Hallelujah (Deification reboot) (IC) (Mature)

[Inumo]

Turin's presumptuousness on his possession of my secrets set me further against him than before. You know as well as I, Turin, that you know not what those secret teachings are; they are mine to keep, and mine to share. Do not let your post delude you; you may know vengeance, but you do not know the secrets that holds it aloft. That is my domain. You may know monsters, but you do not know the shadows that hide them. That is my domain. Be finished with such thoughts. With that, I sunk deeper into the shadows and disappeared back to my realm. On the ceiling, a fly landed.

Home at last, I took the fresh secrets and categorized them, filing them away both physically and mentally as I reviewed them for tidbits relevant to the upcoming tournament.

[justacritic]

The Divine Realm
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"I accept!" Turin replied to the God of Victory with a fierce grin. The One who Bears Ill Tidings could believe the ill luck that surrounded this choice. It created a standoff in which one could only fire with the permission of the others. An excellent and fair way to get rid of distractions these contests would surely bring. Now the headache of half-directed requests wouldn't be so difficult to handle in this matter.
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The Old Beggar expected this result, after all such obstacles occurred in his work nearly all the time. "Ah, Bookbinder, I have encountered the saying that "Ignorance of the Law is no excuse" and I intend for this race to have no excuse of ignorance, for just law or injust. You, yourself have stated that "I direct, I focus, I guide" but one must understand and know of the Law to do so. So for the meaning of "shard of Law" I asked of the knowledge of the Law, in town and in land so that this race who will burn with Justice will have it tempered by Law for as you should know, Justice running wild can lead to tragedy."
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The other avatar sitting near Emeisha stood up to speak "My Lord Judge I wouldn't desire to argue when I am in delicate negotiations with you but what you suggest would be unfair to the followers of the Bronze King. Yes, they follow one who atttempted to overthrow us all, Yes, not all of them are what the common people would label "sane" Yes, they are capable of causing great havoc. Yet I have not heard of any words from them to cause great cause for alarm." Turin shifted his eyes towards Man's Shadow inviting her to cut in anytime she chose. "What I have heard from them are what I hear from many who journey to these contests, glory for them and glory for their God or Goddess. If you would ban them from the tournament for what they could do, we might as well ban the monsters from competing as some of them may take the chance to cause mayhem, ban the humans as some could indulge in wanton slaughter or other unsavory deeds, we should even ban the land from being a tournament ground for hosting an event to spill blood." Turin sat back down and began to sip again of his slightly flat drink. "I do not mind if the followers of the Bronze One are barred from the contests but even they deserve a better reason to be barred than possiblities that have yet to arise. Even worse," The God of Justice continued "Our banning them for the reason of preventing any action from them could lead to those followers actually following through any plans they were unsure about."
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"Very well then" The thin man smiled at Corythus. "When they are ready I will call upon you."
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The Thin man started to leave if the God of Cities had no other words to say. His destination in mind was old and dangerous and even Turin wasn't sure if what he was seeking was still there.
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The God of Misfortune grinned to himself. He never really expected the Lady of Webs to give up any of her secrets. After all isn't it said that "Three can keep a secret if two are them are dead." The purpose behind his words was to drive the Goddess to action even if it would cost him dearly in the future. Vermin may hide in the shadows but when roused they could fight back with a fury. In these uncertain times her attention would be a tipping point. Still, he would have to appease her in some way as his attitude towards her was uncalled for. Turin sighed "Sometimes it sucks being the God of Justice."
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On The Island
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Turin filled the shells with Justice. In his pocket was the acorn, he had a mind to use it as the spark to light the fire of life. Now all he had to do was wait for the proper moment.

[Meany]

The Desert of Wishes
A column of humans, and Sha all trek toward the south, where the tournament is to be held.  They occasionally wave to the swooping phoenixes, and ever so faintly, you can see one or two of your kitsunes wandering about the masses, O Little Star.  Impossibly high overhead, one of your sister's mighty Roc keeps a watchful eye on the coloumn.  The mind of the great golden eagle reaches out to your wisp of self.  The one who was taken was out of my sight when it struck.  A minute ago, the ground was marred with a scorch mark that only I could see, but now it is gone.  Even the mortals, and I so far up could smell rotting flowers from the area.  I am sorry Honored Aunt, but I know no more.

Where Stars Walk
The Sun Val'Narya took the shape of the lion her statues depicted at these times.  And she returned the embrace.
I have noticed a strange thing in the skies to the west and south of my and Sol's desert, dear sister.  As large as a Roc, but it flies like a serpent.  And I cannot seem to look directly at it, I only notice it from a peripheral look.  Did you an Emeisha cook up a new flier?  Oh, wait, there seems to be something wrong with Shemise's river, too.

The temple of Teleothial
Ran bows, and vanishes from your sight, O Bookbinder.  And on the fringes of your awareness, you feel him focus his storm onto the area where the men are trapped.
The tailors scramble to sew furs into winter garb to suit the men who go north, and food is gathered together for both parties.  Donal has no problem with finding strong men to follow him into the mountains.  But Valin...there are many who have nearly been robbed by the new neighbors, and finding those calm enough to not seek retribution is difficult even for him.  A party half the size of Donal's should be ready by day's end.

