Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Lordinquisitor]

"The baby cut himself and now takes a nap. How cute." Mocked Gheronaton. "Well brothers this meeting was more than fruitless. I have matters to attend to. " And with that he walked towards the exit and  opened the gates. "Still, i`d like to know which of you actually wants to fight that thing over there.. If those with enough blood in their veins could send a messenger to me i would be grateful. It`s better to know whom you can trust, isn`t it?" And then he was gone.

[dragnar]

Dragnar reappears in the Refuge, returning to the exact spot he left, and sees Astra'ath's attempt to touch Poena's sword.

"Interesting. I wonder..."

Dragnar reaches out to touch the hilt of the sword, watching for any reaction from it.

[Digital Hellhound]

'Leave. Take your servant, Astra'ath, and go back to your home. This meeting is over.'

Poena was still unconscious on the floor, and the few mortals who stayed at the Refuge wandered around. Only Astra'ath and Dragnar remained, the latter now approaching the blade. The wards begin slowly pushing Astra'ath and Sothurn out of the door if he does not co-operate.

'Unless you wish to discuss something, Dragnar, I encourage you to leave as well.'

[Caesar]

Once again the Ertanon strikes with pain, only in a lesser degree than before. Instead of leaving visible marks, the sword itself glows as Dragnar touches it.

The pain is awfully similar to him, almost exactly the pain he had once felt before, in a time without death.

[dragnar]

Ignoring the pain, Dragnar continues staring at the blade.

"Interesting, the pain of Xarn contained within a sword... Now what can her brother do... Ah well, only time will tell."

Dragnar returns to the library muttering to himself, still without even noticing Coradin.

[Fortis]

Luna quietly watched the last of the nightgaunts lift off her world and drift away into space. Sadly, she sighed. She knew she had to do what she did, for the safety of those living on Aether, but she did not like driving them from their home. “Though it may mean little to you, I wish you peace, if such can be found under the master you serve,” Luna said quietly, a tone of regret in her voice.

Not all of us serve it.

Luna looked up at the softly whispered voice. Peering into the darkness, she saw that there was a small group of nightgaunts remaining, hiding in the shadows.

If you allow us to continue our task… and protect us from any anger from Astra’ath for us leaving it… we would stay.

“That I can do. I intend to make Aether a refuge of peace for all creation, that not even Astra’ath can touch.” Luna said, pleased that even just a few of the nightgaunts decided to stay. “As for the nightmares, I will allow those to continue if they have purpose. Let the fear they cause serve as a warning. To those planning or scheming ill of their fellow man. To those who kill, steal, or betray trust. Let nightmares warn them off this path. Also, let the nightmares warn of impending danger or disaster, so that people might take steps to avert it or avoid it. Do this, and I welcome you to remain.” Faintly, there was a quiet whisper. A few more nightgaunts left, but most of those present whispered agreement, and faded into the dark shadows of Aether.

Luna turned from them, and rose into the night sky above Aether. She had plans for her world, and the first step was to protect it from those who would mean it ill. She touched the void around her world, feeding power into it. She gave it a portion of her will, and discretion, and the ability to sense evil or destructive intent from those approaching. Any with peaceful intentions would be allowed to pass. But those who would bring harm to Aether, they would find space expanding before them. No matter how quickly they flew towards Aether, they would always find it beyond reach, ever distant.

Act 2: Create a barrier of expanding space around Aether. Any who approach Aether with evil, malicious, or destructive intent would find space constantly expanding before them, and Aether perpetually in the distance.

[Lokii]

Màquines  listened to the two  argue, her mind racing all the while. If Astra'ath was  so dangerous as to cause the other gods to attack and destroy innocent lives, than perhaps sheltering his creations was not such a great idea; in fact getting involved of a war of any sort was not a terribly good idea at this point, no matter how good it would sound in stories. Shifting her gaze between Elegáns  and the new arrival. Both, from what she could tell, seemed very concerned with who she would side with, and either would be quite angry if she sided with the other. Màquines chose her words carefully. “I do in fact wish to remain neutral in this conflict” she sighed and looked down, breaking eye contact with both beings. “I won't support either side in the war with my powers, but both sides are welcome to come and go here as they please. This applies to all, be they Nightgaunts or something else."

