The Ultimate Conflict (Of Havens and Empires) IC

[Realms of Chaos]

By the end of the first hour, the addition of the roots has increased the volume of the planet by 50% with nothing below the roots and vines visible and its clear hat the rate is only speeding up.

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(1d100)[78]
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How it works: Each hour, I'm going to be telling what what's going on and you guys are free to either react or let things happen as they will.

Within that first hour, scrying sensors are starting to appear beyond the barrier of the Weirdstones. More and more amass outside of the barrier, watching you and your efforts and looking down on the worldroot. A few bodies, slain by the symbols of death, fall down to the surface after doomed teleportation and your troops find and destroy a few smaller constructs that got past the wards.

[Emperor Ing]

Ugh, that's just morbid. the Prince comments. At this point he is genuinely wondering whether or not Nerull is just causing bodies to fall from the sky as a warning. He's also feeling a bit redundant since all he's really doing is flying around and seeing the ground get replaced with roots, long since past the part where he's surprised at how quickly it's going. Just out of curiosity, the Prince flies in closer to get a good look at the bodies and hopefully discern an origin.

[Ridai]

Keeping an eye out for intruders, Rahja tries to speak to the scryers, trying to convince them to not do anything and stay away from the planet for their own good. Briefly, she also tries to communicate with the worldroot itself, trying to see if she can get it to cooperate with her.

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Checks here so that Realms doesn't miss the take 10s. [roll ]1d20+bla[/roll]

Take 10 on Diplomacy to sway the onlookers to stay away (tongues in effect)

Take 10 on Diplomacy when talking to the worldroot via speak with plants

[MikelaC1]

CELESTICA

Celestica spreads out her awareness of the world, trying to sense if she can feel the fruits growing, and where they are so she can direct Rahja to the nearest point with the sphere.

[Starsign]

Usabhar watches with his unit as those which try to get to the root are quickly and swiftly taken down by Nerull's symbols. It is unfortunate to the dwarf at how one will blindly rush for something they want, not need. For a moment he internally ponders how needless material items is what spawns greed. He imparts such knowledge to who he can when time is plenty compared to now. It generally never works and for that Usabhar pities them even when he never shows it.

So for now he waits with his unit, monitoring the frontlines and the scrying symbols carefully. He takes note of the scrying symbols and tries to figure out any intentions with them, moving and coordinating his unit in response. Whether they are simply there to watch or to actually look and plan out strategies from an advantageous situation, Usabhar wants to find out.

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Sense Motive to see if he can figure out a way of countering the reason why the scrying symbols are placed around the field. (1d20+53)[55]

With the Nightwings, Nasiri and Zurkar find themselves quickly and easily targeting and removing smaller threats that try to pass by. In a way, the couatl finds it relaxing despite the situation. She casually twists and spins herself in the air as she responds to Zurkar's comment. "Not quite used to this kind of death?" Her casual rhetorical question is a sign of how used Nasiri is to displays and powers of gods that can easily whisk the life of mortals away. As Zurkar inspects the bodies, Nasiri checks them alongside to sense their alignment and morality prior to their deaths.

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Nasiri has Detect Evil, Good, Law, Chaos, and Detect Thoughts she'd like to use on some of the falling bodies if she can get anything of note out of them.

[Emperor Ing]

No, not really. I should be, but...I can't imagine anyone getting used to it to be honest. And the loss of potential allies or resources may be incalculable!

[Realms of Chaos]

Scanning the falling bodies with divination, there is little indication of any final thoughts (having faded with death) but alignments running the full array have been detected. Apparently, a good many people of all sorts of ideologies believe that they need or deserve the plant for some reason or another.

As far as Usabhar can ascertain, it seems that the sensors are unlikely to be coordinated in any real sense. Rather, Solterra has just gained multiversal significance and that countless mages, after failing to teleport to Solterra or even scry its surface, are instead trying to see what is happening from a safe distance before doing anything.

