Gods of a nonexistant world IC

[drack]

The God of Godliness, taking with him the god of the harvest, left to seek refuge with Mondfley, but returned moments later. He's refusing guests in his refuge, seems he thinks half of why it's safe there is that we're not there. So it was that all five gods left in pursuit of the murderer. Arriving at the scene of the crime however, only swirling mists remain.

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So, what ya gonna do, cast some magic? Seek out the oracle? Go to Mondfley and demand answers? What are we doing with the corpses while we travel?

[meemaas]

Hajime shakes his head. "Trying to seek answers like this is not likely to get us anywhere." With a lack of options, Hajime transports himself as close to Mondfley as possible and demands a chance to speak with the God, hoping to if nothing else, gain help.

[drack]

You reach the library of Mondfley, but the door to his private library is sealed, letting nothing through. He should still be contactable with any magic that stretches across the planes, and the library staff seem willing to help to what extent they can.

[meemaas]

Hajime growls at the staff members. "Go get Mondfley. I don't care if he sends an Illusion to talk to me, or even just contacts me telepathically, all I care about is that I speak to him personally. I mean for gods sake, I just need help that he can manage."

[drack]

A librarian cringes before your divine irritation. "...but how am I supposed to reach him..." The young man mopes before suddenly running down the isles of books, dissappearingh from sight. Shortly thereafter the man returns leading an awkward looking woman by the wrist. The caretakers of the Birthplace of Knowledge were Elan making their age ambiguous at best, but with the world only half year old none of them could be that old. The woman has knobby joints, missing teeth, and uncoordinated limbs, but she opens a book and immediately sends others after ingredients and materials which she places with care before one of the towering bookshelves. In one tall flask she pours freshly ground silver, in another she adds powdered herbs, and to each she adds water. Chanting carefully over the second it glows faintly for a moment as steam begins to rise off it. Setting the flask aside she chants over the first causing it to glow casting an eerie light over the surrounding shelves. Slowly, carefully, she scatters the glowing liquid around the bookshelf she'd previously chosen, then stepping back she drinks the latter brew, smacking her lips several times afterwards to clear the bitterness of the tea from her mouth. Then she sits down opening a book titled A Brief History of the Slablins. Enraptured several nearby Elan stare openly in wonder as she reads the book... five minutes pass with the pages slowly turning before she sits before the shelf, readjusting her position six times before settling on the most comfortable one. Splashing the last of the unholy water on A Brief History of the Slablins she begins chanting her eternal thanks to the god of knowledge for the gift of the library in which they reside, for the histories lost and histories new, for books, and ink, and for every clue. On and on she chanted, and as she did small cuts appeared on her body filling the air with the scent of her blood, then slowly the scent of old leather, pages, and ink suffused the air. Slowly, with a pained expression, she tore nine pages from the book, placing them separately before her.

As the pages tore, agonizingly slowly, fiber by fiber, every Elan in the library's back rose, spine tingling, as they averted their eyes. Even with good cause, witnessing a book come to harm was clearly, if not physically painful, then an unspeakable moral crime to them. Still, once the deed was done their gazes of awe returned to the woman. Speaking slowly the Elan that had fet5ched her announces "You may ask nine questions, ask them well..."

Spoiler

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Commune, contacts a deity (Mondfley) and allows him to answer up to 9 yes/no or short answer (5 or less words) questions. He is allowed to lie or missguide you.

Before you're able to ask however, the woman speaks. "Great lord of all things known, do tell unto we, do you know that we call to you at the behest of your fellow gods, know you that it is they who do these questions ask?"

Slowly the ink on one of the torn pages shifts forming the character for "Yes" in the elan language.

All the eyes in the hall stare at the page in wonder, no doubt considering where best to file this new document before they turn to the god of the elements with curiosity, wondering what he might ask first.

[meemaas]

Hajime growls a little. Of course Mondfley is going to be difficult. Clearing his throat, he speaks to the book, looking for his first answer. "Mondfley. Do you know the identity of the murderer of the Gods that have recently been slain?

