Legends of Divinity IC 2

Error message

Deprecated function: implode(): Passing glue string after array is deprecated. Swap the parameters in drupal_get_feeds() (line 394 of /var/www/pied-piper.ermarian.net/includes/common.inc).

Pages

AuthorTopic: Legends of Divinity IC 2
Shaper
Member # 7472
Profile Homepage #0
Anyone who's paid attention to the Legends of Divinity RP has probably noticed that the last IC thread was damaged in a UBB attack. Thanks to Arancaytar, we still have all the IC posts that were lost here in his archive. This new thread has been created to avoid any instability in the old one. As usual, direct all Out of Character/Context comments here.

And thus...

---------------------------------------------------
IC:

It was truly a marvel how, in this age of advancement, such an effective weapon as the blowgun could be so unnoticed. Perhaps the connotations with primitive, barbarous tribes had something to do with it. Either way, Avin had no such qualms. Cloaked with a spell of invisibility, he stealthily sniped at passing demons with darts from the roof of the temple of the gods. He hoped that James's army showed up soon; he only had so much ammunition, and he was hardly leaving a dent in the opposing forces. Then he saw an opportunity; one of the field commanders. Loading an unusual, long bore dart with a special enchantment, he took aim at the demon and fired. The dart whistled through the air, and embedded itself in the demon's neck. It then exploded, fatally wounding the demon and knocking a few others unlucky enough to be nearby off their feet. It wasn't a particularly strong explosion, but it did what it was supposed to; the demon expired within a few seconds. Satisfied, he loaded another dart and continued sniping. However, he soon had only one dart left; a particularly strange one, adorned with cyan feathers. He loaded it and looked for a target. Spotting the Serena look-alike, he took aim again and fired. Unfortunately, the second the dart left the barrel, Geltor moved into the dart's flight path. It struck one of his swords and broke, releasing a cloud of frost into the air. The frost harmlessly dissipated.

Geltor's attention, however, did not. He saw straight through Avin's invisibility, and moved for him.

--------------------
Scenarios need reviews! Please rate these scenarios at the CSR after playing them!
AmnesiaWitch HuntWhere the Rivers MeetFoul Hordes
Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00
Guardian
Member # 2080
Profile #1
It had taken a decent bit of time, but the army had been made, and none too soon. The hoards of demons were already here and on the move. With Lotus watching their backs, Kesh and Ryan could were free to use all of their concentration to exact better control of their forces. Kesh directed his part of the army to attack the demons head on, while Ryan's half tried to maneuver behind the demon army for a basic pincer attack. While this was going on, James looked through his jacket pockets, in a desperate attempt to find the sword he had put up so long ago, but alas, he could not find it. He would have to do a grand battle without his most blade, which did not sit well with him. "I'll manage without it," James thought to himself as he began his search for Geltor among the masses, occasionally taking a brief moment out of his search to strike down any demons that tried to mess with him. With the recently manufactured army engaging the demons and her normal army waiting nearby in reserve, Minoko began the ritual. It would be a long, drawn out, strenuous affair with little room for error. With any luck, the small compliment of body guards watching her back would be enough.

--------------------
You've long since crossed over into unfounded speculation.
Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00
Guardian
Member # 5360
Profile #2
Seoth stood slightly to the side of section of wall the invading demons were scaling. He struck down any of them that got close, but he saved his energy otherwise. He watched the distance, waiting for the inevitable blaze of Krasonva.

Suddenly, fire blasted out around him. It reduced the stone wall to ash in minutes, and threw Seoth back in his surprise. An echoing scream pierced his mind. Looking up, he saw Krasonva, in all her flaming insanity. Drawing his twin lightning blades, he stood ready for her. Flames washed forward, and he slashed them to the side. . .

--------------------
May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it.
Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00
Law Bringer
Member # 4153
Profile Homepage #3
IC:

Zeth watched the intruder go. Sure, he agreed with his sentiments, but still... this god seemed different.

He heard another long, pained scraping sound from outside. When he went to the window to investigate, he barely caught a glimpse of a stone block neatly inserting itself into the side of his building.

Yes... maybe this is different.

-----------

The book had just appeared. Sliros had felt a fleeting presence matching that of Avin, the language god who wanted to know about the pantheon. But that was it, and now, the god stood holding a book that absolutely radiated unholy magic.

He would deal with it later. There were greater things afoot.

The rabbit swarm had been entertaining, and it was good to see Kilana, the Goddess of Fertility still up to her old tricks. And to make things even better, the rabbits meant extra food for the city's poor. But there was a positive stench of demonic energy surrounding Kirwood, and Sliros was beginning to wonder if Makroangkeen was trying to pull something off.

If it's just Geltor, I can handle this... but with Makroangkeen's wit, he might actually be a problem. But here's hoping that the two cannot share a mind and a body at the same time.

And Joth continued to rebuild itself.

--------------------
Thuryl: "Runescape: for people who are too stupid to save their games."

Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice.
Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 7298
Profile #4
Geltor noticed Avin as headed to him a gesyer of water blasted through ground behind him. The water from it flooded the ground and out of it sprung water sprites. They joined the demon army too face off those of Jame's army try out manevuar the demon army.

Unseen Geltor was fighting with Seoth for control of the storms. He couldn't sieze control but Seoth clouds were render useless between his undermining and the Purgeing godess's attacks.

Inside Geltor a mental battle started. Makroangkeen seethed. Eons of imprisonment, and now he was trapped in the body of another demon. And this one was just strong enough to keep him in check, if barely.

"I will destroy you," the ancient said, echoing around the mind that the two shared. Geltor didn't respond.

"Listen to me! I will destroy you, like I will destroy everything!"

"Silence!" Geltor screamed out. A few of his grunt soldiers jumped in surprise. "I freed you, and you owe me your gratitude!"

"I owe you nothing!" Makroangkeen bellowed inside Geltor's mind. "You are tame, playing into the trap of the gods!"

Geltor paused. "What do you mean?"

"This is one of their stories. A story of redemption that they have enacted many times before. You seek to liberate the souls of hell? As if you think that will atone for the acts of the gods?"

Again, Geltor said nothing.

"If you do this, you will be as good as one of them! You will rule as they do, and live as they do!"

"ENOUGH!!!" Geltor yelled. The grunts closest to him scattered. "I will never be like one of the gods. I will destroy them for what they have done to us!"

"And then what? With the gods gone, there will only be you. You see, the only way to truly defeat the gods is to undo the creation that they hold so dear. Only then can we-"

"I said, enough!The battle is now we will discuss thsi later." Geltor yelled again, shutting out the ancient's voice.

Geltor then turn his attetion too the matter in front of him.

[ Saturday, June 23, 2007 19:14: Message edited by: Safey ]

--------------------
A rock has weight whether you admit it or not
Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00
Councilor
Member # 6600
Profile Homepage #5
OOC: Sorry, this is a long one. But this is the closing post for Cassius, so bear with me.

---

Cassius awoke when Kuberr knocked on his door.

"What do you want?" Cassius snarled.

"It's Cannidos, sir. Our informants tell us he's preparing to lead a riot, mostly of soldiers from the holy army."

"When?"

"This afternoon."

"Already?"

"Yes, he's got a large gathering in Harath's main temple as we speak."

Cassius glanced out the window, thinking quickly. The storm had passed during the night and now hot autumn sunlight streamed into his room. "Have the informants get the names of as many rioters as possible. Then divide my human guards into two groups. One half will capture as many family members of the rioters as they can. The key is capturing them. I suppose killing anyone who would otherwise escape is acceptable, but I need live hostages for my plan. The other half should gather any flammable liquids they can get a hold of--oil, grease, whatever--as secretly as possible and bring it all as close to the temple courtyard as possible. Tell Barbados to have the vampires seal off all sewer entrances in the courtyard with metal, stone, and magic so that no liquid can escape into the sewer. Have them do the same for the windows and doors of the temples. The hostages should be brought as close as possible to the temple courtyard, as well as all my guards."

Kuberr looked horrified. "You're going to burn all the rioters in the temple? But what are you going to do with the family members?"

Cassius grinned viciously. "Actually, I have something better in mind. I'm letting the rioters leave the courtyard. When they arrive here, I want you to meet them."

"Me? But... but..."

"Yes, you. You will convince the rioters to return to the temples in whatever way you can, because that's where I'll be. Oh, and have one of the informants make sure the rioters are carrying torches. Lots and lots of torches." Cassius swept out of the room.

---

Several hours later, Cassius stood on the roof of the largest temple. Despite the heat, he was dressed entirely in black. He was an imposing figure; a vampire standing boldly in full sunlight. He also looked bored.

Three rioters, acting as messengers, entered the courtyard bearing a white flag. They halted uncertainly at the sight of Cassius.

"Well?" Cassius demanded.

"Cannidos wants to know why we should come to the courtyard. It's obviously some sort of trap."

"Here's why!" Cassius pointed carelessly toward the gallows. Ten of Cassius's hostages stood with nooses tightly around their necks. One of the guards stood by the lever, ready to pull it and have the hostages drop to their deaths. Nearby, the rest of the hostages stood shackled and guarded by several more of Cassius's soldiers, ready to be herded onto the gallows if need be.

"You... you..." One of the messengers drew his sword and sprang forward. The guard pulled the lever. Several more fired arrows at the messenger. He sank to the ground with no less than four arrows buried in his chest.

Cassius acted unconcerned. "I'll keep hanging them until Cannidos and the rest of you rioters march into this courtyard and surrender."

"No, wait, please!" one of the messengers said, catching sight of his family among the hostages, "It'll take time to get everyone here. We'll come, though. Don't kill anyone else while we're gone."

