ACT 2: The First Era
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Penultimate Turn: The Merging
The gears leading to the next Act of this world started turning and grinding. No one knew if that Act would be the last of the world, but all knew that it would be an Act devoid of the Divine.
Drawn to each others in an act known as the Merging, the three Planes started collapsing. Despite the catastrophic effects such an event should theoretically inflict upon the world, all could feel the smooth transition toward a new world.
The Divine Plane and the Other Plane were pouring into the Mortal Plane, becoming part of it, slowly changing it into a new Plane. The leaking energies of the Divine and Other Planes caused the Gods to surge with limitless power, additionally granting them partial omniscience. As such, none of them could hide anything from the others.Nefertem
Using the limitless power born from the collapsing planes, Nefertem created the Lifeboat, a planet-sized ark functionning as a world of its own.
He then bid his farewell to his precious creations, who he had nurtured closely since their birth. Reshaping the artifact Heartwriter into a great serpentine statue, he changed its powers so that any who would pray to it for beauty would be blessed with newfound beauty in their lives, whatever the shape this beauty would take.
Wishing to keep a memento of all these little beings of flesh, he created the Emerald Eye, a jewelled orb in which he placed a shard of all his followers so that part of their spirit, present and future, would forever live with him.
Finally, he released Gaol Ludyn from the Auđrauga, and the Titan bestowed onto him the secrets of the world and its sun. Deep into its core was sealed the Primordial Discord in a prison of non-existence, but the Merging would cause the prison to lose its power. Wishing to remain in the world despite its collapse, and thus the inevitable loss of his titanic powers, the Titan bid farewell to his captor.
Mavnon
Mavnon wisely used his powers to send his truest followers to Space, where he placed them in a self-sustained contraption of Luxury Gay Communism. No one exactly knew what Mavnon did, nor did himself know.
What was known thoug, is that their needs would be satisfied until the FALGSC (Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism) would stop working for whatever reason. With everyone living as equals and kings, only time would tell what would become of Mavnon's followers...
Niké
Reluctant to leave his children behind, Niké the Polar took his most precious creations, Nolei and Kuli, to accompany him in a dimensional journey aboard the Lifeboat.
Then Niké created the Blue Requiem in the birthplace of the Robi, the vast plains south of the Rhacidae jungles. This huge monument would, unaffected by the destructive effects of time, keep the memory of all the Divine accomplished living even after their departure or fatal stay.
Name: the Blue Requiem
Description: A huge monument stands, untarnished by the ravages of time around it, inscribed with pictures and symbols. Its light blue surface glows in darkness, along with the snow-white images. Each of the gods are portrayed, with their creations and servants. Lu, the bird god, with his sacred bow, and his people the Rhacidae; a glowing band for Nefertem, with his many creations surrounding him - Auđrauga, a glowing orb above, and the hardy Andilauss below; Shal, the kind time-twister, with her broken hourglass and her race of Keepers; Erin Quill, enshrined in his City with his Spruces, etc.. Niké is portrayed as his Robus form, albeit surrounded with flowers, with his two Servants floating above him, surrounded by his Robi. He is holding a stone like the Blue Requiem itself. Each of the God's names are inscribed above them, and below this mosaic of divinity, are these words;
"Once, we came to breathe life and hope into this world. Do not forget us, even as we leave, for the cycle of our creation shall spin unto eternity."
Range: Global Heroic
Powers: The Blue Requiem shall naturally draw all dead souls to it, and reincarnate them into new life. It is also unable to be eroded or moved.
And to the Robi, he revealed himself as the Greater Being they worshipped and his close departure from this world. Never had Niké been so worshipped. The Robi knew in their heart that it was the truth they had been seeking for a while. Grateful and torn to learn of their creator's identity and departure, they promised to fulfill his first and last request: to live strong as mortals.
He then left for the heavens aboard the Lifeboat, just as the skies were dyed with an ever-changing, harmonious palette of all existing colors. This phenomenon was caused by the Merging. Admiring this scene from the Lifeboat, Niké saw it as the end of a Cycle and the birth of another.
Erin Quill
Erin Quill bound his city to the world, so that all who reside in it will be blessed with improvement in many forms, though only as long as they remained in it. Averse to violence, he also made it so the city would stave off violent thoughts from its inhabitants.
Then he created a temple named the Advisor, a
local heroic Artifact, which he rooted in the City. Another memento of the gods, it would answer to questions in the likehood of the Divine, with their knowledge, and quirks.
