[Game Thread] Round 4, Thorsten and TeufelHeunden

[Bade]

The wall of the orb ripples as you touch it, offering only slight resistance, like dipping a finger into heavy cream. Pressing inward, the orb seems to almost swallow you whole, drawing you in gently but inexorably.

How long did you spend passing through the barrier? Seconds? Eons? Time seems to jump and start and twist here, rather than flow, and duration becomes meaningless. Your sense of self begins to ebb away, and your consciousness expands and it feels like you can see everything, are everything.

But just as it seems to bring you to the very cusp of understanding, the sensation fades away, slipping into the distance even as you grasp at it until it remains no more fleeting than a dream...

Light...

Stumbling, you emerge into a new place. Next to you, in step with you, another emerges. They enter beside you, but they did not enter alongside you... who is this person? They seem familiar, but you cannot place your finger on it. The question is drowned out in the more important question...

Where are you?

The orb of colors was not this large, and yet you have the distinct impression you are within it. Above, rotating softly, a red circle fills the sky, stretching into the middle distance.

Where the floor should be, a blue circle, like an endless sea, but completely motionless.

To the sides, the universe, no, the multiverse, a universe of universes stretching endlessly. However, your vision is obscured... everywhere you look, a green circle is central to your vision, obscuring your view of the beyond. Close your eyes and look elsewhere, and it is already there, always between the other two, the red and the blue.

The red circle pulsates and glows, like embers pulsing with heat under a gust of wind, just shy of bursting into open flame. As it pulsates, words emerge, filling the air with sound on the cusp of pain, a thunderous tone.

"Mortals again..." it says, in a tone of irritation.

"They might be Gods again, that could be interesting!" a smaller voice pipes up, excitedly. The green circle flashes in time with the words.

"No, they are mortals. I am certain." pulses the Blue, in a rumbling baritone, a voice deep and broad.

"Mortals can be more dangerous than Gods. They follow their own laws." rumbles the Red.

"But they are here, in this place and at this time... they must have their say. They have been Appointed." intones the Blue.

"Then they are our guests!" chirps the Green.

"Then we shall follow the protocols. I am Destruction... no, you may call me Creation, or perhaps Beginning or End, both are true in this place, the new growth from the ashes of the fallen. The Herald of Rebirth."

"I am Order, or perhaps Stagnation, depending on how you view me, you may call me Peace, or Survival, I am the status quo, The Herald of Stability."

"I am Growth, I am Change, I am Chaos, I am Inquiry, the drive to explore and expand, to discover! I am all of these things, and I am the Herald of Expansion."

"State your purpose."

"Make your case!"

"You have the Right to be heard. To speak on behalf of Worlds that are, and Worlds that may be, on behalf of the entire multiverse, that we may decide the course at this time."

"Mortals chose the last time, and we have been brought to this. They demanded that every plane carry on existing, that each persist. The multiverse cannot take the strain, in unravels as we speak. Let it finish, it is beyond recovery. Let it be reborn from its ashes, new and whole. Stronger than before."

"It is regrettable, but we agreed at the last to permit its continued existence. Would allowing it to die mean going back upon that decision? Staying the course might be the best option, it will live for now, and we will not have had a hand in its death."

"I disagree! The universe can bear the strain, it is simply overtaxed. It needs only emphasis! By emphasizing all planes equally we strain it beyond reckoning, but by empowering some planes... pruning some others, the multiverse may expand in all directions forever! It will come to its own equilibrium if we but nudge it! Universes shall come to prominence or fade to oblivion on their own, but the whole will persist. Infinitely more plans allows for infinitely more choices. Surely that will be the most fascinating and the best option for all?"

All of a sudden, the circles fall silent, as if suddenly remembering you exist in this place, distracted from their arguing by your presence. You get the impression this has gone on for some time, the three in deadlock, Red for death and rebirth, Green for pulsing, vibrant, endless expansion, and Blue stuck between the two.

They seem to be awaiting your words, indeed the entire universe seems to be waiting with bated breath...

[Thorsten]

For a moment of confusing brilliance, Dharn almost felt himself content. It was a fleeting experience of resting peacefully in some great cosmic womb - connected to every single bit of existence and being part of all and nothing. Then it dissipated, and the mercenary was once more himself, worn, wounded and exceedingly annoyed.

