Ashe tried as much as she could to hear any signs from down below but nothing could be heard which meant one of two things, either their dead or they're unconscious from the fall.
" Gwyn, I'm assuming you don't know any levitation magic? My dice might cause more harm than anything but I'm willing to give it a shot. Or, we can go further down. These tunnels must be connected somehow. We can go together forward, if we see someone, act as if you're my prisoner. Surely they know by this point that there are intruders in the cavern. Sounds good to you? "
" It's worth a try. Whoever is bankrolling them probably doesn't care about the armors they wear or so and if no one is actually paying for them and they get whatever they can, it wouldn't be a surprise if one doesn't wear a fitting armor. Either way, it should cause enough of a confusion to allow me to get close to whomever. " replied Ashe as she bent down to the guards to strip them of their armors. [/color]"
2d100 --> 70
Quickly scrambling together the armor pieces, Ashe now looked like the demonkin archers...after she took off her mask. Looking at Gywn, she wanted to say something but stopped mid-track as Cicero and Manzur suddently disappeared into a hole. Running over there, as silently as she could, Ashe peered down into the hole, hoping to catch a glimpse of them.
Ashevelen listened to her companions and shook her head.
" I should listen to my gut and leave now. Whatever dark past or whatever you guys have, I don't want any part of it. But, whatever attacked the mercs might come back to finish the job and that, I don't like. " said Ashe with a frown before moving forward from the group.
" Wait everyone. Got an idea. I'm a demonkin, whoever hired those archers can't possibly know all of the employee they've got. I could disguise myself as one of them and scout ahead. If I encounter someone, I bullshit them into oblivion and take them out. "
It was about time. Ashevelen was ready once more to travel the world. Once more ready to embark on what she knew best, what could go wrong? What could happen now?
Or that's what she thought when suddenly, a massive celestial object appeared in the night's sky. A moon. Different from the ever burning one which a divine believed it was fun to set alight.
Interested beyond measure about the new divine that surely created it, Ashevelen took a deep breath and accelerated her movements to a speed worthy of the transmission aspect. In mere seconds, her form blurred, took flight and appeared on one side of the moon.
Releasing a burst of divine energy to announce her presence to the deity of the moon, Ashevelen looked around with interest. There was air on the moon but was very different from the one on the world below, unsuitable for mortals and trees all over with some weird looking fruits. Interesting looking place for one looking for special materials to sell.
The burst of divine energy was answered quickly enough with a burst in return… followed by the entity that released said burst as they zoomed to the scene of a new friend like a cat when the fey mood struck.
Despite being able to move at the speed of the divine for the final stretch siix hooves pranced along the soil of their moon, occasionally launching the beautifully colored equine into the air completely and swimming along with the fins on their legs and the tendrils helping to drive them forward like a odd sea creature through the depths.
Their cloud-like and poofy mane, tail and fins were currently a delightful green and black colour that blended with their white coat perfectly, though it seemed that the black might have been fading with shades of red prepared to slip in and take their place.
With a small degree of fashionable showponyship, the entity landed before Ashevelen with a wonderful landing and a mane flick that would have looked better if it didn’t look like they were throwing a bag of limes over their shoulder but was still awesome anyway. A smile appeared on the equine's face as they greeted “Well hello there. Welcome to my domain. Your fashionable lateness is much appreciated, for it allowed me to get some final touches to the place done!”
With a smile, Ashevelen waited patiently for the divine that replied to her flare and what she saw made her chuckle in a friendly manner as the divine made their entrance, they reminded her of Myrtu. Same style and almost the same form.
“ Greetings sibling. A pleasure to meet you. Lateness? I’m never late, just getting to places just at the right time. I’m known as Ashevelen, the Lady of the Swift Trade and Shadows. ” replied Ashe while a dark-golden shower of coins made of shadows swirled around her.
