[center][h1]Cycle VIII[/h1][/center]
[center][h2]Demise[/h2][/center]
[hr]
They were a blight upon the land, withering all that they touched upon before the earth itself slowly dissolved into an evil expanse of gurgling grey ooze. Where the forests and lakes were once plentiful in the northern realm, inhabited by a wide variety of large creatures and the many dwellings of the Bjorks - now the woods and the rivers and all of its denizens that were spread across the north had been desiccated and replaced with the putrid presence of fiends and demonic machinations.

The sea of sludge swept over massive sections of the Thousand Lakes region, surging towards and converging upon a specific location; wherein a terrible battle was being fought. The two demons known as Abraxanan and Valac, had besieged the Voga Dam and its clan which was only protected by a single god, Lares. The deity called upon his great power; towering structures erupted from the spreading miasmic tides, providing shelter for the beings within or atop them. Lares summoned smaller buildings that formed limited paths that he could use to navigate the ocean of ooze that poisoned all that came in contact with it.

The God of Houses was enraged, because so much beautiful architecture and wonderful dwellings had been swallowed by the grey sludge and its heralds; two massive and grotesque monstrosities that chanted in their demonic tongue as they caused this calamity to unfold. When they had arrived, Lares had hoped that another member of the pantheon would show up to assist him, but none had come. Now he could only lament what had befallen him and his home that he fought to protect. He had been foolish to believe that he could rely upon the other divine to prevent such evil from ever emerging.

His own form had become weakened, as the deity had found it more and more difficult to change his shape, and found parts of himself transforming into part of furniture or dwellings. It had become difficult to walk at times, but he was content with his life - teaching the bjorks to expand and express themselves through their immediate environment. The art of architecture was something a mortal could spend many cycles lost in the studying and exploring, and yet never become bored, for new inspiring designs and captivating projects were always waiting to be discovered. Lares and many of the bjorks were perhaps lost in their love for the joy and comfort that the creation of so many homes had brought them.

The Voga Dam had been ruptured and ruined, with the community around it barely surviving as so much of the population drowned in the foul flood that had come so suddenly. Too many lives were lost, and too many homes had been wrecked. It was grief that overwhelmed Lares as he fought with all of his strength to defend what was left of the clan that he had grown to care so much for. [color=f26522]“Begone villains! I banish you and your heinous presence for eternity!”[/color] Fortifications manifested as he spoke; stalwart walls with sharpened spikes built along the battlements, a myriad of complex traps to ensnare and harm the two intruders, and lastly an army of shimmering spirits wielding celestial weapons these repel invaders.

Though the two demons were colossal, they were halted outside the walls and swarmed by the horde of conjured ethereal warriors that were unrelenting in their retaliation even as they were slain in great numbers as they defied their foe. Lares was becoming exhausted - he had swiftly harnessed so much power that it caused him to stagger, but he pressed forward and issued commands to his forces, rallying them with his presence. He dismissed the thought of fleeing regardless of whether or not defeat seemed inevitable. He would not abandon the mortals that had such potential of bringing more beauty into the world, so he stood upon his wall and challenged one of the hulking beasts.

It shrieked back at him, a sound so alien to his ears that he was briefly dazed until he shook his head and bellowed back. [color=f26522]“Fire the cannons!”[/color] The immense wall stirred, instilled with an immense amount of vigor, and awakening upon hearing the issued order from its creator. It shifted and transformed, openings formed along its outer perimeter from which emerged enchanted artillery that spewed forth blazing blasts of vibrant and violent energy. Each thunderous shot exploded across the flesh of Valac, sundering the pallid skin and burning its innards.

[color=f26522]“Fire!”[/color] Lares repeated, as another volley unleashed its devastating destruction upon the demon. Bursts of blood and viscera splattered against the wall as the construction shifted again, creating massive pillars atop the battlements with blades along the sides that descended upon the demon like the teeth of a bjork tearing through a tree. Then battering rams abruptly replaced a number of the cannons, and began pulverizing the belly of Valac in brutal fashion.