Next blessing the City with a gift of scientific innovation, so that many discoveries would be born within its walls, Erin left. He gave a last and emotional glance at his Realm, and for an instant his partial omniscience granted him a vision that brought a tear to his ascended eyes. No matter the future, the City would eventually prosper and uphold his ideals to the end, a beacon of improvement even in the darkest eras.
But one last important matter occupied Erin's mind. And summoning tremendous power, he weaved a System into the universe, his personal parting gift: the First System of Magic. With its many laws, the changed world could as well be called a new world for its inhabitants.
The First System of MagicThe Law of Language: All Magic is harnessed through the use of a "Divine" language, that can be gifted, in whole or in part, by any Divine who knows it, to any Divine, mortal, or Servant; mortals and servants that know the language can then teach it to others by more mundane methods. Monsters, however, exist outside of the power of Gods. Demi-gods can tap into any of these Words their forebearer knows, instinctively. To know the word is to know what it describes. Those who can master concepts are often the strongest mages.
The Law of Essence: The innermost truth of things is described by the Divine Language, and you cannot lie in it consciously.
The Law of Writing: The Language can be written, inscribed as sharp-edged and blunt Runes, or as a delicate Script. The Runes are more powerful, the Script more precise. Power can be stored in the medium the Runes or Script is drawn on, or they can draw power from outside. While there is only one way of writing each Rune and each meaning of the Script, they can be found by experimentation. There are dedicated Runes for each Word, while the Script is made of combinations of symbols, and is much more modifiable as a result, even though it is weaker in raw power.
The Law of Power: Power for magic is drawn from living things. The stronger the soul, the more power can be drawn for magic. Drawing too deep from your own reserves will scar the soul, often harming intelligence, personality, and memory. Going even further can be lethal. Power can be stored in gems or enchanted objects, stolen from other living things, or accessed from any other source of magic decreed by other laws.
The Law of Cycles: Magic waxes and wanes through the seasons, based on the Spheres of the system's creators.
- Spring: Ceredi-El, Ceredi-Ur
Earth, Creation - Summer: Quillus-El, Quillus-Ur
Fire, Maturity - Autumn: Shalun-El, Shalun-Ur
Air, Unbinding - Winter: Nikkem-El, Nikkem-Ur
Water, Withering
The Law of Patrons: Each wizard and mage will be able to choose a Patron God or Goddess. That God may grant them magical boons, such as additional power or knowledge of additional words. Regardless, the magic of their Patron's Spheres (And the Patron can be any god) will always be stronger than other magics for the mage, even in its waning months. Furthermore, even if the patron god is not present in the world, choosing them as patron will still provide the boon, so long as they have been in the world previously.
The Law of the Sky: Important astronomical events (A star rising or setting in a particular place and time, etc.) can also be magically important, should a God decide to make it so, and grant that knowledge to a mortal. However, it must be vetted by the Owner of the System.
The Law of Deities: A God may decide to make something a source of magical power, which practitioners may draw from without fear of exhausting their own reserves. However, these items must have conditions preventing infinite use, and must be vetted by the Owner of the System.
Once that was done, he decided to travel the world spreading Stone Pillars and visiting places of importances or curiosity to him. Among them were the places where lived Culat and Hejah, Sambad, Lung Lukong and the Keepers of the Pillar. He also went to see the Seas of Fire and Glassand the depths of the Lung Sea.
In the Depths of the Lung Sea, he found Nugotaretatora, the Monster of Shadows, Knowledge and Mysteries. In his meteor-ship, he kept experimenting on abyssal lifeforms, creating all the twisted lifeforms that had been appearing since his arrival. He had managed to extract some of Efanel's Ichor, and used its properties to push evolution to its limits.
In the Seas of Fire and Glass, he saw a rich diversity of lifeforms which strived from the energy radiating from the horns of Efanel. One of these Seas was different from the other two: the one where the Forut lived. Great magma-ships sailed the Sea of Fire and Glass, and valiant settlers created industrial settlements on Glass Islands and even old Margorax.
He had nice encounters with the various mortals. They had their issues and their joys, and lived as mortals like him a long time ago. He also met Lung Lukong, who was still journeying. His next goal was to challenge I the Rifja and Umlor, and looking at his Fate, it seemed he could have actually succeeded in besting these monsters...
Elitholi
Before the Drow could drown, Elitholi weaved a great web cocoon around them, frozing them in a stasis. He then lifted the cocoon and brought it with him toward the great unknown, far from the world. Living their fates to the whims of destiny, he then tossed the cocoon into the shapeless space between the dimensions, knowing they would reach a better realm.
