[center][color=ed1c24][u][b]Try, try again.[/b]
[/u][/color][/center]
It was a very quiet march. The warriors had divided into two parties; a smaller group led by Talia to scout their advance and the remaining majority of their small group herding the offspring. Nea was not so considerate as to give Grym space to breathe. In Dorian’s absence she elected to shadow him. It was unusual of her to volunteer in this way, but she followed quietly for a time. Only when Grym looked up, toward the node’s border approaching on the horizon, did he notice Nea’s fixated stare in his peripheral. He got the impression that she’d been staring for a while, though it didn’t resemble the same callous animosity as when they’d first met — more like he was being audited. She was probably waiting for him to realize it because as soon as Grym unclenched his jaw to speak, she stole the first word. “Is this really all you are?”

Even without context, he had an inkling of what she meant. Nea saw through him like this from the beginning, and she continued to be his most demanding critic.

“Half measures. Compromise. Bravado.” She continued, since Grym hadn’t mustered a response. “You promised us power and stature — protection. And you said you wanted everything, no? The stars in the sky, the sky itself, the oceans, blablabla.” Her tone became infantilizing.

He knew she’d keep piling on to stir up a response, not that it hadn’t already provoked him at this point. “Yes!” He burted in exasperation. “I’m aware of my.. Mis-steps.”

“Not mis-steps.” Nea cut in. “Cowardice.”

Grym stopped walking and turned to face her. “I know.” That was all he could muster; he didn’t dare apologize.

“You know.. It’s not about winning, Little G. We followed you because none of us want our fates decided on a whim by any of those holier than thou fuckin’ pretenders. So either get it together or get out of the way.”

That’s right; It [i]isn’t[/i] about winning. No, it never was. There weren’t any words with which he could respond right now. Nea was the type who preferred you to show, not tell; so he merely resumed marching on toward node 26. Whatever the outcome, he couldn’t afford to waiver again.

As they walked, a sudden anxiety started to freeze in the chest, until a familiar voice laughed behind the walking pair. “Little G?” 

Garravar had appeared out of thin air, walking behind them with a glint in his eye that matched the glint on the edge of his spear.


"Well, see, you're Big G; though I prefer G-money, so Talia started calling me Little G. I'm great with the pet names, as you're aware." Grym nearly jumped out of his remaining skin when he heard Garravar's voice. Really, how does he just poof like that? He would've asked about it if he wasn't so preoccupied with the anxiety of two failed deicides. It felt like being visited at university by your step dad - because Peninal was his real dad - who's paying for your classes, and now you had to tell him you're flunking out.

Garravar seemed to forget that he had even asked and changed subjects entirely. “Your actions have forced another god to claim two additional nodes.”

"Aren't the real nodes the friends we made along the way?" Grym bantered and then, on seeing Garravar's unamused mug, paused before waving dismissively at his own comment. 

"Don't answer that. I don't know who's taking what, but as you can see I'm very much on my way to genocide an idiot's city. I'm getting better, I promise!" He nodded earnestly.

“No, you’ve done good, theoretically,” Garravar answered — but keeping a neutral tone. “It just means more nodes will fall into an unwilled state when Vatarr is removed. As for Brey, let me show you how it’s done.”


"You're gonna help me kill Brey? Really? Ooh, I knew you were a softie. I don't care what they say about ya!" He hummed excitedly. 

There was a brief hesitation where Grym glanced between his marching army and the immaculate Garravar, but such indecision quickly vanished as a familiar cardinal flame emerged around him. "I've actually been brainstorming an idea just for such an occasion. You're the inspiration actually, though it pales in comparison to your transcendence of the Crucible. If only I'd had more time.." The last bit he more mused to himself as his voice seemed to trail off. Reservations be damned, the time to act was now. 

