Divinus: The Deity Role Play

[ActRaiser]

"No. It's not the Sigil. Ever since I have felt souls leaving for whatever they have been leaving towards, I have felt a presence looming over the world. You have said if Lydia could kill one of us, she could eventually kill all of us." He paused. "This presence intends on thieving our powers from us. Lydia is not the problem, however, I know for certain she is both in danger and extremely important to whatever plan this monster has. Furthermore, it is possible that this monster is among the Ancient Brethren, or even among the gods of the Void."

[MerelyaSoul]

Level 4 God of Fantasy - Uthan - 8 Might

Uthan nodded. "I know but what I was saying is that this would be a likely target. See right now there is two of Lydia, one who has the power of the sigil and the one born from chaos. Now Shadow Lydia must devour a piece of a god before able to devour all of us. However, this Lydia here can fight gods but that power has become unstable. As you could see, if she tries to use her sigil, another even like the one in the battle against Veztec will happen again. If she does manage to fix what is broken then that power is returned. Hence why I will need to seal shut my realm and make sure that the only way in or out is guarded by powerful defenses. Never really got around to that since I would need help from something more powerful than a god.”

Lydia got confused at what Uthan was saying. “Wait another me?”

[McFazzer]

Level 2 God of Change - Daltoren - 15 Might

Daltoren watched from his perch high above the clouds, he liked to watch while he watered the apple tree he stole with a watering can constantly filled thanks to a small Cloudian in the bottom. He watched the Changes the Gods made, they were usually quite dramatic, especially the Changes by the ones they Chose. One Change Daltoren wasn't exactly fond of was the fact that a giant tree blocked a great view he had, which led him to relocate. Then there was the Change of the "Mulch People" versus the "Crazy Hero That Isn't Anymore", it was a spectacle to be sure, but Daltoren could only keep one eye on it, as the Weather required constant attention, kind of like a garden, but a garden that shoots lightning. You can usually leave the wind with a light guidance, the rain is almost like the flower-bed and the lightning is those large trees whose roots pull up the roads. Then the "Crazy Hero That Isn't Anymore"
Deciding it would be in his best interest do get a more complete handle on the weather, Daltoren set about making more tools. First leveling up (4 might) Daltoren formed a tuning fork, with which he would cause and manipulate the forces of lightning (2 might) and a broken pocket watch for snow (2 might).
Smiling to himself, Daltoren plucked an apple from the tree and took a bite. He really liked these apples, ever since he brought the tree up with him each apple tasted fluffier and sweeter. It was through no work of his, it was simply the abnormal altitude which caused the Change.

Daltoren liked watching, he kind of enjoyed the feeling of leisure it brought. It was very lazy and yet satisfying. That said Daltoren, as ever, felt that should Change. A more direct involvement down below would be needed. These big events taking place with nary an influence from Him? The thought made him sigh. Stabbing a new apple with the tuning fork Daltoren decided to choose to have whoever it hit, or that failing the one who took the first bite, be his Hero. Not that great of a decision making method, but weather is fickle and sudden. So pulling the fork out Daltoren threw the apple off the edge of his cloud cottage. The apple whistled its way below the cloud line and impaled itself on a low lying tree branch. This confused Daltoren, as he was sure that he threw it hard enough to at least break something, then remembered that it was one of his sky-apples. He wasn't sure how being a sky-apple stopped it from breaking things, but guessed it had something to with being fluffy tasting. Daltoren didn't really mind, the apple was there. What He did mind was the first one to come across it. It was a kid, who looked maybe eight. The thing looked starved and was quite filthy, Daltoren honestly hoped that the kid didn't bite the apple, they would be quite a hassle. He would have to look after it and make sure it didn't die until it could be useful, sure he could make the thing grow, but a Change of that scale might break it. The kid really wanted the apple, it wasn't that high, but the kid wasn't that tall. Eventually the kid got the apple by breaking another branch and using it to push the apple off, and took a bite.

By this point Daltoren had resigned himself to accepting the kid and having to raise it. Before setting off for down below, Daltoren went inside and grabbed an umbrella, gestured for a Cloudian to follow and proceeded to jump of the edge of his front yard. Daltoren fell quickly, but landed not two meters away from the kid without making a sound. Running His hands over his clothes Daltoren made his suit jet black with luminous silver pinstripes. After making himself presentable for his debut in front of someone who wasn't a God, Daltoren called out
"Hey, kid! How are you?" the dirty thing turned around in shock and fear, cradled the apple close to his chest and didn't say a word, all the while giving Daltoren a suspicious glare. "Kid, I don't want the damn apple, I've got my own tree..." pausing for the kid Daltoren soon realised the thing was going to be a pain "My name is Daltoren, what's yours?" the kid simply said "Kidd" which Daltoren thought was odd and replied "Well, yes I already figured out that you were a kid, I'm asking your name." the kid glared a bit and raised an eyebrow, which caused Daltoren to click as to what it meant "OH! Kidd! Oh, wow, sorry about that! I thought you were being a jerk, I guess the joke is on me. Anyway, you have parents Kidd?" Kidd looked away which led Daltoren to guess no "Okay then, you like that apple? It was super sweet yeah? I love sweets... well, um this is starting to lead way off target from what I actually came here for. I was actually here to offer the first person to take a bite a job. Seeing as you are a kid, I'll give you time to think about it. I'll stay at this tree for three days. Please do come back with a response! Oh, here have another apple to tide you over!" reaching his hand out, an apple fell from the sky and into Daltorens hand, which he tossed to the kid, who promptly ran off. Setting down the umbrella and sitting down next to it, Daltoren made himself comfortable. So did the Cloudian.