“ You’ve got quite an interesting domain, if I may say so. Unsuitable for the mortals down below but interesting either way. ”
Tilting their head slightly to the side, Aethel was quick to chuckle. “Oh, we’re not siblings. I remember all the Monarch’s children and you weren’t among them. As for you not being late…” The smirk that appeared was playful in nature before they continued “You would think that the appearance of a new moon in orbit would have drawn immediate attention, but no. You’re the first to accept the invitation to visit and it took you a while.”
Playful teasing aside, one of their tendrils reached up to scratch their own chin as they introduced themself as “You can call me Aethel. My domain is that of dreams. Though from the sounds of it, you’re less here to stop by and say hello and more here to find some new resource to profit from, yes?”
“ Ah’ but that’s where you’re mistaken. We are all siblings as we are divine beings, irrelevant of who created us in the first place. Some of our siblings down there, used their willpower to ascend to divinity, others were given to them aeons ago, I out-traded a primordial being and earned my divinity. The origin is of no consequence. ” replied Ashe with a wink before continuing.
“ Anyways, apologies for not noticing your creation earlier. I have been busy with my own realm, the Shadow Bazaar. ” said Ashe while snapping her fingers making a portal beside her, if one would look through the portal, they would see the Shadow Bazaar from high above in real time. Traders pedding their goods, mortals of all shapes or colours going around and so on.
“ I am always looking for business but I did come to say hello too. I wasn’t sure to whom, tho’. We haven’t met but you do remind me of Myrtu, another one of our divine brothers. ” continued Ashe as the portal stopped showing the images of the Shadow Bazaar and showed an image of Myrtu in all of his splendour.
There was a small shrug of the shoulders in response to the claims of ‘siblinghood’. If Ashe was going to assume a relationship that wasn’t actually there, who was Aethel to discourage it? The news that she had achieved divinity via out-trading a different divine being got her a small and polite round of clapping as two of some of Aethel’s many tendrils came together in front of them.
The ‘Shadow Bazaar’ that was showcased through the portal got a proper inspection, but there didn’t seem to be any major interest on Aethel’s face at the sight of it. Myrtu on the other hoof. “...Well now. I wasn’t expecting to encounter such a beautiful stallion that I didn’t have a part in creating.” There seemed to be a spark of excitement at the prospect of meeting this entity, but with a small shake of their head they turned their attention back to their guest.
“Well… since you’ve come all this way just to meet little old me, it would be rude of me not to provide hospitality. Plus this would be a wonderful chance for us both to sample the fruits of my realm.” Turning slightly from side to side to inspect some of the nearby, if scattered fruit trees, Aethel hummed a soft ‘Eenie, Meanie, Minie… You’ before crossing the distance between themself and the chosen tree in question in less than a blink, selecting two of the pale, white skinned fruits at random (One in the shape of a more traditional apple while another seemed to be a lemon) before darting back to the spot they had been at before and offering the lemon shaped bounty to their guest.
“I admit, I have no idea what this is going to taste like. Try to enjoy the experience.”
“ I’ll make sure to let Myrtu know if I see him before you do. Stallion tho’? Have a look down below, all of his creations share his form in a way or the other. They’re quite interesting. ” replied Ashe with a wink before looking at the fruits Aethel chose. A lemon and an apple.
Ashevelen took the lemon and smelled it, then inspected it on all sides of it. After all, this could all be an elaborate trap or something that can kill divines. She’s seen the latter a few times by this point and with the existence of Oa in this world, it was dangerous to eat stuff from strangers even if said strange was another divine being.
Deciding there’s no actual danger for now, Ashevelen took a bite out of it. As soon as the fruit was in her mouth, a very bad taste got into her mouth. She was overcome by the taste of blood and murder. The taste of evil and for a second, she could swear she was killing someone with her bare arms. Before the feeling could continue, Ashevelen focused on her Transmission aspect and transferred all the information her brain would receive, such as pain, taste etc to an unknown Umbra somewhere in the Bazaar.
