Cycle 3Do not believe their lies!
Beyond the Sphere lies paradise!
Free yourself for you are chained!
The Eye pries into every secret.The Resplendant World of Light sings in the harmonies of solar flares and the joyous crescendos of gamma bursts, sending melodies of extreme mutation flying throughout the Crystal Sphere. Those of a spherical nature seem to be largely unchanged by this, though some remnant echoes may linger, the Echoes grow a few more vestigial limbs, but this is mostly unnoticeable given they already have so many.
The various dragons appear to have escaped unharmed from the
lifesong, perhaps warned by some astral perception.
The Seals, who suffered heavily under the Solar Winds, have begun to worship the
Pink Crown-Sun as the Bringer of Destructive Change!
[Working Succeeded!]
[The scattered, weak, uncultured race of Seals begins to revere you!]
[You sense that your current faith streams are too diffuse to condense into a sacred decree]The Eye stares at the darkness hidden within your light-stomach, chained in a prison most lux. It wriggles and squirms, the unseeing worm of non-light, wishing to escape its Twin."I decree that all spherical alignment shall switch randomly between the gods."
- Lohrasil, Radiant Realm of MisfortuneYou attempt to decree against the workings of the Crystal Sphere, but you find your size too puny, and the Crystal Sphere crushes you into submission with its immensity, keeping the words bottled up inside you as pressure squeezes at you from all directions like a vice. Space warps around you in a vast sphere, as you gently land upon the Resplendant World of Slumber, billions of infinitely fractalling edged butterfly wings gently fluttering on snore-winds as they drink from streams of dream-nectar, setting off nightmare storms leagues away.
The Ephemerald Dragon seems to be plotting something with the Borethyst Dragon.[Decree failed!]
[Decree not used]Perhaps having some desire sparked inside them by the raunchy songs of the Pink Sun, the Resplendant World of Beauty did intertwine with their daughter-wife in a great cataclysmic meeting. From this beautiful collision sprang forth a rainbow river, which happily flowed and flew and swam around and among its parents, beautifying them with its gorgeous glow, which highlighted their features just right. It curiously played with the Dragon-Moon, who whispered to it secret things. Your wife-moon thinks the Contemptible Dragon is a bad influence on the growing child and requests that you eject them from your orbit.
Your wife-moon has named the river-child as
Mirrored Mantis for reasons only they can discern.
The Eye reveals the whispers of the Contemptible Dragon:- We all dance on strings
- They are watching
- Infinity is horror
With the burning heart of justice, seeing the agents of vice working across the Crystal Sphere, Bakukik shucks off twelve virtues from their own self, like one might cast of thick winter coats. Crying their phoenix songs as Bakukik becomes smaller and smaller, they erupt into burning conflagrations of virtue flame, emerging from their pyres as gleaming egg-moons, which fly off to various worlds, singing pleasant moonlight down on them, encouraging the spread of their virtues.
The only place this is immediately relevant is the Throne-World. Here, the singing moonlight of the phoenix moons of equality and humility cause the first fractures in the previously ironclad hierarchies of the Seals, with usurpations occurring and some tribes transforming into autonomous collectives. Many Seals realize they are not, in fact, completely perfect and stupendously awesome, causing much existential crisis and angst.
Eventually, bereft of their many virtues, the Bakukik, a strange eye-straining framework of scales and levers and abacuses, begins to descend to the Throne-World. The Prismeth Dragon of Analysis hitches a ride on one of your counting beads.
The various dragons of vice seem strangely ambivalent to their lunar rivals.
[Bakukik has descended into a Radiant Realm.]
[12 Phoenix Moons created as World-Remnant]
[+1 Spherical Alignment]Utugar begins selecting among the more mutated Seals (of which there are many), for those which are particularly bristly and poor tasting, setting them up in positions of authority so that they can use their status as tribal leaders to secure breeding rights to many of the females, laying large clutches of eggs in their throne-nests, which only vaguely resemble any sort of chair, but which every Seal instinctively known is meant to be sat upon by a big and very authoritative Seal.
Over several generations, as Utugar tours the Throne-World with his blushing bride, idly gnawing on trees as the Dragon of Pride devours defiantly resistant Seals, he manages to lead the Seals to becoming mildly toxic, having a tendency to various bright shades of scale colours, tasting most foul, and being covered in irritating bristles that stick in throat of any would be large predator who swallows them (i.e., the Dragon of Pride).
