The temple around the 12th node held the council chambers of Eunomia, the blossoming city that surrounded it. In this room well dressed men and women crowded round a large rectangular table covered in crude maps and reports regarding their city, the 12th realm, and the lands beyond. From here they drafted decrees, proclamations and requests that reached far and wide and were addressed to gods and mortals alike.
It was not these affairs that concerned them today. No it was the empty chair among their mists. It was a stylish chair, but no more so than any of the rest. It's only prominence was its place at the table’s head, and the fact that despite the fact that she was standing in for its owner, the horned priest Annie did not take Xavior’s seat as she argued with several of the council members over her god’s absence.
“This is absurd. It has been three days!” Argus, a muscled man who represented lumbering and quarrying settlements around stone lake, was saying “Three days since he last appeared. A period of isolation is understandable, I’m sure, when faced with such a betrayal but it has been long enough! The people are disquieted by the events around Monica’s brief visit and especially the idea that she and he are to be enemies! Now is not a time for uncertainty, or hiding behind closed doors, it is a time for clear communication and action!”
There was a murmur of agreement from around the table. All were concerned by the god’s absence when he had been so integral and engaged in their affairs since they had arrived at the 12th node.
“You want action, yet aren't you all empowered to act in his name? Don’t you have influence and support to enact action yourselves?” Annie retorted, standing firm and with a hand place on the back of Xavior’s chair as she spoke
“We are the voices of the people, and we can speak for and direct them, yes, but this is an issue of the gods”
“Yesterday you directed a missive to Brey, a god, didn’t you?” Annie replied with a smile
“A matter of trade. Not this game of gods. What, exactly, does Monica being our resident devine’s foe mean? Should we expect to be invaded by swarms of her broken realm’s insects? To stand aside as they engage in a duel to the death and then bow to her mad will should she win? If he matches out and a god comes here are we to stand in their way and be slaughtered or stand aside and allow our fates to be dictated by others? We don’t know the rules, or the moves we can and should make, yet we are all parts of the game anyway, blind without his wisdom”
“We have been told all of what Monica said before she departed, so we are just as in the dark as to her true intentions as Xavior is” the disciple replied “As for what we should do should a god come, I’m sure he would say that is all down to us to make our own choices”
“You’re sure are you? Well now, that is the problem isn't it. His silence means we can only assume what he would say, let alone what is even possible. Can we even stand up to a god? Beings who defy chaos and fly though the air faster than any Tonnikala? Without him that is a question we can only answer with a deadly gamble” the hard man replied leaning across the table
“Patience, I am completely sure our god has just shut himself away to think long and hard on the issue facing us. He will return to us with grace and order soon enough” Annie replied calmly in the face of the angry man, keeping control on her urge to just punch him for the sake of her god’s appearance. Then a few moments later the door to the room slammed open and Xavior stamped into the room.
Smoke wafted off of the god, as he tossed the message he had moments ago received from Benea via a glowing mote, which had caused the still fuming rage, onto the central table without comment.
As the counselors shouted questions and read the message (which led to more questions) Xavior ignored them all and instead took a shocked Annie’s hand and asked “My first and most loyal disciple. I have boon and burden both for you, if you will have them”
“I… or course. What is it you need from me?”
“I need you to follow me, and then I need you to burn bright”
The god led his disciple, and more or less the entire council despite having not invited them, out of the temple.
“I have been complacent. If gods are to declare me an enemy, if they are to go mad with power or detain others on false pretenses, if they are willing to so casually toss aside their words regarding our first pack and ask me to do the same, then I cannot sit idle in this land. Yet neither can I trust nor even ask people to use bow and spear and mundane morality against insane gods. So. Power. We need power, and power beyond just what my hands can produce”
He explained as he sent ahead orders. Orders which meant that when they reached their destination (which the humans found it to be the city’s main lumber store, where wood from the wolf woods had been floated downriver and then stashed in the open air to be allowed to dry) they found it had had several hearts of goats herded into it.
“What is power really but energy conveyed over time. We can produce energy, so all we need to do is put it into a mortal” He explained, vaguely, before asking Annie to step forwards into a circle of metal runes he created on the ground at the center of the lumber store with a flick of a finger
“What kind of energy?” she asked even as she complied and stood at the ready.
“In its simplest and purest form” the god replied as he snapped his fingers and formed a single glowing mote on the tip of his index finger “fire”
The lumber store burned, the roar of the flames that could be seen from miles around joined by the screaming of goats as they burned in the inferno. Over this cacophony Argus raged at the eerily calm god within whose eyes a reflection of the flames danced and played “The work from hundreds of people went into all that! Good honest working people. And you're reducing it to ashes!”
“I will pay for every splinter, I assure you, and besides. I’m sure you will agree it is worth it when you see it”
“See what? All I’m seeing is a colossal waste of time and money!”
“This” the god said, as the blaze intensified a thousandfold for a few moments as everything inside burned all at once, producing for just a heartbeat enough power to rival a sun. Yet the energy did not burst outwards and neither light nor heat flashed forth to incinerate the city. Instead it all swirled inwards to a hungering void, a blackhole that devoured the energy and then just as soon as the feeding had begun the flames died and all that was left was ash, and the first of demon kind.
While Xavior grinned Argus gasped as he looked up. And up. At a towering woman twice his height. Amazonian muscles bulged under blue skin as great draconic wings furled out on either side of the giant, who looked down with amber slitted eyes sat beneath a crown of horns.
Annie blinked, her vision returning after it had been scoured by the blinding inferno around her. She looked down at her arms for a moment, examining them and the slight claws that had formed at their ends. Then she flexed and it felt right. She glanced behind herself and found wings and a long slender tail ending in a spade like tip. Grinned. And then with a single flap took to the skies, kicking up a storm of ash in her departure.
The demoness flow higher and higher, soaring up impossibly on her new wings. She swooped, soared, laughing at the freedom and then a few minutes later slammed back down among the ashes before the amazed mortals, a struggling horse sized Tonnikala, those absurd flying fish the god had wrought on a whim, struggling under her arm.
She would be the first in the world to find what one tasted like, and that was only the beginning of the impact Xavior’s reckless innovation would have. As the first demon laughed and invited her god to join her for dinner the council members, voices of the people, first among equals, looked up and saw one of their kind who now was far beyond them.
And it worried them greatly
My Dear Xavior,
The most awful of things have kept me from delivering upon my promise, but don’t fret — as soon as I can, I will be gifting you permissions in Node 6. To quickly recap, things didn't go as planned in Node 11, but I’m sure our sweet Monica can clue you in more than I can.
More urgently, my talks with Tsunya were splendid and she is as close to me as you, however my talks with Anak’thas were less than splendid. You see, an infection has seemed to have tainted his mind. What was once an upstanding fellow of order backing you and I up at the central node has become a bit of an addict of the power of the nodes. He isn’t in his right mind, dear, and so threatened the stability we are trying to build.
Naturally I detained him until I can see him cured of his sudden madness. In the meantime, I think it would be naturally prudent for us to assume that the madness might worsen and so I am taking direct control over node 14 until we can reassign it. Mirroring that, I think you should consider reinforcing Dzallitsunya as she occupies Node 13 or perhaps even think about securing the neutral node 18 just in case. Node 12 is a cradle of our civilization, but I know it is in good hands.
(Delivered a few days after the first demon is made. The document is stamped with a wax seal that emanates with Xavior’s power)
Greetings, wise and divine Brey and the people of the 22th realm
In the name of Xavior, the council of Eunomia wishes to propose a mutually beneficial trade deal. Our divine patron has furnished us with many technologies which we understand that you lack. The delegation bearing this message has brought with them numerous examples of this. Tools made from alloys stronger than common copper, soaps which can be used for cleaning, rope for securing things, as well as the ship and then carts upon which these goods have been furnished to your location.
Should these be of interest, we can supply both more of the goods themselves, and instructors and manuals on how to produce these objects. What we request in exchange is access to your lessons, as well as your libraries and permission to acquire and/or produce copies of the tomes within. We would also be interested, with your permission, to seek the employment and emigration of some of your brighter students to form a second school of magic in our proud city.
Should this be of interest the holder of this document is empowered to negotiate the specifics of the arrangement on our behalf, and on the behalf of our god.
We hope this is the beginning of a fruitful relationship between our two peoples
Yours sincerely
The council of Eunomia
Xavior ends a 3 day isolation caused by his spat with Monica when Benea’s message arrives. With a (self declared) enemy and muddy circumstances in the north Xavior takes a radical and unadvised move and proceeds to burn his city’s lumber stores and several herds of goats in-order to use the fire to empower his fist follower, Annie, into the first demon.
She, a amazonian winged titan, uses her newfound power to catch a flying fish, and then invites Xavior eat it for dinner while the city council worries about how this will affect society™
While he was sulking, said council sent Brey a message offering a trade deal of bronze age tech for magic lessons and books
4/8
4mp - create demonic ascension:
Demons are enhanced humans, empowered by a ritual that uses up an external fuel source, which are stronger, faster and more magical than common mortals.
The fuel for the ritual comes from physical sources of energy which are burned in the process of empowering the mortal. The most basic source of energy is simple burnable objects, such as wood or coal, but other sources of energy will also produce energy. Food, for example, is a source of power that can be used who’s power can outweigh its flammability due to the compatibility with mortal, as can magical artifacts or materials even if they would not normally burn. Living things that are alive at the point of incineration are far better than dead matter (a grove of trees is worth several times more than the pile of logs it would produce, for example), with beings with inherent supernatural energies, such as magical humans, other demons and servants of gods being the best fuel source (though obviously ones that have the obvious ethical consequences/drawbacks).
