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High upon the hills of the north eastern coast the blackened shell of the God of Mortals glowered, deep red pits for eyes baleful in their intensity. The nearly skeletal, semi-metallic body of the destroyer looked every part an apocalyptic nightmare, a perfect mirror of the ruined world around him. Though fields of cordgrass and copses of cardinal bushes sprung up across the highlands that stretched down towards the void, it was a blasted place and the horrendous red aura that seeped from him only worsened the image. Battle damage was visible across his frame, scoring and scarring in equal measure cutting deep shallows in his metallic hide. Fresh from his battle with Ahtziri, it could hardly be helped. Once again spared the chaining presence of others, however, Lonn was trapped with his brooding. 

His conflict with Ahtziri had been a deeply displeasing one, a setback in his previously laid out plans. Until his untimely meeting with the goddess Lonn had consistently met friendly faces, easily prone to camaraderie with one of their own. Never had he thought another individual could so utterly push his buttons and with hindsight he realized he shouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. Ahtziri was the Goddess of Monsters, afterall, his abject opposite. She represented a rejection of everything that he admired and praised mortals for, embracing an entirely oppositional position for life. As he mulled over the event in his mind he couldn’t help but both pity Ahtziri and disdain himself; surely someone of his caliber should have succeeded in defusing that situation, in gaining advantage through cunning alone.

[color=ed1c24]”Animal…”[/color] grunted Lonn as he lowered his chin into his palm, elbow supported on one thigh. It was clear that, despite his momentary disdain for Ahtziri, he secretly knew the failure sat squarely on his shoulders.

His red gaze flashed across the landscape once more, a moment of respite from his internal monologue. Deep below him, horizons away if it weren’t for the hilly landscape, Lonn could see fires burning. A tinny sigh escaped his mouth, smoke hissing from behind his perfect teeth; fires of men, at least. He admitted to himself regularly that he had enjoyed the depths of the apocalypse, watching as mankind struggled, but by now all that had become incredibly blasse. This simple act of human ingenuity, the conquest of fire, proved to be far more heartwarming. His perpetual grin plastered across skeletal features suddenly seemed all the more genuine as he observed their workings, recognizing the humans as among those he had helped save. They had been busy reestablishing some semblance of normalcy for themselves and Lonn admired them all the more for it. A snide remark passed through his mind though his shoulders drooped as he realized he had no one to tell it to and even less reason to tell it.

[color=ed1c24]”I don’t see your vermin spawn doing that, sow…”[/color] spit Lonn quietly to himself, though the moment he said it the words felt entirely empty. Lonn sighed again, disappointed in himself, before standing and shaking off the dead earth from his body. 

A flash of anger passed through his mind as he scolded himself; this sort of obsessive behavior was beneath him, though he admitted again that it was thoroughly mortal of him to do so. Regardless, the beast had been soundly defeated and sent on her way. He had been the victor, not her; reminding himself of the disdain she provoked in him only made things worse. Hells below, he had even shown mercy in a way only mortals could! His eyes again danced back to the small columns of smoke rising from mortal fires and Lonn returned to feeling some semblance of excitement. Rebuilding was a uniquely mortal concept, something only an animal so dedicated to hope despite insurmountable odds could truly understand. His dark metallic, skeletal hands ran across his personnage one piece at a time, restoring flesh, blood, and bone in place of otherworldly metal. As meat and muscle reknit Lonn grinned, picking and choosing each new feature with the glee of an unleashed and unbridled artist. He would have darker skin this time, broader features, and sharper lines. Dark brown eyes in this go around, rather than the previous bronze, and with dark black hair. His hands flourished in the creation of a thick and bristly beard, before twisting out a bushy moustache that curled upwards at the ends. He gave himself a well muscled body, though more one of constant labor rather than specific effort, and made himself a tad taller, though nothing garrish. In honor of his recent battle he left pockmarks and scars across his newly birthed flesh, marking each place where Ahtziri had damaged him. Fitting trophies, he thought, pleased with his handiwork. At last he spawned a set of clothes, again spartan in their quality; it wouldn’t do to gather too much attention, after all. 

The now partially bedraggled god began descending the mountainside, once more working dirt and dust into his feet and nails in that oh so pleasant way that reminded him of what men must feel. As he closed the distance one hop and skip at a time his eyes never wavered from his quarry, not entirely sure what he would do with the men but seeking adequate distraction from his previous doldrums. He watched with avid interest as they collected up meagre supplies, storing them in baskets they had pilfered or perhaps made their own. They had armed themselves with the equipment of their previous tormentors, another grand sign of mortal ingenuity, but Lonn quickly noticed something peculiar. Many of the weapons had been turned over, bent out of shape, and even broken apart. 