In some senses it could be said that Utugar has succeeded in his goals as the Dragon of Pride no longer consumes the Seals, it having never been technically necessary in the first place, merely slaughtering them to kill time as it awaits the rise of a grand civilization. Due to not taking the time to savour its kills, it has also become much more efficient at this slaughter, leading to something of a racial trauma among the Seals, who have dubbed the Dragon of Pride as
Eater, Bringer of Destructive Gluttony. Within their throne-huddles it is whispered that Eater, having grown fat from excessive feasting, has begun fasting recently, so as to remain attractive to their wife,
Many-Hands, Bringer of Merciful Matchmaking.
[The scattered, weak, uncultured race of Seals begins to respect you as a (very minor) deity]
[You sense that your current faith streams are too thin and weak to condense into a sacred decree]Eater has recently, perhaps at the urgings of their spouse, seemingly changed tactics, settling down near a particular tribe of Seals, who he has commanded to prepare their dead for consumption by scraping off their bristles, and beating them with sticks to tenderize them, draining out their blood and removing their most foul tasting internal organs with the ever-versatile Seal teeth. So far the odd union between Spirit and Dragon has not resulted in any offspring, though being as Utugar is of life in their current echelon it is probably only a matter of time. Eater reminds Utugar that they were promised civilizations to devour.
Awed by the perfection of the World upon which they now take refuge, Che-Rode gave upon the Sculptor precious gifts of continent jewelry with which to adorn it. A master beautician, Che-Rode even incorporated the birthing scars from the creation of Mirrored Mantis into the overall design, turning it into a gleaming crystal sea as gleaming diamond valleys and emerald hills dot and enscape the Sculptor, allowing to break free from the trap of perfection to reach new, if flawed, heights of beauty.
The Resplendant World of Beauty's daughter-wife is both incredibly jealous, and requests the boon of a name from their father-husband.
Drawing from the cargo of their caravan train, Che-Rode places delicate clockwork beings of crystal and rock on the surface of the Resplendant World of Beauty, where they rigidly prance and play to bring some motion and faux-life to the place, though they do not reproduce, and become quite confused if their environment shifts, often ending up repetitively ramming their heads against a cliff-face or other such oddities. The exquisite sculptures of plants never grow or die, but merely gleam beautifully in the pink sunlight as crystal deer pretend to nibble on their leaves.
"Lifeless CRYSTAL. RISE, and OBEY."
-CORUXION, Dragon of Spirit
With mighty bellowing and the exhalation of crystal dragonfire, Coruxion sparks life into the crystal desert around them, as at their insistent urging humanoid figures thrust themselves free from the previously lifeless wasteland, cackling maliciously as they begin to fall upon each other in a brutal dance of bloodless bloodshed, chewing on arm, legs and wings even as some of their own limbs are ripped off.
Eventually greater Imperfects emerge from the common rabble, their eyes glowing with a certain low cunning as they grunt to each other in a proto-language, moving in packs to attack any lone greaters that emerge, slowly stabilizing a power structure.
And then everything is flung into the aether.
Coruxion can only watch as the Resplendant Plant-World and its daughter moon grows ever more distant, their crystal fiefdom crashing through some sky-roads as they go streak through the aether.
Suddenly, the Mirror-Moon begins to swell within your cyclopean vision, as it seems to deliberately align a marring hole upon its beautiful surface with your trajectory, causing you to crash into it with a mighty crescendo of physics. A curious river of rainbow light investigates happily, burbling and bubbling as the imps ineffectually attempt to poison it.
Eventually the imps scatter out over the moon, gnawing at its mirror surface, to much lunar annoyance. Some turn their gaze to promising surface of the Sculptor below them, but their early attempt at celestial flight end when the Contemptible Dragon screams at them to look,
really look at the starry sky, causing many imps to fall into a strange trance.
[Coruxion has colonized the Mirror Moon with Imperfections]Through several moons of bearing of courtship gifts, greasing of interactions and dates, and generous applications of snifters of mercury drinks as needed, AWE manages to match up a particularly eligible chain of Asbestos Volcanoes in a scandalous marriage with a particularly fetching plain of craggy copper hills and ravines. The celebration involves quite some eruption of asbestos and grumbling from more conservative metallic landmarks that asbestos is a no good foreign
non-metal material here to snatch up the local girls and lead them into all sorts of borderline
organic degeneracy.
The married pair have sired a budding little copper mountain who a passing mercury river gyneologist said might have dormant volcanism.
Ferrous attempts to peer beyond the perfectly opaque borders of the Crystal Sphere, beyond which there is nothing, and of course sees nothing.
*static*The Eye reveals secret mutteringsSlumber. . .
Hear the awakening's beat.
Slumber. . .