"Fine, fine. You get a fifteen minute grace period. Take any longer than that, though, and people are swinging."

The two messengers ran off. Cassius directed his guards to move the hostages to the center of the courtyard. The dead were cut down and ten new more hostages were forced onto the gallows. Open barrels of any flammable liquid were placed around the hostages, ready to be tipped over if need be. All but a skeleton crew of guards scrambled up ladders to temple roofs, where they stood ready with arrows and more barrels of oil. Cassius looked tense now, ready to cast a massive firebolt in an instant. If the rioters attempted a rescue, everyone would go up in flames. If the rioters attempted to fight, everyone would go up in flames. If the rioters surrendered, well, everyone would still go up in flames. And if the rioters fled, he would hunt them down and kill them slowly.

It took twenty minutes before the rioters showed up, though Cassius didn't bother to hang the next group of hostages. Some charged through the main entrance, torches and weapons held high. Others emerged from the entrance closest to where the hostages had been. At the sight of the rioters, Cassius's guards fled towards the ladders, knocking over the barrels as they went.

The rioters had been dismayed by the fact that the hostages had been moved, but the retreat of the guards heartened them and they charged forward. They came to their senses too late to avoid being caught in the trap. The guards dropped the oil down on the torch-bearing rioters below and shot at the rioters attempting to escape. The fire spread, consuming both rioters and hostages. Eventually, the guards fell flat against the roof, covering their mouths and noses with strips of fabric, to avoid the smoke. Cassius narrowed his eyes against the smoke. Cannidos and a priestess were using their powers to keep the fire from consuming them and a few other rioters. Cassius sent a powerful bolt of energy at them, killing them all instantly. He smiled grimly. The Thermians were no more.

---

But Cassius didn't have everything his own way. Once word of the massacre got out, people fled the city in droves, causing a pileup at the city gate. Cassius sent his guards--a mixture of freed prisoners, criminal lowlife, mercenaries, and defectors from the holy army--to prevent people from escaping, but the crush of refugees was so great not even the guards could stop them all. To make matters worse, there were several secret entrances from the city, and the guards had trouble finding and guarding them all. By the time night had fallen, he had lost a significant portion of his guards. Some had been killed by the desperate refugees. Others had decided to flee themselves.

Cassius stood at a window, looking out at the city below. Fires burned across the city, since he had sent the vampires out to loot and burn the property of the rioters, as well as to feed on any surviving troublemakers--the final warning that he was in control. Now it was time to make sure those that remained were loyal to him. It shouldn't be too hard. All he had to do was maintain order and ensure that people were not constantly afraid of ending up dead. Some of his guards and vampires would be tempted to go on a rampage at first, but he would make an example of any who did. He was already well-liked from destroying the golem. If he got word out that the Thermians were planning to build another one, people would consider Cassius's harsh treatment of them entirely justified.

Kuberr shifted, distracting Cassius. He looked over and saw that Kuberr seemed extremely nervous. The massacre at the temples had not sat easy with him. He was probably going to make a run for it as soon as he worked up the nerve.

Good, Cassius thought, one less problem to contend with. He liked Kuberr well enough, but Mannik was his city now, and he wanted to run it without objections or complaints. He wasn't sure how Kuberr would take the news that he was planning to give away the food looted from warehouses that once belonged to the priests to those who needed it this winter--just another way to get people on his side.

As for other potential problems... Harath? No, he had nothing to come back to. Fourty? Too weak, and in Cassius's debt. Seoth? He had no reason to come and was undoubtedly busy elsewhere. Barbados? Cassius had sent out Lemnus and Lamia with orders to assassinate him. They would probably fail, but it would force him to flee, and take most of the more intelligent, rebellious vampires with him. He wouldn't be back. The nearby villages? He would send his guards and vampires out once the city was secured to drive off any loyal to Harath and cement their loyalty to him.

Cassius turned from the window and paced. He had complete control over Mannik now, but where would that lead him? Would he get bored and resume his random, small-scale quest for suffering? Would controlling Mannik teach him how to care for others again? Or would Cassius, god of suffering, eventually become Cassius, god of conquest? No one knew for sure, least of all Cassius.

Somewhere in the distance, a single wolf howled.

---

Dikiyoba.
Posts: 4346 | Registered: Friday, December 23 2005 08:00
Shaper
Member # 7472
Profile Homepage #6
Avin put his blowgun away and cast several magical enhancements on himself. Then, leaping down from the roof of the temple, he readied his sword. However, he held his ground rather than charging towards Geltor; every step Geltor took toward Avin was one step further from his forces. Geltor raised his swords as he reached his quarry, and Avin raised his own into a defensive position. Geltor swung with the fiery sword first, and struck against the tip of Avin's blade. He then swung the watery sword at Avin's neck. Avin ducked this swing, and parried another from the fiery sword. This was followed by a series of blows that Avin either parried or evaded. He soon realized that, with his opponent wielding two swords, he was at a serious disadvantage. He was quickly losing ground, constantly having to duck one of Geltor's swords. Avin decided to try a different tactic. He noticed that Geltor was getting somewhat careless in his attacks, and was consistently trying riskier and more reckless maneuvers, simply to prove his combat superiority. Parrying one such attack, a particularly high blow, from Geltor, Avin raised his hand and launched a bolt of lightning at Geltor's chest. While small, it struck true, momentarily stunning the demon god. Seeing the opening, Avin swung the sword at Geltor's other hand, the one holding the sword of water. It only just connected, but it was enough. The energy on the blade jumped to the small slit on Geltor's hand, and tendrils of glowing yellow energy crawled up the demon's hand. Geltor yelled in anguish and withdrew from his opponent, dropping the sword of water and grasping at the small wound. The sword, no longer powered by it's master, dissolved into a harmless blue puddle.

Geltor no longer felt pain from the injury, and the tendrils of energy dissipated. He quickly healed the small wound. However, his hand was still left feeling mildly numb. Avin came in for another attack, now forcing Geltor into a defensive stance. Avin swung at Geltor's neck, and was blocked by Geltor's sword. Avin continued to press against the blade, eventually causing both to rotate in a half-circle before going apart. Avin struck several more times, each resulting in a parry from his opponent. Infuriated with the stalemate the battle was grinding down to, Avin smashed the flat of his blade against the flat of Geltor's. He then pushed himself forward, pinning the two swords between them. He started another spell, but Geltor was ready for him this time. He shoved Avin backwards, who did a graceful backwards cartwheel to remain standing. Then, getting an idea from what happened to his previous weapon, Geltor threw his blade of fire at Avin, while simultaneously disconnecting his power to it. The blade rotated once, dissolving. However, it hit Avin in the shoulder before it completely disintegrated. He yelped in pain as the sword completely dissolved. However, it left no wound. Avin had the benefit of being taught several tricks of how to appear less mortal. This was one of them. The wound, immediately after forming, would heal themselves automatically. It didn't provide a real tactical advantage in a fight, since it still caused the same exact energy drain as a wound would normally to a god. However, it was still an intimidating sight. Avin stumbled back slightly and readied his blade again. Geltor, now realizing that he was deprived of a weapon, summoned two swords, one of fire and one of water. "Congratulations," Avin said to himself. "Now you're right back at square one."

Avin re-engaged Geltor, but he now knew he was at a serious disadvantage. His self-enhancements were starting to wear down slightly, and the injury he sustained had shook him up a bit more than he had first thought. He was quickly put back on the defensive, parrying Geltor's attacks. Unfortunately, he was slowing down slightly. In a desperate attempt to regain the upper hand, he tried to whirl his sword around one of Geltor's attacks. It failed miserably. Geltor easily parried the attack, and responded with one of his own. It caught Avin across the chest, dealing what would have been a fatal blow for any mortal. Geltor then sliced at Avin's right leg, promptly bringing Avin to his knees in pain. Panicked and enraged, Avin struck at Geltor's knee. The sword connected, dealing both a wound and more of the energy tendrils, which wasted no time in crawling part-way up Geltor's leg. Avin struggled to his feet, dealing a massive blow from the bottom of Geltor's ribcage all the way up to his neck. This time, a massive wave of energy splayed from the wound, briefly covering his entire body before fading. Geltor roared in pure agony, striking again at Avin's torso successfully. Avin fell backwards as the demon god's pain slowly receded. Avin slowly got back up, panting slightly and backing away from his adversary. He noticed that reinforcements for both parties were coming; James was moving towards Geltor, and several demons were heading for him. Avin briefly wondered why this didn't make sense, then he noticed that he and Geltor were now several feet apart. Realizing that he would quickly get torn apart if he tried to engage Geltor and the demons simultaneously, he backed off and prepared to face his new foes.

[ Tuesday, June 26, 2007 19:51: Message edited by: Nioca ]

--------------------
Scenarios need reviews! Please rate these scenarios at the CSR after playing them!
AmnesiaWitch HuntWhere the Rivers MeetFoul Hordes
Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00
Guardian
Member # 5360
Profile #7
Seoth charged forward to Krasonva, hacking the flames to the side with his blades. Krasonva screeched and launched a continuous stream of flame at him. The skeleton disappeared in a puff of wispy black smoke and reappeared several yards to the side. Resuming his charge, Seoth tried to call the rain. A presence above stopped him, and his surprise caused the god to trip. Diving into a quick roll, Seoth's tattered white cloak was caught in Krasonva's fireball.

The now-bare skeleton flipped into a standing position and quickly jumped over the next blast. He disappeared again, and Krasonva expanded her sphere of magma-flame. Appearing directly above Krasonva, Seoth plunged himself into the blaze. His already stained-black skeleton began to char and crack, but his lightning blades blazed in defiance. Slamming feet-first into the ground behind Krasonva, Seoth drew cracks in the powdered-ash surface of the soil. Raising his blades, he slashed with wild abandon across Krasonva's back. Lines of molten metal appeared where the skin was breached.

