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[Ghazkull]

Well that went good...
As always a...pleasure Astra'ath
Quôth bowed before the God in front of him and then vanished in a swirl of croaking crows only leaving behind a slop of pus...
Having met the agreement with Astra'ath Quôth went over to the next step.

Knowledge...knowledge was power.
But where is knowledge to be found?

Quôth warped into the entrance hall of Dragnar's library, manifesting directly next to a librarian who seemed used to it. In a voice sounding sweet as the stench of decay he adressed the being before it could walk on
Do i need the approval of your master to read in this library or is it allowed to roam freely around here?

[dragnar]

The librarian, a bit surprised by the appearance of a new god, but not overly so, answers the visitor.

"Any can access the knowledge contained here without restriction, the master's only request is that you share a bit of information about yourself, though you need not if you do not wish it."

[Karnewarrior]

A snide, sneering voice issues from the glittering gem in the stone:
"Charlatan! You know nothing of me! I could get free when I want to, and not a moment before or after! What does your petty fear cause?! Madness! You drive them insane, I drive them away! Haha!"

The tirade is followed by a succession of rude noises, including but not limited to a raspberry, retching, and a kitten meowing.
"Now, look, Asty, baby, We, that is, us, draws power from people, correct? We are not so different, you and I... But we are. So, Yes, and no. I like it here, but I don't. I think I want to make another one of these things when I get out, which will be easy, Asty, baby, because Natus, the poor bastard, is going bat-shit, and I, in my infinite wisdom, have and did decide to draw our power from the insane! That is, madness is our worship, and Natus is mad! Haha! Asty, baby, do you have anyone godly with your mark on them? Do you have any cheese? I like cheese. We want it so badly, it's an addiction! I'm addicted to cheese! And cod liver oil! But I don't eat that, that would be crazy! More like an obsession with the oil...
[This is followed by a series of tangents this scribe wishes to avoid. We cut in a little later, when Mania stops talking about dog-ball]
"... I do so love dogs... Oh, deary me, it seems I've gone off topic, haven't I? Well, Asty, Whaddya say? Let me go, or I do unpleasant things in your garage? I am a spider, you know. Sometimes. When I want to be. I hate spiders, that's why I love them. Hehe!"

[Lokii]

Deciding that the Nightgaunts were not a threat, or rather, refusing to acknowledge them as such, Màquines retook the form of a fawn and took off at a slow canter across the fields of her new home. When she finally reached the side of the planet that was on the far side of the sun, she stumbled upon a Nightgaunt who didn't seem to be doing much, sitting back on her haunches she stared at what she presumed the creature considered its face.  "So... what can you tell me about this Astra'ath figure?"

[forsaken1111]

Astra'ath eyes the gibbering chaos stone with distaste.

If you will not serve Us, then you will remain imprisoned

Begone from here, enjoy the quiet

Astra'ath banishes the stone to the heart of the black sun with a flick of its tendrils.

<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>-<>

The nightgaunt seems surprised as the fawn approaches it, its empty hooded form turns to Màquines and bows. Treating it like a person seems to give it strength, and it was startled to be addressed in such a civil manner. Its voice is clearer, no longer a whisper, and its form firms and solidifies before the fawn.

Astra'ath is our master. It is the force of Entropy personified. They are great, mighty entities. It is one and They are many.

It resides now within the Nameless World, but Its cult reaches out to the wayward followers of other gods, or those who follow no god at all.

Soon there will be war, the other gods are jealous of Astra'ath and plot Its demise. They do not understand.

Astra'ath is eternal. It cannot die.

We are of the Brood, loyal servants of Astra'ath. We bear the elder sign, we do as It commands. It allows us great freedom in our work.

It is curious about you, as a newcomer to this place. It asks if you will join the others in an alliance against It.

[Karnewarrior]

"Well now, no need to get touchy....
...
...
Does anyone smell bacon?"

[Lokii]

Màquines listened to the Nightgaunt, watching intently as it solidified in front of her. All seemed well and good about this Astra'ath fellow... until the ethereal creature mentioned war, and so casually too! The glory of battle certainly made for good stories and ballads, but the loss of god-given life was no singing matter. She sucked in a breath and held it for a moment, weighing her options. If Astra'ath was truly as strong as the Nightgaunt claimed, she could be in serious danger if she refused and joined the other gods. Finally she came to a non-committal decision.


"Your Astra'ath sounds like quite the god, but as you can see..." here Màquines gestured at her featureless grassy planet, "I'm in no position to help anyone but myself at this point..."

[forsaken1111]

The gaunt sills for a moment, its robed form stops fluttering in the otherworldly breeze. It seems to commune with something unseen, looking off to its right and then back to Màquines. Its restless motion resumes and it drifts closer.

I have conveyed your words to my master. It asks a favor of you, if you remain neutral.

It asks that you allow us to remain upon this world. We will of course depart if your neutral position should change.

Luna banished us from Aether, the crystal ring. It was the only home we knew.

We require little care, we dine on the food within the dreams of mortals and we do not rest or sleep.

