The dust had cleared, the clothing had been mended and an eyepatch made to cover her newfound scar, soldiers stood in solemn silence among the whimpers of those fated to die.
The Eclipse reigned the sky, tainted by red.
"This battle is over." the goddess commanded with an imperative voice. "Dusklanders, accept all who wish to surrender as brothers, and let those who wish to flee go away, their faith is broken and not worthy of spilling blood anymore," she added. "Legionaries, surrender now if your belief is to build a better world for all, if not, you are free to flee and leave this lost battle, if you wish to still fight today, however, then you are a fool, for this battle is lost and you will give away your life for nothing."
Although not perfect, the speech did mark the end of the battle, feel truly had the will to continue battling after the god fell, and without their fate magic the lines of the legion had broken apart like shattered porcelain.
"The time is coming, the fate of this world is to be decided. How cruel, to all of us, that this would come so soon." the goddess confessed to her two generals.
"Well, on a good note, our landing on Node 15 was successful, the armies secured the harbour, and I imagine they will have an easy time moving to clear the path. Benea has also moved on Node 17 and 16, as the captured legionaries will tell you." said the ever-optimist Daga.
Tsunya rubbed her chin. "Huh. So it seems. I had a keen interest in that crown of crystals from that distant land, perhaps I too should look into it, when the chance presents itself."
"As for the conquest of node 14, milady?" Hatzur questioned an inquisitive eye fixed upon Tsunya.
"Let's press forward, I will go ahead and claim such nodes before the others arrive, it seems their faith magic is weakened after Anak fell, so there is little that can stand in the way of the banners upon those lands. Remember, our focus is to integrate the verdant landers into our nation, into the system, personal pride and vengeance are not what we desire."
Hatzur hummed, observing the many Legionaire relics she had acquired. "I wonder if their faith magic will work for those who change to our side."
"Perhaps it will, perhaps it will not. There is still much they can offer, we should work to integrate as many legionnaires as we can, we will talk with Theodoro once we re-assemble in Node 15.
Hatzur nodded, leaving just the goddess and her sister-in-law in the room.
"I thought you'd be happier, the North is secured, we have won. Dusklander hegemony is now real, in land and sea. Did that wound to the eye really hurt that much? Or was it the loss of shadow petal?" Daga questioned.
"I am just thinking of my children. Seems awfully unfair, for new life to face the end of the world at their youth."
Daga nodded. "Hey there Tsu... It is fine, there will a new, better world for them to inhabit, one where you can stay by their side as their mother all time, instead of leaving for war and conquest."
The goddess bitterly smiled. "That blasted knight really set up a horrible world for us to exist in, but we will fix it, will we not, Daga?"
The conquest of the Verdant was not easy, but somewhat uneventful. The goddess claimed two more nodes, 14 and 15, and soon had one last meeting with her generals on the core of 15.
"It has been a while, my goddess," Theodoro said, smiling. "Never would I think, that we would have freed all of these lands."
"I heard you have been hard at work."
"Indeed, we are giving names to all the peoples under Anak'Thas, one by one, I will also be training all of the converted legionnaires into fighting as a group without letting go of their individuality," he said, with a certain pride. "My people are slowly being unblinded from that profane light."
He would continue, in a less hopeful tone. "So... the sky."
"Yes, the final battles draw near, it seems. I took a beating in that battle of mine, I need to recover, but I also feel ready to face the enemies to come... But... The end itself? Hmm. I do not feel like simply accepting the rules imposed upon us."
"I would expect you to not do it. But, what is there for us to do?"
"To subvert our path, rules are never perfect, trust me when I say that, for I have set up a controlled market across half of the world. There are always gaps that can be exploited, making the whole thing unravel." the dusk goddess confessed. "From what I hear, that is what broke Garravar and Benea apart, yet it's not wholly wrong, we cannot simply be satisfied with playing with the system."
"So you think we should break it?"
"If I knew how, I would, but I am not one to take leaps of faith. But, for a start, we must make sure people will never be corrupted by the sun again, that spirit alone is the cause of so much trouble. The best way to do that, outside of going at the source, is to change the one thing that is a constant in this world, the one thing that remains even as the skies, the ground and the seas are changed."
"That being?" Theodoro asked, feeling a bit intimidated as the goddess grew distant.
"You, you are that being, the humans."
Actions however would need to wait, first, she wanted reports from the south, having conquered the sea the goddess now could learn much more about the other gods and their status, plans were already being draw of an invasion of the volcanic shores, as the Dusklanders had plenty of materials capable of dealing with the local conditions, perhaps outmatching what the south had.
Then, there was the question of Anna, the Daman had no more use as a wild card, and while she did not desire harm upon the mostly peaceful people of the land, to leave it as a rogue node was also not the path forward, it was also necessary to know what Benea and Xavior would do about the murderer of Monica.
Meanwhile, her people worked hard reverse-engineering and accommodating all they had conquered in war, while also studying the mysteries of the psychic and faith-based powers of the locals, as the goddess expected it, and the Daman mutations, to be necessary for her final plan to set the fate of the Crucible long after this crucible was over.
All of this however spoke only one thing to her, it was necessary to arrange a meeting among the Trinity of the North, Dzallitsunya, Benea and Xavio.
The visage of the lake was quite a welcoming sight after such a long time working, she knew this had to be the work of the planet, perhaps wishing to reward their dutiful sphynx. She landed on the ground, moving to the shore and touching the hot springing liquid, letting it flow down from her hand.
"And a nice temperature too. Just right for me." given the nascent status of the world and the notable lack of people, she didn't feel like there was any sort of trouble in taking off her golden armour, golden linens, golden sandals and golden platted matching underclothing.
After that, all that was left was a quick dive into the lake, first swimming by and diving, before merely relaxing on the edge of it, resting her arms against a rock while her feet and wings splashed about. With a happy sigh, she took a moment to observe the lake, to be prideful of her own work shaping up the region.
"Ahh. Molten tellurium does wonder to the skin. Silicate lava just doesn't compare to..." there was a crash, and the whole of the massive underground chamber echoed with a rumble. "Another foreigner arrives... What a crowded world you are becoming. So many sparklings throwing their power around with little aim..." she yawned "Just thinking of interacting with all of them makes me quite exhausted. Thankfully. They do seem to like their open skies. The underground world should be notably more serene."
She cast forth a stone tablet with imprints depicting all of her work to establish a true underground continent beneath the one established by Homura.
As it had been decreed by the planet, the earth goddess had worked tirelessly underground soon after she was done stabilizing the world above. Most of the tunnels and chambers were already there, but significant work had to be done in strengthening them, carving them and at times rearranging them. Along the way, she had found many notable locations, from the lava lake where she was bathing at the moment, to the cave of porous sea salt stone, caves where lava rivers flowed and caves where sea water fell upon heated stone creating a humid and thick mist, there was a cave that glowed green with active radioactive materials and not too far a putrid sea of muddy waters poisoned with heavy metals. Chambers big enough to host a country of mortals existed underground, some solid with stone almost impossible to break, others flowing, with stalagmites and stalactite and rock that seemed to drip away. Some zones were void of anything, even stone, big dark chambers were the fall seemed endless, only small stone spikes and other sorts breaking apart the endless nothingness.
It was all notable lifeless at the moment, but the goddess knew given time, life would enter the underworld, there was plenty of energy hanging about with magmatic flows and dust geysers, and if it did not come, then she would drag it down there herself. For the planet wished life to not merely spread out over the surface, but to rise up and dig down, giving true three-dimensional depth to this newborn world.
For what ultimate purpose, the goddess did not know yet, but she would have to learn soon, as she was to now observe the surface gods.
"But later. As for now... I just want to relax a bit... the goddess said, before gasping as a small shake caused a stone to fall into the lava, close enough to splash at the goddess. "Fine, fine. Do not be grumpy. Silly rock." she pouted as she got out, drying up before readying herself in her armour.
"Any directions on who to interrogate first?" she pondered, and at that moment a blast of wind echoed across the tunnel, the goddess nodding in acknowledgement before taking off in flight.
Rock Cat makes an entire underground continent then takes a lil lava bath
Initial: •• 0 AP 4 MP
-4 MP (discounted from 8): Crate the underworld, an underground continent beneath the main one
There are times when the axis shifts. Changes so drastic, that it completely changes how one thinks, and the mindset of the past now seems alien. It can be a simple feeling, perhaps one had only heard of a person or a city, creating images and sound in their heads, however, upon seeing the real one the imagined one breaks away like mist after the sunrise.