Krasonva screamed in anger and pitched forward from the incredible electric shocks, amplified throughout her body by her metallic blood. Rolling to the side, her fire orb began to disperse. Looking up, she saw Seoth's skeletal form, with it's deadly blades raised high above it's head.

A single, pure tear etched a line down the skull of the god. It rolled, ever so slowly, down to his jawbone, where it fell into ashy dirt, consumed by the dead fires of his ancient love. Falling to his knees, Seoth could not overcome himself.

Krasonva rose, looming. Callia died in sadness.

--------------------
May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it.
Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00
Guardian
Member # 2080
Profile #8
It took quite some maneuvering, but James finally had reached Geltor, one of the most powerful enemies James had even faced. James had failed to defeat Geltor the last time the two met. That bitterness still lingered on, but far more than James's pride was at stake here. It was here on this day that would shape the world for generations to come, though who would come out on top was still uncertain.

As he neared Geltor, James conjured one of his energy balls and threw it at Geltor, barely missing him and killing a few nearby demons. "Well that kinda sucked," James thought to himself. Wielding a sword he had picked up off of a random demon he had slain on the way here, James moved quickly to Geltor. As soon as James neared him, Geltor swung his mighty energy swords with great skill and precision, while James blasted Geltor point blank with his energy ball. While most of the energies from the multi-element sphere were canceled out by Geltor's energy immunities, the few that weren't managed to still do some damage. Unfortunately for James, when he did that, Geltor landed 2 perfect hits, one of which nearly decapitated him.

"That didn't work very well," James thought to himself as he backed off, "I'll have to try something else..." Then James got an idea and began to cast a spell. As Geltor started to get closer to James, a 4 large rocks appeared high in the sky and proceeded to fly down towards Geltor at high speeds. After Geltor dodged the rocks, they suddenly exploded upon impact with the ground, sending Geltor flying back 60 feet. Staggering back to his feet, Geltor managed to catch a brief glimpse of James, whose eyes shined with hellfire, just before getting caught in the area of another wave of exploding rocks. As the third was about to arrive, Geltor managed to barely get out of the area just in time to avoid being hit again.

Watching James, Geltor took a brief moment to assess the situation and soon realized that his attack was taking it's toll on both of them, not just him, and seemed to be taking more out of James than him. James was currently bleeding from every orifice on his head and was barely able to stand, while burns started to appear on different locations his body. "I can't survive too many more of those," Geltor thought, "But neither can he... Perhaps there's some way to turn this to my advantage..." As Geltor thought, he soon had the perfect trick to use.

Geltor began to mutter some brief words and do some well concealed hand gestures. As soon as he had completed the Invocation, all 4 rocks from the next wave of attacks had landed on his location. The resulting explosion destroyed many demons and left a huge crater where they had impacted. To James's surprise, there was no trace of Geltor. That is, until James looked behind him. Before James could react, Geltor had stuck him with both of his elemental swords. James staggered back. The injuries were getting to be much more than he could withstand.

"I didn't expect him to last this long," James thought to himself, "At this rate, I'll be completely destroyed. I may be hurt, but so is he. There's no way I can defeat him and live..." Using the last of his strength, James grabbed Geltor and called down one last wave of meteors right on top of both him and Geltor. Just as the meteors were about to hit, Geltor managed to break free from James's grasp. Geltor had just barely cleared the blast radius when the rocks exploded. James had not been so fortunate. The damage from using that spell so much had taken its toll. Though he was badly injured, James managed to cast a couple of buffing spells so that he could remain standing.

James slipped the left sleeve of his jacket back and looked at his wrist watch, checking the time. "I so should have gotten a doomsday weapon instead of this stupid indestructible watch," James thought to himself, "I'm not getting ahead in this fight and I still haven't bought Minoko enough time for the contingency. I've got to come up with some way to beat him..." As he had a quick revelation, James stared at Geltor with a sadistic look on his face, "Let's face it, I'm as good as dead. We both know it, so I don't see any harm in going out with a nice little bang, pun intended!" Having said that, James teleported in the blink of an eye. Before Geltor could react, James appeared behind Geltor and exploded in a bright flash of light.

When the explosion was over, Geltor laid on the ground, with many broken bones and severe burns all over his body. Using the last bit of his strength, Geltor called upon his dark powers to rip the life force right out of any mortal beings and demons near him. As soon as Ryan and Kesh realized Geltor was absorbing their creations, the two directed them out of the range of Geltor's draining field, but by then Geltor had recovered much of his lost strength.

--------------------
You may have one this time, Clucky, but I'll be back.
--Orochimaru
Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00
Shaper
Member # 7472
Profile Homepage #9
"Just my luck. I finally get help to destroy Geltor, and he just happens to get a whole bunch of reinforcements." Avin twirled his sword single-handedly. About four dozen demons had shown up to defend Geltor, including one particularly large and powerful brute. Fortunately, none of them seemed particularly keen on taking on an unknown deity of unknown power and strength without Geltor by their side. Thus, they didn't know that Avin had exhausted a good amount of his strength fighting Geltor. Avin consolidated his power and focused on a spell. Then, raising his sword and pointing it at the large gaggle of the demons preparing to attack, he unleashed a massive blast of frigid frost. It ripped through the demons, freezing half of them into solid statues of ice. Avin had overestimated the amount of energy needed to do this, though, and the frost sliced through the two battling armies, freezing several combatants from both sides solid as well. "Oops." Avin said to himself. "I've been battling gods and super-mortals for so long that I forgot how fragile normal mortals are." The mistake costed him too; he burned up a lot of energy he could have used later. It also made up the demon's minds on when to attack: immediately. Oddly, the large demon was nowhere in sight; he seemed to have disappeared when Avin cast the freezing spell. Raising his sword, he promptly cleaved a demon in half vertically, then parried a blow from the other. Mixing swordsmanship with spellcasting and repeatedly backing up to avoid getting overwhelmed, Avin quickly dispatched most of the demons. Only four remained.

The demon assassin quickly slipped up behind Avin. He hoped that the god had been distracted enough by his comrades to not notice him. He was dismayed at how quickly Avin was dispatching his fellow demons, but hoped that they didn't die in vain. He cast an unholy enchantment on his blade, a massive scimitar, and prepared to strike. His luck didn't hold out, though. When he swung, Avin ducked the blow and swung back with his own weapon. It would have decapitated him, too, if something strange hadn't have happened. The whole ground shook suddenly, and everyone was knocked off balance. One of the demon grunts was the first to recover, landing a light blow against Avin's shoulder. Avin returned the favor with a stab through the gut, and tendrils of light crawled across the demon, killing it almost instantly. The demon assassin responded with a blow across Avin's back. Avin showed no sign of injury apart from stumbling slightly. The demon assassin swung again, but this time, Avin leapt aside, and the dark scimitar fatally struck a demon instead. Avin whipped around and fired a beam of the same type of energy that enveloped his sword at one of the two remaining demons. It screamed in agony as tendrils of energy covered it, causing a slow and agonizing death. Avin then struck down the last demon with his blade, and turned to the demon brute.

The ground shook again, this time as both parties engaged each other. Their respective swings were both off, with Avin going wide and the demon creating a small incision on Avin's leg. They were interrupted by yet another tremor, and a nearby building collapsed into rubble. Getting an idea, Avin cast another spell, and some of the debris, mainly broken boards, fired itself at the demon. They struck like arrows, and some of them managed to impale the demon. It howled in pain and rage. There was yet another tremor in the earth. The demon picked the debris out of itself and teleported directly behind Avin. He managed to land a solid blow to Avin's side, but it was as good as a kamikaze attack. Avin swiftly impaled the demon through the heart with his sword. He then let the demon fall to the ground as the tendrils of energy and the wound took their toll. Avin strode past them, only for a fifth tremor to hit. This time, he could feel where the tremor was coming from, and he ran for it with all the speed he could muster. He soon found the source; several craters dotted Kirwood proper, with James and Geltor at the epicenter. He saw James glance at something on his wrist, then shout something and teleport right to Geltor. There was a blinding flash and massive shockwave as the god blew himself up. The aftermath was apparent, but before he could act, Geltor healed most of the damage done by the kamikaze attack. Avin broke vows that he made for himself, and drew as much energy as he safely could from his tribe. Then, he approached Geltor, with a sword in one hand and a partially prepared spell in the other.

He planned to finish what he had started.

[ Friday, June 29, 2007 20:41: Message edited by: Nioca ]

--------------------
Scenarios need reviews! Please rate these scenarios at the CSR after playing them!
AmnesiaWitch HuntWhere the Rivers MeetFoul Hordes
Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00
Infiltrator
Member # 7298
Profile #10
Geltor seeing his oppent Avin moveing towards launch himself at him bring his twin swords to bear. Avin in hast blast Geltor with his half-prepared spell but it merely splashes off of Geltor. Avin braces at the last minute and when Geltor's and Avin's swords clash it force of Geltor's launch pushes Avin back several feet his feet diging into the ground. Avin then breaks the standoff by jumping back and hitting him with a much better prepared and more powrful spell. Blasting Geltor through a building turning the building to rubble. Geltor stood up not showing any sign of injury. Avins face grew pale; this was going to be harder then he thought. Geltor hurled a spell at Avin who deflects it useing his sword. The spell smashes into some buildings. Geltor took the time Avin used deflecting the spell to advance on Avin and now both were engage in a wild melee one which Avin is slowly losesing ground. Geltor then brings is sword's down upon Avin's head. Avin raised his blade to parry to block it. His sword snapped under the strain and the Geltor's swords hits him lacerating his arm and his belly. Avin falls back expecting to die except he saw Geltor ripping a fragment of his sword out of his belly. The tendicals on energy in his belly and on h is hand ate much of energy up. Avin manages to get up. Geltor being enrage summons out fire a ball of energy and lighting. The same one that forge Makroangkeen's prison. Geltor takes it and hurles it at Avin. Avin is blasted through several buildings before the energy dispaited. He had several cracked ribs, burns, lacerations, and a broken arm. Avin manages to sit up with his back next a wall. Geltor telports to Avin's postion and Avin is vaguely aware of whats going around him. Minko then comes from behind a corner and mutters a few words. Then a large rune beneath Geltor previously invsible lit up and start to draw Geltor into its grasp. Geltor laughs and graps Minko by the throat. Geltor " You think I didn't plan on this?" He then throws her to the side Minko being weakend by makeing the trap was no match for Geltor. Geltor turn back at Avin and grabs him. Start to drain Avin of his life force. Avin regains awarness senses the trap failing pours the last bits of his energy into the trap and in a blinding flash of light Geltor was now sealed behind a rune. His water sprites dispaited. His fight over Avin losses consense. However the with was not over with James dead his army was in retreat against the hoard of demons.