Rahja, meanwhile, is doing an adequate job of stopping even that. Speaking out to the hordes of observers, thousands of sensors blink out of existence, clearing entire miles of sky, with each and every of her impassioned arguments and pleas to he observers. The multiverse is a big, place, however, and new sensors are constantly appearing, though Rahja still seems capable of breaking even for the moment. Her talks with the world root, however, are relatively calm and easy. The world root is surprisingly calm and seems neither aware of nor concerned by its size or rate of growth. While it is capable of seeing all around it, moving or controlling its growth seem unlikely.

Reaching down into the world, Celestica can feel at least one fruit beginning to slowly take shape about 7000 miles down in the center, pushing the surrounding earth away from it like a tumor and causing the world to shake. It takes another hour for the fruit to fully take form, a huge and lopsided mass around 160 feet in diameter.

During this second hour, the already enlarged planet fully doubles in size, now 14,000 miles in radius and looking from afar like a gigantic tangle of roots and vines with none of the surface still visible. If the growth continues at this rate, the planet will reach 369,816,065,867,685,900,000 miles (over 35,000,000 light years) in radius by the time the obelisk (already fully concealed) explodes.

While the foolish and recently informed continued doomed attempts to claim the root themselves, two more immediate problems emerge by the end of the second hour. First of all, the increasing size of the planet is pushing the weirdstones further apart (though the planet remains protected for the moment. Secondly, a single exploratory tendril is slowly reaching up towards the nearest planet.

[MikelaC1]

CELESTICA

Celestica quickly relays the location of the newly forming fruit to Rahja. Meanwhile, she combs her memory of working with plants in Crystalia, many times the elves encouraged plants to devote their growing energies towards producing seeds instead of new upper growth and she tries to remember how they did it. She calls to her soul mate, maybe she knows even more about the natural order of plants.

(1d20+9)[14] Know: Nature

OOC: I know there is a way to prune plants to make them grow fruit instead of leaves, by tricking them into thinking they are dying. Thats what Celestica is trying to recall.

[Ridai]

This is escalating too quickly. With her newfound knowledge, Rahja calls to the gods, namely Ehlonna and Obad-Hai, to prevent the worldroot from growing bigger and start to grow more fruit. Still, regardless of the outcome, another measure is needed. Teleporting next to Zurkar, she quietly tells him

"Zurkar, can you produce Wish effects? I need the effect of my strongest song to be changed from perfect offense to perfect strength of will. I am going to awaken the root and talk it into believing it is dying so it starts to focus on the fruit, not growing outwards."

Once Zurkar casts the effect, Rahja dances through the air in her most difficult of performances, drawing onto the gods another time to awaken the entire worldroot, weathering the mental backlash with her song's changed power.

Once the worldroot has a mind of it's own, Rahja speaks to it, slowly, steadily, impossible to ignore, telling it that it is dying, that soon it will be dead, no matter how big it would get, that it needs to preserve itself through it's fruit, the stronger they are the higher the chance of avoiding it's fate at least to some degree.

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Miracle for the first effect.

Miracle for the awaken together with the Zurkar-changed Live the Legend for an autosave.

Diplomacy take 10 for the plant brainwashing into stopping its growth and focusing on the fruit. Performance in effect, so 3d20 that get taken 10, for a total of 167, I believe.

[Emperor Ing]

Zurkar jumps back in surprise, not really used to having people teleport that close to him. He's even more than a little unaccustomed to people being so direct on their telling him what to do. Uhh...sure. He looks away nervously, never really having used his technomancy for something like this before. He makes some quick mental calculations. It's a song with a magical effect.

From there the white grid of magical energy takes hold, the parralel and perpendicular lines moving with a rather organic fluidity, moving with purpose around the Aasimar. It's a simple matter, really. The magic is intended to drive a certain response from its listener. All it takes is a few very key, very precise adjustments to the arcane energy to produce the desired outcome. In retrospect it's a very good thing Rahja was forward with her intentions on casting Awaken, otherwise the Gatekeeper wouldn't have such a clear idea of what he was doing. Just one nudge of that arcanodynamic flow, and done.

