Lords of Creation, The Second Age

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Magnas and Gravas land on a small pier laid into the side of the temple's base. From the outside, Aox can see a relief of several of the gods engraved into the sides of the temple's walls. Crav, Sonia, Illusia, Uburra-Namall, Waverider, Gilgamesh... the images quickly disappeared around the side of the temple as the scenes continued on depicting the acts of the gods. Below the gods were the images of those whom they had considered their greatest hero so far, Aox for Crav, Kagehana for Mina, Gilgamesh the Second for Gilgamesh, . The top of the temple itself was a rounded dome with a depiction of what looked to be a sculpture of a head though it seemed to constantly change features every few seconds. The doors themselves were decorated even more extravagantly with the gods' Tools of Trade being shown supporting a map of what was known so far of Gammara itself.

Magnas put her hand on the door then retracted it just as quickly. The two goddesses smiled widely before gesturing in a way that clearly indicated that it was Aox who should open it himself.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Aox stepped forward slowly, marveling at the craftsmanship and intricate design that decorated the temple's exterior. he was after all, still a Durhian. As he reached the door, he stretched his arms out wide before him and placed his palms against the cool surface of the door. He paused briefly in take a deep breath then dramatically pushed the door open wide, gazing at the room behind beyond it.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

The Spymaster

"Being dead is quite possibly the greatest of alibis." She said. "You're are clean, of that I am certain. So are your brothers, who you should focus on finding quickly, and those you represent. As of now, I feel like a paper tiger in front of a storm. But with the strength of Gilgamesh's children I feel I the storm can be weathered.

"You are the only ones I can trust."


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

The Babysitter

The Babysitter was a goddess, fully gifted phenomenal cosmic powers. The goddess, however, had the body of a 14 year old girl, and not a large one at that. So a shifter could barrel her over no problem, even if it would have a task at hurting her. The pair fell backward right onto whatever it was that Paean had shifted into.

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

Hither, Thither, and Yon.

The well dressed Durhian straightened his tie. "I'm not afraid of anything." he lied. "I have people to do that for me. Yon! Carry my fear."

The Milteo made a half-fearful squeak and covered his whole face with one big hand. He then reached out and wrapped another around his brothers shoulders. Hither chuckled and the pair made their way down flash steet like this, catching up to the other two.

Outside the Academy gates, they witnessed something magical.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

It is necessary at this point to go into a bit of history regarding magic in Spectropolis.

As you already know, the Arcanocentric Academy of Sorcery had been opened on what is now known as Flash Street 300 years prior by diplomats from the Magocracy. However, they did this to capitalize financially in the growing magical interest in the city, which had spread like wildfire thanks in no small part to the efforts of a certain club: The Society For The Broadening Of Horizons And The Unlocking Of The Omniverse's Secrets. The Horizon Society, for short.

The two groups were very different ideologically. Where the Academy had a strict curriculum, the Society encouraged it's members to "Do whatever." Where the Academy had a strict hierarchy, the Society had no formal structure. Whereas the Acadmys student all came from well to do families from various regions in the world, the Society was made up of those too poor to afford a formal magical education and, more and more, Academy dropouts.

Conflict was inevitable. The Society thought the Academy were a bunch as a group of stuck up, inbred, ignoramuses who were stunting the natural evolution of magical thought by formalizing it. The Academy thought of the Society as a hoard of egomaniacal amateurs dabbling in forces they didn't understand who were probably going to end up destroying the city. Neither side was entirely wrong in their assessment of the other. The two sides entered a state of cold war, occasionally taking childish shots at one another to the amusement of the rest of the city. A rain of eggs on orientation day led to people turned a permanent neon pink, a whirlwind appearing in the commons that blew off only clothing for six weeks triggered a pack of phantomed dogs that bit only specific bums, and a man being turned into a duck led to the headmaster of the Academy being permanently infused with the essence of a chicken.

That last one was recent, and the woman responsible glinted in the sunlight atop a building opposite the Academy main gate. This was not unusual, because Minerelle Orr was a shardmind with skin of a deep sapphire blue wrapped head to toe in cloaks. Though the Horizon Society had no formal structure or leader, it was known throughout the magical community that she was the best they had. She also had a reputation for being, alternatively, paranoid and unstable or prideful and very shy depending on who you asked. She had arrived in the city twenty years prior with nothing to her name and had since not gained anything except the clothes on her back and a reputation as the city's most powerful hobo. No one knew why she had come to the city in the first place, or stayed for so long, but her sterling insistence that she hadn't been thrown out of the crystal tower and that her connection to the mana battery hadn't been severed gave everyone a pretty good idea.

