[Game Thread] Chapter Seven: Bloodlines

[Alphaeus]

Silverforge A crooked smile spread across his face as approached Didina and she recognized him. "As they say in Sharak,because Sharakian is suddenly French Touché, mon ami. I would assume you did, though, considering I'm here to talk with you because I'm working personally for two gods." He noticed their drinks, and glanced at one of the Children beside him, addressing them in Outercommon. "Would one of you care to get me some of the fine cider I heard they have here? The hard cider, mind you. Warmed, if you would." Returning his attention to the pair of women he fixed his gaze on Didina's companion. "Before I get into less social matters, I would love to be introduced to your friend here, if you would, said in a flirtatious but somewhat generic sensedarling."

[Makenshi]

OOC @Miya: Miya wouldn't have travelled with Silverforge, even if Pe'er left with him. @Languages: Actually, it's not too far-fetched, as Sharlan (what Sharak and Shali were called when they one one country) is vaguely latin-y in my mind and French is of latin roots/origins. Oddly enough, Pharé is a weird mix of french and celtic influences in my head, and I imagine Cajien (a[n in]famous Pharéan/Halvan bard and womanising NPC) speaking in a Cajun accent, which I'm pretty sure makes all kinds of no sense... ~MTWC

[Blue]

As L'arabiel answers, she points at her and winks. "That'd be the very one! That of course entails that we cannot consult her to know more about anything that is happening here as experienced by the variations of her who did not go into hiding..."

When the Defender began her tale, she thought at first those Endless were an actual kind, but it became obvious as she went that they were rather unique and then that those Primal dragons were what she had in mind at first, though less formidable, she imagined.
"Did they not follow Crone when she left to fight? Or have those who came all perished?"
A thought came to her quickly, like insight. "...no. They are forces of the land. They cannot leave. They remind me of Aheka's Paragons.
Elemental-like dragons aside, she focused back on the origins. "Which of the worlds do we seem to come from?"
Would L'arabiel have any idea of where that may be, she would in turn ask her, dreamily: "Please, tell me of that world."
If it would turn out that she did not know or that dragons would seem to come from several worlds, she would instead ask her follow-up question first: "Tell us of the Nine Worlds. You all left your homes for us, long ago. What are they like?"

[Makenshi]

 

Coiya appears both surprised and curious at Nallaul's approach, but inclines his head in agreement. "Of course." He glances towards the others. "Please, excuse me a moment."

Once the pair of them were sequestered away in a quietish corner of the tent (albeit by no means somewhere where people couldn't overhear), Coiya brought his grey eyes to bear. "I'm really hoping that you haven't been given some sort of mission from one of these unknown Godlings. I'm starting to get a little annoyed by their antics now."

 

Didina responds in kind. "Ah, of course. This delightful young woman is Lady Misa Serokai, daughter of Aria's ambassador to Halva and a dear friend of mine."

Misa's smile is a little hesitate, but genuine as she holds out her hand. "Nice to meet you, uh, Master Wolvera, was it?"

 

Originally Posted by Mrith

"Which of the worlds do we seem to come from?"

L'arabiel looks a bit hesitant. "Well, that's a difficult one. Dragons live across all the realms. Some more in others granted, but travel between them has long been a rather easy affair, even before permanent gates were made to connect them. If you mean Emerald Dragons specifically, then their favoured world would be Kadia, the land of eternal skies and floating islands."

The Goddess looks taken aback by Mrith's reaction to the news, but seems happy to carry on. "Well, floating in the air that is, not the water. The whole of Kadia is one massive ocean, with the vast majority of its people living on the skybourne islands above them. Some are the size of entire continents, but most are a little smaller than that, and they move about on 'sky tides', in an unpredictable fashion, so your neighbouring island could one day be out of sight and on another a second island might appear over the horizon. It's primarily the homeland of the winged elvesAvariels, but there are other races, including humans, who reside there, as well as some who live in the ocean instead."

 