The volatile energy hissed and bubbled, deepening in shades as a form took shape — separating from Grym's body. Its silhouette first appeared as a tiny crystal that emanated a deep, yet subtle glow. From the crystal sprouted a body of a human man similar in size to Grym. He had flowing red hair and a rigid physique. The hexagon crystal took the place of his left eye, shrouded by an eye-patch, while the man himself was adorned in a simple tunic over furs fashioned as clothing; at his side, a sheathed claymore. In contrast to Grym, the man was an exemplary product of mankind; the second side of the same coin.

"Wow, flesh feels weird.. Tight, really." It spoke.

"Happy birthday, me-you. I'm your dad, but also you." Grym greeted, confusing even himself somewhat.

"I know we're us because I made me. We should know that; you [i]do[/i] know that. We’ll call me.. Gryffith! Or Gryff for short. Less confusing that way." Gryff and Grym nodded in agreement with themselves before turning in unison toward Garravar and asking, "Be honest; what do you think?"

“Using your signature to make a copy of yourself via crystal vehicle,” Garravar arched a brow. “Simple but effective. I assume you have a plan for Gryff?”

“Simple, yes. I hoped to recreate your miracle anomaly, but enough of that. Plan’s simple.” Gryff responded to Garavarr, pointing toward the horizon where node 26’s border lies. “I’ll keep heading South to kill Vatarr, while you and me head North for Brey. I can only imagine what’s happening up North that drove you down here to get me — I must be taking too long.”


“The north has completed the capture of the nodes, we are behind schedule in the south — besides, I want to show you something that requires the death of a god,” Garravar answered, “then I will reveal the secrets to you.”

"Let's go kill an old fart." Grym agreed and gestured for Garravar to lead the way. Gryf waved farewell, if only as a courteous gesture, as he would continue the March south with a bewildered Nea.

[hr]


Brey’s facial expression was dead serious. There were no people in the city, as the illusionary images of people in Molbrew wandered back and forth doing their duties and going about their lives. The false images of mages and soldiers were all armed with steel, medieval weapons, long bows and the like. Brey was viewing the horde of traitors and other enemies with his telescope, and took note. 

With the people fleeing the city only hours earlier, Brey didn’t have long to prepare. All the books were gone. The shelves were empty, and the old man deity was not in his wizard’s robes. He was now armed with the magic axe, and wore a powerful magical armor, covered in runic protection wards. His ring finger on his right hand still wielded the power that made it so coveted by the other mages. 

Through his magic, Brey unleashed a disembodied voice to the invading armies. “Turn back.” 

Garravar was floating far above, frozen air hugging his form as he looked down at the library. He had his spear in one hand while the other rubbed his chin in a quiet contemplation. Without a word he slowly descended until his boots tapped the tiles that lead up to the library door. The sky above was swollen grey, silhouetting the scene in a dusk. 

He stepped through the open portal and into the interior of the library, each footfall echoing off its recently bare walls and shelves. Any semblance of warmth escaped the building and flames turned blue, throwing a wintery chill over the scene. Behind Garravar, Grym descended in tow, notably holding his own swordspear and accompanied by one hundred offspring of various degrees. His disheveled plate mail softly clanked into a resting position as he touched the ground, drowned out by Garravar's heavy footfalls — footfalls which were only more pronounced by the barren shelves of the library they'd appeared in. This caused Grym to frown in whatever way he could express such. There was a tinge of curiosity gnawing at him still; how Brey anticipated them, where and how he'd hidden the contents of this massive library. 

"There will be something of him left once we're done, I hope. Gotta add him to the collection." Grym glanced back toward the offspring.

Brey chuckled, invisibly, under his breath, in his powerful, newly created magic armor. “I’ve chosen to move on from this life.” Brey stated mysteriously. “I’ve also chosen to fight.”
“Life is full of surprises, so I’m surprised myself at the potentiality of an afterlife for gods.”
“Nevertheless, things are as they are.”

“Perhaps you would like to sample the delicacies I’ve laid out on the table in the center of the library. Or are you more enticed by something. . . else?” He stated rhetorically. “I hope you don’t mind the lack of a waiter.”

“Anyway. Now I have you where I want you.” Brey exhales a single breath, and the small army invading the library go blind. The gods leading them are likewise unable to see.