--------------------
A rock has weight whether you admit it or not
Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00
Guardian
Member # 6670
Profile Homepage #11
Our worldview should be in a constant state of discarding spurious ideas. Every new concept entering our mind should be met with the following test: Does it directly apply to concrete facts, to the here and now? If not, does it deal with an abstract theory that itself is directly applicable to the here and now? If it does neither, the idea must not even enter out minds, for it is nothing more than purposeless reasoning.
- Transcript of a guest lecturer’s speech
Zsarim Academy of Thought
Three Hundred Eighty Two Years before Present Day

Does your test pass the test?
- Comment scrawled in the margin
Date and author unknown

--------------------
“Are you one of the new gods?”

The query caught Ashataro off guard. “I was going to ask you the same question.” The armour clad figure peered back for a moment before turning to his work, his back to Ashataro. War deities like this one – Ashataro guessed this one had a martial focus from the scale armour and strange scythe-like weapon – made him uncomfortable. A bad experience nearly a century ago had taught him to be cautious around the temperamental beings, and he had been thinking about the best way to break the other’s solitude before it noticed him and asked the strange question.

After a few moments of silence, Ashataro walked towards the other god, maintaining a wide berth and keeping a watchful eye on its weapon. “Are you saying you are one of the ancient gods, then?” Supposedly, Kirwood held an ancient deity that kept watch over the floodplains of Array, but his attempts to track it down a number of years ago had failed – if it had existed at all. Strangely enough, Burrard had denied Ashataro any assistance in the matter.

“I am,” the other god responded, deep voice echoing loudly within the steel helm (Ashataro tentatively catalogued the deity as male). “I have slumbered long, but it is time that I return to tend to Joth. And beyond.”

“Fascinating,” Ashataro replied, stepping to the other god’s side. “So why have you... returned, then?”

With a tsk of annoyance, the other deity spun to face him. “Why must you petty gods hound me so? This is not as easy as it looks-“ His words were interrupted as a tremor shook the ground beneath them. Ashataro lost his balance, but the other god merely turned to face the centre of the city. “Were the candles and shades not enough, my friend?” he spoke, softly this time. “Must you also bring demons and hellfire into my domain?” Without looking back, he addressed Ashataro, who was brushing grit off his overcoat. “It seems we must join the fray.”

“What friend is this?” Ashataro rejoined, somewhat crossly. He didn’t have much pride, but the ‘petty’ description rankled. “Wait – you said ‘we’. I am no fighter, and how do you propose ‘we’ travel to the-“

With a resounding crack, the ledge they were standing on split away from the rest of the spire, and began to soar towards the centre of Kirwood at a much faster speed than the other floating blocks of stone. The armoured god stood and stared at their destination, his face and emotions concealed by his steel helmet. Ashataro hung on for dear life.
Posts: 1509 | Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00
Guardian
Member # 2080
Profile #12
Managing to get back on her feet, Minoko surveyed her surroundings. Geltor was nowhere to be found and Avin was collapsed on the ground nearby. Army that Kesh and Ryan has made was really looking ragged and was at less than a fourth of its original numbers. For some reason it seemed like half of the remaining forces were just attacking any random thing, not just demons. As she looked more closely, Minoko soon figured out why. Kesh was nowhere to be found. Without someone controlling them, Kesh's forces just started attacking any random creatures that weren't them. Minoko teleported to Ryan who was currently fending off seven demons while trying to maintain some degree of control over his own minions. Minoko pulled out her kama, hacked down several demons, and asked, "What the hell's going on?!"

"Well, we were doing okay until a small elite force got past our defenses, killed Lotus, and injured Kesh, That self-righteous, pretentious jerk left with a speed and degree of wussiness that I have never seen before in all my life, leaving me to clean up the mess he left behind. If I ever see him again, he is so dead," Ryan said with great agitation as he barely dodged various would-be fatal blows from a demon he was fighting. "That's less than encouraging," Minoko responded, trying to conceal her distress with the situation, "Where is Joshua by the way?" "Well, last I saw of him, he was in a battle frenzy, slaughtering various demons left and right with no concern for his own life," Ryan said as he killed a few demons, "In my past dealings with him, I've never seen such recklessness. I'd give him about 5 more minutes before he gets himself killed. Though I will admit, he has been surprisingly effect at taking some of the heat off of me for what little good it has done."

"I'll watch you back. Just keep wearing them down until your out of creations, then get the hell out of here. Afterwards, enjoy your newfound freedom. I hope you give Kesh the beating he deserves," Minoko said as she ripped a demon's arm off and beat him to death with it. "Hopefully the demons will be worn down enough by the time the creation army is destroyed," Minoko thought to herself, "then we would be assured a clear and decisive victory when I send in the regular, non-shock troops."

***Meanwhile***

Sara watched the battle from a safe distance, waiting for the signal for her to take her army into the fray. She wanted nothing more than to go in with her army and plow through the demon hoards. She hated having to hide and wait like this, but it had to be done this way. Sara had her orders and would never dare to defy Minoko. As she watched, she was amazed by what she saw. The great and powerful, Kesh Torahn fled after experiencing only minor difficulties. He even left several rogue creations behind! James unleashed his most powerful magics and then blew himself up with no real positive effect. And the big bad demon guy was defeated.

"All that remains is the demon army," Sara thought to herself, "If the two name-brand life creators were as smart as they pretend to be, the demon army would have been destroyed a long time ago. Perhaps men really are worthless pieces of garbage... No. That's exactly what those feminist psychos want me to think." Regaining her focus, Sara continued to watch the battle, waiting for a chance to prove her worth.

--------------------
Yes, I've met Scallopman.
--Random Chef at a Restaurant that William Shatner has eaten at before.

What does a Scallop taste like, I don't know. Did I eat a lot of them, yeah.
--Henry Rollins
Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00
Guardian
Member # 5360
Profile #13
Seoth sat crying on the ashy ground. His tears evaporated before they hit the ground, leaving small puffs of steam. They left trails of skin over the bones of his face, transforming the skeletal visage into that of a human. He looked up shakily, wet green eyes still streaming in a terrible mockery of life. Krasonva stood there, flaming horribly. She reached out a hand, and placed it on his still-bony skull. What little humanity that had reformed was burned into black ashes, flaking away from the charred skull. She raised a deadly hand, finger stiffened into a flaming spear. Seoth bowed his head in acceptance.

A tremor hit. Krasonva was knocked off balance, and Seoth took his chance to disappear, reappearing on top of the burned stone wall. His eyes reformed once again, and tears began to reform him into a human. Seoth turned his head and sobbed, fleeing the battle that he wouldn't let himself win. He looked over the war, watching Krasonva rip first into the demons, and then the humans. His tears had begun to crawl about his form, changing him into his true image. Flames scattered the human line, opening holes for the demons to punch through. Fire cascaded over mortals, incinerating body and soul alike.

Tears crawled over Seoth, constructing humanity.

He yelled a battle cry, descending into his fight, blades drawn and red hair streaming.

The humans scattered.

--------------------
May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it.
Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 4248
Profile #14
For a long while, Marras just stood still, surveying what was happening around. He could feel two gods walking just beside him, but they left, barely noticing his presence. Marras, in turn, decided not to care about them, for the events that were taking place inside the city walls were of much greater importance.

For a moment he hesitated. He felt reluctant to leave the inn and Laura behind, almost afraid that they would go awau while he was gone. But then again, the strange goddess had found him once before, maybe she could do it again. And this time, I can find her too, Marras thought, remembering the dress he had woven for her.

So he left, picking up the last strings from the jackdaws and giving them new ones in return. He kept them separate, not to waste any time going through excess memories of the dead; he would have time to feed later, and if what he was sensing was correct, he would be fed well. This will be my night, Marras thought with glee, and considering what the happiness of a death god means to the living, it propably would've made other beings sick in the stomach. Their luck they didn't know...

So, Marras began walking through the outer slums of Kirkwood, occasionally getting lost or finding himself in a dead-end. It didn't matter, he was in no hurry. Other gods were moving, but still not in the same place. Not knowing where they were eventually going to gather made it a bit harder to find the right, but Marras had his ways to get past obstacles. He turned his hands into ropes, using them to climb over houses and fences, and eventually, over the city walls. A guard saw him, but didn't pay attention. What he saw him as came clear to Marras much later, and it made him laugh for days.