Sometimes, it is greater, and to her, that was the first time she saw the planet. A thing so immense, so powerful, that it seemed to bend the very notion of space and time around it, the immaterial spirit was not merely grounded into the physical chains of the planet, she was forced to kneel, not even she knew if it was by gravity and physical forces or awe, but she was rendered unto the ground. Others too came soon, either attracted by the raw and newborn existence of the planet or the luring words of the lone child, Anath Homura.
But none seemed to feel just what she was feeling, the beating heart of the planet called her, she was sure of it, it whispered and yelled at her, and she understood that she was not chained, but was gifted a chainmail. A proof of office. In her newfound servitude.
Lektoria Koreh Tellur
Clad in gold, with beating wings, she rose, ruining the glory of her first arrival with an undignified stretch and yawn.
"Myeeohwow. You would think it impossible for newly made limbs to be fatigued. Yet. When I think of all the work there is to do... They surely do feel that way."
She rubbed her chin and overlooked the room and ruins around her, her sharp eyes stopping when they met Anath Homura's, feeling a certain pressure equal to that of the planet's gravity. "It is not to say it will not be done. Do not worry. The planet screams to be its will. And what bad first impression it would be to ignore it." she said already in an apologetic tone.
Feeling the arrival and formation of more gods, she nodded to herself. "But delay it too much... And there will be many on the path of my work. Perhaps it is the wisest act to rush ahead before more come."
Without ever allowing a proper conversation to start, the golden-clad sphynx jumped in the air and started to fly off, diving upon distant lands like an incoming meteor.
The First Command was a genuine worry for the present and future. Given the form of the world and its vast ocean, the wind howled too loudly, the water and wind currents grew too powerful and when they met, what was born were true storm dragons that would assault the land with a fury unmatched.
"I see you grow ashamed of your nudity." she said to the planet. "Yet what can grow when the wind falls like blades? That will not do."
And so the earth was forced to shatter up and rise, a great wall would be raised all across the land, at times breaking even under the sea. It would hold back the winds during these troubling times, and when gentler times came they would be home to the earth's riches, ready to be shared with those who dwell within.
From the cold pole down to the warm waters of the equator, a chain of mountains rose and took shape, spreading out like the scars of a thunderstrike.
Its name was The Stormbreaker Mountains
An idea for a design most peculiar infiltrated her mind, but as it stood, her endeavour was impossible. There was great rage still in the movement of the lands, and she supposed her act of breaking it open did not do anything to quell the primal rage.
The land shook too much, creating great instability. The area near a massive freshwater lake, for example, instead of being a welcoming sight to what was to come, was instead home to crashing quakes and waves whenever the pressure of the magma beneath became too intense.
That would not do.
And so, with a rather aggressive action, the goddess re-arranged the local plates, to deal with the excess pressure and raw power, she cut off a section of the land and rose it high above others, as if sliced by a sharp blade and pulled upward. While rough, the design had been made to quell quakes, natural or divine-made.
It remained true however that all that would come and see the block of land artificially raised would find it quite odd. The mesa was so high that despite being in the subtropical zone, its livable layer was temperate and cold, meanwhile, geysers born from the excess energy of the re-routed magmatic power would clad the lower lands in a foggy mirage.
Its name was The Misty Tableland
Finally, as far as her surface work went, one last worry filled her mind. Creation was a rough process, mothers would know to bath a baby after birth as to wash off leftover blood and other materials. With a planet, the process was somewhat similar, much was left scattered across the surface during creation, some good, some bad, some very, very bad. The idea of engulfing the planet in water however, to rinse off such impurities, was not possible, even if easier to do.
Instead, the path Lektor would take was to simply call all of the heavy elements, toxic salts and crystalline fragments under her command, sweeping off the toxic and bothersome materials in large dust clouds, leaving behind however what would make the land fertile and fit for life.
The toxic dust was then separated, the most dangerous of materials were left to fall down deep into caves where it would not bother most beings, the others, which were not dangerous but still would stifle life, were sent to a location the goddess had set far off to the west, beyond her mountains and away from the great lake.
Properly working the materials, the goddess would allow it to be deposited as a great sandy plain, a controlled wasteland. Perhaps given time life would find a way, and dominate even a land such as this, which actively fought against her.
The name of the desert born westward was "The Sunset Sands"
Lektor arrives and make three notable features in the world.
1) A massive mountain chain called The Stormbreaker Mountains
2) A tall mesa made from land cut off and raised, it helps to alleviate excessive force on the ground and avoid earthquakes, it is called "The Misty Tableland"
3) She takes away many toxic or unpleasant materials from the soils of the planet, depositing it all on the west, creating a desert called "The Sunset Sands"
-1 AP -1 MP (total 2, discounted from 4) to create the mountain chain -2 AP (total 2, discounted from 4) to create the mesa -2 AP (total 2, discounted from 4) to create the desert
Name: Lektoria Koreh Tellur, "First Secretary of the Core"
Base Form:
Lektor's first and most common form is that of a sphinx, a woman who also presents the aspects of a hawk and lion, even though they are minute, in the form of ears, tails, claws and a pair of hawk wings, while most of her body is entirely human, more specifically, a dark-skinned woman, with short shoulder-length hair and a somewhat muscular, slender body, not too tall. Her eyes have the faint orange glow of magma, and her very blood is similar to that too in both composition and temperature.
Having the bounties of the earth at her command, she does not hide her immense and unequal wealth, on the contrary, often her clothing is entirely made of gold, even when she tries to "tone it down" she will still wear plenty of jewelry. Her presence is easily notable, not in divine shine or loud sounds, but in a low rumble, a "pressure" as if gravity was a bit higher near her.
Aspect: Earth. One of the primal elements, from the sand of the beaches to the rocky peaks to the minerals nested deep. Lektoria's domain is to her Earth in its rawest forms, often concerned with the natural riches and rock formations born from the core's cooling magma, she is extremely sensible to the often easy to miss greater movements of the world, such as the movements of the crust, the rising mountains and their eventual decay, but extremely oblivious to the more delicate worries of the world, most notably, topics such as earth's fertility.
She has lordship over the nascent materials but like a mother whose children have long left the nest she does not have any sort of domain over the aspects and powers said materials provide, she can create magnesium and uranium, but magnetism and radiation are not of her domain.
Also notably, she only concerns herself with the planet-bound materials. Although the silicates and minerals of meteors, moon and exoplanets may be equal in chemical composition to Galbar's own, to her they are notably different on a 'spiritual' level, and therefore celestial rocks are not of her concern or domain.
Persona: "Chaotic Good" could perhaps be a word used to describe Lektor. Of the divine powers in the world, she stands among the most constructive and righteous. The other two words that strike true to the goddess, however, are "lazy" and "greedy".
The self-given title "Secretary of the Core" is quite literal, despite being the supreme goddess of the earth element, she herself speaks of the planet as another entity, often listening to the rumbles and vibrations of the mantle to discern what the "Core" is saying, starting conversations with it, with a babying tone that makes it unclear if said "Core" is her master or her little pet... equally unclear is if this has any effect or if she is just answering the random and meaningless rumbles of magma.
This eccentricity is one of the best examples of how unreliable Lektor may be to gods and mortals alike. It is known she likes to take her time doing things, and never rushes herself, a king praying for a boom needs to be ready for it to arrive a century late, should she ever find the time to do it. Yet, she acts like a bored teenager, often distracting herself with hobbies, hunts and carousing, not taking a long time because of perfectionism, but because she would rather do other things.
Two things reliably snap her out of procrastination, one is the will of the planet, two is her own greed, she is a compulsive collector of rarities and curiosities, and when one has something Lektor truly desires on her hoard, they will have the chance to make her rush to help them. Of course, one should be very careful when trying to force Lektor's hand, to be an enemy of the goddess of the earth and to awaken her primal fury is not a desirable status to anyone, let sleeping lions lie as they say.
Myth:
Prince Eunomon had long travelled in search of the sphinx, a journey that took him both up to the jagged peak of the queen harpy as well as to the deep tunnels, home to goblins and dwarves alike, having conquered all of the challenges, he now faced the jeweled halls of the earth goddess, who calmly napped against the sunlight as he entered.
"Lady Lektoria Koreh Tellur" he declared. "I request an audience."
The goddess looked back at him with an unimpressed expression, only slightly raising her lioness ears to show that she was listening, a small wag of the wing and tail.
"My kingdom is usurped, a curse is cast upon us, I need to break it, and only the goddess of all minerals is able to provide me with a weapon with enough power to do such a deed and reunite my broken lands. Please. I have faced many challenges..."
The sphinx yawned, causing a small cave-in nearby. "Haven't We All? Quite... Rude, To Awake Me For Your Selfish Requests."
