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 Forex,Born of the Bonfires, One Who Gives, One Who Takes "Ah, yes, they call it the 'Taker style'. Still not sure if I like it", Forex responds. Kal knew him long enough to sense the god to be somewhat flustered. "Whilst the classics never go out of style, I have always deemed it prudent to catch up with the world changing around us." After a brief pause, he continued in a much steadier, controlled tone, now that the first shock was over. It's all polite smiles and eyebrows raising gently to underscore the right words. "Yet I see you also had... obviously visited a stylist. And I am glad to say the new look is clearly thought through enough I can safely assume it does not mean yet another breakup of yours."
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Jun 9, 2019 15:11
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 Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked "It suits you. Gives you that 'handsome, but approachable prince' air." She laughs, and she almost sounds like she used to - then the hat joins in with a ragged sound that sounds like a needle through flesh. When it finally stops Kaladine leans against the door frame, smug grin mirrored on her hat. "Yes, yes. I thought regaining my sight was a properly momentous occasion for an update. Luna did much of the work, bless her godsoul. Her sartorial eye is still excellent." Nearby flowers recoil from her, a butterfly drops from the air. "The wives are mostly quite fond of it, Hevias griped a bit but you know how it is with goddesses of justice. Change is never easy for them." Kaladine looks into the sky, painted with her dying colors. The smirk softens. "I'm afraid I owe you an apology, for doubting you." She doesn't look at her brother, the smile on the tentacle fades. The look on her face is almost...almost like the goddess she used to be. "You were right, in the end. About me, and about my philosophy...." She sighs. "...but I hope that can be history between us. There's business to be done, and I thought the trick with the bird was quite clever."
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Jun 9, 2019 17:06
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Forex,Born of the Bonfires, One Who Gives, One Who Takes Forex nods in appreciation. "Hopefully there's enough of that birdbrain to appreciate a gentle, yet vital lesson was in her best interest." He offers her a hand to guide her over the threshold. Old habits die hard. "In truth, I have to admit it ended up working far better than expected. I thought Kihraxz and Hekis will have to do the heavy lifting, but those sunghosts... Cremations are already on the rise and we've successfully rolled out the idea of grave lanterns... and given some operational excellence on the part of Othris', they actually work as wards, given steady influx of the right fuel." The god halts, as if correcting himself. "I hope to not be mistaken that these... immediate crisis responses would not pose much of an inconvenience to you, dear sister, given... my understanding of the current state of Celestial matters."
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Jun 9, 2019 17:31
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked "Oh no, not at all. Privately, I've very much given up concern with the Celestial. Do as you will with souls, as long as I get my cut to feed on. Publicly I may have to say something, especially if it helps my case against the Bird." She walks through his cottage, marveling at the perfection of everything in it. The Guardians had always told her he demanded nothing less, but she hadn't truly witnessed it herself in aeons. Her hat goes on a nearby hat rack - it helpfully grabs on with it's tentacle and bounces around like a bored puppy. "And that's part of why I've come to you, I have no doubt you've already seen the beginnings of the work of my new partner Jormgozir, and my ally Emoch. My new love brings storms to stave off drought, and Emoch's ash brings relief from the ceaseless light and I...will deliver punishment to this fledgling." Kaladine grabs a small clock and watches the gears inside turn. "Oh spirits, where did you get something so wondrous?" She sets it down again. "Excuse me, I lost my train of thought. I'd ask that you talk to your allies in the Federation - give me a good cross-section of opinions on a proper punishment for the fledgling, and I will pronounce a harsh but fair sentence upon her." She looks out Forex's kitchen window. "Backporch with cigarillos? Like we did when we were younger."
