[color=7bcdc8]"It is impossible. Out of my hands at this point. The Halle Kemiha will need to cope with the fact the south is out of our reach at the moment."[/color] "But my lady." the pleading Magistrate was [url=https://i.imgur.com/NIdLuTv.jpg]equally faceless[/url] to the saboteur Dzallitsunya had sent south, but unlike her, her aura was soft and delicate, after all, she was not one of the agents of the night under the Halle Miradja but of the esoteric learning group of Magistrates, the previously mentioned Halle Kemiha. "If the fabled tower of the mage god or the tablets of endless knowledge were to be studied by one of ours, surely, magic would be within our grasp, and so would the secret of this world." [color=7bcdc8]"And yet, we cannot even communicate with the Magis down south due to the mess at Node 18, the ship project has also been fully derailed until Anak'Thas ends his agression."[/color] the goddess let out a tired sigh, arching back and then stretching. [color=7bcdc8]"How about the Daman, the Metzeh Kiri, yes? It's a peculiar wildland, and from what we hear, a land of people able to grow special plants and put to use the energy of their souls."[/color] The faceless scholar had a shocked expression. "But... isn't that land... full of slavers and man-eaters, worse of all, a land of no sanitation and no baths?" [color=7bcdc8]"You want me to be willing to cross the chaotic seas or brave the swarmed lands but you cannot show the same zeal when it comes to dealing with a few uncouth wolf-people?"[/color] Tsunya teased. "Given the war, I take we will need to brave the mountains, sigh..." she adjusted her hair. "Fine, for the sake of knowledge I can do it. But if I end up as the breakfast of some giant frog, it will be on your consciousness." The goddess's eyes widened. [color=7bcdc8]"You will be protected by capable hands during the expedition, I will make sure of that, the dusklands already lost their most clever mind once and I will not suffer that again"[/color] the words were sharp, no hint of the casual friendly conversation from before. The magi, caught by surprise, was speechless for a moment, thinking of what to answer, ultimately, she was saved by an approaching messenger. "My goddess, a report from the embassy in the 12." Dzallitsunya took the message and at first, she had a smile, mentions of pearls, beautiful crystals, and things that could help her to further develop the dusklands. Then, the mention of the cold winds of a floating entity, and later confirmation of any suspicion from Xavior himself. As if the entities in the current world were not enough, shadows of the past seemed to have crept back up. The crucible was a cruel world, and she was so tired. [hr] The creature protecting the 9th node was by far the fiercest of the chaos beasts she had faced, with a metallic body, razor-sharp wings, a vicious boar-like face and the ability to breathe fire so hot it would melt the ground itself. This was the third time Dzallitsunya faced it, last time it was weaker, but unlike the chameleon beast of the north, Dzallitsunya had only not been victorious because she had chosen not to win, sparing the beast for dubious reasons. Today, on the fourth battle, she had an excuse, as she was guiding the expedition to the Daman lands. Dancing around the fire blast and chaotic molten ground, using the shadow petal to ward off flames, the goddess delivered slashes upon the beast's limbs and struck its head with a hammer before casting chains to hold it, temporarily. Panting, she returned to the group of dusklanders. [color=7bcdc8]"This will hold it until the journey is over."[/color] she said as she regained her breath, quickly guiding the magistrates and guards away, across the rock expanses that looked as if an ocean had been petrified in the middle of a storm, with stone 'wave' structures and splashing craters. The chaos beast and its spawn seemed to be able to temporarily revive said ocean with its fire. "Goddess? Is that not the node?" a keen-eyed Magistrate asked, pointing at the tall black obelisk. [color=7bcdc8]"I have no need for these lands and see no project with its shape and inspiration, so I am letting it be."[/color] In part, this was because she wanted to prove to herself that she would never be as sick as Benea had described, that she could resit the temptations of the node system. In part... because it was relaxing. The dreams of battle were good exercise to the knight goddess, but the real deal, with real fatigue and real pain, could not be beaten. Whenever she was truly out of it, she would enter the node and fight off its chaos and let the frustration and anger be burned away in combat. So she had kept the dragon and its node. [color=7bcdc8]"Now, let us continue and finish our journey before the dawn breaks."