The Bronze Gate
The Custodian, once it arrives, determines the sphere to be, while luminescent, mostly calcium.  The source of the light is internal, and the calcium outer coating strong enough to endure a Centurion's aggression.  It's manner of floatation is unknown, at least without puncturing the shell to test the internals for lighter-than-air gasses.  However, there is no difficulty moving it about.  
>Report: ?? external casing 93% calcium, 6% unidentified protein, 1% unidentified element.
>Unable to determine levitation method.
>Unable to determine method of emissions of light radiation.
>Unable to determine method of entry into Bronze Gate.
>Report: Inconclusive.  Request relocation to Lab facility for further testing.
>End report.

Swarm in the sky
The mortals marvel at your swarm's glittering all through the grounds.  It seems your fellow's plans to rebuke Kurios' men is moot, as already there are fifty men, women, and children who bear bronze disks upon their chests as signals of their faith.  However, Kurois' own race, the Giants, have not come yet.  Your judge senses...something deeply wrong with the flow of time here.  Something is weighing down the sands, causing multiple streams of possibilities to knot and stop flowing.  Brief flashes of a black Skyborn with skeletal wings are all it can report for now.

Edge of the Dark
"Great Emeisha, I will serve.  And to thank you, I give this secret that I have learned today.  There is a plot among several monsters who claim to follow you to sabotage Jerrel's folk when they come to compete.  Yet they do not intend to share this with you, which is suspicious."

Pow!  Straight to the moon!
The ultimate symbol of Order, the Dwarves, gather in on the tournament.  Strong enough to wear carved stone as armor, and famous for their granite axes, they go to work assembling megaliths into a random configuration as a shrine to you, O Aellor.  And several have already proven to arrogant humans that the Dwarves of Aellor will be a foe to be reckoned with when the Games start.  By physically throwing them about ten feet on average.  By their weak human beards.

Island of Beginnings
All the ingredients purely necessary for life were gathered.  They needed only to be mixed with the final touches, and given energy to become Life.  When suddenly.  Out on the water, a light appeared.  Not passing very close to the island, but enough for you, O Turin, to see your counterpart.  Speranza, she of the golden hair, of the blue dress, of the many-hued torch: Hope, Mercy, and Absolution.  She looks your way as she passes along the waters toward some other appointment for her, and smiles.  A green lick of flame floats from her torch, and flies to you, encasing itself in a crystal shell as it floats, then hovering near you.  And in short order, Speranza has passed on to whatever her destination was. 

Cult Forewarning Group
The trio link up with a wandering group of adventurers, who seem entranced with their appearance, enough to help with pointing out notable cults in the area, their symbols, and their dogmas.  These adventurers are Sol's people, or at least descended from Sol's people, but give him no praise.  They seem to be without gods, as odd as that is.  One of the most powerful cults, according to these adventurers, is the following of Traumesser, a demon which claims to be a broken off aspect of Emeisha; the aspect of Evil.

Shrine of Corythus
Lord of the cities, rejoice!  For the grounds have already consecrated a shrine for your worship, and many dozens of people come to it through out the day.  Ordained with a gift from each family, your statue is beleaguered with rings of flowers, gifts of bread and milk, the occasional Timeswarm bug, as well as blocks of salt, and precious metals.  It seems the people wish for their gathering to be blessed by the lord of gatherings.

Divine Realm

Shemise sat down on a large chair which manifested for him.  "I offer all the secrets of my river, and those my wife has shared with me, to receive a secret from you, Honored Elder Emeisha.  And Lord Turin, I would give the strength from my waterfalls, to plant into his new people."  The river god reached up, and pushed down the left shoulder of his robe, showing a horrible black mark following the veins of the shoulder, then pulled his robe back up when both of you had the chance to look.  "I believe someone has poisoned my wife, and myself.  If my offer is sufficient for Lady Emeisha to share the secret of the person's identity, and for Turin to bring vengeance upon them, do we have an accord?"

Milan considers, as her waters reach up for the stars.  Always reflecting the light.  Always a mirror, never the source of splendor.  "Perhaps you are right.  Perhaps...I have been too reserved.  But if I let loose...I get so angry at the slightest things.  How could I raise children who would be afraid of even speaking to me?"

The music stops.

And the reason why is heard, soon.  Great thumps, which rattle the glasses of all the tables.  The smell of ash, and metal...  "If you have issue with me, let it be with me."  The doors of the tavern swing open, as the solid bronze man clad in a heavy bronze robe, and carrying a staff as tall as he is steps into the bar.  Kurios. "Leave the mortals out of it."

[Azlan]

Divine Realm


To say that Myl'Naia was surprised by this auspicious turn of events would be akin to stating a tactical nuclear weapon was just another explosive.  To her credit, the Goddess of Life, Light, and Peace kept a straight and calm expression, her aura alight.  However, the luminosity increased dramatically at the entrance of the bronze man.

As the Radiant Lady brightened dramatically, the Little Star appeared next to Song, "my apologies Song, but if you would be so kind... I need the room now."