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Jun 9, 2019 18:07
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 Emoch-Ma'Haar, The Smith In The Deep, The Worldshaper, The Vaultkeeper The Forgeheart sat in the core of Wax, and if you were to ask Emoch, he'd say it was both the metaphorical and literal centerpiece of the Universe. Had been since time immemorial. It was no mere tool, not even a mere room, but more akin to a full-fledged demiplane within the demiplane that were The Vaults. Emoch's holiest and most treasured abode, only once had another walked within it. A transgression he would never forget, or forgive. The rumbling started faint, seemingly mere tremors. Only the Sanctified Geomancers of the Grand Masons knew that something was not right. But even though its heat was perfectly oppressive, and its power pure, even the Forgeheart could not refine without waste, or smelt without slag. Not so much a flaw, as an immutable fact of the Universe, if you were to ask Emoch. Couriers ran back and forth, between the Grand Mason and the High Lords in their keeps across the realms. It was clear now: The maps were shifting, the hills were rising, the mountains splitting. Everywhere, over all known lands. Emoch sifted his hand through a trough full of ash and impure magma, residue from his work. He raised his hand to his face and rubbed some of the material between his fingers as he stared at it. How many Ages had it been? Well, no better excuse to get this annoying busywork done than what he currently had. The Great Cathedrals were being fortified, the pantries and church granaries stacked. It was the only thing that could be done; no sacrifice could mollify what was about to happen, for all omens pointed to the Book of Stone and spoke of prophesy: "When the Worldshaper cleans the ashes from his Forge, none are spared." _____ OOC: Using CREATE, Chthonic Earth to pepper the surface of Wax with a myriad new Volcanoes all over in order to darken the skies with volcanic ash and flood the land with lava. Theantero fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Jun 9, 2019 |
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Jun 9, 2019 18:14
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Forex,Born of the Bonfires, One Who Gives, One Who Takes "Ah. The works. Jormgozir is truly pouring her heart into it, for she isn't easy one to arrange for a tête-à-tête nowadays. Perhaps, should the two of you share the vicinity, you could mention that while I do not concern myself with her... newfound focus, I would gladly . The League might be willing to purchase them, should she name a reasonable price." Forex spoke and led the goddess towards the porch. He let her feast her eyes and rekindle memories - there was no need to mention the scenic view wouldn't last for long. Not with the works the Worldshaper and the remaining gods were about to undertake. Not yet. "But nevermind the favors, back to the bird in hand. I will, of course, make the inquiry and help you establish a universally accepted solution. Yet I must confess my concern about... the freshness of these events still clouding minds amongst our kin. Yet you and I, dear sister, we are old enough to know better than to behave like Emoch, aren't we?" He hands Kaladine a box of cigarillos. "You've always been a good judge of character and so consider this: is punishment truly necessary where humbling would do?" "It is a hostile, unforgiving world we live in, a harsh lesson that had already been set in motion. Should she find a kind soul in her moment of despair... she could be made far more receptive to... consultancy."
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Jun 9, 2019 20:16
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked "I will make sure my beloved knows your wishes, she has been hibernating for some time. The stress of our...adaptations has taken a far greater toll on her than I." She smirks, thinking of those lovely coils against her spongy hide. "Of course, of course. The young ones will forget in a few years, afterall. They're always scurrying after something or another. Coordinating the response to this disaster should be a good enough show of force for my purposes." Kaladine lights one with a flick of her finger, a rush of violet flame. She inhales deeply, then slumps into the chair. "Oh, that's lovely. Yes, a public chastisement - gentle but firm, should be more that adequate. The poor fledgling is quite smitten with me, so it will have a proper bite. And after I will, of course, emphasize how little I enjoyed doing that and offer a shoulder to cry on. " She twirls the cigarillo between her fingers, watches the crimson sun start to slide beneath the horizon. Her cephlapod eyes bend through the spectrum of light, as if she's framing this moment in her mind. "A shame we'll be seeing less of these, but needs must. I take it you are prepared to capitalize on a darker, damper world." A glass of a strange, ink-dark brandy appears in her hand. Kaladine takes a long sip, and then inhales from the cigarillo again. "For my part, I will approach the Grove and make sure they have the resources they need for a transition in Wax's ecosystems." She laughs under her breath. "It's funny, I thought I would change more when this happened. It is comforting to know I'm still myself, if wiser and finally at peace. I feel like for the first time in a very long time, that I am comfortable in my own skin."
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Jun 9, 2019 21:25
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Forex,Born of the Bonfires, One Who Gives, One Who Takes Forex laughs. ... heartily?.. emptily?.. amusedly?.. bitterly?.. ... Does it really matter? "If there is one thing I have learned about Wax over these aeons, one unfailing grain of truth in the ever-changing swirl of time, one nigh-irrefutable proof that this land was indeed shaped by the Vaultkeeper and that he in turn had been shaped by the very same hand that compelled him to do so..." "... is that the more things change, the more they stay the same." Lichtenstein fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Jun 9, 2019 |
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Jun 9, 2019 21:51
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 Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer The goddess stood before a full length mirror as Nef, the normally avian Ixhisitl having donned a human guise, a woman with short cropped red hair and dressed in a magnificently orange suit. She admired herself in the reflective service, adjusting the lay of the suit jacket before turning away to address her visitor. Ix's eyes narrowed at Nef "Hm? What is it you wish to speak of? I assume it has to do with my...attempt....to reward my followers?"
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Jun 9, 2019 22:46
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 Nefretask, Paradoxal Deity of Love and Hate "I came to ask for an alliance." Or submission, Nefretask thinks to herself, crossing her fingers, the dark appendages slowly entangling and swirling around her eerily pale and pristine hand. "I wish to protect this helpless wretched world from our scheming siblings. Their unholy actions continue to extract much pain and misery from the useless flock that I have sworn to keep from harm, and I would like some help from you."