Minerelle reached out and patted the object that stood on the ledge next to her on the edge of the roof, the called across the street to her opposite in a tinny voice pitched so high that it could see the curvature of Gamara. "I'll give you one last chance." she called. "Give up the offender and apologise, and only he slash she will receive my wrath."

Her opposite stood atop the ornate gate of the Academy. A Draemar, her skin a gleaming gold that seemed to shine like the sun, to put Fortuita Knox next to Minerelle Orr is to create a study in opposites. Where the shardmind was short, the Draemar was statuesque. Where Minerelle bundled herself up in any rag she could find, Fortuita wore an outfit that perfectly outlined her body and wore it well, it's silk, ruffles, and jewelry all serving to enhance her natural beauty. Despite this, however, it was an open secret that Headmistress Knox was a bastard and had only received a posting here because it was far away from the Magocracy. The position had not been in high demand. The four previous headmasters had all been run out of the city in various states of nervous breakdown thanks in no small part to the efforts of Minerelle. It had been a way to kill two birds with one stone, but Knox had taken to it like a fish to water and was quickly becoming one of the most beloved figures of the city.

Knox cracked a small smile at her rival. "If you really think I'm going to let any of my students face your poorly conceived "wrath" you have delusions of grandeur. It really is unbecoming, you know, airing our dirty laundry in public like this."

"Don't play dumb." The shardmind shouted back. "Everyone knows it was you who ruined our grand magic display last year. I choreographed that and everything. We worked for weeks to get that timing right, then when the day comes everything we pitch turns into a fish and explodes over the crowed." Minerelle stamps her foot. "Well, now your chickens have come hoe to roost."

"I have warded the entire wall. Nothing you can throw at it will stick."

"Nothing, ey?" Minerelle ripps the tarp off of the thing beside her. Glittering in the midday sun, sitting on the very edge of the roof, is a eight foot tall, scarily accurate stature of Waverider carved entirely of aquamarine. The visage is so accurate that someone standing in front of it would swear they were about to feel divine judgement rain down upon them.

Despite her confidence, Knox takes a step back. "What in the world..."

Minerelle points at her. "You have been chosen as the test subject of today, the day I reveal my creation to the world."

Knox shouts over. "Listen well, dabbler. Take your art project and go home before I come over there, break you down into beautiful gemstones, and use you to adorn my body!"

This seems to take Minerelle off-guard. She calls back, sheepishly. "Was.... was that a come on?"

"That was a promise!"

"No, that was a yes or no question. Please answer in the affirmative or the negative."

This time it was Knox's turn to be confused. "What."

"Either way, I don't like being objectified!" Minerelle gives Knox no chance to regain her composure. She runs around to the back of the statue and places her arms against it. Theres a spark from her to it, and the statue begins to glow a bright blue even before she's done shoving. The little push was all the already unsteady statue needed. It falls off the roof, glowing like a sun. But before it hits the ground, it shatters into nothingness, leaving behind a transparent blue outline.

"Fish isn't so impressive." Shouts Minerelle as the outline pulses and expands. "I can do whole seas!"

The Outline shakes, twists, grows. For a moment, Thither thinks he sees something swimming in it. Then it explodes, sending a tidal wave crashing over the school. Fortuita is carried off by the wall of water as it starts streaming onto the campus commons, going farther and rushing down alleys. Streets are turned to into rapids.

A wall of water comes rushing down Flash Street toward Hither, Thither, Yon, and Sonia.

[Philote]

Murozond

Murozond reaches down to his lamp and a metallic liquid substance floats up out of its stormy interior into his hand. The molted remnants of the metal shell of his birth that had given away to his glass lamp and static form. This material was his Tool of Office. Weaker than those of most Spirits but possessing endless possibilities while it was molded by wishes of power. The Molten Artifact condenses as Murozond works at it with his energies. In his hand, a locket with a blue gems forms.

"This will answer your wish. Press the stone against your lips and whisper to it whose magic you wish to be suppressed"

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

Anima

"The Watchman himself, do you suspect even him?"

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"You must admit, 'The Iris Network' is certainly the sort of name he would come up with. He has also been.... restless of late. Uncertain. And I have reason to believe he has begun a project somewhere deep below the city. The sort of black project he created me specifically to oversee."

[Philote]

"I see" Anima says as he ponders for a moment. "I'll have to place more pawns on the board, get more strings to pull, but I'll look into this for you after your involvement in events after my recent resurrection. Gilgamesh's kin are notorious for being catalysts for events such as these, I'm sure something will become apparent."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Sonia snaps into action her Godly powers activating on instinct. Her eyes flashed gold and a glowing ethereal wall rose from the street to damn the oncoming wall of water. The force of the flood slammed into the wall and caused the entire street to shudder, sending up a spray of fine mist which rained down on the group.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

The Spymaster

"It is all I could ask of you." She says, bowing. "To contact me, utter the line 'The rebirth is proceeding more quickly than anticipated' in a place where it would be heard. Such a line will make it's way back to me."