Three days passed quickly for Daltoren and lo and behold, the kid came back! Kidd said nothing, but simply nodded. Smiling, Daltoren opened the umbrella, handed it to Kidd and said "Whatever you do, don't let go of this" taking out his baton, Daltoren brought down an air current and then whipped it up under the umbrella causing Kidd to rocket up above the clouds. Daltoren, giving it a second to make sure the current wasn't going to go anywhere halfway up, jumped up after Kidd. Once again above the clouds, Daltoren lightly landed on his front yard, with Kidd landing with a thump next to him. Kidd looked rather shocked and scared, laying there shivering holding the umbrella as if he would die if he let go. "Okay, Kidd? You can let go of the umbrella now." Tugging and pulling, Daltoren eventually wrestled the umbrella away from Kidd. "Kidd? Could you stand up please? I went to a bit of hassle to get you here... the apple tree is right there, you can have one..." with that offer Kidd shakily stood up and looked around and unfortunately, down as well. Unsurprisingly, Kidd fell unconscious. Daltoren figured it was probably time to clean up the kid, they looked more dirt than skin honestly and the rags didn't help that much. "Oi! Cloudy folks! Get your rainy butts out here!" soon a pack of fifteen little clouds cluttered the area. "Your job is to clean the little tyke here! The kid is to be a shining example of cleanliness!... Are you waiting for permission? Go!" and with that the little cloud things swarmed Kidd, while Daltoren conjured up a tailored suit and tie and for a bit of flair a top hat with a pinwheel diagonally on the left side.
Taking the suit and hat outside Daltoren was surprised at what he saw Kidd looked great! He could now tell that Kidd had blond hair for one and could only say"Well, damn. I don't know how to make girl clothes..." with a shrug and a sigh Daltoren clicked his tounge and the clothes made their way about dressing Kidd. Sitting down with his legs hanging off the edge Daltoren got comfortable and grabbed an apple. When Kidd finally woke up, the sun was setting. She grabbed the umbrella, walked over to Daltoren and said "These clothes are weird... and are for boys" Daltoren could only say "Yep, your absolutely right. Are they uncomfortable?" she smiled and said "No... I like the spinny thing in the hat" handing Kidd an apple Daltoren said "Take a bite of that and you will be in my employ. You won't age, you will be strong and will work with my blessing. I'll keep you up here for a bit and teach you about yourself, about the wind. If you don't want that, you can still stay, but everything will continue as normal. Take your time" as soon as Daltoren finished Kidd took a bite and Daltoren made Kidd his Hero (1 Might). Daltoren said "It's late. We will start tomorrow" got up and headed inside, Kidd following at his heels.

(8 Might remaining, 4 free actions)

[Kho]

Level 3 God of Space - Vowzra - 11 Might

"True chaos is all colours and none. But here in the caverns- Here lies true shadow, Tainted One! Shadow all-consuming and equal! You've meddled in powers which are not truly yours. Here in the caverns, I am the Dark Lord!" Thulemiz allowed a smile to creep to his unseen mouth as he heard the fools words, darkness? Light? Violence? Pah! These words meant nothing to him, for it was through actions alone that one could prove what they were, and he had proved himself many times, he had earned his tainted name, he had earned his violent ways, he had earned the darkness which dwelled within his heart and being, this new-born demigod who stood before him had not earned a rats tail, let alone the title of Lord, let alone the obedience of darkness. Thulemiz noticed the black crystals which flew past him, those which came too close merely deteriorated due to his aura, and those which managed to land on his armour bounced off and disappeared before the hit the ground.

"You think yourself a dark lord? You believe yourself to be a master of darkness?" Thulemiz took a step forward as he spoke, hi armoured foot grinding a rock to dust, "you assume that your darkness is the only one in existence? You deem your darkness to be the darkest of them all?" Thulemiz slowly lifted off the ground, carried forth by a black, smokey fog which seeped from his helmet and whirled around his feet before lifting him upwards, "you presume that there are no places where you cannot see? You imagine that the only darkness is the absence of light?" Thulemiz rose higher and higher, until he was half way between the ceiling and the ground of the cavern, "a pox on your assumptions and thoughts! A fool you are indeed if you believe that mastering the darkness of the eye makes you a master of the dark, let me show you a greater darkness, one which shall terrify you beyond terror, which shall plant within you a seed of true fear...fear of me!" and with that the black, smokey fog launched itself forward at unimaginable speed, encompassing Nerio and many in his vicinity. This was true darkness, a darkness which blocked out all light, which put a stop to sound, which destroyed the sense of smell, which inhibited the ability to taste or speak, which restrained the skins ability to feel anything at all, which insulated any magical senses or abilities. Within this fog, all was dark, all was still, the entire world disappeared. That was true darkness, true loss, where you could cut down your closest friend, your greatest love, yourself and not realise it, within this fog, ones greatest nightmares materialised, those nightmares which hid at the very back of every mortals mind, held back by hope, by light, and brought out by the darkness. The true darkness.

