Lords of Creation (Story Thread 2)

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Gentleman Vaultboy wrote

It wasn't long after that that the marching was heard echoing through the cave, and the Vandals made their way around the corner. Not warriors, they did not run and they shouted nothing. Their shields were up, their weapons likewise, and they moved in lockstep behind the Man and dog.

The dog was not marching. Dogs don't care for such things. But the Man was.

The Veteran held up a hand, and the 16 behind him halted and he put his hand on his chin and surveyed the scene. Pack of people in the back looking sort of out of place. Watchdog in front of them, probably the ones he was looking for. Dragonborn in front of him, some holding those colorful people from the island. Blood and bodies on the ground. 2 long lanky folk and, yep, some more colorful people taking quick looks from behind that rock.

We'll, it appeared that, in the course of carrying out his duties he had come across the colorful people in need of aid. And here he thought he was going to have to look around some. He clears his throat.

"Now," he says to the dragonborn, looking pointedly at the struggling Boquabians in their arms, "I hope that you boys are just teaching these folk here an elaborate traditional folk dance."

Fandas quickly dispels the illusion of such an extension of kindness, "HEEEEEEELLLLLP!!!"

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Brynhildr starts to sigh, then gasps in pain before just saying, "I... can't hop... on. You'll ... need to help me... on. I can bare... ly move."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Well, he didn't need to hear that twice!

He raised his hand into the air, curled it into a fist, and brought it crashing down in front of him. The dragonborn and the elves in front of him all all felt a hard blow connect to the back of their heads, and everyone one dropped their weapons and prisoners and slumped to the rocky ground, unconscious.

It wasn't the most graceful or elegant of smites (-3, 29), but it certainly did the job. He turned to the vandals.

"When confronted with the enemy, always use the fullest extent of your power right from the get go. If you have the ability to end a fight with the first blow, then use it. Never hold back unless you intend to take people alive. NOW, I want all those people secured, don't let anyone near them until we sort this out!"

"SIR!"

The vandals set spread throughout the room and set to work moving the bodies into a circle, surrounding them with two circles. One facing inward, the other facing outward.

When the field was properly clear he made his way toward the strange group of spirits. Passing the Bouquabians on the way, he pointed and said "Don't go anywhere, I have some questions for you."

Standing before the group he saluted, pulled out a notebook, and read stiffly: "I, The Veteran, Major God Under the Watchman, God of the oppressed and just causes, do hereby request that you make you way to the city of Spectropolis on the southernmost continent to speak with The Watchman about your presence in this world and your plans for the future. He would like to extend a hand of freindship, and hopes for a personable and peaceful relationship between our groups."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

After a long and uneventful journey across the seas, the ship Aox had been traveling upon finally made landfall. Aox could be more anxious to get off the boat. It turned out he wasn't much of a seafarer and had spent a good majority of the trip losing his lunch over the side of the ship's deck.

Now he practically ran down the gangplank and onto solid land where he breathed a silent sigh of relief. This land would be his starting point.

"Now I start my journey here in.....um.....here in....." It occurred to Aox that he had no idea where he was. Embarrassed by his own naivety he questioned one of the locals.

:excuse me sir, but where am I?" he inquired to a strange looking local. He wasn't sure what race it was. The stranger answered in a sarcastic way that he was in the land of Mina. Aox thanked the stranger and struck out to find himself a teacher....a teacher of what though, he wasn't sure.

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Not far from the city, Aox finds a building with a staircase of gleaming ice and an arch at the top of the stairs formed of each element intertwined leading into the building itself: The University of Elements.

[Zaleramancer]

It never payed to advertise your blows.

Because of this, The warrior-dwarf saw the attack coming and adroitly dodged closer to the goliath, slashing his axes at his foe's knee.

[Zaleramancer]

Madame Gant glared at the veteran, as if this statement somehow deeply offended her. One of the twins watched with barely suppressed glee to see what she would do next.

However, his brother cut off the fun.

"I will never understand why people do that.. readily announcing their names and titles.. are they gloating, or do they not grasp the power of withholding such information. Names have power.." He seemed to be lost in thought.

Itself, coiling over the ceiling with snake-like flexibility and the grip of a spider, clicked it's tongue as if to draw his attention back to the present.

The boy shook his head and addressed the Veteran. "I would do this if it was at all possible at the moment. However, my.. companions and I must find a certain individual quickly. We need answers."

He glanced around, taking in Gant's simmering fury, his brother's eagerness to egg her on and Itself's... Itself-ness and continued.

"I would simply split the group in order to address both issues, but I doubt my companions would act in an appropriate manner. They'd likely end up razing the city or worse. And If I go, and send them, there is no telling what horrible things they'll do on their search."

"What a horrible quandary."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Kaita sighs and facepalms. And then she kneels down, and gently nudges her passenger on.

She and Fidion begin their trek back to one of the centaur tribes, established in the woods.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The Boquabians are silent and still, not sure who to fear more.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Aox stood in awe of the structure. He was stunned that something like this could exist. It seemed that it should be so fragile, yet it was strong as if the elements built upon each other. It was quite some time before Aox finally managed to pick his jaw up off the floor and move towards the gleaming stairs.

The steps were cool to the touch and the stinging cold seeped through the thin cloth slippers Aox wore in place of shoes. He quickly made his way up the rest of the steps, practically hopping to avoid the cold on the last few. He stared for a moment at the arch, studying its many elements, then he trailed slowly beyond it.

"Hello? Anybody here?" he called out.