He had discarded the heavy armor on his way here. Pulled off the bulky breastplate and pauldrons, and stuffed them into the magical haversack alongside his gloves - leaving the mercenary in his sweat stained tunic, his cuisse and greaves. His sword was gone. It had tumbled into void and blinked out of existence along with the traitorous elf he had thrown it at, and without it, he saw no reason to dress up for war. It only served to hinder his progress in this strange place anyways.

Without the fullplate, Dharn seemed a lot less imposing. He was wiry and thin, with corded muscles showing through the tattered clothing. The left side of his face was completely devoid of any hair and stubble, and fresh pink skin showed in those places - the result of a healing spell or effect that had recently been enacted to counter severe burns caused by the raging flames that had almost lain him low. His lack of any in particular eyebrows might have been amusing, if not for the scowling expression etched into the mercenary's grim face.

Coming to this place had taken longer than he had cared for. After the elven priest's end, he had been forced to jump from debris to debris to clear the distance to the orbs. Dharn had almost joined Father Nimor when a smaller piece had gained a sudden forward momentum from his impact with it, and only a desperate scrabbling for handholds had prevented an unintended plunge into the void.

Now he stood - or floated, or merely just existed, everything was so confusing - in a strange landscape and tried to make sense of the colors, and the voices that originated from those colors. Only the colors seemed more intent on squabbling among themselves than actually acknowledging his presence, something that pushed Dharn's already tested patience.

"Oi!" he snapped irritated, cutting into the conversation in order to get the attention of the voices. "I don't really give a witches' teat what you would like us to call you or not, and I don't think you'd care to know precisely how I view you. I'm here to fix things. I've bled, I've killed, I've been set on ploughing fire and have had things explode around me for no apparent reason. I had to throw away my favorite blade to nail the son of a she-wolf that attempted to maroon me in the frigging void just to keep me from actually getting here, and have been forced to play hopscotch through the remains of existence out there, with every step promising my fall into oblivion. So my patience is about *this* thin right now." The mercenary raised his hand and made a small space between his thumb and index finger to indicate what he meant. "I want this nightmare to end, and I've been informed that it is here I make that happen."

He grunted and continued
"Because this is here, yeah? The center of this insane maelstrom, where I can stop things from not existing? If so, please do tell me how I go about doing just that. My guide kinda got skewered before he got to that part and I'd really like to get it sorted out before I don't have a home to return to."

[TeufelHeunden]

From here to there, where are we now Quoros jumped into the orb and the void lost all relevance. Like a quagmire the orb snatched him and drank him in before he knew what was happening or had any chance to react. Hollowness, a raven black void seemingly unending with no sound or scene. Quoros drifted in the soothing harmony with a blank mind at first. Peaceful and restful. He began to ponder if he was perchance actually dead and there were no afterlife, perhaps this is what death was actually like, after the muddled shadows and slimy bumps, maybe this was it. Time lost resolve and importance, only emptiness remained, soft peaceful emptiness. Suddenly there was a bump and he felt something. No longer nothingness. Something bumped into him again and he knew now he was floating, and alive. But where was he, was this a dream? His senses returned as he saw flashing lights and heard cluttered voices. Like someone calling to him, but not him directly. No they weren’t talking to him, but they were having a conversation. Softly his sprightly paws landed on something, a soft spongy like surface and he stepped forward. The sounds at first thunderous began to settle and he began to understand the conversation. They weren’t talking to him, but about him … and another. A stranger appeared on the surface next to him. Just like Ragnar this morning in the courtyard, a man that he had known, but did not know. The man’s murky walnut eyes peered out from under a jumble of rumpled hair. As Quoros contemplated where he might know the man from, the voices took a different tone and he realized they were now speaking to the two of them. The man who had appeared began rambling about a need to “fix things,” is it possible that maybe he was from a different universe, one that had touched Quoros’s at some time in the past? Too many questions without answers, but the disks were the important thing right now. The musculature and bones began their silent cracking as the spotted fir and cat like feature retired to morph away and Quoros formed where moments before was the Leopard that seemingly fell from the void.

