[Game Thread] Chapter Five: Everything Changes

[Blue]

When Jester drew the dagger it had her undivided attention for a long moment until Mrith shook her a little after Malhas' speech, whispering to her:
"Are those Tyyrykan funeral rites?"

Nevh felt feverish suddenly. She spared a quick stare of confusion at her sister. She wasn't sure what her sibling was referring to.
Noticing everyone taking position and giving parting words, it quickly dawned on her that it had begun.
"Maybe later. Think of something nice to say. You are blessed to witness his exit."

Mrith certainly didn't feel that way. She hadn't voted and didn't feel obliged to witness such a vulgar sight.
She told herself that honor demanded she braced herself and watched all the same, hoping it would diminish her disgust.

Nevh maintained the Tyyrykan bow until her the tide reached her, at which point she looked at Lekan again.
She gave him her farewells in her best Tyyrykan.
"Despite their greatest efforts people die. People forget. The worlds will remember."

Mrith, who followed, was quickly getting worked up by the very ceremonious aspect of the moment. She was a sucker for ceremony.
She did the Tyyrykan bow as well, but only when it was her turn.
"Every eighth of Ordenis, I'll honour the memory of what you'll have done. Thank you, sir."
She intended to live for several ages so that would perhaps begin a tradition at some point.

[Makenshi]

When Jester adds his own Tyyrykan bow, he also hands over the dagger, hilt first, to Lekan.

The tide ends with Jar Alyyryk, who struggles to find words, although he eventually settles for something similar to Nevh. "The world will remember you brother, even if I have to make it."

Lekan smiles slightly, looking around the room. "Thank you. Everyone." He holds the dagger to his chest, over his heart, staring out in front of him, before giving his final words, in Tyyrykan, which were the reverse of what Malhas said. "Everything that begins must end, as everything that ends must begin." He thrusts the dagger into his own heart, although rather than falling over dead as they might expect he instead hunches over, his face a grimace of pain, teeth clenched.

Jar takes a step forward, but Nehrahk pushes him back again with a gesture. Meanwhile Alyyryk's breath becomes laboured as the room becomes hotter, his clothes start to smoke and a web of fiery red veins start to bloom out from the wound. The room becomes hotter, his clothes smoke even more, his armour even begins to melt and the veins spread, all while Alyyryk almost silently endures. This prompts Malhas, Tiaan and Nehrahk to create separate barriers around the Tyyrykan, who's clothes, armour and even hair seems to be catching fire as the veins throb. Alyyryk strains to look up, his eyes seeming to find it difficult to focus on anyone, although they seem to land in the general vicinity of his brother as his breathing starts to quicken until he finds himself standing straight again, the flames almost fully covering him as he finally yells out, half shouting, half screaming. The fires fully consume him and explode outwards, quickly destroying both Malhas' and Tiaan's barriers, while even seeming to stretch Nehrahk's for a moment before he strengthens it, although all that they can see inside is a swirling, white-hot ball of fire.

The fire soon starts to slow down, although it takes it almost a minute for them to see glimpses of what was Lekan Alyyrykan of the Kashyyn. Enough glimpses that Nehrahk creates new clothes for him with a few gestures. Once the fire is gone, Nehrahk dismisses his barrier, giving them a clear view of the newest Hybrid.

Unsurprisingly, he looked almost exactly like Lekan, although his skin was noticeably more tanned, while his eyes were golden and his hair a reddish auburn. Even the tattoo that snaked across one side of his face and down the same side of the neck and body had taken on a fiery red colour, seeming to writhe like living flames for a moment before it settled into its usual form.

The Hybrid was still breathing a little quickly himself, although he otherwise looked out at them with curious eyes, scanning the room. "Well..." He seemed to taste the words, and even the air. "...this is all rather surreal." He looks around the room. "Eveything is so refreshingly new, yet...oddly familiar."

~MTWC

[Blue]

Nevh was fascinated. Lekan was testing the waters in ways Nehrahk couldn't have and she would learn from the process what could be expected.
She was slightly crushed to see that the fire dagger had been used first, but seeing the hybrid's appearance she quickly grew out of it.
Her only regret was that this hybrid would be the one with the influence her people might need, but perhaps it wouldn't change much, in the end. Vanity was pointless.

The dangerous reaction had been expected. Considering the universes were sort of being redefined at a specific point in space, things could have gone much worse.
It was a very good thing everyone had been so prepared to contain it - she couldn't help a quick glance at the crater within Nehrahk's barrier. She had just repaired that floor.
The Rudaa was otherwise glad that her eyes were shielded against such blinding displays. Her ears still rang a little, though.
The apparently very painful part of the experience didn't discourage her. She had known great lasting pain and this one wouldn't last so long.

She made a few steps forward.
"Welcome."

She paused.
"Perhaps you'd need a moment, but, would introductions be in order?"
Things seemed to be going as she expected they would, but she wondered how deeply he would associate with Lekan. His creation hadn't been made in the same circumstances as the others - the transition less brutal. Results could differ.