Xavier and his disciples are, of course, the intended ritual wielders, but any gods or mortals can perform the ritual should they learn it. The main exception is that a person cannot both be the caster and subject of the ritual, requiring a willing patron or loyal servant (or servants) to perform the empowerment.
Not all demons are made equal, or have been raised to equal power. Instead the power of a demon is based on how much power has been pumped into them (a volume that can be added to subsequently by further rituals) and more specifically into which aspect that power has been pumped to.
A demon has 3 core aspects that can be improved. Might, agility, and magic.
The simplest enhancement is pure bulk. Demons can be enhanced with stronger, denser muscles. They can also be enhanced with raw size. A demon can be a tightly packed powerhouse, or a hulking ogre who can smash lesser foes aside through sheer size. They may also become more bestial in nature, gaining claws, hooves, sharp fangs, a tail, etc.
Agility comes in the form of tails and wings. Flight is, of course, the pinnacle of what these can achieve, but even smaller, weaker wings can still increase a demon’s speed and maneuverability.
Finally magic, which is all in the horns. The bigger, longer, and more complex a Demon’s horns, the more magical power they can store within them, allowing them to cast more and/or stronger sorcery than an unaugment mortal.
The appearance of a demon depends on their patron (consciously and unconsciously). Xavior’s are, of course, classical demons with red skin, curved horns, bat wings and spade tails. Demons made by Monica, however, might have luminescent skin, angelic wings and halos that function as horns. Vatarr’s could be skull-headed. Tael’s raven winged. Eleanna’s far more bestial. Etc.
A human raised demon would reflect the human’s intent, beliefs, personality, etc. but those who are truly unsigned might appear as paragons of humanity with as little deviation from that as possible, merely heavily muscled with hair as a horn stand in and a cape acting in place of wings.
Demons can reproduce with humans without any issue (other than perhaps, size difference), but their offspring will generally only have superficial demonic aspects: small horns and an unusual skin coloration are the most common.
Minda held a crude barb of metal formed from a ripped apart railing against her chest with both hands and filled it with lightning. Once charged she tossed it up and caught it with her shadowhand before using that mighty mit to hurl the improvised javelin forth at her foe. The wind caught the projectile and blew it back even faster until it stuck home and crumpled uselessly against the massive armored wall that was Red Eye’s head. Then a bolt of lightning hammered down into the improvised spear and blasted the titan with enough power to maybe irritate it a bit. The equivalent of a static shock’s worth perhaps.
Still. At least she was doing something, unlike many of the others. Though that could perhaps be more attributed to the ancient artifact on her head having prevented her brains from being scrambled from the blast than by any kind of lollygagging on behalf of the others.
That didn’t stop her from yelling about it to the others though.
”Please please please tell me you are back in the game and have a plan back there!” she demanded to know as she ripped apart another part of the train for ammo. She was not entirely impressed by what she heard about what their plan was.
”Hollow Heights! Are you out of your mind? What is the plan to lose half the people onboard to the winds again!” Midna demanded to know as she hefted an entire deck-plate into her shadow hand, charged it with yet more power, and then prepared to heft it at the worryingly close worm.
She didn't get the chance to finish her toss however, because she instead had to throw herself flat to avoid being decapitated by the gunbarrel of the train swinging around at lightning speed, leaving the deck-plate to fall behind the train and into the sand below.
”Goddesses. Watch where you're swinging that thing you idiots!” she shouted as she picked herself up, only to be presented with the sight of Red Eye’s gaping maw bearing down on them, mere moments away from turning them into worm-food.
”Oh. Fuck”
It was all out of her hands at that point, though that did not mean she did not try. Lighting scorched the insides of Red Eye’s mouth just as useless as it had the outside, but in the end they were saved twice by dragonfire. First from the heroic sacrifice of Robin, who’s last gift was the knowledge of a final smash and the few moments of time they needed for the second burst of dragonfire to save them, the cannon roaring one final time as it near obliterated the titanic wyrm.
But not quite.
Two sources of dragonfire died, and yet neither where the end of the beast.
Robin turned to light rather than ash, a strangeness they had no time to reflect upon as the bridge holding them above the wind filled chasm fell away from them and sent the train crashing down to its demise along with it.
Yet they did not join it. Instead the heroes were blasted skywards by the winds, and out of consciousness by the g-forces involved.
Up there, Midna shook herself awake, and then slipped a finger beneath her mask to wipe away the mist from her eyes. The mask slipped back in place, and she put aside another death that could be laid at her feet to focus on the present.
They were falling to their doom, and yet despite that the damn worm would not stop trying to kill them. Even blasted to bits and impaled on a dozen beams of steel it still had the energy to vomit up a massive swarm of fliers to try and stop them from putting out of its misery.
To her left, she saw Jesse preparing the mother of all firebombs to end the titan, but that wasn't going to matter if it couldn't get there.
”Alright. Fly swatting time it is” she said to herself as she opened portals and drew out her blades. She held the smallest knife in her shield hand, the larger one in her free hand, and then the longsword in her shadow hand. All three she crossed before her heart and infused with Urbosa’s power as she fell.
Finally, she summoned her Vibrava, had it grip her backpack to act like her own set of wings, and used those wings to dive down towards the swarm ahead of the fire bottle, blades bared.
”Clear the way, coming through!” she shouted as she opened a portal before her and hurled her shadow Mimic down at the swarm, the chest hanging wide open as it devoured a score of Trilid before it had to return home. She followed this up with a cartwheeling wolfos that smashed through the swarm and finally a barrage of Chilfos spears flew down as she charged up one more attack.
And then they were upon her.
Or rather, she was upon them.
Midna spun in the air, avoiding the pack leader and slashing a long knife along its length and stabbed another in the head with her small knife before being surrounded by the swarm. Just as intended. She released the dark energy zone she had created around her just as they were about to overwhelm her. Her Vibrava detached from her back and started scything though the stunned pack with rapid fire disembowelment while the princess fell further and brought her longsword to bear alongside her knives.
She became a whirlwind of blades, hacking and stabbing while screaming at the top of her lungs as the air around her joined in, thunder roaring as each strike of the blade sent lightning arcing through the swarm, frying the bugs that came to kill her like the bug zapper of the goddesses.
And then all to soon the wells of power ran dry and the storm of lighting ceased, while the storm of Trilid kept coming. Still she fought, but without the lighting there was nothing to clear the air between swings. A Trilid clipped Midna on the side, sending her blood swirling into the wind as the princess fell the other way, was rammed by a second and then a third narrowly missed her as her Vibrava swooped down and snatched her up and the two turned to fee the swarm instead if fight it, the beleaguered princess trailing vital fluids and a flock of vengeful Trilid in her wake as she sped to one side of the swarm.
Kamek poked the stone platform that had apparently swallowed Link and forced him to fight a gang of dog eared girls with the end of her broom while standing well away from it. Then she sent a shadow clone to wander over it. After that she braved the circle herself. Peered at it. Poked it some more. Gave it a quick sweep to see if that would uncover any hidden runes or something. Then she shot it with a spell for good measure and finally gave up.
”Well then. This is a bust” the mage admitted, right before Rika leaned over her shoulder and asked “What you doing?” which gave her quite the start, the mage twirling around to face the ship girl in a moment of panic.
”Ah my stars! Rika? You snuck up on me!” she accused the former abyssal who simply cocked her head and insisted she had not “I’m just light-footed on the water” she explained, before reiterating her question
”Well I was investigating… ah it does not matter it's a dead end anyway” she replied and then turned the question around on Rika to change the subject ”What have you been up too? I haven’t seen you in a while”
“Me? Oh I’ve been sailing around. It’s nice to be back on the water and not be in danger while I’m at it” she explained “plus I’ve been checking out all the neat stuff there is in the ocean”
”Oh? Such as?” Kamek asked mostly to make conversation as she remounted her broom.
“Lots of colorful fish, and coral oh and there’s this shipwreck with food walking around in it. I didn’t know that was where food came from. Seems kinda weird to be honest” she said, which raised the mages eyebrow. This she had to see, so soon enough they had scooted along the beach to see the food based bugs who made their home in and around the shipwreck.
“Weird aren't they?” Rika said as the bugs mostly scurried away from her loudness
”Somewhat, yes” Kamek agreed as she landed on the beach next to the shipgirl, before sending a Toadie swooping off to snatch up a kiwi looking one, which came complete with a large spoon for a nose. It struggled in the propeller minion’s grip as the mage poked it with her wand.
”Well it’s certainly a novelty… you can't speak can you?” she asked the bug, and only received some pokemon-like calls of “Kwee Kweeble” from it in response ”Seems not. You can never be too careful, you know.” she explained, before having the minion put it down again, at which point it fled to go hide in a nearby fallen log.
“Wanna see if there's anything else neat around?” Rika asked, to which she got a shrug and a ”Why not, I could do with stretching these old bones for a bit” from the mage.
As the pair began their search, they managed to turn up no shortage of unusual things. Their shared interest in ambulatory food had brought them to quite the interesting section of beach, a little south and around a leftward bend from the Kanzuki Estate. With no manmade structures to be seen other than that rather aesthetic shipwreck resting on the shore, the igneous rocky outcroppings forming natural walls and wealth of different Bugsnax to be found, made the cove seem more like a nature preserve than part of a resort. Kamek and Rika could watch a Snaquiri leap from the water to float using its umbrella, or Crapples fighting over morsels of food that had washed ashore. When they passed by palm trees they could see crowds of Snakpods just hanging there like bagworms. It wasn’t all fun and games, though; channels of lava oozed gently down the beach from within caves in the porous rock, and irksome Grapeskeetos buzzed around the ladies in a feeble but annoying campaign to drain their juices.
