Dawn of World - Shikalis - A Young World

[Rith]

Power Roll: 2d6+3=9
Current Power Points: 9

A counter-offensive was forming, and for the first time in an æon, Haroen felt hopeful. Armies were forming in Vein, Dragonriders and Kinfolk marching out of the Kinvale to meet the Syles in battle alongside the northerners. The uplifting of Haroen's spirit could be felt across the glasslands. Nomad tribes began venturing out further, Welak Ohred began seeing much more traffic as the northerners sought to relax, and soon even those manning the Great Lightning Wall, the north's first line of defense, could be seen dancing on occasion, breaking from their constant vigil.

The armies of Oum Pran readied themselves, preparing to march upon Firststrike, should Godric decide to strike before the Syles. However, even as they planned their battle strategy, the unspeakable happened, and Godric was murdered in a way most horrific. The northerners had no knowledge of this, but Haroen felt the disturbance as though a knife had been dug into his own stomach.

Shock and outrage paralyzed the god of the dry for a time, but after a time he came to his senses, and knew, such horror would not be brought upon any ally of his without recompense.

Yet, he did not know how to act. To remove the blight upon Vein and restore Godric would have to be by Savien's hand, Haroen would not have any influence in the matter. No, the only act which he could bring to bear would be a great, direct act of divine influence. Even as he thought about it, he found, he had a weakness in his sole dedication to his own creations, a weakness that the repulsive Axis, who wormed it's way into many societies, did not have.

He would have to counteract this.

Haroen spoke to the Suturm attending classes at the University, "My children. It has been too long that you are the only ones south of the wall to know my blessings. I ask that you spread word of what I have gifted to you to the Kinfolk, and perhaps even to the Syles and Lapidea who attend the University with you."

So the Suturm began to talk about their god, and how he had brought himself into what should have unmade him, just to create their race. They spoke of his empathy and his lack of foresight. His joy and his rage. His artistry and his structure.

Soon letters from University Syles came back to their cities far away in the swamps, and while many were dismissed as foolish or insane, some gained purchase, and the seeds of Dryness were placed in the Syle people. Meanwhile, the Kinfolk who truly admired the proud god of the north, and who fully supported the armies of the Kindom marching to help the glasslands came together to form the Artist Guild, which spat at the name Alexander, standing aloof from the current state of Vein, and in honor of their preferred god, worked with glass and dance, but also song, architecture, and woodwork, in respect to their creator's gifts.

Far south, Strangled were also seen talking to Suturm, and their brilliance and wisdom, at their most influential, actually seemed to wake a dim self-awareness in the Strangled, who lacked true minds. They spoke of many things, then. Of the foolishness and the follies of their own god, and of how they dimly appreciated the acts of Haroen resulting in their waking. Thus a thin church to the Dry God spread through the deep waters, and they called themselves 'The Awake'.

Though, now that he had the pieces, what would he use them for?

Haroen debated on this for a time, but, feeling the urgency of the situation, did not spend as long as he usually would have, only a month, before he came to his conclusion.

The Dry God sent a whispering wind to the University, where the Artist Guild and the Suturm were going about their lives. He told the Artists Guild to speak with the Suturm, to learn riddles and logical tricks that would fool any creature into revealing their true purpose. He told the Suturm to use their deduction and logic to find the Mad Kinfolk, wherever they might be. Together he had them act upon a single order: impede Axis. With the Suturm deducing the identity of the Mad, and then the Artists Guild bamboozling them into revealing their true nature, soon Axis's shaky grip on the Kindom was all but pried away entirely.

Still, Haroen felt ever weaker, and, unbeknownst to him, the source of his weakness was now free, and wandering the north, shaping power from the god, bit by bit.

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1 point to Command the Eye to Create Order inside the Strangled: The Awake.

4 points to Create Order inside the Halflings: the Artists Guild.

2 points to Command the Artists Guild of the Halflings to impede the Mad of the Halflings and their ability to influence the Halflings.

2 points to Command the Church of Haroen of the Suturm to impede the Mad of the Halflings and their ability to influence the Halflings.

Current Power Points:
Next Power Roll: 2d6+3=7

[Rith]

This post marks the beginning of a new round. The round will last 48 hours from this post, until midnight when Monday, the 12th, becomes Tuesday, the 13th.

[Plerumque]

Power Roll: 14

The destruction of such a piece of divinity resounded through Shikalis, and caused Tarethon to rise from the deeps of the earth from the first time in centuries. As he broke through the surface, he brought the earth with him, and soon a towering spire rose above the mountains. From this spire, looking down through the earth at the rest of Shikalis.

He saw, through the miles of earth and caverns, his mistake, the stain on the earth that he had wrought. And he would have destroyed them. But as he raised his hand to strike them down before they could destroy the works of other gods, he discovered that he could not. He had poured so much divine energy, so much of his own essence, into them that he had not the power to erase them. And as he watched with horror, they discovered the surface, and with bounding strides long and bodies that needed none of the frail insistences of flesh, they set off to discover new life and rip it to shreds.

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Spending 6 points to advance the Forsworn in some kind of bare-handed combat, perhaps I'll call it Rending, 3 points to raise a virtual city (mobile) of Forsworn, 3 points to raise an army from it, and 1 point to command the Sired of Stone to raise a diplomatic army. I realize that I missed the round and earned a strike, this will stand as my first post of the new round. Oh, and I'm also creating a massive spire above the first inch of caves I created, which should be in the center of the map (below Fiig's fertile plain), which I'm calling the Throne, but I'm not sure what kind of point expenditure that is, so I may have to wait and spend the points next round.

Power Remaining: 1

[ImperialSunligh]

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Edit: sorry, this was meant to go in OOC. I'll make this into my post later.

[Fiig]

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1+3+8=12 points for this round
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4172070/

Savien was outraged by the Axis Madness, was the Axis truly so insane, as to kill another god's avatar on Shikalis. Savien did not know why, the Axis had killed Godric and then prepared his remain in a preposterous way. Such an insults made the acts of Slassiksyyr and Haroen pale in comparisson.

The Axis had gifted the stew in which the Axis had cooked Godric to Vein, where it had been scattered in all directions. And while resurrecting Godric would be easy, Savien needed all the remains. Savien spent a year and a day to find all the pieces.

meanwhile the Kindom was tearing itself apart with resistance against the false king, for while the kinfolk was stunned with the news of Godric death, the Mad halflings struck, often a rebellious group would be struck down by members that suddenly reveal to be mad. In Wearic a large group was captured when their own leader reported them, elsewhere the fighting began and then stopped, just to begin again, the mad halflings were more numerous than expected, but they lost many members by steel in that year.

Savien found all pieces of Godric, some were hidden away, one piece was kept by a mad halfling named Simur, who had not touched the gift and wished to save it for later, most of it were simply there, though a piece had reached all the way to the black waste. But in the end Savien found them all, Savien went to the first place on Shikalis he had touched, then whistled into the sky, and at dusk came Godric's phoenix Savien spoke a word and the bird died, falling down onto Godric's remains.
It only took a few minutes before the flames stood high and blue, for all to see for miles, after an hour the flames died out and Godric open his eyes, as his Phoenix cried out.

"Godric my son", Savien said, "I am sadden that you had to suffer by the hands of the mad, but i shall aven...", but before Savien could continue, Godric held his hand up and said, "Father, you must do what you have to, and though i wish we could share this moment, the Kindom awaits me and needs me, for as the the Axis killed me, i saw his twisted avatar and how it enjoyed my pain, i can not and will not let it sit upon my throne, any longer" and so Godric turned and left Savien, who let a single tear of pride fall onto the ground where it created a spring of fresh water.

After Savien pondered how to avenge this atrocity which the Axis had committed, but all his plans, no matter how clever, devious or wrathfull, all would be laughed upon and enjoyed by the Axis. The Axis and his mad people, then Savien knew what he would do, he would give the Axis exactly what he wishes for madness, utter madness. Savien went to his forge there he crafted three moons, which he placed in orbit of Shikalis, in such a way that they were utterly predictable, by complex mathematics one could even predicts the wheather, but most important the luna cycles, which would repeat. Savien went to the strangled and tied their minds to the cycle, so they matched the cycle, so that certain kinds of madness would rise to extreme levels. like when the moons go red, solar eclipses, the night with no moons, the night with one moon, the night of three moons or the sea moons when the moons appear larger than normal just above the horizon, lunar eclipse and the blue moon

one night many strangled would go mad with lust of killings, another destructive, confused, frightened, inert, panicked and once a year utterly sane.