Who and Where? Brood: Talking with Shadow. Mrith: Talking with L'arabiel and Rising. Adam: Talking with Sublime. Nallaul: Talking with Coiya. Silverforge: Talking with Didina and Misa. King Vulcar of Halva, Vulcar's fiancéePrincess Celes of Shali, Cypher is the eldest of the Sword's three Children but also the least seen. This is because she is a Face in the Dark (see classes thread), meaning she has spent most of her time infiltrating Fiendish churches and cults. In her case, she infiltrated the Church of Deimos in Sharak and even spent a time as King Kaeyin's religious advisor. At some point during this she become pregnant with and bore a twin daughter and son of Kaeyin (although neither he nor anyone else was aware of them) who have been raised by the Children in the Dark when she is not around. As a Face in the Dark she is highly skilled at divine magic, stealth and subterfuge. Being a Godling she is also among the most powerful of mortals although not quite a full-fledged God.Cypher of the Firstborn In'ira and her twin toddlers, Ismael and Miya: Inside one of the tents, where the babies/toddlers/younger children mostly seem to be, along with Coiya, Future and Nallaul. Most often shortened simply to Bane, he is the middle-child of the three but also the tallest and bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather, Vulcar Halva I, the man who founded Halva and the First Halvan Empire. Bane's Gift is for understanding magic items, which are somewhat of a speciality of his and generally what he spends most of his time doing outside of freeing slaves, striking out against the Fiends or otherwise performing his duties. He is an Eye in the Dark (see the classes thread), meaning he is skilled at stealth and arcane magic. Being a Godling he is also among the most powerful of mortals although not quite a full-fledged God.Balor-Bane of the Firstborn In'ira: Talking with Tinker and Wit. Min is the youngest, most reckless and most immature of the three, having only passed her Swordright in the past few years. Unlike her siblings, she has embraced her psionic heritage and uses it in combination with the sublime way, having had a lot of training in both from various other Children. Min is a powerful Wilder and a highly skilled Swordsage, as well as having learnt how to further manipulate psionics by being an Elocator. Being a Godling she is also among the most powerful of mortals although not quite a full-fledged God.Min of the Firstborn In'ira and her sword-brothers, Toy and Geld: Mingling with other Children. One of the original investigators and without doubt the most high profile of them even before the investigations were revealed to the world at large during Chapter Five. He has made a name for himself for shouting at or otherwise picking fights with powerful and/or influential people, including a few Gods, most often by trying to call them out on their behaviour. As well as having fostered a close working relationship (if not friendship) with the King and his soon-to-be Queen, Morgan is also a childhood friend of Kala (one of the newest Gods in Aheka), a former pupil of Esiard Emlyn and, as has been revealed recently, not only currently in a relationship with Minloth Zilira but also responsible for freeing her from the binding that had been placed on her to serve the Halvan royal family for almost a thousand years. Despite this recent prestige he still maintains a network of friends and allies from all walks of life throughout Halva.Archmage Morgan Wainwraith, Kala was a deaf-mute Seer long thought to be the reincarnation of Airis, partly because she was innately talented at using divine magic with little to no training from a startlingly young age. It has recently emerged that she is in fact the daughter of Airis and Malvain, broken free by Malvain and entrusted into the care of her half-brother Malhas (see Other) who stunted her natural gift in order to better hide her. Her true power was unlocked by Fisali and she has since steadily grew in strength and power, with her political influence, especially to the worshippers of her parents, likewise growing and growing. Since becoming a Demi-Goddess, Kala has displayed powerful divine magic, with a particular knack for using glpyh and symbol spells as well as healing magic. She has even proven capable of resurrecting the dead, however it appears to tax her in some way.Kala, Malhas is a son of Malvain born around a century ago or more (exactly when is unknown), although he has never been very widely known, even among his father's own followers. His most notable act was masquerading as his father in order to provoke an alliance of Deities (good and evil) to fight and slay Malvain. Malhas has recently claimed he did so because Malvain was planning some sort of world-spanning war which, given the separate machinations of Zera to do likewise, could very well have been a catastrophe. Malhas has recently emerged as being the one responsible for hiding Kala's true power, as well as keeping an eye on her by masquerading as a worshipper of Airis by the name of Kahlas. He has been helping her out since, although the two do not always see eye to eye. Malhas is a highly skilled and varied user of both arcane and divine magic although he full abilities and limits have never really been tested.Malhas and a Drow Demi-Goddess who was thought dead. Most notably, she is both the ultimate female ancestor of the Halvan dynasty/had been bound to serve them into recently by powerful magic and the mother of Coiya Halva, the second ever King of Halva and better known now as the Sword in the DarkMinloth Zilira: Yet to arrive, but expected to arrive together. Didina Reid is a beautiful young Tiefling woman, most notable because of her large horns which she habitual decorates with jewellery. Although she was born to the former High Council member (but still influential Council member) Alleron Lyrason her father not only disinherited her due to her obvious Tiefling nature - claiming that she was not his daughter - but has repeatedly hired people to try and kill or otherwise deal with her. Didina has survived against these attacks in part due to having forged her own network of allies/friends and in part through her natural psionic talents. Eventually, this gained the King's attention and he not only named her a Lady but also took lands and wealth from her father in recompense, all in order to recruit the Mindbender and Thrallherd to aid in investigating the attempt on his life. Despite being a powerful Telepath, Didina dislikes fighting which has only intensified recently with the death (and revival) of her closest friend, Misa Serokai (see below). She has stressed that she was hired to investigate, not to