for the last six months. Normally Seamus would not consider taking a rotation of his clique's children, but after years of being browbeaten with how this one was a genius, he had had to see for himself.

Seamus was the sort of man that made Valla tick - a practical man, with a practical job. In his case, physics. Not the high-fa-looting physics you'd see in the universities of those air-headed midgarians, but the practical questions of how to make things work. Absently, he re-wound his watch.

Watches were important now - loosing track of time had become all too easy in the three weeks since the Darkness. It perhaps said something about the populace of Grimm that life had gone on more-or less as usual, but with more watches. At some point, the eggheads will figure it out - the latest scoff-inducing story in the newspaper had been about a Pulse clique that claimed that they could cage lightning - the things that see print these days...

"Breakfast!" - which seemed to consist of hastily cooked eggs and rather burnt bacon - was served quickly. He had to give her credit - whatever else might be said about her, Asuka Ashcroft (like all saerite children, taking the name of her foster clique) was enthusiastic. He had hardly set down the paper before she had begun to read.

"Well, what do you think girl? Are they pulling our legs?" He was honestly curious to know what the bright young child thought of the story.

"Perhaps..." her face was all exaggerated seriousness "... but I doubt it. I mean, its possible in theory, just not practical. Steam can be harnessed and generated, but lightning? You don't see it outside of storms and... magnets..."

A slightly dreamy look came over her face, "Ummm... today's my day off for the week right? Can I borrow some of your books on magnetism? I need to check something. Thanks!", it takes a peculiar mindset to take a split-second silence as permission, but it is one apparently possessed by mortal children across the cosmos. Shaking his head, Seamus left for work, picking up the latest newspaper on his way.

"And would you look at this? As if the Queens would ever meet again in person..."

"Bollocks."

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And my big response to the sun-snuffing is... at least half taken up by a slice of life story? Wha?
OOC: AP : 7 (4 + 3 (rollover))
EDITED to remove a stupid plot element made irrelevant by our new Light deity.

[Rizban]

Minrhet, The Shining Lands

As Solaron's sorrow grew, Minrhet's anger blossomed.
Walking up behind Solaron, he places a hand on Solaron's shoulder.

"Brother."

[planswalker]

Solaron and Minrhet, The Shining Lands
The pebble-sized ball of light breaks itself from its sorrows long enough to notice this new presence in the Shining Lands. What is this thing standing before him? He knows instinctively that this being is like him and the sun-eater, yet not like the sun eater. He is more like the Shining one than that ravenous destroyer. He called me "Brother", and he is right. This is the presence that he felt when the sun died. "Brother? Yes, we are. Born from the same source, no more than a decade apart. Inconsequential timespans to us. 'Twins' even. You know that the source of our life is gone. Yet I feel that you and i are also different. I am sad about this, yet you feel something else about this. Anger is the word, i believe. Why?"

[Rizban]

Solaron and Minrhet, The Shining Lands

"It is justified, a righteous fury against that which would destroy our birthplace and eventually us as well, that which would consume and destroy all things. Together, we will survive this horror and emerge stronger for it."

[Goglas]

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OOC:
Rollover: 14 + 2 = 16
I rushed this scene so Selinia could move on with the ship, as I've already held it off for a few days, and would probably be unavailable for the next few.
This is before the darkness fell, at Selinia's request.

The Saerite Fleet, East of Progress

The Sea Drake eyed the Admiral for a few tense moments, then slowly opened his jaw. "You have quite a lot to say, little Saerite, for one who is-"
That last word trailed off the dragon's tongue as it felt a strong wave of energy move across the water. Something was wrong. The master of all things that are in the water has abandoned his realm, for the very first time.

The Drake growled and looked at the Admiral. "Sail north until you reach Valla, then make for the east, if you do not wish to pay for passage in my waters.
And don't land at night. There are things happening on Hope which are better left unseen."

The dragon lowered its head and disappeared beneath the water.

[planswalker]

Solaron and Minrhet, The Shining Lands

"I know that you are right. We must heal the hurts that have been caused. Not just to us, but to everyone Born of the Light. We need to rebuild and make the world stronger than it was before. You are my brother and I know that we together will bring about New Light into the world."