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5 points avatar resurrection
7 points for an event, strangled lunacy
Next round
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4172142/
i plan to make a better list, than the one is gave, it will be a table where the event is next to the effect

[Rith]

Power Roll: 2d6+3=7
Current Power Points: 7

The environment in Oum Pran was strange.

Ahgana, Ahkiln, and Syle commingling over half a century. The city no longer had a culture as it had once had, of pure Ahkiln influences. Now the fearless Syles, the proud Ahkiln, and the sharp Ahgana had moulded together, blurring cultural lines, and now there were entire streets where gourmet transmuted rocks were sold alongside normal glass steaks, still crackling with electricity from the grill they had been pulled off of. Syles were small here, where they had been tall in the rest of the world, but their guts and fearlessness earned them the respect of their fellows, and friendly brawls with a Syle were often considered some of the most fun. There was always the danger of blood or spittle spilling moisture into the wet lands, but eventually this became less frightening, and was only net with offended cries of disgust. Though, the Syles, with their abilities of transmutation were able to keep anything wet from remaining so. The city also developed holidays and festivals over the years, such as the festival of the Twin Storms, which celebrated the strange similarities between Slassiksyyr and Haroen.

The arrival of the Kinfolk coincided with this festival, and the tiny men in their bright armor and shining weapons riding their giant lizards and wolves marched into the city streets, to the sound of singing from a few dragons wheeling overhead. The city would likely be a strange and confusing place, to them, without food as they knew it, and dry as the desert that Savien had once forged.

The songs of the Kinfolk filled the night, and the magnificent dancing of the Ahkiln and Ahgana matched that music in beauty. Elsewhere, dragons watched Ahkiln battledancers spar with Syle brawlers for hours on end, debating the merits of each strategy in turn.

However, it was during these festivities that word of the Syle army on the march came, and Ezzo Las, the current highest wielder of stormcrafting in the land, took the Zlain from it's resting spot, while the food was left on it's plates, music ended in mid-note, walls were manned, bridges were drawn up, and the Great Lightning Wall was drawn into full energy.

It was silent for some time, then, as the mixture of races stood atop the glass walls, peering into the roaring wind and crackling lightning, waiting for the first enemy to come forward.

Then they saw them. The Walking-Stick Dragons stalking slowly through the dust, and the Mulambus slipping out of the wind. Lightning attempted to strike at them, but something was deflecting the bolts, and behind the creatures came row after row of crocodile-headed Syles. The thirteen armies stared at each other with menace across that stretch just before the ancient city of Oum Pran.

Then it all happened at once. Arrows were nocked and let fly. Rockets soared into the wind. Walking-Stick Dragons surged forward, closing the distance in a second and beginning to scale the walls. Fire was launched into the air, and the army charged. Wind was summoned, knocking arrows asside, lightning struck rockets in mid-air, glass caught flame full on and pushed through. Spikes traps were fired to catch the climbers mid-stride, sending then tumbling back down to their death. Behind it all, Ezzo Las raised the Zlain, the greatest weapon ever crafted, putting it to it's full use for the first time in all of history, and it was revealed why Ran Pellor had once claimed that the weapon, if ever finished, would break the world…

Tornados touched down across the battlefield. The sky burst and ten million lightning bolts leapt forth to melt the glass beneath the Syle's feet. Sandstorms blew in, so heavy that they buried entire squads in seconds. However, it wasn't enough, as paths were suddenly transmuted, leading out of the chaos, and fire was crafted to turn away from the feet of the Syles. The Mulambus were scaling the walls and avoiding the fortifications, driving the Defector Syles to pepper them with arrows and fire, as Ahkiln and Ahgana danced back and forth between Syle brawlers.

For days and nights, the conflict roared, until, at last, blood sizzled on the still-red-hot glass, and the last tornado was fading, and all of the Syles that remained was Kabalisk, the gigantic leader of the army, and a few of his immediate guard. Even as they turned away, as the Thiosyles had once turned back into the Underground Sulfur swamps south of Oasis, the combined armies of the north, who had not lost even half of their number, cheered. Much death had been dealt here today, and the North would grieve, but they could feel it. This had been a magnificent fight, and the Syles, the warmongers, had been dealt such a crushing defeat today that they had to cheer.

Haroen, who had been watching in the sky above, had to smile, despite the field of death beneath his feet. With a touch of his wind, and his laughter, a truly beautiful bird burst into existence above the city. Silver, blue, and gold feathers, a long neck like a swan, and even as the victors witnessed it and heard it's cry, they were fill with happiness and joy. They dubbed it the Victory Bird, and it was respected, for those who would seek to kill or punish a victory incarnate, would be forever cursed for their bitterness.

Haroen left the northerners to their work or drying out their lands, as they gathered up the bodies to carry back south to Firststrike, in respect of their enemies, while the Kinfolk and the army of Ezzo Las departed to go defend Oasis, where the Thiosyles were trying to break through.

Haroen surged back into the distant south, and the Suturm could feel his happiness. They turned their faces to the sky, wondering what precisely had happened. Haroen did not give them time to contemplate it, and immediately spoke, "My children! The northerners are strong and safe! They have defended themselves and won a titanic victory this very day!"

As the Suturm cheered, Haroen continued, "Now that I know they are secure, I will turn my attention to you, my children, who have been too long untouched by me, for I was focused so intently on the north. First things first. You must spread your nation further! Found another city on the great land of ice. You may choose it's structure and it's placement. Now, if you will excuse me, I am on the mood to create!"

So, as the Suturm planned the structure of their new city, Onel, Haroen plunged into the ocean, hardly noticing the pain that water still brought him, and found a manta ray, which he had once based the Suturm off of, and taking it in his hands, he shaped it into a great beast, kilometers wide, and sluggish. Whales drifted alongside it like remoras next to a shark, and even Pain Serpents fled before it's immense jaws. It would surface every few years, and bask in the sun for a year or more, becoming an island in a featureless sea.

Once this Titan Manta had been made, he turned to the land of ice where the Suturm were building Onel, and took the white bears that wandered there, filling them with power over the cold, and from then onward, wherever they stood, it was winter, and ice would form everywhere. He was not pleased with this alone, however, and decreased their size considerably, until they were like cubs of their original kind, and then, he gave it an erect back and thumbs, as he gave it some faint touch of knowledge, not enough to make it an actual race, but enough that it could speak and make clothes for itself. It gave itself the name "Ice Cub".

Lastly, in this fit of creation brought on by his joy, he turned to the forests in the middle of the world, and found a small lizard. He took a dozen of these creatures, and, carefully, linked their minds, while increasing their size to that of a wolf, and granted them serpentine heads and necks, much like the Dust Jaguars of the north, along with a venomous bite, and agile limbs. Together these dozen lizards formed the first Basilisk Hive.

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1 point to Command Eye to Command Suturm to found Onel, on the northern coast of the ice lands where Umet is.

1 point to create the Victory Bird. A blue, silver, and gold bird with abilities to control emotion and wind, and to curse anyone who seeks to harm it.

1 point to create the Titan Manta. A kind of island fish, but a Manta Ray, and several kilometers across.

1 point to create the Ice Cubs. A race of semi-intelligent pseudo-fey spirits, who look like half dwarf and half polar bear, with natural ability to control and manipulate ice and cold.

1 point to create the Basilisk Hive. A fast, venomous lizard about the size of a dog, which hunts in a pack, with a hive mind, acting as one creature.

Current Power Points: 2
Next Power Roll: 2d6+3=13

[Komodo]

Previous Balance: 5

Power Roll: 2d6+5+3 → [5,5,5,3] = (18)

With their armor donned, the Syles looked fierce. With the Lightning-redirectors attached, they actually looked rather silly, but were no less deadly for it. Kabalisk spent a few months gathering more of the reptiles into Firststrike, and arming them for war, before leading five armies of Syles entered the labyrinth, headed for the city of glass: Oum Pran.