Okay got it. He says, the energy remaining around Rahja until she does what she intends. The Prince seems more than a little pleased with his work. However truth be told he may have had to rely on the help of a deity for this to work.

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Using Wondercraft to produce a scroll of Miracle which is used to change Live the Legend's effects just once so the nat 20 on the attack roll is now a nat 20 on saves.

[Starsign]

Usabhar grimaces as he notices the world root growing beyond the degree that it could be controlled. He generally expects the worst in situations and this is no exception. What they were trying to protect now threatens so many planets and worlds, not excepting themselves for that matter. That plant would need to be halted and slowed to a controllable rate. As incredible as it is, the root is still just a plant. It should still need protein and sugar to fight off dehydration and frost. Without that, the plant would be susceptible, if not outright in danger of being frozen and held in time. None of that exists where he is now however. He notices Nasiri scrambling around, now a bit helpless and unable to assist.

He booms out his voice to her. "Nasiri!" With a bit of a fidget, she responds by looking out towards the dwarf who is powered by the energy and beliefs of their god. Usabhar orders out to her in somewhat cryptic messages, ones she easily can understand. "To the arctic lands of ill life you go! Bring it's secret and grasp of death to us!" With that, an icy cage surrounds Nasiri and as it shatters, she disappears.

Afterward, Usabhar looks to the plant that has outgrown the planet. He will do what he can to halt it's growth. With a moment of focus, he brings out a draconic roar from his body and that of the avatar represented. In it's call, the sudden creation of two dragons is witnessed. An incorporeal, ancient true silver dragon comes to form from Usabhar and another follows right after it. One of the incorporeal dragons dash, dive, and slam into the growing plant, using it's powers to hold it back from growing. The other flies to rescue and protect those at risk of being overwhelmed by the plant. Quickly however, they disappear, only to be reformed by Usabhar once more to keep going. The dwarf's actions gave the message to all that he is trying to slow the growth while the others do something else about it.

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Using Dragon Overlord's Draconic Fury power to summon dragons and use them to hold off the growth of the roots and to save others who may be in danger. Also sent Nasiri to Kulomen to help bring back useful info. Usabhar's staff he got from the giants lets them speak to him potentially through Nasiri, I think.

After what felt like frostbite had riddled her body, Nasiri finds herself in the familiar territory of Kulomen, in front of the great frost giant fortress of Il'Kanaen. "Delegated to an errand girl," she mutters bitterly to herself. She saw herself now as someone too weak to be of equal help to her lord. For that, her orders have lessened importance. She simply shakes her head, knowing she still has some purpose at least. As well-known as Usabhar's aide, Nasiri enters the fortress to discuss with the shamans, and possibly the chieftain, about the root and plants. If she wants to find anything, it will be the idea of how to wither and weaken the energies of plants and how it can be applied to the world root.

[Realms of Chaos]

Celestica does indeed know that particular trick with plants, though applying it on this scale to the root would require a rather large bit of destruction upon the surface of the planet. Down below, Celestica can feel the formation of at least two more fruits as Rahja works her own magic. Additionally, a small chair of vines literally rises up under Celestica to support her, quickly surrounded with a veritable castle of root.

After a quick spell from Zurkar seems to click something within Rahja's head, she finds herself more than capable of forcing sentience upon the root. A mind neither malignant nor benevolent is infused into the endless network of roots and vines, connecting and intertwining nearly as the neurons of a humanoid brain. The first miracle Rahja casts, acting as plant growth (productivity) over a tremendous area, seems to function well over the area.

Dealing with the root (treat at a titanic shambling mound), however, that miracle may have well been unnecessary. The world root, with its dim intelligence, knows that she is the one who had granted it intellect and Rahja can feel gratitude nearly oozing in every inflection. It even remembers Rahja's earlier attempts at communication, the first time it can recall anyone or anything reaching out to speak with it. Despite gaining knowledge of the common tongue, the root continues to speak through plant-like means discernible only through magic, apparently scared of how loud its voice may be. Looking down at the root, Rahja can tell (in part through uncanny intuition and in part through your zen spheres) that the root is troubled by its own growth, unable to consciously control it but now finally able to move. The root unburies the few troops to have been lost in the vines. From the way it acts, the root seems to consider both Rahja (who had awakened it) and Celestica (who had bonded to the land that it was now a part of) as something between friends, leaders, and parents.