“I already know the outcome of this battle, but I’ll show you that I’m not a venerable old man.”

“I’m amazed, then.” Garravar blindly stepped forward, his steady walk slowly approaching the node as the minions of Grym saturated the entrance. “That you had the foresight to know what happens next, but what does happen next? Do you really know?”

“I fight. Likely die, and won’t make it even half easy!” Brey’s vocal statement was ominous.

Garravar placed his hand on the node. "Do you even know what you're doing here?" The black structure started to glow.

“What does it matter?” Brey responded. “You don’t need to worry about my education. Here, I am headmaster.” A mysterious rumbling of thunder filled the entire building. 

“Allow me to lecture you, then,” Garravar said with a palm placed flat on the node. “You have about an hour to strike me down before your node bends to my will and I replace your library with a frozen wasteland.”

“In the meantime, enjoy the finest hospitality I have to offer!” The honeyed fish on the table transforms into a huge honeyed Megalodon. “Get em’ Donald!” The flying Megalodon immediately began breathing a searing flame on the Cradle’s soldiers. The fire was intense, but Brey’s fire wards stood firm.

Grym snapped his fingers and a reverberating hum consumed the library, restoring sight to all those affected. He gazed longingly at the incredible beast bellowing flame. "You've always been generous with your homecoming gifts, old sport."

The offspring, which had stood motionless even while engulfed in flames, suddenly sprang forward at once in a concentrated frenzy. Simultaneously, thunder signaled the appearance of an expanding cloud just below the library's high ceiling; raining down upon the empty shelves and dousing flame. Screeching thralls hounded the shark, leaping and climbing shelves to chase it wherever it might scurry. There wasn't much space for the large beast to escape the infectious spores, much as it tried to shake its voracious pursuers. 

It wouldn't be long before the shark succumbed to the Cradle's blight. Grym then turned toward Brey.

"Let’s see if your armor holds up, old boy." He let loose the spear right at Brey's chest, just as he should've let Dorian do all those days ago. It grew quickly in size to something several times larger than even the largest ballista, intending to plaster Brey and his armor all over the library's walls.

Oh give me a break, Brey thought. The armored figure would leap onto the large Ballista like spear, running along the shaft and jump , throwing the magical axe towards Grym. It was immediately then, that he telekinetically took hold of Grym’s body,, attempting to distract him before the flying axe would find its mark.

Grym watched the axe fly toward him, realizing it was difficult move so he opted not to. When the head of the armament found purchase it was not Grym that had been struck but rather one of his juggernauts that had intercepted to bare the brunt of the blow. One of its arms had been clearly sheered in two with the axe having driven further and embedded itself in the juggernaut’s chest. The juggernaut, while battered and cleaved, was still alive and turned toward its master who ripped the axe from the offspring’s chest by its haft. It was at this time Peninal’s spear had returned to its original size, having left a gaping hole in the walls of the library where light shone in, and whizzed back toward Grym. He had stayed where he was precisely for this moment, the moment when the spear returned and Brey wouldn’t expect it to plunge through his back on its way back to Grym. 

So the Megalodon was still alive, briefly while it unleashed a large torrent of flame against the Infected, slapping away some of them with it’s massive tail from the air. Brey chanted three syllables instantaneously, thus he unleashed a powerful thunderstorm. At nearly the same moment he raised a mage shield. These thunderbolts were intended to hammer the whole army with it’s assault, with both enemy gods included. 

Brey’s Ring Of Archmagi displayed it’s might as the thunder storm raged in the library. Rain pounded down with the storm as the clouds cracked and spat. Sounds of thunderclaps deafened the arena and conquered all sound, all sound save for an eerie melody. Chimes clinked and clattered over the sound of the storm, and the rain turned to sleet, and the lightning grew irritated and swollen. The library began to chill and the walls grew slick with ice. Garravar released his hand from the unclaimed node and grinned at Brey.