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Jun 10, 2019 02:59
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ixhisitil cocked her head, hand going to her chin as she thought to herself. "I see...perhaps an ally would help greatly with your siblings. What do you have in mind to help the mortals?" Bright eyes flashed as the bird-in-human-guise smirked.
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Jun 13, 2019 00:06
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Nefretask, Paradoxal Deity of Love and Hate "We make them self-sufficient. The Gods help those who help themselves, or something like that." A cryptic smile, half merciful and half cruel forms on Nef's face as she continues. "My siblings... They wish to wreak havoc on this world, on the influence of this evil thing inside us." She clenches her corrupted hand, and several eyes blink in anger at herself. "I cannot tell you the details but I want to ensure that life will go on if the eventuality of it killing us or do something worse. Or rather, I also am thinking of giving them the ability... To kill the Dark once and for all, even with their vessels."
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Jun 13, 2019 00:45
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[Phone posting: 2ill edit in header] Ix smiled "That sounds like an excellent idea. One I had hoped to implement myself." The bird goddess beamed "And what better way to counteract your siblings influence than from an angle they atent expecting. Yes, I like this idea."
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Jun 15, 2019 15:03
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Nefretask, Paradoxal Deity of Love and Hate "First thing first, we must... Even the odds. As it stands now they outnumber us." Nef sighs while tilting her head to the side, her manifold eyes spinning in place as they shuffle on her dark half. "But the Smith and the Treasurer? They are with my sister by convenience, not by influence of the dark. I am sure that with the... 'Right' incentive, they can be convinced to join the good side."
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Jun 17, 2019 20:59
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ix nodded. "I say we ally ourselves with Forex, he seems more amenable in general. And honestly the Smiths fit with the volcanoes may be a useful leverage point, seeing as without a clear view of the sky his preciousships are gonna have a hard time crossing the sea." She hooked her thumbs in her pants pockets, "Maybe he will decide that I am not a threat to his domain in the process."
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Jun 18, 2019 14:39
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Nefretask, Paradoxal Deity of Love and Hate "Emoch is an imbecile who doesn't know what he thinks he's dealing with. It will take some time before he finally manages to see the truth. This... Thing." She points towards herself, most precisely her less flattering half. "Is the negation of himself in many ways. For what reason he thinks he should get close to it I don't know, but eventually reality will assert itself towards him. Meanwhile... We should start to find ways to protect the mortals from the coming catastrophe."
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Jun 18, 2019 16:34
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ix nodded "Yes, protecting them is my priority in this. This dustcloud can't be good for their crops, and I think we can leverage some on Forex, for how can one navigate the sea safely without the stars?"
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Jun 21, 2019 19:49
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked After a long conversation on means to replace the stars for navigation, Kaladine leaves her brothers home. She hums as she goes, walking along a country road, with a ghostgrass cigarillo still between her lips. The sun is gone now. It will be a long time before anyone sees it again. Just as she likes. She smiles. Inhale, exhale. Kaladine watches the smoke curl in front of her. It bends, listening. She whispers in the not-language of the Dark, a dream of curses and cruelty, of creatures squatting on innocent chests at night. The smoke twists, warps. It becomes an idea, tentacles desperate to grasp and curl against the spaces inside mortal minds. The smoke follows as she walks down the road. A wagon, two corvain - one with mottled blue and cyan feathers topped with a black crest - the other red and orange with streaks of white. When their eyes meet, all the mortals see is a redheaded woman in a long purple robe. She shouts a greeting to them. Their lives are already forfeit. Smoke worms its way through their nostrils, past nerves into the maze of neurons that is their nidopallium. It nests deep, happy to wait. As the strange woman in the purple robes fades into the distance, one of them feels a tiny pang of sadness, they are not sure why. It's nothing. It's nothing. Kaladine will walk on, speaking to mortals casually and giving greetings as she wanders the roads that night. Each is infected with the Hour of the Wolf, and it will spread to the distant corners of Wax from here. All in all, an excellent walk on her way to meet the Grove. ----- OOC: Kaladine will use Gift, Disease, and Mental Illness to deploy the virulent strain of the Hour of the Wolf, as discussed. The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Jun 21, 2019 |
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Jun 21, 2019 21:02
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Nefretask, Paradoxal Deity of Love and Hate "Negotiation may help with that, although I feel that engaging him on that might be... An unwise idea." Nef shakes her head dismissively. "Still, there is something to take care of first..." The deity's purified side glows in a magenta light, and a small diamond-shaped light forms atop her hand, glowing with a pinkish brilliance that almost blinds Ix. With a flick of Nef's finger, the light is sent flying with unthinkable speed out of the celestial realm and towards the skies of Wax, shattering atop the world in more pieces than one can possibly count. The smaller light particles shower the civilized realm and wild realms alike, reaching all the humans without exception and piercing through their minds. Within the light, a simple command forms within them, an order, or perhaps only a stern motherly reminder that will be taken without hesitation by every single one of them. Help each other. Love each other. Love yourselves. A command that overpowers every other instinct in their hearts and gives them the mental strength to enforce it no matter how dire the situation will be. Because it will indeed be the case soon. OOC: Empower and Love have been used for this.