With a nod, the Little Star took hosting from the Divine Entertainer.  The tavern lights all flashed in their multitude of colors, reflective "disco ball" and strobing effects all registered briefly before the walls, floor, furnishings all became the stuff of nebulae and the ceiling fading to that of the starry sky beyond the shell of the planet.  The doors remained much as they were.

The Radiant Lady spoke, her voice filling all the empty spaces, "I have assumed hosting from Song's venue and have enacted my office of Peace.  Let us discuss this as reasonable entities of the universe."  An uncharacteristic confidence and force shone through the normally soft spoken and gentle Life Goddess.

In the corner of the room, the Risen Light paused and spoke her thoughts outloud, "wait, did Naya just say that there is something wrong with Shemise's river?"



The Desert of Wishes


The wisp sent to the majestic Roc and flickered in acknowledgement, thank you beloved one, you have nothing to apologize for.  Please be safe, I fear there will be troubled times ahead, but no matter what, know that my sister and I love you all.  

The wisp briefly nuzzled the great Roc before it headed down to the spot where the mark was and attempted to blend with the life streams of the world.



Where Stars Walk


One of my Phoenixes just disappeared in the desert, just gone.  One of your children noticed a scorch on the sands that disappeared... smelling of rotting flowers according to the mortals.  It is strange that you cannot see these fliers, I have no hand in that directly, but if it draws life I should be able to determine what it is.  Let me see what you see for a moment, please, Naya.

The smaller star attempted to read the contents of Life in those instances that Val'Narya has seen, failing that she would read the Light.  She stretched the wings of the Great Radiant Bird form that her current mortal worshippers seem to like at the moment.

The great avian sighed, Shemise's river?  What is wrong with it?  Too much of this is not coincidence. 

[justacritic]

The Divine Realm
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The inflamed mutters of the people of Jerrel wash over me. Such trouble they could cause and make such a distraction that the Bookbinder might have to deal with it later in time. Well, I have been involved and cleaning up any trouble that could result for Jerrel would be common courtesy. I send thoughts and little reminders to those people that they follow the Judge and as such can trust that his judgment is reliable and FAIR.
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At that moment Turin got the Willies, something bad was likely to happen at the tournment ground. A very big bad something.
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At the table where Shemise and I were sitting, the candles flared up as if from an unknown wind. "Poisoning a source of water, do not those fools know that water is cycled throughout this land? They are only bringing down Doom upon themselves, and harming innocents with it. Yes River and Lake, I will bring Vengence for you if you truely wish it. 
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The Mortal World
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On The Island
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I stared in shock, Speranza and I may have been opposed due to our powers, but I always tried to keep on good terms with her. She had stayed my hand many times to the greater benefit, and I attempted my best to ensure that those who would abuse her gifts would never have the chance to cause her great sorrow. It is true that we both do not always succeed, but that is the price for living and I was glad to see her alive and well. I took the green lick of flame from her torch, and I concentrated on taking myself from her path, I have few enough friends as it is, and I try not to get in their way. I looked back to the shells and put in the design I based them upon, the desert was a harsh place but I had witnessed a species of surviors, Jackals, their slim faces and swift feet pleased me, and I often heard disparging remarks about them from humans. Well if I had anything to say about it, they won't just get a day in the sun, but a full blown holiday season. I called out to Corythus for they were ready for a dream.
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Shrine of Corythus
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I witnessed the gathering for the Lord of the Masses. It was time to furfill my end of the bargain. To assist in anyway I could to lead to the rise of great cities. Yet the first thing cities needed I have saw was strong leadership. However I was always involved when those leaders became too strong and thus ready for a fall. I observed the multitude of worshipers, looking for signs in body and mind of those who people would follow and had strength to bring this befuddled gathering into a proper city. To those I swept the dark paths surrounding them away. For the people whose leadership would lead to disaster, the management that deserves to be thrown out of companies with great force but don't because of connections and other methods, I dumped the full load of the fates those bright leaders would have in store for them. Plaguing the trash leaders that are ineffective and dangerous and departing from the faces of the worthy, I attempted to support the builders of what could be more strength to the Gatherer of People.
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In a Place in Between
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The thin clothed man pulled a cloak around him and shivered despite it. He had arrived, in The Forest. Very few would know or even remember this place. But he did, for it was at once where he first began. The avatar of Turin walked slowly keeping to a path that was unmarked. He focused completely on getting where he wanted to be. This place had Things, Things that have become what they are now due to the changed nature of The Forest. They were something that could give even a god worry. Very soon the Alms of Justice  reached where he wanted to be. The burned down ruins of what was once a cottage in The Forest. Still standing after all this time was That Brick Hearth. He came closer and with effort shoved off the heavy iron door that covered the fire pit. Inside was the burned remnements of seemed to be some sort of clothing. Wrapped inside was, still smoltering, was some sort of jar though what it was composed of was a mystery. Turin wrapped it in the burned rags, handling it carefully and ran from that place. He had what he came here for, there was no meaning to stay in this place any longer...

[Arcalane]

Reality
Seraph reviewed the new report, briefly.

>Negative, contain artifact in temple, continue monitoring.

Protocol dictated not relocating unfamiliar artifacts into the core of one's sanctum, regardless of potential importance.