Quoros Address the disks Quoros paid attention to to the three immortals squabbling about meddling with the Way and it became rapidly apparent to him that they were the cause of this unbalance across the Multiverses. He knew immediately what his purpose was and why he was chosen to be here. To convince these entities to stop tampering with the Way and let things comes back into balance as they were naturally designed to do. They had tampered with it before and that is why things are out of balance now. They must be shown that balance does exist; they just need to let it balance itself and stop trying to force it. Quoros looked up and adjusted his brimmed hat while sprouting a boyish smile and he wondered how these seemingly omnipresent beings could not see the answer that was so simple, “You speak with abundant knowledge and cosmic experience undoubtedly learned from millennia of keepin' thin's in balance. But there is no need ta tamper with the Way, yoos should instead learn from it and ascertain the natural balance of all things, be they vast universes or a simple squirrel gathering nuts in preparation for the cold season.” His mind flashed back to the morning he awoke and learned that Master Elrry was going to send him out to protect others from their ignorance of nature. “You all have your own interpretations about what should be done but none of you have spoken the one truth that becomes obvious once you see it.” He turns to the red disk and speaks, “You want the multiverse ta spin out of control so it destroys itself and yoos can try ta create somethin' new which yoos claim will be stronger and better than it's now. But what proof do you have that it will not turn out the same as it exists right now. From what you admit you envision the present is out of step with the past and the only way to restore it's to interfere and try to implement it anew with a strict set of guidelines that only you decide. This is wrong and will only lead to more sorrow and leave a sour taste upon your lips.” He then turns to the Green Disk, “You confess much the same but in slightly less catastrophic terms. You reckon that thin's can be mended but only by interference and judgin' what universe will become more powerful and which will cede power ta the others. That may work for a while but only prolong things getting out of balance again.” Next he turns to the Blue Disk, “You allow wisdom in your words. By interfering you will not have let things run its course and see that all things can find balance on their own.” His attention turned to address all three, “The balance that naturally exist between all the forces that embrace all the universes from the creation of time can be revealed by anyone at any time, but not by ensuin' rules or tryin' ta redesign them. Each universe is in principle an image of another, run by the same laws - these are not the laws of bein's, but laws of existence itself. These laws affect not only the circlin' of distant planets, but the actions of the birds in the forest and the fish in the sea. The more the balance is restricted, the further away the balance moves into the distance. The more coercing, the more distress. Whether good or evil, wet or dry, fast or slow, everything has its own nature already within it and cannot be disturbed without causing complications. When random and subjective rules are forced from the outside, struggle and unbalance is inevitable. The essence of life is not a set of traps but a teacher of valued lessons. Its lessons need ta be learned, just as these laws need ta be followed; then all will bloody go well. It's what we have learned and call the Way. This Way of the Multiverse cannot be sufficiently defined in words, and it would be wounding both ta its infinite power and ta the gifted mind to attempt that. Still, this nature can be learned, and those who care the most about it, and the life from which it is bound, will understand it the best.” You are the ones that caused thin's ta bloody go out of balance with your meddlin' in the Way, and the only manner that can be brought back into balance is by studyin' it and lettin' it find its own balance, not by trying ta force it.”

[Bade]

"You are not misinformed, everything could be stopped here." the blue circle says to Dharn.

"Or ended here."

"Or begun!"

"All things are possible in this place, for this is the Nexus, the fulcrum for all universes. Suggestion and influence for any range of actions is available, and we are its arbiters, the caretakers, the observers. If you wish to have your voice heard, convince us of the wisdom of your course of action. If we are convinced, perhaps we shall enact what you propose"

To Quoros, the red circle responds, "You misunderstand, mortals so often do. It comes from thinking in a mere four dimensions. The current state of affairs is precisely the result of us doing nothing and allowing it to grow naturally. This is the natural end to the multiverse. Each choice spins a new universe, a left turn instead of a right and there are two universes, one for each. A thousand times a thousand, a thousand times over turnings, and soon the universes grow too many, the choices too dense. It begins to tear, and from between the cracks come those from Outside.

When last mortals entered the Nexus, they asked that we allow all planes to grow when we wished to consolidate, to continue unfettered. We allowed this, and it has led to destruction, which is an acceptable end, for in destruction there is new life. Like the new growth after a forest fire, clearing away brush. This is the natural order of things. I have the power to hasten this process, to end it now and begin anew, but the result is no less inevitable for inaction. it thrums, self-satisfied.

"Inaction may not bear the same result. All things are not inevitable, this is the nature of the multiverse."

"But why not have your cake and eat it too? Let it grow and thrive endlessly! Survival of the fittest! By enforcing a balance it becomes strained, let the weaker universes vanish when they grow too weak and the stronger to flourish!"

In the swirling distance, one speck of light seems to flicker, growing reddish. Its light twists and distorts, writhing in place it almost seems before vanishing. Here and there, similar lights begins to warp and vanish. Though they are but single points amidst a multitude, somehow their dying is all the more noticeable because of it.

