[center][h3][color=FFE4E1]Arira - Goddess of Cycles[/color][/h3] [h2]When The World Needed Her Most...She Did [b]Not[/b] Vanish!!![/h2] [/center] [hr] ...Did she mourn that the third race of her children had become so divided? Indeed. Such a thing weighed upon her heart, and yet at the same time her resolve was not broken nor shattered. The Erimav remained among her children, and a few had come to live within her Paradise like a similar amount of Ketto and Brynlic had before. These would, in the coming centuries, be transformed by the nature of the Ariran Paradise and the sustenance there just like the humans who were living there would be as well. More so, from the Erimav had come thoughts of just how to make things better for the region. But before she exerted her might to a great extent on this Shard of Creation, this very Shard of Galbar, she would have to make one more civilization. One more race to create that would be numbered among her children, who would live upon the land and help make it great in their own ways in due time. She had even been going around giving the races she had already made, and the humans and other lingering survivor groups who now lived in the region, some amount of guidance and direction to set them on their own paths and away from a world of apocalypse. And this time, she knew what she would need to do this time around for this race. To this end the goddess flew herself over to the south of the small Freshwater Sea, all the way down to the Land Between Two Rivers...also known as the ‘Land of The Two Rivers’ or most importantly as “Aimatoposem”. In a good spot of land in this area, a flat place where there was room to grow and build and so forth, Arira would once again raise her arms as her now solemn visage looked upon the area. For a moment she mumbled a near-silent prayer under her breath, to whom or what or where none else would ever know, and then closed her eyes once more. To them would be given civilization and order, but not as strict and peculiar as the Erimav had. To them would be given strength and stamina, but not as much as the Ketto had. To them would be given magic and mirth, but not as much as the Brynlic held. To them would be given the spark of strong will and desire to learn, but not leaving the accidental empty spaces and erroneous things otherwise that had resulted eventually in the twisted Erimyr by mistake. To them would be given great strength of spirit and hearty souls, like unto the survivors of the apocalypse...who had weathered so much but clung on through even the most godless of days to survive. To them she would grant a form mostly like that of humans and elves and such folk, with only very slightly pointed ears to boot and fitting physiology of the canine teeth for their potential to drink blood as an alternate food source from animals or such. No power to turn things into their own kind like the Erimav did though. To this end she would form them, without as much pomp and circumstance. They were able to feed upon the blood to survive, but also to eat all the other mortal foods that the world would have to offer. Civilized and orderly, yet mirthful and full of life. [color=FFE4E1]“Rise, oh the last of the mortal races born into this world as mine children...rise, oh Dirham!”[/color] After she cried aloud, the goddess lowered her arms one last time and opened her eyes as she began to float down to the ground. Below her, a great number of the Dirham lay upon the ground, male and female alike, with gothic attire and soft skin and lovely eyes that began to flutter open as they awoke. They lacked the inherent beauty of the Erimav, yet were a touch above regular humans and the like. Intelligent of mind, strong of spirit, able to fight the darkness within themselves and in the world about them as well as enjoy the light. These numbered many more than the other races had in their initial creation batch, and as they rose they began to look at each other and speak with one another. Some were happy, others confused, and others seemingly grumpy at having woken upon the ground. Good. Ultimately, however, the people would begin to shuffle forward to where Arira had stopped her descent only some feet above the ground. To see the great throng of the people looking upon her, it made Arira smile as she looked into each of their eyes and upon their curious and mixed gazes. It all felt...right. Yes. None of the others before were mistakes, as varied and individual as any other race, and they were all beloved even as these were. But this felt as if it just ‘clicked’ within her with a sense of finality and pride, as if she knew within her that this was the final major people to be born of her in this manner of creation during this time period. Like this creation was good, and none other like it was needed for this region at this time. [color=FFE4E1]“Welcome to this world, oh last of mine mortal children made directly by mine hands. I am the beginning and the end. I am the seasons and the climes. I am the winter and spring, the summer and the fall. I am Arira, Goddess of Cycles, and I have madest all of thee in the image of my mind...and of the cloth woven by thine cousins who also till this land and a place very far off from here. Therefore bend thine ears to my voice, and listen. Heed my call, and come forth to me. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed that thou seest me here. I am thine mother and maker, wherefore I invite thee to come near to me and take comfort. Speak thine minds as well, for I wish to hear thee with my own two ears.”