[drack]

The Elan repeats the question.

Slowly the word "No" forms on one of the remaining sheets of paper.

[meemaas]

"Ugh. You're freaking useless. What kind of God of Knowledge can't figure something like this out? You're probably the only Diviner among our Pantheon, act like it!!!"

[Starmage21]

Lecerat approaches Hajime

"Would you care to accompany me to see this oracle? Perhaps there we can find a useful lead. It seems Mondfley is determined to stay in his bolt hole rather than face the enemy."

[meemaas]

"You're right. This useless piece of cod isn't gonna be any help anyways. Lead the way Lecerat. It's bound to be more fruitful than this was." Before the two of them leave, Hajime turns to the book and launches a single bolt of fire into it, incinerating the book such that the ashes dropped into a nice little pile, and then with a quick flourish, allows a bolt of lightning to strike him, taking his body away with it.

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Blasting the book with my free action Fire Bolt, and then using Greater Teleport, fluffed like a God of Elements should.

[drack]

As it happens, Verdamut didn't know where the oracle might be, but he said he'd know her when you see her, so in the end you're left to wander as you look for them. You look across the material plane, within the knotted and lighthearted apple trees of the god of harvest's plane, through the blistering flames of the eternal plane, and at last come to the astrial, at the edge of the plane of magic, where Verdamut nods at two figures standing at the plane's edge, watching the flow of magic swirl beneath them. The first was a golem of colossal proportion with countless faces engraved into its metal form. The very golem that had fought with you earlier. Beside it was a little girl with loose tangles of blond curls, brown eyes, and a white dress with a rather noticeable apple juice stain. It seems they've been chatting idly, or rather it seems that the girl is speaking to the golem.

"You know it's pointless, don't you? It's just the sort of thing she would do, trap herself in there. Hoard magic to herself. You know she never wanted to share it, that was her daughter, the mother of all witches. She'll lock herself in there with it all until the end of time so long as history does not repeat, and you know she doesn't want it to, but it will... eventually..." The golem grunts heavily and she laughs merrily like a little girl should. Verdamut stiffens at the sight of the golem even though he had no part in your previous confrontation. Perhaps he has a history all its own with the creature, but the golem seems indifferent to his gaze, and he himself quickly settles down, turning his gaze to the girl instead. At your approach the little girl informs the golem "We've got that company now.", then, glancing about her shoulder with an excited little smile she greets you. "Hail new gods, join us, we're watching the finest manifestation of paranoia, however justified." She pats the empty space beside her with enthusiasm, turning once more to gaze at the swirling pool of magical energies that was the plane of magic. The portal was no longer there, all dimensional travel to the plane was cut off, and all that remained was the distortion of energies that clearly enunciated its presence. The golem glared balefully at the swirling energies, the Branch of the World Tree clutched in its hand looked more like a toothpick then anything, but once more it was out of the reach of the one it sought to kill.

Unperturbed by golem and gods alike the little girl adds "Oh, and you just missed the old man, though I suppose you didn't come for him, did you?"

[Starmage21]

Lecerat approaches slowly, his hands at his side and standing up straight so as to promote his confidence and nonviolent intent, his black blade in its scabbard over his shoulder.

"You are correct in your assessment of our identities and our intention. We are not here for the old man, but in hopes you would be willing to use your talents to aid us. Treachery has already been sown amongst those in our circle, and there are those that are now dead because of it. We wish to find the identity of the killer, and where he may be found. Such wanton slaughter in a place we had all declared neutral ground must not go unanswered."

