[center] [h1][color=violet][b][u]Cadien[/u][/b][/color][/h1] & [h1][color=a187be][b][u]Qael’Naath[/u][/b][/color][/h1] & [h1][color=LightYellow][b][u]Iternis[/u][/b][/color][/h1] & [center][h3][color=yellow]~O~ [/color] [color=98ff98]Illyd Dyll[/color][/h3][/center] [/center] [hr] The God of Magic was hard at work, surrounded by mana that came and went as wisps which traveled up into the sky to watch the visions and probe them. He was holding orbs of silver light or dim golden pyramids in his hand while thousands symbols appeared and disappeared before him. This place was not Galbar, nor was it akin to his own realm. His powers here were muted. It was beyond a doubt a creation of Lifeblood. The God of Magic had already theorized that making a portal wouldn’t be too hard. After all, this coliseum seemed to have a special connection with his birth realm. Though two thousands years of working as a hermit gave him some odd traits. [color=a187be]“Damn Lifeblood can make a tear then I should be able to make some Lifeblood-damned portal to Galbar right?”[/color] He said, to no-one in particular except himself. [color=a187be]“Shouldn’t be so hard. I just need to find the right anchor with the world and it should be fine. Yes, yes it should all be fine. In just a few more hours I’ll be back. Just a few more hours.”[/color] [color=violet]“Talking to yourself, hm?”[/color] questioned a nearby voice. [color=violet]“You’re not the first to develop that habit, I suppose.”[/color] For a moment Qael was pulled out of his concentration. The voice did not sound familiar. He turned to face Cadien. Only when the god of perfection pointed it out, did he realize that he was doing it. [color=a187be]“Ah. I suppose when you’ve got nobody to really talk to, you make do.”[/color] He said. [color=a187be]“I don’t believe we have met. Though I do think I’ve encountered some of your creations. If, indeed, you made them in your likeness. But let me introduce myself first: Qael’Naath. God of Magic.”[/color] He greeted, with a small but polite bow. [color=violet]“Cadien, God of Perfection,”[/color] the white-haired god nodded back. [color=violet]“Still trying to get back to Galbar, I see?”[/color] [color=a187be]“Of course!”[/color] Qael’Naath exclaimed. [color=a187be]“What else is there to do? Wait until we start tearing eachother apart like a pack of famished wild dogs?”[/color] He motioned to his other siblings. [color=a187be]“Besides, I’m not done with Galbar. Not at all. It is far too interesting. Wouldn’t you want to go back either?”[/color] [color=violet]“Oh, make no mistake, I do,”[/color] Cadien said with a shrug. [color=violet]“It’s just that, portals aren’t the way, I don’t think. Not for us. I don’t know if you’ve tried this, but apparently you can send things through the portal other than yourself. So it seems to me that portals aren’t the problem. We are.”[/color] Qael struck an inquisitive look. No, he did not yet attempt to make a portal. He wanted more knowledge first. More understanding of it. He didn’t know if Lifeblood would punish him for it or not. Yet Cadien seemed to have more intimate knowledge on the subject. [color=a187be]“I haven’t tried it. Not yet.”[/color] Qael said, slowly as he pondered over Cadien’s words. [color=a187be]“How come you know this, brother?” [/color]He asked. There was only honest curiosity in his voice. [color=violet]“My own experience, and the experiences of others,”[/color] Cadien shrugged. [color=violet]“We can still communicate with our followers, we can still give them the occasional blessing. One goddess told me a mortal was able to successfully pass from her realm into Galbar through a portal. So, the Lifeblood isn’t blocking our portals. It’s blocking us.”[/color] [color=LightYellow]“It’s only blocking what it can see is us,”[/color] a new voice said, startling the other two gods, [color=LightYellow]“Sorry for interrupting, but I wanted to clarify. I’m Iternis,”[/color] the God of Journeys stuck out his hand in greeting as he continued, [color=LightYellow]“And I spent pretty much the entire skip trying to break through the portals to Galbar, and I found a few things out, like how it has to be big for the Lifeblood to recognize it as a god…”[/color] He trailed off before clarifying, [color=LightYellow]“I could send pebbles through and even single strands of my hair, but if it reeked too much of my own godly energy, that's when the portals reject it…”[/color] [color=violet]“Well, yes,”[/color] Cadien nodded. [color=violet]“I’m not really sure if the Lifeblood can [i]see[/i], though. Maybe sense would be more accurate. But the thing is, whatever word you use, it always knows when we try to enter Galbar ourselves. And either it doesn’t notice, or it doesn’t care, when we interact with Galbar indirectly. But what if I told you there might be a way to [i]directly[/i] indirectly interact with Galbar?”