[ed boy]

Observe, respond.
Satae, construction. Observe.
Ghazkull, explanation. Noteworthy.
Palad'in, moons. Observe.
Astra'ath, Sothurn. Caution, observe.
Galt, bug offer. Respond.
Coradin, dealings. Danger.
Astra'ath, refuge. Observe.
Xarn, speak. Observe.
Natus, shifters. Observe.
Gheronaton, offer. respond.
Luna, protection. Noteworthy.
Maquines, response. Noteworthy.
Respond.

Response to Galt
Offer bugs. Shelter, take.
You have stated that you can no longer care for these things. We have more space than you would find on any planet, we will house these things.

Across the vast mass of space, Chara travels towards the vast mass of bugs, left over from what was accepted by astra'ath. The shell of Chara splits and opens. A hole appears and spreads. Chara advances, enveloping the mass of bugs. They spread out along the inside of the shell, and the shell reforms, sealing them in.

Response to maquines
Unacceptable. Illogical.
That is an understantable view. You value yourself and your creations. You do not wish to make a wrong decision by siding with any side. Unfortunately, allowing all to come and go would not satisfy that. If you allow all to come and go, then they shall come to do battle: this planet shall become another battlefied in this war of the gods. If you forbid combat here, then armies shall be stored here, using this land to fuel their efforts elsewhere. Although you would not be actively supporting any sides, your would be supporting them passively. The only way to remain neutral would be to banish all those of either side from this place, and eliminare those that attempt to come here.

Response to Gheronaton
Sympathy/resonance. Bond.
We shall stand with you. We have a bond - together we will fight this thing.

Within the shell of Chara, a bubble forms. Light, filtered through the shell, illumunates the floor with a map of the state of the universe. Frandor appears within this bubble, and extends a call to all gods in the universe (except astra'ath and quoth)

Communication to gods
Danger. Action neccesary. Bond. Together grow, together fight, together fall.
Fellow beings, you must come. There is a matter that must be discussed. Astra'ath has grown, has entrenched itself within a planet. Sooner or later, if left to its own devices, it would consume us all. We can obviously not allow this to pass. We therefore invite you all to come. Join me and we shall plot the downfall of this monster.
Some of you wish neutrality, you do not wish to get involved. You cannot see how fighting will help you, you would rather have no part of it and be left to your own devices. Such a wish is impossible. Astra'ath will not leave you alone. As soon as it is able, it will corrupt and invest everything, feeding and growing stronger. Already it has infested two planets. Before long it will attack. It might not attack you, but that is not reason enough to stand by. If you do not come to aid when Astra'ath attacks others, there will be no others to aid when Astra'ath attacks you.
Some of you have contacted this thing, some of you have done dealings. We must urge you to avoid such things. It manipulates words, entrancing and beguiling to prevent interference in its schemes. It is doing this to divide us, to make us easier to consume.
Its minions have come to some of your worlds. They come bearing many things, be it service, gifts, or something else. They are trying to get you to let your guard down, to get you to grow closer to it. Once you allow these minions, more will come. They will corrupt more. Already, the duties that they perform are performed so that Astra'th must feed. If we allow them to do what they are, Astra'ath will grow stronger and stronger, until it will consume us all. We cannot allow Astra'ath to feed off our creations.
Some of you we have bonds with. Bonds of mutual growth, mutual life and mutual death. We now call upon those bonds, to together fight this monstrosity.
The rest of you, we extend a bond to. We ask you to join with us, so that we would grow closer. We will grow stronger, we will fight mightier, and we will die never. This shall be our bond, and we shall not allow it any other way.

Frandor augments the material of Chara's shell. It will interact with ethereal/intangible things the same way it does with normal things

[Digital Hellhound]

Coradin was the first to come, drifting to Chara and Frandor.