"Even now, they collapse under the weight. The death will be slow, the inevitable grinding down. It will take years, decades, before it is complete, the suffering will be staggering. It might all be begun anew." the Red says.

Once again the circles go silent, awaiting response.

[Thorsten]

"What a bunch of horse piss" Dharn exclaims angrily after listening to the three colors speaking in turn. Convince them? Take the decision out of their hands more likely. Was these three voices so completely petrified by the possible outcome of their actions, that they saw no other way out, than to dump anything even remotely resembling responsibility on two complete strangers who just happened to come by? Dharn didn't know precisely what to make out of this, but it struck him as both childish and immature. And to think these three... things... claimed the power to be able to do anything and everything in turn. Frankly it made the mercenary mad to even consider that all this time he'd been living in a time and place controlled and overseen by something so... infantile. Was this was why he had been forced to undergo such grueling trials? Because the forces governing the multiverse couldn't make up their own bloody mind? Ridiculous.

Dharn snorted derisively.
"So basically, you are looking for someone to claim responsibility for your actions, eh? You wash your hands of this entire mess, is that it? Listen to yourself. You have the power to do something - could have done something long ago - but you chose not to, and then put the blame at the feet of someone else the moment things spin out of control. You 'allowed' someone to persuade you, and stuck to that, even when you saw that it would ultimately end poorly. Pathetic. It's just as that one" he pointed at the hat-wearing stranger "says. You caused this outcome, and now try to hide behind your self-assumed roles and pat each other on the back, believing you are in the right."

The mercenary spat.
"Fine. You don't want the burden of a decision hanging over you? Then allow me to take it from you. I'm just here to make sure *my* world survives - I don't give a gnat's ass about the rest. So if its so crowded out there and that's causing things to collapse, then pop a few bloody balloons so the rest can go on living without fearing for their bloody existence!" Dharn sneered as he continued. "If it'll make you feel any better about yourself, I'll even point out the ploughing dots in the distance, so you're completely removed from any kind of active decision making and responsibility. I point, your do your thing, and we all return from hence we came, safe in the knowledge that we won't have to enjoy each other's company ever again. That work out for you, eh? Then you can sit back and rest, knowing someone else made the decisions, and that you can always blame him if things go belly up in the future."

[TeufelHeunden]

Quoros ponders Quoros gives careful consideration to the queries being tossed about by the Disks and recognizes that even with their vast inestimable powers to regulate the multiverse; they still have no understanding as to what forces actually control the multiverse. It is not their actions which balance things, rather their actions and intervening are causing the unbalance. The only way to restore balance is to instill with them the Way so they will stop the prying and tweaking and allow things to return to normalcy. “This is goin' ta take some time,” he thinks to himself ignoring the stranger’s selfish plea. “Perhaps I can get them ta first see that their opposin' views are in fact the same, only seen through different lenses of experience. They need each other as much as anythin' else in the multiverse needs an opposite. But together they must let things balance. This won’t mean they don’t need ta intercede sometimes, but only when they act in congruence with the ways of nature and not opposing to them. Such a simple concept must be hard for them to understand, but before we can get there we need to get them on the same level of understanding. One step at a time.”

Quoros responds to the questions from the Disks He turns to the Red disk first, “The three of yoos claim that yoos are observers, yet you do not see. You also claim that as a mortal I do not understand but me understandin' is greater than yours. Your position demonstrates that what is happenin' now is the natural course of things. You used the allegory of a forest fire clearing away the brush so new life can come anew. That in itself is the natural order of things as they should be. I make nah claim or issue any plea ta end suffering for suffering in itself is also in the natural order of all things. Everything has its balancing opposite. More than this, everything can only be appreciated by equating it ta its opposite. Day is only day in contrast to night, cold only cold in contrast to heat, and soft only soft in contrast to hard. Further still you must realize that these bonds are in a perpetual state of flux: Day drifts gradually into night and back again. All things are codependent. By discerning the processes of nature, you can come to an accepting about the meaning of existence and about our place in the multiverse. These concepts are the cornerstone of the Way.” He then turns to both the Green and the Blue disks, “I believe the two of yoos are already in agreement with each other and myself, even if yoos have not admitted it.” Looking at the Blue disk, “You have already aligned with me in principal, yep this is the way of the multiverse, ta ebb and flow with opposites balancin' each other out.” He then looks at the Green disk, “And yoos openly ask ta have your cake and eat it too, yet that is already what yoos have. The multiverse can grow endlessly, for when one thin' grows too strong; its opposite diminishes until it's nah more. Without that opposite ta balance itself, it will in turn naturally cease to exist. As I told your companion the Red disk, one thin' cannot exist without the opposite in comparison. Your allegory is therefore true that the stronger will flourish at the expense of the weak, but if one dies, so will its opposite stronger sibling. Thus balance among the other universes will be restored.”