On the other side of the labyrinth, many weeks later, they were met with an equal number of armies: two platoons of the tall and sleek Ahkiln, two troops of flexible and sly Ahgana, and an army’s worth of traitors, who believed that Honor was to be found in preventing as much killing as they could. If their honor truly called them to such a decision, no Syle would condemn them for it, but their own Honor would not permit them to let them live.

An army of Syles charged forward, and the Ahkiln activated their wall of lightning. Bright bolts rained down from the sky, but the grand majority of the reptiles withstood it, with only a few defective suits failing their owner and leaving his body charred and prone. Reaching the outer wall, the Syles began to surmount it in every way possible. Some threw transmutation potions into the wall, eroding it away. Some priests prayed and divined weakness in the wall. The calvary atop their serpentine Merambus and the thin but mighty Walking-Stick Dragons scaled it quickly, while some used their own four arms. Even as the Syles fell on the city, they were constantly receiving blows from glass weapons and lightning bolts from above. The Syles were resilient, fierce, and numerous, but the Ahkiln and Ahgana were extremely coordinated in their attacks, and had a number of quick-thinking leaders.

As Syles made it over the defenses and into the the thick of the fighting, many would be felled by finely-executed sword-dances. Not helping at all were how well-made their fortifications were, and the arrows that came down from the traitor Syles. From the back, other armies of Syles proceeded to launch their own arrows back.

The giant Kabalisk gave a roar, fell to all sixes, and charged ahead, ramming into several troop and throwing them every which way. Eager Syles formed around him, but chaos hit the ranks as the other Northern Weapon, the Zlain, summoned twisters onto the battlefield.

A brawler would leap onto a stormcrafter and break his arms.

A priest, praying for guidance to the Serpent, would be spotted by a leader and struck through with a glass spear.

A Walking-Stick Dragon rider would pounce upon an Ahgana and drop a ball of burning moss onto him.

A Merambus rider would be hit by a sudden gust of wind, and would be sent tumbling into a pit of glass spikes.

In the end, two of the Northern Troops were felled, but all of the Syles were dead or dispersed. Kabalisk, seeing the invasion had failed, ordered the last survivors back. In shame, they returned to Firststrike, though they were treated well for having fought bravely.

Hearing of the Defeat, many Syles were divided. Some wished merely to cease from fighting, while others breathed that such a defeat would not have been suffered had they been able to fight. News of The strange cultural melting pot that was Oum Pran encouraged some and sickened others, who defied any who dared defend the honor of the warriors who had turned against their own. Still others declared the honor of the Ahkiln, who of their own volition transported the dead to the marsh and their families.

While opinions wavered throughout the green marsh as the diviners and prophets spread the news, the sulphur swamp was neigh-unanimously stirred on to greater feats of conquest. Diving the pavilion's destruction, they prepared a new method: they learned to carve venomous pseudowood into a collapsible frame, and covered the frame with a strong film made from a fungus. This fungus had remarkable properties: when tempered, it would be strong enough to block out the wind and temperature, but still thin enough that one could breathe through it, provided that one could breathe sulphuric fumes. The resulting mesh was useless as armor, but could be made to fit any shape, even the serpentine Sulfambus they would ride.

Eager to succeed where they had failed before, the Thiosyles built up army after army, training them for battle...

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Spending one point to have Kabalisk establish one more army in Firststrike. Before going to war.

Spending two points to command Venin to invent Sulphuric Environment Suits to aid them through the windstorm.

Spending twelve points to raise six armies two points to raise one army in Venin (total 4), sorry for the rules mixup.


Final Balance: 3 13

[ImperialSunligh]

The axis remained in the city of the halflings, watching his avatar "lead" the people, as far as that was possible. He saw many a desperate halfling pound their fists till bleeding upon Alexander's body, but to no avail. He knew that the child of Savien would soon return to the land of the halflings. How interesting that would be, so perhaps he shall give him some fun on the way. So the axis created four great beasts, one a snake with the head of a man, the next a snake with the head of an eagle, another snake with the head of a bull and finally, a snake with the head of a lion. They were granted great magical power from the depths of insanity. They were sent out to populate the area of the kinvally, to make it a more interesting place.

Alexander organised an army comprised of mad halflings and halflings too afraid to resist conscription to defend the city of Vien should Godric dare return, and kill him once again. He led it, his spirit an example for all the mad.

Another army was created in the same city as well, by the axis, similar in organisation, and was to be an offensive force to be sent out against someone. To whom was not something decided yet, or something that really mattered.

On the recent events with the strangled... axis noticed. That is all. The strangled have grown exceedingly boring to it, and unless it feels in the future that there is necessity to, it sees no reason to care.

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1 x 4 to create the "Four Snakes of the World"
1 to command Alexander/the dark avatar to create an army including himself and use it to defend Vien
2 to create an army for offensive purposes

Next: 2d6+3+2=14

[Rith]

This post marks the beginning of a new round. The round will last 48 hours from this post, until midnight when Wednesday, the 14th, becomes Thursday, the 15th.

[Rith]

Power Roll: 2d6+3=13
Current Power Points: 15

The Suturm looked towards the sky, and, with the help of The Awake, who struggled against the Lunacy, noticed that the moon's pattern were beginning to affect the minds of the Strangled race. They believed that if they were to understand how or why the stars were affecting the minds of the insane this way, they would be one step closer to unraveling the secrets of psychology.

Haroen, in the sky above, still glad for the recent victory in the north, noted this strange belief, and while he knew that the secrets of the sky would not help them discern the secrets of the mind, he felt that, perhaps, it was time for them to branch out, and develop a new understanding of the world, and astronomy would indeed help them in the long run.

So, Haroen called the Suturm to a cluster of zinc pillars which towered above all the rest, their thin, gray, warped forms stretching higher into the sky than any pillar in this entire land of pillars. As they gathered, alighting at the tips of the swaying metal and popping up out of the water far below, Haroen spoke, "Suturm. I have a request of you, much similar to the last request I gave, so many years ago. Psychology has proved to be the most elusive knowledge of all you have known, but I still have faith in your ability to find it. However, now, I ask that you turn your minds outward, instead of inward, and look towards the sky. Construct a city at the heights of these pillars, spanning across them, where you are closest to the stars, and construct mirrors and lenses from Umet. Use these things to create ways of taking closer looks at the cosmos, and understand the universe as a whole. It will be as difficult as mapping the mind, but I have full faith that you can achieve it. Good luck, my children."

So, the Suturm constructed the city of Pomilus, from the metal. They discerned the shape of the stars, of the solar system. They witnessed planets, moons, asteroids, phenomenons, and nebulae by the millions, and despite all of that which they had witnessed, they had still barely scratched the surface. So much information of the universe came from this study of the universe, that it began influencing other areas of their society. Philosophy was changed by the knowledge, and Logic and Deduction changed the knowledge itself. Some stargazers even dreamed of leaving Shikalis, to reach those other worlds.

So, happy with the knowledge of the Suturm, Haroen turned back north, and looked to how his people were doing. What he saw along the way, however, gave him pause. Axis was entrenching himself in the city of Vein, and his Artists Guild was having little success against him, even with their Suturm allies. Meanwhile, at his own doorstep, were nine armies of Thiosyles, a host greater than any before ever mustered. Almost the entirety of the Thiosyle people had been turned towards war.

It dawned on Haroen at that instant that he had wasted his power upon granting the Suturm knowledge, and upon granting the world all those fascinating creatures. No, he had to gear up for a war which would never end, for Slassiksyyr would never rest until he had stolen into the north, which would never happen. Thus, Slassiksyyr would never rest, and the war would never end.

He needed a way to ensure a time of peace, so that he could focus some small piece of his divine will upon creation of beautiful things in this world. So, as a great, dry wind, Haroen met with the savage, wet wind that was Slassiksyyr, and as the two gods conversed, lightning flashed across the entire world.

"Hear me, God of the Wet Storm. I seek to parley. You power is wasted upon simple destruction of a people, my fellow god. I once dreamt to be as you are now. Destroying a single land my only purpose in being, but I have since seen the error in such a folly, and sought to change. Mayhaps, for you, change is a grander task, but it is the correct act. Though, if not change, then I ask you for a truce. Your people will be allowed into the glasslands. As they so desperately seem to want to visit, and in exchange, you will not attack. The inverse would also be allowed. Of course, if you will not hear my words, Wet Storm, then answer my question instead. What is it that you so desperately want of my domain?"