"But surely restoring my ancient kingdom would be of your interest? The usurpers worship dark creatures, but should I reunite it, we will honor you every year!"
"Your Name Again?"
"Eunomon, of house Elorian, of the great kingdom of Luma."
The sphinxs tilted her head. "Whomst? All Those Words Mean Nothing To Me." the earth shook and a small wind filled the room, the goddess paid close attention to it, pressing her ear against the rocky ground. "Ah! The Core Reminded me. In The Realm of The Lunt. Yes?"
"The... the ancient kingdom of Lunt? Yes... I heard stories of those people living in my home, millennia ago."
"Yes. Good People. Loved Their Pottery. Hmmm... Sure. I May Make You A Weapon. Just Give Me A Century or Two. I Need My Beauty Sleep."
The prince's newfound smile at her acceptance quickly turned into a frown, two centuries for a weapon? By then the memory of his realm would surely be as lost as Lunt. "Goddess. I need the weapon now. The battle is upcoming, it cannot be delayed."
The goddess growled in annoyance. "Foolish Little Thing, Making So Many Demands. Perhaps I Should Swallow Your Lands With Great Chasms. Then Your Enemy Would Be Gone." she announced as she approached, each step of her golden armour making the world shake, the prince falling on the ground. Then she stopped. Sniffing the air.
"A Harpy's Egg?" The goddess noticed, sniffing more. "Oh, Dwarven Mushrooms Too! And Herbs From the Fey Goblin." gulping, the goddess made no effort to hide the rumble of her stomach. "Are You Perhaps a Cook?"
He was actually collecting such ingredients to sell and further fund his army, but for a chance like this he would be anything the goddess asked. "W...Well, my mother did teach me a thing or two."
"Excellent! You Desired a Weapon and an Army of Stone Soldiers, Correct? It Will Be Yours. In Exchange for a Harpy Omelet of Great Quality."
The prince made no effort into correcting her about the added soldiers' demand, "Sure. I will make the best of omelettes then!" the winds and rumbling earth however did complain to the goddess, perhaps asking if it was wise to boom a mortal with such immense power for a mere dish.
"Oh Do Not Be So Stubborn, Silly Rock." The Goddess whispered at the earth. "Being Nitpicky Like This is Why you Have So Few Friends." she then clapped her hands and looked again at the mortal prince. "Now You Go. Rush Rush. No Reason To Just Stay Around Idling About, Yes?"
Name: Lektoria Koreh Tellur, "First Secretary of the Core"
Base Form:
Lektor's first and most common form is that of a sphinx, a woman who also presents the aspects of a hawk and lion, even though they are minute, in the form of ears, tails, claws and a pair of hawk wings, while most of her body is entirely human, more specifically, a dark-skinned woman, with short shoulder-length hair and a somewhat muscular, slender body, not too tall. Her eyes have the faint orange glow of magma, and her very blood is similar to that too in both composition and temperature.
Having the bounties of the earth at her command, she does not hide her immense and unequal wealth, on the contrary, often her clothing is entirely made of gold, even when she tries to "tone it down" she will still wear plenty of jewelry. Her presence is easily notable, not in divine shine or loud sounds, but in a low rumble, a "pressure" as if gravity was a bit higher near her.
Aspect: Earth. One of the primal elements, from the sand of the beaches to the rocky peaks to the minerals nested deep. Lektoria's domain is to her Earth in its rawest forms, often concerned with the natural riches and rock formations born from the core's cooling magma, she is extremely sensible to the often easy to miss greater movements of the world, such as the movements of the crust, the rising mountains and their eventual decay, but extremely oblivious to the more delicate worries of the world, most notably, topics such as earth's fertility.
She has lordship over the nascent materials but like a mother whose children have long left the nest she does not have any sort of domain over the aspects and powers said materials provide, she can create magnesium and uranium, but magnetism and radiation are not of her domain.
Also notably, she only concerns herself with the planet-bound materials. Although the silicates and minerals of meteors, moon and exoplanets may be equal in chemical composition to Galbar's own, to her they are notably different on a 'spiritual' level, and therefore celestial rocks are not of her concern or domain.
Persona: "Chaotic Good" could perhaps be a word used to describe Lektor. Of the divine powers in the world, she stands among the most constructive and righteous. The other two words that strike true to the goddess, however, are "lazy" and "greedy".
The self-given title "Secretary of the Core" is quite literal, despite being the supreme goddess of the earth element, she herself speaks of the planet as another entity, often listening to the rumbles and vibrations of the mantle to discern what the "Core" is saying, starting conversations with it, with a babying tone that makes it unclear if said "Core" is her master or her little pet... equally unclear is if this has any effect or if she is just answering the random and meaningless rumbles of magma.
This eccentricity is one of the best examples of how unreliable Lektor may be to gods and mortals alike. It is known she likes to take her time doing things, and never rushes herself, a king praying for a boom needs to be ready for it to arrive a century late, should she ever find the time to do it. Yet, she acts like a bored teenager, often distracting herself with hobbies, hunts and carousing, not taking a long time because of perfectionism, but because she would rather do other things.
Two things reliably snap her out of procrastination, one is the will of the planet, two is her own greed, she is a compulsive collector of rarities and curiosities, and when one has something Lektor truly desires on her hoard, they will have the chance to make her rush to help them. Of course, one should be very careful when trying to force Lektor's hand, to be an enemy of the goddess of the earth and to awaken her primal fury is not a desirable status to anyone, let sleeping lions lie as they say.
Myth:
Prince Eunomon had long travelled in search of the sphinx, a journey that took him both up to the jagged peak of the queen harpy as well as to the deep tunnels, home to goblins and dwarves alike, having conquered all of the challenges, he now faced the jeweled halls of the earth goddess, who calmly napped against the sunlight as he entered.
"Lady Lektoria Koreh Tellur" he declared. "I request an audience."
The goddess looked back at him with an unimpressed expression, only slightly raising her lioness ears to show that she was listening, a small wag of the wing and tail.
"My kingdom is usurped, a curse is cast upon us, I need to break it, and only the goddess of all minerals is able to provide me with a weapon with enough power to do such a deed and reunite my broken lands. Please. I have faced many challenges..."
The sphinx yawned, causing a small cave-in nearby. "Haven't We All? Quite... Rude, To Awake Me For Your Selfish Requests."
"But surely restoring my ancient kingdom would be of your interest? The usurpers worship dark creatures, but should I reunite it, we will honor you every year!"
"Your Name Again?"
"Eunomon, of house Elorian, of the great kingdom of Luma."
The sphinxs tilted her head. "Whomst? All Those Words Mean Nothing To Me." the earth shook and a small wind filled the room, the goddess paid close attention to it, pressing her ear against the rocky ground. "Ah! The Core Reminded me. In The Realm of The Lunt. Yes?"
"The... the ancient kingdom of Lunt? Yes... I heard stories of those people living in my home, millennia ago."
"Yes. Good People. Loved Their Pottery. Hmmm... Sure. I May Make You A Weapon. Just Give Me A Century or Two. I Need My Beauty Sleep."
The prince's newfound smile at her acceptance quickly turned into a frown, two centuries for a weapon? By then the memory of his realm would surely be as lost as Lunt. "Goddess. I need the weapon now. The battle is upcoming, it cannot be delayed."
The goddess growled in annoyance. "Foolish Little Thing, Making So Many Demands. Perhaps I Should Swallow Your Lands With Great Chasms. Then Your Enemy Would Be Gone." she announced as she approached, each step of her golden armour making the world shake, the prince falling on the ground. Then she stopped. Sniffing the air.
"A Harpy's Egg?" The goddess noticed, sniffing more. "Oh, Dwarven Mushrooms Too! And Herbs From the Fey Goblin." gulping, the goddess made no effort to hide the rumble of her stomach. "Are You Perhaps a Cook?"
He was actually collecting such ingredients to sell and further fund his army, but for a chance like this he would be anything the goddess asked. "W...Well, my mother did teach me a thing or two."
"Excellent! You Desired a Weapon and an Army of Stone Soldiers, Correct? It Will Be Yours. In Exchange for a Harpy Omelet of Great Quality."
The prince made no effort into correcting her about the added soldiers' demand, "Sure. I will make the best of omelettes then!" the winds and rumbling earth however did complain to the goddess, perhaps asking if it was wise to boom a mortal with such immense power for a mere dish.
"Oh Do Not Be So Stubborn, Silly Rock." The Goddess whispered at the earth. "Being Nitpicky Like This is Why you Have So Few Friends." she then clapped her hands and looked again at the mortal prince. "Now You Go. Rush Rush. No Reason To Just Stay Around Idling About, Yes?"