“You’re not the first to try elements.” The god of winter held up Tolbog and pointed it at Brey and as he did, the chimes died out, as did the sound of the storm and the sounds of battle. The air was deafened until it popped in the ear and fizzled as if time itself became mute, and then all at once a brilliant flash erupted from Garravar as he kicked off from the ground.

Garravar turned comet was wreathed in destructive power as he aimed Tolbog at Brey. The magic forcefield around the wizard screamed with sudden and immense strain until it shattered and the blue comet crashed through (GO)

Knocking the wizard god to his feet, he was astonished at the power of Tolbog. Nonetheless,he managed to feign being unfazed. Multiples of the corrupted soldiers began to slash, lunge and slice at the wizard’s form, which rolled on the ground. Suddenly the wizard sprang up and began to destroy more of the corrupted. Ironically, he eschewed lightning for now in order to telekinetically just tear some of them apart through sheer force. 

Eventually though, Donald, the flying Megalodon stopped cooking the infected soldiers into fried intruders, and turned around. It was covered in bleeding wounds and it’s eyes suddenly changed into a sickley dark green within green. The wizard immediately raised his mage shield again, this time, he furthermore side stepped the large stream of fire from the transformed creature. 

Brey couldn’t see the corrupted soldiers anymore, and his head snapped to see Grym on one side, and then Garravar on the other. Raising both hands in the air, Brey commanded the clouds in the sky to storm on himself. The thunderbolts crashed through the building. Multiple thunderbolts surged through his physical form, and through sheer discipline, he would remain  unmoved through the massive energies coursing through every vein of his body. 

Several seconds would pass as the dangerous thunder began to slow down, and his skin, and body would be transmuted into ash. Only his life less, and fleshless skull would remain to send a shockwave up to the sky through the crumbling roof, bleeding the heavens into a blood red as to signify the death of a god. As the incredible energy of his suicidal annihilation rendered much of the library now unfit for habitation, the wards against fire on the book shelves, and tables failed, and whatever that was flammable within the ruins was now on fire. 

Garravar let Tolbog shimmer into thin air before turning to Grym. “Even at the end, he preferred suicide to dying at your hands.”

Grym had swung Brey’s axe from on high, intending to fell the stubborn goat with his own weapon. Only, instead of the satisfying sensation of flesh tugging against its edge he fell forward into a cloud of soot and ash. The momentum of his swing caused him to trip while the axe itself wedged a fissure into the floor of the library, becoming stuck. Feeling deflated yet again, despite the apparent success, Grym just laid where he fell trying to accept things as they were.

“Fuckin’ old man just had to have the last word, huh?” He audibly mumbled in response, picking himself up from the ground.


From behind one of the far shelves came the sound of slow, incremental clapping followed by a snarky, yet familiar, voice. “What’s that saying? Don’t bite the hand that feeds you? Take the W, Little G; I’m honestly impressed for once.” Nea remarked, stepping out from her little hiding spot. She’d snuck through the portal by mingling with the offspring.

“Nea? But you were supposed t-” Grym began, though he should’ve known better by now.

“Apologies, Master Grym.” Nea interjected, faux apologizing and facetiously bowing. “Anyway, I needed to see if you had what it takes, when push comes to shove. You did, shockingly enough. Plus, I wanted to see G-Money in action.” She turns to Garravar with a beaming smirk. “Legend, by the way. Geezer probably zapped himself just so he wouldn’t get pasted over his own walls by you.”

"Perhaps." Garravar looked to the node, the black pillar standing as still as usual. "There will be plenty others but first, Grym, look at the node and tell me what you see." Nea was visibly delighted by Garravar's response. She gathered the spoils of battle in a blissful trance, fantasizing further conquests.

With a little razzle dazzle, Grym wretched the misshapen armor he'd been born with from his body and magically adjusted Brey's armor to fit him in its place. It was woven with many intricate runes that pulsed and glowed. The metal itself gleamed a mythril hue, accented with silver trim — fitting of the one who'd made it. As an added personal flair, he manufested an impressive burgundy cape that reached down to his calves.

Garravar's question pulled Grym's attention once more, obliging him to look toward the node in contemplation.