[/color] “Why did you make us?” “Where are we?” “Could you have made us not on a patch of itchy grass?” “Could use something to eat really.” “Wait, why do only I have both-, oww! Somebody hit me!” The goddess chuckled as the sounds of various voices entered her ears, questions sensible and otherwise taken into consideration. For a time she would begin to give some answers, at least, until the time for initial questions had gone on long enough. Gently she then waved her hands down, shushing them eventually once more. [color=FFE4E1]“I shall answer more in time, oh Dirham, oh the lastborn of the mortal races that are mine children due to being made by mine hand. I must first finish a great work, one which all of thee shalt be witness to along with the rest of this Shard of Creation, this world known as the Shard of Galbar.”[/color] Then one last voice spoke up as the goddess looked over at the woman who was shouting up to her, the woman donning a long masculine Victorian coat and gloves as she gave a fanged grin. [color=7FFFD4]“Well then? Get going! We’ve got to start getting things set up for when you get back then! So shoo, go do your god thing and we’ll be over here!”[/color] A few chuckles and groans came from the throng of Dirham, but Arira’s smile did widen at the words as she let out a light peal of genuine laughter for the first time in her life thus far. Where some might have seen it as insolence, however, she could feel the gusto of the mortals’ spirits shine! Love and laughter. Groans and complaints. Struggle ahead and yet the spirit to overcome it all in the end. It was beautiful. Simply beautiful. This was what was so transcendent about mortals, at least in the goddess’ mind. Their lives were so very short compared to her immortal nature, and yet they sought to pursue the impossible that lay beyond the eternal horizon. They sought to conquer what challenges lay before them, and even with the good and the bad and so forth among them they never ceased to push themselves further and further. Where divinity might stagnate or sit idly by with time, an eternity of memories possessed and so forth, to see that burning light of the flame of mortal life so brilliant in these was a sight like none other. [color=FFE4E1]“Well then! My children seem to be adamant about watching their mother’s work! Then be off, begin to cut the wood and work out your homes! I will return to help afterward!”[/color] And with that, the goddess would begin to rise again, voices beginning to bark out as the people began to try to organize themselves to start the work of making homes and so forth. Of course...they and their seed would have plenty of time for that. More than enough over the ages to come. As for herself, however, she had one last set of things to do for this world. Indeed, these things had been long overdue, though I’Iro’s work and ironically her Paradise had made it all finally possible at this point in time. [hr] Higher and higher she climbed, higher into the atmosphere. Faster and faster she would move, seeking to reach the highest point in the atmosphere that was far above the perfect center of the world. From Mount Divinus, a divine being’ senses would allow them to know she was far above there. Far above the cloud whales and flying krill, far above the tallest mountains and greatest of lands she would fly up to, and standing at the edge of the atmosphere and void beyond she protected herself with a thin barrier of still-potent divine power. [i]Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Control your breathing.[/i] Yes. The Goddess of Cycles would begin to control her breathing, channeling all of her focus and divine power as it began to ripple throughout her. This would be an exertion far from the vulnerable mortal eyes that might be scarred or slain by seeing this, and to the gods a sign that she was serious in this work of hers. Arira’s flesh would begin to glow, and soon it began to shift as it [u]changed[/u] at this spot far above and away from the eyes of all. Yet even if it was not directly seen, this would all be felt....especially by the rest of the gods. [i][color=FFE4E1]‘My tiny brother, give me strength...yet keep safe and far from my true form! Oh mother, grant me boon and watch upon me from afar as my form shakes the very heavens themselves! Oh mortals, look upon me and know hope!!!’[/color][/i] Such were her thoughts, such were the desires shouted silently into the aether and void and heavens by her very immortal soul. Still faster and faster and faster the flesh of her would shift and continue to move, all as great and blinding eyes appeared on her that would madden mortals if she were closer to the ground. So blindingly radiant was the divine light emitted from Arira, though, that all those below would see would be a radiant light high in the heavens...a strange one, yet its light was warm and eerie at the same time. Though even as her flesh moved and shifted, rings of spinning divine flesh and form and power were forming. It was the beginning and the end. The start and the finish. A light that would gleam with raw divinity and magnificence and unimaginable incredibility, such that was untold magnitudes beyond her ‘base’ form. Indeed, she would in the end become [b]Cycles Incarnate[/b] for what she would be doing next. [center][hider=Cycles Incarnate][img]https://i.imgur.com/4MeA2JF.jpg[/img][/hider][/center] And thus after, the sound of uncountable voices speaking in perfect unison would begin to ring throughout the air of the world...even as it touched upon all the land of creation. It came with the loudness of a burst of thunder, the swiftness of lightning, the glory of the sun, and the mightiness of [u]Domain made manifest[/u]. [color=FFE4E1][b]“Let the chaos be bidden: Come, Come, Come! Come into my being and be consumed in thine End, yet be the fuel of the Beginning that shall come to the world anew. Burn, Burn, Burn! Swell, oh Dominion of Cycles, and encompass all in thine eternal embrace! May the eyes watch over them and see it all through, yea let the rings bind them that the balance shall be constrained. Swell, Swell, Swell! Rise, oh Jewel of Silence and