[Rizban]

Solaron and Minrhet, The Shining Lands

"Agreed. Let us begin. What would you have me do first, my brother?"

[planswalker]

"It will take us time to build a new sun. But the mortals on this world cannot wait that long for a new Light and a new Warmth, they must have comfort now. We also need to find others like us, those who will Create, ones who can help us. I shall go forth and seek out those who could help us restore Joy to the lands."

"I can sense that you are different from me. You burn with the heat of passion. You can inspire mortal minds and warm their hearts. You are also a being of action and planning. I charge you to give the land a source of Warmth to last them through this time of Cold. Stir in them a Passion to see this world made bright once more, and ready them to do what they need to in order to bring back Joy. I entrust you to do this as you see fit. Together we shall unify the Creators of Light and inspire the mortals' minds and light a passion in their hearts. "

"I shall also send out my followers to defend the peoples and ready the world for this day. I shall send forth my Dragons as beacons of light, teaching the people to Hope for the New Dawn which shall come. With them i shall send the golems to protect the people from the Nightmares of the Dark. My messengers, the shimmerlings shall spread forth and whisper my words of hope into every land. My mortal disciples shall be sent back to their people to teach them my ways, and to share with them the Joy of Hope which shall be with them, even in this Blackest Night. we will become a symbol of hope to them."

With these words, Solaron began a change in his paradise. He sent forth his dragons to go to all the cities of all the peoples and show them that color and light were not gone from the world, even with the Sun gone. He charged his golems to go forth and protect all creatures from the soulless, whether dark undead or twisted abomination. The shimmerlings went forth into the world and whispered his message of hope. His Radiant Ones were sent back to the people to show them a precursor of the Light of the New Dawn. He sent forth the Harriers of the Dead to keep the undead from exploiting this time to overwhelm the people. He took the fabric of his Shining Lands, and increased their glow until the land itself shone as midday. Thus was there a refuge from the Dark, if not the Cold, of the World without Sun and a message of hope for those who feared the dark.

And then he did something new. He took on a form other than that of his parent. He took on the shape and color of one of his Dragons. He gave himself a form which could inspire Hope to the People. He grew his form from the size of a pebble to that of a mountain. Then he went forth on his new-found wings and sought out others like him.

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Formians, Mountains of Despair

The Formian workers notice the struggling goblin, their eyes accustomed to darkness and not being the strongest of their senses, they pick up the goblin. They carry the Chief Negotiator into their great hill, down down down into The Colony. If the Goblin can see he notices he is in a huge network of tunnels, Formians busily go to and fro, smaller worker Formians as he has seen, and huge bulky Soldier Formians with massive heads and pincers, with poison stingers like small swords and thick-built bodies.

The Goblin is carried for hours through similar tunnels, briefly noticing Frehernite being carried by certain workers, always through different tunnels, always in one direction. Eventually the Chief Negotiator is taken to a massive chamber that has obviously been excavated and expanded upon for many years. Formians crawl all about the huge chamber working on various buildings, moving materials here and there. Attached to the ceiling and walls are huge honeycombs from which strange humanoids of black and yellow stripes emerge and fly around, they bear some resemblance to the Formians, but also many differences as well.

Finally, the greatest sight in all the cavern is revealed to the Chief Negotiator, a massive bloated Formian with far too many legs, the creature is insanely large, it's numerous legs each of which is taller than four goblins put together, do not seem like they should be capable of lifting the creature up and moving it about. As the Chief Negotiator is released from his bonds, he stands before the Many Legged Goddess Herself. The huge Goddess has her full attention on the goblin, and begins to speak. "Mi mód -ból teremtés van ön?"

[Rizban]

Minrhet, The Shining Lands

He raises up on hind legs, taking the form of a terrible dragon glowing red from its internal fires. He stands only twelve feet high when, and his body looks thin and frail for a dragon. He quickly wraps himself in a spiraling cloud of dust and sand, which then forms into loose flowing robes covering most of his body, a small turban sitting atop his head.