[RonarsCorruption]

"So small-sighted.", the red circle thrums in response to Dharn's comments, "You're failing to see the true nature of what is happening."

"He is only a mortal, but I have no problem with that course of action. Point away!"

"But it is only fair that if you so wish to wipe only a fragment of the slate clean, we will leave you only your instinct to guide you which world is yours."

"At least the other one sounds more reasonable." Quoros got the impression it was now speaking to him, "It is not about creation or destruction. If there is creation, there will be destruction. If there is destruction, there will be creation."

"Eventually." The blue circle contradicted, "Usually."

"We are not laying any blame at your feet, mortal. The nature of the multiverse was to end a short time ago. Several appointed arrived, and convinced us to intervene. Now, the universe is reaching its inevitable conclusion that the earlier ending would have prevented. A far more chaotic and exciting ending than would have existed had we intervened."

"I can't believe I wasn't paying attention."

"If you wish, we can intercede once more, until mortal choices lead to the multiverse to be unbalanced once again. Things will stay the same."

"Or, if you wish, we can allow the multiverse to come to its deserved end, which will allow us to begin anew. If you are willing, you might even act as its rulers or gods."

"Or we could try something completely different, and derail this cycle! Let boring universes cease to exist, make exciting universes more exciting. Change the way it all works."

"You should be aware, for you speak as though you are not, that we are not forcing you to make any decision. However, you have searched the nexus out. This is ultimately our decision - but as none of us can act truly without the others, we allow any appointed who arrive to state any case they wish. If they are reasonable, we typically act on them."

"I like Dharn's idea. We can just wipe out all the universes over there, and replace them with one big universe to keep things from going off track."

[Thorsten]

Dharn blinked once. Slowly. Then he held up a hand.
"Hold on, hold on. Go back to the part about us being rulers and gods. You are serious about that? If we agree to the end of everything, you'll make us ploughing *gods* in return?"

The anger seeped out of the mercenary's figure, until he broke out into a rough, heavy laughter.
"By the Hells of Qeth'aros, I like the sound of that. Me, a god. Hells of a step up for a snot-nosed orphan boy who makes a living by killing for coin. Hah! Forget everything I just said then. By all means, destroy it all and start anew. I mean, if it was bound to take place in the first instance, then there's no use in delaying the inevitable, is there? Or destroy some of it and appoint me god of the rest. What do I care - if I am to become a bloody god, I can just reshape things to my liking afterwards."

Dharn chuckled to himself. If only the commander could see him now - standing in this place discussing his possible ascension to godhood. But then, for that to happen the commander would be gone of course, so it wouldn't be like he cared, would it? Plough that. Dharn could create a hundred commanders and a hundred more, if he was made a bloody god. He could abolish war and the need for orphans, or paint the grass red with blood if he felt so inclined. It was insane just to consider the possibilities. Finally something that could make this entire ploughing trip worthwhile. And all it might possibly cost him was his past and everything connected to it. Well, if that was the case, Dharn would be happy to let it go. Good luck and good riddance to it all, he'd say. Then he'd create himself a harem of fine women, and a pool of intoxicating wine and laugh his guts out.

He glanced in the direction of Quoros and showed his teeth in a mad grin.
"What say you, neighbor? Feel like becoming a god yourself? Or would you rather rule more directly as a king or emperor?"