Besides that, most of the labs were busy tied up doing Material Research, experimenting with the effects of Changing mundane metals and imbuing them with tiny fragments of power. A new age demanded new materials, and as shown before, mundane materials were only so good if 'enchanted' after forging. Power needed to be introduced at the source...

Truth be told, the Infinite Construct disliked meddling in such affairs, but with Horiv in self-imposed exile or otherwise unaccounted for, it could hardly call upon his aid.



Astral Pub
The change in decor had an extremely distressing effect on the Eye, which normally looked down on the room from above. It vanished. Then it reappeared, much smaller, on one of the walls. Then another one appeared. And another. One there on the ceiling. Another here. A few over there. Within moments, dozens of smaller copies of the Eye are positioned all around, staring at the inhabitants of the common plane with mismatched, faceted eyes. Red. Yellow. Blue. Green. Purple. Pink. Every colour of the rainbow and then some.

Perhaps even more distressingly, they blink in unison, and seem to be fixed to an invisible socket, unable to move of their own accord. Sometimes they twist around in their sockets and look at each other, burbling to each other in Seraph's incomprehensible machine tongue, or in short fragments of mortal languages, before focusing their attention on the various inhabitants.



Tournament Grounds
The trio look at each other, then nod. Seraph was never one for forcing the hands of mortals (he had his own hands, after all) and had little interest in their choices of worship as long as it wasn't malevolent.

Traumesser, on the other hand, sounded like bad news. The trio would attempt to get as much information out of the adventurers as possible.



Realm of Secrets
With a crack of energy and burst of light, a Drone materialized within Emeisha's realm and swiftly sought out the Keeper of Secrets. Waiting for an opportunity, it quickly delivers its message;

"The Infinite Construct sends greetings. Message begins: 'Emeisha. I apologize for the intrusion and lack of formalities but my patrol team headed for the tournament ground has gathered news of a group of individuals that worship an entity named Traumesser that claims to be a fragment of yourself. Investigate at your own discretion. Seraph out.' Message ends."

Message delivered, the hovering Drone vanishes with a faint *pop*.

[Inumo]

My fly avatar buzzed and landed on Shemise's shoulder. Through it, I whispered in his ear, "Your offer is accepted." Through the power of metaphor, I lifted a sheet of papyrus with the secret Shemise so dearly wanted up from the darkness of his mind onto a pedestal of shadows, caged within bars of midnight. Alongside it formed a basket of black, waiting for the River's offering.

As I waited for the reciprocation of the offer, I whispered to my follower. "I am aware of this... subterfuge against the Bookbinder they plan. Know that they do not have my support, and while I thank you for such a reminder, they will feel the wrath of  the Masked Judge directly." When Jerrel next lifts his drink, he shall find a small note beneath the mug to convey the nascent scheme and all relevant details to the god.

Finally, I considered this news relayed by the Drone. Sinking into the mortal realm, I focused my attentions through the shadows hiding this Traumesser. When next he claimed his heritage, I struck, strangling him with shadows so he would choke on his own words and banishing him to his home. As flies coalesced over his corpse, the buzz of their wings resounded through the chamber. "Fools!" they announced. "This pitiful, vile thing is no aspect of mine. Let all who dare worship such a foul creature with his secret revealed step forth, and join your 'master.'"

[ShadesFox]

Shrine of Corythus

Corythus was quite pleased.  The gifts were quite nice, as far as offerings from primitive mortals go.  But what was quite nice was the shrine itself!  To have a gathering place for all to mingle was exactly what he needs more of.  The germ of congregation only grows more powerful as more gather together.  There would need to be more of course, more shrines and more monuments.  At this point even village monuments were precious.  One thing at a time though.

The leadership.  Ah yes the leadership.  Corythus normally did not mettle in the particular affairs of the cities leaders.  They are essential to keeping everything cohesive.  With a handful of mortals blessed with a righteous path these cities should flourish.  Which brings him to his part of the deal...

On The Island
Jackals.  An interesting choice to be sure.  While Corythus normally likes humans the best, a dream is a dream, a city is a city, and a deal is a deal.

One of the jackals had a dream.  A modest dream, but a whole dream.  It was a vision of a better way, more then just scavenging off the land. Corythus would nurture this dream, where he and others of his kind would would congregate for their mutual protection, to find the most effective use of the land around them.  Also, he planted a few ideas for monuments in his head, just because monuments are very helpful. 

Yes, it would be a grand city.  One for others to be jealous of, for others to emulate.  Now for a place for it...

[Previewer]

'Starry, Starry Night' Tavern

To Seraph, Ainos responds:

"I understand. Though whatever you may consider yourself, your effect and influence are no less comparable than that of any one of us. Though our motivations differ, as far as my foresight allows, I see that our goals are mutually beneficial. Nevertheless, your vigilance over this tournament is appreciated. I too agree that we should err to the side of caution in the way that we deal with the Bronze King and his followers."


In response to Sol's remark about the Bronze King, Ainos advises caution:

"While there may be some of us, myself included, whatever our reasons, who would prefer his demise, his survival of our previous purge against him and his followers would perhaps indicate to us that achieving such an outcome may be more involved than we had previously thought. Removing him may not be a straightforward process and so more information may aid a better decision later."