O' brothers, O' sisters, thine eyes art occluded in crystalline wax.
Were they pried, seared and scarred would they be.
O' kin, unprepared I gift unto thee.
Between the cycles thy count upon so
See as I, slumber as I. Awaken as I.
Dream of truths, dream of the beyond.
See that which is. And that which is not.
Follow mine Star. Under guide of sleep.
See this Crystal Sphere. Cast off its lies.
See the Perfect. For the illusion it is.
Perhaps then, see the love I share for thee.
Unrequited may it be. . .
- Ύπνος, Resplendant World of Slumber
D͢r̕eami͝ng ̕v̀i̕sio̧n͜s ͞is ̡s͞hared w̷it̕h͟ ҉t̛he t̕w҉e̸ĺv͝e ̀d́e̴i̴t͠i͠es ͏òf t͝h̸e ͏Cr͠yst͠al̨ Sp̸h̶ere.͘ O͢f͡ ̷t҉he Ştar ͏that͞ c͜a͜n ͞onl͝y be̶ ̧see͏ń ìn̡ dr̀ȩa̵m̀s͏. ͜Of̧ ̧l̕o̶o͡m̢ing s͟h͢apes ͢mo̶vi҉ng ̷t̀h̨r͢ou̷g̷h͢ inf҉inite͡ ̡frac̛t̵als͝,̶ ̡p̢o͝kin͏g͜ ͠a̛nd ̕st͜a̷r͟ing at ͏t̸h͟e̛ i͝n̴fi͝niteļy ̵t͡h͠i͞n͡,̸ pe̕r̷fecţl̨y͜ ̵t͘r̸ans͡lu̢ce̢nt̨,͜ ex̀tr͡eme͟ly f͟r҉ag͟i͢l̕e̵ s͞kin͞ ǫf͡ t̵he ̶C͜rys͠t͟a͏l҉ ͢Sp͏he͏re. Òf͞ t̀hę ͡crystal̀ ̷c͝hain͜s̨ ̨s̸un̢ke̢n ̀d͝ee͞p ̸i̢nt̸o ͜t̷h̷e f̴le̴sh̛ of̡ ev̢er͝y͟ ͜w͝or̸ld͢ ̨a͠n̛d̵ ͢r̡éąlm̛, ͠t҉witc̢hi̛n͟g̛ a̡nd ̢pulling ̕a҉t͢ th͏em l̛iké maca̧b̕re ҉m̷arionet̡t͡e͞s upon̕ th̕eir s̛tri̛n̵gs̢.͠ Of ͢t͠he͟ c̵rac͏k̶s͠ upon ͘t͢h̛e͟ ͠sky, hidden̴ ͡b҉eh̨i̶nd̕ l̨ies. ̵O̧F̡ T̵H͡E͠ ͠BL͜O͏OD ́ḾOO͝N TH͜A̕T ̡C̨O̡M͠E҉S. ͢IT̷ ̕C̷O͟M̡E͠S.͝ ̸IT͏ ͢C͡OME͜S̷.There is a great shattering, like someone had dropped a planet-worth worth of fine crystal glass into a equally large silver bell.
Working in tandem, the [] and Ύπνος manage to tear open an incredibly tiny breach in the perfection of the Crystal Sphere. Reality screams as it is exposed to the nothing. While causality is still in shock, Ύπνος slips from the tethers of spherical reality to commit suicide, taking the Radiant Realm of Luck with them, as their virtuous moons of Luck and Introspection desperately chase after them, tasked with destroying their draconic rivals.
But this sudden departure pales in comparison to- IT COMES
The Orb of Crystal and Irritation-Blood drags itself through the tiny crack with negatively infinite tendrils, replacing that which- IT COMES
The Crystal Sphere seems to scream at this intrusion, the Celestial Abacus desperately calculating and assigning discord- IT COMES
Seals spontaneously tear open their skin in celebration, spilling their own blood to celebrate the- IT COMES
The Dragons roar in triumph, for they can feel ruin- IT COMES
The Fourteen Made One Marrow welcomes the coming, amputating themselves in holy sacrifice, birthing the ebbing and flowing soulsea to serve as throne- IT COMES
The Mercaurion Dragon cackles and goes forth to bow before the- IT COMES
The Mercaurion Dragon never existed, it is a- IT COMES
The Soul Sea rumbles and sinister chanting emanates to all those who have souls- IT COMES
The cosmic dice are rolled by non-existent tendrils. SNAKE EYES
The Orange phoenix of Charity never existed
The Purple phoenix of Honor never existed
The Blood-Moon is completely immune to the No-Flesh Law
The Tear does not close[The Cosmic Dice can be rolled again in 5 cycles]The Fourteen Made One Marrow, now a tangle of roots that are inexorably drawn to descend upon the Resplendant World of Plants, pauses in their journey before the most keen of hearing of the firstborn, and with delicate tendrils fixes the moonlet that dwarfs it in size, making its mind sharper and more polite, cultivating in it an affinity for soul. Its sturdy mind is resistant to the whispers of the Blood Moon, and learns that the lunar sire waits outside, it is merely the vanguard.