“ Apologies, sibling. But this thing tastes awful and very, very, weird…Interesting nonetheless. I haven’t seen something that can affect divines in a long time. What does it do to mortals? ” said Ashe.
Biting into the apple, Aethel didn’t have anywhere near as extreme a reaction as their guest did. If anything they looked mildly disappointed. Talking to themselves, they muttered “So watered down and limited in scope… oh well.” before looking back at Ashe and her question. “It shouldn’t have any adverse effect on a mortal… at least beyond personal taste. I guess I should explain.”
Gesturing towards the ‘apple’ in their grip and the ‘lemon’ in her hand, Aethel started “I call these Dreamers Fruit. The name is quite literal. Each fruit is infused with the distilled essence of a dream or nightmare that has been experienced somewhere. Of course no one would see the actual details of the original dream or nightmare because those are personal, but it does mean that each individual fruit is unique.”
A chuckle escaped them as they glanced at their own apple shaped fruit. “Of course, not all dreams or nightmares are created equal. The dream behind this fruit was rather limited and mild. But sometimes you need to be disappointed by mediocrity in order to make the true gems all the grander.”
Turning back to Ashe, the smile easily returned. “Of course, tastes are subjective. A mild dream might be ideal for someone else, while what you just tasted would be heavenly to someone else. And I’m sure you’ve noticed that you can’t tell the difference between them, yes?”
“ Dreamers Fruit and they’re infused with the dreams or nightmares of the mortals. I have noticed that, indeed. Quite a peculiar fruit you’ve created, sibling. On one side, they could be used for a number of purposes if one would be able to determine what exactly they’re getting. Food or drinks for example. On the other side, one could use these as drugs. They just need a bit rebranding for that. I might have to take a few and see what I can do with them. ” replied Ashe with a grin before playfully slapping her forehead, as if she remembered something very important.
“It explains your late arrival, there were no mortals around here. No dreams, no nightmares and talking about mortals, do you need some? In exchange for some seeds to plant in the Bazaar. I’ve got lots of them or maybe some animals? ” with a snap of her fingers a Dawnborn, a Satyr, a Tarsk, a Umbra and a Sanguis Equis coin appeared between each of Ashevelen’s fingers.
Extending the hand with the coins, Ashevelen presented each of them to Aethel. “ Please, have a look. Touch each coin and they will show you the capabilities, the lifespan and everything else about them. Besides the Sanguis Equis, they’re all my creations. Highly customizable for any purpose you may have in mind. ”
A small chuckle escaped from Aethel at her offer. “Ashy, I have no interest in there being life here. Maybe in time that might change, but for now the silence my domain offers is pleasant to me. Somewhere to fall back and rest between trips down to the world below.” They actually paused for a moment before asking “Is it still called Galbar?”
Showing a small habit of focusing on a number of different subjects at once, they quickly rounded back to the deal in the making. “Now, I am very protective of my trees. I don’t want just anyone having access to them after all. I mean I created them on a moon without any animals and an atmosphere that mortals can’t breathe. However, I could bring myself to part with some seeds. In exchange for a favour to be called in sometime in the future.”
One of Aethel’s front hooves was offered in a manner of shaking hands. “In exchange for a service or object I deem of equal value, I will happily provide you with enough seeds that you could grow a small orchard of Dreamers Fruit Trees to do with as you wish. Are these terms acceptable to you?”
“ I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t call me like that, sibling. But fair enough, I understand the need for silence at times. Seeds for a favour. Hmm. I prefer not to owe favours to other divines but I could offer you one of two great artefacts that I’ve purchased in my travels, if you wish. One, a sword. More beautiful than any other and as sharp as one can make it or a cloak that will make you invisible to anything, even other divines. Surely either could be useful. ” replied Ashe with a charming smile, her annoyance unseen on her face.
“ I’ve heard multiple names for the world below. Galbar is one of them. ” quickly added Ashe.