Regarding Myl'Naia's question about the Bronze King after Jerrel's and Aellor's replies:

"He was once mortal. What he then became I cannot say. When the Bronze King betrayed us, he gained great powers of destruction and attempted to usurp our offices by destroying us. Some of us were vanquished while others survived and fought back. He was however unable to properly take on the offices of all those he destroyed. With the resulting war and of those of us who remained, we were unable to continue supporting mortal life. The passing of Gys was no small factor, nor was it the only reason. The death of my mother, Tezkatl's consort, who was The Sun before you and your sister, at the hands of Kurios was also a factor."

"With the death of our world, so too did we, its gods, fade. Whether or not we were successful in vanquishing the Bronze King, I am uncertain. With the coming of you and you sister and the return of life to our world, we re-emerged, not all, but some, even those who we felt were vanquished by the Bronze King. Your passage across the sky and dance with The Moon bring to mortal awareness the passage of time. As Tezkatl was my father before, so is he now. You and your sister, if you accept, I now consider my mother."


**********


At this point, the Bronze King made his entrance and the tavern changed form. Ainos coalesced into a more tangible presence and confronted the intruder.


"Our issue with you is the nature of our previous altercation. If you do not seek the same goals as before, then what is your purpose now? Our Little Sun," Ainos gestures towards Myl'Naia, "who was not witness to destruction you wrought, asks for peace. I ask why you deserve this, and on the grounds of preventing another tragedy, why we should not do away with you now, as some of us were previously discussing?"

"I am curious, for you have now squandered the opportunity to take us by surprise. As for your mortals, as long as they follow you and share your purpose, we will judge them as we judge you. We sense also that you have created new life in this world, something you were previously incapable of, though they have yet made themselves known. This is very curious indeed."


Discreetly, Ainos attempts to get Tezkatl's attention, "Father, I have news of some import I wish to discuss. It concerns your creations and what may come to pass."




Skyward Swarm

The strange sensation of the flow of time surrounding the tournament grounds brings several more swarms to the area. Some disperse to cover large areas and assess comparative time flows while the compact swarms attempt to influence the passage of time in their usual way to assess for any change in difficulty of this normally achievable task. The mind of the individual judge is now separate enough to act in a judicial capacity. Its parent swarm now acts as an extension of its senses while maintaining the linked hive mentality. The last swarm slips into a folded space-time pocket and begins nesting while developing an overarching hive mind over all swarms present. This area was now a hotbed of temporal anomalies and a close, coordinated eye would have to be kept on it.




The Sands of Time

Ainos probed along the knotted streams originating from the tournament grounds. This was something else hardly ever seen, direct manipulation of the timestreams. There were heavy and possibilities were being prematurely stifled. Where was this influence coming from?

Going backwards however, Ainos also attempted to see backwards along the river of time. Looking to see the past of Kurios, the Bronze King, what had happened to him and how he and ended up in the here and now. Past events sought that would perhaps have some bearing on events now.

[Meany]

The Lifestream

The scorch mark in the Desert shows burns on the edges of Life in the area.  Here the smell of rotting flowers is also present, and the Life whispers one long, hissing word to you, O Little Star, in it's otherwise unknowable voice.

Poiiissssoooonnnn.

Your search for the Dark Wyrm in the sky was much easier, as it is apparently a perfectly natural creature.  It is a rain spirit, usually cloaked in heavy rainclouds that it brings to the mortals, called an Avanyu.  A horned snake with a tongue of lightning.  The reason it cannot be seen directly is due to some...interference.  In it's jaws, it holds a great black sphere, whirling in dark fire.  It's present heading appears to be the mortal's tournament grounds.

Also, the sight of Shemise's river and his wife's lake is strange.  The surface of the lake is nearly covered in a thick black goo, stemming from whence, you do not know.  Bu the goo is starting to move down river, into Shemise's domain.

Genesis

The shells are now prepared.  Within them gestate the bodies of your people, O Avenger.  In a span of time unnoticeable to you, they are complete, needing only a touch of Life to be a true People of the World.

The Sands of Time

Probing into the knots, your hand comes back heavy with gray.  With the mutable force of shifting, of unpredictability, of Change.  Someone or something has Changed the timestreams into their current form.

Seeing into the past of Kurios, is a difficult process, for a huge gap in your records exists from after your mother was felled, O Timestreamer.  But you recall information from before that time...

Of the boy Kurios challenging and defeating the God of the Forge, and taking the secrets from his skull, forging himself a new body of Bronze for his old one was damaged.

Of the Smith God Kurios standing up against the Monster Goddess Echidna, and being declared King of Heaven and Earth for her imprisonment.

Of the Mad King Kurios heavy with the power of The Black, felling agents of the World left and right, and of one particular bolt spearing your mother as she swooped down on The King.

Of the Lonely Man Kurios, in brief flashes, carrying corpses of gods to their tombs.  Of He arranging the sleeping survivors so they could wake up not quite as sore as they should be after a long sleep.

Of the Creator Kurios carving his Giants from the mountainsides.