fight, so it unclear how much she intends to continue to help with current events, especially with their original task having been completed once they confirmed it was Zera behind the assassination attempt. As a Telepath, Mindbender and Thrallherd Didina is highly skilled at using Telepathy powers and mind-effecting powers in general. Didina revealed that she had contacts/friends in the Church of Inanna much earlier in the story, however it has recently emerged that not only did she have some sort of contact with the Cult of Acedia but had some form of interaction with Acedia herself that she avoided talking about. It is because of this that she did not join the rest of the party in confronting Acedia and later getting involved in the battle between several Archgates and several of the Unknown Gods.Lady Didina Reid and Misa Serokai is a generally scruffy-looking young Arian woman, however as the daughter of the long-serving Arian ambassador to Halva she was born and raised in Halva. She was brought into the investigation in part because of her close friendship with Didina Reid but also because of her own minor seer abilities. Namely, that having been born blind she has greatly refined the Serokai's natural precognition to allow her to experience the world through what she describes as some form of 'touchsight', more feeling it than seeing it, as well as sometimes getting vague premonitions of danger. This form of 'sight' even allowed her to recognise the incredibly powerful mage known as Shade, who ordinarily can not be recognised unless he wants to be due to some sort of magical amnesia effect that he constantly emits. Misa was not only killed, but reduced to dust during the most recent Fiendish incursion upon Aheka however the newly ascended Demi-Goddess Kala was able to not only restore her but cure her blindness in the process - something that Misa has refused in the past as her people believe it is a distraction from the true sight she has mastered and fears her abilities will fade as a result. She stayed behind with Didina when the party left to confront Acedia and her forces.Lady Misa Serokai: Amongst a group of Children, talking to Silverforge. Archgates Mirik Orn, Selene Jual, Sei'Theofan Rudaa, Shara Segali, Sei'Raeth Segali, an Alainn: Mingling amongst the Children. Anorde and Celi: Yet to arrive (will arrive with Ashen Black). A (literally) ethereal looking woman with blonde hair, one green eye and one blue eye that appears to float/fly about, passing through most physical objects and attacks (which is likely where the name comes from). Has a very unusual appearance (pale skin, wings, clothing that appears to have melded into her skin). Like her siblings and unlike all the other Unknown Gods, she has outright admitted to/claimed to be a daughter of Airis and Zera, which has earned suspicion from many (most importantly Jester of the Demon's Moon). Other than her incorporeality she has mostly displayed powerful divine magic, potentially even reviving the recently slain (Revivify) and using various high-level healing/restoration spells to aid others.Airiel the Unbound: In one of the larger buildings, helping tend to injured Children rather than joining the festivities (so far anyway). The most striking of the 'Un' siblings because of his uncanny resemblance to his father, Zera, save for the blond hair and blue-green eyes of his mother (Airis). Fortunately for him, Zera's face isn't widely known outside of the Sei and high-ranking military types. Fought with and killed Gula by taking an immense beating and then somehow 'transferring' his injuries onto Gula once Gula tried to use a God-killing poison on him. As Gula was dying Tinker (see below) used an unknown artifact to steal and store his divinity. He has displayed powerful psionics, in particular having repeatedly absorbed injuries from those around him to heal them and transferring both these and his own injuries onto Fiends. Against both Gula and Jester (see the linked to Chapter) he has displayed not only an incredibly resilience (i.e. taking lots of damage) but an incredible ability to rapidly heal himself when he chooses not to transfer his injuries. He has also displayed another former of magic using an unknown tongue, mostly by simply calling out a single word/short phrase, however exactly what it is is unknown.Airin the Undying: Using his psionics (in particular telekinesis) to help the last of the rebuilding/fixing going on. Like her sister, Airza's appearance is highly unusual as she not only has stone-like and bronze-coloured (actually bronze, not just tanned) skin with patches of incandescent scales on it but also pitch-black cracks running all across her body forming strange symbols all over her body. Her having one blue eye and one green eye doesn't register nearly as much as it normally would as result. She was mostly active in the Fiendish Planes before helping to defend her brother from Jester (see the end of the current Chapter). Unlike her more magical siblings, Airza has shown simple but brutally effective overwhelming force when she has fought, mostly using her fists and/or an oversized bastard sword, as well as an ability to not only rapidly heal herself but simply shrug off most forms of damage in the first place. In the unlikely event that a Binder meets her, they may recognise that her appearance and certain other abilities are a result of Binding magic.Airza, the Unbroken: Mingling with the Children. At first glance, Arte doesn't look very remarkable, and unlike his sister, Sublime, has shown a tendency to hang back and strike from afar rather than get into the thick of fighting. He also tended to kill almost exclusively with practical, quick bouts of magic, rather than toying and humiliating his opponents as his sister did. Most notably, the two of them killed Superbia, with Arte countering any of her attempts at magic and even seemingly to re-direct her attempts to teleport away while Sublime killed her in (otherwise) single combat. Has displayed a large variety of both arcane and divine magic, even sometimes combining the two, but has mostly worked with his sister, Sublime to compliment her focus on fighting. Like her, he hasn't really shown much in the way of 'support', with even his divine magic being used for almost exclusively offensive purposes.Arte: Gone to look for Rapture or 'one of the triplets'. Boss' appearance is by far the most intimidating of the Unknown Gods. Not only does he bear an uncanny resemblance to Deimos (same hair colour/general build, but different eyes and a skull mask that covers the top of his face rather than the bottom of it) but his entire body is covered in writhing, living spiked chains that he not only fights with but