[/color] [color=LightYellow]“Are you suggesting something like....”[/color] Iternis paused, gears turning in his brain, [color=LightYellow]“A Proxy? Like we use one of the creations we made before the banishment to do out work for us? If we do that, we’d just be advisors helping someone else do all the fun stuff, not doing it ourselves.”[/color] [color=violet]“Mmm, yes, that is true. But it’s better than nothing, I think,”[/color] Cadien said. [color=violet]“Remember that goddess I mentioned? The mortal she… sent… to Galbar, she had given a portion of her own soul. He had opened the portal on his own initiative, and successfully passed through.”[/color] [color=LightYellow]“She had a mortal?”[/color] Iternis bit his thumb in thought, [color=LightYellow]“Do you know if she made it in her isolation? She probably did, but if she didn’t, if she had a mortal that was from Galbar in the first place… and he passed through the portal no problem? It’s a long shot but... did anyone manage to bring parts of Galbar with them?”[/color] [color=a187be]“I didn’t. I couldn’t. But you could throw bits of your own hair through.”[/color] Qael pointed out. [color=a187be]“And clearly this goddess could send a mortal imbued with a portion of her soul through the portal as well.”[/color] Subconsciously he began to touch the scar that was still on his chest. [color=a187be]“This is progress. Dangerous progress. I have some experience with taking a part of yourself. Though in my case it birthed a goddess of pure, malevolent chaos. It is very dangerous to do so. Still, it seems like a way forward.”[/color] [color=LightYellow]“You say she was an entire new goddess?”[/color] Iternis was a little taken aback but quickly latched onto the idea, [color=LightYellow]“But if that mortal didn’t become a god when our sister gave him part of her soul… Either way, that proves that we can make distinct beings from parts of ourselves. Would it be possible to make something just distinct enough that it still is part of you but the Lifeblood doesn’t recognize it?”[/color] [color=violet]“That is exactly what I was hinting at, yes,”[/color] Cadien nodded. [color=violet]“According to this goddess, that mortal is now capable of performing divine feats as well. If she told it truly, then all we need to do is send a portion of our soul to Galbar, in a mobile form, and they can perform actions on our behalf.”[/color] [color=a187be]“Then I suggest we begin our experiment.”[/color] Qael said. Emboldened by the knowledge Cadian and Iternis had offered him. The probing wisps of mana quickly gathered themselves again a few feet away from him. Creating a mass of the magical substance. With his mind he envisioned Galbar and linked the mana to it. It began to push against the reality of the coliseum in an attempt to open up a portal. But the resilience was fierce. It felt like he was hitting a massive wall again and again. The large orb of mana shook. It’s surface rippled a few times. Then Qael let out a sigh. [color=a187be]“It would seem Lifeblood prefers not to have any mortals to Galbar from here. Perhaps we would have more success in one of our own realms?”[/color] The orb of mana dissipated. [color=lightyellow]“Whose portal is the closest?”[/color] Iternis asked, looking around, [color=lightyellow]"I seem to have already forgotten which one’s mine so I think my realm is off the table…”[/color] [color=violet]“Well, mine seems to be right over there,”[/color] Cadien said, gesturing to his own portal. [color=98ff98]"Hey Cadien!"[/color] A summer voice buzzed alongside a long pull from a flute. Illyd Dyll walked up with a flute in his mouth, [color=98ff98]"I found a flute."[/color] His "f"'s were punctuated by tiny chirps from the flute. [color=violet]“Hmm?”[/color] Cadien turned to regard the new god. [color=violet]“Oh. Uh… that’s good for you, I suppose.”[/color] He then looked to Iternis and Qael. [color=violet]“We’d best be heading to my realm then. You might as well come too,”[/color] he nodded to Illyd. [color=98ff98]"Sure!"[/color] Illyd said through a flute note. And on that note, Cadien led his three fellow gods through the portal. They stepped out onto the cobbled pathway of his realm. [color=violet]“Welcome to Meliorem!”