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Brynhildr stays awake the whole ride unable to fall asleep or drift off due to the pain.

[Zaleramancer]

Why would they not stop?

Everywhere. They were talking. Like the chorus of the damned, the victims of her foolishness and greed taunted her.

"You killed us!" They shrieked. Everyone she had known. Everyone on her world.

Zaya did not bother objecting or denying what they shrieked. There was no doubt in her mind. It had been her fault.  

The goddess was kneeling on the ground, sobbing hopelessly. She made no attempt to escape, for she knew in the deep and dark recesses of her ancient soul that this was something she deserved.

She had been young. Foolish. Her apotheoses had been swift, the whim of a god impressed by mortal cleverness. But no mortal alive could compare the wiles of gods centuries old. One of them had came to her, tempting her with promises of more power. All the power she could ever want, locked away in the heart of her world.

Power for the taking, he had said. More power than the world needed. Nothing would be harmed if she took a little.

Zaya had touched the heart of the world and ripped life from it.

The heart of the world ceased.

The world died, slowly.

Plants and animals. Water dried up. A vibrant world of life and people slowly subsided into red, endless dust. Everyone died. The Gods left for a new world, but Zaya remained.

A hundred thousand years on a dead world. A hundred thousand years of self-hatred and regret. Sorrow and pain.

And now she was here once again.

Deep within her memories, the goddess despaired.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Now the Veteran l gabs a little bit and starts speaking much more naturally than before.

"Hey, I was just acting how I though a messenger was supposed to act. Trust me, I'd have introduced myself under a pseudonym if it were left up to me, but the boss has views about how this sort of thing should be done. Y'know, contact between powerful people and whatnot, he thinks it has to be handled in a certain way. As for stuff you gotta do, well, the boss didn't have the foresight to include a time-frame, so I guess y'all could just drop in whenever. He call's it an "Open door policy."'

It's then he notices the increasingly livid Madame Gant.

"I say something wrong? I told them a weren't so good at this kinda thing."

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

(42 motes previously +9 motes (3 motes/day for 3 days), Total: 51 motes)

Beyond the arch several people scurry around, heading to classes, talking to each other, practicing elementary magic. One girl notices Aox and walks up to him and puts out her hand for a handshake, "Hi, I'm Shige Yuri, a half-Imp half-Yukionna. What's your name and race? I haven't seen your race before."

[Zaleramancer]

"She's just like that. Always on the verge of apoplexy. Maybe if she laid off the burgers.." The boy leaning against the wall said with a grin.

Gant's glare could have nailed him to the cave wall.

"At least I don't look like an shaved monkey with hygiene issues."

"At least I don't ripple when I walk!"

"At least I have enough substance to not be picked up by an errant breeze."

Madame Gant and the boy were leaning in as if preparing to fight. The other twin moved in to intervene, when Itself decided to give assistance.

Itself did not drop from the ceiling of the cave. It flowed downwards, reminding one of the creeping motions of a centipede. It landed between the two.

"God-Flesh is tasty. Wish to tempt?" Itself said with a sweet voice and a hungry smile.

Both of them gulped and rearranged their priorities. None of them were that confident in their ability to defeat Itself.

Sonia muttered in her sleep. The other boy descended from his perch on the wall to lift her from Itself's arms.

"First, we need to find a place for Sonia to rest. She'll be rather distraught when she awakens. Does this city have any sort of hospice, or place for her to stay?"

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Plenty of places, the city is mostly empty but he premade a boatload of houses in the residential district. She okay?"

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"I....uh....well....that is to say.....um...." Aox stammered. He was taken aback by the forwardness of Shige Yuri. She was very eager to share and Aox wasn't use to this level of friendliness. Aox made a quick recovery and shook off his initial shock. He grasped Shige Yuri's outstretched hand and shook it.

"Sorry, I'm Aox. I'm a...Durhian.....from the South. What is this place? I've only just arrived in these lands."

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Yuri nods, "Mmmm. We get that from some visitors. These lands are the ones that Lady Mina first came upon when she arrived in this world. As time progressed, she created all of the races within these lands: the Imps, The Succubi and Incubi, The Yukionna and Yukiotoko, The Shadow-Scarred, The Vampires, The Lycanthropes, The Zombies, The Light-Scarred, The Kata and The Homura. All of our advancement as a civilization is thanks to the guidance of Lady Mina's pantheon and heroes as well."

Yuri takes a quick breath before continuing, "After a visit from a god to the northeast, Lady Mina decided to create a law upon the land that prevents gods of a certain level and below from entering, as well as forbidden Mythos, Servitors, Artifacts, and Divine Artifacts. In addition, Divine Power cannot be used upon any being within Lady Mina's lands except by those of her own pantheon. Thus, if you ever get in trouble with your god or any other, feel free to come here for protection. Questions?"

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Magnas completed her inspection of the nests of the Mythos Youkai in the easternmost area of Lady Mina's lands. Everything appeared to be good right now as far as she could tell. It was probably a good time for her to check on the University and see if anyone had completed the lower Lightning or Metal magick courses to the standards she had set. Magnas started on a leisurely stroll back to the University.

---------------------------------------

Suna looked around the bustling marketplace of Bluebell and tried to find the store that sold pretty little trinkets made of glass to look at their wares and buy some if any particular ones happened to catch her fancy.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Aox's head was reeling from the Yuri's barrage of information and he only managed to let out an unintelligible groan.

"Mwwwwhhhaaa......? I mean......um.....so, what is this structure here?" Aoc asks indicating the arch and the building beyond it.