uses to move around on. He has almost exclusively shown up in Phare in the recent fighting, specifically their capitol Feid, helping to fight the Fiends, albeit in an incredibly brutal fashion and usually while cheerily singing inappropriate songs in the process. For those who who have been/were recently victims of particularly nasty people (especially those using a position of power to avoid paying for their crimes) he may have revealed himself as much as a few years before the current events, coming out of no-where to either kill the person in question or confer some sort of compulsion-laden mark on them to force them to 'atone' (with the compulsion often being rather sadistic in nature). All such targets of his have been nasty pieces of work and he tends to arrive and leave in an abrupt fashion. Apart from using the spiked chains wrapped around his entire body like combat tentacles and brutally ripping things into pieces he has also shown a smattering of sorcerous magic (albeit, not very high level), some powerful invocations and a knack for striking at weak points.Boss: Using his chains to help with the building/repair work. Lady is the most visible (literally) of the Unknown Gods, mostly because her appearances tend to be heralded by her exuding waves of blinding light from her body. What makes her obvious affinity for light more unusual is that she is a dusky/grey skinned Drowtouched, wearing mostly white with some grey and black. She first emerged as Deimos and the Fiends attacked the Drow underground but subsequently moved across Aheka turning up in various places to help out. Each time usually using not only her light powers but mass telepathy to announce her presence, threaten the fiends or rally the people. Along with her (seemingly innate) light-based powers, she has also displayed powerful offensive psionics and sorcery, as well as occasionally fighting with a sword.Lady/Sulion: Using her psionics/magic (mostly telekinesis) to help the rebuilding/repair work. A tall grey-skinned Drow-touched man wearing goggles, a tattered wide-brimmed hat and a long overcoat filled with various bits and pieces. He has mostly only shown up in order to use some sort of device to strip Gula, Ira and Superbia of their divinity before they were killed, however he has fought a little as well. Tinker has displayed skill with a pistol, the use of various magical items (most notably the one that appears to drain divinity) and the occasional use of high level arcane magic.Tinker: Talking with Bane and Wit. Faces, as he has generally introduced himself recently, is an incredibly skilled shapeshifter that has only recently been revealed as being 'Mask' (see People of Aheka). His 'default'/diplomatic form is a young man with dark hair wearing a mask with a simplistic stylised grinning face on it. Although he joins the other Unknown Gods in confronting Jester in the most recent Chapter his other antics are otherwise unknown. It seems likely he has masqueraded as others to either use the chaos to spy or sneak up people. Even his 'Mask' persona seems to be just another persona, as he acts much more reserved and unassuming in his 'grinning face' guise. Like the other self-confessed Children in the Dark among the Unknown Gods he is not only unknown to them but the Family he claims to belong to (the Harlequins) is similarly completely unknown. Other than his shapeshifting he hasn't really displayed any real skills as Many Faces except for being very good at pretending to be someone else, however as Mask his using a variety of skills/magic led people to believe he is a Chameleon (i.e. capable of using a wide variety of abilities/magic depending on the situation). Given the revelation of his true power this may have been an inaccurate assumption.Many Faces: ??? Rapture is an unusually tall elf-touched woman (6ft+) wearing the traditional mismatched armour of the Children in the Dark who carries a halberd with magical runes and markings carved into it like a staff would have. Like the other self-confessed Children in the Dark among the Unknown Gods she is not only unknown to them but the Family she claims to belong to (the Dervishes) is similarly completely unknown. She has displayed not only great skill with using her halberd in battle, but also appears to use it as a focus/aid to both high-level offensive arcane and divine magic.Rapture: Mingling with the Children. After the Lady in the Light, Shadow has been the most noticeable/seen of the Unknown Gods, mostly as a result of engaging in a very public fight with Invidia in Feid. That she has been fighting by using some sort of shapeshifting 'shadow' that surrounds her and tends to take on large monstrous forms with great fluidity certainly helped make her noticeable. She also revealed herself to the Children before the current events, specifically Teaches Humility (a former PC who you can find in the Lords and Ladies thread). Like the other self-confessed Children in the Dark among the Unknown Gods she is not only unknown to them but the Family she claims to belong to (the Avengers) is similarly completely unknown. She has mostly relied on immense physical prowess to fight, combined with the fluid shapeshifting, reach and natural attacks of her 'shadow beast armour/suit thing', but using the occasional bit of arcane magic (usually to banish Fiends from a distance).Shadow: Talking with Brood while her 'shadow form' continues to help the rebuilding/repair work, mostly with tentacles/brute strength. Except perhaps for Many Faces, Snark is the most unassuming of the Unknown Gods. He wears the typical mis-matched armour of the Children in the Dark and, unsurprisingly predominantly fights with a sword, but if anything he's a little shorter than average and definitely shorter than most of the other Unknown Gods. Most notably, he seems to only speak by quoting sayings, bits of scripture or even parroting what other people say around him (often mockingly). He has generally accompanied Lady, both among the Drow and on the surface, but occasionally split up from her to deal with threats by himself. Like the other self-confessed Children in the Dark among the Unknown Gods he is not only unknown to them but the Family he claims to belong to (the Silencers) is similarly completely unknown. He has shown himself to not only be a skilled swordsman but a practitioner of the Sublime Way, including some supernatural uses of it (mostly Devoted Spirit manoeuvrers/stances). He has also displayed minor magical abilities, great skill at stealth and a keen eye for weak spots.Snark: Mingling with the Children. Sublime is by far the most talkative of the Unknown Gods, although this mostly takes the form of boasting, mocking and generally