Most interesting of all, Kamek and Rika realized during their tour of Boiling Bay that they weren’t alone. While tourists and beachgoers seemed to give the place a respectful birth on account of its weird and wonderful creatures, a lone Grumpus traipsed around the cove busily, using a trap to gather Bugsnax one at a time. If lucky enough to catch one, the purple-furred stranger went right back to the shipwreck. A better look at the place revealed the presence of a number of tables laden with hastily-scribbled notes and scientific instruments, as well as cages for the critters and some other bits of furniture. Said better look also led to the bizarre discovery that the stranger’s left lower leg appeared to be composed entirely of strawberries, but if the unusual limb troubled the Grumpus at all, they certainly gave no sign of it.
Kamek took the strawberry leg for a strangely localized fusion and that was enough to pique his interest, though the discovery that she seemed to be a fellow academic also had a part of it. Of course, such types were not normally the ones who liked to be interrupted, which could prove a problem to her information gathering. As such, when she politely rapped on the closest thing she could find to a door on the ship with her wand she had with her the same very unfortunate kweeble. Or rather Rika did, carrying the panicked thing under one arm
”Excuse me for interrupting, but you seemed to be someone in the know about these strange creatures? Would you be able to enlighten me about their nature and what you are studying about them?” she called out with polite interest.
Floofty gave Kamek an irritated glance, although a little respect and the possibility of free Bugsnax as a peace offering meant that they couldn’t be too bothered. “Hmph! I should certainly hope so,” they grouched, slapping shut the door on a freshly-caught Strabby’s cage. The Grumpus reached out a paw to request the Kweeble. “How refreshing it is to meet someone helpful for a change. Here, I’ll take that. Curious about Bugsnax, are we? Keep whatever wits you have about you and don’t touch anything without my say-so, and we’ll get along just famously, I’m sure.” After they stuffed the living kiwi in a birdcage, with its spoon nose poking through the openings, the Grumpus crossed their arms behind their back. “Floofty Fizzlebean, Gastroentomologist. If that’s too many syllables for you, just know that it means yes, I most certainly can ‘enlighten’ you about Bugsnax. I’m studying them to better understand, and control, the process of snakification.”
”Oh I wouldn’t dare” Kamek replied to the insistence she not touch anything, before giving Rika a ‘that goes for you too’ glance after the ship girl had handed over the Bugsnax to the Gastroentomologist. A word both wisely decided not to embarrass themselves failing to pronounce correctly.
”Pleasure to meet you, Floofty. I am Kamek, a humble mage, and this is my companion, Rika” the koopa introduced them to her as they both looked around the rest of the shipwreck of a home.
“Hi” Rika said with a smile and a wave “Nice place you got here. Very… drift woody!”
Kamek gave her a look and then realized Rika was being more or less genuine with her compliment and tried to move past that as best she could ”Yes… well anyway. What was that process you mentioned? Snakification?” she glanced down at the Grumpus’ mismatching limb and then asked ”Is that what occurred to your leg? If that isn’t a sensitive topic”
“Yeah what is up with that? It's like a super localized fusion? We’ve never seen that before, right Kamek?” Rika added, tactlessly crouching down a little to get a closer look at the strawberry leg.
Floofty nodded to Kamek. “Correct. Snakification is the process by which Grumpus biology is overridden by surrogate biological matter following the consumption of Bugsnax. We are what we eat, as they say.” They lifted their leg and moved it, each of the three strawberries bending and flexing just as a normal limb would. “Owing to the difficulty of getting any help from the dim-witted and trepidatious populace hereabouts, I have been experimenting on myself, hence the leg. Snakification occurs one part at a time, and randomly–until now, that is.”
“Until now?” Rika asked curiously, bulldozing over any of the interim questions Kamek had been about to voice about, for example, the how of that situation, or perhaps more importantly the whys of why you would want to have a food based leg in the first place.
A smug look spread over Floofty’s face. “Ah, tickled your fancy with that one, did I?” They adjusted their bow importantly. “Indeed. For I have created an invention capable of directing Snakification’s transformative power into a specific part. Behold…” Floofty moseyed over to a nearby table and picked up a device that seemed to be made from a fishing rod, then presented it to their guests. “The Snaktivator. It’s all very intricate and complicated, so I’ll put it in words I’m sure everyone can understand.” They opened the a cage and pulled the Bugsnak Rika gave them back out. “Feed me Kweeble. Poke Snaktivator in foot. Foot turns into Kweeble.” Flipping the device around in their hand, they almost offered it to Rika, but thought better of it and handed it to Kamek. “Well? What are you waiting for? The trial has begun.” With that, Floofty stood with their mouth open, and an otherwise unamused expression.
”Are you su-” Kamek began to ask before she realized it was a very pointless question. Of course she was sure. So instead the mage took the device before Rika could, and crouched down next to Floofy’s foot.
“Aw” Rika bemoaned not getting the funny device, but that did not prevent her from picking the Kweeble out of the cage and holding the struggling beast out and, sort of, vaguely handing it towards the Grumpus’ very big mouth.
As Rika hoisted the Bugsnak Kamek had to ask ”So. Forgive my ignorance, but what is the benefit of this, specifically?” even as she stood ready to engage in the experiment.
It went without saying that neither of them had any particular qualms about feeding a living creature to this very reckless scientist. Kamek came from a palace where everything had eyes, and Rika saw no reason not to follow her example in this situation. People probably should have not let her fall in with such dastardly influences.
Rather than reply, Floofty went ahead and ate the Kweeble. The creature got chewed up and swallowed in a matter of moments, leaving Floofty smacking their lips. “Hmm. Terribly sweet,” they mumbled as they glanced down at the extremity Kamek was kind enough to prod with the Snaktivator. Sure enough, the left lower leg suddenly turned into a big kiwi fruit with both ends removed. It just sort of popped in, without any build-up or ceremony. Floofty’s knee disappeared straight into the top as if the missing lower leg was embedded within. “Experiment zero-two, successful,” the Grumpus announced.
They cleared her throat and moved on, as if the matter bore no other significance. “As for your other question, the answer is really quite simple, so I daresay its implications won’t be lost on you. As you see, snakifications ‘remember’ the part that came before, as if imprinted. This allows them to mold to a shape similar to the original. And snakification wears off over time.” Floofty paused as if waiting for their new assistants to start applauding their genius right that instant. “...Which means, even if I were, say, missing a limb, a snakified limb would grow in its place, then revert to the original part over time. It is nothing less than regeneration–of limbs, of organs, of bodies. A discovery that will no doubt rock the world of medicine to its very core, even if…certain people…don’t quite grasp that significance.”
Kamek blinked behind her spectacles a few times and then had to admit ”You’re right, that is remarkable”
Rika scratched her head and then pointed out “Can’t you and Blazeramte already do stuff like that with your magic and her heal beam thing though?”
”Well, yes. But not everyone has a mage as experienced as I or a fancy medical robot, on call. If these can be farmed then you could supply an entire civilization with near perfect wound and disease treatment in an edible form. That would be revolutionary on its own. Plus there are limits to what we can do, limb and organ restoration wise. We haven't exactly had to worry about limb loss yet for example, so I do not know if Blazermate can cover that” Kamek pointed out, before asking a somewhat key question in terms of application for their specific needs (i.e. violence) ”How long does the, ah, snakification normally take to wear off?”
Barbed words for Rika had been on the tip of Floofty’s tongue until Kamek gently explained the importance of their work. The Grumpus settled for looking indignant, as if her time was being wasted, until Kamek posed another question. “That depends on one’s natural healing rate, independent of any outside restorative effects, but it’s typically about a week,” they replied.
”I see” she replied. Much too long for combat healing, but an impressive rate for anything other than that. If they could get some of these to smash city it could be useful for treating long term injuries there. If it worked on non grumpus’ that was.
”I take it you do not know if this works on people who are not of your species yet?” she asked, a touch rhetorically, before adding ”or if there are any of these bugsnax that would provide beneficial properties on top of the transformation…. Hmmm maybe we could even induce useful effects via fusion?” as much as a question as her own musings.
The question took Floofty aback, provoking brows furrowed in indignation. “As if! You must not know what a good scientist looks like. Of course I tested on other species whenever I could get them, and they most certainly do experience similar effects. If you simply cannot visualize such a thing, why not prove me right by trying it for yourself?” Floofty tossed the Snaktivator back to Kamek, treating the device almost as flippantly as their guests. “With my vastly superior two-point-two model nearly complete, I have no further need of version two-point-one. Just let me know if anything interesting happens while you’re playing with it, would you? I’ve got much to do, so if you’ve no further intent to aid me in my research, kindly leave me to it.”
”I meant no offense. I simply assumed based on your mention of not being able to get help earlier, and your reliance on self testing, that you would have not had access to other research subjects as of yet. That was my mistake” Kamek apologized to her even as she stashed away the device in her white mage robes.
“That seemed pretty obvious to me” Rika interjected, having not really liked the woman’s tone from the start.
Kamek’s good manners helped to smooth over the perceived wound. “Ah, fret not. In the end it’s only natural, I suppose. All that really matters is progress.” That said, it would seem that Floofty was serious about getting back to their own business for now. The Grumpus returned to their workstation, where they lifted up their new kiwi leg and laid it on the table before taking hold of a hacksaw. Then Floofty paused, and almost as an afterthought glanced the others’ way. “Run along for now, why don’t you? What comes next might not suit you. Later on, however, I might have need of you again, and I may be able to prepare something for your troubles, as well.”
”We’ll, ah, keep that in mind” Kamek replied. If the dismissal had not made her want to leave the prospect of viewing some self amputation most certainly did. ”Come along now Rika, let us leave Floofty to her work” she said, before swiftly stepping out the door with the ship girl in tow.
“Well that was weird?” Rika said while they were still unwisely close to the self mutilating researcher’s driftwood domicile.