"A monolith of indecipherable power, the single (as far as he's aware) remaining constant throughout every iteration of the Crucible. They provide an avenue of creation without rhyme or reason. I can only imagine they're at the crux of it all, maybe even the triggering event." 

“More immediately,” Garravar corrected, “it’s a stable node, in spite of its owner's demise. There is no longer any will transfixed upon it and yet nothing collapsed into the chaos, and nothing has changed.”

Grym hadn’t thought of that, but it was a fair point. “Mm.. You’re quite right. Why is that the case, and what are you getting at by making the point?” 

“I promised you answers,” Garravar stated. The winter god folded his elbows square behind his back and walked over to one of the large holes in the wall. He looked over the great expanse outside of the library and stood tall with Grym to his back. “Come the triggering event, the crucible will check the nodes for a single will — the will that controls every node — and design the world accordingly. That will is attached to a god, same as Brey’s was attached to him before we killed him, so as long as that god lives, their will is law in such a state, and if the will begins to crack, so does their reality. Furthermore…”

A pause as Garravar turned to Grym, peering at him with icy eyes. “Upon the end of the triggering event, all life is extinguished to be remade as per the will. So what if there wasn’t a will?” He looked to the node. “What if the world was stabilized, but the wills that stabilized it had perished, leaving the nodes without will but the world in a state of stability. What would happen then if the triggering event had no will to mirror but no chaos to sow?”

Grym sat down and wedged a honeydew, offering an enthralled Nea a slice before taking one for himself as the two listened intently to Garravar’s grandiose speech. Nea couldn’t help but giggle anxiously when Garravar turned back toward the pair — their mouths stuffed with melon. Grym’s chewing slowed, his jaw oscillating intermittently in a manner that mimicked the gears turning in his mind. 

“I was actually close to the mark, eh?” He finally said in a bewildered tone. “Your question is all I’ve ever wanted to know. I was born wanting to free the nodes from the will of God's, only reason I sought the nodes myself. There's this unavoidable curiosity to find out. [i]What would happen and what would it be like?[/i]” The realization hit him and he darted up, pacing toward Garravar. “That memory at the end of the last cycle. G-money, you rascal! Almost did it, didn't you?” Grym leaned in and nudged a playful elbow into the big guy's ribs.

A deadly silence followed. Garravar simply stared at Grym, the younger god’s elbow still in his rib. The stare lasted long enough for everyone to become uncomfortable, and perhaps worried before Garravar spoke again, Tolbog back in his hand. “I was close, but now your own decision is before us. Will you capture this node and die later to free it, or will you leave it blank?”

“Oh don’t be so miserable, ya big lunk. If we fail, there’s an infinite number of iterations after this where we get to try again.” Grym rescinds his elbow, stepping up to look toward the horizon beside Garravar and adding, “So long as one of us makes it to the next one,no? Let’s be honest, something I hate doing, and admit I neither have the time or power to take all the nodes. I was never that ambitious. Taking the nodes was a mean to an end and I’m only now getting the full picture. It’s too late to get serious now.” 

A pause, while he collected his next thought, because he rarely spoke this candidly and found the act taxing as well as boring. “I’ll take the node for now. I think our best bet is to let another take the nodes and assassinate them as the triggering event begins. This assumes I survive long enough, but that’s why I made another me. He’s insurance and a means to keep Vatarr busy. All I have to do is convince the North I’m a good guy. Pin Brey’s death on Vatarr, plead for aid in ending his tyrannical warpath, and hopefully join their little alliance. After that, I help them take nodes and bring peace. Then, you and I find the perfect time to strike right before the triggering event.” At the end of his long-winded tirade, Grym lets out an exasperated breath. His head tilted toward Garravar, eager for his reaction and hoping to glimpse even the smallest of cracks in his unyielding, icy demeanor.

“You have spirit, but no one is inclined to believe you,” Garravar insisted. “Instead I will directly recruit from the gods to come south. I know of a few who would only benefit in helping me carve up the nodes. In the meantime we should put pressure down here, perhaps I will go directly to Vatarr — I know of a winter land he had created, and I’m inclined to see it.”