being an annoyance in any way she can while fighting. True to her boasting, she is a strikingly beautful woman with long dark hair, pale skin and clothing that while cut to allow her freedom of movement is obviously ornate, high quality and designed to also show off her physique. Although she predominantly fights with a sword it has the ability to rapidly change shape to suit how/who she is fighting, mostly taking the form of various melee weapons but sometimes pairs of them or even a metallic bow that creates its own entirely metallic arrows to fire. She most notably killed Superbia in (mostly) single combat (her brother countered Superbia's magic and attempts to flee, otherwise not engaging her) but also swathes of other demons. Even against Superbia Sublime maintained her cocky arrogance, constantly belittling and mocking the Goddess as they fought and claiming that she was disappointed with how weak Superbia was before beheading her and using her decapitated head as a make-shift flail against her own forces. She appears to fight for the thrill of fighting and/or to prove herself superior as far as has been observed. She has almost exclusively fought physically, bar some supernatural uses of the Sublime Way, and mostly at melee, but of particular note is not only her use of archery but that she somehow appears to be able to use the Sublime Way with it. Her skill, particularly with the Sublime Way, is quite frankly equal parts terrifying, awe-inspiring and unequalled as far as most people will have ever seen, making her boast of being 'Perfection Personified' more understandable (but still very arrogant).Sublime: Talking with Adam near the heads of the slain Sins (which are on poles nearby) and joining in with nearby celebrations. The oldest of the Hybrids, having been created when a Succubus stabbed the Paladin of Trinity, Nero Ardin, sixteen years ago without knowing the true nature of the dagger. He appears as a dark-haired, pale-skinned and plainly dressed Shalian man, making him much more unassuming in appearance compared to the two other Hybrids. Like with all of the Hybrids, those who meet his gaze feel like it almost pulls them in, with their pupils appearing like starry voids. Nehrahk has spent the past sixteen years secretly converting his own army of Fiends (and Fiend-blooded creatures) from the various Fiendish planes, using his influence over Fiends to try and turn them into a force for good. All of these Fiends have his mark (a series of smaller and smaller equilateral triangles within one another at different angles) somewhere obvious on their body (usually the forehead). He has been operating out of his own demi-plane attached to the Plane of Shadows and is known to a few in the Children of the Dark, but was otherwise unknown until now. Although obviously attempting to be a force for good Nehrahk has made it clear that his intention is to protect Aheka from Fiends - not to get involved in internal Ahekan affairs - so he is not to be counted on to fight Zera. He has displayed the ability to both make and 'unmake' matter on a variety of scales, from creating clothes to entire demi-planes and not just disintegrating objects/beings but, according to his own description, unravelling their very presence in reality (making it impossible to restore/revive them).Nehrahk: Unknown if he will appear. The newest of the Hybrids but has quickly become the most well known as he moved across Aheka during the recent troubles slaying swathes of Fiends with little effort while also holding off/repelling Fiendish Deities as well. He has auburn hair, tanned skin and golden eyes that resemble rolling, whirling liquid fire. Like with all of the Hybrids, those who meet his gaze feel like it almost pulls them in, with their pupils appearing like starry voids. He was created when Lekan Alyyryk of the Kashyyn, a Tyyrykan who had been helping the PCs to investigate the assassination and then Zera in general, elected to sacrifice himself in part because of a prior meeting with the Oracle having convinced him that doing so was for the benefit of Aheka as a whole, even if - by his own personal beliefs - it would not only destroy his soul but prevent the eventual reincarnation that his people believe in. Lekan came to the PCs attentions because his identical brother was used to try and assassinate the King - by Zera as it eventually turned out - however it emerged that it was due to Zera's mental manipulations. It was also discovered that the Blue Woman was in fact originally Lekan's sister - with the three of them being triplets - and is being controlled/manipulated by Zera. His brother and sister had both been trying to infiltrate Zera's operations before they were discovered and Zera twisted them to his own ends. Still being 'newborn', the full extent of Lekkar's powers are unknown, however he retains Lekan Alyyryk's psionic abilities (albeit, greatly amplified) as well as possessing an affinity for innate fire magic. In particular, he appears to use it to move around, either appearing in a blaze of fire from out of no-where or sometimes literally exploding from out of Fiends during the recent troubles. Just as Nehrahk has an affinity for manipulating Fiends and the Blue Woman has an affinity for Trolls, Lekkar's influence seems to revolve around Seers and, more broadly, humans to a degree as he has shown some sort of empathic sense towards humanoids as a whole - such as being able to tell that the Drow were being enslaved and slaughtered after looking at a single Drow.Lekkar Alyyryk: Unknown if he will appear. Coiya/the Sword in the Dark: With the babies/toddlers, along with Vulcar, Celes, Cypher and Future. Talking with Nallaul. Dancer, Keeper of the Blackbone: Speaking with the Children near Sublime and Adam/checking out the heads of the slain Gods. Breaker, Keeper of the Firstborn: Disappeared into another building with Strider. Mercy, Keeper of the Last-Breath: Speaking with Ruin on the other side of the central bonfire to Mrith and Brood. Wit, Keeper of the Oldblood: Talking with Tinker and Bane. Strider, Keeper of the True-Dawn: Disappeared into another building with Breaker Ruin, Keeper of the Wildsoul: Speaking with Mercy on the other side of the central bonfire to Mrith and Brood. Future, Keeper of the Young-Blades: With the babies/toddlers, along with Vulcar, Celes, Cypher and Coiya. Rising, Keeper of the Waking Dream: Speaking with L'arabiel and Mrith. L'arabiel: Speaking with Rising and Mrith. Name: Location. If there's anyone else from the People thread (or for the vets, that you've met before) that you're keeping an eye on/want to meet then let me know and I'll add them here if they're expected to attend and update when they arrive.

