Lords of Creation, The Second Age

[Zaleramancer]

The skinny urchins looked among themselves.

A few whispered quietly.

..cant tell.. ..have too!..

One girl suddenly wailed while stomping,  "Noooo! Sh'll go 'way or forget-"

Another child clapped his hand over her mouth while another interjected, "But shes.. BS!"

A cacophony of voices erupted.

"..scary people will get he-" "No they wo-" "Yes they will!!" "What if they get us, too!" "All of the grown ups forget or go away!"

The calmest looking child, a durhian boy, then said, "But she's not a grown up."

There was a brief silence as everyone stared at everyone else, the only sounds being the roar of the crowd and pop of distant fireworks.

"Oo! Oo! I'll tell h-" "THEY'RE GONE! Miss Lizzie is gone an'-" "..Little scary people! One has a cat tai-" "-the dwarf baker who gave us cookies an' the purple la-" "Shut up Tomas, I wanna tell her" "..one looked like a slug an'" "..and the lady with all the cats on Blue Ivory street is gone an'-" "Theyhadfruitthatdidn'tsmellright!" "No one listens to us! They forget or go away and we never see them again!" "-one had legs like a bug an'-"


City Watchhouse

A Bartender went into a cell alive. Now the cell is empty save for a small pile of ash with the occasional charred tooth.. and the bartender's skin nailed to cell's wall. A complex symbol was cut out of it, seemingly by a jagged knife.

The smell of burning flesh permeated the room.

[Zaleramancer]

In other news, there was a brief period in which magic ceased to function across half the Magocratic Empire.

This was a brief fault that is being investigated into. All that is know is that where a small coastal town once stood, now there is only a crater.  The Iron Kingdom, or some associate thereof, are prime suspects in utilizing strange weaponry in an attempt to interrupt sacred ceremonies.

So far, festivities are planned to continue.

This has been your news for the day, brought to you by the magical network created for your convenience by our wise leaders.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Hey, one at a time, one at a time, there's plenty for all of you." The Babysitter said, struggling to be heard over the gaggle of children. "Aughhh!" She said finally, reaching into the bag and pulling out a handful of somethings. Her arm shot out like a snakes head as she unwrapped each of the light brown treats and slipped them into each child's mouth between each words.

All speaking ceased, as did movement of the jaw. The sticky candy had silenced them.

"Now, I want the first one of you chews through that to raise their hand and tell me everything." She said to them. "And no interrupting." she added.

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

The poor bastard who found the aftermath was out behind the building trying to get the smell out of his nose. Shining considered it an blessing that Vandals did not have one as she surveyed the scene, Watch officers struggling to see inside.

Even Hinata looked weary. "We left him alone for five minutes. Just five minutes when I went to get a sketchpad."

"Someone want to tell me," began Shining, "how someone can break into an active watch house, murder a man like this, and slip away without so much as a passing notice." She turns to those assembled in the door. "Anyone? Anyone? How in blue Hael does this sort of thing happen?!"

She pointed to the symbol on the wall, in the skin. An eye. A stylized eye, with a slash mark running through it. "And what the Hael is that supposed to be?!"

[Marvelous Miscreant]

"An avatar!? You!? I mean...um...you....you wear it well. By which I mean, it suits you....But, I don't mean your weak...I just meant that....uh....that..." Von Trapt's voice trailed off and he started to cough, nervously. Slowly he regained composure.

"Rest assured, I won't tell a soul about this."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Crav, having surfed his way across the city on an inexplicable wave, now found himself strolling amongst the mortals in the midst of celebration on his way back to the Forge. Suddenly, he felt the odd tingle of power across the nape of his neck, a feeling he got whenever Gods from Mina's pantheon exerted their power. But there was something else as well, something familiar, something he'd not felt in a long time. He turned to face the sky, Magnas and Gravas from afar, and cocked his head curiously at the form they carried.

[Philote]

Anima:
"I thank you for honoring this" Anima states but quickly turns as he does so and moves across the empty room in the college of magic.