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Jun 22, 2019 03:22
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ix let out a high pitched whistle of bird song. Around Wax the high priestesses of the Faith and the lay people all were visited by tiny song birds. Their message was clear: The sunghosts were a symptom of lack of devotion. The faithful must go to the high places of the world, taking the arduous trip up them and build temples in the glory of the Sun. These were to be places of rest and respite for weary travelers and pilgrims who wish to live in the warmth of her gaze, to be a beacon of hard won hope in a world in chaos. OOC: Rolling inspire + Ordeal + Sun to kick start temples on the top of peaks that rise above the dustlayer. The trails up are meant to test the resolve of the faithful, a purification of the soul through trial. Ideally would be the start of a monastic tradition.
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Jun 22, 2019 03:42
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked Ix frets over the cut of her suit and the shade of orange in her home. Maybe a little lighter...no, that distracts from the silhouette but with a little widening the shoulders...yes, that'd be perfect. And then, there is a little pop. As if someone broke a small pot. Again, and again. The runes flicker. There are no runes, there have never been runes or wards. Only octopi, giggling and cavorting and laughing before they disappear into the darkness of the Celestial. The smell of rot fills her nose, fresh blood, boiled flesh in the hot sun. Purple-black filth pours from a wall. Tentacles and eyes and beaks and gangrene stare out, until they are Kaladine. She stands there, with a frown like a disappointed neighbor. "Vileness below! Why are you living in one of my wine cellars, praytell?" Before Ix can reply Kaladine scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Doesn't matter." She makes a hand gesture to brush off the bird. "I have come to inform you I have saved you, and that you may thank me at your leisure." The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 04:50 on Jun 22, 2019 |
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Jun 22, 2019 04:38
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ixhisitl scowled "Why do you insist on doing that every time?" Running her hands through her hand she added yellow highlights to the shock of red hair. " And /saved/ me? SAVED ME?! I made a minor mistake, one I could have fixed on my own. Instead you deprive my followers and /all/ the mortals of sunlight. I get that you are the big bad bitch of Wax, but don't you think all of this was a massive overreaction?" Ixhisitil sighed and conjured a pair of chairs and a parlor table "Obviously you want something so sit, and say what it is you want to say." Ix flopped down into the chair, hand extend to indicate it's twin across the round table.
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Jun 22, 2019 04:53
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked Kaladine does not take the seat, instead standing beside the table and looking down at Ix. She places her hands upon, and her purple fingernails sparkle in the starlight. "I saved you from the panic of a string of mid-level deities, from the frothing overreaction of desperate beings." Kal leans forward. "Because for you and I, beings of our own power that exist because we must, this was a small matter." She wears the same ghost of a grin she wore during their last encounter. "But for them, it was life and death. Do not tell me you could have managed the crisis you created and the panicked reactions of a dozen deities you've never met before, unless somehow you are more arrogant than I." Closer. Ix can see the darkness that flickers inside Kaladine, the ocean of nothing that roils against...something else. In the depths she can almost see her half-heart, bobbing on the sea like flotsam. "Now yell at me, scream the most vile thing you can imagine. Loud enough that others can hear, sound hurt." The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Jun 22, 2019 |
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Jun 22, 2019 05:02
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Forex,Born of the Bonfires, One Who Gives, One Who Takes Forex studied the crystal carefully, turning it in hand and watching it split the sunbeams into colorful little shards. "That's good. Really good. But small. And we - we need to think big", he rambled at the jeweller. "The season is ripe for harvest and this - this gem is a centerpiece to make it work." "When you put a ring on it, I want it to sustain an imperial class-2 magistrate for quarter of a year. And that's if it ever end up in a pawn shop, the asking price is a whole another matter. You see, Reginald, I need this to be far more than a luxury or a status signifier. I need this to be a clear statement. Of commitment, as much as of one's ability to sustain their dependents in a world in which even the sunlight will soon be at premium. And the deep earth gems - the rarer, the better - are to crown it all. Trust me, the sooner we eradicate the dowries of sheep and goat the better it will be for those people. After all, the cattle is fleeting and the diamonds are forever." "Besides, it's also a professional courtesy." --- Trying to embrace the love epidemic by a little propaganda campaign to culturally intitute the three month's salary wedding ring rule and generally have it feed into cultural neuroses about sustaining dependents in the new hellworld of Wax.