As the twin storms coiled high in the sky above, however, a pair of silver eyes peered at them from beneath a pitch-black cloak atop a mountain.

Silver smirked at the sight of two gods discussing their differences, but did not stay long to contemplate it. He had many tasks to complete. With a flap of his wings, he lifted himself off the ground, the glass tied to his night-black clothing tinkling as he glided down the side of the mountain, and out, into the open air above the forests of the equator. He flew much faster than a normal Suturm, or even a dragon, or even the newly created Victory Birds, for that matter, faster than any creature on the world, save a god, but he still had to fly for hours to reach his goal, as rivers and fields flashed beneath his wide wingspan. He danced around Souric, then past Lainric, before coming to rest, a shadow setting foot on the streets of Waric at midnight.

He paid a visit to the greatest smith in that great city, not waking him, but instead weaving a spell that allowed him to slip into his dreams, and plant suggestions where he wanted. This grand smith, the greatest steelworker in the world, would soon act towards Silver's ends.

The next day, the smith joined the Artists Guild, and over the next few years, began bringing together an army of the most intelligent Kinfolk to have ever lived, and clad them in a kind of armor he said he had seen in a dream, which was not very efficient, but was instead the most efficient and mobile desk anyone had ever dreamt up. The entire left arm was covered in a plate which acted as a writing surface, complete with clips to keep the papers stationary should the arm need to be dropped. The right-hand gauntlet contained inkwells which could refill a quill by touching it with the fingertip, not to mention several quills which could be popped out with the flick of a wrist. Paper of every type, material, and purpose was stashed in the leg compartments, and measuring tools, scales, protractors, levels, and everything else was stored in the chest compartment. Even the helmet contained lenses and guiders which could be flipped on and off.

Meanwhile, Silver was elsewhere, swimming into the well-guarded streets of Gard, where he whispered notes of madness to passerby's, who didn't notice, so often they had heard random babbling in the streets. His spells were having effect, however, and soon the Strangled were fully gone to his influence. It only took a single whispered instruction before they acted upon his will, and the city was allowed to drift on the currents, free of it's shoring, as Silver went his way, and the Strangled used their magic to lift the city out of the water, as it neared Second, and drifted over land, to drift back down, into the swamp, between Firststrike and Ossalaos.

Silver grabbed hold of a Titan Manta, feeling a little lazy after these last few years. And smiled to himself as he let the beast take him where he was to go. He wondered when anyone would realize what he was doing, or if Haroen would realize that Oasis had a new army in it, a relic from Silver's time in the north.

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6 points to Advance the Suturm with Astronomy.

1 point to Command Eye to Command Suturm to found Pomilus.

2 points to Command Waric to raise an Army of Engineers.

2 points to Command Gard to relocate to the swamps between Firststrike and Ossalaos.

2 points to raise an army of Ahgana in Oasis.

Current Power Points: 2
Next Power Roll: 2d6+3=9

[Fiig]

When Godric arrived in Isleric and heard of the dark lord, who had stolen his throne he knew he would have to fight to get it back and quickly, he traveled around to the cities of Isleric, Graric, Rivenric, Lainric, Kinric and Waric to raise armies, and had them gather at Rivenric where he came with the last army himself.

they arrived quickly with the aid of the northern fleet, which was still in Godric command.

After the armies arrived Godric lead them to Vein, where the city gates were open by the dragonrider army he had left behind, when he thought he was going to war in the north. And their commanding officer told Godric about Alexander, the dark avatar of the Axis and how he had raised an army of the mad and scared

Godric knew he couldnt not know what to expect so he had chosen to come in full force, In order to secure the city.

Spoiler

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2*5 points to command city to raise army, in Graric, Rivenric, Lainric, Kinric and Waric
1 point to command avatar to raise army in Isleric

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4174664/
+1 point left

[Komodo]

Previous Balance: 13
Power Roll: 2d6+13 → [5,1,13] = (19)

Slassiksyyr gave a contemplative hiss to hear Haroen's argument. "Dry god, I respect you as a fellow deity and creator. But you are a fool."

"You speak of change, as though it is some great nobility. But you forget that you are a god, and your every act is noble, regardless of how it affects the world below. You have admitted your own mistakes to your people, as though they were sitting in judgment over you! Have not your people lost their faith in you in ages past, knowing you had failed them by your own admission? You may change if you find it to your liking, but you shall not judge me if I remain steadfast."

"As for the purpose of my conquest: What, indeed, would they want from the glasslands? What could they take that I could not give them? If I could not provide for them on this world, could I not take them to another? But you see, they should be unsatisfied being fed without a fight. Even if they were made to enjoy being coddled, they would not know the joy of setting a goal and bleeding until it is accomplished. This war is their life, their defining goal, as it is for your Ahkiln, as they struggle to defend their kingdom in which they have lived in a dream of impenetrability."

"Of course, I don't intend to wipe out your creation: That would be disrespectful to you, and of no aid to my creations. Nor to I intend this war to be eternal, only as long as it needs to be. No sense trying to stop them now, anyway: Venin is bound by honor to send in the armies they have prepared, and my people still have their purpose to fufill..."

With that, the serpent turned and spat, and shout out a bolt of venom. It skipped across the sky like a bolt of lightning, and lit the northern sky green for a moment. The Ahkiln and Ahgana stared up at it, and wondered what it meant. Some of them, however, knew...

As the sky to the north shone green, the Thiosyles began to prepare for the invasion. They prepared their suits of firm and resiliant sulfuric fungus, lubricated with smooth and delicious yellowslime. They prepared their strong suits of transmuted pseudowooden armor, the antenna and attachments built to rechannel lightning, and trained their giant yellow watersnakes that were their Sulfambus mounts, and filled packs full of fireworks. Along with this, they began to train one more army, to strengthen their odds.

To the north, Ahkiln and Ahgana, in their traditional Unified fashion, prepared to defend the north. However, some of them quickly and quiletly collapsed as glass blades disarmed them. A group of Ahgana quietly scraped the makeup off of their runes and eyes, taking away the reds, yellows, and whites and revealing the glow of green beneath. The Ahganas never had been on Haroen's side... carefully, the spies worked to weaken the city's defenses, before slipping out toward the end of the era...

A great splashing could be heard, and the Thiosyle armies looked up and began to cheer as a massive, four-armed turtle stood in their midst. Kabalisk, fresh arrived from Firststrike, gave a mighty battle-cry, and his armies were filled with fresh vigor.

Meanwhile, West of Oasis, the green Syles strove to organize themselves against this new threat. None could predict what the madness of Gard would bring once it had drifted into the swamp, but none was willing to permit them to wreck destruction without hinderance. Ossolaos and Firststrike gathered what able-bodied Syles they could, and hastily organized them into a defense...

Spoiler

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Spending two points to raise one more army of Thiosyles in Venin before sending all five of them to Oasis.

Spending seven points for an army of Ahgana to reveal that they never really were on your side, and fighting for the Thiosyles.

Spending four points to raise armies in Firststrike and Ossolaos.

Sending Kabalisk to Venin.

Final Balance: 6

[Plerumque]

ower Roll: 9

Tarethon turned, divine heart cracked, from the Forsworn, and instead reached out to the Lapidea. "You were born from stone, my sons and daughters," he spoke, "yet you were born into a legacy much greater than that. You have the power of words, and trade, and the earth is only your way to wield it. War and strife scar this land, yet you have no part in their struggles. You must seek more than mindless violence," he said, memory of the Forsworn's fate edging his words. "You are greater than that. You can make the world a better place, inch by inch, simply by bringing your art into the world- and giving a fair price for it." He struck into their hearts and mind visions of what could be, what their race could become and the subtle power they could wield. "Go forth, my greatest children. Make me proud." And so the Lapidea ventured forth for the first time, sending great envoys in all directions, bearing perfected works of stonecraft and jewellery. Some of them would be slain before their journey's end. But some... some would reach great cities. And whoknew what would happen then?