If you would accept us, we will spare your creations our worst torments.

We cannot cease entirely, this is our divine charge, but any you create will be spared our worst nightmares so long as we remain.

The gaunt fades, almost to invisibility. Interacting with the material world, even through speech, is taxing. It seems to take a moment to gather its strength before speaking again. Now its voice, so clear only a moment ago, is as faint as a whisper on the wind.

one other thing. my master wishes you to name me. i am to remain with you at all times, in case you should have further need.

It fades further, completely invisible, and only detectable by Màquines's divine senses.

[Lokii]

Still staring at the place where the Nightgaunt had been Màquines was no longer hesitant in her reply, "You and the rest of your kind are welcome to stay here so long as your presence does not effect the other gods to attack me" she paused for a moment "Of course, there aren't exactly any mortals around for you to gain sustenance from..." Now she stopped speaking and looked at where she knew the creature to be in earnest.
"And now you tell me that I'm to name you... if you truly have no name, I shall call you Elegáns, but if your god has given you a name, it would me much simpler to call you by that name instead."

[forsaken1111]

Elegáns... the gaunt thought it over for a few minutes and decided it liked the sound of that. When it replies, the whisper floats on the wind.

thank you great lady, for naming me

we do not have individual names as most mortals do, instead being referred to by our art

for example, I am Eyes-In-The-Dark, and I specialize in nightmares related to my appellation

our god does not name us, or dictate our society, so long as we perform our divine charge

Elegáns... i like it.

do not worry for us, all the dreams of mortals are our feasting ground

It sounds rather proud of its work, and especially of its new name. While invisible and intangible, Màquines can feel its presence with her at all times. It manifests when called.

It falls quiet for a time before speaking again.

great lady, i am bidden to inform you that Astra'ath wishes to make a gesture to seal our pact of noninterference

it has granted you an divine act of creation which it will perform at your behest

simply speak your wish, and it will be so

[forsaken1111]

A baleful intelligence observed through the eyes of the nightgaunts as a scholar made its way towards the Nameless world. The being was known to Astra'ath, though It had not seen their like in some time. It had never interacted with them, but the chained god's actions had made that continued impartiality impossible. It reached out with its considerable will, brushing the scholar's mind.

Tiny scholar, you have come so far

We are the Many and the One, and we would have your service

Do not fight this imposition, for your obedience is not negotiable

Resistance will only shatter your fragile ego and warp your mind to uselessness

You are not Brood, you serve Us directly

You are Ours

The alien creature spasms as an implacable will descended upon it, crushing its ego and invading its mind. Its thoughts are read, its knowledge drained and sifted. Memories are brutally torn from its mind or rearranged to suit the god's purpose. What emerges is a fanatic, a zealot, a burning fury. The scholar's mind is alive with new possibilities and new methods of thought, previously unknown. It awakens to a new paradigm, and Astra'ath is its master. It declares its love for the divine, singing forbidden songs of power to its god as it wheels through space on the winds of the stars.

It spins and dances among the stars for a time, rejoicing in its new purpose, before returning whence it came... towards The Gate of Chains.

[Acanthus117]

As the lone scholar, tainted by the Anathema, drifted to the Chained Gate, others of its kind landed on the various worlds. The smiths of Ferraria were offered methods of finding and crafting metals so strong, they could withstand the might of a God. The Aether elves were taught of magicks, how to spin the Aether to their own use without the guidance or need of a deity. To the dwarves and humans, the might of smoke-belching machines of war and clockwork mechanisms were traded for childhood memories and other myriad experiences varying in importance from their birth to the knowledge of how to cook a fish without leaving the bones in it.

[dragnar]

Dragnar rises from his seat in the library, and travels to the refuge. Inside, he seeks out Poena and her brother.

"Children of Xarn, it is time I too give you a blessing. My gift goes not to you Poena, the others have given you much already, but to your brother. I bestow upon him normalcy, or at least the capacity for it. Any who look upon him will she whatever they want to see. He will be able to live around any race without arousing suspicion, his true form revealed only if he wishes it."

Dragnar grants Poena's brother an aura of normalcy. He will blend in anywhere unless he consciously disables the effects.[/i]

[Lokii]

'If it already had a name', Màquines thought, 'then it did not need me to give it one. Still, Elegáns is much shorter than Eyes-In-The-Dark'. She laid down on the ground now, still looking at the place where she knew Elegáns to be. "I don't want to sound rude" she said ,"but could you please tell Astra'ath that I would prefer to make this planet on my own? I would like to see the extent of my powers..."

[forsaken1111]

Elegáns replies after some hesitation.

my master accepts your gracious refusal, the gift is forfeit

It requires me to remain with you, in case you have further need

we do not get new gods so often that the event is commonplace

and i would choose to stay anyway, given choice

you treat us fairly

Elegáns drifts silently nearby, invisible in the daylight. Its presence can still be felt as an unexplained cold spot in the warm air, and the soft fluttering of its empty robe can be heard when the wind picks up.