The Spymaster vanishes amid the crowd, leaving only words. "Welcome back, young man."

----------
Hither, Thither, and Yon

It's a testament to Hithers natural poise that he does not just collapse with relief, before looking down at his water speckled suit and sighing. "Well, I can never wear this again." he says regarding the slightly damp garment. "Thank you so much." He says to Sonia.

Thither is, meanwhile, yelling out in exhilaration. "Whoooooo! DId you see that? That was amazing. I swear I saw a squid in there." He puts his hand up to his face and seems to try and stare through the wall. "What the Hael was that? I've never seen a pitch the powerful."

"That was a pitch?" Hither asks.

"I'd bet my life." His brother replies.

Suddenly the entire group lights up in a flash. The brothers turn to find Yon, who has photographed the entire scene. He lowers his camera and smiles. "Grace of God saves Morons from Watery Fate." He says calmly, tasting the words.

"If you print a picture of me in this state, I'll dismantle the entire newspaper division." Hither jokes.

Behind them, seeing as the butting of heads is safely walled off, Flash Street seems to be coming back to life. Stalls reopen, dealers come from nowhere back onto the street, magicians and entertainers seeming to appear from thin air.

Behind the wall, lightning strikes. "No fair Fortuita, I wasn't ready."

Lighting strikes again.

"Stop it, I said I wasn't ready!"

There's an explosion.

Hither shrugs his shoulders. "Problem for the city Watch."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

The Door is thrown open before the two of them can reach it. A tall, four armed figure stand in the doorframe, the sun reflecting off it's beaten and worn grey armor. She has a tattoo running everywhere that is visible on her body, blue and in the shape of stylized blooming plants. On her top-left arm and her forehead the tattoo is fractured and broken from her exoskeleton healing back together from being crushed. On her belt jingle a couple pairs of iron cuffs, and a short sword lies in it sheath on her hip. In her two top hand she holds a pair of billy clubs. On her lapel, engraved into her armor, is a halfmoon.

The Vandals sweep quickly over the room, stopping on it's three remaining inhabitants in quick succession. She seems to come to a decision, and shakes her head. "Tourists." she says derisively, before becoming serious again.

"Spectropolis City Watch, drop your weapons and get on the ground with your hands behind your head!"

[Zaleramancer]

A figure detached itself from the shadows of the inn, resolving itself into a bronzed skinned Draemar woman. She leaned against the wall, smiling and pulling a cheap cigarette from her clothes. The cigarette was the single oddity in her appearance, as everything else about her suggested an air of decadent class. Her silken clothes were those of a high-class Empire courtesan, a large colorful open overcoat over a pale tunic that terminated mid-thigh and a pair of sandals of some golden material. She had looks to go with the outfit, with glistening skin and a face that wouldn't have looked strange on an angel. Her silver hair and ruby red eyes only added to an exotic allure.

Lighting the cigarette with a snap of her fingers, she took a long draw on it and let loose a puff of smoke from sensual lips.

"Need a hand?" She said with a husky voice, looking dead at Stohlen.

[Zaleramancer]

Collapsing into a tangled mess of shapeshifiting limbs and confusion, the pile resolves itself as Paean lands with the shifter ontop of him and the Babysitter left a few feet in below his feet.

It is then that Junior pops his head around the corner, still taking bites out a fruit.

Bits of spittle and fruit rain out as he laughs at the situation.

"Ohohoho, What're you up to Paean? Playing doctor?"

A look of divine mortification flashes across Paean's face, followed by a rapid blush of his normally pale features. His face accelerates so far into scarlet that entirely new and unique shades of red come into being.

Sputtering, he moves with viper-like quickness away from the shifter and stops moving halfway up a wall, where he clings like a spider.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"You can't just throw yourself at a shy guy like that, honey. You'll only scare him off." The Babysitter manages to say though stifled giggles. "That's the first bit of advice I'll give you. Want some more?" She finishes helpfully.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

The bartender immediately hit the deck and placed his hands on his head, whimpering into the floorboards and muttering about his terrible luck.

Morlanna reverted back to her innocent act draws closer to Stohlen as if she were frightened, Stohlen opens his arms wide and upturns his palms to show he is weaponless; his finger knifes having been quickly sheathed and hidden in his sleeves. He smiled cheerily at the female Vandal, his face the picture of friendly intentions.