[/color] [hr] Outside of mysterious roaring noises in the chaotic node 9, along with tracks that seemed similar to that of wheel carts, the time after she had seen off her agents was uneventful. Without a long term objective or exciting combat, her mind had returned to her immediate worries. And that was how she would explain to Benea that she would return Node 13 to Anak'Thas. Simply put, she was tired, she was a deity of lofty dreams but whenever she tried to focus on them lesser issues would consume her time. At first, it was the chaotic mortalkind, the loss of Croll, but the gods were equally chaotic and overwhelming, Benea had thrust her into this issue and expected her to fight and kill without ever asking for consent, all her reports did not make Anak'Thas seem that threatening and... The Hive. Garravar. It all seemed to be more pressing than Anak'Thas. Benea would have to understand. Due to the route, she took to avoid the chaos, the goddess found herself walking into the dusklander fort town of Vallora, in node 13. It brimmed with life and commerce despite the tension in the air. It would also provide the infrastructure she could use to make her decision known to the land, to move the magistrates' capacities to transfer the land and set up a deal so as to not harm those who were helpful to her or the dusklanders who had come to settle the land. And of course, to explain her decision to Benea, each word would have to be measured, and the very idea filled the dusk goddess with anxiety, a cold pit in her stomach. [color=7bcdc8]"I will give myself some time off"[/color] she confessed as she entered the town, she needed to eat some good food, something sweet and honeyed too, take a nice bath, rest well, then she could return to bothering herself with the world and face the challenge of giving up on Node 13 for the sake of peace and focusing the fight against the chaos, the murderers and the slavers. The 13 was a sunny land, even Vallora with its dusklander compound, could not be magically shielded from it, thankfully the shadow petal could become a cape with the added feature of a hood, something to spare her face from the overwhelming light. It also helped to keep herself mostly anonymous, since it was midday most dusklanders were inside or in the covered arcades, she was curious to see how commerce worked in a foreign dusklander compound in case she ever wanted to go back on her ban of the mercantile class. The exorbitant price of a cupful of honeyed peanuts quickly killed any sympathy for it, Xavior forgive her, even a goddess who could summon gold from between her fingers felt ripped off. After having that and something to drink, she noticed a small crowd of sunlanders in a plaza, watching some sort of play. It was about two siblings, a girl who created the stars and a boy who created the sun. She had heard of it, one of her agents had told her about it [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5358010]after previously watching it[/url] in Tellum'Velik. She always loved it, it expressed many of her feelings, especially the dangers of unchecked ambition, the boy, in his envy, would create the sun just to show off, an obscene and excessive light, for an equal ambition to outshine the world. At least that is how she interpreted it, she had been theorising about the astral for a long while, and by now she was sure the sun had an addicting blinding effect, since that was easy to realise just by noticing how a strong light made all else darker she imagined that had been the inspiration of such a play. And yet, the crowd cheered for the boy as the lamp he held exploded in light. The goddess was truly perplexed, what was there to cheer for in the actions of the sun-creating brother? She had little time to think about it, however, as her cape was hit by a small stone. Turning to face the thrower, she saw a familiar faceless face in a nearby building, the masked agent she had sent to Tellun along with two more, all in a building, as no Magi could stand walking out in open sunlight. The goddess was impressed they were already back from the mission, but this was useful, it meant she could deliver her message faster and focus her mind on defending her land. As soon as she entered the building, however, the expressions of those within told her something bad had happened. "My goddess." The Halle Miradja with the canine mask bowed. "I have news. Anak'Thas has sent his reply to our messages." [color=7bcdc8]"Truly?"[/color] Dzallitsunya said with a certain surprise, she had been waiting for so long until Benea or Anak'Thas answered her pleas for help against the hive. [color=7bcdc8]"Well then, do share it! I must know what stance to take forward."[/color] The magistrates looked at each other, not answering the question at all, this turned on the alarms within Dzallis' head and she did not wait until they answered, she dove into their memories to seize it. [quote]Return Node 13 to me or suffer the consequences.[/quote] The goddess stood in confusion, eyes darting from magistrate to magistrate trying to confirm the facts, instead, she learned just how much she had been ignoring. What they had heard the paladins talking about, the rumours of a troop called the Blade of Dawn? Why had she bothered? Why had she given them all so many chances? She felt weak and found herself walking into the dimly lit room without thinking, leaning against the nearest table. [color=7bcdc8]"Just so to be clear in case my ability to read the memory of my magistrates fail me. No mention of the hive, no mention of peace, no mention of a trade deal or cooperation, no mention of MY WORK on this land, that I DEFENDED and PROTECTED for no reason other than appreciation for his people."