[color=ed1c24][i]What could possibly have driven them to do such a thing?[/i][/color]

Lonn raised one thick, black eyebrow in curiosity, absolutely fascinated by this affair. Though he didn’t dare stop in his walk, far too worried to return to darker thoughts, he couldn’t help but be enthralled by their actions. They had torn at the cordgrass around them and made mounds for themselves, evidently planting the very cardinal fruits he had propagated for them to grow. His mind rapidly devoured the wondrous display of mortal dedication before realizing what they had done. 

[color=ed1c24][i]Swords to plowshares[/i][/color], Lonn mused in the depths of his mind. Ursare and his comrades, assuming Ursare yet lived, had taken many of the weapons and turned them into appropriate tools for tilling the soil and removing cordgrass from fields. [color=ed1c24][i]Such clever things, mortals were.[/i][/color]

No longer able to contain his excitement, Lonn exploded into light that danced across the sky. The crack of thunder and a brief flash was the only thing that heralded Lonn’s arrival behind a nearby hill, nothing particularly noteworthy in such dark times. In the distance the Red Pillar glowed menacingly, a beautiful piece of handiwork by the diminutive God of Stone and the God of Mortals. The megalith thrummed with a sense of barely contained energy and with that Lonn knew it was still doing its work. Content with the awareness that his works were not undone, Lonn crested the hill and descended towards the settlement. 

[color=ed1c24]”A fine morning, friends, for field work,”[/color] called Lonn, raising his hand high in a benevolent wave, while several of the workers jumped and drew weapons. Lonn flashed his horrendously perfect smile as he came to a halt, holding up both hands calmly.

[color=ed1c24]”Don’t fret, brothers,”[/color] intoned Lonn, voice carrying a little farther than was probably natural for a man, and he could see there was an instant sense of uneasiness born of that awareness in the men. Weapons lowered as Lonn once again showed his empty hands, wiggling them a little in a friendly manner, [color=ed1c24]”Nothing to fear from me, I assure you. I am a friend, trust me.”[/color]

A flash of red from his eyes and the men completely surrendered to his presence, each coming to their own conclusions about the identity of the newcomer. Though clearly shrinking before the one who had aided in their freedom, they did their best to remain upright. Soon the small crowd had collected, assorted tools in hand, and watched as Lonn closed the distance. He could see in their eyes that their inkling of awareness had transformed into something greater still and there was no more risk of them making an attempt at him than there was a risk of him losing if they did so.

[color=ed1c24]”I see you have done wonderful work.”[/color]

One of the men, evidently with more lightning in him than the rest, stepped partially forward and thumped his tool’s head into the ground. Scars could be seen criss-crossing his features and making all manner of interesting shapes on his hide. His back, though Lonn couldn’t see it directly, held a frankly unreasonable amount of lash marks that clinged to his sides and shoulders like the claws of some deeply possessive creature. He looked worn and weary but regardless, there was defiance in his eyes that nearly made Lonn chortle with glee. [i]Nearly.[i]

“Welcome, erh… traveller,” came the man’s response, looking Lonn dead in the eyes with surprising dedication, “We don’t see too many, though the world is changing… just usually its us finding you folk, not the other way around…”

Lonn grinned, his bushy mustache bouncing in the light breeze, as he saw the man’s lie for what it was. He was good at hiding his recognition, that much was certain. The God of Mortals felt a flash of pride, like it was some of him rubbing off on them. He knew, of course, that it was entirely the other way around.

[color=ed1c24]”Oh, yes, well; your smoke made for easy finding. Oh, and the great stone there… that’s certainly a factor.”[/color] Lonn pointed with an outstretched finger at the Pillar in the distance, its huge and multi-faceted surface glowing a dull crimson. It was up the mountainside a little but it was unmistakable adjacent to the settlement, admittedly because Lonn had done so intentionally. He was, after all, quite the romantic. [color=ed1c24]”Never seen anything like it.”[/color]

The crowd of gathered settlers looked over at the stone, even the great distance struggling to hide its prodigious vastness. There was a collective nod as they lowered their heads, evidently in reverence. The action surprised Lonn, the Red God nearly sneering. He had never known humans to do a thing like that. The quizical sneer morphed rapidly into a legitimately curious lean as he angled to get closer to them just as they looked up again.

