Legends of Divinity IC
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| Author | Topic: Legends of Divinity IC |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 6700
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written Thursday, May 10 2007 17:40
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There are no coincidences with the gods. Everything is merely consequence, intended or no. - Lith, a priest of Ashataro -------------------- "Sveltas... Stephen..." Noric and Sveltas rushed over to the bed, where their charge, the filthy, strange man now lay writing. "It's okay, we're here," Noric said, taking the man's hand. "Gods... Gods... Geltor..." the man moaned, refusing to be comforted. "Geltor?" Sveltas asked, wringing out another damp cloth to press on the man's feverish head. "Wasn't he the-" "Yes," Noric answered. "I thought his reach wouldn't come this far." He turned back to the man. "Did Geltor did this to you?" "Demons... Demons!" The man began to cough fitfully as he grew excited, barely able to squeeze out the words. "Let them loose! Everywhere! Power! Such Power! Must warn Nerototh! Gods! Gods, the Demons!" He broke down in a coughing fit. "He's delusional," Sveltas concluded. "That may be, but he does know us... and... I swear, I know him from somewhere," Noric said. "Calm down. I'm going to find some help." Noric made for the door. "Where are you going?" Sveltas asked. "To find a healer. At the very least, we can check to see if he's poisoned. Try to keep him calm. I'll be back as soon as I can." "No! No... healer..." "And why am I staying?" Sveltas asked as Noric left. "Because you're the priest," Noric called back. "Tehcnically, I'm a theif!" Sveltas responded. He turned back to regard his charge. "And what we really need is an exorcist. Or an undertaker. Or a priestess of Surita: 'Oh be gone, foul infection!'" he mockingly waved his hand at the coughing invalid, mimicking the voice of said priestess. "Well, buddy, it's you and me now." "Sveltas..." the man abruptly stopped coughing, out of energy. "Yes?" "Drigy... Drigy..." Sveltas puzzled over the word for a moment, beginning to slowly mop the man's head with the wet cloth again. "It's okay, man. Drigy... Dredged... dizzy... dropped... Grizzly... Drige-oh gods." Sveltas almost dropped the cloth as he recognized the human figure underneath the malnourished and beaten figure in his care. And for once, Sveltas was speechless. -------------------- Noric hurried downstairs, ignoring the buzzing sensation in his ears, the itch on his neck, and that deep tingle in his chest that indicated the presence of another god. The man was sick, possibly dying, and almighty Noric had no idea of what to do. So it was up to Stephen Hedges to do the only thing he could: run for help. He was running so hard, he collided with another patron at the inn. The tingling grew fiercer than ever. "Sorry," Noric said. "My fault." "No harm done," the other replied. Noric began to walk away, to ignore the sensation... but before he made the second stride, he noticed something that caused him to stumble into another patron. The man had no face. Completely ignoring the second patron, he confronted the first. "Do you know where I can find a good healer... or at the very least, can you heal people?" -------------------- -Lenar Labs What's Your Destiny? Ushmushmeifa: Lenar's power is almighty and ineffable. All hail lord Noric, god of... well, something important, I'm sure. Posts: 735 | Registered: Monday, January 16 2006 08:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Thursday, May 10 2007 19:10
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OOC: Part 2 of the time-bending. --- Fourty and Cassius stared at each other for a moment. Then Cassius laughed. "So you came. I thought you would. You're a decent fellow. I must thank Kuberr and his spies, for telling me all about you. I never would have known otherwise..." Cassius trailed off and looked thoughtful for a while. When he spoke again, his voice was like the crack of a whip. "So. There are things going on you don't understand. Crazed new gods, demons, and other madness. I declared Mannik mine, and promised to keep it neutral in the events unfolding elsewhere. Harath is gone, vampire clans have moved in, the political structure is crumbling. It is mine now. And my first act to keep this neutral is to expel you. Take your Forsaken and get out of here." "But..." Cassius moved so that he was just inches away from Fourty. "You don't want me as your enemy." Fourty stumbled back. Cassius was much more powerful than he was, and seemed to be having as bad a day as Fourty was. "No... no, I don't. I'll... I..." Fourty turned away and looked down at the courtyard. The holy army was assembling. Fourty's hands clenched so tightly that his nails dug painfully into his palms. It wasn't fair; it wasn't right. Fourty could save a few hundred, but only by leaving thousands more to suffer. But the alternative seemed to be to save no one. Fourty sighed. "Fine. I'll leave Mannik to you. I'll take the Forsaken, possibly to the Haunted Forest, possibly elsewhere. But any refugees that flee Mannik or the villages are mine." Cassius snorted. "Fine. Now about your little friend..." Cassius gestured at the courtyard. Vizoth was being dragged off by two soldiers, struggling and yelling the whole way. "Fourty! Fourty!" His cry was mental too, and now that Fourty was aware of it, it hurt. Fourty, please! Help me! I'm here! Fourty responded so forcefully that Vizoth passed out. "Oh, shoot. Ah well." Fourty leapt down off the roof, indetectable to all but the most sensitive mortals, and caught up to the soldiers. "What do you think happened to him?" one asked. "Who cares? Come on, carry your half of the weight," the other said. Fourty ducked between them and supported the unconscious Vizoth. He had never transported anything as large as a person before, and he had only one chance to get it right. He had to transport Vizoth away without transporting the guards with him. He closed his eyes and concentrated. "Ah, that's better," the second guard said. "But... but I haven't done anything different," the first one said. "What do you--hey!" The guards were shocked when Vizoth just disappeared. Fourty, carrying Vizoth, appeared at the edge of the Haunted Forest. The stress of recent events, the strain of transporting, and the wave of emotions from whatever was in the forest that pressed on his mind instantly was too much. Fourty collapsed. --- Dikiyoba. Edit: Typos. [ Thursday, May 10, 2007 19:16: Message edited by: Dikiyoba ] Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Thursday, May 10 2007 19:41
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Avin approaches, shocked to see someone from so long ago. However, before he can reach him, something slams it's way into Avin's mind: a disturbance from his spy at the inn. "That was fast," Avin thought. "Sorry, old friend, but you'll have to wait." Avin signals to Gulix, and takes off towards the inn with the chief right behind him. However, he stops at the town center... something wasn't right here... Avin had 475 years to hone his instincts. And right now, his instincts were telling him that there was something desperately wrong. He walks carefully, paying careful attention to his surroundings, and a conversation between two peasants becomes audible. "...dried up. It's as if the God of Water decided to hit us with a drought." The other responded, "You don't say! The well still contained water this morning!" "These two events are connected. I know it. Now, if only I knew how and why." Avin decided that his best course of action would be to check the well himself. He walks up to the well and, upon looking into it's depths, discovered that it was indeed empty. Or was it? Water suddenly starts inexplicably flowing back into the well. It fills about halfway before coming to a stop. At that moment, a house at the edge of town bursts into flames. Everyone nearby was soon either fleeing or rushing towards the burning house. Avin, however, stays put. His keen instincts are indicating something else. And he's determined to find out what's behind this. At that moment, he picks up a subtle odor. Sulfur. Something that a home wouldn't put off... but something more supernatural might. Avin prepares himself, but sincerely hopes it doesn't come to a fight. He exhausted most of his energy blessing the new child and creating the illusionary wall. The only way to mount any sort of decent offensive would be to draw energy from his followers. And that was something Avin did not want to do. In a whoosh of flame, a fire shade suddenly appears, approaching the well and carrying a vial of some red substance. None of the panicked townsfolk see it. And the only think standing between it and it's destination was Avin. OoC EDIT: Sorry, LF, but it didn't seem natural to have a spy at the inn and ignore it. [ Thursday, May 10, 2007 19:43: Message edited by: Nioca ] -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Thursday, May 10 2007 20:18