Bronze Gate

When suddenly.

The white sphere began to glow brighter, and pulsate, giving off a sudden spike of heat.  Your Drones begin to overheat, when it stops as three spears of white light take off into the Gate, down the passages.
Your alarms wail as the bolts breeze through your defenses, weaving around barricades and defenders,  going deeper into your Districts.

One breaks from the others, and strikes one of the laboratories.  The computers inside that were not online, suddenly become so, as they display a lengthy mathematical formula.

Another hits a depleted mineral mine, and suddenly visible veins of a new ore are seen even from the outside of the mine.

And the third passes directly through your Eye, it is...strangely familiar to you, then flies back out, and crashes into the ground near your base.  A lifeless figure forged of blue metal, with heavy metallic wings of the same colour and metal stands there, a design not unlike a Prime Centurion, albeit one head and shoulders taller than your existing models.

The sphere outside your Bronze Gate, O Seraph, has grown dimmer, and now sinks closer to the floor as your various units chatter to you and each other around it.

Before the city, comes the Village

The leaders get to work quickly, it seems.  Organizing streets, and areas where businesses of similar premises would work alongside each other.  The swarms are now a bit of a pest, and many Skyborn earn coin by nomming them in numbers.  The issue of certain individuals going and raiding nearby settlements is being raised, as fear of reprisals grows.

Demon in the Dark

The Cultist you strangle gives you a look...and smiles?  "Hoo, you're not as good as you think you are..." he gasps before his neck is broken.  But in that instant, shafts of burning white explode from his corpse, and try to bind you, O Dark One, while the followers scream and flee in terror.

Astral Disco or Boogie Wonderland

Shemise places his secrets into the basket offered for them.  And a multitude of interesting things happen to flood your awareness. Those of note follow:  Of a particular Volcano God that was going on a rampage being seized by Shemise and his wife, and drowned in their waters.  His corpse still languishes there.  Of many races of people that they have created together, living in the depths of The Lake.  And of course, of the three Godlings that Shemise and his wife have been desperately trying to save from the poison.

The returned secret puzzels the River God, who looks between Emeisha and Turin.  "Who is Traumesser?"

Kurios looks down his nose at you, Ainos, and answers your questions while stepping further into the assembly.  "My purpose is as it was, to Administer the Rights and Powers of the Kings.  As well as to inquire why my name is being thrown around.  I don't deserve mercy, and you know that.  But if you wanted to do away with me, why have you waited so long?  Why did you not get off your godly buttocks and make good on these threats?"  The King steps aside, pulling the other door open for the tall black skinned woman in a flowing yellow robe while carrying a wood spear with an iron point, and a wood-and-hide shield.  Val'Narya.  The goddess barely gives him a look while she strides over to where her sister and consort sit.  "Besides which, I come with a peace offering."  The solid bronze man pulls a perfectly spherical gray blob.

[justacritic]

On the Island as yet unnamed-
Turin searched for the chosen jackal that received the dream as promised by the Lord of the Masses. He found him and appeared before him in a sudden shift of sand. "Do not be afraid" I spoke in the speech all can understand. "I have seen your desire to improve your people's lot in life. Do not lie to me as I know you have dreamed the dream of not just living off the dregs of others. And yet as you are now child of the desert you are at a disadvantage." Turin motioned with his hands and fingers. "And yet I have a deal for you, I have crafted bodies that would serve your needs. All you have to do is accept being my people and I will watch over you all. What do you say? After all as of now there is not many options available to this body of yours..."
Turin smiled and extended his hand.

Beware of Those Who Walk in Twilight-
I felt harsh ill will closing in upon the Lady of the Dark, and apologizing to the dead is a useless waste of effort. And so I twisted the paths of karma and fortune, driving power against the force or forces that were opposing the Goddess' way. All the malice and the misfortune I could muster, I drove down the enemy's throat.

Lucy's in the Sky with Diamonds-
Turin shrugged "Ask not I for of this person I know nothing of" He turned to the avatar of secrets "And to you is this person familiar?" Turin shivered, that feeling of the willies was getting stronger, soon great disaster would befall a location.

Bronze Rock Around the Clock-
"Kurios, that's just like you, acting as if a king has to answer to no one. Kings are still people and they still have to face the consequences for their actions. We also the Gods must face the consequences for our actions as well." Turin's voice suddenly shifted to that of a number of females with three speaking with utmost hatred, three with unbridled desire, and one disconcerning voice speaking out of phase with the other six. "Remember that even though you are King of the Gods, you still have to answer eventually for every action that you take. It may not be to mortals, it may not be to us, but still you will have to answer to someone..."

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

The Temple.

Jerrel paced back and forth in his sanctum, his large feet clacking against the bare tile.  Speed or power, ask or demand? The thoughts flit about his mind, and for once duty and precedent were little help. Still, by all indications the tournament was in no hurry, and a little more delay, to gather proper strength, would hurt little. Jerrel inscribed these thoughts to a rock and floated it to whichever one of the priests didn't seem busy enough at the moment.


The Divine Realm.
He had waited until the others had their say; but it was obvious what the will of the pantheon was, and thus it was fitting and proper for Jerrel to act upon it.