~MTWC

[Blue]

Mrith was totally captivated, asking many questions such as how all those races interacted together, about inner conflicts, who ruled those worlds and other such socio-political inquiries.
She gave special attention to the question of those worlds' own origins. "We know Aheka was created by the Old Ones, also known as Elder Demons. Do you know how your worlds came to be?"

occ: most of those summarized questions can simply later be answered as part of knowledge checks or detailed if the need for a particular answer comes up.

[Alphaeus]

OOC Edited to address his request for cider to be a personal one for himself, and changed it to hard cider.

Silverforge He bowed, taking her hand and touching it to his lips tenderly in true courtier fashion before seeking to meet her gaze. "An absolute pleasure to meet your, my charming young lady. Yes, that will suffice, although in a casual setting like now Tavrin would be less stilted." He turned, and leaned in to Didina, making a show of greeting her in a more personal fashion common to the land in which they met -- the gesture of a kiss on each cheek, more pantomimed than actually performed. With the first kiss on her left, he dropped his voice to a near silent hiss. "I have an important request. Should Misa hear?"

[Makenshi]

 

In response to her multitude of questions, L'arabiel seemed more reluctant to answer, at least in specifics. "Well, bear in mind that I'm not an expert when it comes to Kadia, the world I interacted most with was Gardia, and that my knowledge is a good few thousand years out of date. I can probably give you a broad strokes of idea of what it was like to my knowledge, but it's going to be rather mundane, truth be told."

Originally Posted by Mrith

"We know Aheka was created by the Old Ones, also known as Elder Demons. Do you know how your worlds came to be?"

There is something...off about L'arabiel's expression as she thinks on Mrith's question, almost like she was troubled by something, before she lets out a reluctant sigh. "That...that is a rather long and complicated question. The long and short of it is simple enough though: the Old Ones created our Realms as well, for the most part at least, including our own 'Shadow Plane' and various other planes connected to the Nine Realms. In fact, Mariesar didn't come to Aheka knowing what he'd find, he was just looking for the Old Ones themselves who had disappeared long before I was born. The older Gods, including the Crone, claimed that they'd been doing it for countless aeons - creating entire realms and cosmos, including various creatures within." The troubled look returns. "Of course, you need only look as far as the Fiends to know that they have not always been the most responsible of creators."

 

Misa smiles diplomatically, but she doesn't seem quite comfortable with the attention, pulling her hand away once he let go. "Tavrin, then."

After exchanging greetings, Didina smirks at Tavrin's question before he She's using Telepathy, the Su, not a power or the likefeels what he can only describe as her 'voice' enter his head. "Yes, but I don't know about these Children to be honest. If you want privacy then this will suffice. Much less likely someone can eavesdrop on us."

OOC - A Note on Telepathy/Didina It's been established before that Telepathy is a two-way communication (you 'think' your responses and the Telepath picks it up, but only if you want them to unless other shenanigans are involved). While this is handy, it should be noted that it is strictly two-way. If Didina wants to bring more people into it she'll need to use one of her Powers, as otherwise it's like trying to hold multiple phone conversations at once, constantly repeating everything that the others have said. Basically, while Didina gets the full two-way, it doesn't make her some sort of natural 'hub' for telepathic communication. Granted, she can do that rather easily with one of her powers, but it's not something she can do with her natural Telepathy ability.

~MTWC

[Alphaeus]

Silverforge Used to Pe'er speaking to him in this manner anyway, he kisses her on the other cheek before turning to Misa. "So, I am well aware Didina has the tendency to draw people to her, but do not suspect you to be one of those types. Might I ask what brings you two into acquaintance?" Mentally, he gives his attention to Didina. "I've been informed there is someone of Fiendish origin in our midst tonight...and that is meant in the negative sense. You, of course, are...perceptive, shall we say...and also an investigator. I have also learned that they will be disguised, and even more importantly that the purpose of this infiltration is still a matter of suspicion. Thus, current goals are to identify those who are disguised firstly, secondly of those disguised someone who is of Fiendish Origin -- do note this term I deem important from my information, to be differentiated from precisely a fiend or ally of fiends themselves. Once identified, I don't want them outed, per se...I would like to personally have a hand in analyzing them more secretly, although your skills in this are more than welcome."

[Acathala]

"No this is a personal matter, and whilst I appreciate the privacy, it wasn't necessary." Nallaul raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What are they doing to annoy you?"

[Blue]

Well, bear in mind that I'm not an expert when it comes to Kadia

"Oh, Kadia sounds to be quite a marvel, but I meant more in general, between and throughout the Nine Worlds. Is it any better than the way things are here, from what you understand of our current state of affairs? That they are connected by Gates is an indicator of a state of peace. It would perhaps be too much to hope for that there are entire worlds out there who aren't at war with each other and between themselves."

About the creation of the worlds, Mrith nods pensively as a wise knowing old woman would.
"For that long? Creators of worlds... and destroyers of worlds, I imagine. Or after all this time it would be a lot more crowded."
She had noted her troubled expression, though, and she wasn't one to dismiss the importance of anything that could bring such a state to one such as her. She tried to invite confidence, and the general environment seemed proper for that kind of moment. She made her voice soft.
"I see your distress. What memory assail you?"