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IC: After Fallian left, Sliros paused. He wanted to continue determining the worth of the others present within the city, and considering the merit of Fallian's gift. And he still felt an echo of Tuoni's presence, an echo thin enough to make Sliros worry for his fellow ancient. However, the god felt a disturbance, and he vanished from the top of the spire. -------------------- Zeth was surveying the district from his window, trying to get an idea of what buildings could be salvaged. There was more than enough in Joth to cobble together a decent existence, it was just that nobody had been able to rally the inhabitants toward a collective effort. As his eyes skimmed over the broken spires and slums, Zeth could feel hairs rising on the back of his neck. Something else was in the room with him. He spun around, picking up the pottery shard dagger he'd grown more and more accustomed to as of late. Nobody was there. But for some reason, his lantern was sparking. He walked over and stared at it for a little while. It continued to spark, but it made no other threatening movements. Then, a long slender claw extended from the face of the lantern. Panicking, Zeth thrusted the dagger into the lantern, scattering broken glass and embers across the bare stone floor of his room. A wisp of smoke drifted up from the ruined lantern, and the embers slowly went out. The claw was gone. -------------------- Sliros now carried Orderforge at his side, though he never expected to use it in combat. A mundane weapon such as it was more than useless compared to his double-bladed staff. And particularly now, a mundane weapon would do the god no good. He could feel the newcomer's presence. The pretender, trying to even dream of what Makroangkeen could do with a flick of his claw. Sliros had respected the demon, despite their disagreements. At least he knew how to wage war... this one, he had no idea what he was getting into. Another shade loomed up on the god's left. A swing of the staff, and the shade fell apart, embers scattering among the wind. Sliros pulled the vial of demon blood and the amulet out of the cloud of glowing embers, crushing them in his gauntlet-covered hand. Nine... why do they always insist on round numbers? He felt another portal nearby, and he lashed out at a streetlamp (which was already suspicious for being the only lit lamp on the street). The embers scattered, and Sliros felt the connection to the netherworld scramble. Maintaining so many portals... over-extending himself like an amateur. Ahead of him, a city block was ablaze. Sliros could feel the distance between himself and his followers in Joth, and it was wearing on his strength. If he had to fight the pretender himself, Sliros might have to actually exert some effort. In any case, Sliros could feel the last of the fourty shades (Seriously, round numbers...) in the midst of the blaze. A moist breeze followed the god up an alley, and Sliros was joined by what could only be the patron god of the Eos river, who naturally bore the river's name. He had not aged well. "Awake at last, I see..." Eos whispered. His long hair had turned cloud-white in Sliros' absence. "Plind, one of the major water gods, has been slain by the one known as Geltor. I have been hard-pressed to defend myself, and I am glad that you have arrived." Sliros simply nodded. So far, not a drop of demon blood had touched the wells, the portals were disrupted, nearly all of the amulets were destroyed, and now Eos could likely ease the drought for the city... Sliros felt at ease for once, despite the fact that his task was technically not yet done. Eos gestured to the building. "Shall I take care of this?" EDIT: Fixed inconsistencies. Thanks, Nioca. [ Friday, May 11, 2007 10:14: Message edited by: Ephesos ] -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7298
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written Friday, May 11 2007 04:29
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Geltor was annoyed that the ten fire shades sent to Kirwood were destroyed but all that was loss will be easily replaced the fire portals were neither hard to make and self maintaining. He just needs someone to hide it during the day. So Geltor sent Coutal with a large amount of gold. --------------------------------------------------- In a dark ally in kirwood two met and made devious plans. Assassin "What is can you possibly want from a human?" Coutal "The gods are capable of sensing anything we send to kirwood. You are humans and have been here for ages. You will not stand out the same we will. You will be our spies in Kirwood." Assassin "and you expect our whole guild to do your bidding?" Coutal "No just go about your regular business just keep your ears open for anything unusual and relay it to us." Assassin "Is that all?" Coutal "No we need you to keep this candle hidden in the city." Coutal hands the candle to the assassin. Assassin "What you ask will demand a high price." Coutal opens up a large chest filled up to the brim with gold and jewels. Coutal "I assuming one of these each month will met your high prices." Assassin "This will be sastifactory." In the blink of eye Coutal plunges into the candle and a few moments after that the assassin his gold and the candle are gone. -------------------- A rock has weight whether you admit it or not Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 5360
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written Friday, May 11 2007 06:50
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Note- This section takes place immediately before Cassius and Kuberr came to the inn. -------------------------------------------------- "Do you know where I can find a good healer. . . or at the very least, can you heal people?" Seoth grinned. The youngling was more perceptive than he appeared. "Yes, I can heal people, though your friend is fading away from that definition quite quickly. Fortunately for him, I have found a shortcut. Which room is he in?" "The one at the end of tha hall, second floor. Hurry-" The man had disappeared. Seoth knelt over the sweating Drigy. He raised his hand slowly, gently. Then, with the force of a mountain, he slammed it directly onto Drigy's forehead. Drigy shuddered and relaxed, dead. Sveltas' eyes widened in shock, and he began to stutter incoherently. Seoth waved his hand over Drigy. Black tendrils of death swirled downward, enveloping the corpse. Drigy's muscles rippled, growing with unnatural strength. His incisors, visible through his open mouth, lengthened and sharpened. He became a vampire. Noric burst into the room. Seoth rose quietly. "Your friend is a vampire now, but his demonic corruption is cured. After my next meeting, I'll make a cure for him. Meanwhile, Noric, I've noticed that you are a neophyte god. James, apparently, abandoned you. You haven't learned much in the way of divinity, and I would like to teach you. What do you say?" -------------------------------------------------- The flaming woman weakly hauled herself over the edge of the coffin, collapsing onto the stone floor. She stood up waveringly. The rotting remnants of the funeral shroud that had remained after her countless centuries in imprisonment had been burned away by her awakening. She was clad only in flame. Experimentally, she held up her quivering hand, trying to make a ball of flame. It appeared, writhing, twisting, erratic. It exploded, and the effort blacked her out. A necromancer journeyed through the blighted woods, following his god's call. An orange light attracted his attention. He walked forward. . . [ Friday, May 11, 2007 13:39: Message edited by: Necromancing Wolfowitz ] -------------------- May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it. Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Friday, May 11 2007 08:48
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It is rumored that there are deities even amongst the gods, and amongst them, even higher beings of existence. And this ladder of deities is infinite, with there always being something more powerful, and someone always ruling over someone else... And each of these ruling hierarchies watches over the last. - Alcazar, High Priest of Relipa, God of the Heavens. (Executed for blasphemy.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Halt!" Avin yells out to the shade. The shade, however, doesn't hear him or isn't listening. It continues its approach. Avin holds his hands in front of him, and mutters a spell. Bolts of energy fly from his hands, hitting the shade. The shade stumbles, but it doesn't die. Rather, it fires off a bolt of flame at Avin, who is knocked backwards. Gulix charges the shade, sword drawn. Avin realizes that he no longer has a choice, and he can't let the battle continue. In his mind, he sees the threads of energy that connect him to his tribe. Drawing on those thread, he fortifies himself with energy and fires a beam of ice at the fiery menace. It strikes true, and the shade collapses into fiery embers. Avin eases himself off the ground and walks over to the shade's remains. The amulet the shade had was gone, but the vial it had been carrying was still on the ground, intact. Stooping down, he picks up the vial and stows it away in his shirt. The tribe suddenly comes to the forefront of his mind. Thankfully, the drain he put on them wasn't mortal, but there were still several people who were sorely weakened by this event. Realizing that he was needed back at camp, he sprints out of the city. -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2080
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written Friday, May 11 2007 11:20
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"Hmmm... Oh well, if it was him he'll come back," James thought to himself, "Still, this isn't going anywhere near as well as I hope, or even expected. This is the most petty pantheon I've ever seen in all my existence." After lounging for a few more minutes, James said to Serena, "I want you and Yumi to hold the fort, I've got some errands to run." Having said that, James walked to the central part of town and, in the loudest and clearest voice he could manage, began to speak, "The entire world is descending into chaos and what are any of you doing about it?! Nothing! The forces of darkness are among us, and none of gods will stand against them! I say these so called gods are nothing more than weak cowards, who are too concerned only with their own petty interests to lend their aid to the many who so desperately need their help! Any gods who hear me now, I say your divinity is wasted on pathetic beings such as yourselves! If you wish for a chance to prove me wrong, you shouldn't have any trouble finding me." Having said that, James returned to his shrine. "If that doesn't get me someone's attention, then I'll have no choice but to drag Noric back into this one," James thought to himself, "Though I am curious to know if that person I saw earlier was who I think it was. If it was, he'd surely help with a just cause. But it couldn't be him... It's not possible. Unless I'm... no, I'd know it if was there... Wouldn't I?" -------------------- "I don't understand a word you just said. Try speaking American. It's the only language I understand." Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Friday, May 11 2007 18:42