freeze of Winter, be taken as part of mine being forever more. Make thine cold be the season’s sweet solace, may thine sobering touch cling to all as much as the icy winds cling to all the lands in thine domain, and may thou embrace the still silence at the end and beginning of all years to come! Rise, oh sweltering Summer heat, burn forth from me forever and radiate like the heat of the sun and the burning fires of youth and growth and raw passions made manifest. Do this upon all creation to stir it forth to action, that none may sit idle as thine waves wash over them like waves upon the ocean shores! Rise, oh cool winds of Fall, let thine decline and autumn colors show forth the softer brilliance of nature and beauty that comes in even with death! Become the comfort to all that rest and life so too, yea become the gentle chillwind that soothes the soul and ushers forth the coming cold to be! Rise, oh lovely warmth of Spring, let thine sweetest caress and gentle rains bring forth new life and sounds of joy where once was death and silence! Manifest thyself as the rebirth of all creation, that cometh during its time to bring back vibrance and loveliness anew! Oh climes and times of year, cling thee to all places of existence as thou fittest and form-est upon all creation and life therein! Let all life know the seasons and understand without words! Let all climes have their times and seasons thus, all being anchored upon mineself and mineself alone always, and manifest forth properly upon this Shard of Galbar, this Shard of Creation, and all land seeded and made before and now and forevermore! Let mine existence be the essence of all this, and make mine existence the eternal foundation for all these! So it is decreed, so it is made immutable by being tied to my being forever! Let the gates of destruction and instability of these things be shut! Shut! [i]Shut![/i] [i][u]SHUT!!![/u][/i]”[/b][/color] So the voices would speaketh, at the end an almighty scream… ...Thus it was done. The Seasons would be born into creation by the might of the Domain of Cycles now incarnated. Yea natural and normal clouds to bring forth rains and snows and storms and so forth would return and encompass the Shard of Creation alongside the cloud whales and such creatures, that the seasons might occur with the right weathers. Each biome of the world, those created before now and ever so after even, would now possess their fitting weather and climates and seasons thus...now and forever. All of it was bound to the existence of the Goddess Arira, never to be rent in twain again unless she ceased to exist. It was her, her will, her extension, her life, her very being now. The Cycles of the Seasons, the Cycles of Life growing and dying and reproducing and resting, and the fitting Climate Cycles of all the lands and terrain and so forth, all were ushered in. All were a part of Arira now. They were her, and yet not her. They had beginnings, and they had ends. They had starts, and they had stopping points. Yet not all was well in this aftermath. For even as all the other gods and lands would find themselves stable and organized in ways prior untouched or unfinished or absent, the Goddess of Cycles would rapidly shift back to her Base Form. [u][i][b]Rapidly, Arira’s body would limply begin to fall from the heavens. Oh save her, gods of the world, that she be not broken upon Mount Divinus itself![/b][/i][/u] [hider=Summary] Arira made the Dirham race, and this time her creation process went without flair and any sort of pomp and circumstance. More or less she took this most seriously as her last Post 0 race-making shenanigan/action, using all she had learned thus far in making races and seeing things in order to craft the Dirham as perhaps the most ‘balanced’ race of all. She then was encouraged by them to quit waiting about and to go finish her work, to which she took joy and went off to perform a great miracle. She then went to the center of the world, Mount Divinus, and went high up into the atmosphere and such from there...and from the center of the world went into her True Form. In this she created the Seasons, set forth all needed cycles of the world across all of it, and exerted herself so much she basically got exhausted and passed out from all the MA power-spam. Mind this was all just done after asking the GMs, as well as that it is basically a one-off instance of this insane divine power use to help us get past the Post-0 time period (finally). She also kinda passed out and is falling rapidly from the sky down toward Mount Divinus in her Base Form (which she reverted to upon passing out) once more, so can someone please save her from this literal fall? (lol) [/hider] [hider=MA Summary] 1 MA (0 from Apocalypse) - Arira created the Dirham, making more of them at their inception and taking into their creation all she has learned from making other races so far. It is the final race she will be making at all during this Post-0 time period. 1 MA (0 from Apocalypse) - Arira went full True Form, far away from hurt-able mortal eyes but rather readily able to be sensed by the other gods all over the Shard of Creation/Galbar as a result. Several MA (0 from Apocalypse) - Arira exerted her full power in her True Form to create the Seasons, proper Climates and Climate Cycles, created normal clouds again which will create proper weather as part of the proper weather/other cycles of the world (even though Cloud Whales and such exist and weren’t harmed in this), and set the cycles of reproduction and so forth into their correct placements and manners and so forth. In other words, she set the climate stuff and cycles stuff in order all at once in a mass exertion which will honestly never happen again because this is Post-0 times and Arira just wanted to help get things in order so we can move on forward with things on Thursday. XD [/hider]