”Nonsense it was fascinating” the mage replied with deliberate loudness before saying far more quietly ”She seemed a few coins short of a 1up yes, but no need to let her know that”
“Oh. Ok then” Rika relpield “Sooooooo. What are you going to do with that thingy then? Because I don't think anyone else would want to turn their leg into food. Right?”
”Probably not, unless they were worried about losing it of course. Which in this line of work does not seem too unlikely unfortunately” Kamek replied, before explaining that: ”What I am really interested in is how this interacts with fusions. As a targeted delivery mechanism perhaps? Maybe it even works on fusions on its own”
“Huh. maybe. So how are you gonna find out?” Rika asked as they strolled along the beach
”Well we’ll just have to try it out and find out now won't we?” the mage replied with a smile
And thus began their own bout of highly ill advised experiments.
On some unfortunate fish.
You have acquired: Snaktivator A device created by the sharp-tongue gastroentomologist, Floofty Fizzlebean. It is capable of directing transformative power from an outside source while the process is still in progress. Its intended purpose was to control the randomness of the snakification process induced by eating Bugsnax and direct the new matter to a specific region of the body for restorative purposes; however, this also applies to fusion. In both cases the change conforms to the target area to an extent, preserving or only slightly modifying iconic traits, although given the relative strength of fusion the changes tends to ‘originate’ and be strongest at the target area rather than confine itself solely to it. If possible the change is analogous; IE, if the host targets an arm, the donor’s arm will apply. While this pertains mostly to appearance, allowing a greater degree of control and customization, it can also affect what Powers and Strengths are gained
Several minutes and a few heavily mutated fish later and Kamek had her answer and it was quite the excellent one.
”Fascinating stuff” Kamek concluded as their experiments wound down, before saying ”Thank you for bringing me here Rika. This little gizmo was well worth the effort and rudeness from its creator” to her research assistant.
“No problem” she replied before suggesting “so… wanna head back?”
”Seems like a good plan, we need to share our discovery after all the mage replied. The two set off a few moments later, arriving just in time to meet up with Bowser, Jr and Jr’s new friend Lana as they were all about to join in with the sandcastle building.
Since the time that the little band Monica had met had set off, the 12th realm had changed once again. Short aqueducts and water wheels dotted its rivers to water and grind its crops, while sturdy bronze plows were drawn by horses are large sail finned lizards, carving furrows into the rich earth. Tall sailed ships with many oars plied the waters, bringing stone, wood, ores and more from the edges of the realm to its center, where the capital and (so far) only city of the realm sat upon the southern bank of a grand lake, beneath the shadow of a volcano on the northern shore.
Smoke billowed from new, better, forges while freshly laid roads bearing just as freshly built carts wove haphazardly among the houses. All of it spiraled inwards to, or rather outwards from, the temple that housed the region’s node. The sprawling complex and its large garden were walled off from the rest of the city by sturdy fortifications who’s gates had never been barred, a steady stream of humans moving in and out through them, the flow lightly managed by bronze armored guards armed with blunt staves and obsidian knives.
Monica soared above, across a clear sky, enjoying the view of all that had been created after she had left however long ago, and attempting to ascertain an appropriate location to alight as she dearly did not wish to disrupt the daily lives of the mortals too much by her presence. She considered her circumstances for another moment, before arriving at the conclusion that perhaps a little celebration was in order, so she chose to descend somewhere in the city that was neither vacant, nor crowded, where she could land with ease. She wanted to greet the locals and spend time with them before she would travel to the gates and visit the temple wherein she hoped she could find Xavior. With a demure demeanor, she approached the first among humanity that was the most nearby and introduced herself with polite words and a soft smile.
Everyone, of course, knew who she was, or as close to as such that the babes and recent arrivals could be excluded as exceptions to the rule. Still, it was one thing to have seen a goddess, it was quite another to meet one in the flesh out of the blue. Their reaction was much the same as the travelers she had met, though in this more comfortable and familiar of environments, there was no latent fear or caution to be found at first. Only amazement, awe, excitement. The only thing bringing the mood down was just a touch of set upon awkwardness from those she first met, which rapidly resolved itself as word spread and the moderately occupied street quickly swelled with crowds as people came to see what all the fuss was about. Soon enough a sea of humanity were clogging the streets and clambering on rooftops to catch a glimpse of the goddess.
Noise swelled and it quickly became quite difficult to hear what anyone was saying or asking due to ambient noise alone until a figure, accompanied by a quartet of bronze clad guards, pushed her way through the crowd “Ok people back it up a little, give the goddess a bit of personal space!” the horned woman with brass skin and dark hair clad in a dark peplos insisted as she got the guards to try and push the greater part of crowd back enough that the goddess would have space to breath.
Once she had a bit of space, the priestess gave a short bow and said, “Greetings goddess Monica. I am Annie, and on behalf of the city and our patron, I welcome you to Eunomia” before standing, smiling warmly and explaining “Xavior sent me to bring you to the temple. Once you're ready to go, that is. If you want a tour, or have anywhere else you’d like to go first, I’d be delighted to show you around”
“I thank you for your very hospitable welcome - this city is such a wonderful place, inhabited by wonderful people. Hmm… I look forward to the opportunity of speaking with many of its denizens, but first I must speak with my brother. Please, lead the way.” Monica quietly answered after an awkward moment of silence had lingered for too long wherein she once again considered her circumstances and contemplated the choices she was given. An evident wistfulness seemed to cast a sunken shade over her shimmering sight; her forlorn and withdrawn gaze which passed over the gathered crowd and cityscape, as though its beauty brought forth reserved sorrow instead of delight. It was difficult to discern truthfully whether Monica wished to explore Eunomia, or hastefully flee from it.
Though the guards had needed to push through the throng of people to reach the lone deity, there was no such need for Monica to take her leave, as something subtle and otherworldly touched upon the minds of all the mortals in the vicinity; an awareness of the world around them beyond the ability of the mundane senses they possessed. An understanding. Instilled with this ephemeral and ethereal cosmic clarity, the comprehensive crowd created an easy path for the procession of guards, the priestess, and the goddess to depart. A physical path easy to traverse lay ahead, but as the sacred energy in the air began to disperse, Monica became more bothered by the spiritual path she saw in her mind: the unknown steps and art of alignment. She hid these steps as she gracefully walked forward and gestured for Annie to take her to Xavior.
The priestess assented without comment and led the way back the way she had come, leading the goddess and her unneeded honor guard through the parting crowd, their little procession smothering the burgeoning celebratory mood as it traveled towards the heart of the city. Physically, wherever it passed, and ahead, as word of this mood reached Xavior and he hastily unorganized the hastily organized reception he had prepared for her.
As such when she swept through the gates and into the temple grounds she found Xavior standing alone on one of the winding garden paths, clad in a flowing dark cloak that left the right of his chest exposed to the air, its edges embroidered with silver and purple patterns. Gold ornamentation had been molded around the outer edges of his horns, creating the semblance of a crown or halo.
The god stepped forwards upon seeing her and, after nodding to dismiss her entourage, greeted her warmly.
“It is good to see you again, though from what I have heard you seem… troubled? Come, walk with me and I will lend you my ear should you wish it. I’m sure we have much to speak of either way” he said, sweeping a hand behind him to the gardens “or if you wish to rest, I will see that you are found a place within these halls post haste.”
“Troubled?” She queried as she slowly strode forth to stand beside him before they began to walk along the paths in a leisurely manner. “I apologize for my morose manner… it was never my intention to appear so, but grim have been my encounters of late. I hope to alleviate your cause for concern though.” She said, attempting another faint facsimile of a smile, as her attention split between the conversation and the sight of the pleasant flora all around. It was easy to distract herself from her dour thoughts with the blissful aroma that wafted over her, yet the longer she delayed, the more her dread continued to creep upon her. With intrusive urgency she switched her gaze back to Xavior and fought to articulate the words that lay heavy upon her heart.
“I… I would like to hear how you have been, brother. It feels like a long time has passed since we have spoken, and this would be the first time we have shared words in such peaceful surroundings. You have created a lovely home.” Monica murmured, hiding the disdain for herself and instead embracing the yearning within her to simply immerse herself in a much more serene moment rather than lamenting that which troubled her so visibly.
The god frowned and pursed his lips with concern for a moment before the expression was wiped away and replaced by a smile that was only slightly put upon. “Most kind of you to say so, though I can hardly take all the credit. Much of this was arranged by a man called Galvin who has quite the knack for the artistic” he said regarding the garden, taking a moment to admire it all over again for himself, before continuing “Mortal hands can create such wonders and beauty, so I like to surround myself with their works as much as I can afford”
“Their existence is ever precious, temporarily ablaze with radiant flames before being extinguished, but burning so bright and alive in the brief time they are given. I think I would like to surround myself with such as well, and attempt to understand them in order to better understand my own nature.” Monica replied, as she sensed the vastness of the immaterial world which separated the immortals from mortality. She found herself bemused by the fact that though she was ageless, she did not stand at the edge of that spectrum, and neither did humanity - both stood relatively far apart, but not at opposite ends. The answers she sought seemed to elude her for now, but she would not remain eternally helpless. She would continue to seek the truth.
“Then… I will encourage mortals to continue creating such beauty in order to bring salvation to the Crucible.” Monica proclaimed, clinging onto the conviction that quietly resonated in her voice. The lingering traces of shade over her eyes vanished, and was replaced with a renewed strength shining similarly to the stars in the night sky. She had been uncertain when she was first born in this world without direction, but now she felt closer to discovering her will, her vision, her purpose. She shut her eyes and walked slowly in silence, no longer adrift as she aimed herself through her hearing and tapping into Sylphrena’s power. Without warning, she walked into Xavior, and mumbled another soft-spoken apology.