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IC: With a series of quick gestures, Eos put out the blazing buildings. Nothing was left aside from the charred shells, though Sliros had felt the fleeting presence of another god. One not as young as the rest, but not an ancient. Sliros put the thought from his mind, as he could feel stronger minds in the city. Eos caught the god's attention. "As I said, it is good to see you back," he said, disappearing in a cloud of steam. ...and then Sliros felt the presence of another, uncomfortably close. It was the confused god again, and he was ranting about the end of the world. Sliros smiled, and turned to walk back to Joth. They never learn... -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Friday, May 11 2007 20:28
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Exploits of the last two centuries played over in Avin's mind. Successes, failures, and his general welfare for the Ishnu were all present. He remembered when he finally made a breakthrough with the project, when he blessed the newborn tribe members with a spell of his own creation which made them stronger than most, when he learned how to intimately link himself to the tribe... The memory that stood the clearest, though, was one that occurred a mere 3 years ago... =================================================== Avin recovered from his ordeal. Frankly, fighting a shade and discovering a long-lost god wasn't his idea of a relaxing time. Still, he had a job to do, and he needed it done on schedule. The sooner he could get this done, the better. He gingerly eased himself up and glanced up at the sky. The moon was fairly high, now... No doubt, several hours had passed since he first came back to the camp. Some of his energy had returned, partially in thanks to a slight, steady draw of energy from the tribe. It would be enough for his purposes, for now. Severing the link of energy, he gets up and heads back towards Kirwood. The guards don't bother him much, which was pleasant. He immediately made a beeline for the temple. His work was important, but first, he needed to resolve this James issue. Avin stepped through the doors and went straight for the love god’s shrine. "Long time, no see, James." James glanced up. "Yeah, I suppose. Who are you again?" "Avin, the god of languages" "Oh. I thought you looked familiar. How're things?" "Not bad. I've become the patron god of the Ishnu tribe since we last met." "Sounds important. I supposed it's better than being a love god." "You think so?" Avin asked quizzically. "Because I'd think being a god of love would be a whole lot more exciting than overseeing a single tribe of people. Of course, I've been doing other things as well, but..." "But what?" James asked, mildly suspicious. "That's something I would prefer to keep to myself. Not that I don't trust you, but it would probably be better to keep it secret for now. "Well, since it's you, I'm sure it's important. Probably not as important as saving the world from the dark forces of evil, like I'm trying to do, but important none the less." "Saving the world?" Avin looked mildly dubious. "That doesn't sound like something you would normally do." "Yes, I know, but I can't help it. I don't really seem to have a choice. I feel compelled to do it. Like some unknown force is guiding me, pushing me to do what by now is looking more and more like a suicide quest. Especially since there are so many powerful enemies and I've got next to no one helping me." "Powerful enemies? I..." Avin stalled. Then, as if he was ashamed to admit it, added, "I haven't been in contact with the pantheon for a long time. 512 years, to be exact. So I really have no idea what's going on." "I've only been part of the pantheon for less than a week, so I don't really know much more than you do. All I can tell you is about the threats, many of which I've had first hand experience with." Avin thought for a moment, and then pulled a vial out of his shirt. It was the same vial of red substance that he had taken from the dead shade. "Are any of them demons, by chance?" "Yeah. A demon known as Geltor is the head of the demons. He claims to be the God of Demons. Not sure why demons can become gods, but I know from personally experience it's possible, so there may be some merit to his claims." "Hmm. And I suppose you're recruiting deities to help deal with this threat. Although this is sort of an odd place for a recruiting station." "I know, but a many deities come to the temple, so I figured that I was bound to run into some good ones who would help me if I waited long enough. That and this is the most idiotic place for someone to set up a base, so surely none of my enemies would think to look for me here." "I don't think anyone would look for you here. It was mere happenchance that I ran into you. And that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the ch-" Avin caught himself, then continued, "-the work I'm doing here in Kirwood." "True. It would be nice if you'd let me in on what you're doing, but I know you're not going to do that. Not that I could help you anyway. What with all the work I've got to do." "Well... how soon are you leaving?" "I'd like to leave as soon as possible and deal with the threats quickly, before they gain even more power than they already have, which right now is considerably more than I seem to have. However, as we all know, that never happens when major crises come up. I won't really be ready to do much of anything until I've gotten me at least 2 other deities to help me out." "I should be done with what I'm doing in a week. So if you wait until then, I'll join you." "I think I can work with that. It'll probably take me that long to find some else anyway. So until then... Good luck with whatever it you're doing and I'll see you in a week." "Very well." Avin turned to leave, but then thought of something. "Oh, and one last thing. If you need me, I have a tribesman in the local inn. His name is Ugrak, and while he'll be incapable of understanding you, he'll still alert me. If that happens, I'll come as soon as I can." "Oh, language barriers aren't really a problem for me anymore. Got me a spell for that now." "Well, in any case, we shall meet again." "I look forward to it, even if it is under such unpleasant circumstances." Avin turns and walks away. He steps across the temple threshold, glances back to see if James is watching, and then doubles back. He heads for his own shrine and steps through the illusionary wall. "All right. Now that the James issue is taken care of, all I need to do now is complete the process." Avin sits on a broken column, and ponders what to do for a moment. Then, he waves his hands in an intricate pattern. The spell immediately starts draining his energy, as he quite expected. A white liquid starts dripping off of the marble of the crumbling statue. At first, it appears to be that the stone is bleeding, but then the nature of the spell becomes apparent. The marble starts melting entirely. After an hour, all that's left of the statue is a massive white shapeless blob of liquid where it once stood. Avin moves his hands, and the blob of marble separates into one larger and one smaller blob. Avin moves his hands again, and the smaller one solidifies. Then, surging his hands in an upward motion, the marble surged up and took the form of the statue again from neck down. He then let it solidify. Using a nearby column as a foot stool, he glanced downwards at the mostly-complete statue. From the outside, it looked ordinary, aside from the fact it currently lacked a head. However, Avin's perspective allowed him to view a new addition to the statue. The torso was partially hollow, with a perfectly square hole about two feet long. It was as if something was to be inserted into it. Smiling, Avin suddenly realized how weak he was. He communicated to Gulix that he wasn't returning to camp, and then sought out the local inn for rest. -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7298
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written Saturday, May 12 2007 05:32
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Drigy stood up trying to gain his compsure two things were different. First the poison part of the demon blood was gone and he was vampire. However his experince with the dark mages allowed him to regonize the curse part of the blood was still on him that not even death could remove. Drigy "So Stephen what have you been up too since I left" ---------------------------------------------------- Geltor had return to hell to look for someone someone who had made the old gods sweat so long ago. Most of them thought he was dead at his hands no less. That however was far from the truth. The Gate keeper had agreed to allow him to go and get him becuase of a deal they made so long ago. Now it was a matter of finding him. -------------------- A rock has weight whether you admit it or not Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Sunday, May 13 2007 09:15
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"Back off!" Fourty yelled, "I need to think!" Whatever or whoever they were withdrew from Fourty's mind. He crawled over to Vizoth. Still alive, just unconscious. Fourty realized several wolves were watching Vizoth suspiciously from the forest. "He's with me! He's with me!" Fourty reached out and touched Vizoth. Instantly, his robes changed from the black robes that marked him as a high priest of Harath to drab, plain-looking green ones. The wolves slunk back into the forest. Vizoth groaned and opened his eyes. Fourty managed a wry smile. "I came to free you as quickly as I could." Vizoth sat up. "I'm not a demigod now, am I?" Fourty helped him to his feet and chuckled half-heartedly. "No. Although you might wish you were soon." He glanced at the forest nervously. "Fourty, is... is that the Haunted Forest?" Fourty nodded. "No! But... but why? No one who goes in there ever comes out!" "I was invited. They offered the Forsaken sanctuary." "Th... they? Who's they?" "I don't know." We are prisoners. The largest wolf Fourty had ever seen strode out of the shadows of the forest. Vizoth took one look at it and collapsed by Fourty's feet. "Oh... oh god." Fourty looked at him awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do, and then attempted to smile at the wolf. "Please direct all statements to me and not my high priest. Now, who are you and what do you want?" We are the rebels, the traitors, the heretics. Many of us come from the first rebellion fifty, no sixty... seventy? Ah, well, many, many years ago. Many more came from the more recent rebellion. The rest are from individual traitors and heretics over the years. Harath decided that death was only the first step, since we did not believe we had erred. So we would be trapped in this forest until we did. "So you're ghosts? Harath trapped you here after you died?" Yes. "Has Harath ever freed anyone?" No. There are many who just want to be freed. Harath came down to free them recently. Yes, very recently. But there are many more who are angry. They want vengeance. They... A new voice, shrill and angry, interrupted. We want justice! The regular voice returned. They want to hunt Harath down. They want to fight him. And Harath didn't realize how numerous they were until it was too late. He used to keep us weak, half-asleep, but then he lost control. I... I can barely control them. Harath had wolves in the forest, but we possessed them. We are trapped in the forest, but we can send the wolves out and act through them. We harassed Harath constantly. He got scared. Eventually, he fled. Since then, we've been waiting for someone who could help us. And now you're here. Will you help us? "But if Harath can't control all of you, how can I?" Fourty asked. I... I don't know. Will you at least try? Fourty held up a hand. "Wait one moment. I will enter the forest when I have my answer." Fourty helped Vizoth to his feet again. "Are you okay?" "Yes. I... yes." He turned away. "I... I need to be alone." Fourty nodded. "I understand. I will be back shortly." He stepped into the forest. --- Dikiyoba. Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2080
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written Sunday, May 13 2007 11:44
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"One week," James thought himself, "I don't know if the world will last that long. Oh well, if it doesn't and I'm killed, at least I have a chance of returning home. Then I wouldn't have to care so much. 'Course if I do succeed, I'll have to smack that annoying god around a bit." As James was lost in thought, a man in his mid-20s wandered into the shrine, somewhat confused to see the current arrangements of the shrine. "I'm sorry," man said, "I must have went to the place. You wouldn't happen to know where the shrine to, James, god of love, is, would you?" "You're looking at it," replied Serena, "what do you want?" "I was hoping to pray to James for guidance and give him my life savings as an offering," the man answered. "That's nice," James said, "make the prayer and offering quick. I've got some reading to do." Up until this point, the man hadn't even noticed James. When he did, he found himself rotating between looking at the statue of James and looking at James. After a few moments, the man regained his composure and asked, "Are you really him?" "If I wasn't, I would've been struck down a long time ago," replied James, "But I am most certainly James the Deity, god of love and potential future savior of the world." "Wow," the man responded, "spending my life's savings will be worth it. James, there's this woman..." "Say no more," interrupted James, as he stood up with lightning speed and touched the man's head. "That's quite a tricky situation you're in... Unlike you, she's not human by the way. The race is similar, but not quite human. Even if you do manage to get her to fall for you, she'll probably leave you when you get old," James spoke. "I don't care if she isn't human or will leave me when I'm old," shouted the man, "I love her! And I want to be with her more than anything in the world." "Good for you," James said, "She won't be easy to win over, though, but if you're willing to try, I can give you some tips..." "I'll do it," interrupted the man. "You haven't even... nevermind," James continued, "useless material objects won't work on her kind. They're very independent and hate it when a guy tries to give them things they don't ask for. She's also more aggressive than most woman, however, like any woman, all you need to do is satisfy her psychological needs." The man just stared at James and said, "Satisfy her what?!" "Psychological needs," James replied, "Make her feel like the most important person on the planet, even though she isn't. Do everything she asks of you with minimal questions. Give her the occasional massage, which goes double for women of that species since their inherent and unexplained irateness makes them very tense. When it comes to petty arguments, just let her win. Normal women will hold it against you if you argue with them over petty things. Unlike a normal woman, this one will probably kill you. Cuddle with her every now and then. Women often need to be held, especially when they're sad. Now, most importantly, you must always treat her with love and respect. Do these things, and in time, she might actually start to love you. If not, at the very least, you're with her." "What's a massage," the man asked with a puzzled look on his face. "Observe," James replied, "Serena, take off your cloths and lay face-down on the table." "Hell no," Serena shouted, "I don't know what vile massage thing you have planned i, but I'll have no part in it!" James casually walked up to Serena and whispered, "I guess I will have to go outside and abduct myself a poor helpless woman to do this to. Of course, if you want to spare the poor woman from my evil, you can always do what I just told you to. "Fine," Serena replied, "but after your done, I will kill you." "Whatever. Shut up and get on the freaking table," James said with great agitation in his voice. As Serena began to remove her cloths, James cast an illusion spell spell on Serena, rendering her invisible. "Let me know when you're in position," James commanded. After getting her cloths off and laying on the table, Serena alerted James to the fact that she was ready. "Watch and learn," James said to the confused man. James dispelled the invisibility and approached Serena. When he got to her, he began to rub her shoulders, gradually working his way down her back. While massaging Serena, James looked at the man and said to him, "Now, early in the relationship, it most likely won't be possible to massage more than the neck and shoulders. In time, that should change and she'll let massage more places. It's very important to find a good ratio of firmness to gentleness. If you don't get it right, then she'll be very angry with you. This ratio changes with each woman and with the amount of tenseness the woman's body is suffering from. With some practice, you should be able to easily figure out what is effective and what isn't." "God, this feels so great," Serena thought to herself. Without a word, James signaled to the guy to step in and try it for himself. After a few minutes of trial and error, he finally got the hang of it, much to his surprise and Serena's enjoyment. After several minutes, things began to wrap up and in time the man went on his way. With the massaging over, Serena put her cloths back on and said to James, "I like that kind of evil. I think you should 'torture' me like that again some time." She then smiled, kissed him on the cheek and went outside. "Aw, she's fallen in love with you," Yumi said as she hugged James, "and the two of you make such a nice couple. You should become her boyfriend." "So, does that mean I'm not your boyfriend anymore," James asked with enthusiasm. "No, silly," Yumi replied in a more serious than normal tone, "You'd be my boyfriend and her boyfriend and I'd be your girlfriend and her girlfriend. And that's how marriage works." In response to this, James said the only thing he could, "Wait. What now?!" Somehow Yumi managed to not hear him and she soon wandered off to go play in a field. -------------------- "I don't understand a word you just said. Try speaking American. It's the only language I understand." Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 5360
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written Sunday, May 13 2007 19:10
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Seoth floated with the other gods on his cloud. "So where exactly are we going? I don't know where to land this thing?" Cassius flinched. He had been thinking. "Ummm. . . There. Next to that patch of fog." Seoth lowered the cloud into the fog. He waved his hand nonchalantly, trying to dispel the fog. Nothing happened. Frowning, he slammed his fist downward. Nothing happened. He held out his hand cautiously. "Illusion," he spat, "We'll have to live with it." He landed and walked into the fog. He called back to Kuberr and Cassius. "Don't leave the cloud. I might not be able to find you again." He strolled forward through the impenetrable fog. Vanishing into the mist, he gently began to float. He drifted forward warily, waiting for the almost inevitable surprise. He was blasted forward, falling face-first onto the ground. Whirling, he summoned his twin lightning blades. Nobody was there. A form rose from the ground. A woman, wreathed in flames. Seoth stared in stunned awe at her. "Callia. . ." She screamed hellishly, whirling forward in a gout of flame. Seoth held his swords up in an "X" before him, ready. She disappeared back into the mist when she touched him. He whirled again. This time a tall, thin, sultry woman was sauntering forward in a rich black dress. "Hello, god. . . What have you come for?" "A cure. A cure for vampirism." "Ah, but of course. To an already immortal such as yourself, it must be nothing more than a burden. . . I won't do this for free, you know." "Of course. Who would? I am a god, you know. Anything you want that has to to with Balance, Weather, Deceit, or Undeath will be my payment." "But I don't want anything to do with that. I want to be a demon." Seoth started. "A demonic vampire? May I ask why, Lady?" "Unholiness is my one goal. tTo become the exact opposite of a god. I have seen your kind, and I despise them." "Demons can be gods, too, you know. But at any rate, I can actually do that." Pulling the essence stone that contained the essence of a divinity and a demon. He threw it at her feet. "This contains demonic essence. Grind it up and snort it through a bamboo stick with the peace sign on it. Something like that. Go wild. Now what's the cure?" "To drink the blood of a vampire, touched by a god and willingly given." She pulled out a knife and drew it across her wrist. Red blood oozed forth. Seoth grasped it mentally, pulling it into an orb and into his waiting mouth. He swayed on his feet, his vision blurring. "Sleep tight, god." Flames waited. . . -------------------------------------------------- The necromancer was one of the tribal sort. Tattoos, bones, rags, that sort of thing. He walked cautiously forward, towards the woman of fire. She got up unsteadily, coughing blood. "Necromantic scum. . . Cleansing, purging. . . The Purging. . ." She screamed incoherently. The necromancer shuddered violently, dissolving, writhing in death. "Become your unholy servant!" The necromancer - a zombie now - stood up and began beating himself to re-death with his staff, again and again. Krasonva the Purger, once Callia of The Gold, rose. Half insane from her imprisonment, she began to stumble along, following the scent of undeath. [ Monday, May 14, 2007 12:56: Message edited by: Necromancing Wolfowitz ] -------------------- May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it. Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Sunday, May 13 2007 20:08
