[Game Thread] Chapter Five: Everything Changes

[Makenshi]

Before the meeting of the Greater Council the investigators were to meet up at Didina's home to share their latest revelations and, as Zilira cryptically informs them in the morning, to learn about a 'worrying development'. As before, the wards were let down for a brief moment so that they could teleport in. They were also going to meet up with others for a meeting at the Palace after sharing their more sensitive information. More importantly, this meeting marked Morgan Crescent's full involvement in the investigation as well as Syltar's return.


Upon their arrival Didina's servants brought them to the mansion's gardens which were a favourite place of hers and rather unusual in that they were located in the centre of the large mansion. Didina, Misa and 'Miciah' were the first to arrive, with the Lady of the mansion lounging in a garden chair playing chess with the disguised Demi-Goddess while Misa was working on a dress.

Once the two Morgans, Nevh and Syltar arrived Zilira would begin by placing what appeared to be a bag of holding onto the table Misa had been using. "Last night a mystery man gave this to a Moondancer by the name of Wilma, otherwise known as Muse. She's an old friend of Crescent's. Inside were the heads of King Kaeyin and the older of the two PrincesPrince Alvan. At around the same time we were made aware through our contacts that the Children struck against Sharak. From what we've pieced together they managed to assassination various nobles - including Chathema - priests of various cults and key military leaders. We don't know what, if anything, has happened to the rest of the Sharakan royal family, in particular Kaeyin's youngest sonPrince Tasak. From the description Wilma and her friends gave and from what you told us about your meeting with the Children it sounds like it was Bird, the one who mentioned owing 'three heads'. When we asked Bane about it he said he didn't know the details either, but that he was going to meet up with his father and get back to us. He's also requested that we invite the Children to the Greater Council today, which His Highness is inclined to grant given the circumstances. The other nations will have heard bits and pieces of what happened by now after all."

~MTWC

[Blue]

Nevh sneered quizzically at the mention of the Moondancer. How did she get tangled into their business, seeing it couldn't possibly be a coincidence.
That she had received such a special package shocked her further until Bird was mentioned.
Introducing the Children to the world was a strange move - of course, someone would have to take the blame, but whether revealing them was a good idea or not was their business. It could at least help diminish the chaos and the finger-pointing sessions a little. What the Sword might have to gain in revealing his little family was a little worrying, though, and considering the heads that fell inviting them to the king's "party" could really suck if they had grown some ambitions for Aheka. At least, what they had learned thus far indicated that working with them would be a good deal, in the end.

That one head was missing was a different matter.
Kaeyin taken off the scenery. Aldamil was still in Sharak, as far as everyone there was meant to know. But succession would be tricky if they keep pretending she's in Sharak and she doesn't show up. Further deception would be in order, but at that point it would be a wonder if the late king's fiendish council wouldn't think it best to put a fake heir on the throne to control it more directly. Perhaps.

Another thought was on the King's efforts at making it seem as if Aldamil had never left.
Had he foreseen his end, and tried to make it easier for Aldamil to take the throne? If it was her wish, playing along would be simpler than returning as a rebel princess.

...If the head was genuine, at least. And even then... death didn't always work. Decapitating Sharak was bad for Sharak, but could help set the peace. If Zira didn't want the war to end (and why would he?), she could only imagine what this turn of event could trigger.

Nevh joined on her hands on the table, staring down pensively.
"Aldamil will be present at the Greater Council?"

She didn't doubt it but she wanted confirmation.
The possible presence of the Children brought another thought.
"Was Lord Sol contacted?"

[SpatulaOdoom]

Out of morbid curiosity Morgan peeks in the bag. He'd never seen Kayen in the flesh before. "Well so much for this head of state. Five days to plan and execute that wide and sweeping an operation? Impressive. Perhaps even improbably so." Morgan can't help but wonder if this whole thing had been planned well in advance of their arrival. Coiya hadn't taken much convincing, that much was sure.