The bells of mourning for a dead goddess were the ring of opportunity for many in Badja Kiri, although now it encompassed more universalist learning, it once was merely an outpost meant to explore and exploit the nearby maelite, and many still held similar curiosity, only held back by the fact it was foreign land under a different goddess to their own.
That changed, and as soon as the news of Monica's fall arrived, many of the most ambitious and less careful scholars started to prepare a great westward trek to claim some of that land for themselves, other did it out of fear of the council in Eunomia getting a true monopoly on umbrium, an element most essential for alchemy.
The previous invention of magical masks helped to keep MOST of the harmful effects of the Maelite away, but, the most essential of alchemists made sure they wore the actual harder to get the protection that truly made them fully safe.
The Everglow Hall, as it would be called for foreigners, was the ultimate result of such a trek, born out of necessity of a base... and out of fear that going back to Badja Kiri without a lot of results would result in all alchemists and scholars demoted. Given the news of how scandalized most were at their harsh and sudden move as well as the amount of sick workers and explorers whose simple glowing masks didn't stop some level of maelite poisoning, mainly resulting in blindness.
The building itself was quite charming, made by ambitious alchemist scholars, both protecting the people and housing them on over 800 rooms as well as offering a beacon of everglowing color in the dark of the Maelite, the latter attracted people like moths to a lamp, a city started to spread despite the Hall itself being so close to an abyssal fissure, alchemical metal and stone giving people the courage to even settle the cliffside of said abyss.
Ironically, what people sought there wasn't the flow of umbrium, but the structures they had built to house those who did, soon the workers and even the lower scholars found themselves moving out of the halls, while the building itself became filled with dusklander tourists interested in the complete darkness of the maelite and outsider tourists aiming for one of the least regulated dusklander cities.
♦ Magnum Opus
The silver sands dunes of node 9 were a desolate land, lunar rabbit farmers had their homes here and there, as the demand of dusklanders and foreigners for the fur was beyond this world, and hunters on horseback did at times try their luck against the local wyrms. Otherwise, one could walk for days without meeting a person.
So it was notable to all when fleets of boats started to traverse the liquid nitrogen lakes, even without the lack of people, there would be a second notable aspect, because so far nobody had managed to navigate these 'waters', the creeping freeze of the liquid would climb up the wooden boats and turn man, wood and sail alike into a crystal. These ships however were made of metal, and with a faint blue glow floated 'above' the waters, levitating across their path using magical powers. A closer inspection and one would notice the design was not that dissimilar from a daman chariot.
Their destination was the second great forge.
If the Deep Cinnabar Forge was one of extreme excess and violence, with giant hammers and magmatic fire forcefully opening the path to the materials needed, then the Silver Forge, the Celestial Forge, was the antithesis of it. The Tower and The Forge were a place of gentle and delicate crafts. A cold forge where not a single fire was lit. Instead of hammering, the blacksmiths would work with small drills and silent diamond-bladed brushes. Instead of flowing lava, it was home to still ponds of acidic materials being lightly charged with electricity. Minerals were not extracted from the ground by grinding and crushing but were raised from the rock over months and years in the form of crystals. Bodies were not exhausted and sweaty, but minds were constantly challenged as trained alchemists manipulated electrical and magnetic formulas to shape the metal.
The Sparkdriver was the first invention of this forge. Synthesizing lightning was always a Dusklander dream, but even their electricity was 'harvested' from atmospheric and telluric currents, not self-made. The discovery the body produced such celestial energies was shocking to them, but to the wiser, such as Nyoriko, it was the last piece of the puzzle, their minds went directly to the false bodies of the Daman and the power to draw energy from the soul.
Soon, with only minimal cases of fatal poisoning while they tried to master the use of mercury-ambrosia tattoos to better gather and filter the energies from the body, they had managed it. The Sparkdrive was both a set of gloves and tattoos on the body, as well as what alchemists called a 'filter' but most would simply call a rifle, given how the soul glass pipe attached to a metallic device looked, and acted, similar to a musket.
These lightining muskets took a place in the dusklander armies, but it never overtook the crossbows, which fired faster, were easier to produce and had also been enhanced by the celestial forge, as they had synthesized umbrium into a obsidian like crystal, often called maelite glass. It did have much less piercing power than metal and shattered upon impact, but the material was light, sharp and most importantly, poisonous.
Another invention was Stella-Steel, a metal that while not as sharp as the dark steel from the cinnabar forge, did have a useful feature, the metal was uniform and flawless, made in a porous manner that did not influence the durability of the material. When poured with flaming oil not only would the blade be deeply imbued and therefore last longer, but it also would not lose its edge and consistency with the increased heat.
Yet no work of the celestial forge would gain more fame than Mithril. From Mitsi Taralle, Magnum Opus in Dusklander.
One of the first synthesized materials of the forge, an all-metal meant to be made of paradoxical aspects, it was for a long time unusable, possible to create but impossible to work down, as it resisted all pressure on it until a breaking point, at which point it would quickly collapse into useless dust.
It was Nyoriko with her studies of godly power and her many samples of whatever she could get, mostly Dzallitsunya's blood, that found the solution. After many deep and genial mathematical theorems, the master engineer gave up as it was too paradoxical, senseless and beyond mortal understanding, this led to the absurd idea of perhaps trying to use blood, especially godly blood, into the recipe of the amalgam of metals, after all, blood did carry and dissolve certain metals, and a metal this paradoxical needed an equally paradoxical solvent.
To her surprise, it did work, and the first mithril plates were created.
Visually, the metal is already striking, with a gradient of colors from gold to magenta to cyan, and with the light reflecting in a way similar to what it does on water. The texture is absurdly smooth, once again, reminding one more of gels and glass rather than metal, but cold and hardness of the material gives no doubt about its metallic nature.
In action, it was a light metal, a strong metal, a flexible metal and an unyielding metal, used to make bound plates on the armor of the most elite of all soldiers. As if they were clad in molten mirrors reflecting the pink twilight sky. When struck the material will not only go unscratched, but, one will feel as if the momentum of the impact was lost upon touching it, once again being analogue to water and soft gels which disperse the energy of what moves against it, but in a material unpierceable and hard like a metal plate. Should the mithril ever be scratched, however, one will be surprised at how quickly it falls apart. The blood made it malleable to make armor out of, but the nature of the material continued the same, it resists all force until a breaking point, even if it is merely a small imperfection or scratch, it results in the total annihilation of the material, the whole plate shattering into minuscule dust.
There is a fancy glowing hotel named Everglow in the Maelite There is a second fancy forge, the celestial forge Dusklanders have sparkly guns Dusklanders have mithril
"Tell me the one where you tamed the untamable chaos wolf again then!" Begged Dzillikiri, having already seen that asking about the battle would never wield good results, the daughter of the goddess had moved her focus to the other stories from her mother's adventures.
"Oh? Does your memory fail you?" the goddess teased, pressing her finger in the bridge of her nose, the girl's eyes of a color black like obsidian looking silly as she tried to focus on it. "Why don't you instead tell me stories of your own adventures? I have keen information that you are quite the troublemaker."
"Oh but I know already about what I have done, I want to know more about your stories!" the girl pouted, before someone patted her on the head.
It was Llohar, who despite being twin to Dzillikiri, had already started to grow taller, and somehow his very aura seemed a bit more mature. "Hush now Dzi, can't you see mother is tired? She will tell you about the battles when she has the time." he said.
The goddess smiled. "It is no issue, I am happy to have some time to spend with you both."
"How long are you gonna stay?" Dzi asked, over-eager again, before adding a "I...if I may ask" in an attempt to be polite like her brother.
"For a long while, I think. There will come quests, but I will not allow myself to be as absent as before." the goddess said, eyes closed, before opening a single one, pouncing at her little girl with a tight hug. "So when you get up to trouble again, know that a god is watching~" the dusk goddess teased.
Llohar smiled, with a hint of perhaps envy at all the love his sister was getting, the hint, although subtle, was quickly caught by the goddess, who pulled him in as well, making the reserved boy gasp before he allowed himself to chuckle.
Tsoravah continued to grow, in size, in complexity, in quality. The goddess had feared that one day it would have fetid slums like a certain west-ward city, but the alchemists had worked on sanitation, the clan system had held and kept people protected from extreme poverty and the simple constant flow of new lands created, conquered or converted eased the excess of the cities. That is not to say, however, that it was as pristine as it was when it first rose from the swamps.