Thulemiz knew that Nerio would not be able to hear him, but he spoke, "Lord of Darkness, Master of the Unknown, let us see how you fare within these vile and fervent lands, those of your mind and heart which did once dance, diffident before your voice and stern commands" Thulemiz turned to survey the battle between his Wraiths and the beasts of the caverns. Things seemed to be in the favour of the cavern people, but Thulemiz was certain that they were to be defeated, none could stand before the might of the servants of Veztec.

At that moment, Thulemiz felt it, the undeniable aura of the lord of Chaos, and with him came a fury, words directed at Thulemiz; "You do not heed your masters orders well. I told you to break their backs, cause chaos and despair. Not to nearly wipe out two races. You shall stay. Your forces, the Wraiths however, shall go back to your fortress. Now." with that, the Wraiths scattered, some turning into smoke and drifting away, others gliding as fast as they could from the caverns and the crater, back to Dal'Kar. Thulemiz could not believe it, this was ridiculous, he had not even touched these peoples back, let alone break it, how could he destroy all their hope without destroying their armies, without slaughtering their children and watching them grovel at his feet, without enslaving many of them, and then letting a small, desperate and terrified few go free, to live always with the fact that chaos had destroyed them, that chaos was their master. He felt a rage rise up in him, was Veztec such a fool as to not see what he was doing? Irritated, Thulemiz turned back to his true darkness, watching it roil and grow, like a living being. What would happen if a god were to be trapped in their? They had senses like every other creature...he quickly shook off the notion, he was much too weak in his present state to make an enemy of any god.

"Thulemiz. You want to challenge this demigod? So be it. If the Cave god will allow it, you shall duel. If the God of Caves refuses and tries to kill you I shall deal with him while you deal with his demigod. All agreed?" Thulemiz nodded, glad that Veztec still had enough sense to grant him the permission to destroy the other demigod, it would certainly send fear and hopelessness through the hearts of all the cavern dwellers, and they would live in fear until such a time where he returned, unchained by Veztec, to bring death and destruction upon them.

"It shan't be a great battle, he shall destroy himself" Thulemiz frowned, perhaps he shouldn't have released the darkness, he wouldn't have done so if he'd though the battle would be cut short so quickly. It could not be helped, he'd just have to wait and see what the darkness left of the other being, perhaps there would be enough for him to rip up, to tear and destroy, he doubted it greatly though...

Vowzra opened an eye and peered down at the world below. He closed his eye instantly, no it was not yet ready. He yawned, and a small nebula erupted out of the fabric of existence as Vowzra released a great amount of energy. He was soon back in his sleep-like meditation.

Five Might To Level Up From Level Three To Level Four
Six Might Remaining and Three Free Acts

[Antarctic Termite]

Though he heard the call of Veztec and felt his arrival, Achozaal did not wish to stop punishing the wraiths. They and their leader had threatened his realm, knowing that he had waited there to destroy them, and if they so blindly stumbled into the gaping jaws of a god, so be it. Yet Achozaal knew that Veztec was a god as he was, and with reluctance he ceased his thrashing and crushing, releasing a few dozen very fortunate wraiths from certain destruction in his claws. His blood still boiled with fury, though, and his shape did not revert to the less threatening human-spider-olm form. The points of his limbs, scorpion and salamander, radiated energy for a moment, and he was soon standing tall on a hovering platform of basalt, imposing and malignant in it's black angular crystals. Achozaal was face-to-face with a god, and he needed a throne. He waited, as the Wraiths vanished under the command of the masked god, but never took his eyes off of him. The shades could wait, or cower, or scheme, but their god deserved respect.

"Veztec... Ye Lorde of ye Violent. Thou art behind this to one degree or an other, doth I be correct? Doth it be thy child who so boldlie slayeth many of mine? Or hath thou taken ye son of an other god and sent he to do thy bidding?" He already knew the answer to the question. He could feel an echo, or an echo of an echo, of Vowzra in the Tainted One, but he wanted to hear what Veztec had to say about stealing another god's servant instead of creating his own. Perhaps the good in the demigod was dead now, like the legacy of Veztec was dead in the Goblins, but perhaps there was still hope for Thulemiz. Perhaps, perhaps. "I hear ye challenge, and I lay ye choice of acceptance to Nerio my High Priest." Nerio would not decline, he knew, nor did he doubt that the demigod would be a match for Thulemiz. What concerned him was what Veztec would do. The masked god was dangerously volatile, and Achozaal did not trust him to keep his word about the challenge. If he did hold to what he said... Catastrophe averted. If not, the result could be cataclysmic, and Achozaal wasn't sure how long he would be able to keep such a violent god at bay. Best, then, to play along as long as possible, for the sake of his children. If things got out of hand, then this would truly become a battle of the divines.