Originally Posted by Nevh

"Aldamil will be present at the Greater Council?"

"She's been invited.
I'm worried about her though. Her and Valin were quietly in love, so she was already taking his death at the Dragonblaze Academy hard. With this added on top I'm concerned that she may not be in the best state of mind to make wise rational decisions. I'm doing what I can, but it's not like we were close friends to begin with." Speaking of wise decisions. "And this... I'm not so sure this was not a hasty move as well. With many higher ups dead, including the king, tempers will run high in Sharak. Who wants to bet against Tasak and the other royals having been "rescued" by the fiends and taken for their safety to the fiendish realms?
Unless we can install Aldamil quickly it's a situation the fiends can exploit to take more concrete control of the country and it's people. We could be looking at some pretty severe escalation here. If possible I would suggest Vulcar start sending any units already prepared to move out into Shali. Retaliation is imminent." Even if this could be considered retaliation for the Shali royals.

Morgan drums his fingers on his bicep, looking every bit as pensive as Nevh. "Either way it's done. Time to think of the next move."

He blows air through his nose. "The king already knows but I suppose the rest of you should as well. Syltar found one of the daggers and I found another. Syltar's was in Scion's horde and Syltar snatched it out from under Zera's nose. That one has Cehrencha inside. I touched it and had another vision." Morgan's brow furrows. Nevh can tell that something has the mage deeply troubled. "We talked briefly.
The second is held by princess Aldamil. You might have seen it during the Engagement Party a few weeks ago. It's the dagger that Sharak uses as a symbol of the royal heir. Thank god they never knew what it really was." He gestures at the bag. "I don't doubt that idiot would have gleefully made use of it."

Morgan brightens. "In addition I have a some more pleasant news. Malvain is the one who got her out, he managed to slip his bonds for a bit. Along the way he gave her as much of his power as he could manage. Kala is not just going to be a godling, but a full demi-god. It was actually Malvain's son who sealed Kala's power, he did so to keep her hidden and safe until she was old enough and strong enough to take care of herself. He and daddy don't exactly get along, he's actually a pretty decent fellow and not really interested in gathering power and being a butchering warmonger, but he helped for her sake. For them moment though it's best if he stays in the shadows, at least until Kala and I make our move in the church of Airis."

"He also confirmed that the Bracers of Malvain are completely benign. They actually originated with the Zodiac and Malvain later took them and added a few bits and pieces. The mind magic is a store of information on the rules of being a divine being. Apparently the Zodiac had more children than time to spend raising them so the bracers were a stop-gap measure to speed the learning process."

His lift in mood quickly deflates. "There's something else. It's been a couple of days now and everyone's had a chance to think about it. What are your analysis's of the Dragonblaze's madness, it's purpose and the greater implications? I've got a theory but I'm hoping to see if you're all having the same thoughts."

 

I want to make an "everything changed when the fire nation attacked" meme reference.

[Blue]

The Children's efficiency was indeed a bit too impressive. But not that much. Their own investigation group had managed incredible leaps in similar times as well. She tried not to overthink it. Just being careful was usually all that could be done. At least for now.
She supposed they could count on the council to be quite the show if they were indeed to take part.

Aldamil's possible absence didn't worry her. Emotional stress was a lot to take in but in the end she had the character to get a grip and do her duty. That it could affect her judgement was quite possible but she was in good company for proper council. Getting her in touch with her uncle would probably be a good idea, if it hadn't been done already this morning.

When Morgan revealed his and Syltar's finds, her entire body stiffened.
In her mind, all thoughts abandoned her and for a second she thought she had gone blind. Everything becoming a complete whiteout.

She missed bits and pieces of what Morgan said on the matter. It didn't matter.
...Already? ...It isn't too late. Bailing out is still possible. ...Right?
...

Still, four out of five sounded like things were really looking up for the balance. The odds felt so horrible just seconds ago.
For now it was hard to really think this out. It mostly felt like she had just been tried and sentenced to death. She had never experienced the like, and the shock was hard to manage despite her discipline.