[/color] he declared, having just thought of the name on the spot, but it seemed right. Qael’Naath stepped through the portal to witness the greatness that Cadien called Meliorem. Even though it was a singular location, he was impressed. The place looked gorgeous. “A fine place.” Noted, as he followed his siblings along the cobblestone path. Though the complete lack of anything magical made Qael feel a bit uneasy. Iternis, looked around the realm and was mildly impressed, but made no comments. Illyd, on the other hand, was giving supportive "oo"s and "ah"s. Cadien led them along the stone path and up toward the black walls of his fortress, passing through the formidable gatehouse and into the serene courtyard. [color=violet]“Well, I suppose this is as good a place as any to begin,”[/color] the God said. [color=a187be]“Agreed.”[/color] The god of magic said. Mana flowed from his outstretched arm and concentrated itself into a large, multicolored orb. It was significantly easier here to create the portal towards Galbar. Almost instantly he had broken through the barriers of reality. The colors began to pull back towards the edges of the orb. Revealing the green plains of the Garden. [color=violet]“Mmm. No, not there.”[/color] Cadien snapped his fingers, and at once, Qael’s powers were overruled, and the portal closed. [color=violet]“Please ask permission before you do that, next time. Anyhow, I think we should create the representative before we open the portal. So… alright, here it goes.”[/color] The God focused. Gibbou had granted a mortal a portion of her soul in order to enhance its lifespan. There were no mortals to be had, and although he could easily create one, his thoughts once again turned to the question of loyalty. Even if he made a mortal that was unquestioningly loyal to him, what if its experience with Galbar, or with other gods, broke that loyalty down? Cadien had listened to countless prayers, and he knew that even the most stubborn or determined mortals could change over time. Then he had an idea. Must his soul be bound to one specific mortal? And must that mortal be in his sphere to be imbued with a portion of his power? Perhaps he could… Concentrating, the god extended his arms, and focused, as he attempted to draw a tiny fragment of his soul out from his body. He felt a subtle tearing situation from within. Not quite painful, but mildly uncomfortable at the very least. Then, a tiny purple crystal materialized between his palms. A piece of his soul. Then, more energy flowed from his palms, coalescing around the crystal, and encasing it in a large glowing ball of purple light. Then Cadien lowered his hands, and the orb of energy began to rapidly dart around the courtyard, as if taking in its surroundings, before once more returning to its place in front of Cadien. [color=purple]“What am I?”[/color] the ball of energy questioned. [color=violet]“You are me. Part of me, anyway.”[/color] Cadien answered. [color=violet]“I am Cadien. I am your master, and I will call you Mekellos.”[/color] [color=purple]“What is my purpose, master?”[/color] Mekellos asked next. [color=violet]“Your purpose is to serve as my representative. To go where I cannot, and carry out my will. You have a part of my soul, and thus, part of my power.” He reached another hand out, this time to touch the orb directly. [color=violet]“I am giving you knowledge of my memories and my own purpose.”[/color] Then, he waved his other hand, and a portal appeared - this one leading to the Highlands. [color=violet]“Now go. Find a mortal. Bond yourself to them. Learn their ways. And spread my message. I will be watching.”[/color] [color=purple]“Yes, master!”[/color] Mekellos dutifully responded, and then zipped through the portal. The Lifeblood did not resist. Cadien’s eyes widened. [color=violet]“It… it actually worked.”[/color] Qael’Naath wasn’t about to risk his powers with a simple mortal. Not even one of his own creations. No, whatever he made could have no agency of its own. No personality. Not even a mind of its own! The most it could be is an extension of himself. A creation so chained to him that it could never have a free will, like Qullqiya has. He quite intently watched Cadien create his proxy. Though privately questioned his choice for something that clearly had at least at some level a will of its own. He didn’t like the fact that it could ask questions. But then the big moment came. When Mekellos zipped towards the portal. Qael, secretly, had a magical ward ready to be cast. Whether or not Cadien would dislike it or not. He wasn’t about to be caught in the wrath of Lifeblood. Yet to his surprise, the orb just zipped straight through the portal. A strange warmth flourished in Qael’s chest. Filling a void he knew he had but didn’t know just how empty it had made him. He felt hope. Hope that at least in some capacity he could return. [color=a187be]“It… did.”