[/color] "My goddess, it is their belief that you are an invader." [color=7bcdc8]"Haha... An invader... I walked away from his accursed city! How many gods would do that? Preserve lives above all... and now this maniac wants to force my hand, as if I wronged him? I am not worth at least one non-threatening or demanding sentence to him? After I was so gentle to his people and his land, after I worried myself for his sake? That bastard."[/color] She banged her hand against the table. [color=7bcdc8]"And here I was doubting Benea. I still might. But I do not care. Be he sick or be he just a moron. I will not have my face spat on like this. Treat me like I was a vermin, something he could just ignore, as if I was beneath him? No. That is not how it will go. I pleaded. I was willing to negotiate. He denied it all. And he will regret it. He will wish he could deal with Benea again."[/color] The magistrates stared at each other and back at the goddess. "Does this mean you will be joining the blockade instead of just occupying parts of the node?" Dzallitsunya shook her head. [color=7bcdc8]"It means I want him dead. Enough. I am tired. So tired. I could be sailing the seas in search of knowledge, I could be with my children, I could be designing the latest city for our peaceful nation. But I was handed this war I have never asked for... Fine! War it is!"[/color] she launched off back to the centre of the room, waving her cape, the magistrates tried to follow but stopped as she walked out, into the sunlight. The goddess looked up. [color=7bcdc8]"I am so tired of you too. Your wretched light, so proud of being annoying, so proud of your oppression, that you can overwhelm the gentle night, in a sense, you are so similar to that accursed lantern. Perhaps it is not the nodes but you the true source of the sickness. Cooking brains with your heat."[/color] she ranted, then looked again at the crowd, bitterness burning inside her in silver flames. [color=7bcdc8]"But did you forget just what I am?"[/color] She picked something from her pocket which the magistrates could not see quite what it was, she then looked at the horizon, extending her hand and then clenching it as if seizing the infinite border between land and sky. Where previously was midday blue suddenly started to have a hint of red and orange, like an early sunset. To the left, a woman whined as the fire of her oven started to dim up. To the right, one by one, commemorative candles started to go out, and the sunlander priest overlooking them tried to turn them on again but not a single spark would come out of his rock. The people who were previously walking peacefully started to stop in confusion, looking at the sky and at their own shadows, yellow and orange starting to creep up, darkening the world. By this point, half of the crowd watching the play was shocked to see the sky, the other, was shocked to see the sun boy and his lamp, which previously was a lively flame, fed with expansive oils the lantern was supposed to keep a bright light for a whole hour, but now, it was dying, shadows creeping in closer as the overwhelming flare turned into tamed ember despite the excess of fuel left. By the time it fully died the screams started. The sun was being eaten. Night had declared war upon the day and shadows spread up and down the horizon, meanwhile, the previously regent sun was slowly being covered by a growing dark plate. The magistrates now felt safe enough from the sunlight to step in close to the goddess and it was just then that they noticed exactly what she held. Umbrium, the material of the Maelite. It had grown into an abyssal dark blade, as thin as the horizon line, as ever-present as the horizon line, as it ate the light from the world it gained hints of orange and red on its edge. Finally, the goddess, no sarcastic or desperate smile on her face, moved the blade off the horizon and up against the sky, brandishing it against the conquered sun, reduced to a ring of light and barely able to keep the world alight. [color=7bcdc8]"I am a god."[/color] she declared to the orb of fire, now reduced to an ironic crescent moon shape. [color=7bcdc8][h3][center]Dzallitsunya V[/center][/h3][/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/LagaTz7h.jpg[/img][/center] [hider=Summary] - Dzalli's magitech team is pissed they can't go south, so she sends them to the Daman - On the way she bullies Node 9 but doesn't take it because she likes bullying the chaos there - Back to Node 13, in the fort of Vallora, she is pretty sure she wants to give up Node 13 because with the Hive and Garravar she can't give a shit about Anak'Thas and so far he has done nothing to offend her - Anak'Thas offends Dzallitsunya by text message - Tsunya now wants the lamp dead and buried, goes for all-out war cause she is now out for blood - She is so pissed she makes a light eating sword that can turn the day into night. [/hider] [hider=Might Summary] 3/9 starting might -3 to create the Eclipse. A dark umbrium tinted sword that eats light. Whenever it's being unsheathed it will start to put off fires and other light sources before ultimately causing a local eclipse, effects lessen as one is farther from the sword, so it's not a global, or even a node-wide eclipse. 0 might remains. [/hider]