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Jun 24, 2019 14:12
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First, the storms started raging, over the seas and the coasts, so nobody noticed the seeds being planted. Then, the Earth started spewing ash and lava, and the resulting cloud blotted out the sun and carried the lightning, so nobody noticed the saplings growing. And as the Hour of the Wolf and Nefretask's commandment made their home deep in the mortals' collective unconscious, nobody wanted to care about some plants fated to die soon, when there was survival to think about and despair to get lost to. And yet the Trees kept growing. It was almost a surprise, seeing those colorful towers growing in spite of the darkness, seemingly sustained by the ash that fell copious around them. And yet another surprise when the first ones that dared to collect fallen branches for kindling found out that the wood had a glassy texture, and did not catch to the flame. So they started paying attention at their growth. And they grew and grew, seemingly unfazed by the lightning that struck them when they reached the Cloud, growing more and more branches in apparent defiance, the arcs dancing between them soon becoming a familiar spectacle. And they kept growing, and when they breached the Cloud, the whole of Wax rejoiced. Light. After years, light had come back to Wax, carried down trunks and branches and shining out of spun glass leaves and crystalline fruits and roots crisscrossing the whole surface of Wax, cutting old paths and nourishing the lesser plants around them. Ixihisitl's priesthood recognized a sign when they saw one, and so the braver among them knew that this was their Goddess's latest ordeal. And so they climbed, uncaring of the risks and the lightning, to reach the canopies and once again feel their mistress's loving caress on their skin. And so, with perseverance and determination, they built temples among the leaves, and the Order of the Sky Trees was born.
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Jun 24, 2019 15:23
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ix fumed "Their reactions wouldn't have mattered had you just left well enough alone and just let me fix my own mess. You speak of arrogance and it is true, you act like you know what's best when you couldn't handle your own messes without corrupting yourself and the World Serpent. But fine, you want me to yell then I shall yell." Ix drew to her Masks full height "YOU ARE AN ABOMINATION THAT /WILL/ BE CLEANSED FROM THIS WORLD! YOU COME TO ME ACTING LIKE YOU ARE DOING ME A FAVOR? MY MISTAKES ARE BUT A PUDDLE COMPARED TO THE OCEAN OF YOURS!" Ix panted in anger, catching her breath. "That satisfy whatever little scheme you have brewing in that vexatious mind of yours, witch?"
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Jun 26, 2019 23:44
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked Kal's smirk widens. "Anger makes you so handsome, did you know that?" There is skittering outside her door. "And now, you are truly one of us. You share in the network of lies and half-truths that binds the whole world together. I came to chide you, and you played your part properly. Tell the others what truly happened here, and they will all know you cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith and respect private agreements." Kal sits across from the bird. She seems smaller, more tired. "Please, do not confuse my help for hatred. This world exists because it is in balance, and when one of us should act we alter that balance. Your act wounded that balance, I merely restored it. Tell me, have you even suffered because of this? I made sure your interests were included in my solution. Your cults are more dedicated than ever, and they are overjoyed to struggle in your name. Is that the act of someone who wishes to fight? Tell me, do you think I want to destroy this world? Or make it a place of misery? Because neither is true."
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Jun 27, 2019 00:11
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ix huffed and flopped into the chair, eyes narrowed at Kal. "Aye, you did nothing to harm me, but it is not me that I am angry for. It's the mortals. They should have the /choice/ to struggle, to purify themselves. A sacrifice that is forced is no more than extortion." The bird god sighed and pulled a flask from her suit jacket, taking a deep drag on it. "But maybe you aren't /as/ bad as you seem," Ix smirked "The trees were an impressive solution, I will give you that." before offering the flask of berry spirits to her guest.
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Jun 27, 2019 00:21
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked She takes it, and sips gently. "Not bad, not bad. I might use something like this in a base for a wine." She hands it back. "I would not drink from that if I were you, my nature is catching, afterall." Casks of starwine still slouch around them. The smell makes her sick now, so sweet, so clean. "I am nothing more and nothing less than what Wax needs of me. My newest partner grasped something in her moment of desperation that I had ignored, that leaving my sister as she was would lead only to rot and ruin. Only when my ignorance threatened to tear everything apart did I come to understand what a fool I was. What I did at Kemgoz's hovel saved Wax. Now evil does not rage unchecked, it bows to me. And yet, my sister does not thank me for her mind. Only slander me behind my back. How is that for gratitude?" She leans back in the chair, and her body makes a horrible squelching as she stretches. "Terribly sorry, had a crick in one of my tentacles." She looks around the cellar, and then smirks again. "I do have to ask, why did you move into one of my wine cellars? If you wished for a bedroom, you merely had to ask for one." The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 00:38 on Jun 27, 2019 |
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Jun 27, 2019 00:35
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ix took the flask back, brushing Kals fingers with her own in incidental contact. The corrupted goddesses flesh would sizzle slightly as the bird took a swig of the flask. "I am the Goddess of Purification after all, so I doubt there will be much issue." Ixhisitl smirked, a fain tendril of steam raising from the flask. "As for your dearest sister, she at least is of the same mind as me of the mortals so I can't quite blame her for not being particularly pleased with current events." The crimson suited goddess leaned back in the chair. "But I am beginning to see that you are more in control of the dark that corrupts you than I initially gave you credit for. Maybe there is hope for you." Ix smiled "And I am in your basement cause these casks make a fine base for a drink, and I wanted some privacy while I developed this Mask." Ix smirked, puffing out her chest and preening like an arrogant rooster in the yard.