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OoC: I sincerely apologize in advance for the incredible and ridiculous length of the preceding. It seemed quite a bit shorter in my head. =================================================== Avin walked the streets of Lousia, extremely pleased with himself. Finally, he found a use for his powers: archeology. Ancient tombs of long-dead kings and even gods were like an open book to him. However, he still had to get used to his powers... being new to godhood, he had some experimentation to do. In his musings, he noticed an eccentric-looking man entering a run-down alchemy shop. Avin followed him in to discover that, like many fools, he was wasting away his days trying to turn various minerals into gold. He also seemed to make various potions and brews which actually worked. Avin, however, decided to follow the man to the back room. There, he noticed some unusual objects that didn't seem to be part of the same scheme. A beautiful, flawless diamond stood on a golden pedestal. It radiated a small level of power. Suddenly, the man turned around. "What do you want? If you want me to sell you something, you can wait in the front!" With that, the man shooed him out before he could come up with some excuse. Thinking carefully, he decided to see if some of the meager spells he could cast in his mortal life worked now as a deity. He muttered the incantation, and vanished. Slipping again into the back room, he saw the man staring lovingly at the crystal. "You'll make me rich and famous, that's for sure. Don't worry, though... I'll make sure those mages take good care of you." The man continued to mutter similar things to the crystal. At that point, the front door slammed open. Avin turned, then attempted to move quickly out of the way of a woman who entered the shop. It was close; the sleeves of their tunics actually touched very briefly. Thankfully, the woman appeared to not take notice. She was shockingly gorgeous, to say the least. Pure white hair streamed down her unblemished skin, and she wore clothing of the highest quality. However, Avin immediately knew there was more to her than met the eye. She immediately moved to the crystal, which caused the man to stand between her and it. "I've had enough of this nonsense! Out! Get out!" At this point, the woman grabbed the man's arm, causing him to fall to his knees. "I came here because I want something done. I won't leave until I am sure that it happens." She stared dispassionately at the man as he said this. "What do you want?" The man asked, trembling slightly from shock. "I want you to destroy the crystal. Your kind is not meant for it, and the power it entails. I'm here to make sure that happens." "NO!" The man yelled angrily. "My life has gone into this! For 10 years, I have labored on this device, making sure it worked! I finally completed it, and I won't see it destroyed because you see fit to do so!" The woman smiled coldly, then kicked the man aside as if he was no more than a feral dog. Avin again had to move, this time to avoid the unfortunate man. The woman approached the crystal and caressed it softly. "Before I destroy this, I want to know where the plans are." Suddenly, Avin felt something gripping his leg. Looking down, he saw the man staring up at him. He then pointed to a drawer just past the woman. Realizing in shock that his invisibility spell had worn off, he muttered the incantation again, hoping the woman didn't hear it. She did, though, and turned around to face the man on the ground just a moment after Avin disappeared again. "What did you say?" The woman asked, seemingly amused. "That now I will kill you!" The man yelled, yanking a knife from under his apparel. He charged the woman, but she stopped him with considerable ease, grabbing both his throat and the blade of the knife. "Pathetic." She said as she started choking the life out of the man. While she was distracted, Avin carefully opened the indicated draw and found the plans for the crystal. Tucking them into his tunic, he then considered attempting to take down whoever this woman was, but decided against it. This man seemed determined to have these plans survive, and Avin planned to obey his wish. The woman dropped the man and began rifling through the drawers, cabinets, and anything else nearby. Finally, she turned and said something incomprehensible. A beam of light shot from her hand to the man's chest, and in an instant, there was nothing left but a pile of ash. Avin was rooted to the spot with shock as the woman left the room. Avin soon followed. Stepping out onto the street, he saw that the woman had seemingly disappeared. He also saw a gang of eight mages approaching the shop. Avin moved away despite still being invisible. They entered the shop and Avin could see them enter the back room. "Well," Avin said to no one in particular. "At least she didn't manage to destroy the crys-" Avin's words were cut off by a massive explosion. Indigo flames ripped apart the alchemy shop, blowing pieces of wood high into the sky. Everything nearby, including Avin himself, was thrown backwards by the sheer power of the explosion. And everything faded into nothingness... =================================================== Avin stared out the window as his mind recalled the events of eons past. He had been so naive, then... Still a young god, in search of both followers and a religion. Sure, he was, and is, the god of languages, but still, it was nothing to base any sort of doctrine on. He moved these thoughts from his mind; he had a job to do. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out an aged sheet of parchment, the plans he had recovered so long ago. And now, those plans would come to fruition. He contacted two of the shamans in the village. In Ishnuish, he said to them, "Prepare the diamond. Have it ready for transport on my signal. And whatever you do, do not damage it." He then went downstairs and left the inn. He immediately went for the temple again, and, much to his chagrin, found James was still there. Realizing that frequently coming in and out of the temple might make him more suspicious than he already was, he cast an invisibility spell. Then he headed for his concealed shrine again. Once inside, he connected to the shamans. He felt his energy suddenly start flowing out of him as he cast a teleportation spell. Suddenly, with a bright flash, a 2-and-a-half foot long diamond appeared in midair. Avin had to move quickly to catch it before it hit the floor. It was hexagonal in shape through it's body and the ends came to pyramid-shaped tips. He carefully lifted the large gemstone and gently started dropping it into the hollow inside the statue. It fit perfectly, with the top of the diamond still exposed. Avin then took the plans out again and, following them to the letter, started chanting. He placed a hand on the diamond, and light started flowing from his hand into it. The god's very energy flowed into the gemstone. The chanting increased, as the god grew weaker and the energy flowing into the diamond grew stronger. After an hour, it reached it's apex and there was a flash of light. Avin withdrew his hand, and surveyed the results. The glow that had lit up the chamber had gone, but the diamond was now putting off a gentle glow. It was nearly imperceptible, which was a good thing for Avin. He stayed still, attempting to regain his composure. Almost every ounce of energy he possessed was channeled into this stone. The man, who died so long ago, now had his life's work complete. However, Avin had just begun. He experimentally tried drawing a bit of energy from the stone, and had extremely limited success. Most of it was lost between him and the stone, even though they were mere feet apart. The stone had been designed to store energy for magical machinery, not to be drawn out directly. Fortunately for Avin, he knew how he could accomplish this. But it would take even more time and energy to do. Reluctantly, he left the stone and wandered outside. He had become visible now. And he decided to take a stroll. Surely, a city as beautiful as this would have something to offer for one such as him. And if not, well, he could always go back to the Ishnu camp. But something else interrupted those plans; with a thrill of horror, he saw striding through the gates the white-haired woman of so long ago. He promptly hid behind a building, hoping to listen in on what she was doing or had planned. He heard her cold voice again as she started asking peasants questions. And most of them were asking whether or not they had seen a person matching Avin's description. Panicked, Avin fled into the more run-down parts of the city, seeking refuge. -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7298
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written Monday, May 14 2007 20:58