She tried to say something but when the words didn't come out she realized she had stopped breathing.
It broke and shook her voice when she found it.
"What did you see. Morgan. What did you see?"

What was discussed after didn't really interest her much. She wasn't entirely there anymore.
His call for everyone's thoughts on the matter helped her focus for a moment.
"Hm. Uh. A strike at the pillars of Halva's powerbase. That the elder brother had the 'disease' for so long makes me believe Zera had the Dragonblazes perhaps in hostage, so to speak, for that time. That it is only now released upon them all was perhaps the result of Aiden not being cooperative enough anymore, that he was simply on he verge of becoming a nuisance or that he was simply better for his plans to dispose of him. That he spread the madness so hard on them instead of just targeting specific individuals, as he did for the elder brother is to his advantage, certainly, though it can also suggest that perhaps a personal score was being settled. He's an orphan with Halvan origins, perhaps there is some Dragonblaze in it as well. A bit of a stretch but he has a bad history as far as his attitude toward friends and family goes.

Otherwise, it makes me believe it is just the beginning. He may already have another surprise planted within the Sol family. Didina's father is already more or less fallen but he might have a mind to make sure it stays down with no means of recovery. More importantly, it gives me the impression that very soon he will make his biggest move. Time may no longer be on his side, and he may not want to give Vulcar and his allies much to recover or form a better opposition. Aye. I think this means he will strike soon."

She rolled her eyes toward Didina. Her lips tightening.
The tiefling had a firm grasp of the social ropes and, if she took over the entirety of herr terrible father's capital and assets she would have it in her to get it all back on its feet. So he could wanted her in his pocket when/if he takes over or just be done with her if the Lyrasons' fall was part of something he had orchestrated or was otherwise counting on.
It worried her a little, but thought she'd better keep it to herself. Everyone was already on their toes and there was no point putting more pressure or anxieties on the table.

[SpatulaOdoom]

Daggers Her reaction was even more extreme than he'd been expecting, but then again it's a big decision Morgan believes Nevh is considering. "It wasn't a normal vision, more of a lucid dream. It wasn't much though. I'm falling through a void. Suddenly it's beside me. There's some bullsh!t about "mortals shouldn't pry into what they can't comprehend." We exchanged a few words and when Cehrencha decided that I had no intent of "using" it it ended the vision." Which was troubling in itself, that it could send away a seer. Morgan focuses his dark eyes on Nevh. "The part that really bothers me is Cehrencha's appearance in my dream. It was an amalgam of your and Lekan Alyyryk's features. So tell me Nevh. Have you been considering "using" these daggers?" It was a thought that had been occupying the dark recesses of his mind since they'd learned of the dagger's existence. It wasn't going to be enough to simply hand them off to one of the Seven Saviors as he'd originally hoped and encouraged Syltar to do. No. To ensure the balance was returned they'd need to release them like the other two. Maybe sometime in the future they could lock them back up somehow, but that was probably something that would take a lot of research and expertise to figure out. Which meant they needed to release them into someone. Up to three someones. But who? Who could be trusted with that sort of power and corruption. The creature that resulted was an amalgam of the host and a damned elder demon. Ideally you'd want someone of pure morals, stable psyche, and iron will to offset the evils of the elder demons. Anything else ran the risk of creating a monster. Neither Nevh nor Lekan really struck him as good options.

Dragonblazes Morgan nods along with Nevh's analysis. It was very close to his own. "I'm not sure the Dragonblazes were involved with Zera. Scratch that, I'm pretty sure most of the dragonblazes, including Aiden and his elder brother, weren't involved beyond being victims of a preparatory strike. Versiejir the Bloody, formerly Versiejir Dragonblaze was probably the creator of the illness. Zera means to strike at the capital directly. The Dragonblazes are not only one of the three great families of Halva, but the most effective at fighting an army of trolls. The illness is specifically affecting people in Halvanna. Not only does it cripple them but keeps those who aren't infected out of the capital for fear of catching the illness. The Dragonblazes are in dire straits. The Halvan royal line is down to three as far as Zera knows, and the Sols have never been numerous, and both families are situated in Halvanna. Take the city and you take the seat of government, the entirety of two of the great families, the senior council and military leadership. Etcetera etcetera. If he can pull it off there won't be much left to oppose him."