Hours passed before Marras finally stumbled upon the right place. He was somewhat baffled to see so many dead rabbits in the middle of a huge city, but he didn't let it bother him. Unravelling his arms he began gathering the souls of the dead animals, wating for the usual rush of memories to overcome him. But that did not occur; the little souls the cuddly animals had were almost mute, giving off only few, brief thoughts of the joy of eating and reproducing wildly. Hasty copies, Marras concluded, somewhat saddened by the waste of new souls. What was the point of calling souls to the world if one was not going to let them live and spin memories? Leaving rest of the rodents to the crow-kind, Marras continued on his path, eventually arriving on the open square around the main temple. Some action had already taken place, as bodies in the ground witnessed. The air was heavy with souls, some strangely hollow and some... well, Marras didn't know what was wrong with them, but he decided to wait for a while before picking them up. Old instincts that had been suppressed for almost a millenia were screaming for blood inside Marras. Demonic blood, to be exact. And there was starting be quite a lot of it...

Suddenly, a huge explosion illuminated the area. Roof of the great temple, which had already been struck full of holes, blew up. What little was left of it rained upon the battling demons and human replicas, killing lots of unaware living beings. Well, at least Marras thought of the demons as living beings; they had souls and life-force and all, even though the abilities and intrinsics they were displaying were rather noncustomary for biological life. For some reason, Marras found these little conflicts much more interesting than the gargantuan battle that was taking place between Geltor and the other gods. Little did he know that it was due to the age-old programming of his body, created by Tuoni and Sliross to better fight the demonkind...

Until this point, neither the demons or the replicas had paid attention to the lone, white phantasm walking around and surveying the wreckage they were making. A particularly nasty demon decided to correct this oversight, taking a form that was roughly half eagle and half bear, lancing itself towards the strange ragdoll. Its flight was stopped by a white fist smashing to its face, sending it flying back to the fray. Marras decided it was a good moment to step aside and let others do the work; he had never been a warrior, and even though he probably could have defeated most creatures around him by brute force alone, he didn't want to get his body more stained than it was already. Navigating his way through battling monster, he emitted a voiceless call, causing every avian of the corvidae family within one mile to rise on their wings. He and the crow-kind would have lots to do.

And so the battle raged on. Pale winter sun was now bathing the battlefield in its cold rays, mercilessly revealing the horrible damage the fight had done to the holy ground of Kirkwood. Even though Marras had grown accustomed to needless destruction, he had to admit the scene had some twisted beauty in it. The last few demons were putting up a ferocious fight against the dwindling creations. Marras didn't really understand why; what's the point in fighting when you've already lost the war. He was happily gathering souls from a bunch of magpies, suffering both the strange hollowness of artificial humans and the prolonged suffering of the demon-kind, when he felt an abnormally huge life-force moving towardsthe battlefield. Sliross, Marras deduced, looking up to sky. After all these years...

---

Isaac stared the old district of Joth in awe. I must be dreaming, he thought although he was already sure he was not. For that brief moment, all fear, all doubt and all selfhatred was wiped away from his mind, and for that moment he felt like he could just leave his past life behind and start anew... but his memories remained, and the power of the Lord of the Forsaken can only go so far. Driven by an old instinct of survival, Isaac finally managed to run away from the district, unconscious of the battle that was taking place behind him.

---

Powers were shifting, great events were in motion. Esekijah could sense it, standing on Troll's Tooth. Her nature prevented common farmers from seeing her, but unfortunately it also made the rock dissappear, causing seemingly limitless confusion amongst ordinary folk. As the morning sun was climbing higher to the sky, dozens of people gathered around the spot where their landmark had stood, wondering whether this was another sing of the endtimes. And there had been an excess of those sings lately...

Esekijah understood them well; even though she was in a high position, she was still relatively young for a god, her age spanning only two centuries. Thus, she had not lost his contact with humanity as badly as many others. She could still feel the same awe that mysterious clouds of crows, flying buildings and thundering flashes of light in the horizon caused in them. However, Esekijah's awe was know shadowed with disappointment, as the battle had already passed its climax.

"Seems I'm late", she muttered bitterly, and the mortals felt her voice as a sudden breeze blowing across the plains. However, she had long ago learned that there were no coincidences with gods; she had been drawn to Kirkwood for a reason, even if that reason was only known to God (1. Maybe it had something to do with the awakening of an elder god inside the city.

Closing the visor of her steel helm, modelled after a dragon's head, Esekijah braced herself. During her time as a war deity, she had gathered all possible knowledge of the eldest pantheon that she just could understand. Now, she had a chance to really meet one of her idols, and she would not let that oppurtunity go unused. Her red hair turned into flames and his cape formed into a pair of gargantuan wings as he created a horrifying hammer from the rock beneath her. A blink of an eye later she appeared in front of two beings she would later come to know as Minoko and Ryan, screeching inhumanely and bashing demons into unrecognizable goo...

---

1) Considering the nature of Kalandha, it isn't very surprising that Esekijah was a highly religious woman during her human life. However, unlike many others, she did not believe Kalandhian gods to be the pinnacle of natural order. Instead, she believed, and still believes, that all beings in the cosmos form to one, single sentient entity. In a lack of better word, she has dubbed this being God.

As a funny fact, she was born in the Golden Republic.


--------------------
I have nothing more to do in this world, so I can go & pester the inhabitants of the next one with a pure concscience.
Posts: 617 | Registered: Tuesday, April 13 2004 07:00
Shaper
Member # 7472
Profile Homepage #15
"Move! MOVE! Come on, we have to go!" Gulix kept the pace as the tribe scrambled away from Kirwood. Gulix had no idea where to go or just how far was necessary, but he knew that Avin must have had his reasons. Suddenly, Gulix's connection to his god became unsteady and faint. Then, it faded entirely. Gulix felt panic; he stopped dead, stunned at the idea. In the 500 and so years that Avin had been with them, this had never happened. They had grown used to the presence and watchful eye of a deity; without it, they felt vulnerable. Gulix realized he was standing still, and looked behind him. The rest of the tribe had also stopped, and were looking back at Kirwood, which was now a faint gray block on the horizon, with almost imperceptible threads of smoke rising from it. "Let's move!" Gulix choked out with some difficulty. Slowly, the tribe tore itself away from staring at Kirwood, and continued down the road. However, it was at a slower and more cautious pace.

Eventually, after several hours of travel, they arrived at a small town on the river Eos, east of Kirwood. However, it hadn't escaped the notice of the demons that had ravaged eastern Kalandha. Several outlying buildings were damaged or destroyed, and the town itself was covered in scorch marks. Fortunately, none of the demons had stayed and occupied the town. In fact, it seemed almost completely abandoned. The tribe approached cautiously. Then, about a quarter of a mile from the town gate, Gulix stopped them. He then took three dozen warriors, each armed with blowguns and swords, along with a pair of shamans, and approached the city to scout. A nearby sign identified the town as Vaxia. It was pretty much as it appeared; abandoned. However, there was a small contingent of what looked like soldiers sitting around a small campfire. Upon seeing Gulix's forces, they immediately stood up and drew weapons. "Halt! Who goes there?" One of them shouted.

Gulix stepped forward and started speaking in Common, albeit poorly. "We come peacy. Looking for where to rest. Can we rest here?"

One of the men, a particularly burly specimen wearing filthy chainmail, stepped forward. "Of course. If you pay the protection money."

"Protecting money? Why?"

The men around the fire snickered. The burly one replied, "Because we ask for it. This place is... dangerous, at least for those that don't pay. They tend to get preyed upon by those of malicious intent." The men continued to snicker at these words. Gulix was starting to figure out just who these men were. At the same time, he saw more of them exiting nearby buildings, and several more circle behind them. A few of them held make-shift bows with arrows already nocked and drawn, while the rest were wielding swords of several shapes and sizes. Gulix whispered back to a nearby warrior in Ishnuish, "Prepare to take out the archers first, and tell the shamans to prepare magic for defensive purposes. Remember, use your blowguns first before engaging." Gulix then turned back to the lead brigand, and said in Common, "Well, if you don't wish to accommodate, we just have to leave. Farewell."

The lead brigand smiled broadly. "Oh no. I don't think so. You see, I'm a very powerful person in my caste, and I can't have someone make me appear weak. I am now in control of Vaxia, and that must not be threatened. So, my apologies, but I think we'll have to dispose of you." The surrounding brigands laughed lightly at this. There was now about 70 brigands in total surrounding Gulix and his warriors. The lead brigand's smile grew even greater as he shouted two last words. "KILL THEM!"

In an instant, the entire town became alive with activity. The archers let their arrows fly, whilst the tribesman retaliated with a large salvo of poisoned darts. The shamans cast their spells, and all the arrows stopped. The archers weren't so lucky. All but two were downed by the darts, as were 3 brigands. The rest of the brigands charged with bloodthirsty howls. However, despite their greater numbers, the brigands were clearly outclassed. The warriors had far better training, and were stronger and more resilient then the brigands (or humans in general, for that matter). Brigand after brigand fell before Ishnu blades. The remaining two archers fired again into the fray, and were repaid by being set on fire by a shamanic spell. The other shaman levitated several sharp logs from the campfire, and magically flung them into nearby brigands, simultaneously impaling and igniting them. A mage hidden within the ranks of the brigands decided to try and even the score. He cast a spell that disintegrated many of the warriors' swords. It didn't quite have the effect he was hoping for, however. The Ishnu warriors switched from using weapons to using their fists with incredible ease. The mage then collapsed, dead, after getting hit in the chest with 14 darts. Brigands continued to die, with only injuries accruing on the Ishnu side. In a desperate attempt to take one of the Ishnu down, the brigand leader charged at Gulix. He raised his sword and brought it down on Gulix, but it connected with empty air only. The brigand leader found himself lifted up and hurled headlong into the wall of a nearby building, where he was knocked unconscious. The other brigands were facing even worse odds, especially when the Ishnu warriors, deprived of their weapons, started forcibly taking the brigands' weapons. Three more brigands were tossed, one right into the still-smoldering campfire, and several more were knocked out. Soon, the remaining brigands started to flee. And then all was quiet.

