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[h3][center][color=aa6c39] Behold the Beholding Beholder Champion [/color][/center][/h3]

A long time has passed since Penumbra left on their journey of self-discovery and Ashevelen was bored. She watched them at first via her shadows or occasionally transformed into a bird or other animal and checked up on them but that got boring fast. After their companion’s death, Penumbra’s journey turned for worse and Ashe knew if she would watch them any longer she would try to save them. 

So, she did what anyone else would do in her position. She left them alone to figure out their own path and settled into Shadowville, providing advice to the residents that now could be counted in thousands. A true civilization was being born here. One that would last many, many years. But that got boring too, so she went to Traveville. Where the new village was built out of stone instead of the usual wood that Shadowville was built of. 

Of course, she had spent some time teaching the new residents of the city how to work the rock in the needed form but fortunately, her Umbra were more than up for the task but after the village was built and people moved in en-mass…it got boring once more.

She just had to do something else. Needed some distraction of sorts and then it hit her. One more champion. Someone else to watch over and this one, this one will be different. Not an Umbra but something else. That was even harder than finding something to do. She already had an Umbra, Dawnborns weren’t suited to live outside the Umbral Woods, Satyrs were too simple and the Fairies…she just taught them something and then nothing. They were too quiet. Only one thing remained to do. BEHOLDERS! 

With a clap, she appeared in the throne room of the Shadow Bazaar and with another clap, all the Beholders that were currently existing appeared before her. While they were breeding fast, they were defenceless and while some were kept safe by their Umbra handlers, most Beholders in the wilds died out eventually. That was about to end. 

A deep breath, a smile and a blow of divine energy was all it took. The Beholders started to shake and many fell on the ground, tiny screams filled the room and a dark mist made the whole throne-room almost impossible to see. In the mist, dark shapes could be seen rising from the floor. Initially they were imobile and then they started to move left and right, left and right…slowly, rhythmically moving as if listening to a song that could not be heard. As the dark mist dissipated, the shapes became more and more visible until they could be seen clearly. [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/003/799/951/large/jonathan-shaller-full-composit-1080-copy.jpg?1477557654] Eggs [/url] hundreds of them. One for each Beholder. 

Another clap and the eggs disappeared from the Bazaar and after taking a sip of a drink that just appeared in her hand, Ashevelen disappeared too. Somewhere in the south-east, eggs and a Goddess appeared. Looking around, Ashevelen decided one thing for sure. This area, while it was suited for the Beholder civilization to grow, it didn’t look [i]just[/i] right enough for her.

Conjuring a bit more power, drawing upon her third aspect, she released a wave of energy that went on and on. Every plant that was touched by this energy, started to grow and grow without dying. From a simple barren place, a jungle sprouted out. Thick and full of foliage. The trees grew hundreds of metres up, mosquitos and other animals of the jungle were soon transported to the jungle too. But the work was not done, with a quick series of finger snaps, shadow wood from the Umbral Forest appeared out of the shadows and formed a round wall around an area that was left devoid of trees. The location of the first Beholder village.

Then, Ashevelen waited. After making sure a small river would flow right outside the village and food was brought, the eggs were arranged in a circle and at the center…the Lady herself. She had a plan, of course, the first to break through their metamorphosis will be named champion. Stronger than the rest of their kin, faster, more intelligent, everything that the Beholder race should be…the champion would be. 

After a full day of waiting, it happened. Ashevelen sensed the life of an egg slowly dying. With a concerned look that her creations might not survive, she approached the egg and what she saw made her smile. 

The Beholder inside was no longer 10 cm tall but 140. A big eye in the center of [i]her[/i] head slowly opened and rose from the ground. Others soon opened up as well and soon enough, a few hundred Beholders were born. 

Confused but feeling that their creator is near, they all gathered around Ashevelen. Waiting for her words even if none came. In the blink of an eye, their minds got filled with knowledge. All the knowledge the Umbra learned or were taught and the Beholder civilization was ready to start. 

Without having any mouths, the Beholders couldn't communicate like other mortals but they were given an ability by their metamorphosis. Telepathy. Words soon assaulted the divine's mind.

"[Color=aa6c39] Quiet. All of you. I've made you long ago and while you won't remember your life from before, know this. You were pets. Animals to be played with. Critters of the forest. You are that no longer. You have ascended to a new level of consciousness. Know that I have a task for you and that is all I require of you. Get ready for war. Get ready for mass destruction of life from one of my siblings. For this, you and all of my creations are going to receive a great gift. Free passage via the Shadow Bazaar, my realm. Prepare in whatever way you may wish and do not harm each other. War within means that the war out there will be lost. I shall not let that happen. Even now, as we speak, my sibling destroyed the northern part of the world and is prepping for war.  [/color]" said Ashevelen in a commanding tone while making the necessary changes to the teleportation system of the Bazaar subconsciously. 

The Beholders steeled themselves for what was about to come. Most were already starting to build whatever was needed for war. As more and more peeled off the main group, Ashevelen lifted a finger up and pointed at the one that was bound to be her new champion. A zap of energy hit the new champion instantly and they grew in size. Taller now, 154 cm to be precise, the Beholder stood above her peers. All their abilities suddenly expanded, her telepathy no longer being able only to send messages but images too. Her hypnosis reached higher levels, being able to catch mostly anyone in its trap.

"[Color=aa6c39] You. I name you…Xen. Champion of the Beholder people. You're going to be the leader of this village until further notice. Know that you're greater than your peers. [/color]" commanded Ashe and before Xen could say anything, Ashevelen disappeared in a flash of shadow.


[Hider=Summary]
Ashevelen gets bored and upgrades the Beholders to a 4 MP race. She names one of them her new champion and gives them an important task - get ready for war. 
[/hider] 

[hider=Beholder Race] 

The Beholders were upgraded to a 4MP race. They stand at 140cm (average), their flight capabilities have increased allowing them to fly up to 10 metres up in the air. Beholders now can telepathically communicate with one another or with other creatures. 

Their hypnotic abilities have been expanded too, allowing them to not only immobilise creatures but give them short commands too. 

[/hider]

[hider=MP/AP] 

Starting 5/5 

-3 MP to raise the Beholders to a new level 
-1 MP to create a champion
-2 AP (discounted from 4) to create the B-Jungle
-1 AP to modify the blood mosquitoes making them unable to harm Beholders in any share or form

Finish 1 MP / 3 AP 

[/hider]

[hider=B-Jungle]

The B-jungle is different from the usual jungles, all the plants/trees and non-fauna life is moving at an increased speed. Cut plants will grow back in a matter of minutes while trees will grow in days instead of weeks.

The B-Jungle is filled with the blood mosquitoes created by Wyn that hunt for anything that’s alive, Tarsks roam free as well making the whole area very hard to live in unless one can fly or fight off the creatures of the jungle.

[/hider]