[color=ed1c24]”So, you know what it is…”[/color]

“Well, not in so many words,” mumbled one of the men, clearly humbled, “But we know it stopped the quakes… And we saw them who made it… unlike anything we’d ever seen before. ‘Cept…” The man was stopped by a sharp look from the previous, as if there was a general understanding not to let on their knowledge. It was frankly fascinating. 

Lonn turned his attention from the Pillar and back to the settlement, noting a number of structures now dotted the outside of the underground complex. They had been busy, that much was clear, and by the looks of it their numbers had grown. The larger man had noted earlier, as well, that they often found others. Lonn flashed a deadly grin as he considered EXACTLY what that meant but realized, with a surprisingly sudden epiphany, that if they had been murdering them for their things they wouldn’t have turned their weapons into tools. His memory scorched itself into life as he remembered each and every face he set free, suddenly realizing that a large portion of those here were not among them. In fact, many didn’t even look alike in color nor complexion. His eyebrow raised as the pieces fit together.

[color=ed1c24]”You’ve been saving people…”[/color] Lonn purred, eyes looking away from the collection of settlers.

There was an audible gulp that came from one or perhaps more of the group. Tenseness fell on them and their little charade to pretend they didn’t know what he was fell through if only slightly. He appreciated their attempt, regardless, but it was beginning to stand in the way of his curiosity. Lonn wheeled on them, suddenly appearing very, very interested.

[color=ed1c24]”Where is Ursare?”[/color]

“I am surprised you have heard of him,” said the man with the steely eyes and stoic stance, doing his best to maintain his composure, “but I suppose a man who wanders must have. He is out with a band, collecting supplies and rescuing more of our brothers and sisters. He hasn’t let a single band go without him. He’s got lightning in him like no other.”

[color=ed1c24]”Lightning, eh?”[/color] murmured Lonn, clearly curious enough to kill with a glance, eyes now locked intently on the man, [color=ed1c24]”Sounds like quite the hero… I had heard he saved himself and his people but, not that he was so vigorous finding more of you…”[/color]

A moment of silence passed as they looked amongst each other, Lonn experiencing an oddling flash of thought as he considered how pitifully apelike they looked in their little mob. It amused him, though not as much as it fascinated him. How they clung to each other for safety, for a sense of security, but look how much it had already given to them? Though he admired men for acting on their own, for ferocity and power, this was something else. [i]No, not pitiable[/i]. No, this was strength. This is what he had missed, with his birth so late in the stages of the apocalypse. It was this craving to be beside one another that let them build so high in the first place. 

Suddenly, Lonn was all over this. 

[color=ed1c24]”What do you call this place,”[/color] cooed Lonn, teeth flashing his terrifying flawless smile, [color=ed1c24]”It deserves a mighty name indeed.”[/color]

“Call it?” came one, followed by another several, “Home.”

[color=ed1c24]”Home, hah, now that is rich,”[/color] retorted the Man-God as he rose, almost seeming to stretch to greater heights before them, [color=ed1c24]”But we can do one better. Ursaru is fitting, don’t you think?”[/color]

The men nodded, heads bobbing in dumbfounded agreement. By then Lonn was no longer hiding in plain sight, even if they had already seen through his frankly ill-conceived ruse. His smile was plainly recognizable for those who had heard Ursare’s stories, as he was sure they had, and now he aimed to lean into it a bit more. 

[color=ed1c24]”Fret not, pals, cause you got friends in high places. The world’s changing and for the better, let me tell you. You boys have absolutely inspired me, though, and hooo boy, what a rush. I promise each of you here that your sons and their sons are gonna do [b]great[/b] things. You just keep up the course you’re on and your descendants wont have to worry for a thing.”[/color]

Lonn, having dispensed with pretending to be a mortal, now glowed a baleful red that echoed off through the ground beneath him. The men now had stepped back, clearly cowed by the display, except for the stoic. He stood where he planted his tool and Lonn was fucking proud of him. Lonn opened a hand and with a flash of light a lightning blade ripped its way into reality, carmine and ferocious in its image. Drawing the weapon across his other open palm, he ripped open a cut in his false flesh that went deeper still into the truer form beneath. Liquid that shone as the platonic state of red poured outward in great gushes, straight into the farm, and then outward. The once dusty, barren brown dirty changed in color beneath their feet, staining til it was a rich umber red. From that central point the soil changed in all directions, growing outward rapidly. As Lonn’s wound healed before his eyes and the blade flashed out of existence, Lonn turned only briefly to the men.