* * *

The High Priest Nerio fought hard against the threat of the Tainted One, knowing that the Zaal would be demoralised should he fall in this battle. The Goblins would continue under the leadership of their Council, but the Hobgoblins might not be enough to stop Thulemiz. But it was easier to block his enemy's mace with his shield than his words, and easier to retaliate with his sword than his wit. Nerio would never give up against this threat, but as he fought he was forced to admit, to himself, that there lay truth in some of his words. It was true that Nerio had been hand-made by Achozaal from cave shadows and abyssal waters, and that he had been blessed with the wisdom, strength, and power of magic enough to lead a nation. But he was fighting a demigod just as mighty as himself, who had probably caused more violence and suffering than Nerio had ever seen. The Lord of Wraiths had earned his title- Nerio had simply been given his.

Angered, Nerio fought on without wasting his energy or concentration on words. Let us duel, then, Tainted One... And see who is the greater. Let our deeds be our answers. He was about to renew his offensive with a wave of granite when his enemy began to work a new trickery. Nerio watched as Thulemiz began to rise on a pillar of smoke, and anticipating some display of dark magic, he moved rapidly to the defensive. Stabbing his eerily glowing sword into the stone below him, the normally unyielding rock giving way under the poisonous blade, he dropped to one knee and held his iridescent shield before him, covering most of his frame in this stance. The granite he had made animate rose like a wall around him, jagged and dark, like a miniature mountain range. But the assault was no ordinary smoke or magic, and neither shield nor stone could block the chocking smog.

The sensation, at first, was like being unwillingly dropped into one of the many underground lakes in the caverns- Rushing sound, then suddenly Nerio felt himself immersed in something that wasn't quite material, nor quite incorporeal. He felt like he was falling, but his senses had quickly dulled, and all he could see was an ambient lacking. There was no air to rush through his ears as he fell, nor feel on his skin, and nor was there any gravity that seemed to be pulling at him. Where... Why..? Everything had been reduced to an ambivalent abyss, a void where there wasn't even an existance to think in. His thoughts became slower, murkier, and his body didn't seem real. There wasn't the will left to him to move or think. His soul began to drift into apathy. How did I get here? Is there anywhere else? The outside, if there was an outside and not a distant memory of nothing in this infinite vagueness, had long ago faded into the noise. Nerio felt like he had already spent slow, dragging hours, or months, or eternities in this place or mind, accompanied only by echoing memories of his own thoughts. The vestiges of his mind began to fray.

Nerio. The voice was familiar; That itself was a great oddity, here. Nerio. Waste no more time here. Your brothers need you. Nerio could place the voice; It was clear and distinct, a stark contrast to the vagueness. It was his god, calling to him... Not from outside. There was no outside. The voice was emanating from Nerio's own soul, in his own accent, an echo of the god who had first made him out of shadows and water. Achozaal... Lord of Caverns. Darkness. Abysms. Perhaps this place is like Achozaal's own maw... A labyrinth so great that not even walls restrict it. Nerio clung to the voice, dreaming of it, using it as his lifeline, literally thinking his way out of the void. He dragged himself conciously out of the viscous emptiness, and the sounds and memories of his surrounds were emerging from the vagueness.

"...Choice of acceptance to Nerio my High Priest." That was the voice of Achozaal true, not just an echo of creation. The battle... The challenge... Veztec and the Tainted One. Things he had missed during his blackout were returning as memories. He had only spent a few minutes away from conciousness. Nerio realised that he was still in a kneeling position, but his eyes were shut tightly, and both hands were gripping the hilt of his sword, knuckles white with strain. Shakily, his vision still recovering, he picked up his shield and used it to haul himself to a standing position. "I accept the challenge laid down before me," He said, loudly but with a definite waver in his voice. Determined not to let his weakness show, he stamped his foot on the stone with a cry, and around him the granite wall crystalised into a clear quartz ring, an arena for two. It was crudely done. His powers were as strong as ever, but his control had taken a severe hit. He wanted the match to be on his terms, though- His land, his arena, his people as the spectators. Grim determination took over, and standing his ground, he made a taunting motion with his sword, which was glowing fiercely. No words were necessary. Nerio waited for Thulemiz to make the first move.