[Makenshi]

The Hybrid smiles at Nevh. "Introductions? Hmmmm." He looks around again, cocking his head from side to side before turning back to and pointing at her with a half-smile on his lips. "...Nevh?...Rudaa?...yes. Nevh Rudaa." Again, it almost seems as if he is tasting the name. "A...Valkyrie? No, not quite, but definitely one of L'arabiel's." He looks at Mrith, frowning slightly. "You...you I don't know...or do I? You do seem familiar some how. A recent acquaintance? One of Crone's either way, but...there's something wrong...something you've patched." He turns to Morgan. "Morgan Wainraith. A seer. Barest hint of a Taint, but no more than most of the people here."

He looks around again before settling on Nevh. "Or perhaps you meant introducing myself? Hmmm, that's more of a difficult one." He examines his hands, then his arms and even lifts up the shirt Nehrahk had created for him, revealing that the red tattoo does indeed snake all the way down his body, seemingly even down to his thigh at the least. "Odd. It's not a tattoo." The tattoo writhes and twists like it did when he transformed, altering the design somewhat but keeping its general positioning. "Hmmm. I'll have to experiment with that." He looks back up at Nevh again, letting his shirt drop. "Where were we? Oh yes, introductions. Well, I'm an Alyyryk." His eyes glance towards Jar. "But I'm not 'Alyyryk'." He cocks his head to the side again. "But you knew that, didn't you?" It's almost like he's still processing everything, which made sense if he suddenly found himself with not only almost three decades of memories but who knows how much many more millenia more as an Old One.

"A name then...a name..." He looks around frowning, before his eyes settle on Nehrahk. "Hmm...Nero...Khehkanon....Nehrahk..." The half-smile is back. "I see what you did there. So what would that make me? Lekan...Ihnolkar...Leknokar? Ihnolan? Or perhaps..." He pauses for a moment. "...Nyylkar...Ihnolkar...Nyylolkar? Ihnlkar?" There is another, longer pause, after which he shakes his heads and lets out a frustrated sigh. "Needless to say I've no gifted name either, nor a role in the circle yet, so I guess you should just call me Alyyryk for now. I'll have to think on names sometime soon or things will get very confusing."

~MTWC

[SpatulaOdoom]

Morgan watches, start to end he does not look away or shield his eyes.
His hand finds Zilira's.

His elemental protection spell helps, but even still by the end he feels toasted. As though he's been standing too close to the fireplace. It is a suitably dramatic display for the destruction of a soul. And then... It's over. A new hybrid stands before them.

Morgan isn't sure quite what to think. He does know that this new being isn't responsible for the destruction of his progenitor though.
”Welcome to the world Alyyryk. I hope your stay is pleasant here.”

With that Morgan looks to Vulcar.
”Do you still require my services or counsel? If not I think I'm going to go find somewhere to sleep for a bit. I've had more than twice as many visions as I've ever had in a single day, died briefly, resurrected a goddess, got killed in an alternate timeline, got in a fight (albeit a brief one), watched the destruction of a friend, and I've got a splitting headache and probably overdosed on healing magic.”

"Not sure I'd call that jerk my friend but tell Leon I'll be there. Assuming it doesn't stretch out all night we should celebrate, and talk, later."

[Blue]

Her eyes squinted as he mentioned L'arabiel.
Nehrahk didn't know who she was when she referred had to her so it was quite interesting that this hybrid would make such associations.
Judging from Nehrahk, the old ones did not know much of the Zodiacs. Perhaps Nero didn't know much of them either and this hybrid connected the dots using Lekan's knowledge and his instinct as a shaper of humanoids. The possibility felt even more pertinent when he associated Mrith to Crone. She nodded to confirm that his memory of her name was accurate.

The younger girl introduced herself.
"Indeed. I am Mrith Jenn'la. Well met."
She was a little disturbed from hearing that something was wrong with her (or hearing it from him, at least) but tried to maintain her composure. It was never a pleasant thing to hear.

When the hybrid struggled to find himself a name, Nevh thought she'd land a hand. Giving names was something that came to her rather easily. Limiting it to a mix of two names felt like an unnecessary restriction but she used it nonetheless.
"Lekarihn Alyyryk, if you like? A name without pattern is quite alright too, if you feel detached enough from the two that composes you."
It was also the opportunity to learn a little on how much of Lekan's individuality had survived in him. Even if his memories and personality had the biggest influence in who he was now, Lekan would indeed be no more if the new being felt he was only material for his creation rather than someone he used to be.

When Morgan more or less requested to be granted his leave, Nevh turned to Vulcar, expecting the meeting to be officially concluded until the encore in two weeks.
She would then leave with Nehrahk as she had planned, and invite the new hybrid to join and perhaps use the opportunity to learn from Nerhahk's experience.

[Makenshi]

As expected, the meting was officially adjourned, with the intention of holding another in two weeks time at a place to be decided. A few others sought out the new Hybrid to introduce themselves, while most seemed to find the entire event unsettling. Jar and the other Tyyrykan representative did not approach the Hybrid, which was hardly surprising.

Much had been discussed, much had happened, and, everyone had the impression, that much more was going to happen. Everything had changed today though, and they had set in motion a series of events which would claim the very soul of at least one more person, if not a third if the last Dagger of Defiance was found.

~MTWC