"And what makes you think we are interested in peace with you and yours? You have very nearly destroyed us with your madness and your ambition once, and we do not suffer such things lightly. Perhaps the others speak without purpose, but I do not. You will answer to me, if nobody else."

Jerrel gathered his essence, dissolving the apparition that was dealing with Turin's emissary and fading his presence in Teleothial to a mere shadow and outline, concentrating the overwhelming majority in front of the Bronze King. His mask darkened to steel grey, and in his hands appeared a bundle of rods with axe blades protruding. Calmly and slowly, he advanced upon Kurios, ready to stove his skull in with his tool of judgment.

[Inumo]

The burning white bars were simple, yet foolish. Buzzing in Shemise's ear, I said, "A demon who called himself an aspect of mine. I have taken care of his personal form, but his influence may yet hold the world for a while yet." Traumesser's meager attempt at binding was futile, as nothing can hold a shadow. My avatar returned to the ceiling of the tavern and listened in on the proceedings with Kurios. The white cage, made from Traumesser's use of Creation, though, worried me. The gray blob was particularly interesting. I mentally noted to keep an eye out for further manifestations or extensions of Traumesser's influence. I wondered where the Bronze King was going with his peace offering.

[AmberCross]

Look, but don't touch

A wisp of vapor drifts over toward Kurios and develops what looks somewhat like an eye as it begins to observe the ball of gray. It is probably apparent to anyone with common sense that this is part of Aellor and just in case someone needed an extra hint, the part of the wisp taking in sensory input has occasional streams of electricity running through it, like a tiny, transparent raincloud. The wisp then moves up to observe Kurios for a while from several angles (none of which really are from the front) before returning to the orb to divine its nature and purpose. Abruptly Aellor manifested in between Jerrel and Kurios, red hair flared out in a mane the shape of an octagon and cried out, "Stop! Myl'Naia has asked we not fight and this domain belongs to Song. It is his authority to say who may come here, not yours and it is traditional that if you wish to fight you take the matter outside. Furthermore, Kurios has come under flag of truce. By your own rules you should be bound not to attack him here or now."

Aellor then turned to Kurios. "While you are here under truce and under protection of Myl'Naia, few would fight you, but your enemies are indeed many. You should speak your piece soon and probably leave fast.

Stuff about Dwarves go here...

The megalith pleased Aellor, and yet... something about it was not yet finished. After pondering the issue for some time, he realized it was an issue of mortal construction. The dwarves were better stonesmiths than most, but even they lefts flaws in their work. So Aellor tweaked a bit here, fixed a bit there, looped reality a bit... nothing major or that one would notice straight off unless they looked very carefully. Which meant that one, maybe two of the dwarves might actually notice. He then charged it so those that knew how to could channel power through representations of the monolith. Satisfied, he left, wondering if any of the dwarves would be skilled enough to learn this craft.

[Arcalane]

Network Damage Control - Labs
The newly activated hardware is quickly isolated from the main network, all inbound and outbound traffic suspended until further notice. Power remains. All units are instructed not to view or parse the data under any circumstances.



Mineral Bounty - Mines
It is a trivial affair to have an already exhausted mine rapidly cordoned off, and the drones descend within minutes, beginning the standard scanning routines.



Incarceration - The Visitor
Sometimes, Seraph could have been called unduly overcautious. Even so, this was hardly a situation to take lightly. Surviving veterans descended upon the figure, and attempted to transport it to a more secure location for holding and analysis.



The Laser Gates of Heaven
Oh, that's interesting. The eyes can move. They slide around, forming pairs opposite each other on the walls and floors, and a shimmering grid of light seperates Jerrel from Kurios. Should either of them - well, should anyone - touch it... well, let's just say they don't want to touch it. They really don't want to touch it.

"The Masked Judge, so eager to ignore the importance of his own domains in the name of Vengeance," somehow, Seraph manages to convey Turin's name along with Vengeance, as if to drive his point home, "and to defy the bounds of Sanctuary. I had thought your kind," Seraph addresses everyone, "above such petty behaviour."

[Azlan]

Cosmic Boogaloo Palace


The will of the current owner of the domain asserted itself encouraging electric grids to dissipate, weapons created and held in aggression to be sheathed, and offensive power to be suppressed as the nebulae swirled and danced.  A laugh not unlike the tinkling of fine silver bells was heard by all in the divine hosting space as Myl'Naia stepped from her sister's side.  Her contrast with her sister was now very apparent, pale skinned and clothed in a resplendent silvery-white dress.

"I'm sorry I was not clear as all of you seem to have misunderstood.  I did not ask for Peace and this is no longer Song's domain, it became mine when I made it so upon the arrival of our guest who has thus far acted fairly graciously, if not a bit disrespectful.  As you all can surely sense, I am using my influence on this domain to encourage a curtailing of powers.  I am in my rights to force the issue, but I would like all of you to willing do as I am now asking."  Despite the topic and words being spoken, Myl'Naia's voice, tone, and posture were still her sincere and sweet self, but with confidence.



The Desert Approaches


Whisp knew what it needed to do next and quickly ascended towards what Myl'Naia had seen.  She did not move at the speeds she could, instead she was matching speed and timing actions with another being.

