Lords of Creation, The Second Age

[Marvelous Miscreant]

THUNK

A large knife embedded itself into the door frame inches from Jissei's head. It quivered there for a moment, the only sound in the now deathly silent room. All eyes were on Stohlen now. His eyes practically smouldered with pent up rage.

"Excuse me?" He growled through clenched teeth.

There was a burst of sound as the Raven Cloaks moved quickly to the back of the room in a panic. Chairs clattered and squeaked as they were abandoned for a safer position. They may be thieves, murderers and villains, but none of them was brave enough to be near Stohlen when he was so enraged.

Stohlen Stepped forward, practically shoving himself in Jissei's face.

"Excuse me?!?!" he asked again, "I am Stohlen Redd, The Scourge of Ah-Lomas! I've killed, maimed, and stolen my way to becoming the greatest thief lord in Gammara. Everyone fears my name! I'm the f**king boogeyman! I am a Legend and NOBODY WILL FORGET MY NAME!"

Stohlen then lowers his voice to a menacing whisper, "Who the hell are you to tell me otherwise."

[Philote]

"Times are beginning to change" Anima comments at Illusia's words.

"I will be staying here for only a short while before transporting her back to the temples located on Eternus."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The tirade had come and gone through Jissei's perceptions before Stohlen had uttered a syllable of it, but he would be lying if he said it wasn't still a worthy attempt. This mortal, he was different. Just about perfect.

The Dark One turned slow to face Stohlen again, and was careful not to let a single stray twitch betray his growing anticipation.

"I am one who acknowledges your...talent for getting what you want." he replied, his voice soft, but firm, almost fatherly, "And I want to bring you out of the shadows. Certainly, your plan isn't to continue sneaking about, like some commoner hoping for royalty to drop scraps...no, of course not, that lot is far beneath you. All your effort...without doubt, it is to achieve something more. And I can certainly help with that...but only if you'd like."

The Sisters turned, some part of them intrigued, some part of them frightened. What sort of game was Lord Jissei playing at? This mortal didn't appear to know, either, yet their master seemed convinced that he was winning. And perhaps he was, Vai and Nasta concluded, for now they and Prasim felt drawn to Jissei's side, as though something in Stohlen's heart beckoned to them. Stohlen was thinking...perhaps needed just a final nudge?

Prasim stopped when she stood closest to the rogue and uttered, as though by some sinister instinct, "My master speaks the truth, Stohlen. Tell us...what is it that your heart desires?"

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

"That sounds fine," Illusia replies. "If you wish, I can send a Kitsune with you as some extra protection. While I do believe that it is good that you have returned, I fear that your return may be merely the prelude to troubled times in Gammara. I believe that it would not do any good for one of us to be lost so soon after having returned."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

The watcher looked up, the stranger having seemingly having broken it out of a fascination train of thought involving a pothole. "Business? What kind of business? Like normal business, shady business, that kind of disgusting business that people who can eat get up? Well it doesn't really matter what kind, does it? No, not really, it doesn't. Sure, alright."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

The ship got down on one knee, not so much out of respect as to get a better look at him. "MY MASTER THE WIND'S SERVANT GIRL BELIEVES YOU AMY BE ABLE TO CREATE GREAT THINGS USING THAT WHICH GAVE ME LIFE. FOLLOW ME THIS WAY."

---------

The Reasonable threw a handful of sand at the thing and there was a spark of light. The air is filled with a buzzing and a swarm of tiny tan insects untangled themselves from the entities glowing trail and buzzed in circles above it. "Interesting. I don't now what I was expecting though."

Suddenly the swarm darted over in the direction of the rose. As they settled upon it the plants withered and shriveled up as though the water was being sucked right out of it. The Reasonable threw out his arm and lighting struck the swarm from out of the blue sky, incinerating the them along with the withered roses.

"Yeah, no."

(SMITE)

[Philote]

Anima looks over and tries to read Illusia's face after her proposal. The Kitsune had been spoken highly of in Eternus in the first age, even mythically as most Eternites did not have full information on the creatures. A being that could rival the dragons was not something to be regarded lightly in Eternus and Illusia was offering one as his guide.

"I would be honored" he replies "It would certainty make the travel back more welcome."

He pauses for a moment

"Be careful in the future. My pantheon has changed and even I can not foresee what will come of it."

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"Trade. The business of trade" he says.

"The name is Midas" he says grabbing and shaking the Watcher's hand "And I assure you that I can carry out any deal you are willing to bargain for."

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Murozond's lamp flies east, entering the lands of Albastra. Settling in to one of the homes of the Milteos, he waits to be discovered.

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

"Of course," Illusia nods gravely at Anima's words. "I will take your advice to heart. Now..."

Illusia looks around then faces the entrance of the temple they were in, "Kisara! I call thee to come and do my bidding!"

A flash of light rushed into the temple, flying about wildly for a few moments before settling down and coalescing into the fiery form of a fox. Its mouth grinned convincingly as a small voice seeming to originate from the temple's altar sounded forth, "Yes, Illusory Princess? How may I help you today?"

"Thank you for actually coming Kisara. What I need you to do is guide Anima and Nova here to Eternus, likely when Nova wakes up or when Anima asks you to AND keep them safe. Once you are done taking them to Eternus, return to me to report that they have made it home. Understood?"

As the fox's form nodded, Illusia turned back to Anima, "I hope you fare well and Nova recovers soon. I bid you good bye."

Illusia slowly faded away as Kisara looked at Anima, "So, what now?"

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Stohlen chuckled lightly, then a bit harder. His laughter built into a full on fit before he finally managed to calm down.

"I think we all know what I want. You got yourself a deal Mister."

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Crav took a deep breath. Never a moment's rest in this crazy city.

"Alright big fella, lead the way!"