[TeufelHeunden]

Quoros Reflects Quoros continued to listen to the Disks, picking apart their words and considering signs that they were beginning to see his vision and how they may consider other resolutions outside of a grand destruction of the multiverse. Then the other man, the stranger spoke and addressed him directly. Pushing the brim of his hat up slightly and stroking his chin he pondered to himself, “A god, an interestin' proposal maybe, but with ripper power comes ripper responsibility. To know how use that power wisely could be worrisome and ta abuse it would be cataclysmic. Besides, what is power anyway, would it be absolute or limited? In order for power ta have meanin', it must be applied on somethin', at least ta control it; but whatever is controlled cannot be lifeless, since ta be simply lifeless, is to be nothin' and power over nothin’ is no power at all. In order for somethin' to not be simply lifeless there must be some opposition, however trivial, to the absolute power, and how can power which is opposed be absolute? I don’t like that idea, besides I would probably be confined to live eternity here in the nexus and this is somewhere I would not want to be a prisoner of. There is something to be said for traveling and observing all things. Besides, I would miss Brego too much and grow weary from being homesick.” He turned to the Stranger pulling his hat back down, “ Interestin' offer, but I have no interest in bein' either a god or emperor, cheers all the same.” His mind went back to formulate the next part of his lesson for the Immortal disks.

A Different Resolution He began to address all of the Disks, deliberating which one might be overpowering the others or if they were all equal in power, “I see now that all of yoos seem ta be comin' ta an understandin'. Your intervention earlier averted the destruction of the multiverse. You also said that yoos did what the previous mortals had asked you to do; I'm presuming nothing more or nothing less. You also said that you have the power to intervene again if we ask you too to delay the ultimate ending until a later time. There is another possibility for which you do not speak, one without a grand decisive destruction of the entire multiverse. The previous changes made in the course of the impending end of the multiverse may not have been the right choices at all, and while prolonging the grand destruction did not in fact prevent it as the previous mortals had wished. The fact that the multiverse has endured this long however is proof in itself of the resilience of existence; it finds its own path to survive. As with all things change happens over time. The magnitudes of these changes are reflected in the nature of the singular components. What I mean is nature and existence are effortless. This does not necessitate that it happens without struggle, but it does happen without design. Contemplate the life of a simple plant. The spores fall onto the soil. If the land is fertile, and if it obtains warmth, light, and water, it might emerge as a seedling. It does not necessitate direction to know how to take sustenance in through its roots or how to use light to produce food and develop into a plant. It lives its life and dies. Its nutrients and harnessed energy are returned back to nature to be re-utilized for another purpose. Given the experience it contains, the plant is whole within its own nature. The same can be said for everything that exists, mountains rise and are worn down, seas are filled in and become land, even the circling planets eventually break apart and are consumed by others to form new planets. And yes, eventually universes do the same. I agree with you that everything has a beginning and everything has an end, but the exception to this is the bloody nature of existence. True, you can destroy everything as it is now and begin again. Consider though what you use to build anew will be the remnants of the past. Here is the other possibility for which you have not spoken. Instead of destroying everything at once in a grand destruction, you should instead find the force that binds the opposites together and keeps them in balance. Then and only then can you follow these strings and correct them where they have twisted and thrown everything off balance and then restore them. Once things come back into balance then nature will resume its course and continue on as it has always done. Yes universes themselves will come to an end and new ones will form to take their place. Eventually this will happen to all of the universes in the multiverse and what stands then will be your new multiverse you are proposing. Eventually the same cycle will happen to that multiverse as well. But all of the pieces of all these universes will still be allowed their existence within their own nature, just like the plant. There will be struggles, but from struggle they will know joy. There will be death, but from death will come life. By letting the natural flow to take its course these things will happen on their own without need for a grand intervention. Once balance is restored to the multiverse then the only intervention required would be to ensure that the forces that bind all opposites remain as they should and correct them when we mortals twist them in ways they should not be twisted.”

[RonarsCorruption]

"Yes, Quoros, that is exactly what is happening." The red circle thrummed, "And I did not mean to imply that all things would come to an end all at once - that might be impossible even for us."

"But if no direct intervention is taken, the natural course will be for most universes to collapse upon one another, eventually becoming one new universe from which all universes will spring."

"And boy, that will be exciting. I love that part."

"But the multiverse is not innately balanced. Such is the nature of choice, some are more important than others."

"Though, of course, we could try restarting the multiverse where all decisions are exactly equal in value, from when you blink to where you turn at an intersection to raising your sword in battle. It would be very different, we haven't done that before. That way the universe would never end."

"Paradise"

"Or hell."

"Well, to each their own."

"I do think, however, that both of you agree that preventing the end of this multiverse is not the course to take: only you do not agree on which course a new world should take."

"I think a universe where Quoros is a god would be a very calm and balanced one, I like it."

"I love Dharn's enthusiasm. I see all the things he wants to create."

"So? Shall we begin the cycle anew?"

The trio thrummed together, it sounded like they had nearly made up their mind.