Then hiding from the gaze of his fellow Divine, Elitholi brought forth a
Greater Servant embodying the aspect of corruption. The Servant called Webzya, who at first was one, and then was many. Each Webzya was then placed within every races of the world, except for the Drows who were no longer part of the world.
Greater servants:
> Name: Webzya
> Class: the corrupter
> Description: a beautiful or handsome man or women to seduce those into corruption when on the inside is a spider like mantis creature (the size of a shelob).
> Powers: corrupting touch (this corrupts those who it touches and changes them mentality and slowly changes their faith to Elitholi), burst (it drops its disguise and lets louse its true form) cocoon (it warps its self back up with whatever creature it killed to use it as a disguise)
Elitholi then crafted an Artifact, which was supposedly of
Divine class: the Web of Deceit, which would hide all of Elitholi's actions and destroy the mind of any who would succeed to peer into his actions.
"a web that hides all hidden action of Elitholi from prying eyes and forces creatures that do see my action to tell lies about what they saw, if they mange to get around it their mind is crushed and reforged into a mad man one instead."
Akrathh
Akrathh created the Humble Home, a
Global Divine Artifact... that was just a simple home. Whoever would enter it would feel at home, and the building would change and adapt to its residents conceppt of a welcoming home. Twisting space inside it also allowed it to adjust its internal space.
Mobile as well, this Humble Home would travel across the world for all eternity.
Then similarly to Elitholi, Akrathh conjured great power in secret. With limitless power, he created four
Greater Servants, each loyal to Limikarrat. These four beings of unfathomable power in mortal eyes were named Lezhin, Qintiz, Untrac and Hixal.
> Name: Lezhin
> Class: Keeper of Vows
> Description: Lezhin takes the form of a Large man wearing hooded robes, he has hoofs rather then feet, and the head of a ram. He is a stern individual whom views ones promises to be one of their greatest burdens to keep, and abhors those who break them, Especially when doing so causes actual harm upon another.
> Powers: Lezhin can force someone to tell the truth, has the capacity to become entirely invisible, and bears great knowledge of Archery, Lezhin can hear anytime someone says his name, and knows where they are relative to hims own position.
> Name: Qintiz
> Class: All mother
> Description: Qintiz takes the form of a beautiful woman with colorshifting moth wings upon her back, she holds a loving personality towards all creatures, although she doesn't truly "Love" any one creature.
> Powers: Qintiz has extreme "fertility" compared to other greater servants, and the capacity to heal those she touches, she also has exceptional knowledge of biology and medicine.
> Name: Untrac
> Class: Void watcher
> Description: Untrac takes the form of a male humanoid with tentacles for legs, he has no eyes. Untrac holds a cold personality towards most creatures, but bears knowledge to be the ultimate power and respect to those who also work towards it. as well, he has a great fascination with puzzles, especially those of unusual design.
> Powers: Untrac can see everything within a several mile radius of his position, he bears the power to see though the eyes of and speak to, those he has touched regardless of distance. he also bears the power to see and speak to spirits without issue. his knowledge of science and the magics of this world are currently without equal.
> Name: Hixal
> Class: Godly jester
> Description: Hizal's natural form is that of a woman with several pairs of eyes ringing around her head. she bears an easy going personality and a natural wish to make others laugh.
> Powers: Hixal has the power to shapeshift, changing any facet of her being, she also has the ability to change the propertys of things around her temporarily(Eg Solid air, Gold no one can pick up... Ect), another power is that she may speak with animals, finally she has the ability to fabricate memorys. her Agility and speed is exceptional even among other greater Servants.
Reyginaga
Reyginaga of Fate and Probability ironically couldn't help but curse the injustice that befell on them. How could a Fate that didn't exist in all possible futures could be brought into existence by the single words of a Primordial?
Yet Reyginaga knew, and understood. Just because she ruled over such powers didn't mean there couldn't exist circumstances under which they could affect her. Furthermore, she had come to understand and accept that this Fate toward which all futures converged was inevitable.
As such, she set out to prepare for the prophecy. First was the establishment of a
System, the System of Fate. A complex and powerful set of Laws that would ensure the persistance of the Original World, its inhabitants, and its legacy.
- Law of Continuity: As of now, the Original World is highly unstable and is one hairbreadth away from coming to a head, which may result in the mass extinction of every civilization on the surface. Reyginaga has foreseen it after all. However 'natural' such a catastrophic event may seem to future generations, it should be in no way allowed to come to pass. With the collective lengthening of the Original World's strands of fate and the pruning of possible doomsday scenarios, this world is now fated to remain inhabited by sapients no matter what disasters and wars rage on its surface. New civilizations will continue to exist, even if they must rebuild on the ashes of their predecessors. Until the heat death of the universe, which Reyginaga has foreseen as a possible future, there will be at least one civilization still remaining on the Original World.