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Jun 28, 2019 19:22
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked "There is always hope. It just doesn't always wear the mask you expect. Hope is, afterall, evil's lowest virtue." Kal leans forward, puts her elbows on the table and clasps her hands together. Her head rests on them, and her hat slithers off to sit on a nearby wine cask. "You tried to take control of the Celestial. Krazin-Ijonip delivered your message." Kal smirks. "Your lies really need work. You can't meet my gaze when you lie." Ix couldn't lie to her anyway, one of the advantages of being a goddess of corruption. Deceit lays out the heart like a roadmap in front of her. And Kal knows, in her shattered half-heart and rancid soul, her sister has already lost. All that was left was the sound of bodies falling. "It's not befitting of a goddess of your station. Join us in the Palace proper, my wives are nothing if kind, and I promise you will find the accommodations much more suitable...." Kaladine reaches behind her back. There is the sound of filth popping and bubbling. "...if you insist on staying down here, I brought you housewarming gifts." She reveals a bolt of beautiful blue cloth, and then a bottle of star-wine - a very old vintage, one of her very best. It wasn't like she enjoyed the stuff anymore, but the bird didn't need to know that. "I noticed among the colors you carry you are missing one that would look so resplendent on you. Blue, an excellent azure bolt from the finest weavers on Wax. Courtesy of my brother and I." She chuckles. "If you decide to come up, we'll just call it a 'welcome to the pantheon' package."
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Jun 28, 2019 19:37
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ix's eyes lit up at the sight of the blue, accepting it graciously "That is indeed beautiful and I know exactly what to do with it." Ix stood up and returned to the full length mirror, wrapping and twisting the silk until it formed a brilliant azure tie. The goddess then swiped hands through her hair, their path making matching streaks along the side. The bird admired herself in the mirror before turning to face Kal "Quite beautiful indeed." The goddess was as much talking about herself as she strutted back to the chair. "Now I imagine you didn't come all the way here just to flatter me. What is it you want." Ix's usual venom for Kal was replaced with self assured arrogance as she made sure to draw as much attention to her new additions to her Maskl as possible. An "idle" tug at the new tie, a brush of the hand over short cropped hair.
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Jun 28, 2019 19:47
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked "Even more handsome, as if it were even possible." She leans back, and makes no secret of giving the goddess an eyeful of attention. Kaladine doesn't like to hide her intentions, it helps keep other deities off-balance, digging for what must be her real plan. "And yes, I wished to make a proposal I think will please you greatly." She snaps a finger, and presents a contract to Ix. It is packed with dense, awful legalese. "Don't sign it, this just an example. Terrible things might happen to you if you do." The ink smells like distilled evil, the parchment is corvain skin. "These contracts offer power. I will offer them to the worst mortals upon Wax, and they will take them gratefully. They will not understand what they mean, that they will fall to my will and become Avatars of Illness. Great and horrible beasts. A shard of my glory.” And the contract turns to purple flame. "This is where you come in, you do what you do best - bring hope to mortals, give the tools to fight these monsters. And when they fall - both monster and hero, you will hear the roar of gratitude. You will be a hero, and the cycle will begin. The contract will find a new host, and new heroes will rise to fight them. And evil will flock to me, eager for more power, where I can keep it leashed and controlled." She smirks. "It's an elegant arrangement, everyone wins. But we'd need to be in regular contact to make sure the matches remain within their bounds." Kaladine stands at her full height, and walks towards the goddess with an outstretched palm. "Is it a deal?" The Unlife Aquatic fucked around with this message at 14:53 on Jun 29, 2019 |
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Jun 28, 2019 20:01
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Ixhisitl Goddess of the Sun, The Redeemer Ix stroked her chin as she thought. "And conceivably, eventually, this might even kill off the Dark?" The bird goddess mulled it over, hesitant. She took another slug from her flask before standing. "Yes, you have a deal." Ixhisitil clasps her hand with that of Kal, the contact creating an audible sizzle. "I can't promise my champions will die in the process though. As you can imagine, an order based around grueling ordeals tends to create a rather stubborn sort of hero." Ix smirked.