[Blue]

The tightened her fists as Morgan spoke, realizing that her hands were trembling. It was all so sudden. Had she a minute to breath she could calm down and get a hold herself.
Morgan's lucid dream gave her no comfort. She had hoped for something much more revealing on the possible aftermath, which gave her another taste of horror.

She had foreseen herself that Lekan would try to use the dagger on himself or otherwise volunteer. She knew him well enough now to guess as much considering the history of his family, his rage and despair. It was yet another thing she could save him from. Something else he might see in a bad light, but since when did she care?

Disappointment was clear on her face. She eased her muscles, sniffed, then cleared her throat. She felt much better.
"Yeah."

She waited a few seconds, as if she had no intention to explain herself.
"Well. I did. I decided a while ago that I would use one upon myself, if by some twist of fate we happened to unearth one in my lifetime. I have been taught on the process a little. What would happen to me and what would become. I would learn more precise details before undergoing it she pointed the symbol on her forehead but I am resolved in my decision."

She paused.
"What of the other dagger? Have you had another lucid dream that educated you of its nature?"
She tapped the table with a finger, thinking. "You know which Elder resides within it?"

[DoubleL1987]

Morgan had only recently been caught up on the full extent of what he'd become involved in - as far as he'd been aware, he was merely part of a plan to bind the two royal houses together, and that incidents such as the Academy were merely part of ensuring a stable transition. Now, knowing the full extent of what was happening, of the Children and specifically the man who had sought to involve Will in all of this...Well, it was obvious why the bard wasn't being particularly chatty for the moment.

However, when the daggers were brough up, he glanced between Nevh and the seer, as they discussed the possibility of Nevh using it. He cleared his throat a bit, trying to catch their attention before speaking: "This is going to sound like an odd tangent, but...What if we released the dagger into something that was already a fiend? Wouldn't that offset some of the elder evil's power?"

[Blue]

Nevh's eyes shifted to look at him. She was frowning, intrigued by what he had in mind. Thinking on the question, turning it around in her mind, looking for an escape within it. Perhaps she didn't know enough, but what she did know pointed that it was a terrible, terrible idea.

"I understand it is something difficult to wrap our minds around, so I'll try to give you all a better understanding of how it all works:

The union mysteriously works because the other half is a mortal human. Nehrahk does not lack for fiends, and if it was a better solution he would not hesitate to use one. I won't get into the technicality of the matter, so I'll keep it at the understanding that the mortal half is necessary for the process to work, and for the resulting being to be someone that more or less cares about what happens to humanity. A human component offsets the Elder by default. Nehrahk could perhaps 'make' a fiend that would be suitable, I know not the extent of his power, but he would probably have to experiment a little and toying with these artifacts by trial and error isn't something I'd call smart."
She joined her hands again, bringing them to her lips.

"Essentially, the human component is killed by the dagger. The process kills it, truly. It destroys its life, its soul, and nothing is left but the component's memories in the new being. This isn't a sacrifice to be taken lightly.

"The new being's personality is closer to the human component than the Elder's. If the human component had traumas or other wounds of the body or of the heart, they are all healed. The hybrid's powers are greatly diminished from the Elder's original might, but they remain greatly talented in their individual specialties. Nehrahk, in example, can alter fiends like no other, but he cannot do much with any other race unless they have a fiendish heritage of some kind, like Didina. I suppose the same is true for the human component's specialties, and that they would be keener in the hybrid.