Gulix examined those with him; none of them were grievously hurt, though some of them needed some form of medical attention. However, they all looked pleased at their performance against the adversary. Gulix approached the shamans. "Nzerti, Hytai, I need you two to heal the wounded. Start with the worst cases, and work your way back, alright?"

"Certainly, chief," Nzerti replied. "Would you like to be healed first?"

"What? What do you..." Gulix replied, confused. He then looked down at himself, discovering that he had a few cuts and scratches. "No, these don't look serious. Save it for someone who needs it." The shaman nodded and walked off to a nearby tribesman. Another warrior, this one also in good shape, approached Gulix. "I know that look. What're you thinking about?"

A small smile played across Gulix's face. "Just imagining how the brigands will react if they run into the rest of the tribe. Over 350 people who can fight with the same ferocity as we just did... That'd be enough to scare any group of brigands senseless." Gulix turned to the warrior. "Send a messenger to the camp. Tell them that we found a safe place to rest for some time. Then gather a few of our healthier warriors here and we'll clean this place up. We'll leave the still living brigands outside, and we'll bury the dead ones."

The warrior looked confused. "You want to give them a burial, after what they did to us?"

"Yes. They fought bravely. They deserve to at least not be left for scavengers. Besides; do you want to sleep in a town full of corpses?"

"I suppose not..." The warrior shifted from foot to foot uneasily. "Very well." He left.

The moon was just starting to rise in the heavens. Stars twinkled luxuriously, and a pale silver light shined down upon the Kalandha. The campfire was once again alight, but this time, Ishnu people were gathered around it. Warriors prowled on the wooden walls with blowguns, ready to shoot down any brigand that attempted to return. Gulix was taking a watch, and he glanced down at the people he lead. However, it wasn't entirely joy and relief; there was also some grieving taking place. Ten tribesman were missing and presumed dead after the incident in Kirwood. And it weighed heavily on the minds of those remaining. Suddenly, Gulix saw movement in the bushes and heard rustling; someone was heading in Vaxia's direction. Gulix called out to whoever it was. "Stop! Brigands are not wanted here. If we see, we kill!" He got no response, except for some more rustling. Gulix quickly spoke to some nearby warriors in Ishnuish. Suddenly, a response came, also in Ishnuish. "Gulix? Is that you?"

Gulix stared at the position of the voice and responded in Ishnuish, "Who's asking?"

"It's me, Ishta," The tribesman spoke as he stepped out into the open. "I'm accompanied by six other warriors; and one of them is badly hurt."

Gulix turned to a nearby warrior. "Get a shaman; we need someone healed, and soon." The warrior nodded and climbed down the wall. Gulix turned back to Ishta, and saw the other six warriors, one of which was being carried by another. "Come in where it's warm; I'm sure your families will be pleased to know you're alive."

"Thank you, wise chief." The warriors rushed through the gate. However, Gulix realized something and shouted after Ishta. "Wait! Do you happen to know the status of the remaining three missing warriors?"

Ishta turned solemnly. "Yes. They're dead. Killed by demons." And with that, Ishta ran off to join the others. Gulix turned back to watching the surrounding lands. In the moonlight, he could still see a tiny thread of smoke rising from Kirwood. Perhaps... Perhaps the fallen warriors were making their way to the afterlife on that thread of smoke.

===================================================
Several hours earlier in Kirwood...

"A god! A real live god!" The lowly magician's apprentice couldn't believe his incredible luck. No one had gotten close to a living god before, not like how he planned to get close. And he could make a breakthrough! The information he could gather on him! Thank Fallian for this great stroke of luck! He could get rich! The apprentice nearly swooned at the thought of the fame and fortune that were now available to him. The other apprentices were cowering, but not him. He knew an opportunity when he saw it, even though it meant that he'd have to brave the battlefield. He had already navigated it twice; once to get to the strange, primitive god, once to get some equipment to study him. Surly he could do it a third time? He walked with care; if a demon noticed him, he'd end up dead. Or worse. However, the apprentice was not to be denied; he made it back to where the god was. Except that when he saw what was there now, he let out a cry of despair.

The deity had vanished, as if he had never existed.

[ Sunday, July 08, 2007 16:17: Message edited by: Nioca ]

--------------------
Scenarios need reviews! Please rate these scenarios at the CSR after playing them!
AmnesiaWitch HuntWhere the Rivers MeetFoul Hordes
Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00
Guardian
Member # 2080
Profile #16
***Meanwhile on another plane of existance***

As the battle raged on, well after James's explosion, elsewhere, Suki lounged around in her room, practicing her singing, not knowing why she enjoys doing it or why she feels the need to keep it a secret. It was quite nice not having James around to bother her and send her to do inane tasks, though she did prefer doing grunt-work over being stalked and harassed by a hormone-driving egotistical god. It was definitely more than a fair trade in her mind, especially now with James not being here to order her around. For quite some time, Suki had enjoy such freedom. That all ended with a knock on her door.

Suki got up and rushed to the door, ready to dispatch whoever would dare to interrupt her peace. When she opened the door see saw James, much to her disliking. "It's a shame whoever did that to you didn't finish the job," Suki said coldly, as she poked one of James's burns, "Someday I'll have to remedy that." "Nice to see you too," James said with a smile, "I hope you didn't miss me too much." It took Suki much restraint to keep from trying to strangle him. After all, she had sworn her loyalty to him, even if was only to get him to stop stalking and trying to seduce her. Surprisingly, James had actually kept his end of the bargain over the years, and so she would keep hers.

"How shall I be of service today," Suki said bitterly, barely able to get the words out of her mouth. "All I need is an update on all the critical stuff and I'll be fine," James said. "Last time I checked sales were up 5%. Your friend finally found his house keys. You have 12% more followers. Gnomes finally managed to kill themselves off with a really stupid invention. There was much rejoicing. The Elves finally defeated the Orcs. Took them long enough," Suki said professionally, "Oh, and there are a few less annoying deities in some of the pantheons you regularly deal with." "How'd that happen," James asked with great interest.

Suki looked at James and said, "Don't worry about it. It's not really important. But on a sidenote, could you try to stay out of the meeting room. They're currently cleaning it." "Whatever. I'm going to my room to rest up. Those suicide spells take a lot out of guy," James said, "Oh, and when you see her, could you try to not kill Minoko." "Why not," Suki said with a hint of confusion in her voice. "Because Minoko and I are now officially lovers, as per her request," James replied, "Who would have thought that Minoko was in love with me." Suki stared and said, "How in the hell did someone as stupid as you ever become a god?! I am amazed that you can even speak with the seemingly limitless idiocy you continuously display. No wonder no one likes you." James glared angrily at Suki for a brief moment and then teleported to his room. It would be quite some time before he would be in any kind of condition to do much of anything.

--------------------
Yes, I've met Scallopman.
--Random Chef at a Restaurant that William Shatner has eaten at before.

What does a Scallop taste like, I don't know. Did I eat a lot of them, yeah.
--Henry Rollins
Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00
Guardian
Member # 5360
Profile #17
Seoth slammed down in the middle of the human line. His bare feet left prints in Krasonva's burns. Launching himself at her, he nearly dismembered her with a flurry of sword-strokes. Sparks flying, he spun to block a demon's thrust and chopped it's arm int half, vertically. Spasms wracked it's dissolving body. Whirling back, he dodged a punch from Krasonva, and riposted, slicing her wrist. Magma splattered from the wound, scorching his face in small droplets. He propelled himself behind her, easily sliding on the malleable ash. Quickly flipping, he launched himself at her back, prepared to impale her. She whirled, flames trailing her like a cloak. Grabbing the blade, her hand began to shudder with the electricity, but it only tightened her grip further. Seoth hacked with the other blade, but she caught that one a well. Teeth gritted, she began to spread tendrils of flame down the two swords, and Seoth barely had time to let go to prevent his hands from engulfed in flame. Sliding, he gathered himself up and set his hand ablaze with lightning and strange dark tendrils, the embodiment of Undeath. He reached into the skies with his mind, wresting control of them from Geltor, who barely had any concentration left to command them. They darkened, and moisture sucked itself from the battlefield. Men watched as their sweat trickled up into the clouds. They darkened incredibly fast, plunging the battle into semi-darkness. The heavens opened, and torrents of rain began to spew out. Krasonva screeched as the droplets struck her, giving rise to a cloud of steam that rose back up to refuel the storm. Heat lightning flashed overhead, and thunder boomed in the distance.

Seoth opened his eyes to see a ball of flame rushing at his head.

Batting it aside with his undeath-hand, he lunged at her. Launching into a sideways roll, he missed the next one by inches. His foot found a rock, and he used it as leverage to propel himself into a midair spin towards her side. His hand struck flesh, and he heard the crack of a rib breaking.

Bowled over, Krasonva got up slowly, holding the swords that had once been Seoth's. Now they glowed a strangely menacing gold. Launching her self into a mad hack-fest, she charged Seoth. He easily blocked her mindless onslaught, and he grabbed her wrist. She was paralyzed as her hand slowly began to decay, and then skeletize, her flesh rotting away and the bone becoming frail and mottled in a matter of moments. Gasping in pain, she flailed with her other sword, and caught Seoth on the side of the head with her blade. He had already launched himself into a die, however, and the sword only produced superficial cuts and burns.

No longer able to hold onto her sword with the magma-spewing skeletal stump, it fell, and Seoth grabbed it while he dodged.