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Jun 28, 2019 20:29
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Kaladine-Aeo'na, Witch-Empress Of The Wicked "Deal." Kaladine squeezes, and the sizzling climbs to a terrible zenith. Her face stays impassive through what Ix knows should be terrible pain. It is only after a long minute that she finally, mercifully, lets go. "And the offer of a bedroom remains open. Talk to Sky-That-Speaks, a little star-dragon in a purple and sliver cravat, if you decide you need a room." She begins to dissolve, disappearing through the floorboards, and rematerializing, such as it is, in the Hour of the Wolf. --- A fingersnap, octo-imps bring a writing desk, a well of ink. It's jammed between casks and casks and casks, each filled with screams and recrimination and quiet bitterness. The smell is a relief after the wine cellar. Kaladine strikes up a small lantern with purple flame, and begins to write her contracts. Her handwriting is still beautiful, elegant, swirls of purple ink bubble with nebulas of nothing, a cosmos of the impossible. As the ink dries, she whispers to them, coats them with her blood. When everything is finally done, Kaladine hands the contracts off to her octo-imps, who will carry them to the worst mortals upon Wane. She smiles, and leans back in her chair. What a wonderful way to wage a war. --- OOC: Kaladine will use Gift, Entrapment, and Disease to forge contracts that will create the Avatars of Illness, monsters of proper gravity for heroes to battle.
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Jun 28, 2019 20:45
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Emoch-Ma'Haar, The Smith In The Deep, The Worldshaper, The Vaultkeeper The Stars were not as they used to be. Even if you could peer past the choking clouds of black ash that now blanketed the skies all over Wax, you would find the night sky far more deserted than in Ages past, lacking in that special empyreal shimmer of the Celestial in its prime. All you would find were pinpricks of baleful light, dull and mundane. Soulless. The Vaults were not as they used to be. The deep underground was no longer interspersed only by the occasional crackle of tectonic plates. Arcane funnels crossed and ran under the surface of Wax, thickly plated but not thick enough to completely insulate the screams of the dead they carried. The ominous silence of the Vaults themselves was now replaced by the clacking of fel machinery gathering, sorting, mindlessly manipulating souls to cold cages, troughs and boxes amidst the visions of torment they inflicted upon the dead. Brass Servitors that had stood in still and stoic vigil since the First Age were moving now, ferrying the essence of the dead ever deeper to the Vaults, to the gates of the Forgeheart itself. Here stood Emoch, in the incandescent red-white glow of his first creation, his greatest creation. The only one thus far unsullied. But there was always a price to be paid for progress. The god sank his hands deep into this primal font of creation, and extracted a piece of its boiling essence. He took then his Purest souls, his very best, for the alloys and reagents he needed. And then he took the Soulhammer, and started work on the Forgeheart's brother. The flames ran green. _____ OOC: Using CREATE, Artifice and Divine Smith to create the Ethyrforge.
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Jun 29, 2019 14:21
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Forex,Born of the Bonfires, One Who Gives, One Who Takes --- THE SUMMER HAS ARRIVED An explosion tore the blackened, ashen skies and even the Empress herself winced in instinctual terror - though no one present was foolish enough to ever remark on that. Several thunders followed and vibrant, bright colors spilled across the skies as if several inkwells were thrown defiantly, breaking as they hit the thick sphere of ash. Soon, not only the Imperial Court, but the entire capital stood enraptured, looking up at the glistening dance of lights they have long given up hope of ever seeing again. "It is, of course, entirely complimentary, Exalted One", Forex whispered. "Merely a gesture of gratidude for our long-standing friendship and certain... temple district plans I have heard whisperings about. Besides, I would be aghast to see the summer solstice traditions gone because of some... changing weather conditions. Even if I would suggest renaming the Sun Festival to something... more appropriate." He then turned towards courtiers and counsellors, who bowed and thanked for the marvellous gift, as necessitated by the traditions. He spoke loudly: "Lesser men would deem the sky-fires to be a mere symbol, an inkling of joy offered to nations cast into the eternal dark by those unconcerned with their well-being. Symbol it might be, but know its meaning is much more. It is a symbol of hope and of the strength of this great nation. It is a sign of its force of will made manifest, that one might take its skies, but cannot take its traditions, that if one devours its sun, it shall cast the light of its own glory, filling the blackened skies with untold sky-fires and lanterns, that whatever spawns in the dark, hungrily stalking for weakness shall be cast into light and scorched by the tenacity and valor of imperial hands." And so, for one day wine flowed and music played. ---- I'll just leave those fireworks here and make sure someone will, independently and deniably, come up with a hwacha and then an arquebus to deal with those pesky new mythmonsters.