"Nehrahk, upon becoming, has spent the better of his time trying to undo the process and destroy himself. A great failure. His becoming was accidental and his human component was someone that was quite tormented. He is not who he used to be in both aspects, has goals of his own but remains very influenced by his mortal part. He seemed like he was trying to act in a very dispassionate manner but I felt that he was certainly not void of emotions." She turned to Wainraith. "He seemed quite like Shade, minus the unpleasant character and infinite ego.
That Sharak held a dagger as a royal heirloom makes sense now, since Nehrahk was apparently Shalian, judging by the design of his domain and choice of clothes. They maybe had the two daggers back when Sharlan was one."
She scratched her cheek, in mid-thought.
"Maybe not, mind. He was killed by a fiend with the dagger."

She sniffed. Her eyes gleaming with energy.
"I digress. Still. In the end, the process doesn't appear to be revocable. It may not be impossible, but research on the matter isn't something we have time to invest in."

[SpatulaOdoom]

"Nevh would not be changed, she would not even simply die, she would be unmade and a new being would take her place. Why would you be willing to go to that length for a world you believe incapable of changing?" The mage remembers well the night he'd spent in Nevh's home and the discussion they'd had regarding free will and change. The thought of doing something like that was absolutely terrifying. Morgan's not sure he could be that altruistic. Sure he was risking his life and more by setting himself against people like Zera and the fiends of Sharak and such, but that was risk, this is certainty. He's not sure he could be that altruistic unless no other alternative could be found.

"Nehrahk was once Nero Ardin if I don't miss my guess. A selfless Sharakan, connected to the trinity, who was killed by a fiend, with a dagger, fifteen years ago. Even his MO of "teaching them better" that started with Lucretia Ardin fits. I'll have to grab a shovel and check his grave to be sure." Morgan throws a wink Zilira's way. We'll make another date of it. "The real question to me is how that succubus, a relatively low level fiend named Silice, got a hold of the dagger and why she killed Nero with it. It isn't something Zera would do, nor would of the fiends who supported Asharte's usurpation. I could maybe see Jester or Shade doing it. Probably not Fisali since it threatens the balance she herself set up. I think we should try to track down this Silice and start asking some questions about what set this all in motion."

There was one more thing. "Before you talked about if one was found in your lifetime, now you say we don't have time to research? Do you know what sort of time frame we're looking at?"

[Makenshi]

OOC Given her current state she would deny Morgan the chance to examine the dagger, though promises that she will give it careful thought.

OOC At the mention of Cehrencha resembling Lekan and Nevh 'Micaiah' looks thoughtful, waiting until the others have finished before speaking up. "I believe I can shed some light on why it resembled Lekan too. He let slip around Celes that he had spoken privately with the Oracle regarding his and his siblings' future, although he refused to speak of it. Well, Celes was rather persistent and he eventually confided to her that the Oracle had told him that he was going to die. Not may die. Will die." She pauses briefly to let that sink in before quoting the Tyyrykan. "'Within a year you will die. You can not change that now. Not now that you have come here. What you can change is how you die and why you die. Because if you die the right way for the right reasons then you will give this world its best chance to survive what is to come and be reunited with your siblings'. So given what you saw and what we know, I'd say its likely that the 'how' is a Dagger of Defiance to the chest or head." "..." Didina glances towards an uncomfortable looking Misa, her own expression bordering in annoyance. "This is why I don't like seers. Give someone like Lekan a prophecy like that and just by doing that you'll get him to kill himself one way or another."

Dragonblazes Didina nods in agreement with Morgan. "I'm with Wainraith on this one Nevh. Zera is preparing to finish the coup he started during the Betrayer Wars. The only questions are when he's going to try and stir up trouble in the other nations to distract them and when he's going to strike Halvanna itself."