[color=ed1c24]”Give my greetings to Ursare for me,”[/color] he chortled, ferocious grin dripping with uncontained ambition with a hint of gleeful malice, [color=ed1c24]”And tell him I named the City after him; he’s too humble to let any of you do it.”[/color]

In a thundering crash the god exploded into energy, a lightning bolt that went backwards into the sky. The men were left astonished and stunned, even the previous stoic suddenly dropped to his knees when finally free of the God’s presence. Several went to assist him, the man reasonably allowing them to help him up. They looked to their surroundings, the greenery of the cordgrass stretched across a newly red earth, before looking back to their own plot of farm. Their cardinals grew with alien rapidity, whole bushels bursting from the ground.

“What do you we do, Baleriu?” said the quiet man, addressing the stoic who had stood straight before a god.

“You heard the bloody God,” Baleriu said with a grimace, a mix of honest thanks and great worry splashed on his face, “We stay the course… and tell Ursare his ‘City’ has a name now…”

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The lightning bolt that was Lonn came crashing down on next the pillar, revealing his false flesh once more. The edges of his beard and hair were alight, smoldering brightly in a manner that made him look all the more unhinged. Glowing red, sparking eyes flashed brightly as he stared at the pillar with some excitement. When he had first assembled it with Algrim he had left a portion of his power in it undirected, to be used on some later date when a more entertaining plan came about. Their combined handiwork had done an excellent job stabilizing the region but now there was more to be done. Lifting his hand to the surface of the Red Pillar, Lonn sliced himself along the long facet of its form. Blood mixed into the stone, pouring inside of it like a sponge.

[color=ed1c24]”Hahaha, oh boy. Now this is the beginning of something real [b]groovy[/b].”[/color]

[hider=Summary]
Lonn, bitter about his only barely victorious fight against Ahtziri revealing him to be not as great as he likes to think, decides to explore other avenues of entertainment to direct his thoughts elsewhere. He rebuilds a body after the last one was utterly obliterated (and eaten) by the Mother of Monsters, this one dark skinned, dark haired, manly as all hell, and armed with a bushy, curly mustache.

Coming to give attention to Ursare and his folk once more, he realizes they’ve been up to things. The Ursarans (as he will later call them) have secured the underground complex as a base of operations while extending their settlement beyond, starting to farm the cardinal bushes Lonn had gifted to mankind using tools made from weapons. Neat! Lonn flashed a little bit biblical and then presents himself to them.

Through the conversation he discovers that Ursare has been busy bringing people all around to his settlement, intent on saving as many lives as possible. Rather than abusing and taking advantage of other humans, he is attempting to create something better. Though initially thinking this is some weak shit, Lonn quickly realizes this is gonna take humans WAY farther than rugged individualism alone. Now tossing aside his already failing disguise as just another hunky dude, Lonn bleeds himself into the dirt of the region, turning it red, and (probably more importantly) making it extraordinarily fertile. With that he leaves them to discuss.

Briefly on his own, Lonn goes to the Red Pillar where he and Algrim had stabilized this part of the shard. He takes the energy he had placed within the Pillar that he hadn’t used and diverts it to a new purpose; the Red Pillar now subtly calls to mortals to come to the location (which “happens” to be adjacent the city, Ursaru) which will rapidly increase its population. In addition, he supplants a mind-virus into the Pillar that will make those in its glow grow to be more like each other, creating the beginnings of an Ursaran culture that will one day form the basis of the Red City.
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[hider=MA Summary]
1 MA (0 from Apocalypse) - Lonn bleeds into the North East, creating a vast region of divinely empowered, extraordinarily fertile land called the Ursaran Chaparral/Macchia, or simply the Chaparral. It also happens to be [color=ed1c24]red[/color].
1 MA (0 from Apocalypse) - Lonn directs and further empowers the portion of his divine power left within the Red Pillar, giving the Pillar two new effects. First, it subtly calls to mortals within its area of effect to come to the Red Pillar. Though this will not pull all from their homes, particularly during the apocalypse this effect will draw the numerous indigent peoples to it. Additionally, it will slowly turn those within its sphere of influence to be more like one another in terms of tastes, ways of thinking, etc, to begin artificially inspiring a more centralized culture. This power is more effective the closer one is to the Pillar. 
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