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Jun 29, 2019 17:45
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 JJJooOrrRmmMggGooOzzZiiIrrR, the ADSwEeaVrkOpeUenRneEtdR Storms cover the skies, blot out the sun. For the first time in a very, very long time, the Serpent can go anywhere on the surface that tsIhhTeey desires, with no need to hide beneath the storms that tsIhhTeey creates. Land is open to tsIhhTeey, and not just the coasts and the paths of destruction tsIhhTeey leaves. All land. Three minds are in agreement; though their reasons are different, tsIhhTeey all refuse to slither. They will need legs. ---- "...gods... help me..." Again, the captain pleads, begs for help, and again there is no answer. Of course not. As a pirate, one who lived by the sword, it is her fate to die like this. Face-down in a pool of her own blood, on the deck of her own ship, disemboweled by her own crew, turned mutinous by greed. In her darkest hour, consumed by despair and spite, she might reach out to the Witch-Empress, but the flag of a goddess already flies over her ship. For all that has changed since she first flew the flag, since before her ancestors' first steps onto a ship, one thing has been constant; the Serpent rules the seas. And so it is to the Serpent she gives her final plea. "Devourer... consume me... I offer myself to you." It is the captain's wish that, should her prayer be answered, an unlikely proposition, the ship will be swallowed whole, or broken to splinters within the infinite jaws of the Serpent. However, for the first time in living memory, a prayer to Jormgozir is answered not with destruction. Her soul and her identity are indeed consumed, but her body, the empty shell that was once a captain of no great import, becomes one of the most important individuals of the Age. Where she fell, tsIhhTeey rises. Soaked to the bone in ice-cold saltwater, the person-that-is-not-a-person dresses much as thIheeTriSr vessel did in life. A long coat, well past thIheeTriSr knees, each golden button a small, bright, and unblinking eye. The once fine, frilled shirt beneath has been torn to shreds, slashed at the neck and destroyed at the navel. Visible beneath is a line of sharks' teeth, what first appears to be a loose necklace, until it starts to breathe. The gaping wound in thIheeTriSr stomach is much less subtle as to its nature, with uneven, crooked teeth made from broken ribs and spurs of bone, and a tongue of entrails that lolls out, dripping blood-tinged spittle onto the decks as thIheeTriSr boots squelch and stop across them, that the crew of this ship might behold thIheeTriSr terrible glory, inside and out. ------------------------- "MerchantForexGROCER!" The first destination of this new mask, once tsIhhTeey finishes enjoying a few dozen meals, is to return a belated summon. "Sorry we'reI'mIT'S late. You rang?"
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Jun 30, 2019 09:27
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Forex,Born of the Bonfires, One Who Gives, One Who Takes "And I have suffered the just consequences for paying a visit most unannounced", Forex bows politely. "Thankfully, you'll forgive my faux pas, as I believe Wax sliding into an ashen apocalypse has put a certain pressure on my schedule. You see, I wished for the banner of the serpent to stay as it was, as when you were still of one mind, undisturbed by whichever mess you and Kaladine jump into headfirst. Perhaps even purchase it, should the price be reasonable, for the League - " "But I am afraid the serpentine ship has sailed." "For this humble establishment is always willing to wait for a... friend, but the mortal world does not. I am still fond of your creation, yet - speaking as a businessman - they retain only so much of their stock value. Rootways are where the money is, nowadays. And so I am forced to withdraw the deal, for what I could offer in good faith would be but an insult to one as majestic as yourself." "But thankfully you have graced me with your presence for a whole another reason, whether you realize it or not. So let me spell it out: you slumbered into hibernation when the seas were poised to become the grandest highway Wax has ever seen. You woke up when the seas are on a brink of being forgotten, a deathtrap shrouded in dark, so far away from the strands of light binding the civilization like the waves were meant to do. You cannot not have the Serpent's Banner hold their vigil, should you wish for more than a handful of fishermen - half of which you have probably devoured already - to brave venturing to the seas. In fact, you would need to do much more than that to retain the mortal favor. Finally, and most important of all, you came here knowing I'm the only other major player who possibly has a vested personal interest in keeping the seas relevant." "And I am open for business."
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Jun 30, 2019 10:26
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JJJooOrrRmmMggGooOzzZiiIrrR, the ADSwEeaVrkOpeUenRneEtdR "You underestimate umIseT, Forex." Three mouths smile, at least one of them hoping to be reassuring. "Do you think I overlooked the greatest flaw in these new glorious spires of glass and storm? "They bear no fruit."
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Jun 30, 2019 10:39
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