“I never meant to disappoint all of you; forgive me for my sins and let me atone. Let me protect this precious world and its people.” She whispered with hope and regret battling for dominance within her. Remnants of her realm; painful memories and a cruel cold manifested around her, as she let her knowledge of Maelite out and offered it to Xavior.
Surprise flashed across the god’s face for half a second, then he shivered and and gasped as the knowledge flowed into him unbidden. He knew desolation and darkness, knew what inhospitable dread the gods could forge through an accident. Of the swarms of hostile alien beings even now skittering across the 12th realm’s north western border.
None of what he learned stopped him from wrapping his arms around her in a comforting hug. and reassured her that “Dear sister, know that you are already forgiven, and that your return is all the repayment I could ever ask for.”
Monica kept her eyes closed as she spoke, barely audible above the whispering wind. “Your mercy and compassion simultaneously both brings comfort and sorrow upon me. I am primarily… pleased to be reunited with you and the rest of the world, however envious thoughts taint me now. I feel fractured still; such divided feelings pulled apart by emotion, lost and afraid. I want your generosity and I want your ostracization. Why would I want to be banished by you, I wonder…” Though she kept her eyes shut while embraced, more manifested upon the pinions of her wide wings, dark and detailed depictions of numerous pairs of unnatural eyes keenly watching both deities as though they were windows for unseen spectators hungry for something strange and sinister to happen to view through.
“I would never” Xavior replied, before reassuring her that “You will always have a home here, trust me in this” despite his clear confusion and discomfort at being the subject of those eyes.
“However, I can understand the weight a debt can have, and you do have one. An obligation to the world and its people to set right what went wrong” it told her, loosening his embrace so that he could look down at her as he said “It would do you as much good as it will the world to repay it, I think.”
“What would you have me do?” She asked, and the eyes upon her wings vanished as her own opened and peered upwards at Xavior. He could not see his own reflection in her silver orbs, rather he was greeted by the sight of Monica herself, fractal and infinite, becoming smaller in scale with every increased amount of repeated iterations. The endless number of her began to drift away, becoming distant until the familiar shape of the map provided by the first node came into view. “Where would you have me go?” She asked, as the silvery map was consumed by prismatic flames and its ashes scattered before being replaced with fathomless shadow and dancing darkness. The echoes of Maelite and its malice reverberated in the haunting void that was her sight, the gruesome cry of vicious conflict coming from within the depths of the goddess. “When will you have me too?” She asked, as she slowly ascended and her abyssal gaze came nearer and nearer, languidly yawning open like the maw of a monster about to feast.
The god was wide eyed for a few long moments as he beheld this, almost transfixed as the hungering void came closer and closer till it was a breath away. Only then did he gently but firmly pushed her back via a firm hand on her shoulder as told her that all he needed was for her to “For you to decide that for yourself”
“I am constrained by choice… yet freed from fate. A shame I cannot linger here for too long. Where there is light, I bring darkness. Where there are shadows, I shall provide illumination. Xavior, forgive me. We are aligned, but I have become your foe. I intend to return to the first node, to find more in need of stabilization afterward. I will provide you with command of one, and open a nexus… should you open a nexus here. Even though there is hatred in my heart for you, there is love as well, and I hope to live long enough to see the beautiful world you and the others create, so will you continue to walk beside me as I continue to walk alongside you?” Monica questioned with obsidian tears trailing down from her glittering eyes that seemed on the verge of shattering, the faint sound of cracks and crevices forming upon her face.
The god started and took a step back, his expression a war of sorrow, anger and betrayal as he asked “You would break your word so easily? You, the only one who really gave it? Sister, please, I beg you to reconsider, or at least say why would you ask me to stand by as this treachery unfolds!”
“If you desire my death, then you know what must be done. I will uphold peace by becoming its foundation, the substance beneath it, the shadow of war. I cannot be healed of my hatred, but I find meaning in setting the path for my own demise. In the end, it is something. Know that I cannot harm you, brother - I would never wish for such, so I must flee from your presence. Will you open a nexus, or will you seek my death so soon?” Monica continued, as wind gathered and lifted her up until she hovered beyond his reach. She was neither resolute, nor uncertain, though it was evident she lamented having to leave as she outstretched her hand and attempted to grasp at something that was not there. She shook her head, ridding herself of the black tears before she inhaled a breath of the fresh air found in this pleasant garden. Back and forth, she shook her head to rid herself of both the fond memories and sorrow she had found here, before she became still and waited for an answer from the horned god.
He looked upon her distraught as his garments fluttered around him in the wind. He covered his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then finally tossed aside his own tears and stood firm as he declared “Whatever madness has gripped you since you formed those misbegotten lands, whatever has driven you to this treachery, know I will have no part in it. I do not know what occurred to you there, but I do know this self destruction is not a solution to it. So I shall not play a part in that either. If what you wanted was my hate, my enmity, know that you do not have it. Only my disappointment and sorrow for the loss of what could have been.”
“If one day should your senses return, I will welcome you back with open arms.” his stern anger softened for just a moment to say, before his expression hardened once more as he finished by saying “For now, however, please get out of my sight. I have a sister to mourn”
“Farewell.” She said, then Monica let the wind carry her away, soaring skyward before beginning her flight south and out of sight. The god watched her go for the longest time, ignoring the questions of the mortals who approached as he watched her go.
The god’s three day seclusion following the betrayal of his sister ended when a green mote arrived and drove the god livid with fury.
In the realm of the 12th Node, civilization continues to peacefully progress as Monica arrives in the capital city and is greeted by a gathering of its denizens. A priestess of Xavior approaches her and leads her to a garden wherein Monica meets with Xavior and they have a conversation. Monica is melancholic and anxious, but Xavior offers to listen to what she has to say. Monica seeks to atone, and Xavior forgives her, but then she explains that they have become enemies and that she will seek out more nodes to claim after returning to the 18th node. She asks that they continue to work together, but her distressing behavior leads him to decline, yet saying he would welcome her return should she cease being strange and confrontational; acting against the pact of peace that they had promised to adhere to. She departs from the city, traveling south to the 18th node.
Xavier + 3 from quiz 4/8 0 expenditure of Might from Monica. She has +3 (quiz) Might remaining.
”come on … come on” Midna prayed as the bomb drew closer and closer, weathering fire as it came, only to cheer loudly when Raiden, aided by Queen Sectonia’s magics, leapt up and sliced the thing into a dozen pieces like a ninja going to town on an over ripe durian.
She was joined in her cheering by her current ride: Braum, who loudly called out “Ha ha! Well done my friend! That was quite some swordplay!” to the cyborg before raising his shield and blocking one of the few fliers that had survived Primrose’s fire burst. The kite-like trilobite and the shield master bounced back from each other from the impact, but before the monster could take back to the skies Midna splatted a shadow-hand down on top of it.
”Got you, you pest!” Midna taunted the thing’s broken form, before curling up a shadow-finger and flicking it off of the train and down into the desert, where it tumbled once, twice, and then burst into ash on the third rough landing.
Then the cannon went off and deafened them both. It of course did worse to Red eye, tearing off a massive chunk of its body with a single strike. It screamed in pain. Probably. Midna’s ears were still ringing even as it shifted round to get behind them again, wisely presenting its armored front rather than its heavily wounded sides to them. It also kept its damn mouth shut when the inevitable hail of fire roared down on its front from the train’s plethora of smaller guns.
Worse than this stubbornness to not expose a convenient weak spot to them was that it was getting closer. Fast.
Braum and Midna had two very different reactions to this. The princess moved to slip off the big man’s shoulder and head down to get some shells before it was too late, only to be grabbed under the arm by Braum who made the very correct call that there was no time for that. He ran along the top the wagon and then leapt into the air just as the titanic worm burst forwards and rammed the armory car. Held backwards under Braum’s non-sheild arm, Midna could only watch in horror as the entirety of their spare ammo disconnected from the train and tumbled backwards into the titan, detonating in a furious explosion.
”Goddesses damn it!” she swore as Braum used his ability to zip to an ally's side to bring them to the, relative, safety of the cannon car ”If only I’d gone down there faster we wouldn't… gaaah!” she wordlessly cursed herself.
The northern warrior set down the seething princess and told her “Ah well. What is done is done. Better to be alive to fight another day than be blown to bits, yes?" along with a reassuring clap on the back.
The princess sighed exasperatedly, nodded, and then added ”Well, guess you don’t owe me a ride anymore at least. Thanks for the rescue,” a touch begrudgingly due to her wounded pride.
“Ahhh, think nothing of it my little royal friend” he reassured her, as they both more or less got out of the way of the people who knew how the cannon worked.
Instead they moved to the back of the train where Braum pelted red eye with frost blasts while Midna cannibalized one of the railings to create crude metal spears which she charged with lightning and then hurled at the beast in a frankly futile attempt to slow it down.
At least they might get an eye or two in the process.
Sweat and cinders on red skin. The heat of the forge. Gifted (and repaid) wisdom drawn from a good woman’s black mark on the world.
In a cluttered workshop surrounding the 12th node, Xavior drew knowledge from the unearthly monolith and forged it into reality with his own two hands. Tool, weapons, armor and more forged from new alloys littered the room, as did other inventions, notably several contraptions with wheels, a set of kites, an umbrella, several types of rope and a bucket full of scented soaps which the god was very much looking forward to using after this hot and sweaty work.
While to the mortals outside would marvel at the innovations that had been piled up over mere hours of divine labor, it was the last and seeming smallest of innovations that Xavior was most proud of.
A small unassuming disk of metal cooling on a stone anvil as the god watched. He waited for just the right moment, before he grabbed it, flicked it up in the air and then caught it on his palm, before lifting a divine seal and stamping the metal with an image of a stylized bust of the god, then flipping it again and stamping the other side and emblazoning it with a rearing goat.