Nodding in thanks at the name situation being cleared up, Aethel was quick to answer “I will not call you that again then Ashevelen.That cloak sounds wonderful though. May I see it?”
Ashevelen put a hand inside her robe and pulled out…nothing or so it seemed. In her hand there was a cloak but it was virtually invisible to anyone but herself, as the owner. “ Might be hard to see but if you grab it from me, it’ll appear to you. Quite an ingenious design, if I say so myself. ” said Ashe as she handed the robe over to Aethel.
What she didn’t mention to Aethel, nor could she find out, is that soon after receiving the cape, Ashevelen imbued a bit of her own power in the cape, allowing it to use the shadows to teleport and of course, for Ashevelen to feel its presence wherever it was in the world.
There was a brief moment of silence… before Aethel inspected the cloak in question with a small, delightful chuckle to escape them. “Very interesting… I believe I could make a great deal of use from this.” Turning back to Ashevelen, one of their tendrils gestured… and a small basket of pure white seeds that were a third the size of the coins she had originally offered appeared beside them.
The hoof was offered again. “I believe we have a deal, Ashevelen.”
Ashevelen took the hoof and shook it slightly before releasing her hold over the cape.
“ Another pleased customer, always a delight. 60 seeds should be more than enough in exchange for an artefact of this magnitude. ” replied Ashe with a charming smile.
Aethel tilted their head slightly as they accepted the cape… and with a tendril handed over the bucket. “I don’t know where you got that number from. You agreed to the bucket and that’s what you’re getting.”
“ I’d argue that you’ve said a small orchard and not a bucket but fine, I’ll let it go this once. ” replied Ashe with a sly grin before snapping her fingers to transport the bucket into the Shadow Bazaar where a few will be planted and accelerated to grow faster while the others would be put in storage, for experimentation.
“ Now, you sure I cannot convince you to get some mortals, right? ”
“You cannot. And are you suggesting that I wouldn’t provide a bucket big enough to contain enough seeds to start a small orchard? Yee of little faith.”
“ There are 43 of them in there. Little faith is my middle name, Aethel. Now, ta-ta. ” replied Ashe with a smile before teleporting herself away into the Bazaar.
Ashevelen travels to the newly created moon where she meets someone who looks similar to Myrtu but isn’t. The Hooven Deity of Dreams. They talk a bit and Ashevelen sells the Invisibility Cape for a bucket of Dream Fruit seeds.
Aethel MP/AP 0/0
Ashevelen Spends 1 MP (off-screen) to imbue the Invisibility Cape with the power of teleporting through shadows while also linking it to Ashevelen’s realm which allows Ashe to know its location at all times. End MP/AP 0/0
The Journey - Part 2.3 - Side Quest - The Seed of the Mind Pod - Noon - Light Woods
“ There. That’s what I feared the most. ” exclaimed George as he pointed at the shuffling mortals that surrounded a massive plant with a large bulb pointing upwards and big roots which extended throughout the forest.
Penumbra quickly appeared next to George to understand what’s going on and…they were surprised to say the least. “ More survivors? ” whispered Penumbra as Custosa and Dahm hid in the bushes as best as they could.
George shook his head and turned towards Penumbra, his face was dark and his sadness was obvious in his eyes. “I wish. Those are the villagers and other tribes that live in the area. They…were taken. Chiron insisted that they weren’t dead but I didn’t want to believe it. Look at them. Those green eyes, shuffled movements. They’re not dead, they are alive and that’s worse. ”
Realisation dawned upon Penumbra’s face. “ Oh no. They’re under the control of the Mind Pod too. Dead but not dead, their bodies still moving. ”
Custosa uttered a small prayer to Jeon under her breath before, without saying anything to the party, charged forward with a loud “WAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH” which also activated her [Taunt] skill. Almost instantaneously, the zombies turned towards her, limbs forward and the intent to dismember her at any cost clear in their eyes. Not that it would stop Custosa. Enabling one more skill [Enhanced Reflexes], she waved between the zombies striking with her spear at every opportunity, dropping zombies behind her that would stand up seconds later continuing their onslaught.