~MTWC

[Blue]

Daggers She recoiled on her chair a little at Morgan's inquiry. She didn't like that image of herself she was apparently portraying. "That ain't none o' your business, now, is it?" She didn't look angry or anything, but thinking on it after looking at those gathered here, she realized sadly that she was mostly among friends. It was breaking her heart. Nevh brushed her hair back with both hands, her elbows on the table. She sighed. "Hm. I wouldn't do this just for the world. I'd be the first to plant a dagger into some random person if that's all that it took. There are so many reasons..." She stared absentmindedly forward, trying to put her feelings into place. "Because someone has to do it, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with it. Because I've known since I met the Oracle that if I went through with the king's business I would most likely find death of the self, which I desire, unlike most. Death of the self is about the same as complete death. "I do not care for the fate of my soul. Memories and sense of identity is something that lies in the brain, which are left behind at physical death. Whatever afterlife would be granted me is without meaning to me if the sense of self is lost. Even if it somehow isn't so, I for one can find peace in the knowledge that my existence finds happiness in many other dimensions in which I took different decisions. I would still exist somewhere. Just not here. "...Because I also know that my actions, in many strings of fate, will lead to the salvation of my kind. Perhaps giving form to this entity will lead to it, perhaps not; they have changed humans into many forms and it may be one's power to fix them as well. "Because that end, though grim as it is, would be just punishment for all that I've done. Because this new being can serve Aheka better than I myself will ever be able to, so my death of self will be useful in this instance --- because I am here to serve, and feel that this is what I must do. "Because I actually want this being to exist, even if it means my end. Nehrahk was an accident and he was 'born' with that understanding and a good spoonful of self-loathing. What I would bring is someone desired. It feels strange to say, but I love this new being already. It will carry a piece of me until the very end; it is the best legacy I could leave behind. For me, for my family and Kinship, for my country, and friends, their sons and the sons of their sons. It will be my child, so to speak." She slowly pointed to her neck, making a short sly grin to Wainraith. "...Because I could still help you guys afterwards. My fail-safe carries my knowledge, memories and personality. It technically isn't really 'me'... but still. If you keep it with you I will be able to share my opinions, speak my mind... I wouldn't completely abandon you." Didina's info on Lekan didn't surprise her. She expected it would be so. She rose her shoulders slightly. "There is a second dagger and one other yet to be found. I doubt we'll have to pick a card to decide who gets to be utterly destroyed first. I have my preferences as far as daggers go, but he should know that although death is inevitable, as it is to us all, he should not see it as an obligation to fulfill that possible destiny." She put her staff on the table. "I've placed a spell on my staff to return one individual to life - provided the deceased is restored within the instants following death. If Lekan dies as he will, he can simply return that way if we are swift. If he joins the Hands of Samael, he can cheat his fate as well and make himself useful in trade. As to the promise of being reunited with his siblings, I am sure there is a better way to accomplish it than joining them in being eternally lost to the Circle. I am certain that his brother can be returned to him. Not easily, but the greatest rewards are rarely freely reaped. As to his sister, perhaps she can be returned as well. Perhaps in time a means to restore her soul will be found, and she will be able to join her brothers into the Circle, even if they are long dead by the time it is accomplished."

Question "Before you talked about if one was found in your lifetime, now you say we don't have time to research? Do you know what sort of time frame we're looking at?" She sighed softly. "I cannot give you anything remotely precise. Nehrahk has much of the intelligence and knowledge of the Elder used to create him - because they, too, are utterly destroyed in the making of the hybrid - and with all this at his disposal he wasn't able to find a mean to undo what was done. Enough for him to call it impossible until I convinced him otherwise. He's been around for 15 years if you have it right, and for a good while all his attempts and experiments ended in total failure. Whoever Nero Ardin was, I am probably much smarter than he used to be, so perhaps I will bring a more intelligent, resourceful and optimistic hybrid into this world than Nehrahk, if we're lucky. Enough to find a way, perhaps. Though, honestly, I believe all that is needed is the right idea to get things into motion and find the right path. Once we got it, everything else can enter the realm of possibilities. The time frame to get that one idea is anywhere from an instant to aeons. At least the hybrids can exist that long to make it possible, but with the fiends giving so much pressure, it will probably be a distraction that will be little explored until Aheka is safe. Nehrahk, for one, gave up on it to focus his efforts on more important spheres. But I hope for the girl and her brothers that a way will be found. After all, she never volunteered."

