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With his elbow on his knee and his fist on his chin, Toun brooded. Countless seasons spread multicoloured leaves in and out of Toun's gazebo as he sat upon his wheel. Even the immortal mind of a god had to think and plan his long term movements carefully, but in this case, Toun needed to wait for his power to gather before doing anything else. The idleness allowed his mind to wander.

[i]In his thoughts, there was an endless stream of logic and refinement. Occasionally, a flash of the perfect vision came to mind. This caused the porcelain sire to smile inwardly, in lieu of physical lips. However, his smiles slowly faded as the vision flashed more frequently. The flaw was still there, he realised. In that little pillar, the winking crack became more and more apparent. Eventually, Toun could not get his mind off it any longer. The vision was clear and consistent again. His focus was forced to the dark line before him. This time, the horrors within were not content on teasing him.

Toun was taken aback as the crack in the pillar suddenly spread in a mighty clink. Its sudden advance stopped with a spread roughly a hand's length in either direction, branching three more ways. Before the eye could measure this, another mighty snapping caused the pillar to shatter like a bone, but remain in place. The crack spread to engulf it, but it was not done with the pillar. Another peal of crumbling had the cracks spread along the floor. It was now, with his eye looking to his feet, that Toun realised he was secured to the floor. In his personal nightmare, he could not move, even as a god. The next sound spread the cracks onto Toun's porcelain foot. He could feel the corruption blister and burst within.

The crack moved up Toun's foot and leg unrelentingly. His eye was wide and terrified. The clinking sounds of shattering clay chimed on Toun's legs and hips as raw dark red flesh burst forth in tendrils, eyes, and jabbering toothy mouths. The feeling of [b]Jvan's[/b] gaze back before the beginning was prolonged across Toun's entire body. He convulsed in pain and found his torso and neck sundered. The impact of the climbing cracks reaching his eye wracked his very being as plates of porcelain fell away to reveal more corrupted flesh. Toun lifted his arm and discovered the cracks spreading further. [url=http://img13.deviantart.net/b117/i/2011/081/e/6/nightmares_in_rust_010_by_albino_z-d37cwai.jpg]He screamed.[/url]

Another rumbling peal of cracks sounded and the rest of Toun's hide exploded away. His jaw gaped wordlessly as his screams went unheard. [url=http://img02.deviantart.net/cf05/i/2011/004/8/d/nightmares_in_rust_001_by_albino_z-d36g3gj.jpg]He reached for the remains of his vision and found that it was crumbling as well.[/url] All his work was shattering. Everything was being corrupted in a torrent of flesh and chaos. The last of what could be described as pure on his form was subsumed.

As the last vestiges of his hopes crumbled into nothing, Toun felt a gallows laughter well up inside of him. He now had so many eyes and mouths that weeping for his loss would drown him. Instead, [url=http://img15.deviantart.net/ee40/i/2011/025/8/5/nightmares_in_rust_012_by_albino_z-d381ukn.jpg]he smiled involuntarily.[/url]


[b][color=PaleGoldenrod]Not...Good...Enough![/color][/b][/i]


Toun's eye opened. He immediately inspected the arm he was leaning on. It was the same perfect porcelain arm. No cracks, no flesh, no corruption. His hand closed into a fist in anger. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]I cannot let this corruption spread. I shall need to take steps immediately. If I take [/i]some[i] kind of action, perhaps these visions will leave me in peace![/i][/b][/color]

Through the mad terror roiling in Toun's godly mind, there were machinations for his next move. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]I shall need servants,[/i][/b][/color] he thought to himself as he pushed off his wheel and turned. The white potter's wheel already began to spin of its own accord. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]These ones will need to last. They cannot simply be a temporary tool to be driven to extinction. They will need to be subtle as well. They must finely manipulate their surroundings, finding the perfect solutions to their tasks...[/i][/b][/color]

A lump of clay began to rise from the wheel as usual, but before it could begin to hover like the white giant prototype, the wheel slowed to a stop. Toun stared at the clay with a thoughtful squint.

[color=PaleGoldenrod][b]"This will take too long without help,"[/b][/color] Toun admitted out loud. He contemplated asking for assistance from Logos or Niciel, but as he peered out of the gazebo to the trees beyond, he had an idea. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b]"I need not tread all of the path that life has already beaten."[/b][/color]

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Mere moments of searching from the Deepwood out to the budding desert beyond, Toun had finally found Slough. The deer goddess was accompanied now by a brutish, yet lithe and deadly looking predator. It would not matter--Toun was attempting to hide himself. No servant creature would have the power to detect him. Instead of approaching and attempting to negotiate with the animalistic goddess, Toun simply trailed closely behind until another globule of pure potential life dropped free. The globule did not spring into plants and animals like it normally did, but rather it was peculiarly swallowed by the sands below without a trace.

Toun closed his hands over the globule and sealed it in a state of stillness. As quickly as he arrived, Toun disappeared in a single impossible step.

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The wheel spun and spun and spun under Toun's supervision. The clay upon it shined with potential as Toun willed its shape. He could replicate his own creations, but not Slough's life essence. Therefore, instead of making one prototype and creating copies, he would shape each and every single servant individually. Every little figurine was provided a tiny droplet of green life essence that did much of Toun's work of creation for him. With the drop, Toun's red ink also flowed in to control it and shape the creatures. These were long armed humanoids with an curved, elongated head. Beady eyes, two on each side of the head were dormant for now, ready for their maker's command to animate.

Hours passed into days and months. The number of tiny figurines were arrayed in rank and file across every spare surface on the floor of Toun's gazebo. As floor space ran out, they began to hold up their brethren on top of one another, three to the one carried aloft. In the darkness of night, the dormant life potential made the figurines glow softly, painting the gazebo in a pale green light.