After that part, she would quickly go back to something that stroke her imagination in what she had said.
"...you mentioned the Shadow Plane of your worlds. ...could it be that our Shadow Plane and those of the Nine Worlds are connected?"
It could, among other things, explain where those godling Children of unknown Families came from. And perhaps how everyone has been travelling to Aheka.

She would later return on the notion of the Old Ones not being very responsible creators.
"Difficult to imagine what goes on in their minds. When you are all that there is at the very beginning, what is to be the meaning of anything at all? Perhaps as meaningful then as a lightning strike. If we are to believe this infinite world variant concept, we ourselves create a myriad of worlds through our choices without even trying nor caring about the consequences. Now that they are being changed into these hybrids, they are to attach meaning to things. I imagine nothing will ever the same, now."
Nevh came back to mind for a sad instant, and her eyes were downcast until the thought passed.

[Makenshi]

 

Out loud, Didina continues in the same playful vein. "Oh, we've known each other for a long time, but as for the first...hmmm..." She turns to Misa. "...was it the the dress for that atrocious Feastday event at Lord Allandil's estate or the birthday gathering for that insipid old crone who's too fond of feathered hats?"

While Misa gives Didina a reproachful look, the smile at the corner of her lips makes it clear that she's not entirely upset with her and when she speaks, it is far more animatedly than she's been thus far. "Lady Whitehart, you mean? I was working on a feathered cloak for her when you barged into my little shop and I've barely been able to get rid of you since."

Didina gives her a mock affronted look. "How rude, and you're supposed to be a Lady? My my, standards really must have been slipping since I was named a Lady."

Misa gives a rather unladylike snort, playing along. "You were made a Lady literally seconds before me."

Didina sighs, shaking her head. "I know, it truly is horrific how quickly things seem to be going to pot in these dark and troubled days."

Interwoven between Didina's banter and gentle ribbing with Misa, i.e. don't feel you need to involve yourself in the above banter straight awayshe carries on the mental conversation. "Well, that sounds almost as annoyingly vague as a typical seer's warning. What's in it for me to help you? Especially when I could be doing more entertaining things while making new contacts and connections."

 

Coiya sighs in frustration. "Well, at the moment I guess I'm particularly annoyed with one God, which happens to be the only one who hasn't shown his face yet. He's set two Children on what appear to be wild goose chases. That, combined with all of the unknowns generally surrounding them is leaving me frustrated. Hopefully they'll have some satisfactory answers for us later on."

 

"Oh, in that case, it's even more complicated. For the most part, the Realms get along more or less. More when they have a common threat to point themselves at and less when they've had a few generations of peace or there's a lull on fighting. The Gates were actually created by Jarask shortly before I left the Realms to come here so I can't really comment much on their effect. The intention was to strengthen ties between the Realms though, both social and economic rather than just relying on military alliances."

L'arabiel's troubles return again and the mention of 'destroyers of worlds', further prompting Mrith's question and a seemingly reluctant answer. "It's a...very long story. Suffice to say that we have enemies of our own in the Realms that are, in many ways, like the Fiends. In others though, they are far more dangerous. They call themselves Asura, or Godless Ones, and they were supposedly the first creations of the Old Ones. After that things get muddled, but most tales claim that either the Old Ones betrayed them or they betrayed the Old Ones. Either way, the Old Ones destroyed them and their entire cosmos. Or they thought they did at least. Three of them somehow survived and ever since then they have been a...plague I guess is the best term for them." The pauses, staring off into the distance for a time before continuing.

"Asura are practically immortal. All of them. And by that I don't just mean that they don't die of old age. Kill even the lowest of them and they'll reincarnate at a later date, the stronger they are the quicker they return and the more difficult it is to stop or delay. And to top that off they can turn mortals into more Asura. What started as three has become...well...no one is entirely sure, but enough that they have waged war against the Old Ones and their creations for longer than anyone but the Old Ones and those original Asura can remember."

She appears more than happy to move onto another subject, albeit after laughing a little nervously. "Well, once again, certainly not my area of expertise. The way Jarask described it to me once was that the Shadow Planes of both are worlds are less planes like the others and more...how to put it...remnants and leftovers. Both from when the Old Ones create the various cosmos and realms and when they leave them for somewhere else. Strictly speaking they are connected, as it's how we got here in the first place, but the connection was damaged more and more as we came here and completely severed after Jarask brought the last of us. Originally, we had hoped to find the Old Ones and have them return us, but that was impossible, but we came here knowing that it might be a one way journey."

On the matter of the Old Ones L'arabiel appears more thoughtful. "As I said, the Old Ones are before my time, but according to the eldest beings I knew they may be eternal, but they are far from unchanging. Add to that that they've been fighting an aeons long war where everything that they create is corrupted or destroyed and I can certainly understand why it is they do what they do. I hardly agree with how they go about it, but I can understand it. Honestly, many suspected that they had left to create various new weapons to use against the Asura even before we came here and found that history had repeated itself."