Lares held up his paws and created a colossal cauldron above his enemy. The God of Houses exerted himself further as he tilted the container filled with an enraged boiling essence, the liquefaction of his loathing for the fiend. Hot hatred cascaded down upon Valac, inflicting more sizzling excruciating burns as the fluids found ways into the entity’s tainted veins, and purged them with divine retribution. There were more eruptions of gore and flesh, then afterwards the demon fell back and staggered. The continually altering configuration of the wall prepared to deal a decisive blow to its fallen foe, but was interrupted by an attack from Abraxanan.

Throughout the clamorous combat, Lares struggled to focus on both fiends, and chose to send the majority of his spiritual soldiers to hinder the second demon while he fought with the first. He chose to sacrifice more of his strength to attempt to separate himself and Valac from Abraxanan by creating another wall between them with the sole purpose of acting as a barricade. Without the interference, his summoned construct delivered the final strike upon Valac, impaling it before completely eviscerating it with an explosion of coalescing weapons that thoroughly ripped it apart.

[color=f26522]“You have been slain for your crimes against my hearth and kin.”[/color] Lares muttered, gazing down upon the immense corpse from atop one of the nearby towers along the length of the wall. With exhaustion, he nearly stumbled as he dashed towards the barricade that blocked the second demon, gasping in a haggard state as he reached the precipice.
The storm of chaos on the other side was still frightening to behold, even for a deity. Abraxanan had brought forth a heavy acidic rain that dissolved most of his defenses and melted many of his spirits with their screams echoing faintly in the tumultuous weather. A whirlwind of shimmering corpses surrounded the demon as it set its gaze upon him, and pointed a terrible claw at his chest. In response, he conjured more cannons and aimed at it before swiftly firing a barrage of heavenly flames. His living castle unleashed its full might once again, preparing to transform into a myriad of weapons to slaughter the second demon.

Abraxanan flailed wildly under the onslaught of the cannons, its screeches seeming to rip apart reality as lacerations opened in the sky and ebon fluid flowed forth from the gashes like blood. With weariness, Lares created a chair to seat himself, heaving as he watched the horrifying display of disruptive ferocity, and understood the truth of a pyrrhic victory as he looked out across what remained of his home and its people. Fortunately, he had salvaged much of the life here, happy to see that the bjorks and animals and plants had survived this ordeal, safe within the numerous structures he hastily summoned. He sighed, looking forward to the time when he could put this troubling day far behind him.

Upon the verge of being defeated, Abraxanan was restrained by resurrected fortifications emerging around it, preventing its escape by encircling it. The cannons constantly fired upon it, letting there be no rest for the wicked. The noise was so loud that Lares did not hear Valac as the demon loomed behind him - it was the repugnant stench that became even more potent that had warned the deity of the demon, but it was too late. Lares did not have enough strength or time to rise from his chair before the maw of Valac closed around him. Shadows and teeth tore into the Ever-Welcomed Architect, gnashing him until he was no more and the Shard he carried was consumed.

The survivors that remained in the shelters Lares had provided for them would witness the aftermath of the battle, and weep whenever the tale was told or recalled. The devouring of Lares and his Shard resulted in the birth of a third demon - a dark and twisted thing that crawled out of the mouth of Valac and screeched. Then its much smaller form fell from the maw of the other demon, and sank into the murky depths of the sea of sludge. Without further malice, the two demons that brought ruin to this realm departed back to whence they came it seemed, but their lingering miasma stayed and continued to choke the life that was trapped there.

Though the rest of the Galbar has yet to suffer their coming, lesser calamities had befallen upon all that dwelled on the planet, as earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions ravaged many parts of the world. Ill omens plague those that dream, and perturbing whispers can be heard on the wind. Visions of an inevitable demise haunt the world, as despair continues to spread like an incurable disease.

[hider=Summary]The demons known as Abraxanan and Valac have assaulted the Voga Dam, and devoured a weakened Lares. The shard of Houses is corrupted and spawns another demon known as Oziridrid. Disasters occur across the Galbar. Yet the Cosmic Cycle continues as the world stands upon the verge of crumbling.[/hider]