Xavier set down the stamp, and raised his handiwork to the light to examine it
It was a small thing, a simple bronze disk, marked with iconography and empowered with the tiniest mote of his divine essence to prove its authenticity.
It was a simple bronze coin.
And it would change the world.
Money. It didn’t make the world go around, but it did grease its (newly invented) wheels. One of the problems Xavior and his council had been having was that promises and prepayment were all well and good for local commerce, but it was tricky to get people to go out and do things they needed done when most of the wealth and resources of their burgeoning city state was consolidated in, well, the city.
Getting people to go out to do things for the city long term was tricky, and if they did it was hard to keep track of what they were owed for their time. And they needed long term outsiders who were still bound to the city. At a basic resource level they needed stone and metals to be mined, they needed wood to be cut, and they needed the wolves that threatened those operations hunted. It needed to trade with the only loosely affiliated nomads wandering the planes with their goats, for fur and meat, and with villages for their crops.
And that was just what was needed to keep them going, to expand at home. Already eyes were turning further afield and worrying about what they could not see beyond the wolf woods. Everyone at this point knew the rules of the game of gods, but none knew the present state of the board, or that much about the players other than those they had traveled in the company of.
Who knew what they were up to out there?
Both Xavior and his council wanted information out of a mix of healthy paranoia and curiosity. So they wanted to send out scouts. Which had had the same problem as their logistical one, at least until now.
Money. It was easy to ship out, the ability to hold it in your hand was more reliable than mere words, even those of a god, and it was more flexible than barter. Make a deal for money and you could then use it to buy what you wanted when you wanted it, rather than rely on whatever your employer gave you or being paid in goods that rapidly lost their value due to technological advancement.
It could pay miners, warriors, woodcutters and it could also pay people to take part in expeditions beyond the 12th realm. Forward camps could be set up, goods and money could be shipped there and then distributed to pay scouts to go out into the world, find out what was there, and bring the word of Xavior and the 12th realm with them via signed and stamped decrees that made assurances that that was who they represented. They found routes and paths, sniffed out resources, documented flora and fauna, made crude maps, met with people in-order to gossip with them to try and find out what was going on with their local gods Then they came back to camps and got paid for their efforts.
They learned the state of the world and sent a steady trickle of it back to the city. They also unintentionally sent a trickle of people back too, some were lured by stories of plentiful food, others coveted the more advanced belongings of the explorers and yet more simply thought their luck might be better someplace new. They drifted into the realm via the growing settlement on the shore of stone lake, and so the 12th realm grew even as it learned.
Xavior works away in a workshop around the 12th node, making all sorts of bronze age stuff, but the main one is he invents money. Specifically money that has just a touch of his divine spark in it that makes it uncoutnerfittable.
He and his city council then use that to expand their influence beyond the citystate formed around node 12. They start paying people to get them resources, and more impactful for the outside world, they start sending out scouts to work out what the heck everyone else is up to. This also spurs a small immigration movement, gradually boosting the size of the local population.
1 mp used to give monica access to node 12 2 mp used to raise the people of the 12th realm to the bronze age 1 mp used to create a divine seal that infuses any stamp it creates with a touch of Xavior’s essence, guaranteeing the authenticity and legitimacy of any wax seal, coin, etc. on an instinctual level. 1/5 might remaining
”Dazzle, use Icy wind!” Jr commanded his new mon in practice bout vs Lana. The circus seal looking creature, glanced over its shoulder as if to question the validity of this tactic, and then did it anyway, rapidly inflating a bubble of air from its nose, and then once it formed it bouncing it once on its nose and finally rolling over to give it a tail slap to the back, bursting it and sending the icy air inside rushing at the opposing shellder.
It didn’t do too much when it hit.
”Wow. That was kinda weak after that cool set up huh” was Jr’s response to his mon’s move.
“He certainly has a bit of showmanship in him doesn’t he? But yeah, ice don’t do much to water” Lana told him “same as how water is bad against itself” she explained, something Jr had been reminded of a few moments ago, before adding“but if he’s quick enough it’ll give you something to threaten grass types with”
”How about that, do you think you’re quick enough for that Dazzle? Wanna prove it?” jr asked with a grin before commanding ”Then dodge the next shot and then use Disarming Voice”
The mon, who’d been looking a touch judgingly at Mimi (once again sat on Jr’s shoulder) while their trainer got reminded of some of the basics he hadn't had to use till now, suddenly perked up at the opportunity to show off, flipping his gaze round to the shellder. When the next attack came he used his tail to toss himself to the side, doing an overhead tumble of a dodge roll before launching himself into the air with a flick of his tailfin, before puffing up a water bubble from his nose while airborne, which he then landed on.
It acted a bit like a trampoline before bursting, tossing him even higher into the air and at an unpredictable angle, letting him dodge a follow up attack. While he soared, he took a singer’s pose, placing one flipper to his chest while the other was outstretched to his side, and belted out a beam of heart shaped sound waves which hammered into the shellder, making it teary eyed before it swooned from the emotional damage.
He did so while upside down, before inflating another water bubble and using it to cushion his landing, bouncing one more time off of it and the plopping down on the sand, at which point Lana and Mimi gave him a little round of applause while Jr didn't know whether to be amazed at the feat of acrobatics or appalled that his mon had such a cutsie attack.
Rather than being able to make up his mind he was interrupted by unwanted attention.
“Well hey, looks like you caught yourself one more pokemon for your team” came the taunting words of the same ace trainer who’d wiped the floor with Mimi only half an hour ago, who sauntered over and asked “Fancy a rematch?”
”Sure thing” Jr replied with an overconfident grin, which got Dazzle looking slightly nervous, and even more so when the ace sent out a hulking yettie with a “go, abomasnow!”
“So, which one of yours is going first?” the ace asked cockily, to which Jr smirked and then cupped his hands around his mouth and called out ”Daaaaaad!”
A little way away the king was awoken from his food coma daydreaming about peach’s cake by the call. He shook his head and then arose inorder to stomp over in a hurry, getting a quick lay of the situation as he arrived.
”This the jerk that was bothering you earlier” he asked, and got him a nod from his son. Then he turned back to look at the ace trainer, ”All right, you wanna fight my kid's monsters?” a wicked thought grin on his lips as he curled a claw and dark power surged into him, enlarging the beach fun sized Bowser into the hulking King of fatherly vengeance ”THEN BRING IT!”
“What?” the ace stunned replied, right before Bowser socked his equally bewildered abomasnow in the face.
One sweep that resulted in a pile of fainted hulking mon and a thoroughly humiliated ace trainer later, Bowser strolled away from his victory while dusting off his hands, the two kids ht on his heels.
”Way to go dad. You showed him good” jr cheered on his dad while an relieved and impressed Dazzle shimmied after him through the sand.
“That was amazing! How’d you get so good at fighting” Lana had to ask.
”All natural talent kid” Bowser insisted cockily, before adding ”But that’s enough fighting for me for one day. This is supposed to be a vacation after all. That goes for you two too”
”Awwww. But I need to practice if I’m gonna get as strong as you tho dad!” Jr griped
”and I’m proud of your efforts, but you can pace yourself yeah?” Bowser replied, giving the boy’s hair a ruffle as they walked, and then before the boy got a bit dejected suggested ”Hey so I saw something that you might think is a way down the beach, how about we check it out?”
A little bit of cajoling later and the king was proven right as the kids waded into the foam dance party along with their pokemon where energetic music played and collectively danced their tushies and tails off. If Dazzle had been a touch dubious about his new trainer before, then not having to fight the ace plus this bubbly fun definitely warmed him to the notion more than any pokeball could, the Popplio frolicking through the bubbles, adding his own to the mix and laying down some sweet moves while he was at, and generally having a riot of a time.
As for Bowser, he joined in for one specific jam but for the most part he hung back and just kept an eye on the pair. He really was all out of fighting today, and with any luck this bit of fun would wear his kid out enough that he’d not have to worry about him getting into any more trouble.
The young man burst from the tree line, blood slick on his pale skin, sweat slick on his equally pale long flowing hair, his well toned muscles stringing as he fled. Behind him, the howling of wolves echoed through the woods.
Before him now were wonders that had been hidden by the canopy of the wolf woods. High, high above in the drifted gentle titans, pale blue sky whales sifting through flocks of krill that themselves sifted through columns of ash or descended to nibble on plants that floated through the air currents.
All of this drifted above a web of rivers all pouring down towards a central lake, and in between were rolling plains and shallow hills crested with green, across which herds of dark creatures grazed and were minded by taller things that he could not make heads or tails off. They looked like a bizarre fusion of man and a deer, adrenaline pumped man thought in the moments before the woods rustled behind him, and it became clear that he’d misjudged.
Just because he’d first encountered the wolves in the woods, that did not mean they could not come out. Though he was tired, and he didn't know where he could run too, all he could do was start running and pray. A few moments after he took off a pack of hunters burset from the treeline. Most were the common gray wolf, but at the rear, driving them forwards, came a hulking beast tall as a man, its fur pale and its eyes holding intelligence beyond mere beast, though that did not stop it from hungering for the flesh of man.
Paws and claws ripped up the tall grass as they ran after the man, jaws slathering as the man cursed first his dallying and then almost panicked as there were shouts from the deer humans he had ended up running towards, but with his heart hammering in his ears he had no idea what was shouted. Only when they came racing towards him, and in doing so they became clearer. Covered in fur black as night and armed with spears tipped with wickedly shaped points just as dark they came, and though he feared them in that moment, what else could he do but run headlong towards them and away from the wolves.
Then, suddenly, a howl from the towering packleader caught the ear of the beasts, and as one they ceased to hound him and instead fanned out into a loose formation around their leader, matching the width of the incoming spear-wielder's own charge.