“Perhaps, if I were on my own. Luckily, I have one of Brey’s trusted advisors to vouch for me. He’s currently on a little errand for me, relaying to Asvarad of Vatarr’s unwarranted assault, but he’ll be back soon. No one in the North knows me, so if I cry wolf after and point a finger at Vatarr; who’s to say I’m lying?”

“Very well,” Garravar conceded, ”I’m interested in seeing how it would work your way, regardless. I will be close, and definitely watching — just remember the goal: every node must be blank yet stable.” The winter god leaned over and picked the ring of archmagi off the ground. He held it up to his face and with a quick puff of air, he sent the ash dusting from its surface. With a small look and nothing else, he pocketed it. “We will be in touch.”

“Jewelry doesn’t suit me anyway.” He waved his bony fingers. Once Garravar left, he returned to Nea who had been fumbling around with Brey’s skull. There was much to do.


[hider=summary]So this is the post where Brey dies, it’s a bit all over the place but here are the basics:


Brey spotted the army coming and so he hid all his books and people (location undisclosed) and then donned the armor of armorness (it’s really tough) and then he was like oh ho ho you approach me? To which Garravar called him a cockledoodledoo and so in response, Brey ignored him and sent a flying fire-breathing megalodon to fight Grym’s lackeys. Grym tried to stab Brey but Brey got out of the way and cast a lot of shit. Then Garravar unleashed the 8 Buddhist hells into a single strike to which Brey was like “Oof” and then he killed himself.

A red flash covers the sky, indicating a god has died.

After that, Garravar and Grym talk about the nature of the nodes and also Grym makes his signature artifact which splits him into two (might summary for more) and Grym decides to try and deceive the south with lies about Vatarr to which Garravar shrugs, but hints at his own malicious plans (or are they truly? I mean he did spend a bit of dialogue talking about how to save all the lives of the crucible that would be destroyed if certain things happened… idk you pick)
The end.
[/hider]

[hider=Might]

Brey: starting 8

4: Armor of Armorness, a really tough full body armor that’s really tough
4: Fire-breathing flying megalodon (now infected)

Ending 0

Grym: Starting 8

[u][b]Signature Artefact - Soul Gem:[/b][/u] The soul gem is a small hexagonal gem roughly the size of an eye. Its a deep shade of red that appears almost black unless exposed to bright light. It is nigh indestructible, requiring an extremely powerful force or cataclysmic event to destroy it. The gem serves as housing for half of Grym’s soul. Upon creation, the gem was granted a form to inhabit. This body acts as a second self and, thus, is still divine in every sense of the word. Aside from its appearance, the being is for all intents and purposes Grym — though he calls himself Gryffith (Gryf for short) to distinguish between the halves. This means that experiences and thoughts are linked between the two. What one learns, the other now knows; when one acts, the other is aware. While they can operate individually, they are irrevocably the same being. This means they share a single pool of divine might (no fuckery here). When Gryf takes a node, it is in the name of Grym. Either one of them can die without affecting the other, though the only way to kill Grym entirely is by destroying both deities, and then destroying the gem itself.

Gryf appears as a healthy and muscular young man with red hair, dressed in furs and armed with an ordinary claymore sheathed at his side. He also wears a patch of black fabric over his left eye, where the gem is housed in place of an eye.


[b][u]In the event of Gryf’s death:[/u][/b] The gem cannot be removed unless Gryf is killed. In such a case, the gem still remains with half of Grym’s soul encased within it but cannot take root unless fused with another host. Additionally, if Gryf loses his form he is still able to communicate telepathically with anyone holding the gem and can even create an astral projection of himself within ten meters of the gem. This projection cannot interact with the world in any way, aside from verbal communication and gestures, and can be dampened/silenced by the will of whomever has possession of the gem. Grym is able to sense the general location of the gem in the event of Gryf’s death, but not to an unnatural degree.

1 point spent on removing blindness

Ending Might: 2.
[/hider]