[/color] He said, equally as stunned as Cadien. Though his shock was quickly replaced with curious excitement. He reached with his hand towards his chest. The scar was still there, and he used to draw out a part of himself. Slowly he pulled it out, making sure not to create another goddess. He took the littlest bit he could. The tiniest fraction of himself. It was a completely invisible creation. Even though it floated in his hand, he could feel it, see through it. As if he was holding himself in his hand. Yes, it was perfect. An extension of himself. He took a deep breath to steel himself. Hoping it would work. The creation was small, yes, but still very tethered to him. He hoped it would not complicate things as he tossed it into the portal. For a moment his connection with the gaseous form weakened. But as it appeared in Galbar’s sky, the mana rushed towards it. Creating waves of rainbow colors around his proxy. More importantly to Qael, however, was the fact that he could see and hear everything clearly. As if he gained another set of eyes and ears. For perhaps the first time in more than two millennia, he laughed. It was a cheerful laugh, though perhaps a little unhinged as well. [color=a187be]“It works. It works!”[/color] [color=LightYellow]“This is big,”[/color] Iternis murmured as he took a few steps back, eventually sitting down to think, [color=LightYellow]“There are so many possibilities it’s all been opened back up…”[/color] Iternis ran his hands through his hair as his gaze shifted to an unseeing stare. He murmured to himself for a while, but eventually stood up with a frustrated sigh. [color=LightYellow]“This is too much, I need to think more before I act, we may only have one shot at this,” [/color]He declared as he started to head back to the portal to Antiquity, [color=LightYellow]““But first thing’s first, we need to tell everyone else about this! We can finally return to Galbar!”[/color] [color=violet]“Go on, tell them,”[/color] Cadien nodded with a smile on his face. [color=violet"I want to try," Illyd Dyll nodded eagerly, eyes fixed on the existing avatars. He pulled the flute ]“I will stay here and monitor my… avatar’s… progress. Yes, avatar. That’s a good word.”[/color] [color=98ff98]"Hey, let me try!"[/color] Illyd Dyll popped the flute from his mouth and snapped it over his knee. With little else, he tossed one half idly into the air. Without much fuss or warning, a hand identical to Illyd Dyll's grabbed it from the sky. In fact everything about the figure now holding the flute was identical to Illyd Dyll. A big smile formed on both Illyd Dylls' faces and they blew a single echoing note from each flute at each other. [color=98ff98]"Well this is just a grand... Fun,"[/color] Illyd Dyll summarized. [color=98ff98]"It sure as summer is!"[/color] The other answered back. [color=violet]“This is getting out of hand. Now there are two of them…”[/color] Cadien whispered, then cleared his throat. [color=violet]“Anyhow, best send him to Galbar then. Before this gets confusing.”[/color] [color=98ff98]"Off ye go,"[/color] Illyd Dyll waved his hand. The other Illyd Dyll waved back. [color=98ff98]"See ye guys later!"[/color] There was a small shared giggle between the two before the avatar disappeared through the portal. Illyd Dyll put his hands on his hips, [color=98ff98]"I'm gonna miss 'em."[/color] [color=violet]“Well, that’s that, then.”[/color] Cadien said. [color=violet]“After two thousand years of isolation, not only have we reunited with the other gods, but our influence can now be felt directly on Galbar again. Yes, this has been a very productive day. Anyhow, yes, the other gods deserve to know too.”[/color] [color=98ff98]“Makes sense to me!”[/color] Illyd supported. [hr] [hider=Summary] Qael is talking to himself as he ponders ways to get back to Galbar. Cadien overhears him and strikes up a conversation. Iternis overhears and decides to join in as well. They share what they know about the Lifeblood and how it is keeping them trapped in their realms. Then Cadien reveals that there might be away around it, and reveals what Gibbou told him. The other two agree that there is merit in the idea. Then Illyd appears and rejoins Cadien. The four head over to Cadien’s realm. Cadien, Qael, and Iternis make their own avatars, then send them to Galbar, while Iternis decides to hold off until later, but they all agree to go tell the other gods. Avatars can now be made, provided one of the gods who knows about it actually tells you how. [/hider]