For a start, the smell of burning Umbrium now existed, with even a small forge being so noticeable, then there was the buzzing noise of flowing pure electricity. Eunomia had long managed to tame the flowing lava to power its nation, but for the Dusklnaders those methods seemed excessive, instead, they had sought energy in its purest, discovering the telluric currents deep in the earth and the celestial energy that charged the atmosphere, using similar techniques to Eunomia, but with the fine equipment given my alchemists, both started to be harvest, now, every hour was marked by the two of bells and the discharge of a new wave of power all throughout the region, going from the central celestial towers and telluric wells and spreading across many pylons to feed the needs of every city and public electric device.
It was a sight to see, even the goddess had been impressed when she first saw it. But the buzzing and the eventual lightning was problematic, and it kept all birds and animals away from the city centres, she wished there was a way to change that, but until then, it was merely the price paid for progress.
Seeing the changes in the city had made the goddess realise just how much had changed since she had left, and how long she had been away. She did visit her family from time to time, but the city proper had not been visited in so long... The Tsorovah she knew seemed to be gone in spirit too, no longer did the dusklanders come and rush to her to talk casually as if she was equal to them, the new generation had never travelled with her and the older one had grown distant as the battles and government mandates grew. Now the streets opened to her, as everyone froze and looked, bowing with respect, but depriving the goddess of a chance to see the lively city as it usually was.
The loneliness of her city stroll was only broken when she felt a small tug on her cape, a young girl with keen eyes looked up at the goddess and then offered her a flower bouquet, clearly nervous but also shining with courage. With a smile, Dzalli knelt and accepted the gift. Although this wasn't the ideal relationship she wanted with her people, it wasn't bad either, she could adapt.
The city of Veils and Sails
The birth of the true Kiti Tzur as the metropolis it was meant to be was marked by a first breath, as the pylons connected the city to the Dusklander power grind, and with all structures finished, the city could finally come to life.
A great fortress overlooked the walled city's eastern flank, shaped like a star and equipped with silver cannons, it stood on the eternal watch against the threats of Anak'Thas, with walls thick enough to defy a god. The western flank was not without threats either, with the craddle and node 18 being nearby, and on that side of the city stood a great tower, taller than all else, acting like both a lighthouse for the sea-vessels and a watch tower to scout upon the scorched lands and the repugnant god beyond them.
While many projects aimed at draining swamps to make way for cities, Kiri Tzur had been made to increase the one that already existed. Taking over all of the original delta of the Shepherd's River, the dusklander engineers had built canals and dams all around the city, turning once flat land and well-defined beaches into mangrove forests and swamp terrain. With the dusklanders being the masters of swamp-dwelling, this zone formed another layer of natural protection for the city, while also providing grounds for fish farmers and herbalists to settle.
This was all but the clamshell that protected the pearl, the city proper of Kiri Tzur. Built on a hill, the city's families were in their majority working on two fronts: One were the smiths who worked on fixing and preparing the weapons to feed the war, especially the crossbow bolts and cannons, though some work on the exotic dusklander steel and orichalk was also done, the large majority of the converted verdant landers, the eclipse cultists, had also taken to the city and living along the dusklander smiths in their majority. The other, more than obvious, was the maritime industry, from the carvers to the weavers to the sailors themselves. The weavers were also tasked with the monumental task of keeping the large dusklander population protected from the harmful sunlight both at the land of the 13th node (and beyond) as well as in the sea. It was them who would give the nickname most would know Kiri Tzur for, the city of veils and sails.
The port of Kiri-Tzur was unmatched, especially the area covered in the thick smoke of burning umbrium and coal, the dry-docks. In there, massive ships were made with industrial zeal, although wooden in the core, these ships were treated in an acidic cooper substance and bathed in tamed lightning, giving them an outer cooper platted shell. Combined with the black sails, the often oxidised green plates mimicked the turquoise and black of the dusklander uniform. The first ship had left the dry docks on the same day the city was truly 'born'. Many more would follow, swarming the inner sea, and expanding the dusklander reach over the verdant realms as soon any military port of the legion would find itself facing the bombardment of ship-mounted cannons.
The Crow's nest
The war in the south turned into a series of skirmishes that never went anywhere. Neither Anak'Thas' legions or the Dusklander's banners could break the other side, the material advantage of the dusklanders was rendered to nothing when facing the mages and numbers of the legion, yet those factors were put at great risk when trying to break past dusklander lines. This gave Dzallitsunya a long peace to enjoy with her family, enjoying her well-earned rest.
When a magistrate rushed into her home she expected the worst, a call to war, but the news she got was quite different.
"My lady. I think we may have had a breakthrough in our quest to explore the island in the central sea."
Dusklander ships had swarmed the sea and faced little opposition from chaos or the legion, what did cause trouble, however, had been the puzzling mist of the lost island belonging to a dead god. Dusklanders ships had been lost there, and not even the seismic sensors or alchemical lenses could peer past the mist and find a reliable path into the island.
"Have we found a way in? Have we landed on it? What has happened?" the goddess stood up, impressing her family with the first commanding tone she had ever used in months.
"Well. Hmm... Its a bit hard to explain but." the magistrate looked at the window, the massive glass block window of the goddess' palace, as a massive bird pecked on it, trying to open it up as if it was a simple shuttered design. "He calls himself the rok, and he comes to bargain." said the magistrate, the goddess raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"I NEED A GOD" the bird had said. "I LOST A FRIEND AND I NEED YOU TO SAVE IT. PEOPLE IN THE METAL SHIPS SAID YOU WERE THE MOST HELPFUL GODDESS SO I CAME." the panicked monstrous bird had begged. "PLEASE. YOU NEED TO SAVE THEM"
And so, the goddess had set forth on an adventure, her first time sailing the copper-plated ships into the ocean, and since she was already out, it was her plan to make a full journey to the desert lands she had created earlier. She had wondered, how bad things had to be on the island for a creature of this size to be this panicked, and how dear that friend must have been for it to be this worried, worried enough to break the vow to their god and lead foreigners right into the heart of the late god's realm.
As promised, the Roc guided them to the island, the ship was too large to make use of the small harbor the islanders had, so the dusklanders had to leave on canoes, all clad in the new orichalk, one with a natural red shine to it, with lances and crossbows in it, expecting the worst in the island of a dead god.
So when then landed, it was quite a surprise to find a calm village, it seemed to have once been made like a fort, but given the years of anarchy that had broken down, serving as a community centre for the villagers who lived mostly on reed cottages. Nobody seemed sick, nobody seemed to be starving and when seeing the dusklanders, they reacted with curiosity and hospitality, offering them to share their pig roast (which the dusklanders accepted) and boiled Rokling eggs (which they did not accept)
Thinking over the situation, the goddess made a decision. "The soldiers can take shelter in the ships, the scouts should overlook the island and the villages, keep yourself masked to not bring any sickness to these people." she looked at the giant bird. "I will go and help this friend of his."
Dzallitsunya would alone follow the Roc to the north of the island, where it nested, she wondered if it was not too late to save this friend of his, should they have perished already. From what she understood, as the bird spoke, the friend had been seriously wounded and needed surgery, something the locals clearly could not provide, given their technological progress. When further pressed, the bird started to tell the tale of how he met this friend, a lone girl who had come to him despite the villager's fear of the Roc. It reminded the goddess of her own loneliness and the lone girl who had approached her on that stroll through Tsorovah, and she understood why he was in such a panic.
Tension grew in her as she climbed up the sharp confusing cliffs of the bird's mountain home, this was no place for a child, no wonder she had been harmed, even the goddess found herself taking the wrong path at certain times. Nevertheless, she approached the nest, and the Roc rushed to bring the ill friend to her.
The sight left the goddess with a loss of words.
The girl... wasn't there. Instead, the Roc had offered her a half-ripped, clearly aged, weasel doll.
"Huh?"
"IT HAD STAYED WITH ME FOR A WHILE, I DO NOT REMEMBER HOW LONG. EDRA HAD NEVER ASKED IT OF ME FOR A LONG WHILE, BUT SHE SUDDENLY ASKED ME ABOUT IT. I WENT TO CHECK ON IBSIE AND FOUND HIM ALL TORN UP! AS IF IT WAS PECKED BY SOME HORRIBLE CREATURE! WHO COULD HAVE DONE IT."
The goddess blinked, then nodded and picked up the toy. With gentle hands, and a summoned needle, she started to reform it to a proper shape, having done it oh so many times with Dzilli's own dolls. A bit of godly magic later, and Ibsie the friendly weasel was as good as new.