[drack]

"Talents..." The girl lets the word hang listlessly in the air with a note of sorrow for a moment before shaking her head as if to clear her head of a fog of thought thoughts. "Yes... yes. You seek the green one. There is no treachery of vows sworn, only the actions of a child who unknowingly follows a path you've already seen. A clawed hand so delicately poised over this world... but it will not strike... it cannot strike, for while it can bare to strike itself, it cannot bare to kill itself time and again...." Turning her back to the magical anomaly, the girl faces you, a serious look in her eyes. "I will ask you for something in return if I'm to tell you where he dwells though. I ask that both of you swear not to tamper with my life as did the gods now dead. For eons I waited in stasis for some misguided hope that being hurled to the future might disorient my sight. I want to grow old and die one day as all do. I would have you both swear on your divinity itself that you won't tamper with my life, and that when the time comes that my... talents, are to be lost from existence forever, that you will let them go without intervention. Do I have your words?"

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By the by, since I know some detection spells could give you this, the girl's a human girl, probably a level 1 NPC class, but still she is the oracle, seeing all that is to come. No doubt that'd give insight bonuses and such and makes her dangerous in combat, but very much mortal, so presumably any attack that cannot be evaded could kill her (unless another intervenes), and so too should age in time.

[Starmage21]

Lecerat smiles

"Even I know what it is to face death. I do not fear it, but like you I do not wish to rush headlong into it, even if that is exactly what going into battle means. I admire your conviction, and you have my word that I will not intervene when it is time for you to die of old age, but I would not count on your talents being lost forever when that happens. Such a talent may be due to a mark on your soul that you would be carried with it wherever its fate lies. I will not tamper with the natural course of your life."

Spoiler: OOC

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Lecerat is specifically being somewhat misleading. Clearly the old gods wanted to keep her and use her. he's agreed to not interfere with her life, but thats a very open-ended promise.

I've been reading some treatise on Lawful Evil lately, and I'm really trying to get behind this using "the system" (his honor/trustworthiness) against people for gains to his own agenda. The problem is that Lecerat is Neutral Evil, and that pretty much more dangerous than Chaotic Evil IMO. He may truly be intent to keep his word now, but willingly and knowingly betray it later because it suits his agenda (long or short term). Especially if the trade-off to his divinity per-se results seem worth it.

[meemaas]

Hajime bows his head softly. "I too, swear that I will not interfere with your life and anything connected to it. I am not as gifted as Lecerat here in speeches, but I can assure you that we are not the same as the Gods who came before us."

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Sorry for taking so long to post.

[drack]

"What you seek lies to the eastern edge of the material plane, from the astral looking in. You should embark in a few minutes time, else reason will prove... difficult." With that she Turned back to the cosmic event before her, and as if to herself, adds "It's so much prettier when you're there. It's not the color or the crackle of power in the air it's that... with the present you can allow yourself to get lost in the moment without getting... stuck..."

[meemaas]

Hajime calmly watches with her and then heads out with Lecerat to the point that the Oracle had mentioned, searching for any creature that is green, expecting such from the Oracle's words.

[drack]

You find a hideous green entity, a humanoid. The being has large knobby limbs, slimy skin, greasy matted hair, overgrown yellowing twisted nails, and a long bulbous nose from which a rather distracting semi-solid bugger hangs. Not a dripping seeping bugger that might sway or dangle, but a more solid bugger properly wedged in place. Without a doubt this entity was, a troll. Having somehow managed to puncture the boundary between planes it's looking in on the world. The gap itself is much like a portal, or a window looking in on the world. The troll's left, and somewhat bigger, claw gouges deep into its stomach, from which a small stream of blood trickles infinity down into the rather. Its right hand grasps its lower jaw, faintly clicking it back and forth as it stares anxiously through the portal. Beyond the portal three trolls play savagely by a crick, their playful battery and musical grumblings continue uninterrupted by the green troll's observation.

[Starmage21]

Lecerat looks to Hajime, somewhat bewildered by what they'd just found, though unsurprised


"I do believe we've just stumbled on clues to a dark secret unbeknownst to perhaps many beyond our own world and reality. This must be how the trolls spread, as they were known on many worlds before our great cataclysm. If my intuition is correct, we may be too late to prevent the presence of trolls on our world, though I consider it no real inconvenience. Shall we grab this one, and uncover what it knows of the demise of our allies?"