He stood up and readied his sword. They began to circle slowly, and Seoth feinted a sudden run, and ducked the magma-spew, slicing at her shins, one of which snapped underneath his blow. Not containing the presence of mind to heal, Krasonva buckled to the right, clubbing Seoth with the flat of her blade.

Flipping up, he slammed his blade into her breast. Grasping at it with already unfeeling hands, Krasonva looked at him with shock.

Her last look haunted Seoth from then on, and he gasped in pain at his own deed.

For in her last, final glance, she had been Callia.

--------------------
May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it.
Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00
Infiltrator
Member # 7298
Profile #18
Do people need gods? No people existed long before the gods. It be clooser too the truth to say that the gods need people. Don't a wide majority rely on followers for a power base? If anything the Golden Republic has shown that men can do very well with out gods. -Some random philosopher executed for heresy roughly 60 years ago
-------------------------------------------------
Vertan was a good two days walk, for a regular man, away from Kirkwood before he eventually had to rest. The stream of refugees, the gods concentrating on Kirkwood because of the demons there, and the fact he still looked very human made it unlikely he be spotted.

Vertan took out the sword and the sheath it came in. He tried pulling it out to examine it but it wouldn't come out. Why can't I unsheathe it? I was able to in the pantheon.

After a few more tries he finally gives up and slings it back on his back. He also pondered about what to do next. First he thought of going to the Golden Rebulic but decided against it because it e unlikely that even they would except a demon and it wouldn't be fair to drag them into a war. No to do what he needed to do he need to find a god who is unpopular and either new or recently relocated. He be mostly likely to find this in the nations that border the wilder areas of the world.

--------------------
A rock has weight whether you admit it or not
Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00
Guardian
Member # 2080
Profile #19
As the battle dragged on, the demons realized they had no hopes of victory. This fact became painfully apparent when another army needlessly charged into the fray. No, this day was not to be theirs. Those who could, quickly fled, leaving the weaker demons to be slaughtered as they covered the retreat. For now, the demons were defeated, with total number of civilian casualties lower than originally anticipated. Since the demons were taking care of, Minoko left, as did Ryan. Neither had much of a desire to stay in place which clearly no longer needed their protection, that and they both had their own personal agendas to get back to. After Minoko, Kesh, and Ryan left, all of Minoko's underlings followed, all but two...

Having recently been stripped of her army and authority, Sara decided to stay to try to fill the newly power vacuum and make a name for herself. It had always been her goal to achieve greatness and not once had she ever gotten a real chance to do it. It didn't take her long to move in an claim James's 'army in training' for herself. They were still quite a ways away from being battle ready, but she knew in time that would change. However, a small army wasn't enough. If Sara was to obtain power and glory, she would need powerful allies to aid in her cause...

--------------------
Yes, I've met Scallopman.
--Random Chef at a Restaurant that William Shatner has eaten at before.

What does a Scallop taste like, I don't know. Did I eat a lot of them, yeah.
--Henry Rollins
Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00
Infiltrator
Member # 7298
Profile #20
In the moderate sized town of Higlary,roughly 4 days walk(for your average joe) north of Kirwood,Vertan was sitting in a pub, frequented by travelers of all sorts. He figured that he be more likely to come across a rumor that he found interesting.
Vertan overheard one conversation "I'm headed up north some noble is hiring mercs, from what I heard he worried that major shift in his local politics might end up bad for him." Bartender "That goes along with the storied I have heard about some new up start god in north, something about orthodoxy or order. Name was caratn or sarath or something like that. Anyways hear not all the people are happy with him..." The bartender was interrupted as Vertan rushed out of the bar.
-------------------------------------------------
Coutal had left kirwood. He was head south with about 12 other demons to southern jungles. Geltor has send shades their to try and recurite some of the demon worshiping tribes. He new Geltor had some success with them but never had the opportunity to exploit him. Since their defeat at Kirwood. He figured this was the best option. He wasn't sure how many demons survived. He knew only one of the other demon assassins survived. How many demons that demon assassin had behind was a mystery. It was no big concern though since he was fairly certain that their plans would not interfere with each other. His major concern was keeping the loyalty of those demons who followed him. The only reason they followed him was because they felt that following them would sever their best interests, mainly surviving .

--------------------
A rock has weight whether you admit it or not
Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00
Shaper
Member # 7472
Profile Homepage #21
Screams echoed through the air as the invading force set about destroying the city. Buildings on fire, innocent men and women slain by cruel blades, evacuees pouring out the city gates. The monsters wasted no time in slaying the defending force. They truly were beings of carnage. Amongst the evacuees, one man was trying to fight against the tide. He was no match for the flood of scared humans, though, and was slowly buffeted back. "Miala! Miala!" The man cried out. He continued to struggle, as minutes dragged on like hours. But it was no use. Eventually, he broke free of the refugees, but by the time he made it back, the battle was already over. A low, collective moan of the wounded reached his ears, but he didn't care. He rushed back to his house, but stopped once in sight of it. This part of the city looked like the rest; in ruins, burning, corpse-laden. However, the man's eyes held room for only one prone figure that lied upon the ground. "No..." he moaned. "No... Miala..." He walked toward the figure with the pace of one condemned. Arriving next to the body, he fell to his knees and started sobbing convulsively over his departed wife. He couldn't stop himself; Everything had happened so quickly... If only he had more time...

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. Another man was standing over him, dressed plainly and looking upon him with sorrow. "This shouldn't have happened. Not like this. I'm sorry."

The kneeling man stood up. "It's just like you wanted it, no?" He said, his voice full of grief and fury. "You always said I'd have to abandon everyone I love. That taking this path would mean losing a part of myself. Is this why you left, removing your divine protection? So she could die, cut open like livestock upon the bloodstained ground?"

The other man was taken aback. "You have no right to blame me for this. There are things involved that you could never underst-"

"I have no right? THIS WAS YOUR FAULT!" screamed the grief-stricken man. "Is this your secret? The secret of the gods? To let those who praise you be slaughtered without a second thought?"

The other man, the deity, stared back at the grief-stricken man, seemingly at a loss for words. This fact wasn't lost on the other. "What's wrong? From a self-proclaimed walking dictionary, I'd have thought-"

The deity raised his hand as a sign to stop speaking, and silence ensued at once. "I did not know that Miala would be in danger. You must believe me when I say that you should have had at least a little more time with her. But even if I could have stopped it, I wouldn't. The affairs of mortals are not playthings for deities. I've impressed that upon you the day I became your mentor."

The grieving man interrupted. "Saluc obviously thinks otherwise. At least he protec-"

The deity raised his hand once more. "I am not Saluc. It is important not to interfere for this very reason; the lure of that amount of power is too great for anyone, even immortals, when they start immersing themselves in it. Look at the destruction he caused. He literally threw many of his followers to their deaths today."

Silence fell over the pair. Eventually, the grieving man spoke, "I would never abandon them. Never."

"There are times when you will have no choice, as I had none just today. But even if you do, sometimes it's better to turn a blind eye. If you don't... well, you may find yourself embroiled in far more than you can handle."

The grieving man had calmed down slightly. "So... what now, Terik?"

The god smiled grimly. "We give Miala a proper burial. After that, we'll continue our training elsewhere." When the grieving man didn't respond, Terik added, "I have no doubt that empathy is a weakness, at least where we're concerned. But if there were more emphatic deities in the pantheon... perhaps tragedies like this would happen far less often. However, Avin, you need to remember that there's a time and place for empathy." With that, Terik lifted Miala's lifeless body and trudged away. Avin remained rooted to the spot for another moment, then slowly followed.


===================================================

As it transpired, there were a number of people forced to pay the now expired brigands who lived outside Vaxia's walls. A few of them had witnessed the battle between the brigands and the Ishnu. However, they were concerned that the new occupants were no better than the bandits, and were primitive, savage men. Thus, it was with great caution that they eventually sent a representative. The man sent was one of the ex-guards of Vaxia, a seasoned veteran by the name of Lyle. He wasn't pleased to go on this excursion, particularly since it might end in his death, but he felt that none of the others were up to it. Besides, a warrior of his own culture might impress them. Or at least create a common ground.

The city gates were soon in sight. Lyle examined the situation before him. Several warriors with blowguns patrolled the walls, each watching for intruders. The gates themselves were shut, and he could see a small line of smoke rising from the center of town. Suddenly, he heard shouts from the warriors, and a dart embedded itself at Lyle's feet. He held his ground, raised his hands in the air, and shouted back, "My name is Lyle! I represent the townsfolk of Vaxia, and bring their plight to you!" The declaration had some effect; the warriors were now whispering amongst themselves. One of them turned and left the wall.

Gulix awoke to someone nudging him. He opened his eyes and saw a worried warrior standing over him. "Chief, there's someone at the gates. He doesn't look like a brigand, but he's not speaking Ishnuish. You know how to speak Common; maybe you could understand him?" Gulix nodded, then got up and quickly donned his battle regalia. He then left the abandoned inn he had been sleeping in and walked up to the city walls. Climbing up, he saw a man wearing simple armor with a sword at his hip. Gulix prepared to address him, but the man, upon seeing Gulix, repeated what he had said before. Gulix weighed his options quickly, then signaled to the others to hold fire and open the gate. He climbed down and approached the man who called himself Lyle. "Greetings. I am Gulix. Please, come in. As long as you wish no ill, nothing is to be fear from us." Lyle nodded nervously and let himself be lead to the center of town. He saw that the tribe was fairly large, and many were performing different tasks. Some were doing basic repairs to the more damaged buildings, while some were coming back with freshly-caught fish. No matter what they were doing though, they had one thing in common: They all were staring curiously at the newcomer. Gulix sat down near the fire, and Lyle did the same. "So," Gulix said carefully," You want our help with something?"