When Toun's work was finally done. There was a carpet of figurines spread for metres around in a radius from Toun's gazebo. All of them had a pace between them--room to grow, as it were. He inspected his handiwork with a glimmer of pride, but the pride was overshadowed by the flaws he left. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]This was done in haste. These are unstable. If I had full control, if I had more time, these would be perfect servants. These creatures...they are not ideal.[/i][/b][/color]

The words of Toun's idle thoughts overshadowed a niggling suspicion in the back of his mind. If these creations were as varied as he had to make them, there was a possibility that they would exhibit unforeseen characteristics. Rebellion. Destruction. Chaos.

Nonetheless, Toun raised his arms and intoned, [color=PaleGoldenrod][b]"You are the hain. You are the chosen servants of your sire. Awaken, and fulfil your purpose!"[/b][/color]

At once, all of the figurines began to shudder. The rattling of the clinking clay reached a crescendo as each of the figurines began to grow into fully formed hain.

[color=PaleGoldenrod][b]"Hain! Hear me!"[/b][/color]

As the hain blinked and gained awareness of their surroundings, they did not stand to attention as Toun commanded. Instead, they began to hum in soft tones to one another, communicating confusion. Their head's flitted from side to side as they inspected each other and their surroundings.

Toun's eye widened in anger. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b]"Hain! Still yourselves!"[/b][/color] Toun shouted.

The loud command caused the newly made hain cower in fear. Their confusion turned to panic and they began to disperse into the valley.

[color=PaleGoldenrod][b]"You would dare defy your master!?"[/b][/color] Toun lost his temper as his form grew and his fingers extended to claws. His mouth, filled with pointed teeth, articulated his words, [color=PaleGoldenrod][b]"You are mistakes! You will be broken and remade!"[/b][/color]

Just as Toun raised his hand, his limb shuddered to a stop as a lance of pain ran through him. The sheer weight of Toun's fury had goaded a reaction from the very valley he stood in. He had meant to kill all of the hain on the spot, but the Valley of Peace would not suffer genocide. With a scream of anger, Toun tried with greater power to resist and try something different.

He reached out with one hand and a shock wave of mind-affecting power radiated forth. The hain in the immediate area screeched and clutched their heads. The ones closest to Toun crumpled as they passed out.

[color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]Not even this valley will deny my authority over these mistakes![/i][/b][/color]

Another wave shot forth, dropping yet more hain and affecting others with pain as their minds collapsed. The panicked screams of the fleeing hain echoed through the valley.

As the sickening pain of the valley coursed through Toun, protesting his pulverisation the minds of the hain before him, he stumbled. It was too much. He would have to finish his work elsewhere.

[color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]Enough of this![/i][/b][/color] Toun waved his other hand in a sweeping motion and it elongated into a great long sail shape. He scooped up all of the unconscious hain and gathered power within himself.

There was a flash.

When the light cleared, almost all of the hain had disappeared. The small group that remained in the Valley of Peace called out to find one another and held themselves in each other's arms. Tears flowed from their four eyes as they tried to recover from the traumatic experience of their awakening.

Across various places around Galbar, the same vignette played out, to varying outcomes. Groups of hain appeared out of nowhere and tried to find each other in their terror. Some found shelter in trees or caves, but they all stuck together. With each other, they knew innately that they could endure.

The one exception to this, apart from the tragic deaths of lonely hain to predators, was the reappearance of Toun and the unconscious hain he held in his arms. He found himself a long distance from the Valley of Peace, but still within sight of the mountains that skirted it. It was a relatively empty land, save for the wildlife and thin forests. It would do.

Still warped and angry from the insubordination of his own creations, Toun set himself to work. In the style of his gazebo, he built a round, porcelain lodge. It was filled with membranous hammocks, each of which he placed his chosen hain. When they awoke, they would find their minds subservient to Toun's will. This was at the terrible cost of their intelligence and potential, but Toun didn't care at this point. He would have to make do with what he had.

Throughout the night, Toun instilled into the minds of the slumbering hain their orders for tomorrow. They would have to begin hunting and finding food. Once they filled the stockpile, they would begin the true labours.

[color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]And there are many labours ahead,[/i][/b][/color] Toun seethed inwardly. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]I should never have even touched Slough's primal essence. It was never the solution to begin with.[/i][/b][/color]

Toun then strode out of the lodge and looked up to the heavens. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]I wonder if my brother would approve of my intentions?[/i][/b][/color] His nose scrunched up as he noticed a missing part of the sky. [color=PaleGoldenrod][b][i]At least that insulting rock in my name is no longer up there.[/i][/b][/color]

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Toun broods for a while longer, but is haunted by terrifying visions brought from Jvan's influence.

To try and get the visions out of his mind, he proceeds to the first step of his plan thus far; building servants.

Toun knew that he needed servants with longevity and intelligence, so he stalks Slough and grabs one of her green life sacks.

Toun returns to his wheel and creates the hain, a race of exoskeletal humanoids. They are sculpted from the essence of both Toun and Slough.

Once Toun animates his new creations, he is overcome with rage and regret. They did not turn out as his vision required due to Slough's influence.

Toun tries to crush the minds of the hain to subjugate them, but only succeeds in affecting five tribes worth due to the Valley of Peace discouraging malicious deeds. The remaining hain were teleported in all directions in the wake of Toun's exit, terrified.

Toun brings his slave tribes to a spot of empty land to begin settling. Toun makes a shelter for them all.

[i][b]Might Accounting[/b][/i]
Before: L3 - 6 MP - 3 FP - 3C/3D

-1 MP to subjugate five tribes of hain (power resisted by holy site it was committed within)

-2 FP to teleport most of the hain out of the valley of peace

After: L3 - 5 MP - 1 FP - 3C/3D
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