[meemaas]

Hajime looks at Lecerat. "You are aware that they were already part of our world, right? That said, I agree that this may well be 'Green One' she spoke of. So we should capture it. That said, we can't be sure how dangerous it is, so we should go at it with a plan. What do you think?"

[Starmage21]

"The trolls were always widely dispersed and unorganized. Never really a threat to worry about from a national point of view. I guess I'd not considered that they'd still be here after the death of their progenitor. Good to know that each of us leaves a lasting mark on this new cosmos."

Lecerat shrugs, the black blade he carries on his shoulder seems to offer no resistance to his effort

"Dangerous as they may be. Perhaps it merely had the aid of a god-killing weapon, and would not otherwise be considered dangerous. He does not appear a titan. Even so, what sort of plan would you propose? The least dangerous option is to not engage the beast in combat at all unless forced. Should we be forced to combat the thing, I suggest we treat it as if it has the capability to kill us and hold nothing back. Underestimating a foe is dangerous immediately. Overestimating a potential foe is dangerous in that you may over-commit resources better used elsewhere."

[meemaas]

Hajime steps foward calmly past Lecerat towards the nearest of the Trolls. "Trolls. I am the God of the Elements, Hajime Katsumi. I wish to speak with your leader. Who among you would call himself such!?!?"

[drack]

"Leader?" The troll asked, distracted, glancing between you and the other trolls. "No leader, only Gruuug. Only Gruuug and eatsies..." As he speaks of "eatsies" his stomach, despite its grievous self-inflicted wound, grumbles hungrily. Still, its gaze holds some small remorse.

[meemaas]

"Gruuug, was it? What can you tell me of the death of one of the Gods of late?"

[drack]

"Gods? There be no gods for Gruuug. God dead, only eatsies left. Everything is eatsies now, but... but..." Gruuug looks once more at the trolls through the window. "Gruuug needs to eat eatsies, but Guruug doesn't want to..." Again Gruuug's bleeding stomache roared, and in response his claws dug deeper.

[Drako_Beoulve]

"Calm down troll", A familiar voice behind Katsumi is heared. Astrid suddenly appears in the scene.
"Long time no see", she is looking to Katsumi.

[meemaas]

"It is nice to see you have come to help us. It was disappointing how few Gods were willing to support this quest." Hajime turns back to the Troll. "Maybe we can talk more over a meal then, Gruug?" With a few quick spells, Hajime draws upon his Godly power to create a nice table, complete with a veritable feast of food, both meat and otherwise.

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Liberal use of Alter Reality to make a table, seats, and dishes, in addition to combining Create Food and Water with Prestidigitation (still from Alter Reality), to make a meal that actually tastes like food.

Just in case you want more explanation than just "I'm a God, screw the rules."

[drack]

Gruuug inhales and the magically created food seems to quiver for a moment before shifting back into raw magical energies which flow into his mouth as easily as air, clearly not filling his endless troll appetite. Still, that wasn't something a troll could normally do, still, the fabric of the material plane seems to have loosened slightly as he did causing him to cry out "Nooo! No eatsies... but..."

[meemaas]

Hajime shakes his head. "Just what is it that you eat, Gruug?"

[drack]

In a voice tinged with guilt, mourning, and restraint Gruuug replies "Gruuug eats... all." A hint of madness creeps into the desperate eyes of Gruuug, but clenching his claw deeper into his stomach he manages to retain his rationality. With his rationality regained, Gruuug once more reigns himself in and repeats "No eatsies..." almost as if he were saying it for himself rather then for your sake. Still, only for a moment there when his tightly reigned control ever so faintly slipped, something else was exuded by Gruuug. Not a power found among the other gods that had met, but rather... as frightening as the notion may be, the dedific might of an overdeity. What would the world become if such an entity roamed freely? What had the world become from its actions thus far? Verdamut shifted uneasily at the thought. Sure, he wanted a world free of magic, but even he was no wanton god of destruction.