~MTWC

[Alphaeus]

Silverforge He follows the conversation with Misa loosely. Knowing things was foundational to his life, after all, though pretending to know things usually worked just as well. Clearly these two were good friends. His first comment, however, was in response to her telepathy. "I don't like how vague it is either, but when a god personally seeks you out and asks you to do something while they secretly watch, declining isn't the wisest of choices. As to what's in it for you...well, aside from me noting that The Young King wanted you to help me, I don't have anything planned. You can, of course, merely relish my charming presence gracing your life with joy, but I suspect you didn't have that in mind. That said, many, many things are within my power, so I would merely ask what you feel would make this worth your while." A smile crept across his lips. Didina was a challenge he enjoyed handling -- someone that was as versed in working with people as he was himself, perhaps moreso in many areas. He could guess she knew a few things about him, and didn't mind. Still, there was much she would never know unless he told her. She, however, could not know he hadn't bothered to research her much, and therefore couldn't be certain how much he knew about her. Thus, in this case he -- at least seemingly -- had the knowledge advantage in any bargaining, and she would know that as well. He broke into the verbal conversation to keep things lively as one of the Children returned with his drink. "Well, I will say that I've really lost much of my perspective on time. Work does that to you -- somethings take an eternity while others seem to over as soon as they are begun. I will say, however, that no matter where you live wearing too many feathers is simply far beyond anything acceptable."

[Acathala]

"He can order your people?" Nallaul said, somewhat surprised that Coiya would allow that.

[Blue]

What started as three has become...well...no one is entirely sure, but enough that they have waged war against the Old Ones and their creations for longer than anyone but the Old Ones and those original Asura can remember."

Mrith appeared nothing less than devastated. But quickly got off her daze to concentrate. "...Fisali knows. Shade knows. This... all of this.... It is all a preparation for them."
Questions tangled to get out, but only one made it and it would be the only one left on the subject, short of having the heart to push it any further.
"Do the Old Ones know they are back in force? Is that why Mariesar left to find them?"
She could now understand her pain. Beyond the struggles past, there was no telling if there was anything left of the Nine Realms at this time. And if those Asura were now venturing the space between the worlds to find more the obliterate. It was scary, and that sensation was all the more terrible for being one she was not used to feel. Zera's menace seemed a little petty all of a sudden, and whatever the reason the Old Ones had left, whatever they had in mind got interrupted when Ashtarte sealed them.

The answer on the Shadow Planes and their nature equally got her to brighten up. Mostly feeling proud of herself.
"Ah, as I suspected! I think that is how our new friends made it here. If the Shadow Planes interlace between themselves, there must be places where the distance, so to speak, is the shortest."

On the Old Ones, she mused for a moment. A short smile returning to her.
"Sad that Arte missed this. I'll have quite the tale to tell poor Morgan. We are not out of our struggles by far. Thank you so much for the stories! Perhaps I have some that would interest you?"
When that'd be done she would subtly smell and look around, to see if she could see Arte and, fail that, look for his sister Sublime. Thinking again, having a short talk with her may be a good idea.

[Makenshi]

 

Didina struggles to hold back a smile as she replies. "Strange. I've become well acquainted with a man who's become well known for telling Gods where to shove it. Truth be told, I've come to share his point of view in many respects. I'd certainly rather be the Queen than a Pawn." She remains silent for a time after that, playing her part in the casual conversation while keeping a watchful eye on the Child in disguise.

Misa bristles. "Well I like them, and it wasn't exactly every day that I was able to work with such different textures when making clothes. Most Halvan socialites just want the same sort of thing, or a copy of what so-and-so wore to some stupid party."

It's Didina's turn to look affronted, albeit still in a mock fashion. "Hey, when you know what works for you, stick with it. Why not show off what the Goddess gave you?" Misa rolls her eyes.

When Didina returns to their mental conversation, her tone is more business-like. "As to why I should help you, so far you fail to impress. If His Highness wanted me to help you then he has many ways to inform me, so either you're lying or misunderstanding what he said. Whichever it is doesn't really matter to me though. If you want my help then you're going to have to tell me who you really are. I didn't really buy you in Sharak and I certainly don't buy you here, but now you're encroaching on my territory, so spill. After that we can discuss payment, assuming I believe you."

OOC Note - if you intend to lie/bluff, you'll have to roll it, as Didina will be rolling Sense Motive to check if you are.

 

Coiya shakes his head. "No. He didn't order them to do anything, he just asked them to. It doesn't make it any less annoying though. But enough of my troubles, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

 

Originally Posted by Mrith

"Do the Old Ones know they are back in force? Is that why Mariesar left to find them?"

"The Old Ones were originally fighting the Asura directly in the Realms, but after a particularly major war ended, with them being repelled, they left our relams to create yours. Mariesar left to find them because we were worried that the Asura had been quiet for too long. By now, for all I know half of the Realms could lie in ruins, or worse."

Originally Posted by Mrith

"Ah, as I suspected! I think that is how our new friends made it here. If the Shadow Planes interlace between themselves, there must be places where the distance, so to speak, is the shortest."

"While I don't know much about the intricacies of such planar travel, I do know that it's not a matter of distance. It would be outright impossible for anyone but the Old Ones or the most powerful of Asura to bridge the gap between the two cosmoses after what we did to get here."

Originally Posted by Mrith

"Sad that Arte missed this. I'll have quite the tale to tell poor Morgan. We are not out of our struggles by far. Thank you so much for the stories! Perhaps I have some that would interest you?"

L'arabiel smiled, dipping her head in a sign of respect. "I would be happy to hear anything that you wish to share. I'm still rather new to this world after all, or at least the world it has become. The one I left behind was almost nothing but constant war."

~MTWC