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[Karnewarrior]

I say we pay the essenceborn a visit. Mainly because I want to know who they are.

[Digital Hellhound]

((Uhh.))
 
' Yes, just follow me.' you say and jump into the Stream. Charon follows close behind.

You find the city-world quickly enough and exit, ready for the possible angel kill team. Right on que, four Seraphim appear, the first one rushing to meet your blade. His head falls neatly off his shoulders.

Unfortunately, the rest aren't as easy to beat. A white-haired Seraphim with a spear advances in complete silence, forcing his spear past your defense and sinks it's tip into your stomach. The two others roar warcries and, quite clumsily, charge at you from two directions at once. You block the the other and send the other flying with a kick to the gut, narrowly avoiding another strike from the spear-carrying warrior. You send two blows his way, causing a small cut in the angel's hand. Before you can continue your attack, however, the Seraphim screams in pain, staring in horror at the wooden staff coming out of his stomach.

Charon pulls out the staff - a normal-looking piece of wood - and proceeds to bash the third Seraphim's skull in. You gather your wits and finish off the single remaining one.
Charon grins, hovering closer to you.

' They're hunting us now, then? No matter, though I'd rather not get my hands dirty this much. Let's go.'
 
You nod in response and begin looking around at the city below. The entry location is the same as ever, but you now know where the house is, having memorized the city on the journey on the flying lizard. A part of the city seems more familiar than the others, so you head there, Charon following close behind.
 
After a few minutes of flying, you spot the house and begin to descend. When down, you head over to the door and knock on it.
 
The same witch-woman opens the door again, looking like she hasn't slept in weeks. You consider the incredible levels of noise coming from inside and that suddenly seems a lot more probable.
She says something which sounds like a curse in her own tongue and disappears back into the house. You and Charon follow her in.
' This is your base of operations?' Charon asks, amusement clear in his voice. You just nod wearily.
 
You take a few steps forward in the corridor, unsure of where the Valkyries might be. A few Guides cross from one room to another, and you think you spot the dog-creature who you saved from the Wraith earlier with them.
 
' Hello. Are you new here?' someone asks, stepping from the shadows into your path. She is a Guide, though you have no idea who'd want someone like her to escort them to their afterlives. She is a red-haired teenaged girl, wearing no clothes but long, ancient-looking scriptures and other scraps of paper hanging from her neck, apparently nailed into her skin. They seem to be written in blood, though it's impossible to tell. The girl cocks her head slightly and smiles as you step forward. ' Come on. He'll be more than happy to meet you.'
She beckons you to follow, while holding a huge, blood-soaked dagger in her hand.
 
You shake your head. Charon lets out a chuckle. ' No, no need. I am Yggda, and this is Charon. I wish to find the Valkyries.'
The girl nods slowly, then says ' Oh, sure. They're in the basement. Just down this corridor.'
 
You nod your thanks and make your way down to the basement door.
 
There are no lights on in the basement, but there's no need for them either. A huge, door-shaped portal of energy stands in the far end of the basement, leading to a grass-covered plain. You move closer, mesmerized by the sight.
' Don't touch it. It is not ready yet.' Hrist says from behind you. ' Charon. It is good to see you here.' She turns her attention back to you. ' As you can see, we've found a suitable realm, one that seems empty of any sentient life. Vogarm's... sisters and their little organization are building this little gate, because we will cut off the realm from the Stream when ready.'
 
Good. The Council will have to use this portal if they wish to attack the realm then, and you're not going to tell them of it.
 
Do you wish to speak with Vogarm (the black-haired guy) or anyone else first, or go straight to the Essenceborn?
 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[GUIDES RELATIONS INCREASED BY +10!]

[Karnewarrior]

I say we leave Charon here to help the Valkyries with their portal and to gather more guides while we go to the essenceborn. Remember to chat everyone around here up though, never know when something important might come out.

[dragnar]

I say we leave Charon here to help the Valkyries with their portal and to gather more guides while we go to the essenceborn. Remember to chat everyone around here up though, never know when something important might come out.

This.

[Urist McOverlord]

I wholly endorse the above course of action.

[Ochita]

I agree.

[Digital Hellhound]

' Charon, you'll stay here for now. Hrist, tell those witches to hurry up. It's only a matter of time they'll find us here.' you order. Both nod in acknowledgement, though Hrist steps up to say something first.

' We've already spotted some of them flying above the city, no doubt searching for us. So many of us coming to this specific world... they suspect something.' she pauses and smiles a bit. ' The gate will be ready soon, though actually setting up on the other side will take much longer.'

Satisfied, you say your goodbyes and march back up the stairs, intent on finding Vogarm. The first Psychopomp you ask just shrugs and points somewhere upwards, probably meaning the upper floor. You push your way through an incredibly crowded room - spotting the red-haired girl and the dog-creature, Erres, in their midst - and find another stairway, this time leading up. A few human women - most likely these witches - are chatting at the end of the stairs when you arrive, but go silent when they spot you. The discussion continues as soon as you're out of their sight.