' What little doubt I had before is gone now. Father... Xarn has spoken. I have... agreed to a pact of neutrality in exchange of.. something of mine.
However, the fool did not set a time for this pact. When you need me, I'll come. I will respect this pact for now, but I will not abandon you.
Father made his thoughts clear. Astra'ath cannot be let to do as it wishes.'

[Lokii]

Turning her gaze back up to the orb, Màquines sighed again and tried to reason with the god. "As long as they do not fight here, armies can come and go as they please, if and when they attack is when I will pick a side."
Now the fawn looked up at the sky, a small swarm of bugs was descending from the apparent void of space. She wasn't quite sure how, but she knew that these creatures were looking for shelter as the Nightgaunts had been. "Yes, all creatures are welcome here from small insects such as those to the gods themselves so long as there is no open conflict".
'And besides, by passively supporting both sides I'll be in good graces with the winner'

[dragnar]

Dragnar appears before Frandor shortly after Coradin.

"I will remain neutral in this conflict. I have not created and races except for my librarians, it is not my responsibility to protect any of your creations. Astra'ath is no danger to me and mine, and while I regret the scale of his destruction, I will not stop him any more than I have stopped Gheronaton's endless wars. This is not my fight, and I will, ironically, fight to keep it that way."

[Karnewarrior]

On Natus, the pantasm that was the fake stone of madness was moving through the forest, carried by the broken Saul. Carried by me...

Saul ran through the woods, running for his life, and more importantly, for the stone. He could not let the stone fall into the wrong hands!
Turn, you damned fool! Can you not see your playing into their trap?
"There is no trap, mastress! I run to keep you in my hands!"
Fool! They are waiting!
"No they- Argh!" Saul fell to the ground, dropping the phantasm that looked and acted so like the Stone of Madness. The wolves leapt upon Saul, ripping and tearing, drooling and biting, blood and saliva flew everywhere like gristly rain. At long last, a wolf tore the throat from the man, and a gurgle of blood issued forth, before his eyes glazed over in death and the wolves began to feast.

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

Mania, still inside the real stone of madness, was in the form of a old man, who currently sat down in the tiny throne room he had made himself. The throne was deep red star ruby, the floor a marbled green and purple. The tapestries hung from the walls boasted pictures of feasts, all of which contained Cod liver oil.
In front of mania floated a mirror, transmitting whatever the stone could "see" from it's gem. Right now, only the valkyrie woman told to guard the stone could be seen, playing a game of solitaire with stones. Mania paid no attention, turning instead to the portal; a link to the outside world. Inside the stone, of course, the portal was dead and inactive. But should some one of sufficient power find the portal on the Evil side of The Coin, it would flare and pass whomever it was through. It would also allow a person back through, and then shut down, waiting for the next visitor.
Mania waited.

[Lordinquisitor]

Gheronaton appeared shortly after dragnar.

"You called Frandor, and when my ally calls i come. I will do everything that is needed to destroy Astra`ath. And everyone who aids him. Do you have a plan, my dear Friend? " While he waited for an answer he glanced the assembled gods. Of those assembled he only trusted Coradin and Frandor, strange as he might be. But one god he did not know and then there was also dragnar.. A Fool that pretended to be wise.

[ed boy]

We do not have a plan. That is the purpose of this gathering of the gods. It was hoped that we could pool our knowledge and resources, find a plan to destroy the thing, and follow this plan. Individually, we are weak and flawed, and by our extension our plans of attack are weak and flawed. It is by the strength of our bonds that we come closer and become free of these flaws. It is by the strength of our bonds that we will form a plan and follow it. It is by the strength of our bonds that we shall overcome our destruction.

It appears that we gods are not very close, though. Nine gods we have called, though, and more may come.

[Canalan]

  A summons was received. A god called “Frandor” had asked for His presence at a meeting.  Palad’in wondered at this development and what would happen if he came…  He summoned two of his guard and his emissary, and left for the meeting.

When he arrived, he saw that only four gods were in attendance.  He stood off to the side and waited for them to notice him.