Spoiler

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Spending 7 points on the Event last round, which I have elaborated on in the original post, then 1 to command the Sired of Stone to raise another diplomatic army. By the way, I picture the Forsworn as, basically, random encounters on the way to and from places of more imortance, lurking in the dark corners of Shikalis. Unlike the others, they reproduce quickly, and soon will be spread enough to fulfill that goal.

Power Remaining: 1

[ImperialSunligh]

The axis smiled as he watched Godric collect his playthings. It is useless. There will be fascinating death, of thousands, regardless of who wins this battle. The axis laughed so hard at the events taking place that he pushed over the mountains at the mouth of the river leading to Vien. The falling stone caused great destruction, killing many, including many of those in the newly created army, and greatly weakening the infrastructure of Rivenric. The pass remained somewhat open still, but travel would be more difficult in the area with the masses of stone strewn about.

"Oh, well," the axis sighed, "no harm done."

Alexander, meanwhile, continued training his second army in Vien.

Spoiler

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Catastrophe, the Great Rockslide: -10
Command Alexander, train army in Vien: -1

Next Roll: 2d6+3+3=15

[Rith]

This post marks the beginning of a new round. The round will last 48 hours from this post, until midnight when Friday, the 16th, becomes Saturday, the 17th.

[Plerumque]

Power Roll: 5

Returning to his throne of earth, the Lord Below looked upon the hatred that the Axis rejoiced for with an equal degree of fear and horror, thinking of the peace which reigned just a few short millenia ago. There were none, any more, who were not swept up in this tide of blood and war. The only other deities with the patience and calm to avoid this worldwide horror had faded eons ago, without the strength of divinity to sustain them. There could be only one way to try to salvage Shikalis from the catastrophes now wrought daily by angered gods. Yet he had not the power, not yet... so he watched and waited, praying to the cosmos or whatever else gods pray to for his home and his people to remain in the face of all this madness.

Spoiler

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1 point to command the Sired of Stone to raise another diplomatic army.

Power Remaining: 4

[Fiig]

It was still the early mornings when the first battle began, it did not last long, since they were surprised by godrics forces, it was a fierce battle though that left all of the mad army dead, however when the fallen was counted, the error was discovered, only half of Alexanders forces were wiped out, there was still an enemy loose in the city, the call went out, but only just as a messenger arrived with details of another battle, at the palace, where which an army had went ahead to secure, according to the messenger they were fighting a losing battle, but would try to hold out until reinforcements could arrive. Though godrics forces arrived quickly they arrived too late to save them, however revenge was taken, with a long and hard battle with Godric himself in the front line, killing the mad halflings with each swing of his sword, when the finally the last had fallen after seven hours of fighting, the dusk was coming soon, but there was still they imposter to take care off. Godric went fourth to find this blond avatar named alexander, he entered the throne room, but it was empty, Godric had Vein searched high and low, but nowhere was Alexander to be found.

As order once again fell on Vien, news of a great rockslide that had killed the army stationed in Rivenric, greatly weaken the structures in Rivenric and made the pass into the kinvally dangerous, came, Godric dispatched two of the armies in Vein to Rivenric, to secure it the other four remained stationed in Vein. One of Godrics first edicts called for Vein was to round up all known mad halflings and neutralise them. For they had proven that they were too dangerous to keep around, now their number would be kept low, the same order was issued to the rest of the Kindom.

Along with orders to keep standing armies in each city to protect it and prevent uprising of civic armies. So in Souric, Graric and Kinric new armies were raised, one of army from Vein was dispatched to Isleric to be stationed there.

Godric also order the construction of a great temple, dedicated to Savien, it was to be built on Lunpos the island in the Savos sea, where Savien had resurrected Godric, it would be the most grandest temple in the world, The Tempel of Savien, here the kinfolk would entomb their fallen soldiers, to honor them and their families. the construction began soon there after, but would take twenty-one years.

Spoiler

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6 points to raise armies
1 points to use avatar to command the construction of The Temple of Savien
4 point left
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4178374/
3+4+9=16 for next round

[Rith]

Power Roll: 2d6+3=9
Current Power Points: 11

"You call me a fool?! Look at your creations, truly look, and you will see, they are more than the flesh and blood you put into them! It took only a piece of divinity to set them to thought, but that piece has grown, and now they can clearly surpass even us gods should enough time pass for them. Just give them a chance, look for it, and they will prove it to you as so many times it has been proven to me. The lives of those we have created are each exactly equal to the lives of ourselves.

"Though know this, god of poison, your every act has been an act of change. Everything you have added or taken away from the world is an act of change! All that we mighty gods do, is invite and incite change. To change our very selves, that is a great and noble act indeed, far more difficult than any other change you could dream of, and in such a change is greater than you could ever hope to create. You may take pride in your rigidity and lack of understanding, but know that you are weaker for it. Now, I tire of twisting words with a Storm of Death, and must see to that which I hold dear."

So, with that, Haroen surged northward again, and, feeling more power than he had in a long time, blew as a wind into Oasis, and raised strength in his people, and desire to defend their homelands, a new army outfitting itself inside a few months, just as the Kinfolk, bundled up with wet winds from master stormcrafters against the pervasive lack of water in the north. There were dragons flying large supplies of food in from all the way out as Souric, every few days, traveling with them, as well as the army of Ezzo Las, carrying the Zlain high and proud.

But then something caught the Dry God's eye: an army that rested in Oasis which he had not ordered the creation of. Suspicion rising in him, he blew in closer, to see if he could discern the origin of this spontaneous army. After his first look, it appeared to have been created by his own power, but then there was something else beneath the surface… a hint of poison. So, this army was the doing of Slassiksyyr, a plant to try and break the defenses of the north? No, that wasn't it either. That trace of poison was simply resting on something else, like a slick of oil on the ocean waves. Looking beneath the poison, he saw the madness of the deep? Was this a ploy of Axis, to try and confound him? No, the madness was only so deep, and beneath even it… lay death…

That couldn't be correct. It was as though this entire army was just a legion of Ahgana made out of Death itself. It must indeed be a trick from another god, nothing more. However, with so many layers of trickery, he knew he would not discern the purpose of the army, and so, all that he could do is prepare for the worst, and so he sent a wind into Fah Chaloum, and another army was raised, immediately traveling to Oasis to take up with the other armies.

However, he knew that this alone would not be enough. The people of Oasis needed something more, and he knew he had vowed to never have them create such a thing ever again, but he felt the need was dire enough. Without the Glaurhaz, the Thiosyles had a distinct edge against them.

However, he knew they were short on time, and so the weapon would need to be simple, without extensive runes, and easily crafted. Perhaps glass darts would work…

He slipped into the mind of an Ahgana glasssmith, Feol Grama, who made his home a short way outside the walls of Oasis, and there filled his mind with a dream of a sandstorm, thick with lightning, high in the floating mountains of the north.

Feol Grama felt that the world was spinning around him, out of control, yet always spinning away from him, or specifically centered upon him, and as he spun there, his feet remaining on the glass-covered stone atop the mountain, he wondered why he was spinning at all, and suddenly he realized: he was causing the sandstorm.

Upon his chest was a best covered in a dozen rows of pockets, and each held a single dart. The longest almost half a meter long, the shortest barely the size of a toothpick. As he spun and grabbed and threw the darts out, some flying straight, some spinning wildly, he found that he was also catching others, and either throwing them back out, or sheathing them to grab another. It seemed that each dart summoned it's own wind, and turned it so that the dart would return to it's sender, regardless of if it hit something or how far it traveled. Some of the smaller ones even carried lightning bolts, which would strike without error on anything that the dart struck.

The dream storm raged and raged, but once Feol Grama had felt and memorized every single dart and it's proper place in the vest, the sandstorm suddenly dropped, winds stilling, lightning fading, and dust falling instantly, to reveal that Feol Grama stood atop the highest mountain of Fah Chaloum, in his dream.

In that moment, he woke, and, as others had before him, leapt to his forge, and instantly began to work.

Once he had the Jaguar-hide vest completed, and each of the 75 darts properly stowed away, however, the hide covering of his door was ripped aside, and he now found himself looking into the eyes of a yellow beast with the head of a crocodile.

The second battle for Oasis had begun.