[Rtron]

Veztec gave a cackle. "The great Thulemiz was once Vowzra's hero. I corrupted him just to show the people, that even the highest amongst them are not above corruption, evil." He gestured, and a clear view of the makeshift arena Nerio had created appeared. He saw that he had been mistaken, and the races were still quite populous. No matter. Thulemiz had still gone to far. Veztec wanted despair, not total annihilation. That was what could have happened if Thulemiz's plan had succeeded. "Fear not, dear brother. I shall not intervene between this duel. If Thulemiz falls, he falls, and I've to make a hero. What I would be concerned about, is your own people disregarding the agreement." Veztec's mask flashed a dark, ugly red. "Things would get....interesting...if they were to do that. Specifically the goblins, who, might I add, are wonderful at what they do." Veztec was not concerned that creatures that by rights should fall under his domain weren't. They did what he would have had them do, had he created them.

[Kho]

Kho and Antarctic, Co-Op Post


Thulemiz saw the other mans weakness...no, he felt it, he knew when he was facing an equal, and he knew when he was facing prey, and at that moment, Nerio was most definitely prey. Thulemiz gave a small chuckle, he liked this ones foolishness, perhaps he would be able to find a way to corrupt him and bring him over to the chaos, perhaps he would be able to defile the ones goodness, turn the soil of his being and let him see the worms and decay within him, let him see his true self. Thulemiz took a few short steps forward and began sprinting towards his opponent, his great mace in his right hand, his left clenched.


"Come 'good' friend, let us put an end to you" and with that, Thulemiz gave a mighty roar as he swung his mace overhead and brought it down crashing towards Nerio.


Nerio knew he couldn't avoid the crash of the moving weapon, but he stepped to an angle that allowed his crystal shield to take the blow. The force of the swing sent shudders through his body, but he stood firm, forcing the weight of the weapon to the side once it had lost it's momentum. His body still had the strength to fight, and he could continue to stall away his opponent's attacks, but it would be a slow and hopeless battle that way. He needed to think. He had powers, but the key to victory here was how carefully he applied them. Simple combat wouldn't get him far. Thinking, however, was not something he was in a good state to do. I need to find a way... Where is this demigod weak?


Playing for more time, the High Priest launched a cautious offensive, using his shield as a battering ram to push forwards when he could, moving in and out to strike with his noxious sword. Home ground is no advantage here. My army is no advantage here. Not even Achozaal is an advantage now... I need to reach for a new advantage. Nerio assessed what he knew of Thulemiz, backing away defensively to gather his scattered thoughts. He is cloaked by his own evil... That is where his power lies. I need to lift that veil from him. The armour-clad fighter called to his own magic again for strength as he returned to the offensive, the ground beginning softly to rumble. He had no particular plan in mind yet, but he had a feeling he'd need the extra power.


Thulemiz did not need to think much, this was a battle from which he would emerge victorious, he was certain of that, it was merely a matter of time. He looked at the recharging Nerio and stalked forth with purpose, beneath his armoured head, beneath the gaping abyss of his eyes and mouth he was smirking, a col sneer lined his face and he could not help the hatred which welled up within him, a hatred spurred not by any particular thing, rather, this was a hatred for the sake of hatred, something which sprouted from within Thulemiz, from within the eternal chasms of darkness and chaos which within him lay. They were the source of his great power, and they were that which would never be allowed to fade, for never could light reach into their greatest depths, and never could goodness consume them.


With a a viciously violent intent, Thulemiz began to form a small dark orb in his free hand, black electric currents jumping over its surface, like a little, dark star, ruled by great lightening eels which every now and then chose to leap into the air. Thulemiz gave a low cackle before sending the orb at Nerio with all his might. He sank to one knee and watched, already recovering from the chaotics energies used up in the creation of the destructive spell...if spell it were indeed.


The High Priest was determined not to be taken by surprise again as with the cloud of shadows, but his reactions were dulled, and for the second time he was left with very few options in his defense. He doubted a physical wall would be of much help, but this was no obscuring smoke. Responding to his instincts, the rumbling granite reared up like an angry beast, consuming the black star in jaws fanged with mineral stalactites. The maw of the earth closed and sealed over the sphere, but Nerio could feel it's energy inside, crackling and burning. Hurriedly he raised his sword, the rock crystalising in reply to the gesture, imprisoning the sphere in a translucent pillar. But the stone began to rupture, a spiderweb of cracks forming over it. It bought Nerio time, however. As he thought, he gripped his sword hilt and sent the crystal pillar, humming with the energy of the trapped darkness, slowly sinking in layers of rock enveloping it from the ground.


Gathering his thoughts enough to execute a plan cost him valuable seconds, and he was grateful that the Thulemiz had stepped back to recover. He is weakened now... I should strike. But his magic... It will break free in a few seconds, and I cannot fight both simultaneously. The light-eating bulge of splintered crystal in the ground was beginning to shiver dangerously, and the strata of rock that were trying to cover it were crumbling. The Tainted One is spared a blow this round, then... Nerio shifted the movement of the crystal, from downwards to inwards, attempting to crush the searing darkness and feeling it pulse with rebounding energy. The quartz was perilously volatile now, quaking with a menacing hum. Giving a cry, the demigod lashed out with his sword as the ground began to erupt, feeding his own magic into the granite-bound orb of power. His blade met with the spell and the blackness exploded with a shock wave that hurled Nerio over the floor, followed by a burst of green in a black smokey fire crossed with lightning. Struggling to regain his combative stance and clear his vision in time, a new thought revealed itself to Nerio. I cannot destroy his dark powers... I can barely touch them. But he can. The key to his defeat lies in making him overexert himself... As he just did.