Later, at the nearby village, Dzalli met the girl of the Roc's tales, though she was older than she was led to believe, a grown woman with a babe of her own in her arms. She looked with confusion at Dzalli's appearance but quickly giggled away any worries as the goddess told the full story, a nervous Roc hiding behind her.
"Oh, so that is why this bird was so nervous, I thought for a moment it had stopped being my friend." Edra said, looking at the toy and picking it up. "Hey Ibsie, has been a bit no? You are looking fine~ I wanted to introduce you to someone." she presented the toy to her baby, who clung to it immediately, starting to softly bite at the poor plush weasel."
"Ibsie is my clever little friend, and this big bird here, his name is Roc, and he is my best friend, though not the cleverest." she teased, nesting her head to the side of the bird. It seemed all had ended well there, though now that she was already here, Dzallitsunya had to decide the fate of the island as the first foreigner to make her path to it.
The first thing she did was capture to the node, taking over the vacuum left behind by the perished crow god. A path had been opened with the Roc's route to the lost island, but it was hazardous still nevertheless, ultimately, she decided the island could stay isolated, in fact, it would be best to keep it protected from harm, but it would still be under the protection of the dusklands, with magistrates and a proper base of operations being set up there with the intent of further exploring the island, recruiting citizens and delivering goods like medicine. This took the shape of a small lighthouse, which would act to also guide any incoming dusklander ship to the right location.
Node 19 is claimed by Dzallitsunya
-3 Create multiple buildings: The Port city of Kiri Tzur -1 Create a lighthouse in the port of Node 19
One last natural barrier stopped the legion from being able to pour into Node 13 uncontested, it seemed meek as it was merely a crossing where a river became shallow, but a barrier had been raised.
A wall of soldiers stood on the other side, mostly dusklanders, from the elite clad in orichalk plate, carrying heavy halberds or a cleave-and-shield combo, to the majority of the dusklander forces, with lighter armor, wielding shields and crossbows, and others with spike, with an uneven distribution of bronze, steel and orichalk among the rank. Notable in this majority of the army was the standardization of equipment, despite the material issue and the rush to action the legion had demanded, all soldiers, from the elite to the levied troops, wore the same uniform in the same style. Brimmed kettle hats, flowing tunics in white and turquoise with a layer of opaque black cotton textile beneath, shields decorated with stars, comets or moons in brass or silver, with many raised banners of gradient tsillo following the same image patterns, with gradients colors going from orange to dark purple, dark blue to teal, and similar night and twilight themed colorations.
Flowing flags of flowers, a group of paladins was not too far from the core of the dusklander elite, this time without the worry of getting overrun, but still far from secure in the incoming battle after the loss of coldshank. To the sides, along with Dzalli’s skirmishers, there was a force of locals, rallied by Theodoro, these soldiers either wore white and yellow, a reminder of the pre-legion forces in the 13, or black and orange, to symbolize the ‘crescent sun’ as the eclipse, now a common occurrence in the node, became known. The same symbol also appeared in their flags and shields. These wore almost no armor, and were there to harass the troops with speed, sabers and their curved bows.
They along with a few veiled Magistrate archers were also the ones manning the siege weaponry, composed of three ballistas and a single silver cannon, all set to not fire unless a very specific target entered the battle.
Finally, also on the flanks, was a small force of Xaviorard mercenaries, in mismatched equipment but having the few riders on the Dusklander side, they were the only group who was close enough, and with equipment light enough (no cannons or the latest in magma weaponry) to make it to the battle, and even then they had barely made it.
The sudden and fast paced movement of Anak’Thas legion had truly negated the Dusklander side the advantages of preparing for battle, with her troops winded after a long march, the goddess decided it was best to not use the little time they had spare to build fortifications and instead use it to rest as much as they could for the upcoming battle.
Among the generals the Xaviorard general and the leader of the Paladins both had been VERY worried about that decision, with an enemy who had become infamous for their ability to rush down troops the logical conclusion was to have barriers to bid time. They had also questioned the goddess on many other decisions, from sending 2 / 3 of her troops to re-train, to keeping her skirmishers and light footed troops holding the many other passages into the 13 instead of using them to harass and delay the legion. But, being a goddess, she had overruled them all, the presence of Theodoro helping to keep her confident in her decisions.
Dzallitsunya along with the other commanders stood in a nearby hill overlooking the battlefield, her tension was clear, so was the one in the eyes of everyone but the local warlord.
“You better keep it in mind, that if we lose here, there will be nothing stopping them from overrunning the entirety of this node.” said a Benean lord.
The goddess nodded. “Defeat is not an option, if it comes to it, I will dive down there myself and end this battle with my own blade.” she held a hand in the hilt of Eclipse, while jade butterflies danced around her just waiting for her command.
“They’re ready for us.” Esterrek, one of the Dawnblade captains said. The men had formed up and were marching into position before the battle. A fair few of them received their iron weapons already. Much more was coming in as well but couldn’t make it in time before the battle. A shame, Esterrek had thought, but a necessary one.
“It matters not. Me and my knights will break through them.” Josephine, one of the Knights of the legions said. “We did it at Coldshanks. We’ll do it here again.”
“Careful with such hubris.” Maenari, leader of the Dawnblade Arcanii said. Her golden staff showed off her status in the theocratic hierarchy. “Your presence at the fortress was a surprise. They’ll be ready for you now in the water.”
“Ready or not, I will paint the river red with their blood.” Josephine did not lighten up. She stood before her Knight. The shadow of the construct loomed over her as a protective spirit. The last of the legion’s cohorts took their place along the formation. As always they were completely silent and moved as one. As if there orders were relayed directly and without confusion. Behind their lines things were clearly more chaotic. Knights were blaring their horns in anticipation. When the golden lines of the golem lit up and the huge engine of war rose up from its slumber all other constructs became even more agitated. They wanted this fight desperately.
And then, with a singular thought, the battle started. The first rows of legionnaires moved out and spread out in their approach. Their shields steeled with faith and hope for a free Telum’Velik.
In the dusklander line there was a great sense of anxiety, simulations of battle were far from the real thing, there was pain in those, but here, they would face death. The magistrates started shouting in a combat code “Three to A, One to B, High Wind, Comet in Five” was the main line being echoed. The pikes were lowered behind the elite in heavy plate, the latter starting to walk towards the incoming legion along with the paladins.
Like a machine the Legionnaires formed up again right before they’d clash with the Dusklander line. Each stepped into the right place and the right time to reform the shield wall. Like a great tidal wave the Dawnblades clashed against the frontlines.
Overhead the first falling star was lobbed from the arcanii in the backline. It was answered by the Xavorian ballistae opening fire and scarring the land before it with chaos. Rifts in the ground opened up, ice exploded everywhere. The legion continued it’s advance.
Knights skated over the ground with surprising speed for their size. At the front the legion’s formation opened up, just in time for the great constructs to batter they way through. The dusklander line held, for now but the Knights were wreaking havoc upon them. Archers and skirmishers opened fire. One knight held at bay with halberds, was turned into a hedgehog by the concentrated volleys. No-one saw it, not through the rain of arrows, but the killing blow came from a Magistrate that bid its time. “They’re better defended than Coldshanks.” Noted Maenari from atop the hill. Josephine was gone. She had taken her knight to lead the vanguard. Even now she was doing her best to break the Dusklander line. Maenari held her breath and hoped her love would be okay.
“We’ll break them. “Esterrek said. “Then we’ll reclaim Tellum’Velik” He could almost taste the vegetable stew he used to drink when he was younger. Even now he remembered where that little restaurant was back in the city. Though he feared, with the dusk-goddess’ influence, its perfect location had been usurped by chaos and greed. “We’ll have to break them.”
Maenari was not nearly as certain as Esterrek. Even if they’d win, the price would be steep. She never dared to doubt her Lord but as she watched men and women hurl themselves below at the cross she wondered why exactly he let them waste their lives like this.
The scar of old losses had been teared open as the goddess saw the battle, her troops held well enough, the wall of pikes had stood its ground, the barrage of crossbow shots was constant, and of her elites, the warrior with cleavers were putting the best of orichalk and steel to use. And yet, the cannon had only staggered the automatons when she expected it to be slayed, the lines of pikes could be re-established in the military sense, but the lives lost could not. Her halberdiers in particular were the ones suffering the most, broken by a well placed ice spike, they never got a chance to retain their formation.
She had already bitten all the nail she could, now her teeth were sinking in the flesh of her finger, her body clearly leaning forward, as if she was about to jump into the fray.
“My goddess, you must not.” Theodoro spoke. “The battle, despite issues, is favorable to us. If you join the fight, you will rob our men of the victory, their morale will be hurt in the long term.”