"Ah, ma'am I'm sure there's no need for such treatment, We're all innocent here and I...uh...."

Stohlen's train of through sputters to a halt as he notices the stunning Draemar women for the first time. her question seemed to linger in the air as she spoke.

"Need a hand?"

Stohlen winked at her and replied with more confidence than he felt.

"I think we're all good here. We have nothing to fear from the City Watch."

Stohlen's eyes linger on the two Billy Clubs the Vandal was brandishing and adds hastily, "But, I fear our cantankerous vandal chum here has no intention of simple letting us go. Besides, who am I to say no, to a pretty lady such as yourself."

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

The doors open at first into a dark room, then by some trick of godly power or magic, the ceiling and walls somehow let in light while still being opaque, revealing several pews lined up and facing an altar in the center of the room with a symbol representing each of the gods in turn: a sword, a brazier, a hammer, a trident, etc. There were areas without anything on the ground though several of them held more than a few scuffle marks and in a circle around the altar were several pedestals with names and symbols on them.

The ceiling of the temple had several flying buttresses and other architectural designs for aesthetic appeal as well as a different facsimile of each god alternatively.

From behind Aox, Magnas asks, "What do you think? Illusia and Sonia were the two who designed and built this temple with the aid of mortals from every land. Even though they really didn't need any help, the two of them wanted everyone to be able to have some pride in the appearance of this temple whether mortal or divine. It was quite a feat for those two to get so many differing opinions to work together, but they persevered and it shows in this marvelous work."

[Zaleramancer]

She smiles and takes another draw of her cigarette.

From the storeroom rear of the bar, there are a series of popping noises. Like a great many corks coming undone at once.

"It's really a shame to waste good wine like that." As smoke starts to pour out of the door, the woman glances at the Vandals.

"Ever seen what happens when you light a barrel of Dwarven Ale on fire?"

A ominous rumble comes from the storeroom.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Crav stepped out onto the street for a quick breather from the drunken party in his Forge. He stood outside watching the sky as a steady rumble built beneath his feet. Nonchalantly he glanced down the street. His gaze was met by a daunting wall of water rolling rapidly down the street. Pedestrians ran for cover as it barreled past the buildings.

Crav stared at. He blinked slowly and suddenly it was upon him. With a swift movement he lifted his feet, a long thin portion of the street came up with the. In one deft movement Crav angled the segment of street attached to his feet upward as the wave crashed around him. The water lifted him up to its crest where he glided on the waters down the street.

And so, the first godly surfboard was made.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Stohlen inches away from the Vandals who's attention was on the rumbling door. With a final leap Stoheln tumbled out of the way.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Aox fell to his knees. The sight was beautiful and he was overwhelmed by the sight.

'It's beautiful...."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

As the rumbling reaches a fever pitch, the vandal turns to the side to allow the witness behind her inside. It throws out its hand, and from its sleeve shoots a silver cord. The cort wraps itself around the barkeeps wrists as the vandal grabs the cord and yanks. The barman is pulled from behind the bar and the pair drag him toward the door across the rough floor.

They run, draging the only survivor of the the bar out into the alley and away as the bar goes up, the explosion rocking the whole neighborhood and raining stone like hail. The explosion knocks the officer and her partner off their feet, sending them tumbling onto the cobblestone.

As they pick themselves up, the vandal glances back are what remained of the building: a smoldering, blacked scar in the city. The buildings to either side had not escaped unscathed, their walls having been blown inward.

As the barman looks at his place of business with hollow eyes, the vandal pulls him to his fee. "You want to tell me why you had a class A illicite substance in your stock room?"

The man only gapes.

"Or," she continues, "You can tell me about the dumbass that murders a dozen men in this city."

"More." The witness says idley as more watchmen come running. "I felt at least seventeen counts of murder one occur in that building."

She shakes her head. "Crav." she swears as two more watch officers run up, a shifter and an imp. She throws the barkeep to them. "Take him back to the watchouse and take his statement" she barks. The salute, take the man by the arms and lead him away, the man almost having to be dragged from the shock. She points to another approaching group and directs them to the other buildings with a gesture. Without a word they divert and begin clearing rubble and searching for woundead. As she glances around at the response, she's suprised to not see one particular person.

She walks to the edge of the crime scene, where witnesses had already set up a perimeter to keep the civilians back. She taps one of the least busy looking ones on the shoulder. It turns, then bows respectfully. "Captain Shining." It greeted.

"Where's the commander? He usually first on the scene for things this serious." She asks.

The witness shakes its head. "I am afraid that Commander Custodes is currently in Entertainment. Apparently some mage has flooded most of the district."

Shining leaned against a nearby wall and puts a hand to her head. "Gods, I hate this festival."