Thulemiz was back on his feet the moment the orb exploded, he was sent sliding back a metre or so due to the blast, tearing two small trenches in the earth, but as soon as the brunt of the wave had passed, he took a step forward and disappeared into a cloud of smoke. At that same moment, he began to materialise in a black fog half a metre or so above Nerio, his mace lifted high above him as Nerio regained his balance and got back in to a fighting stance.
"Would you care to share what you are thinking?" he asked with a soft, almost kind voice, before the mace came crashing downwards. Nerio looked up in time to raise his shield, managing to jump away just as the mace made contact with it. The force of the blow sent a ringing sensation up his arm, but he ignored it and focused on Thulemiz, who had now descended, but was not yet quite on the ground. Around his feet were shadows, a writhing black smoke without a fire or source, and this shadow seemed to carry Thulemiz towards Nerio at a terrifying speed.


As he sped towards Nerio, Thulemiz once more raised his free hand, but this time he did not focus on creating a single desstructive spell, instead he sent many small energy orbs, blackened by his corrupted soul, towards Nerio, and he grew ever nearer. Nerio would find himself not just defending again the six or seven small orbs, but against the Tainted One himself.


Nerio cursed in his mind. The black spheres, like their more powerful predecessor, sparked with energy, but also shuddered and buzzed. They were cruder than the original, but their number posed a problem. As the first few outsped the shadow-borne Thulemiz, Nerio lunged and smashed one with his shield, and was taken aback by the recoil of the bursting magic. So they're not so easy to destroy without magic... He was already out of time; the black stars and their creator were nearing too fast. Diving forwards into their midst, the cavern warrior aimed a single slash at Thulemiz, the sword dealing his armoured boot a deep scratch in passing, cleaving through the platform of shadow. Nerio fell head-first into the stone, but it opened to recieve him, closing behind him as he fell. Underneath the arena in his falling bubble of air lay pitch blackness, and he cautiously took a second to breathe before throwing himself upwards and forwards. His little cave spat him out at the other end of his small arena in a glittering eruption of rock and crystal armour.


The Tainted One's magic noticed Nerio's return an instant before he did, his platform of darkness easily regenerated. Turning, a motion of his hand sent the swarming orbs toward Nerio, though the motion was barely necessary. He wants to shift my concentration before he moves, thought the defender. I have to work around that strategy. With a swing of his arm, his iridescent black shield shattered under the will of the demigod, breaking into a multitude of shards. With a flick of his wrist the falling shards hurled themselves forwards at his opponent and his magic, each sphere speared by a cascade of razors, until their rebounding energy was spent and they expanded and burned into sparking smoke. The energy that reached him was slowed enough to be destroyed by his blade. He'll find some way... To use that to his advantage, thought Nerio, but didn't waste time worrying about the black firey smog his counterattack had left behind. This Demigod is fast and strong, but he uses his magic to... Complement his power... I need to upset that balance. There needs to be too much magic, and too little physical strength. Leaving his shield, for the moment, in pieces, he denied Thulemiz speech again, only giving him a taunting smile as he fell backwards into the ground again. His enemy would find a way to smoke him out, he knew, but his mace wouldn't be any help there. He would need magic to strike back.


Thulemiz could still sense Nerio, but he could not see him, that was not a problem however, if this weakling could not fight it out with him in melee combat, then he would just have to destroy him completely, he would exterminate him, make it so that not even his ashes would remain to be buried, or even a speck of dust remain to be mourned. Thulemiz raised his arms up high, calling upon his dark powers, the very action of doing so caused the ground to tremble slightly, as if it too was afraid of the destruction to come. Thulemiz could feel the enrgies welling up within him, he could almost taste them on his tongue, hear their hisses of joy at finally being released.


"Prepare!" he roared, "for the end of days!" and with that he went completely silent, the very air around him seemed to suddenly disappear, the earth he was standing on imploded in on itself, forming a tiny crater where he had been standing. The smoke which had covered his legs returned to the helmet, and around Thulemiz was a strange aura of purity, the purity of death.


A small flame appeared before him, flickering wistfully, as if considering whether it should grow or diminish. It grew. It, however, was no flame, it was something surreal and almost not there, it was a wound, a tear, a terrible sin.
Up high, Vowzra felt a strange thing, something other than himself had torn the fabric of space, his anger at this was great, it was not part of the plan! He manifested himself in a physical form and set to work.