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Geltor's knowledge on the various demon factions in hell wasn't what it use to be. Even through he was the god of demons it was still useful to know who knows who. Geltor decided to start off his search he vist and old ally of his, a demon lord named Soradin. Soradin was one of the most powerfuld demon lords and would likely have been able to survie the millieum and half he has been gone. Geltor approachs a dark foreboding citadel that strecths to the sky. One Geltor was spotted by the demon guards the dropped to a low bow and one of them went to alert Soradin. Once at the gate, Geltor was lead to an audience chamber. Soradin" So Geltor what brings you to hell? Jugeing from the increase influx of damned souls I thought you be enjoying your self too much." Geltor "I have come to find and an old freind of ours." Soradin "Ah I see, So things are not going as well as I thought." Geltor"I just don't want to piss him off. I promise I come back for him and he doesn't like to miss a good fight." Soradin"Very well, I'll help you find him. I think I know were he is. I like to join you in your fighting as well." Geltor"That will be up to the Gatekeeper." -------------------- A rock has weight whether you admit it or not Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2080
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 08:03
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As James was reading a book, enjoying the peace that comes from the absence of Yumi and Serena, he found himself interrupted by a tapping on his shoulder. James looked up to see his Oracle. "Your holiness, I have found him," the Oracle said. "Excellent," James said, "nothing like a side quest to get my mind off of boredom." The Oracle sent James a telepathic image of the location he sought. "Well, I'm off. You know what to do while I'm gone," James said as he teleported off. In that same old fiery flash, James appeared before Silros. "So, you finally have to deal with one of the gods you diligently mock," James said to the surprised god, "If we were in my realm, I would've already crushed you by now. Fortunately for you, I'm not anywhere near as powerful here. As a result, I could use your help. Also, you will most likely need mine, since some of the others you've made fun of are far less forgiving than I." [ Tuesday, May 15, 2007 08:37: Message edited by: Bandit Keith ] -------------------- "I don't understand a word you just said. Try speaking American. It's the only language I understand." Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7298
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 09:28
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Soradin lead Geltor up to a cliff face. It had a gaping whole in that was caged off by bars of bright white light. Makroangkeen was chanined by the same energy. Makroangkeen approached the the edge of his prison. Makroangkeen "So Geltor true to your word you come back for me. So have you found away to free me from this cursed prison." Geltor"I beleive so. The energy binding you is immune to demon magic. Their for we must use a god power that is not demon." Geltor suddenly pulled a lighting bolt from above. Except it didn't dispate. Geltor sent a memrioe of the spell he was going to use to both Makroangkeen and Soradin. Geltor started chanting and they joined in. Slowly the light was drawn into a disk around the lighting bolt. The prison and its chains slowly diminished until it faded away. Geltor then used the lighting to wrap up the energy into a ball of pure energy. The ball of energy then disappears into a fury of flames. Geltor bearing the brunt of the spell collapes Makroangkeen walks over to him and cast a healing spell and Geltor awakes. Makroangkeen "So has the gatekeeper fufilled his end of the bargin. I would hate for all my time here to have been in vain." Geltor "He assured me he let me bring you and one other demon with me. Wether he holds to the deal or not is yet to be seen." Soradin "Then we should go find out shouldn't we." Geltor grabs on to Soradin and the three teleport to the Gatekeeper. [ Tuesday, May 15, 2007 19:41: Message edited by: Lord Safey ] -------------------- A rock has weight whether you admit it or not Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 5814
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 14:55
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While Seoth was off in the mist, Kuberr and Cassius stood and waited together. Cassius was moodily staring at the ground, while Kuberr was constantly speaking with his followers and informers, cocking his head and muttering quietly. Suddenly, Cassius tapped Kuberr on the shoulder. "Hey, would you stop that? You're annoying me." Cassius glowered at Kuberr Kuberr looked suprised for a moment and then stopped. He stared at Cassius and sat down elegantly. "Well, I think it's to be expected from most of us. But not you, I noticed. I've never seen a follower of yours, nor seen you hear or honor a prayer." Cassius shrugged. "I don't need them; they need me. I have no use for them or a reason to listen. I cut off all but a few people from being able to pray to me. And of those who I do hear, half are just for laughs." He shook his head. Kuberr nodded, then tilted his head again. But he was still staring at Cassius, and his eyes grew wide. He finished hearing the prayer, and then said to Cassius, "Sorry, but it's for you. Barbados just told me that apparently there's some sort of emergency in Mannik, and he only just found out." Cassius stretched. "What sort of emergency?" Kuberr shook his head slowly. "I have no idea. But Barbados did say that it was the Harath priests who started it." Cassius's groaned. "And he can't handle the problem himself, can he? So he asked me to come all the way back to Mannik just to fix things?" Kuberr smiled slyly. "No, he asked me to come and help him. But I thought this would be the perfect time for you to start pulling your weight." Cassius sighed. "Fine. I'll do it. But you're coming with me." "Wouldn't miss it." Kuberr snickered, then hesitated. "What about Seoth?" This time Cassius scoffed. "He left us here anyway. I couldn't care less." He turned and strode away, leaving Kuberr rooted to the spot. After a moment's consideration, he cupped his hands and shouted, "Hey, lich! We're going to leave now! And remember your promise!" Then he trotted off to follow Cassius. ---- The return journey took about the same time as the trip there, although this time they were not aided by a cloud chariot like the one Seoth had provided; the mountains were considerably closer to Mannik than to Kirwood. Since their departure, Mannik had gained several notable landmarks. There was now a large, scorched plain where once there had been light brush and a few huts outside the main city. And now the high tower upon which Kuberr and Barbados had first seen Seoth was crumbled and smoking. Finally, a major temple to Harath seemed to have taken hits on par with those of small siege weapons. But no army was in sight. However, Cassius noted a higher number of refugees fleeing the city than usual, and all stared over their shoulders with worry. Cassius passed through the gates of Mannik with Kuberr not far behind. Kuberr pointed shakily in the direction he knew Barbados to be. Cassius turned the other way, and screams could be heard that way. He moved off; Kuberr left him and headed toward Barbados. Not soon afterward, Cassius saw the problem. A huge, golem-like monstrosity was stomping through the area, crushing vendor's stalls and fences underfoot. It wore a shell of mirrors like armor, and lightning crackled underneath. The whole thing smelled of flame. People were running from it as well, carrying what they could; they expected that it would destroy everything, it seemed. Cassius thought long and hard. He wasn't especially prepared to deal with a holy simalcrum of Harath, and definitely not one which seemed to be inorganic. But he picked up a convenient piece of cobblestone anyway, hefted it, and threw it at the golem. It hit the head with a deep, satisfying gonging sound. The golem whirled around and easily saw Cassius; its eyes spat lightning, and the monster roared. Cassius roared right back, "Hey, Atlas! Get out of my bloody city, and never come back!" Suddenly, he was lit up by white light; the monster had focused on him, and little sparks were playing up and down his body. Cassius saw a series of memories, and could only assume that the monster was as well. In his mind's eye, he saw himself committing horrible acts and sins. He saw murders, beatings, threats, and every manner of dishonorable thing he had ever done. While he was transfixed, the monster's eyes were steadily growing larger and larger, until with an ear-splitting roar the monster charged and Cassius was released from the stream of memories. When the monster came within two of its arms's lengths, it halted and drew back its head. It belched a great ball of lightning; Cassius rose into the air to try to avoid it, but it tracked him and caught him in the chest. The monster moved in for the kill. From behind it Cassius heard shouting, and the monster rounded on these new arrivals. They appeared, oddly enough, to be priests of Harath. They were chanting a prayer. Large whirlwinds of fire bloomed all around the golem and slammed themselves into the legs of it, but all they did was rebound off it and dissipate. The golem inched nearer, and the priests scattered. It did the same thing to a few of them as it had to Cassius; it scanned their memories and analyzed what it saw. It seemed that it didn't like what it saw, because it stomped the ground and sent a grapeshot of miniature lightning bolts after the priests. They screamed and ducked, but it did little use; most were severely burned. Cassius took this opportunity to sneak up behind the golem. He had noted the nature of it; it scanned targets, assessed their crimes minor or major, and invariably sentenced the offender to death. He had noted that the golem scanned whatever it caught sight of, and planned to use that. He stealthily climbed up the leg of the golem while it was roaring and stomping, then up its back; the monster took no notice. When he reached its shoulder, he slashed through part of the mirror plate with his clawed fingers; by this time the golem had noticed him. With its opposite arm it tried to swipe at him, but he dodged the blow. He hopped from one plate to another, sometimes holding on with his hands and other times balancing on flatter areas. Finally he reached the twisted face with the mirror sheet behind his back. He suddenly thrust it out so that the golem could not miss it, and so that it looked back into its own eyes. It saw ruined homes and dead children. It saw men it had incinerated for petty theft. It saw priests, who had tried to live according to the law, punished for things they had repented and turned away from. It saw the stream of refugees who had escaped the slaughter, who it had forced to leave. And the golem began destroying itself. Cassius jumped clear, and lightning began to escape the confines of the metal joints. It seared up and down the golem's body, twisting and warping it. Molten metal ran in rivulets down the body. The golem seized its face with its own arms and began to pull; a blinding flash of light spread out, and with an explosion of fire and metal the creature became inanimate. An ethereal spirit rose out of the body, keening and trailing vapor behind it. Cassius took one deep breath, then lost consciousness. -------------------- quote: Posts: 1115 | Registered: Sunday, May 15 2005 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 15:06