[TeufelHeunden]

Quoros Commits Quoros felt hardness in his stomach as he reached up and wiped the back of his neck. It was evident that the Disks did not appreciate what he has been saying, but it didn’t matter for the result is the same, only different. The multiverse will end, as it is known today and regrow no matter what decision is made or action is taken. It is only the manner in which it will end and reemerge that they are debating. His hands roll behind his back and he tightly grasps his wrist while he thinks back to what they had said thus far; he recognizes they are just going in circles and saying the same things. With a frustrated lump in his throat he decides time has come to stop discussion and make decisions before the disks make the decisions for them. Swallowing the lump in his throat he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose tightly squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. This was not an easy decision to make yet it was one that had to be made. He opened his eyes and let out a sigh as he pulled off his hat and he combed his hand through the butter colored mop on his head. Sighing he quietly whispered, “Sorry Brego old cobber, looks like I won’t be comin' back from this trip ta say bonzer-bye like I promised. I hope yoos figure that out and head back into the forest ta live a happy life, however short that might be.” Turning back to the disks he spoke, “It seems that we are all agreein' what is happenin'. We all know that the multiverse will end and there is nothing that yoos can do which will truly stop that, nor do either of us mortals agree that we want yoos ta stop it from ending.” His mind cleared a bit as he spoke, the tightness in his chest eased a little and his hitched breaths relaxed as he took another deep sigh. Suddenly Quoros felt a sense of calm as though everything was going to be all right. There was no real request that he could make to save the multiverse and his mind reflected back to what he had just pleaded. It made perfect sense that some universe's will end so others could begin, or for that matter maybe the entire multiverse. He spoke again, “As yoos said, we mortals reckon differently than yoos which means that you would see or know thin's we do not. So let me see if this is accurate.” He turned to the red disk, “You call yourself Creation and your opinion is it would be best ta destroy everythin' and create a new multiverse, maybe not all at once but destroy it all the same. And for the proposal of changin' thin's so all choices have the same weight, I agree with yoos that would be hell and lead ta chaos. Choices should have consequences otherwise we wouldn't be here now.” He then turned to the blue disk, “You call yourself Order and your opinion is ta pretty much leave thin's as they are and see what happens, fairly close ta what I believe, but doin' so without any intervention will lead to what Creation asserts will happen, destruction of the multiverse, or maybe not.” Finally he turned to the green disk, “You call yourself Growth and claim that there can be some prunin' of the multiverse ta stabilize it enough for it continue for a while before this happens again, but it will happen again.” He leaned forward as he licked his lips and took in one more deep breath, “Here is what I propose. I know I told me cobber here that I have no interest in bein' a god, and while that is true sometimes one has ta do thin's they don’t want ta do. I do not believe that the offer from Order will result in any good and instead of destroying everything or letting everything destroy itself like Creation has proposed, I would follow the last alternative presented from Growth. We can destroy some that are causing the most damage and prune some others that are getting out of control. Then yoos can grant powers to me cobber here and I and we can help to keep the universes pruned and in control. In time when some are dying and need to be cleared out then we can call upon yoos to destroy them so new ones can be created. I foresee his chaotic behavior and my more calming behavior would help to keep things in balance letting some universes flower but still keeping the weeds out of the garden. Eventually as the cycle of universes continue to die out and be created anew you will have an ever changing and much more stable multiverse.” He took a deep satisfying breath and turned to the stranger next to him while he pushed his hair back under his hat, “What do yoos reckon of that cobber, we could still be gods and work together ta keep the multiverse in order for the Nexus. If we are lucky then the universe's we pick won’t be our own and we can still visit old friends, but if not then there are plenty of other universes out there guide along.” As he spoke, he walked over to the stranger sticking out his chest and extending his hand, “My name is Quoros by the way, what’s yours.”

[Thorsten]

"What, so I'm black, you're white - that sort of thing?" Dharn asks, following the other man's little speech. "I'm sorry, but the last guy who promised cooperation with me, tried to plant a dagger in my back not ten minutes later. You'll excuse me if I take any offer with a grain of salt."

Dharn scratched himself absentmindedly, as he continued.
"It's not that I am against you taking up their offer. You'd be insane or very, very dull not to, after all. But teamwork requires trust, and I'm afraid I'm fresh out of the latter at the moment. In the future, perhaps, once I come to believe you aren't sharpening a blade to use against me. You can have my name for free, though. I am Dharn - some call me the Siegebreaker on account of my work predominantly being in the entrenched parts of wars." The mercenary looked the other guy over. "Quoros was it? Good talk. At least we see eye to eye on some things."