Meanwhile, Thulemiz's spell was underway, the tear in space had grown into a gash, glowing bright, yet dark, colourful, yet bland, it was everythign and nothing all at once, it was nothing short of amazing, unexplainably so. With a sudden movement, he shot his hand into the gash, and all at once he began to glow and his body to shake and he began to feel the pull of the things within. He denied them himself, he would not allow them to feast on him, and so he pulled, he pulled at what he wanted, a thing to destroy not only these cavern people, but everything.
He was suddenly sent flying backwards as his arm finally came out, and in it was a strange thing, like the gash itself, worm-like, colourful and colourless. The tear in the fabric of time shut and the glowing Thulemiz sank to his knees. He felt spent, cmopletely and utterly so, never before had he done such a dangerous and sapping thing, but he had it now, something which he could mould into anything he pleased, he could now create a creature to destroy his foe and all those who came after him, he just needed a few minutes, just a few minutes to get his strength back.


Of the imploding earth, only a sudden, small rumble echoed to Nerio's bubble of air below the surface. Nerio braced himself, the dark stone around him ready to move at a thought to defend him, but no great shadowy explosion threatened him, and no sphere of darkness pierced the ground in search of him. He attuned himself to the every tiny vibration of the rock, but couldn't sense anything worth noting. Has he caught on to my plan already? Nerio thought briefly, and decided to ascend, even though he knew- Or thought he knew -That Thulemiz lay in wait above.


Commanding the rock to hurl himself upwards, he emerged from the shattering ground enveloped in a defensive spire of quartz, which exploded spectacularly once he breached the surface. Chunks and shards of crystal went flying, and Nerio moved to charge at the armoured figure of the Tainted One, all in the space of barely a few seconds, but the crystals hurtling towards Thulemiz stopped abruptly when the High Priest noticed his position. What..? Why..? Nerio assumed divine intervention, but there was no quarrel going on above. Achozaal still watched as a scorpion-newt silently, and Veztec still gazed from behind his mask. Is this some new treachery? Did he feign weakness to lure me here? There was something odd in his enemy's armoured hand. It didn't move, as such... But something about it was shifting. Filled with dread, Nerio approached Thulemiz's exhausted form cautiously, the shards of his shield quivering and returning to his arm in a mishapen replica of the original. He raised his sword, and stepped even closer. There was a thick cloud of smoke surrounding Thulemiz's face. Remembering the effect the sickly bluish-green glow of his poisonous sword had had on the earlier platform of smoke, Nerio raised his blade and moved it close, almost touching, the Tainted One's face. He was exhausted, more exhausted than Nerio had ever seen a man... But... Was that twitch a satisfied smile on Thulemiz's face?


Overcome with sudden rage at his enemy, the man, the demigod, the corrupted thing that had tried to break his people, Nerio emitted a cry and swung his sword upwards with such fury that it knocked the intimidating black helm from Thulemiz's face. The fallen pieces of quartz hurled themselves crazily at the volcanic metal armour, rebounding with dull clangs, and a pillar of rock threw Thulemiz upwards where he met with a bash from Nerio's hastily reconstructed shield on the fall. The oddly... Broken... Thing that the Tainted One held was not released, however. Nerio lowered his sword close to his enemy's face. Whatever he destroyed now, the first aggressive move he made would be his doom. Nerio felt himself dangerously close to killing Thulemiz... The glow of his sword shadowed the features of his face, but the High Priest restrained himself. He wanted to know, he wanted to know why Thulemiz had tired himself so, and his angry curiousity held his rage back, for the moment.


The Goblins were eager for blood, however. They had been denied a true battle's end, and they were spectating the duel with grim anxiety. Slowly one of the Shaman on the Hobgoblin Council began to beat the end of his ruby-crowned staff on the stone floor, and the army slowly followed, rattling axes, clanging scimitars onto shields, stamping feet. They wanted the end, and a chant began to rise. "Kill... Kill... Kill..." Nerio made no move, however. A strange aura of... Distortion... Was emanating from Thulemiz, staying his hand with curiousity and fear.


Thulemiz was confused. He felt tired. It was strange, he'd never felt this tired before, his dark powers had always risen up and fueled him onward, but they were not doing so now, in fact, he could not even sense them anymore. A slight sense of fear began to rise up in him, and when Nerio's furious attack hit him he could do nothing, when his great helm had been knocked off and his pale white face and hair were revealed, he could do nothing, when he lay on his back, the swor of his foe staring him in the face, he could do nothing. Fear began to grow in him, not fear of Nerio, although he was very aware of the physical danger he was in, it was a fear of what he felt rising up within him, this was not darkness, this was not the cunning whispers of a thousand and one demonic souls, this was not the power which made him what he was, no, within him was rising a searing pain, a flood of light, a fire, a flame, so hot as to burn the darkness. He couldn't scream, not a word could he utter, not a breath could he take, he just lay there staring the sword of death in the face, feeling the death of his darkness from within.