The First of the Firstborn speaks with its echoing brethren, spreading the message of resistance against the OUTSIDER, INTERLOPER, UNWELCOME OTHER.
[Marrow has descended into a Radiant Realm.]
[The World-Remnant of the Soulsea and Soul-Abyss remains]The Moon is Ascendant, let illusions, confusion and fear flourish. Moons bask under their astral sibling.
The Minor Shield is prominent, defence trumps offence.
The Crystal Sphere Mandates:
Repel. Repair. Rewarded. (Please point out errors!)Name: Levis est geminae
[Resplendent World]
0 Decrees
2 Spherical Alignment
1 Harmony
Sphere: Lux- "Light"
Constellation: Corona Australis- "Gemini"
Temperament and Humours: Joyful, full of cheer.
Goals: Fun
Vice: Āhrīkya - Lack of "Shame"
Virtue: Laetitia - "Joy, Gladness"
Name: Eschara
[Resplendent World]
0 Decrees
2 Spherical Alignment
Sphere: Plants
Constellation: A nest filled with eggs hatching into various organisms
Temperament and Humours: Nurturing
Goals: To spread life throughout the Crystal Sphere
Vice: Death
Virtue: Growth
Name: Ferrous
[Resplendent World]
0 Decrees
4 Spherical Alignment
Sphere: Metal
Constellation: The Hammer and the Anvil
Temperament and Humours: Phlegmatic
Goals: Construct
Vice: Pride
Virtue: Noblesse Oblige
Name: Second Precept: Acter Working Entity [AWE]
[Radiant Realm]
2 Decrees
2 Spherical Alignment
Sphere: Asbestos
Constellation: The Sun
Temperament and Humours: Choleric Bile
Goals: To imbue and strengthen
Vice: Blood
Virtue: Hope
Name: Coruxion
[Shining Spirit]
6 Decrees
5 Spherical Alignment
1 Harmony
Sphere: Crystal
Constellation: The Eye
Temperament and Humours: Vicious Blood, Restless Contempt
Goal: Ruin
Vice: Prosperity
Virtue: Despair
Name: Sheroad
[Radiant Realm]
1 Decrees
-1 Spherical alignment
Sphere: Trade
Constellation: Compass
Temperament and Humours: Assertive
Goals: Connected World
Vice: Overindulgent
Virtue: Charitable
Name: The Sculptor
[Resplendent World]
1 Decrees
2 Spherical Alignment
1 Harmony
Sphere: Beauty
Constellation: The Tower
Temperament and Humours: Joyous
Goals: Pretty Things
Vice: Contempt
Virtue: Creation
Name: Marrow
[Radiant Realm]
1 Decrees
-2 Spherical Alignment
Sphere: Soul
Constellation: The Fool
Temperament and Humours: Measured and Calm.
Goals: To Enrich the Souls of Mortals.
Vice: To Twist the Mortals.
Virtue: Honor.
Name:Bakukik
[Radiant Realm]
1 Decrees
1 Spherical Alignment
Sphere: Justice
Constellation: The Axe
Temperament and Humours: Righteous
Goal: Fairness
Vice: Overanalyzing
Virtue: Equality
Name: Utugar
[Shining Spirit]
4 Decrees
2 Spherical Alignment
1 Harmony
Sphere: Thrones
Constellation: The Seat
Temperament and Humours: Phlegmatic
Goals: Lording over puny mortals
Vice: Pride
Virtue: More pride
Name: Ύπνος
[Resplendent World]
0 Decrees
-3 Spherical Alignment
Sphere: Slumber
Constellation: The Moon
Temperament and Humours: Melancholy
Goal: Awaken
Vice: Sloth
Virtue: Introspection
Name: Lohrasil
[Radiant Realm]
2 Decrees
-7 Spherical Alignment
3 Discord
Sphere: Luck
Constellation: The Jack
Temperament and Humours: Sanguine
Goals: Gamble to gain power
Vice: Unreliability
Virtue: Miracles
Author
Topic: Crystal Sphere IC: Cycle 7 [10/12] (Read 7169 times)