Vogarm's booming voice comes from behind a closed door, and you push it open and step in.

Vogarm and one of his sisters - the one that opened the door the first time you came here - are standing around a table with some scattered papers and finely-crafted magical runes of smooth, white stone on it. You are not surprised to find them in an argument. A few other Guides stand in the corners of the room, amongst them another Valkyrie. 
Vogarm's expression shifts from frustration to relief as he spots you.
 
' Ah, Yggda, you have returned. Any good news?' he asks, prompting a nod from you.
 
' I brought in Charon, and it most likely made the Greeks join our war against the Council.'
 
' Good, good. Uhh... speaking of the war, I've had some troubles with the more younger Guides here. They wish to strike back already, to stop being prey and, well, get to kill some angels. Some of them have, unfortunately, slipped into the Stream and lured out the Council's kill-teams on purpose to fight with them. Two have been killed and the third almost gave our location away by fleeing straight back here. While those three were pretty much the worst of these guys and the rest of them are smarter, they should be dealt with before anything even worse happens. We can't afford to lose anyone right now.' He pulls out a list of names from the mass of papers and continues; ' But now good news; we now have just over a hundred Guides recruited, all either in this house or in the city somewhere. Much better than I'd have expected, but I guess we're hard to kill.' he laughs.
' Was there anything else you wanted?'
 
Do you want to do anything else here before going to the Essenceborn?

[Karnewarrior]

We need to start stealing back souls ASAP. I'm not sure if it's safe, but it needs to be done. We need to begin leeching off the Council.

As for the unruly guides, I think a buddy system should be implemented. One guide is there for the soul, the other is there to protect the first guide.

Then get to the essenceborn.

[GlyphGryph]

I think I'd prefer two escorts for the younger, more inexperienced, or less combat worthy guides. Especially since, with the angels now handling the souls, there's pretty much a guarantee of an encounter.

But honestly, I'm not sure if its the best idea at all...

[Digital Hellhound]

NOTE: None of you have any of the Guide-powers now. You can't do anything with the dead even if you'd manage to keep the angels off them, except maybe turn them into ghosts or Wraiths, but turning people into tormented souls or letting them be possessed by an evil presence isn't exactly nice.

Of course, if you feel like it, do go on, but I don't think the majority of your Guides, who all used to work with the Bureaucracy and their laws, will agree to your plan.

Also, your only method of finding these souls would be following angels who are being pulled to them, meaning they would always get there first.

[Ochita]

Well then, I guess we pay the essenceborn a visit.

[Digital Hellhound]

' Just keep them under control for now. We'll decide what to do once that gate's open.' you say.

' If you say so.' Vogarm shrugs. ' Where are you heading now?' he asks as you turn to leave. ' To the Essenceborn. We need all the allies we can get.'
With that, you slip into the Stream.

The journey is uneventful, though you spot one strange thing; a massive, shifting beacon of light moving in the Stream, unlike the tiny specks that most creatures are. A travelling god, no doubt, though it is strange to see one without an entourage. It passes you quickly, and you head to the Essenceborn realm. The Council kill-team following you scatters when they find out your exit point.

The Essenceborn are, if you remember correctly, split into two factions, or different branches of the family, the Voidborn, aka the Mordekai, and the Sun-Born, alias the Onyirie.
These sides are supposed to be at never-ending war, even though it's mostly just an act. They all have counterparts from the other side, though their relations differ from sworn enemies to friends or even lovers. Each Essenceborn controls a single nation or civilization in this realm, living on the edges, as far as possible from eachother.

Fortunately for you, the heads of both sides of the pantheon live in the same place, a great palace on the edge of the outer athmosphere and space. They are Gartavron, the Sun King, and Irisem, the Void King.
 
You make your way out up the Palace, and are almost blinded by the light shining from it; apparently, it also acts as this world's sun. After several minutes of travel upwards towards the light, you suddenly find yourself in a small, colourful garden in the inner court of a palace of marble and silver. ´
 
Two figures emerge from inside the palace; a massive, white-skinned armoured giant with abyss-black eyes and an unarmoured, likewise huge man shining with an inner light.
 
' We do not get many visitors outside our own kin, Guide of the Dead. We are honoured you chose to visit us.' the armoured one, Irisem, says. You blink hard. Gods are rarely polite, the newer ones no exception. The other continues; ' We have heard of your work amongst the Greeks. Is the purpose of this visit similar?'
 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Essenceborn names and their titles must be bolded at all times. Because apparently I've done so in this word document I'm reading right now. >_>

[Armok]

"Yes."

[RAM]

"Yes."

[Karnewarrior]

And I am honoured to meet you. As for your question, yes, it is similar indeed, good kings. Exactly how much have you heard about my mission with the greeks?