Outside Feol Grama's modest home, armies were marching on the walls of Oasis. Cavaliers met Thiosyles with steel against fists, Dragonriders met Thiosyles with fire against fire, and Ahgana met Thiosyles with storm against arrows. Inside the walls, the Death Army had turned against their fellow Ahgana, and butchered an entire army inside the first hour, and the other armies of the north did not look to be faring much better, with Kabalisk tearing through entire battalions of battledancers like they were paper, giant Serpents swallowing Ahgana whole, and Fireshapers turning a dragons breathe back into it's own stomach so that they might burst in a shower of gore and barding, crushing dozens of Ahgana underneath.

But then a sound could be heard. Glass grinding on glass, stone slamming against stone, thunder rolling inside dust, and out in the distance, something was cleaving a path straight for the city.

The Eye of the Storm had left it's place at the top of the world.

The rune which gave the Avatar of the Dry God his form was what was making that sound. Like an engine plowing through the glasslands, rearranging the glass and stone and lightning so that the kilometer-tall cloaked figure of dust could continue it's existence away from it's home.

Though, striking the battlefield, the Eye had no intention of picking up a giant blade and following the style of Kabalisk, cutting down foes and throwing them aside, but instead it burst into a maelstrom, fierce and unrelenting, tearing Thiosyles off the ground and hurling them back into the Wind Wall, from whence they came, while other winds knocked Ahgana to the ground just as an arrow would have pierced their throat. Dust clogged the air, greatly shortening the range of the Thiosyle's many ranged weapons, except around the glasssmith Feol Grama, who spun in his own sandstorm, out in the glass fields, darts slicing through bone and wood as easily as they were butter. None could touch the glasssmith.

However, the Thiosyles were great warriors, and gave as good as they got, with flames burning away the wind and the dust, prophets killing without having to see their foes, and brawlers masterfully breaking through a line of expert battledancers.

The fighting went on for days before, in exhaustion, the armies drew back, to circle each other a while, considering each other. Half of the Kinfolk Cavaliers had died, and almost all of the Ahgana. The Thiosyles were down to two fifths of their number, and the Death Ahgana were hiding in the city, waiting for their chance to strike. Feol Grama made a stop by his half-wrecked house, to grab some food, repair his blades, sleep, bandage the large gash along his face, and pray. The Eye, perceiving a lapse in the conflict, folded himself into his common form, the dusty mask of Haroen glaring, faceless, out at the armies encamping just beyond the city walls, where Kabalisk stood at a night fire, roaring a speech of encouragement into the night as the Thiosyles passed around chlorine wine and tender meat from back home. Tomorrow this fight would be decided.

However, deep in the city, Ezzo Las was waiting, waiting for the correct time to strike.

Just before dawn the next day, the fighting began anew, and the Eye spread out into his maelstrom once more, as Thiosyles engaged the Kinfolk, and the Death army caught the Ahgana just before they could join the fight.

Feol Grama had made it inside the city during the night, however, and the Death Army might have slaughtered another army of their brothers, but he was there, slicing down traitor after traitor.

However, the Ahgana army being taken away from the front lines, with Ezzo Las remaining in the shadows, resulted in the Kinfolk, fighting against an army of impassioned Thiosyles in a city they did not know, being overwhelmed. The remaining Cavaliers were crushed, but the Dragonlords gave as well as they got, and at the end of the fighting, all that was left was a single army of Thiosyles, and the exhausted Ahgana., having just finished cutting down their own brothers in arms.

Feol Grama, who had been made an impromptu leader, as the true leaders of the Ahgana army had been electrocuted, and the remaining ones recognized the glasssmith as a powerful leader, turned towards the Thiosyle army on the other side of the city, preparing to lead his brothers forward in the last charge of this battle.

It was then that Ezzo Las decided to strike, and between his well-rested troops, the fury of Haroen himself in the air, and the Zlain raised high, they made short work of the remaining Thiosyles, and once more Kabalisk was driven out of the north, to walk with the few survivors back into the winds.

However, things were not finished. the leaders of the two remaining armies in the north were at odds. Feol Grama raged at Ezzo Las, wondering why he had not joined the fight earlier. Ezzo Las insulted the glasssmith, saying that Feol Grama was just a soldier, where Ezzo Las was a general who had successfully defended the north from invasion, twice. From that day on, the two men would always be at each other's throats whenever they met.

There were far too many bodies to transport, and even if they knew how, they didn't have the manpower to transport all the Thiosyle corpses back to Venin. So, instead, they simply blew the blood and bodies into the wind wall, which would blow the remains south. The next dragons to come would be told that the dead Kinfolk would have to be transported home in some way, and they were, in their own way. The Eye returned north, healing the land it he went, where it's rune had been carved. Feol Grama named his dart set the Vhaloum, in honor of Fah Chaloum, which he had seen in his dream. Ezzo Las took his army up to Soun Kiln, where they remained for many years.

Haroen rested for a time, weary from his part in the great battle, but eventually returned south, to look upon his Suturm once more. What he saw, first, however, was a grown Suturm, who, as a child, had been a great prodigy, almost as intelligent as Silver himself, they said, wandering about in the icelands.

The Sururm's name was Kade, and he was not lost, but instead looking for a place for him to begin his school. You see, he had spoken with a hundred Suturm, and when he had enrolled in the Kinfolk University, found that none of the great arts of the Suturm were covered in the great school. So, he had set about to create a school that did so.

Haroen smiled to see such ambition in his children, so he reached out, and sent a visitor to him: an Ice Cub.

The Ice Cub was named Sulom-kamion-ishalirnaba-lpous, or Sulom, for short, as he told Kade, and asked what the Suturm was out here for. Kade introduced himself then, and explained that he was scouting locations for a school.

Sulom laughed at first, finding the Suturm idea of buildings to be hilarious, but decided to travel with the stranger, for as long as he was a traveler.

After a long time and many hardships, which are each their own story in and of themselves, the two friends parted, their last act together having been the Ice Cub showing the Suturm a perfect place for his school, and, saying that Kade was no longer a traveler, left, leaving the prodigy man to gather his fellows and build the school.

A settlement had to be raised to supplement the great undertaking, but when this settlement looked to remain even after the school was finished, Kade insisted it be named Sulom.

So, Sulom was founded, in the heart of the icelands, and Kade's Academy rose up beside it, a place of learning to rival or even surpass the University of the Kinfolk.

Though… Ice Cubs can live to be centuries old…

Spoiler

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2 points to Command Oasis to raise an army.

2 points to Command Fah Chaloum to raise an army.

2 points to Command Oasis to create the Vhaloum wonder, a spectacular set of throwing darts, with overall power equal to the Glaurhaz.

1 point to Command the Eye to Command Suturm to found Sulom, in the heart of the southern icelands.

2 points to Command Sulom to create the Kade's Academy wonder, which I will explain further next post.

Current Power Points: 2
Next Power Roll: 2d6+3=11

[ImperialSunligh]

The axis, seeing that the fighting was over, spoke to Savien again, "Mm, very interesting. You gained back your dead walls at the cost of many lives. Many a son of yours bleeds on the steps of your city!"

He begins speaking to herself now, "But regardless of the delightful destruction being caused here, I tire of you, Savien. Perhaps I shall play with another... yes. But that one is only newly relevant to this world... and so..."

The people of the mad isle were restless beyond measure. Alexander, who escaped the land of the halflings with his life intact, traveled there, and spoke unto them. He rallied the forces in Second and Lynn, convincing them to give in to their desires. No care was put into protecting the lands of the crazed. The crazed traveled north to Ossalaus with the legendary Oran in tow, intent on attack.

The axis, seeking to enhance the bloodshed, poisoned the food of Ossalaus with a maddening poison that killed any who eat it, swiftly. Once the people of the city notice, they could avoid more death by replacing the food, but not before many deaths occur.

Spoiler

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Command City x2 (one with Alexander), attack Ossalaus, -3
Catastrophe: the poisoning of Ossalaus, -10

Next: 2d6+3+2=15

[Rith]

This post marks the beginning of a new round. The round will last 36 hours from this post, until midnight when Sunday, the 18th, becomes Monday, the 19th.