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IC: Sitting atop one of Joth's spires, Sliros watched as the stones slowly reassembled themselves. Working like this, the district would soon be restored to at least a part of its former glory. Still, Sliros had bigger thoughts meandering across his mind. For instance, there was the whole matter of the Kalazar Empire, and whether or not he trusted Fallian's offer. There were the other gods lurking in Kirwood, including the one who carried echoes of Tuoni with him... Also including the one calling himself James, who had suddenly appeared in front of the thinking god. He didn't seem to be actually standing on anything, but this didn't seem to bother him. "So, you finally have to deal with one of the gods you diligently mock," James said to Sliros. It was true, Sliros held little but disdain for James. "If we were in my realm, I would've already crushed you by now. Fortunately for you, I'm not anywhere near as powerful here." Sliros had always wondered what drove gods to stray from their worlds of origin. He guessed that in James' case, it was simply madness. In any case, he was glad that he would never have to visit James' realm... it was most likely a very confusing place. James continued. "As a result, I could use your help. Also, you will most likely need mine, since some of the others you've made fun of are far less forgiving than I." Sliros inwardly laughed at this. Perhaps he could finally find out exactly why James thought the world was due to end. "I know that Geltor seeks out Makroangkeen," Sliros said. It was true, any ancient worth his salt could sense the angry stirrings of the cursed one in his netherworld prison. Fortunately, Sliros knew that even if the former threat escaped, the Gatekeeper had been a part of the pact to restrain him. "The Gatekeeper will take care of him." James, in a rare moment of surprise, fumbled for words. "But he's certainly a threat. And you need my help to defeat him." "This is true... I could not hope to defeat Makroangkeen alone. But as one of the ancients tasked with keeping him restrained, I hold a slight degree of power over him. So if it were necessary, I might be able to restrain him again." "So you need my help." "Should the foul one reach this world, yes, I will need the help of every deity I can reach. Saluc tried to turn this world into his own personal hell, but Makroangkeen will try to undo creation as he did before." "And by undo creation you mean..." Sliros sighed. One of the larger stones that was dutifully sliding itself back into a support pillar slipped momentarily as the god lost a bit of concentration. "Demons such as Makroangkeen despise the world we created. They wish to undo it completely, so that they can build some twisted abomination in its place. And whichever demon unravels the fabric of this world first will likely rule the next. So they compete with one another, and very little ever gets done. Except when titans such as Makroangkeen try their clawed hands at it." James silently waited for more explanation. "But I am getting away from the task at hand. If Makroangkeen returns, yes, I will need your help to subdue him so that he can be imprisoned again. However, it would probably be easier to destroy Geltor first. Any demon blind enough to release Makroangkeen into this world is digging his own grave as well as ours." James sighed. He looked bored. "Alright, fine." "Remember one thing, though. If the time comes and I need your help, you will need to anchor yourself to Kalandha, and not the realm from which you came. You must cast off the things that attach you to that other plane, or your power will be split between the two. If you remain split, you will be of no use to me or to Kalandha." Sliros turned the bulk of his attention back to the moving blocks of stone. "And I believe you said that you needed my help as well..." -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2080
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 16:33
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"What I would like your help with is the over-all battle evil thing. Also, while it is true to my level of power varies from realm to realm, it shouldn't be a problem," James replied, "while I do often question my own intelligence for being a part of so many pantheons, this time it's... No, you don't need to know my motivation for trying to save this realm. If you want to wait sit around and wait for the problem to become more serious, then so be it. In my experience no good ever comes from such inaction, but if that is how you want to play it, then so be it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find someone who actually knows how to deal with demons and allow you to keep doing your petty little urban renewal project." Before Silros could get in one of his one-liners James has already teleported off. When James appeared in the Shrine, he was a bit surprised to a man in blood-red robes(guy in the middle) and a small force of scantily clad vixens, who had James's guards pinned down. "I had heard someone had taken over the Shrine of James the Deity and I came to investigate," spoke the robbed man, "didn't actually expect to see that it was you. I had heard you were in this realm, but I didn't expect to run into you so soon. It's a pity I..." Before the man could finish his sentence, he had found himself with a broken leg and he was now pinned to the ground. "Well, if it isn't the most self-righteous man alive," Serena said sadistically, "now, Kesh, what was that you said a while back about making me being evil and that you would kill me?!" Serena began to channel her dark power into her hand in preparation to deal a killing blow to the robbed man. Just as she went to strike him, she felt a sharp pain in her back. Just before Serena lost consciousness, she turned to see what hit her. About 20ft behind her was a robed figure who looked just like the one who she was attacking. "So pretty and so stupid," Kesh said, "James, I never thought I'd see the day where you started hiring gutter trash like Serena to do your evil deeds. Oh how the once mighty have fallen." Kesh then fired another blast at Serena, only to hit an invisible wall. "As I was trying to say before I was so rudely interrupted," Kesh said as he and his minions started to walk away, "you have one month to leave this realm. Failure to comply will result the full fury of the forces of Minoko being released upon you." "So I take it you're not interested in saving the world are you," James said sarcastically. "Like you actually care about the world," Kesh said, "you're too petty to do the saving the world thing." "Well, could you give this note to Minoko for me," James said as she handed Kesh a piece of paper. "I'm not your messenger, but I suppose I could," Kesh replied before he and his minions teleported back to Solaris. With Kesh gone, James dropped the force wall around Serena and began to heal her. [ Tuesday, May 15, 2007 16:35: Message edited by: Bandit Keith ] -------------------- "I don't understand a word you just said. Try speaking American. It's the only language I understand." Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 5360
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 16:43
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Fire. Fire everywhere. Seoth had no presence here, no body. There was only the fire and her. Her. Callia. Krasonva. His love from his first life. Before divinity. Before even the path to divinity. She was everywhere. She was the encompassing fire. Everywhere. Burning, purging. The Purger. The name she had taken once she had ascended herself. Ascended to contest him. She had been overzealous, not caring about her losses. She had been whittled down until she had collapsed on on her own weight. He still held her dear, and even he hadn't the heart to kill her high ideals. He had imprisoned her in a tomb made of the bones of her followers. She came to him now, flaming, hating. . . purging. Attacking him, killing his dream-entity a thousand times over always the same way, burning, dying in undeath. He woke with a start. The vampiress was gone. Seoth stood up unsteadily. He stumbled over a bamboo pipe laying around in the mist. Woozy, he all but crawled out of the mist. Kuberr and Cassius were gone. He sat down wearily and began to meditate. After a few minutes, he was rested enough to go back to his dome. His old chariot was gone, so he summoned one of lightning. Blazing with fiery undeath, he was back above his dome. He stared downward in near-shock. Flames licked over the entire thing. It was coated in a flaming layer of magma. A figure stood on the top, screaming insanely, flames and lava gushing out of her. Seoth's metaphorical heart sunk. Callia. She gazed upward. Her face was stretched grotesquely, flames and terror spewing from her every pore. In a blast of red, she flung herself at Seoth through the air. He parried her lashing arms with his twin rapiers. Flames gushed over the blades, blasting into him. He gasped in pain. She attacked him with a vengeance unknown to any sane being. Overwhelmed, weakened, and unprepared, Seoth disappeared. He fled to the inside of his dome, and immediately began fortifying the entire structure with runes and pillars. Even the inside of the reinforced bone contained runic etchings when he was done. He collapsed, gasping onto the floor. His frightened commanders picked him up and carried him to his throne. He gasped out a sentence before he lost consciousness. "Get. . . James. . ." -------------------------------------------------- Krasonva had had eons to gather her power. She would not make the same mistake she had last time. Her ideals were lost in the insanity that had overtaken her mind in her centuries of confinement. The world would be purged of her definition of sin, and she would keep it that way. Living fire creeped over the land. -------------------- May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it. Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00 |