Dragonblazes She gave Didina a weird look in reply. She's "with Wainraith" on that one? There are sides now? Weren't we in agreement? Who cares, seriously! She opened her hands, palms facing up and made a "uh, okay?" shrug. "I'm glad we all agree. Not much we can do about it, though, if not relaying that understanding to our allies. We are not fighting this war on our own. Kala will hopefully be ready, because whatever plan we're going to lay out to bait Zera into opening the door for us will have to be ready real soon. Hopefully before he strikes himself."

[SpatulaOdoom]

She probably wasn't going to take this well, but so be it.
"I'm pretty sure it is my business Nevh." Morgan starts pointing out the other people in the room. "And his, and hers, and hers, and hers, and his. It has nothing to do with your right to choose your life or how you live it or end it. I respect that right. Always have and always will. It's our business because we have the responsibility to try and ensure that the best possible candidate is used. Once it's done there's no putting that particular genie back into the bottle. Not now and not in the foreseeable future. Once it's done it's those who are left behind who must deal with the consequences and bear the weight of responsibility. We can't run from who we are or what we've done, and even if we could we are morally obligated to give it proper investigation and deliberation anyway."
Some of her views did bother him. To say that the sense of identity and memories lay solely with the body seemed a presumptuous assumption to make. As well her belief that the alternate world versions of her were the same as her. They are not. They are alike in many many ways, but each "version" of a person was unique from all the others. That uniqueness was what created those alternate selves. Whether or not they shared some single unifying thing, what one might call a spirit or soul, was pure speculation. The truth is her particular viewpoint doesn't matter, her motives do because they needed to examine what traits she would pass on. It seemed the "right reasons" were there, but there are worrying elements as well.
"You once told me that you don't hate yourself, but here you are suggesting that you deserve a fate literally worse than death, that you wish to be erased from existence. Do you not worry that you will pass that trait off to what you deem your child?
From what I've known of you you've always been an ends justifying the means type person. That's called a slippery slope for a reason, it's easy to wind up sliding down. Believe me I know, and I've spent a lot of time trying to climb back up. How much of a push would it take for you or someone very much like you to take the left hand path and go from necessary evils to just plain evils?"

"Despite what you say I don't believe the Elder Demons were forces for balance. You could say they were forces OF balance, not because of their intentions or outlook though, simply as a byproduct of the fact that they're tied to their creation. It may seem a fine distinction to some of you, but I think it has all the importance in the world. For them I think it was simply a situation of ownership. Their version of balance was something the Demongate wars was fought to end."

[Blue]

She coughed at his reaction, keeping her back tightly set against her chair.
Nevh made a very short smile, gleefully impressed and mildly embarrassed. "Heh. So it is."
The insinuation that she was using this as an escape wounded her, though. And a good part of her felt like smashing his teeth in.
Friend or not, it would feel extremely satisfying.

His thoughts on her reasons annoyed her a little. Being misunderstood wasn't much of a concern or, rather, something to expect from outsiders, but by now she had hoped he'd understand the core of her character a little more than that. Perhaps she was to blame for not being open enough. Perhaps.
The subject was difficult to discuss and a great uneasiness was swelling up insider her. Keeping a straight face and appearing dispassionate about the matter wouldn't be something she'd be able to keep up much longer if they all kept poking at the wound.

She lifted her hand to stop him. She couldn't help but raise her voice.
"No. I do not WISH to be erased from existence. I don't WANT to die. It would not be just and it would be meaningless if I did! Do not worry about the hybrid; remember - whatever wounds of the heart are in the parents, they are healed in the child and they have no trouble differentiating themselves from their components. It won't see my misdeeds as its own.