- Law of Ambitious Destiny: No matter one's desire for a brighter future and a better life for themselves and their people, fate seems to have other ideas and even the most staunch optimistic find themselves in a rut fate carved out for them, dooming them to an existence of pain and disappointment. Now, no longer will anyone be a total slave to an unfair destiny. Anyone who possesses a great amount of ambition and willpower will find the tides of fate flowing slightly in their favor. Fate will also bend even further for them provided that they are willing to make the necessary sacrifices though they must take care not to make their ambitions too costly.
- Law of Causality: Everything has a cause and an effect, an input and an output. Just as the farmer reaps what is sowed, so shall an individual's actions lead to consequences. All acts are tied to many possibilities by strands of fate that branch out into could-have-beens and should-have-beens, for coincidences are merely effects that are observable, their causes being at unknown points in the past. Everything in existence, ranging from the microbes that the mortals are predicted to discover in the far future to the deities who choose to remain on the Original World and the Mortal Plane at the cost of their power, are bound to this eternal web of causality as their actions determine what will happen later in the future.
- Law of Poetic Fates: Irony is the humor of fate and fate is the ultimate judge, jury, and executioner of those who commit heinous offenses. Like a house being disassembled from the inside, the crimes of a complete monster shall be visited upon them until the tormentor becomes the tormented. No matter how easily and often the perpetrator escapes the mortal enforcers, fate is ever so relentless and escaping only buys time to stave off the inevitable.
- Law of Enduring Wisdom: One of the biggest dangers of civilizations collapsing is the lost of accumulated knowledge. So much information will be lost in a disaster that any remaining civilizations will have to relearn them from scratch. This will take centuries at best to complete and will likely take a back seat to survival, if not outright prevented by the paranoid, the power-hungry, and the close-minded. Worst, some of this lost knowledge may include clues that point to how and why the previous disaster came about to collapse the predecessors' societies, dooming their successors to relive it. Fate is now tied to both current and future sources of information, ensuring that not all of them will be lost to the shroud of time and that future generations will know ways of understanding their content. No matter what disaster or organized destruction of information occurs on the Original World, at least a few of them will continue to exist until the universe finally ends.
Secondly, Reyginaga went to meet her greatest child. Ysalith. The reunion between child and mother was heartfelt and bittersweet. The Other One imparted into her Servant the knowledge of Fate and the Last Prophecy, as well as giving them her final gifts and duties.
With gifts of love and power, Ysalith was elevated to a
Greater Servant. With these blessings, she would guide the Tardagradi and protect the legacy of her mother creator.
Name: Ysalith
Class: The Ward of Continuity
Description: Same as before, with the addition of an extra pair of arms.
Powers/Abilities:Same as before, assuming that Servants don't lose their powers in 2 cycles. Otherwise Ysalith will have:
- Longevity.
- Greater reflexes.
- Greater healing factor.
- Retractable arm blades.
- Greater perception in visual, infrared, and ultraviolet spectrum.
- Ability to produce mood-altering pheromones
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Now as a third action, Reyginaga left for her Realm in the collapsing Other Plane. For a moment, she watched the Other Plane's contorted threads of rejected reality and their slow assimilation into the merged plane. It was beautiful seeing these pariah energies being accepted to join the new reality. Maybe the Goddess even felt some gratitude seeing this spectacle.
Then she modified the Probabilistic Tesseract, imbuing it with her purest essence. That way, she altered the Artifact's Fate so that it would find its way back to Reyginaga's children when Fate would require it to.
Her final task done, she let out a sigh of relief, and calmly settled in her domain, awaiting the final hour. Unlike the other Divine, she wouldn't leave. She had decided to accept Fate and everything that would entail. She would no longer be an Other One, as her powers would disappear in the maelstrom of the merging. But she would be closer to her creations than ever, and that thought satisfied her.
And finally, the Many-Eyed Lady closed her eyes.
Shal and Lu
Lu on the other hand, didn't answer his fellow Divines calls. Silently, he remained on the world, still holding the Spear of Efanel and the Eye of Urgast. At the top of the Great Tree, he silently waited for something.
Neither did Shal answer, remaining near the Pillar with her Keepers. It seemed she would stand guard there, keeping watch until her last breath.
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Topic: The Eternal Saga - Act 2: The First Era (Epilogue) (Read 22780 times)