This was not the first time she had heard the reasoning, it was sound, but the solution still hurt her. She could not simply allow the slaughter to continue, to brute force a victory by sheer numerical advantage at the cost of her people.
“You are right, Theodoro, joining as a soldier will not help. But there is more than a soldier in an army.” and with that, she rose up the hood of the shadow petal over her head and vanished.
“Artillery.” the engineer, already tense, yelped when he found no one but the goddess herself by his side. “Forget the automatons, aim higher, harass those wicked mages in the backline”
“But it would be wasteful of the ammunition…”
The goddess immediately cut him off. “Ammunition can be crafted again, do as I command.” immediately, she jumped to the side of her skirmishers. “Eclipse will come, when it does, I want you to unleash the fire rings. For now, advance, try to flank them when the time comes.”
Next, she gave each and every single leading magistrate of the pike wall a simple but illogical order. “Advance.” they all were mesmerized and terrified, especially the ones whose advancing would mean being in the range of the rampaging automaton. “They expect us to hold back, to stand ground, let us not then. And about that machine, the power to take that down will be within your hand.”
In that case, the power in particular had been an iron chain spread out across many soldiers. “Many of you are levied hunters, no? Ever used a bola before?” with those words, the soldiers understood what they were to do, divided in two spread out groups holding the chain between them, they advanced towards the automaton aiming to tangle its legs.
To further rally her troops, the goddess, now back at the command, unsheathed the Eclipse and the effect upon the land was immediate, as the sun started to darken, seeping the light of the morning away and starting to bring back the night. As it did, the dusklander troops started to follow her newly formed plans, and while the xaviorard mercenaries seemed stunned and shocked from the sight and the foreigners in the command tent were annoyed as that changed their plan to inflict a costly battle upon the legion, the locals of the 13 who had converted to Dzallitsunya’s cause found themselves with renewed zeal, their leaders ordering a mad charge towards the legion, ready to face their own compatriots under the crescent shaped sun.
The legion answered with renewed zeal with a fire of their own. Every step of ground was bought with blood from the Dusklanders. Yet as the sun’s light faded and darkness fell, a gloom gripped the legions. Missiles whistled almost invisible through the dark now. The legions were ready. The arcanii were not. When the first ballistae hit and burned a group of the faithful mages, something shifted. The legions kept fighting, as did the nights. Until a series of blasts came from the Knights. They shifted and changed, and retreated as fast as they dashed into the fight.
Another circle of fire burned the arcanii, and a ripple went through the legions. They maintained their formation, but instead of holding ground they slowly moved backwards.
An hour later and the Legion had retreated from the battle. The field in front of the shallow waterway was littered with the corpses of the legions, the arcanii and even some knights. Some of the latter had their legs tied by bolas and their shell cracked open.
It was a victory for the Dusklanders.
Anak'Thas legions advance at a quick pace, aiming to reclaim node 13 from the darklander usurper. Dzallitsunya moves her troops to intercept them at the last natural barrier that kept the legions from spilling into the node and overwhelming her forces. With a few Xavior mercenaries and a squad of paladins, she blocks the river passage.
A battle ensue, Dusklanders have the advantage of numbers and ballistics, the legion has the advantage of magic and the unbreakable connected will of the army. At first, there is a stalemate, with the dusklanders backing away as the magic breaks their formation. Dzallitsunya calls forth the Eclipse and re-positions her troops, this turns the tide, and the legion retreats.
It was a costly battle for both sides, with even the dusklander victors feeling like they lost too much.
Node 3, with its sky-piercing mountains, was slowly being tamed. With the importation of Eunomian techniques, more and more people had the means to brave its heights and explore the unique riches it contained. At the same time, beneath their feet, the promised tunnel that went from the frontier with node 2 to the frontier with node 4 had been completed. The route was made connecting the many breaches to the sea or opening in the midst of the mountains, people often built villages in these which in the past would often get called "hold outs" for the fact they life was quite miserable comparable to others and even the most fanatical dusklander didn't see much hope in small fishing and mining villages deep in Node 3.
Then came the Alchemists, the farms of Kollore, the council's workforce and the full tunnel, and now these villages after so much struggle were starting to brim with life and prosperity, yet the name 'hold' for the mountain villages persisted in the folk culture.
Since lamps across all of its lenghts was always impossible, the dusklanders had painted art and symbols on the walls of the deeper, darker bits of the road in the luminescent wax of the local magical bees, it did not provide light but did mark the walls and avoid total darkness. With time, however, these started to be taken over by alchemist-made magma-crystal infused clay and glass, the "everglow" as it was often called, made for more aesthetically pleasing low light environments, with the clay having a softer glow often in pastel colours while the glass was much like illuminated stained glass.
And yet, neither the improvement of the villages nor the tunnel project had been what had drawn the alchemists in droves to the area, the truth lay beneath the infamous quicksilver lake of the region, deep in the ravines of cinnabar rock. The production of synthetic cinnabar had been one of the first acts of the alchemists, pure like a red jade and made from mercury sulphides, and initially, this unique zone had been home to small research on the topic. Now it housed the single largest forge and metallurgic complex in the crucible.
This came about with the discovery of Cinnabar-Orichalk, or Nyartzurkortze. The process of the creation of the metal had always been complex, involving acid baths in a very specific area of Node 7, alchemists had first tried to make Orichalk straight from copper and gold, but after many failures, the focus became what elements in the acid seemed to make it work. That worked, and synthesis of the acid became possible, alchemists all over started to synthesise orichalk in their labs just to show they could, including one studying mercury in the caves. By complete accident, some of their mercury salts and whatnots were mixed with the process, and yet the result was not a useless slag.
Lighter yet as sturdy and reliable, Cinnabar-Orichalk was easily seen in its colour, the turquoise of orichalk remained, but instead of being matte it had a slight orange-red shine. It had greater flexibility to disperse blunt damage, and best of all, it was extremely easy to make compared to old orichalk, especially when both auri-chalkum and an entire supply of mercury were so easily available.
The only issue was the heat so deep down a mountain, but once again the alchemists found a way with the help of Xavior-made materials and the ever-so-useful Umbrium from the Maelite. Infusing Umbrium and a magma crystal and bathing it in the absurdly cold liquid nitrogen lakes of Node 9 had synthesised a new crystal, the alchemists called it Heat Killer, the public thought that was a bad name and called it Monica's Tear. Nevertheless, what was important was that the gemstone was a bottomless pit, it consumed energy and heat from its surroundings, and with a barrier of these, the alchemists were free to operate in the volcanic heat of their new forge.
The goddess had seen potential but took the chance to create something far beyond just a factory of one type of metal. The Deep Forge, The Magma Flow, The Cinnabar Workshop, it gained many names, and most people thought it was merely a rumour. Yet it was not, deep in the mountain of Node 3, a massive facility was crafted, along with a whole village to support it. Cauldrons of absurd sizes, vats of molten metals and alloys, bubbling pits of all types of acids, natural and synthetic, gigantic presses and hammers and coils that harnessed the telluric energy from the depths of the earth and fed it to all of the machines. Furnaces powered by magma, electricity and magnetism, most of which even the alchemists did not understand.
Yet the results spoke for themselves, outside of Cinnabar-Orichalk, the forge had been the discovery site of new metals with key applications, like titanium and palladium, they experimented with alchemy and plant and other types of organic matter and discovered how to isolate its carbon and condense it, creating new materials, graphite, the gemstone jet, and the quite miraculous "coal" a rock that could be burned to generate a flame, and which would become very popular among rich people all over the crucible as an alternative to the magical, magmatic and electric furnaces of the commoners.
Aiming to emulate the Eclipse blade of Umbrium, the alchemists tried everything they could to produce its metallic form, and got one success, with infusions of osmium and platinum. Nothing in the forge was able to produce a blade as sharp and as impossibly thin and the life-sapping nature of Umbrium remained in the metal, yet holding a dagger of Umbrium Alloy felt like holding a two-handed sword, only a few small blades of it were made before the project was put to rest.
Coping with that failure, the alchemist-forgers made sure their improved steel using the newly discovered and isolated carbonite materials was of a dark colour and having no sense of shame, they named it Maelite Steel. It did help to create a certain mythic feel to it, as Maelite Steel became the default material of new dusklander weaponry, as most other materials, including orichalk, still lagged behind well-made steel when it came to having a reliable edge in weaponry.
"And that is the gist of what we have going in the Cinnabar Forge, my dear." Nyoriko said, with her usual smirk. "Looking at that, looking at this city. It almost makes me feel like we could make it without any gods around."