Crav began following the massive ship to the outskirts of town. It wasn't a long walk, but it gave time for Crav to ponder his companions existence. He was wonderful, rather like something he himself might have created. Which only begged the question. Who, or what, made him.

Finally, the duo reached the river bank where the others waited.

"Magnas, Gravas, Reasonable...starting a party without me? Shame on you," the God of crafting jokes.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Crav, good afternoon." calls The Reasonable. "Magnas thought you'd have some insight into this.... situation." he says, picking the word after a short consideration. He starts to point, but the trail of shining objects rushes over to Crav, the petal bringing itself up to eye level with him before circling around, encircling the god with its trail.

"Don't worry, I don't think it will hurt you. I think it might just be curious, like a dog or a baby."

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Really?" it asks as the golden man shakes the hem of its cloak. It looks back down at the pothole in the road, then up back at him. It speaks quickly. "Wellllll, see, uh, okay so there was this girl and I don't remember how the conversation went but it got on about how if we were able to fight or something and I said maybe, I don't know, but then I said maybe if I were creative enough and then the old woman made me leave for being a screw up but I can't help thinking about what she said you know and I started thinking maybe I can fight and hurt people if I were creative about it and this has been buzzing in my head all the day and I can't stop thinking, you know, 'what if what if what if?' 'can I can I can I?' and it's been driving be bonkers and..."

"Look, I need a hole." it says, calming down. "Not a big one, just one that, you know, someone can fall in. So I can, you know, test out this idea I have. But I don't have any hands. So, I guess, what do I have to get you for either a hole or some hands? For digging a hole."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The words were more music to his ears, than any insipid tunes played on those wretched instruments outside. Looking back to the Sisters, his words were calm, even stoic, but bristled with eerie intensity to anyone capable of sensing it.

"Girls, I think this is the time you've been waiting for." Jissei said, "Time to get up to some mischief."

He turned back to Stohlen.

"I'll let my contact know that you're out and about." he gestured to his newfound partner, "She'll be most pleased with your work, I assure. And she'll take excellent care of you. All going according to plan, I promise, you'll be sitting in the lap of luxury in no time."

With that, Jissei turned, with his apprentices in tow, and headed out the door, silent as the wind. If Stohlen or his cohorts would follow him outside, they would find him gone...as though he had vanished into thin air.

Marv: Okay, so, just so we're clear, the mortals have no clue that Lord Jissei is divine. They think he is Lord Sidius Iaissavatra (just Lord Sidius is fine). Anyhow, feel free to go on from this point to do whatever the heck you want. I mean, really. I have plans, whether you decide to go on being a street criminal or you decide to take on more political aspirations. Whatever you decide to do, I think I have a decent game plan to make this idea into something fun. No worries, though. I'll be sure to let you know, before trying to do anything too major.

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

Gravas nods, "Yeah, I thought that you'd find this... thing to be of interest and possibly helpful for any... issues you may be having right now."

She sighs dejectedly, "I can't understand what its purpose is and we have no way of communicating with it either."

[Philote]

"You may keep watch with me in this temple and keep the mortals away or return in the morning, we will not be leaving until then" Anime replies.

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"Let me see. A Servitor are you? Not much on you might be yours to give, depending on your creator, and I doubt this property is yours to have dug on. It is no matter though, this shall be a simple deal to carry out" he says.

He snaps his fingers and one of the fat gold creatures with large mouths he had brought with him comes over. "Collector, scout out a free plot of land and make preparations for a dig while I settle the cost with our customer."

He turns back to the watcher. "Now, where were we?"

[Tsubasa & Wen Tien]

"Very well," Kisara replies as its fires are suddenly extinguished, revealing a fox with golden fur and silver eyes. "Then, I do believe that I shall sleep with one eye open."

Kisara manages to move its mouth in such a way that anyone who saw it would be reminded of a yawn and curls up in front of the entrance for all intents and purposes looking to be asleep.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Cost, cost is what I owe you. Uhhhhhhh, da da da da da da, de da da." The floating cloak spins around a few times. "I don't own much. I don't own anything, actually. Buuuuuut, and I'm not really supposed to do this sort of thing but we're pretty autonomous, I could pay you in labor. Or information, I have a boatload of that. Tomes thinks he has a monopoly on it, but that's only because we aren't allowed to sell. Well, actually, there's no rule against that but it's more of an understanding that we won't."

[Philote]

Anima sets Nova down in the upper space of the building and places the pillow creature under her head.

"I thank you for your help" he says before settling in to keep watch for the night.

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"Information is a valuable thing" he muses "but not as valuable as a hole. Give me one name of interest and our deal shall be settled."

He extends an arm out to shake the Servitor's.

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Aw shucks, I can give you more than one. But you put me on the spot, so I've got to pick. There's a weak old god somewhere in this city, or maybe a weak new one. The details are fuzzy, but the old god of power is definitely here. Anima and a girl named Nova. Then again, if it's government connections you're after Watch Captain Lixon Nedry can get your foot in the door pretty much anywhere even if he is crooked as a bent penny. Well, except for one, but the president of that place, Koneko, is here in this city anyway. If you're looking for private sector stuff, don't want to deal through governments, there's Hither Tomes, pretty much the worlds richest man, and his brothers. There's also that infamous criminal Stohlen Redd, probably left his home to avoid the civil war that's about to break out, you know so long as you don't mind dealing with someone like that..."

This thing does not have a throat or any need to breath, and as it clumsily finagles part of its body into his hand it becomes apparent that, if left to do so, it will rattle off all the names.

[Philote]

Midas stands patiently, only nodding as the Watcher continues. Waiting till the Watcher finishes its rambling, Midas speaks.

"Your payment is well received. One of my Collectors will lead you to what you bargained for."