"Spread heat." Yes, that is very specific. Thank you, oh illuminated brother... Minrhet contemplates for a moment, then decides on the simplest course of action. Tilting his head towards the sky, he breathes fire long and hard.

Fire falls across the world randomly, spreading heat. It falls too little in some places, affecting nothing, too much in others, causing destruction, and just the right amount in others, beneficially warming the population.

He then curls up and takes a nap, his warmth suffusing the Shining Lands and seeping out into the world beyond.

Spoiler

Show

14AP =
20AP (starting AP)
- 1 (Nourish Population: Random Group 1)
- 1 (Nourish Population: Random Group 2)
- 1 (Nourish Population: Random Group 3)
- 1 (Pestilence: Random Group 4)
- 1 (Pestilence: Random Group 5)
- 1 (Pestilence: Random Group 6)

[Shmee]

The Formian Lair

The Goblin Chief Negotiator is untied, and is spoken to by the goddess standing in front of him. Normally, the Goblin would have just panicked and run away. Instead it was so fearful of what might happen to it, that it remained frozen on the spot, as the goddess talked to him.

"Do not see the accused?" At least... that is how the Goblin understood the goddess.

Not really understanding what is going on, the Chief Negotiator decides that the best way to get out of this mess is to bluff his way out.

"During the negotiations, I decided to adult! As the benefits and privileges granted by the Senate album, Empire! Thousands of anti-riot troops prepared a warning shot at my team! You know, the best place!"
I am the Great Chief Negotiator! Given Honour and privileges by the Senate of the Great Goblin Empire! I warn you, hidden are a thousand of elite troopers ready to pounce at my command! You better know your place!

The Faeli Lands

In the pitch darkness of the eternal night, a lone figure could be seen visiting the abandoned tomb of Nedain, the Great Faeli hero. The figure, while still smiling, seemed visibly upset at the condition of the tomb of his greatest rival.

The god of Death looked at Nedain's antler's and ran his incorporeal hand through them, remembering the desperate battle she had fought to save her people, and all living mortals. Then looking at the sunless sky, he gives a sigh

"Well... here I am Nedain... and there you are... you mortals are such fickle things... for you, centuries have passed since we last met, yet to me, it seemed as if only a moment passed since you impaled me... and yet... unlike you, the shackles of the grave cannot hold one such as myself."

The god of Death continues to speak to Nedain's grave

"Look at the sky Nedain... and see what they have done. Others have stepped in my place. Where are the gods whom you worshipped now? Were are your allies? Where are you, Nedain? All of them... gone and dead... and yet... I am still here, and I am still seething with hatred. Hatred for you mortals... and hatred for the Creators who would dare imitate me... oh yes... now that I have returned... there will be hell to pay."

"I shall start off with your precious Faeli, the very people who wished to defend. Do not think that it is beyond me to raise yet another army of the Living Dead and have the finish off your people. Imagine... the pure horror as they see their great hero Nedain, returned as a vengeful spirit, and leading the dead against her own people. Tempting as it is... I shall not do so. No... unlike the other Creators, I have learned my lessons from the past... no... it shall be the Faeli who shall destroy the Faeli..."

The god of Death tips his hat towards the grave, in a sign of grudging respect towards his fallen foe

"Farewell Nedain... where ever you are. I hope that you shall be watching the horrors that I shall unleash. Do not curse me Nedain... for you had done well and killed me... no... curse the ones who allowed my return."

The ghostly figure begins to disappear, cackling until only his voice is heard

"Let us see, if a new hero shall rise and save the day once more..."

[Lord_Asmodeus]

Formian Colony, Many Legged Goddess

The bloated Formian queen sits a moment and listens to the goblins speech, and then merely waits as she interprets what she heard, as it made little sense on it's own. When the queen felt she understood, she responded. "Én egy vagyok istennő , és gyermekeim lakik -ban számtalan számok alatt a teljesség ebből szárazföld. Ön és én -a Birodalom nem tud megfélemlít én."