Considering its admiration and trust of Rahja, the root seems to accept her assertion of its death without second thought or need of proof as if unable to consider her as guilty of deception. Even so, the simple root seems (understandably) saddened about the news of its demise, abruptly ceasing attempts at communication as it absorbs the news and its growth instinctively slows.

Usabhar's attacks manage to create a crater within the (now-sentient) plant, though it doesn't fight back and likely appears relatively small when viewed from afar. Nasiri does a bit better, reaching the frost giant shamans who are quite curious as to how everything is going.

[Emperor Ing]

...huh. The Prince remarks, realizing that it worked as intended, the root moving in ways it ordinarily wouldn't work. However its growth doesn't seem to have stopped.

Regardless, something about this whole thing touches the dragon's newfound empathy. Hey uhh...Rahja. I just realizing something. He looks down on the root with a mote of pity. I'm starting to have second thoughts about this whole thing. I mean, I know how Awaken works. And I just don't think it's fair to kill it. It's hard to explain but...how would you feel if you were just born, self aware, intelligent, and told immediately that you must die? I mean, what did it ever do? Who are we to pass judgment on it when its only crime was to be under a spell-effect it did not choose to be put under? Don't get me wrong, i'm not doubting that we did the right thing, but...I dunno. Under these new circumstances, surely there's got to be another way. Maybe...I dunno. You can convince it to stop growing and ask it to just...give us its fruit? It'd solve one of our problems.

[Ridai]

Rahja looks shocked, distraught as she listens to and feels the root's emotions. Looking to Zurkar, the dragon can easily tell that she shares his empathy for it, perhaps even more strongly. "It can't control it's own growth, not consciously. It is troubled by it's own growth," she says, Celestica able to hear her. The revelation of its helplessness, of its emotions towards itself, the fact that they don't have a place where it could be in safety without others taking from it and possibly creating new disasters. All those things are heartwrenching to Rahja, flooding her mind with intense guilt. Her further words are also transmitted to Celestica.

"I... I am going to try and make it able to control itself fully. I doubt that we can preserve its entire body, people would take from it and misuse it, someone will screw up or intentionally plant another worldroot that will grow uncontrollably. We need a place where we can bring a small part of it, containing its consciousness, where it can live in peace, undisturbed, safe. I awakened it, I am responsible for it. I'll do what I can in the meantime."

The healer gives Celestica's position to Zurkar. From one moment to the next, Rahja disappears, reappearing next to Celestica in the fort of roots. Putting an arm around her shoulders, Rahja shares her insights into the worldroot's thoughts, emotions and words with her soul mate. In the darkness of the place, the aasimar begins to sing to the root, a sad, yet comforting song, telling the root that Celestica and Rahja are by its side. At the song's conclusion, Rahja softly begins to start another for the root, trying to make it fully aware of its body and what it does. Living beings cannot control their growth, not normally. But perhaps the root can, if given the conscious link to a subconscious feature of its body. It is a mindbending task, trying to do what normally is impossible, approaching enlightenment reserved for very few people, if any.

Through meditative processes, hypnotization, making the root aware of itself beyond its conscious level, Rahja nevertheless tries to make it able to control its own growth.

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Weave Emotions on Rahja and the root. The effect she is going for is Joy, although refluffed as serenity, to cancel out sadness. Next, Weave Feelings (optimism) on both Rahja and the root.