[Plerumque]

Power Roll: 11

More good men fell, from bloodshed and poison- not only the poison of the Axis, but the poison of hate which worked its way through the great nations of Shikalis, bringing down the Lord Below's brothers in divinity in a flood of fear and treachery, and before Tarethon's shocked gaze the claws of his own sons became stained with blood and his one ally rushed into the fires of war, and as his last reserves of patience, hope, and reason were stretched nearly to the breaking point, he cried out-

"Stop!"

And peace bloomed, flowing over miles as his divinity stretched out, affecting the hearts and minds of all within. For now, it was a tiny portion of the great world that he could change, but not insignificant, for when can hope ever be insignificant? In these idyllic valleys, no one would be stirred by the tides of war. No blood would be shed, no seeds of hate sown to grow and take root in fear until they consume all, and the simple joy of life would reign in place of madness.

Spoiler

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7 points to affect an inch of the Kinvally with a continuous Calm Emotions effect, except that it doesn't dilute positive emotions. No armies can be raised or sent there unless the enchantment is lifted or someone finds a way to get around it (not neccessarily requiring points to be spent, just finding a fault in it). If Fiig has a particular inch he'd prefer for me to affect, I'll place it there. Otherwise, just a random inch without any major cities. 1 point to command the Sired of Stone to raise another diplomatic army. Also, the extreme run-on sentence that makes up the first paragraph is intentional.

Power Remaining: 3

[Rith]

Power Roll: 2d6+3=11
Current Power Points: 13

Kade looked out across the icy forests at the bottom of the world, looking down at the city of Sulom, at the foot of the mountain. He could see the Suturm bundled up against this mild autumn day milling about like ants so far below.

This had truly been the perfect place for his Academy. Built on a barren mountain taller than even the clouds. The top-of-the-line observatories here could scan the heavens day-in and day-out. Not only this, but the mountain possessed natural hot-springs, which, with a little aid from the Kinfolk and their engineering, were fixed to pump through the structure like blood through a living creature, melting ice before it could form, and keeping the jade and lapis lazuli halls at a comfortable warmth even during the deepest, coldest winter night.

The Academy was a colossal structure, wrapping around and plumbing deep into the mountain, like a city in it's own right, with debate and lecture halls half a kilometer wide, great gardens and greenhouses exclusively designed for tactical maneuvers, seven observatories towering like the pillars of the ocean far away, towers atop an already high-reaching place, and a plethora of libraries, each individually containing more books than a normal being could read in a lifetime. Books on every subject, as well. Hundreds of compiled studies of different races, attempts to unify psychology, records of the great philosophical debates of history, deep logical analysises of everything on Shakilis, enough star charts to bury a city under, scrolls on eidetic theory, tactical textbooks, and records of any law in any city in any nation to have ever existed.

The Academy was a splendid creation, with it's brightly-colored stone structures, wide open spaces, and seven towers marking it's highest point.

Kade was happy to see it flourishing inside his own lifetime, and whispered a silent thank you to Sulom-kamoin-ishalirnaba-lpous, wherever he may have been, and silently watched the city far below for a while longer.

Far to the north, Feol Grama had grown into becoming a well-respected, almost unanimous leader for the Ahgana, despite his callous, unsocial nature and his disdain for espionage, regardless of how deeply intertwined with the Ahgana culture it was. He had a few rivals, but almost every Ahgana recognized him as the leader of the Ahgana armies. However, being as shrewd and paranoid as he was, he was not content with a single army defending his city, so ordered a second army be raised, contrary to the advice of Ezzo Las, who had been corresponding with the Ahgana for many years, and had been telling him to allow the Ahgana time to heal and relax.

Haroen, however, was not paying attention to either of these things…

The Syles he had invited into the northlands so many years ago. There had been a few women in their number, but far too few… and now… the Syles were trying to lay with Ahkiln women.

Haroen was dumbstruck. He had not foreseen anything like this happening. Many thought the coupling was unnatural, and they had a point, as moisture harmed the Ahkiln, and the Syles had a way of being… moist. The Dry God could make it possible for a child to be born of the pairing, and indeed had received many prayers to that effect, but to do so would be a great undertaking… and it would benefit Slassiksyyr just as much as it would benefit him…

Then again… perhaps they would form a bridge across the Wind Wall, a way for the swamp dwellers and the northerners to find a peace.

He decided to do it, and with a silent wind, he touched many Ahkiln women, making them tolerant of moisture, and their Syle suitors, drying them out considerably.

After a time, the first Ahsyle was born. Two main arms, with two vestigial arms halfway down their bodies. 2.5 meters tall, green and white runes appeared equally common on their sleek, shadow-black forms. Their heads were like the Ahkiln, but slightly elongated, perhaps like a hound's jaw, but not so much that they looked to be crocodiles, as their Syle fathers had been. Their mouths were filled with deadly teeth as well, and while they did not have the shells of their fathers, their backs were covered in several boney plates, pitch-black like the rest of their bodies, but segmented, giving them a look as though they were coated in giant scales.

Not everyone found the creatures to be good, but word spread quickly of the children of the two worlds, reaching all the way to the lands of Slassiksyyr, where whispers of the honor and strength of the north had been growing for decades, and now, with the whisper of Haroen taking Slassiksyyr's own children into his domain in such a way, the whispers blossomed into talks, and talks spread like wildfire through the swamps, setting flame to the dry souls, who, in honor to their new god, disdained water as much as they could, and became heavy, and rough.

Spoiler

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2 points to Command Oasis to raise another army.

10 points to create the Halfrace Ahsyle, half Ahkiln and half Syle. They are still young and few in number, so the descriptions should come next post, after they've grown a but. Their technologies are Glasscrafting, Brawling, Battledancing, Firecrafting, Stormcrafting, Honor, Leadership.

1 point to Command Eye to Create an Order, called The Rough, in the Syles.

Current Power Points:
Next Power Roll: 2d6+3=9

[Fiig]

Peace had fallen on the Kindom, especially in the kinvally.

And with the peace came prosperity, the kindom population had almost doubled in size over a generation, mostly in the rural areas, with many new hamlets sprouting up all over the land. In one of these little hamlets a little halfling girl was born, she was name Shira by her parent in memory of her grandmother, in would in all likelihood follow in the family footsteps and become a farmer, but the young Shira, felt no call to the earth. At the age of ten she met a young halfling engineer fresh from the university named Cal, who had come to the little hamlet to live and work there, offering up all his expertise, he was warmly welcomed for an expert like him, was greatly valued for many reasons. Shira kept asking him so many questions that the poor fellow finally ran out of answers to her questions, But he was too proud to say so, so he gave her one of the little steam toys many halfling kids enjoyed, and hoped that would keep her away. While it did so for a long time, Shira did come back, but when she found out that Cal could no longer answer her questions, she asked one last question as to where she could find the answers, and Cal said that she would have to get to the University. However her father was not quite willing to let her go, but in the end she ran away, and at the age of 13 she finally arrived at the university, she was admitted after dazzling the censor. Shira did not have any way to get money so she borrowed it, she became one the best students, but after seven years her moneylender needed his money, and called in the debt, Shira only had a month to pay back the money, so she sat down and thought long and hard, when the idea finally came to her, her old toy.

She took her old toy, and started to make schematics over machines which would be able to do work, by converting the steam energy into machanical force. It would not be able to replace all the usual manpower needed, but she was sure it could be very usefull, she quickly made seravel machines which could grind flour, saw wood and pump water. The ideas surprised many engineers, they knew the old childs toy, but to think that it could be so useful baffled them, but they continued and made machines powered by Shira steamengine.

Meanwhile a group of mathematicians at the University, was beginning to discover a whole new field of science which they called economics, with it they became able to predict where and what amount of goods was needed, the skill became very valueable, as many merchants wanted to know where they could best sell their wares, when Godric heard of this new knowlegde, he summoned the mathematicians to explain it to him, Godric was unable to follow in all their talk, so he hired them into his administration, there they introduced the first coins, of three different types, one golden royal, a large coin of gold, was worth ten silver knights, one silver knight is worth one hundred coppers and a copper could give one a meal.
The mathematicians made sure with their calculations that they only release enough coins to keep a status quo with the supply demand

Meanwhile Godric sent out orders to raise another army in Verric

Spoiler

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6 points to advance Kinfolk Steam power
6 points to advance kinfolk economics
1 point to command avatar
3 points left
+3 cumulative
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4180864/
8+6=14 for next round

[Rith]

This post marks the beginning of a new round. The round will last 48 hours from this post, until midnight when Tuesday, the 20th, becomes Wednesday, the 21st.