As the zombies surrounded her, she activated her ultimate skill [Bulwak] and in the blink of an eye, grew in size. Arms looking more like tree trunks than normal elven arms. Standing in the middle of at least 30 zombies, she pushed them back with her spear. Occasionally picking one up and throwing him away deeper within the forest.
“ Your companion is going to get herself killed. ” whispered George to the party as they stood just at the treeline, hidden from view for now as all the nearby combatants were focused solely on Custosa.
“ She’s giving us an opening. The zombies and the Mind Pod, they’re focused on her. It must know we’re here but if Custosa is too close to it, it must defend itself. I know what we must do. George, jump into the fray. Reduce the pressure on Custosa, Dahm, do what you do best. Sing. ”
“ And you? ”
“ I’ll take down this oversized plant, no matter what. C’mon, let’s go. Custosa’s skill won’t last much longer and then it won’t end well. ”
“ You don’t have to tell me twice. ” replied George before jumping into the fray himself, punching zombies, crushing skulls and breaking bones. No matter how many times the zombies could stand up, they couldn't do it if their legs were broken or spines shattered.
Dahm stayed behind, his voice lifting above the sounds of battle, above the groans of the dead and the shouts of pain and anger. All of his skills activating one after the other. Song after song.
“In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed …”
Custosa soon ignored her many injuries, zombies would start attacking each other, some would look to the sides before continuing forward and more. Each word he sang blended into the background noise, each verse was a tale to be told later.
As the zombies would fall, other creatures joined the battle. From the sky, Tonikala rained upon the party and from the deeper part of the forest wolves and dino-plants assaulted them from the sides. Centaurs would charge into Custosa as she fought tooth and nail for every centimetre she walked towards the Mind Pod. Not that it stopped her, she kept on going and going, her resolve clear on her face…bloodied as it was.
In the meanwhile, Penumbra was not idle. As the party fought and kept the Mind Pod busy, they silently teleported themselves towards the Mind Pod. Using a combination of their own teleportation skill and the Shadow Bazaar’s, they would appear and disappear constantly. Every time they’d risk detection, they’d fade into nothingness only to reappear seconds later. The costs would soon start to rack up and loaning money wasn’t a thing yet, so, they would have to face the enemies very, very soon.
Just a few metres away from the Mind Pod, that’s exactly what happened. On the opposite side from where Custosa, George and Dahm were fighting, Penumbra was stuck. They had nothing else to give besides their armour and life.
Almost as soon as they appeared, Tonikala from above attacked them. Their arms like swords made out of pure darkness, cut one after the other. But for each one cut, two more would take their place.
And then silence. No more music, no more songs. Only fighting and that's what chilled the party to the bones. Penumbra was too far away to see what was happening but in their heart they knew.
With a loud shout, Custosa turned around towards where Dahm was and…there was nothing there. Just zombies and what seemed to be Dahm on the floor, zombies piling on top of him.
George made his way towards Dahm, throwing combos after combos of punches left and right, punishing each and every enemy that stood between him and Dahm. Eventually he reached the place where Dahm stood but it was too late. His body was torn apart, teeth laying on the floor in the mud.
At the same time, Penumbra activated their incorporeal state and waves through their enemies. The few seconds the ability gave them was more than enough. Using [Blink] skill, they teleported high up into the air. Their arms and half of their body uniting to transform into a massive blade meant to cut right through the Mind Pod deep into its heart.
One moment there was a blade falling down and a Mind Pod and then, there was only the Mind Pod. But right in that moment when the blade entered the Mind Pod, all the zombies stopped and then a mighty explosion from inside the Mind Pod was triggered shooting plant matter in all directions. Almost immediately the zombies dropped on the ground lost was the mind behind their actions, lost was the driving will.