Perform to soothe the root and make it communicate with Rahja again (3d20+147)[9][6][18](180)

Diplomacy (really not sure what to roll here) to coax the root's mind into being able to control itself fully
(3d20+147)[1][9][19](176)
(3d20+147)[13][10][15](185)
(3d20+147)[14][1][10](172)

[MikelaC1]

CELESTICA

Celestica can feel the angst of both her soul mate and Zurkar, and it mixes with her own. When the plant was just a plant, blowing it up after harvesting its fruit would have been easy, but now it is more than that. It has become like her trees of Crystalia, infused with sentience. She lets Rahja know of the location of now 3 fruits for the Sidereals, but otherwise lets the aasimar work with the root, just being there as support for her, and support for the root.

Where did the root live before? I mean, it didnt just spring into existence, did it? Could we not take a portion of it back there?

[Starsign]

As it comes to mind to Usabhar that the plant has achieved sentience, Usabhar halts his call of dragons to stop the root. While not in the mood to speak, Usabhar agreed with the others that actively trying to destroy this plant wouldn't be a fair judgement to give it. It now lives and, in a way speaks like a being can. Even as powerful as Usabhar is, he isn't in a place to decide what may live or die for something that is simply trying to live and survive. All he can do for the plant however is to cease fighting it and let Rahja be to her duties for the plant.

Instead then of attacking, Usabhar helps order and direct the rest of the army to safety, away from the root's tendrils and vines. He makes sure that they stay organized and in position for outer threats that may still come while focusing on the survival of the army as a whole. For the more risky rescues, Usabhar calls his incorporeal dragons to either intercept and block the vines with their forms or to snatch and move away those who may be in danger.

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Diplomacy as to organize and protect the entire group. Take 10 for 62. Using Draconic Fury to help protect the group

Nasiri meanwhile finds herself able to relax as she reaches the shamans. Being on familiar territory, whether she likes it or not is something that she realizes is a lot better for her than to be in unknown space. With her gentle, casual tone, she speaks to the frost giants. "Pardon my intrusion if it has come off as such. My lord is busy so I am in his place to ask something regarding the root." Her mention of Usabhar as "my lord," is a slip of her tongue as a hint to what Usabhar really is. However in respect for him, she wouldn't refer to the dwarf in any other way. "We look for ways that the root might be slowed down. Every plant has chemicals to protect itself against the frost, correct? I recall you have been learning how to supercharge such chemicals so that they may survive even in Kulomen. Might you please know of a way to achieve the opposite to slow down it's growth?" She makes no mention that the plant has already achieved planet-wide status. If there's a way to slow down a plant's growth, it can be expanded across a world-wide distance with what is already available over Solterra.

[Realms of Chaos]

A human brain operates through billions and billions of interconnections between tremendous numbers of neurons, a weaving pattern encoding all that we are and that few can truly comprehend. Speaking to the root, Rahja begins the process of coaching its ever-growing vines into a far more complicated network than even the human mind, giving it (in theory) full control over even its own metabolic processes. Such an endeavor is far from quick, however, and it will likely take an hour or two. Others are free to help in the coaching to help speed things along until then

In response to Celestica's question, the castle around Celestica is lowered to allow line of sight within the conversation as Olladimarra finally makes his presence known, speaking from behind her as if there the entire time. The voice, though calm and casual, carries a long distance with ease "I couldn't really tell you. Large parts of history involving the worldroot are missing, even to our own eyes. If I had to guess, however, I'd say that it came from the elemental plane of wood." With that, Olladimarra draws forth an item that looks quite nearly like a cubic gate, bearing a full 20 sides with 6 of them blacked out at the moment.

In the meantime, Nasiri learns from the giant shamans that there is indeed at least one thing that can slow the growth of the vines to some degree. Ice.

[MikelaC1]

CELESTICA

Celestica takes the cubic gate, and examines it carefully. She is no wizard, even with her developing powers of binding with the worlds, or a bard, who can trick items into responding to her. Still, she has had success with her newfound powers and she will try. She concentrates on the cube, wondering how it works and how it can help the current situation.

[Ridai]

Rahja, fully concentrating on her task at hand, still manages to listen and watch enough to see what is going on nearby. With some effort, she manages to direct a few mental words towards her soul mate.

Each side is keyed to a different plane, pressing one will open a portal to a random point on that plane. If they were on the gate, the black sides once led to the elemental planes of fire, earth, air and water, as well as the positive and negative energy planes.