[Rith]

Power Roll: 2d6+3=9
Current Power Points: 9

The Ahsyles were very young, just now beginning on their second generation, but they were numerous just the same, with more Ahsyles than there were Syles in the north, in no small part due to the "zeal" of their fathers. They were not entirely welcome in the north, as many ancient tribes of Ahkiln believed the children to dilute and weaken the northern racial lines. However, this prejudice did not impede them, and they learned many things from the world around them. From their fathers they took the ancient combat arts of brawling, which their dense muscles and strong grips meshed with easily enough. From their mothers they gained the graceful mastery of battledancing, which their height and long limbs allowed them to use to the best of any battledancer to have ever lived. Together, these combat arts fused together, with graceful pugilism and brutal dancing making an Ahsyle all but unbeatable in single combat. While they had not yet learned the secrets of bladecrafting from the north, they were fairly skilled glasscrafters in northern tradition. No prophets had been led north, so they had no one to learn divination from, nor were arrows or armor easily crafted from glass, so these things of the Syles they lacked, however, they were able to learn of firecrafting fairly easily, and that, with the stormcrafting of the north, made them into elemental forces unlike any other, which could tear down mountains with their evocative force. They were naturally set apart from the people of the north, so they never took their traditions, with their dance, or their unity, but they did grasp very strongly onto the concept of leadership, and while several things of the Syle parents were not brought north so many years ago, they did bring their honor, and so, between that and the leadership qualities, they were some of the most respected lifeforms in the world. All this together, their bearing, their might in evocation, and their supremacy in hand-to-hand combat, made them perfect warriors, a fusion of the two greatest warrior races to yet have gone to war. They were few in number, but an army of them would not need to field even half as many to match the other in the field.

Haroen thought that perhaps they were not going to be a bridge of peace across the Wind Wall.

Though, regardless of what they grew to be, he would nurture them, and first, they would need an identity for themselves.

Some Ahsyles were sparing in the yards of Oum Pran, sometimes a wide, delicate series of attacks would sweep back and forth between two partners while tracings of fire sparked between them, and sometimes heavy, hammering attacks accompanied with thunder and gusts of wind would be dropped, just to land on broad, heavy, scaled backs which were brought up for the defense. Haroen visited this group of warriors, sweeping through with the winds they themselves summoned, and whispered of their own city, not too far from here, close to the Wind Wall, where they would carve their own home, instead of trying to melt into the existing societies of the north. They would be their own people, and as they finished their training, they began to discuss it among themselves, and how they would have colosseums and training centers and raise their children there.

The idea soon began to spread through the society of the Ahsyles, and before long, a train of settlers, some 150 Ahsyles strong, left Oum Pran, to found the city of Auss Veni. A small group compared to the numbers which had founded other northern cities, to be certain, but dedicated, and willing to work for their homes. Auss Veni would thrive

Meanwhile, far to the south, in a cave in the Kinvale, a Suturm with silver eyes rested. His pitch black robe hadn't even faded the tiniest bit in the last 40 years, and as he held it close around him against the prevailing cold, he reviewed what he had learned recently. First of all his plant in Oasis had failed. He had intended the Ahgana army to aid the Thiosyles, wipe out the northern armies, and then, after gathering the Zlain and anything else of value, report back to him, disposing of the Thiosyles, should they object. However, that had not happened. Some Ahgana by the name of Feol Grama had turned the tide and killed his pet army. It seemed like such a waste to have reanimated all those corpses and then actually granted them minds enough to worship the Poison God. Well, at least now he knew he could do such things. He'd have to punish Feol Grama, of course, but that could wait.

Other matters had been progressing swimmingly, however. The movement of Gard into the swamp of Firststrike had sown distrust between the gods of Madness and Poison, and now it was rumored that the Crazed were actually attacking the Syles. He didn't know what had led to this, but he was glad for it. This would help him, in the long run. Meanwhile the Kindom was growing as well, and he was glad to hear that his Engineer armies were growing more powerful because of it. He now had the one original in Waric, as well as two recently created, one in Swaric and one in Isleric.

He had even visited the icelands in the south, and after a long time searching, found a very important asset. That asset was with him now, even…

Fifteen Ice Cubs were huddled in this cave with Silver, including Sulom-kamoin-ishalirnaba-lpous. They were being slowly altered by his madness spell, at that. Oh, he wondered how the world would remember this…

Spoiler

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1 point to Command Eye to Command Ahsyles to found Auss Veni, just south of the Wind Wall, at the foot of the mountains separating the southern glasslands from the sulfur swamps.

2 points to Command Kinfolk to raise an army of Engineers in Isleric

2 points to Command Kinfolk to raise an army of Engineers in Swaric.

Current Power Points: 4
Next Power Roll: 2d6+3=12

[Fiig]

With all the battles being fought Godric decided that there should be an adequate defense of the Kindom and sent out orders to raise more armies.
In the following years five armies were trained and equipped, in Isleric, Waric, Verric, Swaric and Souric.

Meanwhile the work on the Temple of Savien continued, with the groundwork finally finished, the construction could finally begin. Though the arcitect had been forseen the amount of work and had workers prepare, almost half the building blocks that was needed, All of which was noted in the building book, with all the plans for the colossal temple.

Spoiler

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8 points for 4*2 point command city
1 point avatar
5 points left plus 3
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4184177/
7+8=15 for next round

[ImperialSunligh]

It took a great time for the axis to recover from the calming effect that the underground god had created. It had inadvertently harmed his essence, and he was both given a feeling of order in her mind that he had never felt, as well as being angered to the point of absolute madness. Before he stabilized, it had, on a notion of caring, granted many gifts to the abandoned wind-beasts.

The wind-beasts were blessed with the secrets of military science. It was specifically granted to a prophetic wind-wheel named Hanja. Hanja was blessed with great knowledge of the battlefield, knowing of many battles that occurred in other universes. He created a great text known as the Koung, which contained all of his insights, and was distributed throughout the wind-beasts, granting the knowledge to all of their people. Hanja was promptly killed by a warlord who learned from Hanja's texts. Hanja was forcibly pulled from the wall by a group of wind-swords and restrained until dead.

The Koung and other texts were able to quickly circulate through all of the wind-beasts who needed it because of the axis' second gift, the printing press. This machine, invented by the wind-beasts who were subtly guided by the hands of the axis, gave the wind-beasts the ability to spread knowledge, news, orders, etc. very quickly. This newfound organization led to the creation of the first wind-beast city. A floating fortress in the centre of the wind-wall, Musang was the heart of the world of the wind beasts who considered it sacred and blessed by the axis.

The crazed being as wild as they are proved harder for Alexander to control than anticipated. Though they still had the resources they needed to reach Ossalaos, they would be delayed significantly.

Spoiler

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Command race "wind-beasts", Create City: Musang, -3
Grant tech to "wind-beasts": "Military Science" and "Printing Press", -12

[Rith]

This post marks the beginning of a new round. The round will last 48 hours from this post, until midnight when Thursday, the 22nd, becomes Friday, the 23rd.

[Fiig]

In the last years two new major cities arose in the Kindom, Sarric which was located at the first river where the two source rivers met. Was a city of many young kinfolk who like those in Verric enjoyed the finer things in life, though they focused more on pleasing the eye rather than the ear. So the city was constructed to be beautiful in every aspect, and so attracted sculptor and various other artists. And in the matter of a few years, the couldron of artists became the best in the world, competing and advancing each other much further than they would have otherwise. And so to be the best they reached after making the art ever more lifelike.
In the lands the city of Morric which rose up at the riverbend north-east of Lainric. From the farmers need to have place to bring their harvest, instead of the long dirt road around to Souric or Swaric. The city was built for practically reasons with many storages for various crops and wide streets so carts can come through easily. The harbor streches along the river, and is very busy.

To defend the two cities Godric commanded two armies be raise and one stationed in each.

Spoiler

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1 point command avatar to create city Sarric
5 points advance Sarric "Art"
3 points to command race to create city Morric
2x2 points command city raise army
2 points left plus 3
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4188336/
8 for next round