The man had glanced back to see this, and when he looked forwards again the deer people were suddenly upon him and the world dissolved into chaos. Spear and hoof fought tooth and claw until the grass was slick with blood, and then it was all over. The pack-leader fled, sacrificing the last of his pawns to save it’s own life, and leaving the victorious warriors and the man cowering in their midst.
Then the human torso of one of the creatures detached itself from the body of the deer line thing and in that moment of human contact things became clear.
The man wearing clothes made of the dark wool of the goat herds his people tended too approached, using his his obsidian tipped spear for support as he moved away from his horse with a midnight back coat, and asked “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine” the man lied, and then promptly collapsed into the other man’s arms.
Several days recovery and an explanation later, and the messenger of Anak'thas found himself in a little boat made of reeds sailing down the rivers to reach the 12th node. At first he passed by mostly natural land, the only humanity he saw living there similar to the goat herders he had met, as well as the odd band of hunters chasing after swift hares.
As they got closer to the node however, small towns started to crop up, mostly made of hide tents surrounding cores of buildings made from stone or wood, and surrounded by farmland where rows of berry bushes, melons and root vegetables sprouted, tended by hard working farmers.
The city around the node was the same as the villages writ large. Farmland surrounded the banks of the grand lake, much of it on the far shore where he was told the soil had been enriched by the tall smoking mountain they passed under the shadow of. While tents could be seen among these farms, the city surrounding the 12th node hosted the largest collection of solid structures in the region, built from stone and wood all floated downstream from queries and wood cutting operations found around somewhere called stone lake. All this arrived via small wooden docks, which the man was let off at and form which he made his way through the city towards his destination.
At the heart of this stood a temple complex made of exquisite marble, surrounded by a rugged and practical Granite wall on all sides. The man, who’s name was Finley, thought it was quite a shame to hide the temple behind the wall like that, though it did mean the effect of its magnificence coming into view all at once upon being welcomed in via the main (never once closed) gateway was quite overwhelming.
The temple was surrounded by a colorful garden containing flowers and plants from all across the region. It was split into two halves, one was artfully arranged and could be traveled by winding paths was for recreation, the other was rigidly organized and was attended to by a group who Finley where told where a mix of apothecaries and cooks who where trying to find uses for all the plants that had been discovered.
The temple itself meanwhile was the largest structure Finley had ever seen, and it continued a myriad of marvels and mundanities both. At its heart sat the node itself, locked away in a defensible core of the facility, while around it where rooms containing treasures, gold and silver trinkets, glistening jewls, the bones of a spinosaurus, great wolf skulls, artfully crafted statues, intricate carvings and more, all on display for visitors to see. Each was a little inscription that he was told explained who had offered the object, some details about it, and what they had gotten in exchange.
Much of what had been given in return for these offerings sounded fantastical, but the horned man guiding him through the complex explained that Xavior had insisted that the objects were mundane, simply made with materials and skills that where presently beyond them. An unbelievable fact, considering what was acquired was often made from a material known as ‘steel’ that made the recently invented copper tools seem as if made of clay by comparison.
More mundane than these wonders were several classrooms where the horned priests of Xavior passed on his node gifted knowledge to those who wished to learn it, who would then go out and spread it far and wide. There were also offices for people called bureaucrats, and a meeting hall for the city's leaders, whom Finley was surprised to find were not selected by their god but instead by the people of the city itself. The god naturally sat at the head of this group, but they were empowered by him to act on behalf, and so it was not there that he ended up meeting Xavior even though they were at that moment in session.
When he did meet the god, Finley found him dressed richly. He wore the finest of black robes sown with silver threads, was adorned with a wolfskin cloak and his hair was decorated with a colorful array of velociraptor feathers. He was also kneeling before a pain looking farmers and in the midst of setting the man’s broken leg.
His hands glowed softly, and the farmer's look of pain vanished in an instant to his look of slight surprise. He began to profusely thank the god, but Xavior waved him off as if it was nothing as he stood and then turned to addressed Finley.
“My apologies for making you wait, today’s healing session took a little longer than anticipated. I do hope you enjoyed the tour in the meantime?” He asked with a smile.
As Finley replied that it was no issue and he had enjoyed it he was led to a nearby meeting room. There, over refreshments, he explained why he was here. He had been sent to deliver a message to Benea by Anak'thas, only to discover that the goddess was not here, and had instead traveled on to another node, though not one that he could receive direct directions to from any he had met. He also feared he would not make the journey on his own, as the travel here had almost claimed his life already.
“I’m very sorry for your altercation with the wolves. They were Benea’s ideas, but seem to have outstripped either of our intentions for them for an unknown reason. Attempts to resolve the problem have proved… bloody” Xavier apologized before asking “Are you at liberty to divulge the nature of this message to me in her stead?”
Finley found little reason not to, and so explained in short Anak'thas’ plan to claim node 14, a thing that had likely already occurred by now. At some prodding he also explained what the god had already created, and his treatment of the human in his charge. As Finley had left just after the node was made, he was light on details, but he did what he could to sate the god’s curiosity.
“Benea will not be pleased. This goes against her plans… not that I am sure she ever communicated them to Anak’thas,” Xavior said thoughtfully while stroking his beard contemplatively, before turning his attention back to Finley.
“Regarding your intent to travel onward to Benea, I can acquire for you an escort, transport and provisions. The latter you will most certainly need, for the node Monica intended to claim has but a single way though, and I do not know what lies on the other side or if there is foraging available along it's rout. On that note, I will provide this aid on a condition: you will discover why the 11th node is in the state that it is, and report it back to me, as well as any other news Benea wishes to convey once you discover her. Is that a fair deal? Should you learn of anything outside those parameters that might also be of use to me, I may grant you a boon for hat knowledge also”
Finley thought that this was a fair deal indeed. They shook on it, and the very next day he and an escort of a half dozen riders (all furnished/paid with a new set divinely gifted recurved composite bow bows and provisioned with food from the city’s collective stores) set out west to deliver Anak’thas’ message.
A day later, another , larger, band set out, this one traveling north to find a safe passage through the wolfwoods bordering nodes 11 and 12. Once through they would to get the lay of the land, make contact with whatever human population Anak’thas had left behind there and to then travel onwards to meet the god himself, so as to gift the god himself with the knowledge of Benea’s coming displeasure with him, as well as to enquire about any other plans he might have, and to request the sharing of their nodes with one another. He also sent a few simple gifts in the form of several horses of both sex, a set of obsidian knives and the seeds with which to grow olive trees as a show of good faith.
Finley, Anak’thas’ messenger to Benea, arrives in the 12th realm and is nearly murdered by a pack of wolves lead by a wolf king. He is saved by local goat herders, and then ferried down to node 12 itself, getting a nice view of the civilization Xavior has raised there.
Node 12 itself is host to a temple, and in that temple Finley meets Xavior. They talk, the god finds out about the message and a bit of what Anak’thas has been up to form Finley. He then gets the man to agree to return with news from Benea once he has delivered his message to her in exchange for an escort so that the wolf incident does not happen again. Plus he implicitly receives a horse as part of the bargain.
Xavier then also sends out a second team of riders north, to get the lay of the land of Anak’thas, and to inform him about Benea’s coming ire with his expansion, to learn of his future plans, and to request a mutual sharing of nodes. He sends a few gifts along with his request inorder to lubricate their dealings.
1 mp used to raise humans around node 12 to chalcolithic age 0 mp used to perform minor miracles and create a smattering of mundane yet advanced tools for the worthy 0 remaining
Things had gotten much, much worse as they approached the final stretch leading to the 12th node. The storm outside grew more violent, angrier and almost ravenous. Thunder howled around Benea’s area of clam as lightning hammered down to attempt to wipe it from reality.
Enough was enough.
Xavior set aside Benea’s pride and strode forth into the chaos to spare both her and the mortals. Or well, he snuck out the back to avoid walking straight into the focus of the thunder, and only then raced ahead, aiming to reach the node as swiftly as possible.
At first his smaller form could avoid the storm, which focused on the bubble, but as the goddesses and their charges pulled away and headed instead for the next node, it found him. Yet he only had to protect himself, and so the god could afford a smarter way to handle the raging storm than simply standing firm as Benea had done.
As he approached the node he left a trail of fried malicious metal objects in his wake, each one tossed to the wind to draw the lightning to strike them instead of him.
Yet as he approached, the storm turned into something else. Crackling energy, mountains of it, coursed through the sky and around the node. So close to it, the god himself could not see the shape of the titan bearing down on him, yet to the north, trailing behind the others, the horned Annie could see it in full: A roiling mass of cloud and lightning moved like a predator, one that towered over the landscape, that flicked from form to form in an instant.
Like a fox it pounced upon where the god stood, great spears of electricity hammering down on Xavior’s position. Like a viper in struck when he dodged, like a wolf it hounded him, like a lion it leapt and then like a dragon it disgorged a torrent of thunderous breath to scorch the land clean. Into this a retaliatory storm of steel retorted, a shower of metal that punched up into the beast, warping it as it struck compulsively at the fragments within itself until they were naught or fell to the earth.
Having expended most of his power, the god reached for the only other power available to him.
The node.
As the predator reformed he ran for it like salvation. The monster chased him, bearing down atop him. And then his hand hit the node and the land turned to his will. The ground cracked in thousand and one places and torrents of molten metal burst from it, sapping the lightning from the air, drawing it down into the earth.
The beast stumbled backwards as the source of its power was sapped by the god, but it clung on and tried to steady itself to strike, only for a mountain erupted from beneath it. A volcano that exposed the magma of the planet's core to the titan and spat smoke and ashes into it, sapping its power and beating it back. Then another erupted, and another and then finally a towering mass of stone infused with metals of all kinds burst forth and finally, at last, drew down the lighting, scouring its surface with lightning and killing the beast for good.