He turned back to regard the glowing orbs.
"I'm sorry, Blue - but if it comes down to our recommendations, it seems like you're outnumbered. Some has to succumb for others to prevail. It is simple nature. Here, we'd just reenact it on a more grand scale."

Dharn smirked as he allowed himself a short glance around. Not that he could see much, what with the colors being more or less constant in his field of view. Still it felt good to stand here, at the end of all things and be part of the process, rather than left out in the cold. If there was one thing the mercenary disliked, it was being kept away from information - especially the kind that ultimately meant the difference between life and death. His life and his death, to be more precise. This conversation with the three voices of Destruction, Order and Growth (or Creation, Stagnation and Change, depending on how you preferred to see them) was not that much different than a battlefield. To the onlooker it might seem more civilized and lacking in brutality - certainly the amount of blood and discarded limbs were quite different - but in the end it was still a back and forth of blows and counterblows in an effort to survive. Perhaps the presence of death right here and now was less present, but the number of casualties was, quite literally, out of this world.

Dharn scratched himself once more as he kept considering his situation. In a way, he and that Quoros-fellow were seeds - planted for better or worse to sprout into a new tomorrow. It seemed an unlikely couple, truth be told. And it was entirely possible, that if the people back home had been aware that these were the two that would succeed, and what was to be expected of them in the end, that they might have gone to very great lengths to pick someone else. A paladin, perhaps, noble and proud, who could save them all and usher in an era of peace and prosperity for the entire multiverse. Now, what they got instead, was a weary mercenary and a fop with a bird and a large hat, both of whom were basically ready to hand over the entirety of existence on a silver plate, for a chance at immortality and godhood.

He chuckled. If that fat old Tridori-bloke could see him now, he'd be gnashing his teeth and ruing that he hadn't offered his daughter up as part of the mercenary's payment. At least that way, Dharn would have had something to return to. Some reason, other than his meager savings, to care for the existence of his fellow man.
"Too late for that" he muttered, as he turned his attention back to the battle in front of him. "Sure. Why the hells not. Restart the cycle. Toss it all into the grinder and see what comes out. Who knows, maybe something entirely unique will appear this time. It'll be a grand campaign, with promise and hope and whatnot - and guided this time, by those in the know, so something like this won't take place in a near foreseeable future."

[TeufelHeunden]

Quoros pushed the brim of his hat up slightly and grinned, “Oh, I reckon we're a bit more valuable than simple black and white, perhaps more like jade and pearl, but yea, that’s the idea. And by the way, who's ta say I trust you, sometimes yoos have no other choice and your allies become who’s available, not who yoos choose. Trust comes in time but the a rule of thumb I bloody go by is, trust everyone but check the dice.”

Quoros turned back to the disks rubbing his hands and gave them a wink, “So, now that we all seem ta be in agreement, what do yoos say we start talkin' about how we are goin' ta do this circle of life business on a majestic scale.”

[RonarsCorruption]

"Then it is decided!" The red circle blazed with a blinding light, becoming almost white as it spoke, "The time has come for the end of all things, so that they might begin again."

"So has the cycle always been, and so it will continue." The blue circle seemed revitalized, too, now that a decision had been made.

"Maybe it'll end differently this time. We can only hope."

All three circles dimmed, allowing you to see for the last time, the countless specks of light surrounding you in all directions. The largest of all possible infinities. Where before they had been turning slowly, they quickly picked up speed - the entire multiverse spinning faster and faster, motes of light winking out or growing brighter.

Suddenly, a strange and disconnected feeling washed over each of you, as you realized that your world was no more. It was done and gone. You, alone of everything your entire world had stood for, was all that was left.

Finally, the multiverse stopped spinning. Gone were the countless motes of light that were every imagined and possible reality. Now, there was only one.

Together, the three circles spoke:
"IT IS DONE"
"IT IS DONE"
"IT IS DONE"

You felt strange, timeless and powerful. Your senses had expanded, you could feel the multiverse, and how it had been blended into one single universe, waiting to begin the cycle again. And you could feel that it was waiting for two new gods for it to begin.

The circles stayed silent, but you knew that they would be watching and waiting, perhaps even judging the pair of you.

The new universe was waiting.

OODM This marks the ending to Outplay 2014! Congratulations to both of you!