[Starsign]

With the advice given by Nasiri' she nods in respect and gives her thanks to the giants. "Your support is greatly appreciated as usual. I thank you once more." She pauses, giving thought as if there is anything more that can be added. Eventually she does have an idea. "Would there be an item or skill that would allow one to create great, solid ice to help slow a plant? And would there be a way that power can be expanded across a greater area?" Her words keep the real situation vague, trying to avoid panic amongst the giants.

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Just got something for Nasiri. Usabhar is still organizing the troops and getting their formations set in case of potential intruders.

[MikelaC1]

CELESTICA

While continuing to monitor the growth of the fruits to alert Rahja when enough are ready for harvest, Celestica begins to experiment with the cube to see if she can find which side is connected to the elemental plane of wood.

[Realms of Chaos]

In spite of themselves, the Shamans fall silent at Nasiri's question. Exchanging concerned looks between themselves, one of them eventually manages a question, two strained words eked out from a force smile. "How... great?"

Back on Solterra, Celestica manages to figure out the cube through trial and error. After opening up portals to plains of ooze, ash, and smoke, a plane of vines and endless trees reveals itself from beyond a small portal (10x10 feet).

[Ridai]

Within her song, Rahja manages to convey a question to the root, briefly directing it's attention to the portal. Do you recognize this place?

[MikelaC1]

CELESTICA

"Hearing" Rahja sing to the root, Celestica keeps the gate open to the plane so that the root can "see" it.

Im not sure how much this can help. Even if we can transfer it there after we get the fruit, whats to stop some wizard from plane shifting himself to get a slice once we are done?

[Ridai]

Rahja sighs internally, not refuting the truth Celestica speaks.

That is the question. What can stop some wizard from ever getting it? I can think of one thing and I am not willing to entirely murder what I awakened.

[Starsign]

Nasiri's smile fades slightly as the giants ask her the question she had been hoping not to hear. Her answer is not pleasant, spoken rather dryly and with sorrow. "...The size of a dead, long depopulated planet, I am afraid. However there is the assistance from gods, with magic granted from knowstones, pearls, and mementos that may help assist." She does her best to try and keep optimism up, something Usabhar never feels like doing. She wonders whether the abundant grimness found in Sargti is due to the lands of Kulomen or by the moods of the dwarves.

She finds an odd feeling to ask something else afterward. "If I might ask, how did you find the root in the first place?"

[Emperor Ing]

Zurkar continues flying around, feeling rather bored with absolutely nothing to do.

[Realms of Chaos]

The Frost Giants look amongst themselves, as if searching each other for some sort of answer, before the lead shaman turns back to Nasiri, "We know not the ways to bring of cold, besides perhaps those spells that call forth winter. As far as where the seed comes from... I... don't know."

[Starsign]

Nasiri takes a slow, thankful nod to the giants as they respond. Their claim of not knowing how they got the root is odd. She figures it wouldn't be hard to remember that they might have picked it up in the snow and ice a long time ago. Kulomen was an icy paradise way back; it wouldn't be impossible for some of it's more durable assets to have survived.

Regardless, she speaks to thank them for their time. "Well, thank you for your words of wisdom then. I am sure they will be useful." She is about to take her leave when she turns back around, faithful to ask one more thing before going. "A last question to ask, will there be anything my lord, Usabhar could help with for the giants? He is currently away but should return before the end of the day." She knows the dwarf is a respectable helper to his friends and allies and would never put away assistance that he offers to others. Asking the giants here is someone he would probably appreciate.

[Realms of Chaos]

OOC: apologies for the delay. Bit scrambled all over. As everyone seems to know what's going on at the moment, it's time for another miniature time jump.

Eventually, Rahja's efforts with the planet quite literally seem to bear fruit as the planet ceases its growth and a good three more fruit can be felt beneath the surface of the planet. The planet-sized root almost seems to hum with energy as not one but two Lord Weros appear in cracks between weirdstones.