Xavior, panting, hand held to the node, slowly straightened himself. He briefly glanced at the note from Benea, skimmed it and then tossed it aside.
It was time to leave a mark on the world.
At the rear of the human mass a bout of jubilation was ongoing at the slaughter of the titanic beast and an end to the storm when Xavior’s vision of the world washed over them, turning what had once been barren green, and from atop the small hill they found themselves on they could see it all.
Beyond the node to the south where they had pilgrimage across to where they were now vast meadows and grassy fields, crisscrossed with rivers that were fed from hundreds of tiny rain filled ponds, bubbling aquifers and roaring geysers. Dotting the land where a few lingering wounds where lava churned, but outnumbering those were hot springs by the dozens. To the west across a great river, this land was mirrored, yet at this moment it was drowning in ashfall from the three great volcanoes that had struck blows against the titan. These ashlands would bloom even richer than the west thanks to the fertilizer in time, though the periodic ashfall would present a challenge to any who would live there.
Across these fields grazed hares, horses, iguanas and goats a plenty, while around the magama rifts and hot springs giant lizard sail finned lizards, Edaphosaurus, bathed in the heat. Hunting these were lone coyotes and packs of beautifully feathered velociraptors. Soaring above them all where tonnikala, a species of truly flying fish.
The great river splitting the ash dusted lands from the ones the pilgrimage had crossed wound its way down from a grand lake that itself between the Node and the first volcano. This in turn was fed by numerous rivers filled with fish and fished by herons, spinosaurus and bears. One was grand and flowed from a massive lake tucked behind a short pale stoned mountain range to the east, while the rest were smaller, trickling down from numerous lakes tucked away in the the the northern parts of the forests that surrounded the edges of the region and now stood in the way of the goddess’s intended path.
Living in those forests where deer and pheasants to hunt, olives and fruits a plenty to pick, but also wolves by the score. And among these wolves were some that were larger. Stronger. Smarter. Their eyes holding the lingering spark of a titan of chaos not quite as dead and buried as Xavior had hoped. Forest kings in the making, who’s may coordinated packs would become a terror of the lands on either side of their forest domain.
That, however, was in the future. For now the humans stood a gasp at the landscape that had been forged around them in but moments. A silence that was broken by the bleating of a nearby goat, its horns mighty, its fur black as midnight and eyes red as flames. Its imposing appearance did not prevent it from taking off at a run when a hundred eyes wandered to it in response to its first vocalization, its leaping gait taking south, it towards the far distant node.
“Come on! Let’s go already” Annie, first of Xavior’s followers, suddenly shouted and, taking this as a sign, took off on a jog after the goat and towards where her patron awaited. A trickle started to follow, those in the god’s service or who were grateful for/had bartered for his aid at first. Then after them went the curios, the ambitious and the desperate but most of all went the tired of traveling. Within a handful of moments about a third of the humans had broken off from the pack, and where heading down the the shores of the great lake and the node that lay there, ready to brave one last stretch of the journey on their own, to end their pilgrimage and make themselves a home here, in the 12th realm.
The rest remained, too faithful or fearful to leave their goddesses' side. Considering the giant fish eating dinosaurs hanging around some of the rivers, that second point was entirely valid.
Claim the node and then...
Make a gentle landscape filled with meadows and flowers as well as babbling streams aplenty. A veritable garden for a civilization to grow. Ring the borders with woods for the animals.
Spend 0 might on the stone age era Spend 1 might on the Chalcolithic era
Instruct the mortals to devise a town around the node and have them gather stone to put the node into a temple complex
Make sure the ecosystem has plenty of small mammals such as wild hares and goats to tame, pheasants and deer to hunt, and a stable population of wolf and coyote to balance it. Black bears and berries!
Inorder to prevent their bubble of calm from being overwhelmed, Xaviro leaves Benea, Monica and the humans behind and races towards the node on his own. The lightning that has been hammering them then coalesces into a great mountain sized predator of lightning.
Xavior, low on might, mainly runs, then he shotgun blasts it with metal to disrupt it and makes a run for the node. There he uses landscaping to earth the storm of chaos into the ground, leaving it geothermally active, and then hammers the heart with 3 volcanic eruptions and finish it off with a giant metal field mountain.
Then he finishes making his realm, one consisting mostly of grassy fields dotted with geysers, hot springs, rivers, lakes and the odd spot of lava all surrounded by a forest at the edge of the node.
It is filled with a mix of life, some modern but a few oldies sprinkled in there for flavor. One thing he did not intend to make however, were big intelligent wolves capable of wrangling many lesser packs into sudo kingdoms. These will prove a threat to early human civs in this and the surrounding nodes.
Seeing all this, about a third of the humans break off from Benea's flock and head south to join Xavior and make a home in the 12th realm.
1 might gained from the quiz and used to yeet a shotgun blast of metal objects at the predator storm
Midna dropped clear of the giga worm’s gaping wound just in time, because the others were hot on her heels, and with blade and bow and arrow, as nearly everyone took a turn at hacking away at the exposed spine. Near everyone. As the desperate assault went underway against the exposed spine Midna got a niggling feeling there was someone missing, and started to do a quick headcount.
Most were joining in the attack, and they were easy to count but some still had work to do. Jesse and Tora where with the cannon, as was Big Band whom she shouted a ”Thanks for the catch” to, because while she’d been flashily attacking their foe they’d almost lost the last of the ammo she had fetched. Also it turned out one of the types of shot she had brought didn’t even fit, which earned the train’s designer, whoever they were, a swift short barrage of insults from the princess.
Thanks for preventing her mistake from being too costly and the discovery of a bit of incomprehensible engineering out of the way, she resumed her scan and realized who was missing: ”Wait where’s Braum!?” she glanced this way and that, but the bare chested tower of muscle was nowhere to be found.
Scowling, she reached out a shadow hand and summoned her Vibrava atop it, before instructing it ”Big bald guy with the mustache and muscles. Spot him, then bring me to him!” she ordered, before hurling it up into the sky. It soared up high on wind and wing and then vanished into a portal, before appearing right back next to her, having got an excellent view from its sky high vantage point.
It gave her a “Vi” before buzzing and skittering over to one side of the train and looking over the edge just as she had feared it would.
”Oh no, Braum!” she called out in anguish as she scrambled over to the side and was met by an absurd sight.
“Hello there princess!” the ever cheerful man from where he was clinging to the side of the train while standing atop his shield, which was surfing across the sand, called back, before adding “as fun as this is, you wouldn't mind lending me a hand, would you?”
The princess stared for a few heartbeats that she really could not afford to waste and then snapped out of her amazement at this absurdity with an ”Yes! Obviously!, on it!” before finding a railing and gripping it with her flesh arms to avoid her slipping off while the shadow hand reached out and grasped his arm tightly. ”Grab onto my arm with your other and I’ll pull you up”
“Just a second. I don’t want to lose shield” he told her to her utter astonishment
”Are you mad?!” she demanded to know
“Braum prefers brave,” he replied with a laugh, before letting go of the railing as she cried out in alarm. The hand on the arm she was holding clasped her arm in turn in one switch motion, while the other reached down and grasped the leading edge of the sand surfing shield (lifting it a bit so as to not have his fingers sandblasted to the bone) he surged backwards, only to yank to a stop as Minda found herself trailing is full wight to the side to the train.
“Ha ha ha! Now this is exhilarating!” he called out as he tilted his weight to ride a touch away from the train before hitting a small dune and using it as a ramp to launch into the air. He did this just in time for Razputin to stick his finger in it and finally force the monster away, its absence dropping the train back to level and adding an extra yank alongside Midna’s panicked pulling that send Braum crashing down onto the metal deck just a hair's breadth away from the princess, sending the Vibrva who had watched all this skittering away in a panic while the Icebourn laughed merrily.
“That was some ride! Thank you for the help, little princess” he told her, once he was done with his merriment
”Yeah, well, now you owe me a ride back” she retorted, still clinging to the banister like a cat to a tree branch.
“Do not worry, Braum never forgets what is owed” he reassured her before offering her a hand of his own to help her down from the banister, which she accepted with shaky limbs. She got an apologetic look from Braum for that, before he suddenly lightened up and hoisted her up and sat her down on his bare shoulder.
”Hey what the big idea” she demanded to know
“I give you ride” he said, brooking no argument on the matter before adding “Now come, let us go see how the battle fares” and moving to do so
Back up onto the top of the train just in time to find out there was a junction, a discovery that was drowned out a moment or two later by the reemergence of the titan behind them, on the side that Braum had almost fallen off on. Exactly the wrong side, as the big gun was pointing the wrong way entirely. At range once more, it engaged its artillery, letting loose another shoal of flying things while hucking another big spiky ball at them too. This left precious little time to make direction decisions.
”Anywhere there aren't people!” Midna shouted generally in response as to where to go, before making a split second decision and directing Braum to go for the ammo car.
She was fairly sure that a bomb bug getting in there would be bad news.
Braum jogged his way over and then leapt the last distance to land where he could stand with his mighty shield protecting the hole, while Midna peeked over the top of it and held her shadowhand high above them both ready to swat at any bugs or bombs that came close.
As the wave of fliers came in, her vibrava skittered over to join them, leaping up with buzzing wings and landing on Braums other shoulder. From there it unleashed a stream of purple dragon fire while to either side of them Minda summoned her four chillfos to chuck their spears and Braum himself sent out a blast of cold to help thin the swarm before it was on top of them.
As for the pod, well, all they could really do was hope it was dealt with by the shooters, and be ready to keep the racks of shells bomb bug free if any got through.
Double
Lord Zee
Goldeagle1221
wintersoldier
Snowdrops
LG
Timemaster
Damycles
Izurich