Kiri Tzur was on the verge of being finished, most of the city was already there, but the fortress while mostly erected still needed its defensive systems, while the shipyard and dry docks were still shaping up. From a look, the dusklander stained glass and metallic frames did not lie about who held the city, on the other, despite being entirely magistrate planned, a core of Tellum'Velik's style was also present in much of the materials and practical design.
"Feels like Tsorovah's younger, more desirable city. And what a message it sends! A reminder that all are welcome to become 'dusklanders', and also that if you don't here is a massive warship factory to remind you we own the place." Nyoriko snickered. "Anyway, my goddess, how did the battle go."
"You know the answer, even if you didn't, you would be able to guess it anyway." Dzallitsunya said in a distant tone, not even reacting to all of the master engineer's teasing.
"Mean. But I guess also valid. Sorry for that. But yes. We all know how it went." she stretched. "Sooooo. What now?"
"I will take the time I have to do other things. Kiri Tzur should help to take off the urgency from our defence. So I plan to attend the rest of the realm."
"I imagine this has to do with Monica? What a situation, and it was Eleanna as well..."
"We don't know about that, it could have been..."
"My sweet, beloved goddess. It's not anyone else. Our scouts saw the carriages entering Maelite. As for the winter god, we have not a single thermometers registering unusual coldness. Now now..."
"Yes. I get it." she bit her lips in frustration.
"Ah. What a thing you gods are. So emotional too. Tsunya, you can understand how frustrating it can be for us mortals to see gods acting in such an irrational and emotional way?"
The dusk goddess stared at the engineer and then sighed. "I can. I am sorry. I did not put a whole system in place just to ignore it if the results are not of my liking. About why I need to leave the province, well, it has to do with Monica in a way, there is a matter I must attend to in a far-off land. Yet, it is also because I am tired. I have been tired for a while. I... want to visit my family, and forget godhood for a while. I hope this concept does not offend you, Nyoriko. I know you are growing to be frustrated at the gods and how chaotic we are."
"If it was a serious concern I would have not told you, silly bird. And no offence taken, it's normal to want to be around those you care about, not the fields of death and intrigue. I would be more worried about my husband going after you, after you gave me the tools to mess around with ultra-projects all over the dusklands." the engineer looked to the side, observing a fish that swam in the canals of the ocean facility they were in. "Isn't it, hmm, Kroll who said, that we would do all we can so you don't have to worry yourself over mortal matters? I think that spirit holds true to all dusklanders to this day."
"And, of course, there are things only you can do, Tsunya. You keep the foreign gods at bay. You will be an eternal ageless ruler that will outlive every little power player like me, by millennia. You control the nodes. And... despite the devices of the Deep Forge, and the upcoming Celestial Forge, I don't think I will ever be equal to what you can do. Ex Nihilo. To create from nothing. What a power it is."
Tsunya laughed. "I like your giant hammer machine though, more stylish than willing metal into existence. Now. Speaking of that. How does our magic studies fare?"
The mortal shrugged. "Fora finally reported progress. Thanks our dark goddess for that. On our side, well, alchemy is evolving, slowly, we have been trying to replace the mechanisms of ambrosia. Palladium-Mercury tattoos seem like viable conductors, but are complicated to use. Of course... there are also our researches into uhh... what is the euphemism for it? Life dust? Soul glass is promising, but supply is low..."
"I cannot help with that. It's not like I can start ordering more assassinations just so we use the silicification poison more. I already gave you the right to execution using the method too. What else is there to give."
The scientist's colourful glasses gained a reluctant shine. "Now. I have been thinking. Death is a tragedy, also a tragedy is to just allow our bodies to rot on the earth, as we have been doing. Now... if our funeral rites were to change? Becoming a pretty little crystal of glass is a better fate than letting your body become a worm's feast. We'd put those crystals in a table, and inscribe their names too! That will generate a small tickle of dusk which can then be... you know. Used."
The goddess looked at Nyoriko with wide eyes. "It is disgusting that you suggested that, and disgusting... that I cannot quite disagree. I will think about it, but it's hard to do such a thing without feeling guilty."
"Why! The solution to that is simple. The same way you are fine having us fight in a war because you too are willing to fight and die for us, well, if you are to request materials for magic from the people, you could make it fair by offering some materials from you too~" she smirked, playfully but with a clear deviant joy at it. "A bit of blood. For a start. Would, oh be so helpful. And once you are free, maybe a little visit to Badja Kiri, so we can study you a bit more and see how that can help. You-know-who will be excited, but I am no sadist, there is potential in this. I guarantee"
Tsunya forced Nyoriko back a few steps. "Come on now, this is improper interest in my body, I am married and so are you Nyoriko." Tsunya sighed. "But you do have a point, if you think you can make use of my blood, sure, do you want a leeching or would a small wound suffice?"
"Why, haven't you been away for a while? Dear love! Leeches? No no, we have syringes now."
The battle for node 35 took a long time, the chaos guardian of the final node was no joke, a true beast of immense power, but after hours, one well-placed shot from Dzallitsunya's Daman Style wrist ballista fell the beast. A tired Dzallitsunya looked at it one last time, with white fur and floppy ears, she did not know how the hell a little horned rabbit could have been so powerful.
The rush of power from the node was as addicting as ever, Node 35 had a particularly enticing aftertaste, it was, on the list of the nodes, the last. There was a sense of divine comedy in the first node being Benea and the last being her, the light and the dark.
Once again, she had found ways to stop the sunrise, this time with a new technique, the dawn would start giving the night sky its lighter tones of cyan and pink, yet, just before the sunrise proper, it would stop changing, stay like that, until it was time for the sunset, with the fading gold and darkness of night taking over.
The land in which this long twilight existed was a desert, with sand dunes and rocky hills, a subtropical coast on the north made by humidity held by mountains, a good harbour point once Kiri Tzur was finished and Dusklander ships spread all over the world. Large rainbow-coloured crystals grew among the sand, especially around the centre, life was tame, with little foxes scurrying by and gentle manta rays floating in the sky. Low humidity was made on purpose, as she desired a good observation place for her inquiries onto the stars and the moon.
Dzalli had been so tired, that she found herself falling on the sand and staying there,she gave up completely on trying to catch up with Xavior and Benea, if they were still in the region, the invite had taken a while to reach her, she did not want intrigues or revelations, she just wanted to look up and see the clear starry sky. How could such beauty exist in such a horrible world? It was cruel, Peninal was cruel as well, the fool desired a world of peace, yet had created a crucible that was crumbling quickly, three gods had fallen, when it was the ones she did not know or care about it was fine, but Monica? The more she stood still, the more she could feel the weight of it all, and in this sunless land, she could not just point her sword to the sky and yell away her anguish.
This story takes place a bit after an upcoming battle post.
Node 3 continues to be colonized, with dusklanders going full dorf over it.
A massive metallurgical complex is created deep in the mountain of Node 3, making use of the magma beneath and the lake of mercury above, it's called the Cinnabar Forge or the Deep Forge. It produces better orichalk in more quantity, cutting-edge metals and metal alloys, it straight up brings carbon minerals like jet, graphite and coal, into the setting, and creates weird materials like Umbrium-Alloy, an ultra-heavy ultra-sharp metal, and can create something called "soul glass" from the dustified remains of people the dusklanders killed with petrification (or silicification, as they said it) poison, which is a good conductor for magic. The dusklanders also invent a bottomless version of the magma gemstone by infusing it with umbrium, it eats the heat away from a room and they use it to survive in this absurd forge.
The story resumes when Dzalli is talking with Nyoriko about plans in the almost ready port metropolis of Kiri Tzur. Nyoriko muses about how gods are somewhat becoming unnecessary, but she likes Dzalli so its okay. The conversation derails somewhat, ultimately, she asks the goddess for some blood.
Finally, after I just assume Xavior would tell Tsunya that she can now use the portal, Tsunya uses the portal and makes node 35 into a desert after killing a killer rabbit. She then collapses into the ground and is just having a bad time, again. She doesn't even try to catch up with Benea and Xav, she just wants to see the sky and then go home to her family.
Initial: 5 Bonus: + 3 + 1
4 might: The Cinnabar Forge A massive semi-automated forge of unmatched quality and productivity, able to store many metals and chemicals and help with the alchemical process for the creation of unusual alloys and the work of exotic metals. It also comes with the Heat Killer gemstones that stop the heat from the forge from being fatal to humans, as much of what it does makes use of extreme conditions.
5 might: (Tier six)Raise a civilization to the steam age or middle fantasy industrial age (clockwork and steam engines, guns and fixed bayonets)
Ashh
Frettzo
Vec