"This is just one of the reasons for which I am willing to accept that end. I can most certainly live with what I've done - but it wouldn't be just.
The ends do not necessarily justify the needs, but someone has to do it all the same. If my child is like me it will try to get the best case scenario for everybody and do what must be done to have it happen. Morality won't have much to do with it, but I'll trust that she will have the judgement and good sense to make the right calls. There is no 'necessary evil'; that's bullsh!t. There's just plain evil. It is only an unfortunate truth that it is most efficient against itself, so if she can feel lasting regret, it will be her business to amend for the times plain evils were unfortunately just what was needed."

What was hard to endure was the accumulation of doubts. You always look back and believe that there was probably a better way to do it. A cleaner way. But the feelings were more destructive than helpful; what's done is done.

The subject of the nature of the Elder Demons felt very inconsequential to her.
"Why does it matter? The Elders are destroyed in the process of the hybrid's creation. Usually the hybrid takes more of the mortal's psychological traits, but even that is quite irrelevant. In the end, their making must be done either way."
She wasn't sure Morgan was really speaking of the Elder Demons. Her opinion of them and the hybrids differed rather greatly.

[Makenshi]

"Do we even know the power of these hybrids?" Didina asks while fingering the chain attached to her horn. "There's quite a large difference in power even between Gods of the same level, let alone Gods in general."

"What about worshippers?" Misa adds, turning to Nevh. "I don't suppose you found out whether Nehrahk gives powers to his followers and gains strength in return like a normal God?"

Before anyone can respond Zilira speaks up. "Unlikely. Nehrahk said he wasn't any more powerful than the Blue Woman. Considering we know he has followers if he was drawing power from their worship then he'd be stronger than her."

Didina sighs. "Not if she's drawing power from the Trolls."

Zilira shakes her head. "An even better example. Given the number of trolls amassing the Blue Woman would be stronger than Nehrahk unless the Children were exaggerating how small his operation was, yet he said they were evenly matched didn't you say Nevh?"

~MTWC

[Blue]

The light in her eyes dimmed. She nodded slowly.
"Yeah. They are all equal. There is only two of them, so it is a little difficult for us to accurately depict whether one hybrid would be more powerful than the another. It also unsure as to whether all Elders were equal in power to begin with, but Nehrahk seemed quite confident in that they had all hybrids would be diminished to the same amount of might. It felt quite like it that power would actually be fixed. They normally shouldn't be able to gain or lose any from what they were born with. He's been around for fifteen years and she not even one, and despite that he is still her equal.

"They do not really care for worshipers, so in that sense they are more like the Paragons than they are gods. They probably are a type of their own. Neither mortals nor Elder Demons, not Paragons and not really gods. I'd say they are more like an advanced, stronger version of whatever Eve has become.

"As to giving powers to their followers... well... no idea. They can alter creatures that are close to their specialty, like Nehrahk being specialized in shaping fiends, and so could perhaps give them powers they wouldn't normally have. ...But that is kind of a strange notion. The Elders made trolls and vampires, but that those would be their specialty seems unfitting. They were both humans or elves or whatever else was there back then, so they apparently mostly specialized in modifying humanoid creatures, even though they might have preferred changing them in a particular manner."

If Didina's understanding of power was based on the people one knows, then she'd say they both knew some rather important and powerful people. But their physical and supernatural might was on a different scale.
"As to actually how much power they have... very hard to nail. Nehrahk was powerful enough to create his own plane. A vast world of which I could not see the end that appeared much like Aheka itself. They can easily subdue a dragon like Scion and can beat up someone like Eve, whom is probably about as strong as deity herself. They are most likely less powerful than Ashtarte but could probably overpower the Paragons. I estimate it to be between them and the Wolf Brothers, but, hey, I could just ask Nehrahk. I'll contact him as soon as we're done for us to meet up before long."