He begins to speak again as if wanting to change the subject. "If there is anything you would wish to prepare for the ceremony, now would be the time. I must meet with the Council of Heroes and arrange their part of the ceremony."
---------------------------------------------------------
Murozond:
The nation was already buzzing with the news of the girl's acts with Murozond's power. The quest to capture or recreate the power she wielded was already burning in so many minds. The surge of the domain was already great after just one wish holder. Murozond could hardly wait to see how it would grow after more and more were touched by his influence.

The time required for his journey hardly seemed to exist as he pondered the rippling effects of his actions. Before he knew it, his lamp was settling down within the Iron Kindoms, just waiting for a mortal to appear.

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Magnas and Gravas quickly make their way to Crav, hiding Aox's face with winds and sleet from cooling the air down.

Magans walks up to him first and whispers, "We need to talk Lord Crav. In private if possible, we believe this to be of the utmost importance."

Behind her Gravas, carrying Aox, nods in complete agreement.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Private Fotz face was a slowly turning a queasy shade of pale green as he grasped the short safety bar attached to the front of his seat. His fellow Investigators had always claimed that riding along with the Air Brigade for errands was one of the perks of the job. Fotz’s stomach didn’t agree. He was of the firm belief, being an avid follower of Crav, that as beings born from stone, Durhians belonged with both feet on the ground. And as he sailed, miles above the ocean, on the back of what was basically an oversized pigeon, he tearfully lamented being chosen for this assignment. Fotz, thoughts were suddenly interrupted as his stomach flipped over and a new wave of queasiness washed over him.

“Must we….urp….do so many Loop-de-loops?” He called to the young Rhean pilot.

The Rhean chuckled heartily, “Oh, we’re just ‘aving a bit of fun aren’t we darling.” He replied as he stroked the crest of the Snipe’s head, “But don’t you worry there, copper there’s Spectropolis now. Hold on to your eyeballs, we’re gonna make the ‘express’ landing.”

Fotz only had time to groan before the Snipe plunged into a spiraling decent that threw his weak stomach up into his throat. All the while, the pilot cheered at the top of his lungs.

When they finally landed, after a series of unnecessary and gut wrenching aerial acrobatics, Fotz stumbled from the back of the Snipe and clung to the ground like he might fall off the face of the earth.  The pilot scoffed, “C’mon now, was only a couple of tricks. Say, weren’t you in some kind of hurry?”

Fotz immediately snapped back to his frantic self and sprinted down the street. He had to deliver the files as well as the mysterious message for the Watch Captain. It wasn’t long before Fotz found himself, out of breath, outside the Headquarters of the City Watch. He carefully smoothed back his hair, re arranged his uniform and stepped in calmly.

“Erm…Hello? Private Fotz from the AH-Lomas Investigators here on direct orders from Chief Wallum. I have urgent files for whoever is in charge.”

[Marvelous Miscreant]

“Then I shall conclude my business with the mages here and meet you again before the ceremony. If there is anything else I may do for you don’t hesitate to call for me.” Von Trapt bowed out of respect for Anima and sauntered out of the room in a quieter manner than someone of his bulk should be able.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Crav looked into the two gods eyes, serious and stoic, and knew immediately the weight of the situation. He nodded grimly and tapped his cane, The Spine of the Mountain, twice upon the rough stones of the street. The ground quivered, then cracked open spread its massive earthen maw to reveal stone hewn stairs leading into the warm bowels of the earth. The rich sent of spices and dirt wafted from gloom beyond the steps.  This was a path taken by few, The God of Earth’s Stone Staircase, one of many secret entrances to his hidden workshop.

“Come, we can speak in my workshop. Quickly now, before the mortal grow suspicious.”

Crav quickly descended the steps motioning for the gods to follow him. As the traveled down into the earth, the entrance snapped shut. They were left in darkness for only moments before thousands of tiny lights bloomed in the black, lighting the way. Embedded in the walls were tiny crystals, each glowing like a miniature star.

“Only a little further…” Crav whispered, his voice echoing strangely on the smooth walls of the staircase.

Moments later, the group arrived at the bottom of the steps and stepped into Crav’s workshop. It was massive, a hollowed out dome deep beneath the surface, lit by the same small glowing crystals along the walls as well as an enormous crystal the size of small building that hung from the high vaulted ceiling like a chandelier. Strewn about the place were various projects and crafts in various states of completion. Crav quickly pulled together a few chairs from amidst chaos of the workshop and motioned for his guests to sit.