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Councilor
Member # 6600
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 17:30
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As Fourty stepped into the Haunted Forest, he could sense Vizoth praying. But he couldn't tell what it was about. His prayers were directed at Harath--one final, desperate plea for guidance and understanding, one that would go unanswered. Fourty knew better than to interfere. The Haunted Forest would have been a pleasant place if not for the ghosts. The trees had brilliant gold and orange leaves, except for the dark green of scattered conifers. The ghosts, though, made it quite unpleasant. They were trying to keep their presence to a minimium, but Fourty could still sense their feelings. Exhaustion, hatred, hope, fear, desperation, emotions so faint and muddled he couldn't name them. It was extremely tiring and distracting to put up with. Fourty shook his head to clear it and followed the large wolf deep into the forest. Many more wolves followed him on either side. Harath must have had several large packs living in the forest. After a while, Fourty spoke hesitantly. "So, who are you?" The large wolf stopped and turned around. My name is not important. I... I forget it. But I am the leader. Yes, I was the leader of the first rebellion, and so I am the leader here. Hurry, we are almost there. The wolf stopped before an obelisk covered in writing. Fourty knew a decent amount about foreign and dead languages because of his work with Burrard and instantly recognized that this alphabet was ancient. It was at least five or six hundred years old, probably more. But the true meaning of the runes wouldn't hit him until later. "So, this obelisk is what keeps you trapped here?" Fourty asked. The wolf nodded. Yes. "And if I destroyed it, you would all be free?" Yes. "Could you make it to the afterlife on your own once you were free?" We do not know for sure. But we think we could, at least eventually. "Okay, here's what I'm proposing. Wait, I'll be back in a moment." Fourty vanished. A thick fog and faint muttering swirled around the obelisk. The wolf growled. Silence. If he says he'll be back, he'll be... "Sorry about that. I had to return to my office to pick up a notepad and quill. Luckily it hadn't been cleaned out yet." Fourty pulled out a sheet of parchment and began writing while he talked. "So, what I'm proposing is that you provide sanctuary for the Forsaken and any other refugees who come here. Protect them from the followers of Harath, wild animals, and any other threat you can. In return, I will seek out a deity to help release you, since I can't do it myself. Once you are freed, you are to go to the afterlife as soon as possible. No attacking any of Harath's believers. A few of you, say ten or so of the most dedicated and powerful, will be free to go track down Harath to make sure he is not beginning the cycle anew. Does that sound fair?" The wolf closed its eyes. Fourty waited for several minutes, knowing that the ghosts were discussing things over. Finally, the wolf opened its eyes again. Yes. We agree. Eleven have volunteered to find Harath. The rest have chosen to find rest. "Good." Fourty signed his name on the parchment. "This contract contains exactly what we just agreed to and is binding." He set it on the ground before the wolf. The wolf spent several minutes reading over it and then placed a paw in a puddle of mud and pressed it to the paper. The agreement was finalized. Fourty took the contract and stuck it to the obelisk. "No mortal can take this down and no weather can damage it. Wait at the edge of the forest for the Forsaken. Thank you for your help." The wolf nodded, but Fourty had already teleported out of the forest. "Are you okay?" Fourty asked Vizoth. Vizoth nodded. "Good. Are you ready to visit the Forsaken camp?" Vizoth nodded again. "Have you gone mute in my absence?" Vizoth shook his head. "Good to know that," Fourty muttered distractedly while preparing for the teleportation. --- Dikiyoba. Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7298
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 21:55
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The desert tribes to seal a deal or bargin of importance they will take pinch of salt in place it in each others salt bag (salt being an important good in the desert)the only way to break to the deal is to take out every indivual grain of salt that the other put in their bag and give it back-exerts from The Study of the Desert Tribes ---------------------------------------------- The three appeared a short distance away from the Gatekeeper. Geltor "Is it time?" Makroangkeen "Its the only way we won't come into conflict later. It also will help over come any restriants the gods may try to place on me again." Both Geltor and Makroangkeen phase into fire. They circle each other and eventually they merge becomeing one. After that they phase back in to normal form. After that Soradin and the merge one apporached the Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper "I know what you want.I will let you go, however you must bring me back James." With out another word the two step back into the surface world. [ Tuesday, May 15, 2007 23:11: Message edited by: Lord Safey ] -------------------- A rock has weight whether you admit it or not Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 7472
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written Tuesday, May 15 2007 22:01
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Avin moved quickly through the Joth district, as he had heard it called by the locals. Apparently, some odd goings-on had been happening of late. But Avin didn't care. "Curses for constantly leaving myself so weak! I'm supposed to be smarter then that!" Avin knew that, while a little bit of his energy was back, and he could easily take some from the tribe, the possibility was there for whoever this woman was to strike him down if he didn't move fast. "From now on, I'm slowing down. I don't care if I said I'll join James in a week, I can't keep risking myself like this. I'll push it back to a month if I have to do so." Avin wasn't paying much attention to where he was going, until he heard a familiar voice. "...are far less forgiving than I." Another voice spoke, this one seemingly disembodied. "I know that Geltor seeks out Makroangkeen. The Gatekeeper will take care of him." James replied, though he was clearly flustered, "But he's certainly a threat. And you need my help to defeat him." "Pretty confident for someone that's trying to recruit gods at the local temple," Avin said to himself. "I wonder if he truly knows how deep he is in this." Avin remembered Makroangkeen from experience, and shuddered. The conversation between the two continued, with James pushing at every angle to get the other god (for Avin had pretty much figured out that the other speaker was divine as well) to join him. Eventually, it seemed that James gave up on the idea and left. But any consideration for what took place was quickly wiped from his mind when he heard the unsheathing of a blade behind him, and the voice of the one he so desperately was attempting to avoid. "You have something I've wanted for a long time." Avin didn't even stop to think. He drew his blade and whipped around to face the menace. The woman reacted by launching a stream of flame in his direction, which Avin dodged. She then closed the distance between them and swung her sword at Avin's neck. He only got the blade up in time to stop his opponent, but was sent stumbling backwards by her strength and ferocity. He quickly muttered a handful of spells in hopes of leveling the playing field between them, then launched a counter-strike against her. Even with enchantments placed on himself, he was only just a match for the woman. "Who IS she?!? She can't be mortal; no mortal possesses this kind of power!" Soon, he was losing ground against her. He parried a blow, then backed a good distance away and launched several missiles of fire, ice, and light at her. She shrugged them off as if they were nothing more than a gentle breeze, and returned fire with an orb of cyan energy. Avin was blasted into the air and landed ten feet away, stunned. The woman then began some sort of long incantation as Avin lay virtually helpless. "What... have I... done... this time...?" He tried to struggle to his feet, but was too weak. He collapsed. However, it rolled him onto his side, and he could see what his aggressor was doing. The incantation was producing a massive ball of violet energy, which Avin had no doubt would be capable of killing him. "There has to be... a way out of this." He reviewed all of his godly powers, but he realized that being a patron god of the Ishnu nor understanding long-lost languages would provide little aid. He almost consigned himself to his fate; but then, he got an idea. It was absolutely insane, and probably beyond his scope of power, but maybe... just maybe... The woman delivered the final words to the incantation and launched the spell. But the spell backfired; instead of hitting her target, it went backwards and hit herself. She was blasted clean through multiple nearby walls as the immense power within the orb unleashed its incredible destructive capabilities. Avin simply laid there, out of breath and thoroughly exhausted. That's when he became aware of the fact that the god who had previously been in conversation with James was now standing directly over him. -------------------- I tried to think of something witty to put here. Needless to say, I failed. Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00 |