Lyle nodded. "As you know, the brigands that were once squatting here demanded protection money from anyone who chose to settle near Vaxia. Begrudgingly though it was, they did offer us some measure of safety, even if it was out of greed rather than compassion. With them gone, we now are unprotected, thus making us easy targets for wandering marauders that wish to take advantage of us. We thereby ask that you keep us safe, either by letting us inside Vaxia's walls, or by having your warriors watch out for us." Lyle watched for a reaction. He could tell that Gulix was thinking the request over carefully, and decided to see if he could make sure the chief's decision worked in his favor. "In return, we can help you repair the damage here, and can apply our years of knowledge about the city to keep it running smoothly."

Gulix stayed taciturn for several more moments. Then, finally, he said, "Your offer intrigue me. I am inclined to take it. However, I wish to consult with advisers before making decision. You understand?"

Lyle nodded again. Gulix smiled. "Good. This should not take long."

====================================================

Two hours later, a few outlying people were gathered, waiting for the return of their representative. They spotted a lone figure traveling back down the road, and soon, Lyle could be clearly seen. He looked elated. "I have good news! Not only did they agree to protect us, they've invited us inside city walls!" Cheers erupted as about fifty or so people rushed to Lyle, thanking him. Several more rushed about, packing and preparing to enter the relative safety of Vaxia. "It's about time something went our way." Lyle thought as he and the gaggle of people following him struck off for Vaxia.

[ Wednesday, August 01, 2007 14:40: Message edited by: Nioca ]

--------------------
Scenarios need reviews! Please rate these scenarios at the CSR after playing them!
AmnesiaWitch HuntWhere the Rivers MeetFoul Hordes
Posts: 2686 | Registered: Friday, September 8 2006 07:00
Guardian
Member # 2080
Profile #22
It wasn't too long after the major battle that the citizens of Kirkwood returned to rebuild the wrecked mess of their once grand city. Even though she was a stranger to the area and had weird hair, the people Kirkwood welcomed the help of Sara and her newly acquired 'army in training' with the rebuilding process. She really had no choice if she wanted to fit in at what was now to be her home. With Minoko gone, Solaris was to be abandoned and razed. It was normal tradition for Sara's species to just leave a place that was no longer useful, but years of bad relations with their human cousins on various planes of existence made many of them resentful of the humans. This resentment led to the decision to completely demolish Solaris so that the humans would never get to enjoy what they considered to be a very beautiful and strategically valuable location. Soon all of her people would be gone, leaving her the sole member of the species in this realm.

With the rebuilding of Kirkwood underway, Sara took some time to the search an area known as Joth. Somehow, this place was magically rebuilding itself and she was determined to figure out how and why. Sara interrogated some of the people who lived there, but learned nothing. Sara would not give up so easily. If she could replicate this effect, even on a smaller scale, she would have an invaluable new tool to add to her already great list of abilities. And so she stood around, studying the weird magical effect...

--------------------
Yes, I've met Scallopman.
--Random Chef at a Restaurant that William Shatner has eaten at before.

What does a Scallop taste like, I don't know. Did I eat a lot of them, yeah.
--Henry Rollins
Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00
Guardian
Member # 6670
Profile Homepage #23
Open Minds on a Closed Hill
- Literal translation of the Zsarim Academy of Thought’s credo
--------------------

The armoured turned from the demon's corpse. "The last of this group, I believe," he stated, displeasure evident in his voice. “It would seem we arrived too late.”

“The story of my existence,” Ashataro responded, emerging from the temple. While the battle had raged to enormous proportions in the square outside, none of the demons had infiltrated the temple building itself. Likely some miracle. “Always travelling, always walking to the next destination, but always arriving too late to make a difference.”

The other god turned his helm to face the outdoor charnel house again. “Carnage brought to my city, and the fools did not manage to capture Geltor. A pity history never repeats itself exactly. Worse, I cannot know for certain the rationale for his strike here and now. If there was one at all...”

Ashataro sighed. “There, I suppose, I can make a difference.”

The iron visage turned back to face his dark face. “Explain.”

“I am no warrior deity, as you have plainly seen,” Ashataro slowly began. “But I do have other... abilities. In a way, I am preoccupied with the quest of why. And one of my divine skills is the ability to get a glimpse of another’s mind at-“

The other god tsked in annoyance. “Don’t bother me with the power to skim minds. Even if you could read a demon’s mind – which I highly doubt – you would need it to be present. Geltor is not likely to be so obliging.”

“It’s not so much reading minds as sampling emotions,” Ashataro responded. “And I do not require the subjects to be present if the emotions are strong enough.” He gestured to the ruined temple square. “And emotions are hardly stronger that in the midst of a battlefield rank with the stench of blood, sweat, and hellfire.”

“It is worth an attempt, at least,” the armoured god conceded. “Best do it before the trail gets cold.”

Ashataro glanced around, found a stone outcropping, and sat on it. His hands were shaking. They shouldn’t be, he told himself. The situation was wholly different than last time. The massacre before his eyes was horrendous, but it was not a massacre that directly involved. He took a deep breath. Steadied himself. Closed his eyes.

And opened his mind.

An echoing scream pierced his mind.

A kaleidoscope of vivid colour unfolded before him. The majority of it he ignored completely; the feral hunger of the lesser demons and the mindless sense of duty of the pseudo humans. He kept them separate, not to waste any time going through their excess experiences. He waded deeper, and the rush of memories overcame him.

This was your fault!

Screams echoed through the air, and buildings glowed with fire, creating a scene of twisted beauty. He looked at the sky, at the pale winter sun that bathed the bloodstained ground.
Sliros, after all these years...

The heavens opened, and torrents of rain began to spew out. Fire cascaded over mortals, incinerating body and soul alike. He was now trapped in a maelstrom, and with a rush of vertigo the emotions began to blur.

I will destroy them for what they have done to us!

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see a ball of flame rushing at his head. He tried to twist away, but the iron grip only tightened.

Then Ashataro truly opened his eyes.

An impassive metal helmet filled his vision. “Do you always convulse when you do this, friend?”

Ashataro brushed off the other god’s grip with his other hand, and closed his mind. “Not a friend,” he rasped. Surely his green eyes were filled with burning with tears. But no, his eyes were deep brown; that was another’s emotions. “Only a fool.” He should have expected this; it made sense that catching the emotions of mortals would be a wholly different experience than catching the emotions of a deity. He of all people should have anticipated the strength of the emotions of gods. Catching the intense emotions of a handful at once... He had nearly lost himself- no, he had. If the other god had not been there, he would have wallowed as long as he had the last time he attempted this trick.

“Did you discover anything of note?” the other asked.

Ashataro stood up. “Your name is Sliros, correct?”

Sliros paused. “I did not reveal my name to you. Did you hear this from one of the citizens?”

Ashataro shook his head. “Someone in the battlefield noted our arrival. And I believe he knows of your history, whatever it is.”
Posts: 1509 | Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00
Guardian
Member # 5360
Profile #24
Seoth looked on in horror as the burning life of Krasonva oozed out of the horrific wound in her chest. The skin surrounding the sparking blade began to char and rupture, and gore oozed out of the cracking gashes. The flames surrounding Callia dispersed quickly, leaving only the ravaged body of a human in their wake. Seoth bent his head in silent mourning, and gauzy shrouds of black manifested themselves around his body, traditional funeral robes.

A shuddering energy crackled from the dead body into his hands, and Seoth gasped in pain. The energies of Krasonva the goddess passed into his body, those of fire and purity, righteous anger, kindness, and. . . Good. Good was not a static force, one unchanged and reigning in golden purity over eternity. The Balance, or the physical representation of that Balance, a massive, towering construct of clockwork, chains, rope, springs, cogs, and a million million more unnamed parts and materials, each covered with runes and glyphs, perceptive to whatever force they represented in the massive machine, determined each of the near infinite amount of forces and to which degree each was championed by every god, mortal, and everything else, every minute and irrelevant detail recorded in ancient scripts known only to the Gods of Balance on a massive pedestal, crawling with living ink.

Seoth championed multiple forces, true, but the Balance first and foremost, and he only championed those others because the Balance determined that they needed him as a champion. The absorption of each of those forces had been a painful thing, wracking his body and mind until the Balance had reached it's conclusion. But now, this, this openly rebelled against him. These new forces entered him and fought against his entrenched Balance.

Fires wracked through Seoth's body, spurting out of patches of skin only to dive back into his soul, seeking a place there. Golden mists spurted from his eyes and pores, burning fires wreaking massive internal damage in the space of seconds.

And the firestorm of his soul went on for many minutes.

Eventually, the new energies fled him, seeking solace and welcome in likehearted mortals. But they left a shattered and ruined body behind.

Every bone in his body must have been shattered in a dozen places, his organs ripped into tatters and blood seeping like water through horrific burn-trails. His muscles were ripped and torn, his arms bent horrifically, as if jointed a hundred times more. Blood spread in a pool around the twisted mockery of godhood, splashing out of a thousand pinprick wounds.

And, horrifically, he was still alive and conscious, every breath he drew drawing spasms of pain throughout his twitching self. And he would not be dying anytime soon. The magics that preserved him were still working, as they spread through his body, mending here, regenerating there, and righting the horrible, twisted deformity of his tortured soul.

A major break in his femur righted itself, the bone swinging back almost one-hundred-eighty degrees to fix itself in the right position, the splinters clattering against each other and affixing one end to the other. This movement, thankfully, finally caused enough inhuman amounts of pain that he mercifully lost consciousness.

The last thing he heard before he blacked out was the clatter of approaching armor.

--------------------
May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it.
Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00

Pages