“Now tell me, what is so important?”

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Magnas coughed once to clear her throat, "We don't know whether you've realized this... but beings who were lost during the time of the Nightmare Invasion are returning. Or at least we in Mina's house know of one so far."

Gravas steps forward, "We've brought the one that we know of to you because we thought you'd like to see him and because you, Sonia, and Von Trapt are the ones that we think can help him recuperate the best... We present to you... Aox Gearan Smithan."

Gravas' winds stop flowing revealing the sleeping Aox to his god.

"He's asleep and without dreams right now because of some things that came up earlier. He seemed... extremely scared of whatever he could remember."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Bewildered by the return of his only hero, the only mortal he'd loved like a son, Crav dropped his cane as a tear welled in his eye.

"By The Omni! Aox! Where has he been!?"

Crav stumbled to Aox and picked him up. He gently carried him to a bed in the far corner of the workshop and laid him down, stroking his forehead before turning back to Magnas and Gravas.

"While I am indeed relieved to see Aox alive and relatively well. I can only guess at what this might mean for Gammara. Please tell me what happened. Every detail."

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Magnas and Gravas describe what happened to Crav, telling him of how Aox had been found by children from a village in Môsôoriku up until when they had come to him in Spectropolis.

"And so sir, we have no idea, and as far as we know, Mina has no idea what is going on. We'll most likely be going to ask the Watchman if he has any clue as to the situation next."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

His voice is drowned out by the did of activity, Watchmen and belligerent revelers shouting over one another, people paying bail for their loved ones, and the steady stream of footsteps as people passed to and from the long desks and into the back where the holding cells were. A few people actually shove their way past him.

"I'm terribly sorry." Says a sickly voice behind him. "*SNOOORT* Today is the busiest day of the year for us."

[Philote]

Anima departed as Von Trapt made his exit, moving through the human lands invisible to mortal eyes towards Eternus' central monument and the location he would find the leader of the Council of Heroes. The southern land which he had helped establish so long ago had flourished despite the drought in his pantheon's domains, bringing him a sense of pride.

The mage's tower comes upon Anima quickly, and he soon finds himself moving down the familiar corridors that he had carved in one of his last acts before his disappearance. The room for which he was headed would have been easy enough for him to find even without his foreknowledge of its location. The power located within was sensed easily enough even in his Avatar state.

Anima enters and reveals himself to the mortal eyes within, causing mixed looks of surprise and expectancy in the room. A silver Dragon born, a Goliath akin to a mountain, and an assortment of other Eternus leaders all great Anima's presence. Moss, the ambassador to the Gills, sits in the corner as well, the messenger who brought this meeting to fruition.

Anima begins his discussion, addressing his plans for ceremony and growth of Eternus. The leader's questions and concerns are addressed as Anima maintains the aura of command natural to Gilgamesh's pantheon.

The discussion goes well enough, but before it can get fully into motion, Anima stops in his tracks. A quick comment to the mortals present, and Anima is gone again from their sight, fleeing south much more quickly than he had come.

Far away, the in Iron Kingdoms, a glass lamp jumps into the sky as if it were a bolt of lightning. Murozond takes off to the south as well, propelled by a reason that overshadowed his wishing work down to the lands of Spectropolis.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Hey there young blood!" Calls out a voice over the ocean toward Murozond. The Veteran waits at the edge of the desert. "Back so soon, son?" He quickly drops into a wrestling stance. "Or ya back for round two?" he says eagerly.

Guarding a hole in the desert was a very boring job.

[Philote]

Murozond does not slow down his speed as he approaches, but does not try to blindly fly past as he had before. "The border, Get within it!" he says, calling out the warning before arriving at the Veteran's position.

Anima can be seen in the distance behind Murozond, arriving slower than his counterpart.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

The Veterans cape flaps in the wind as the new god goes shooting past. "Border?" he says. Undeterred, he decides to question Anima. "Wha'cha mean by that, boys? What's the rush?"

[Philote]

"Spectropolis' border. We do not want to meet them outside it"

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

Well, now he was in a pickle.

"Damn," he says, kicking off the ground and keeping pace with Anima. "Give me everythin' you know, quick."