Starlight now please, do not kill if would.

From beyond the atmosphere, a tiny speck appeared.  The Paragon of Star Archon Phoenixes rocketed downward at impossible speeds, shattering the sound barrier at high altitude.  The strategic bomber sized bird, encased in some type of silvery armor that likened it to some type of high tech craft, spiraled as it passed the Avanyu.  Starlight used her current high mass and wing span to strike the wyrm with tremendous air force, never once landing a physical blow on it, tossing it about recklessly.  With the black sphere carried far away from its previous carrier, Whisp streaked towards it, wrapping it in a cage of Light and Life.



On an Island with no name


The Risen Light touched down upon the surface of the unnamed isle, radiant as the morning light.  This light, however, did nothing to warm its surroundings.

"I deem this place the Isle of Winterlight, for it is both the light of truth and the stark chill of judgement I am forced to bring this day."  The fearsome Lady of Life Giving Spark coolly regarded Turin as she took note of the shells and the poor jackals.

"If you pull the life from these poor creatures of nature to fill your as of yet unrealized children, then they shall be deemed abominations.  They will be cast out of the natural order and shunned by all animals.  They shall become monsters."  The Lady of Life knelt down and scratched the chin of the small canid as she continued to speak to Turin, "choose your words carefully, I do not appreciate those that pervert and twist the innocent."

The words of the Risen Light carried no anger or malice, but took more of an air of a disappointed teacher with a prized pupil.

[justacritic]

Under the Pall of Winter
"Well now, if you so disapprove of this course of action" Turin then turned to both the jackal and the Lady of Light. "How about instead I adopt your race, wanderers of the desert, as my own? I will be your patron and support your efforts and I will give all the gifts I have collected to your benefit. Unless of course this Radiant Lady has any objections..." Turin waited patiently after all he could wait; it took this long to recognize the yearning inside him. What was more mortal time compared to lonely ages of gods?
In Between Places
   "Yikes, HOT, HOT, HOT!" Turin juggled the jar between his hands. It was for a brief moment but the heat of the jar, suddenly surged for a moment. Turin quickly placed the jar on the floor and then his foot upon it. He didn't trust that jar not to do anything for a moment. Turin took out some rags and wrapped his burned and blistered hands. Then he took back the jar from the floor. It was at that moment that the decision to give the jar to the first mortal female to ask for it was burned into his mind. Slowly Turin began to walk.

[Cogidubnus]

"Peace only when every enemy has fallen."

Sol stood, robes replaced with golden armor. A sword at his hip, enameled in red, and his head unbowed, wreathed in glass and light. He drew his sword, and every golden plate of his armor shone, as though he stood beneath the noonday sun.

"There stands the ancient enemy, of every god who stands living, wither they crawl in darkness or walk in light, wither they thirst for blood or peace, stand apart or together, wither they are born from the earth or from the dreams of mortals. The Bronze King walks. He heralds your doom with every step. Every mortal who speaks his name speaks a blasphemy. Ready yourselves, O Gods, ready your arms and your warriors, unless you have forgotten the long dark he brought to us, and the bloody oath your swore as he killed your people, killed your world, and stole your life."

Drums beat in the distance. Notes of brass sounded, carried along by the wind. A hundred voices sang, a chant of war, fluid and rhyming and runic.

"I will spare no mortal who claims fealty to you, Bronze King. Every breath they take is an affront to all the gods. Every second you walk prolongs a curse on this world."

[Inumo]

The hubbub around the Bronze King caught my eye, and I had to weigh my options. Secrets could come from strife, but open war held few secrets to be garnered, especially among gods. So, though it was at a fair cost, I chose to try for peace. "Perhaps you mistake the issue," I said, my fly avatar dropping from the ceiling to become a cloud of shadows, shrouding a figure of some sort. "Do you remember why the Bronze King became an issue? How he grasped at the forces of Destruction and sought to control it, though it in turn controlled him?" A pair of glowing eyes, my eyes, peered out from within the shadows, turning to look about the room, commanding silence and bent ears. "It is fair to say the King had his own issues. His thirst for power. His desire for control." I looked at the King himself, a baleful stare. "His taste for destruction." Moving on, I continued, "However, had he solely decided to use his own forces, to strike out with his powers, no issue would have arisen. He would have been controlled, retained, and altogether life would be normal. It is the driving forces that are the issue. And so do I share with you all a secret of mine, so we might know of the greater threat."

Glancing up at the eye in the ceiling, I remarked, "I thank you, Seraph, for providing me with this opportunity. For you see, my... compatriots, there is a greater issue at hand. Others have found a way to wield these driving forces." A tendril of my shroud gestured at Shemise. "As the River already knows, one has already found a way to taint him and his wife, he who called himself an aspect of mine. He who wielded the forces of pure Creation. His physical form has been... dealt with... but I fear for the implications of such an action. Perhaps, instead of worrying over the Bronze King and what he has done, we should worry about the attacks from these forces, and what they might do." With a final look around, I withdrew to the corner, putting my attention more thoroughly into the domain of Myl'Naia and watched the result. There was naught left to do but wait.