Thulemiz! a voice resonated within him, a voice with power beyond anything he'd felt before, not because it was so great, but because such power had never emanated from within him before, such a searing power of light.
I am come again! the voice was much closer now, it felt like it was not only within his chest, but within his mind. The Tainted One began to shake, thrashing and screaming, now completely oblivious of the sword pointed at him. Around him, the dark aura began to ripple outwards, grow into a large shadow above, and int the same way, a strange iridescent fog of sorts began to seep out of Thulemiz, rising up, as if to combat the shadows. Zerabil had returned, and with him he brought the will of Vowzra.


Thulemiz suddenly froze, his eyes open wide, his mouth agape. For a few seconds he looked as if he was about to release a roar of rage, but he did nothing of the sort, his body began to change, the white hair slowing dying itself a blood red, the pale skin becoming darker, olive, and his eyes became a rich green and grey. He took a deep breath, and all the iridescent fog flooded inwards, entering him through every pore. The darkness had long disappeared along with the Tainted One.
Zerabil finally saw the sword, Nerio was clearly confused, he was not sure as to what had just occured, but one thing was quite clear, where once a dark and revolting aura had surrounded his foe, there was now nothing, or perhaps there was something but not one to be felt by any creature, man or god.


"Stay your sword good fellow, I mean you no harm" Zerabil's green-grey eyes caught Nerio's, his voice was very different from that of Thulemiz, not so deep or ethereal, or so laced in the darker powers, no, this was a human voice, created by a human throat, spoken by a human tongue, from a very human man. Within his armoured hand, he still held the strange, otherworldy light, it was not writhing or struggling as it had when Thulemiz held it, in fact, it seemed to be slowly wrapping itself around the armoured hand. Zerabil continued to look at Nerio, and finally he heard the chants of the audience. They wanted to kill him. Zerabil smiled slightly.
"Kill me now, good sir, or forever stay your hand"


Nerio wanted to go through with the former option. He had seen a reversal here, he had observed with his own eyes, clearly, the alteration from tainted to pure... He knew, he could feel it as another demigod, that the divine domain of this thing-This man- had changed. No longer the Tainted One. Nerio knew he had no right to kill a stranger, a stranger as this man before him was... But his anger still boiled inside him. That face was human now, but it was the same face that just a few seconds ago he had wanted to kill. He would not deny the Goblins their prey. Raising his sword, he swung it down with great force; not expecting the intervention of his own god.


Achozaal waved a scorpion's limb, and the sword came to a halt, the motion of Nerio's swing lost, his arm frozen in a raised position. The vast chamber was silent now. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. "Veztec," he spoke at last in his echoing voice. "Thy stolen champion hath been cleansed of thy curse. Thou hath called away thy wraiths. Leaveth now my domain. Thy fool's blunder in striking ye lands of an other god hath been rewarded with loss. Thou hath not a place here." His voice lowered, and his next words were for both Veztec and Nerio. "This duel doth be over."


Nerio felt the restraining force recede from his arm, but did not continue his attack. The focus was now on the gods. His sword fell from his grip, followed by his shield; He had restrained his weakness, but the battle was over. His armour suddenly felt too heavy to lift, and he sank to a kneeling position. For the first time since the start of the battle, he spoke. "Who... Are you?" He asked while trying to regain his breath."You're not Veztec's child. You're not the Tainted One. Who, then?"


Zerabil slowly rose to his feet, taking in his first breath, a breath of new life. His head tilted up slowly, his starry eyes did not see the ceiling of earth above, it saw right through it, to the great spaces above, to the domain his only master, his only true love.
"I am the child of Time and Space, of Zera and Seradil, I am the student of the Father Tree, of Orbarlo, I am the son of Vowzra, I am Zerabil, and I am come upon this world once more, I am come with the will of the past, the present and the futures" with that, he raised his hands upwards towards the heavens only he could see, and Vowzra reached back, reached back for his child. Zerabil slowly rose from the ground, his eyes closed, and slowly he began to fade into nothingness, within him was a deep desire to be somewhere else. Within him was the desire to journey far, to journey to the pillar which was Orbarlo, the Father Streat.


"I go, I go" he murmured to himself, and Zerabil, the child of Vowzra, disappeared.

2 Might to return Zerabil and enhance his powers to levels beyond that of Thulemiz
1 Free Act to teleport Zerabil to Orbarlo
4 Might and 2 Free Acts Remaining

[Frettzo]

Level 3 Goddess of Magic - Astarte - 3 Might

She watched and listened as the God of Fantasy and Parda spoke. She didn't have much to say until they mentioned a Shadow being, making her perk up noticeably. "Shadow Lydia? Well, my children may be able to help vanquishing such a foul creature. They'll need to recover first, though. As you can see, the Alkhar live to vanquish evil. We can prepare if given enough time. It would be faster if one of our brothers or sisters helped the Alkhar to recover and strengthen themselves." Astarte explained, standing straight and proud, speaking with an air of authority, confidence and calm, while she ad a soft smile on her face.

"We give you that option, otherwise you'll have to give us more information about these creatures, these god eaters."