A cheer went up between the party, a ragged and sorrowful one but a cheer nonetheless. That is, until Penumbra approached Custosa and George who were both covered in blood. Custosa’s missing eye was no longer covered in the bandage but something was there. Inside. Something…like a seed. Debris from the Mind Pod they thought. Nothing that some water couldn’t find they thought.
They. Were. Wrong.
But that is a story for later because right after their victory, they were summoned by Ashevelen herself in the Bazaar. Their quest seemed to have ended, for now. At least for everyone but Penumbra which was given a different task.
Class - Champion Level - 8 Abilities -
[Inspire] ability which inspires the user’s allies to fight until their last breath, to forgo fear or tiredness.
[Shadow Javelin] ability which enhances the user's shadow manipulation to allow them to take out a spear made out of shadow and throw it at their enemies.
[One with the shadows] ability which allows the user to hide inside a shadow becoming invisible to sight and odourless to smell
[Passive - Low Resistance to Mental Attacks] a passive ability which makes the user a bit more resistant to mental attacks
[Blink+] ability which enhances user's already existent ability to teleport allowing him to take one person with them at the loss of distance
[Strengthen Shadow] ability which allows the user to make their shadowy form impervious to attacks for 3 seconds.
[Ashevelen’s Chosen] special ability available only to Penumbra which makes them become one of the shadow of the area, enabling them to launch a series of attacks at an incredible speed.
[Shadow Javelin+] upgrade of existing ability which allows the user to throw up to 3 javelins before the ability end
[T.O.F.A. (Trade one for another)] ability which swaps the location of two items between each other. One which the user must hold in their hand and the other one that the user can see.
Class - Protector Level - 9 Abilities -
[Enhance Reflexes] ability which enhances the reflexes of the user to allow them to make moves at unnatural speeds to dodge attacks for a few seconds
[Increase Defence] ability which increases the natural defence of the user against physical attacks
[Taunt] ability which allows the user to shout at nearby foes to attract their attention
[Passive Ability - Enhanced Hearing] ability which is unlocked after a user loses one eye, allowing them to focus on their hearing more.
[Passive Ability - Poison Resistance] ability which makes the user highly resistant to most types of poisons or venoms
[Full Counter] ability which counters a physical attack with double the power back at the attacker, can only be used once a day
[Magical Full Counter] ability which counters non-physical attacks and throws them back at the caster
[Defend] ability which links the user to a person they’re close to. If said person is hurt, the damage is mitigated to the user.
[Bulwark] ability which temporarily, up to 5 seconds, increases the size and strength of the user by 60%.
Class - Bard Level - 8 Abilities -
[Song of Confusion] ability which makes the user sing a song of confusion, making anyone who can hear the song (as long as they’ve got the ability to hear) see shapes at the edge of their vision, hear howls etc
[Song of ignoring Pain] ability which makes the user sing a song full of adrenaline and mighty deeds which in turn makes allies who can hear it, ignore whatever they may have until the song ends
[Goddess’s Song] ability in which the user sing a song which calls upon the power shadowy powers of Ashevelen to cover a small area in them
[Song of Charm] ability which makes the user sing a song of love which makes the target believe the singer to be their best friend for a few minutes
[Passive Ability - High Resistance to mental attacks] a passive ability which makes the user highly resistant to mental attacks
[Song of Pain]ability which makes the user sing a song of pain that gives mental damage to three targets which the user wants
[Detect] ability which makes the user sing a sub-vocal song which can detect the presence of other lifeforms in a radius of 5 metres around the user.
[Cry me a river] ability which makes the user sing a song of sorrow making a single target be overcome with feelings of great sadness.
Class - Strongman Level - 6 Abilities -
[One Normal Punch] ability which makes the user throw a super strong punch at a foe. Strong enough to bend metal.
[Three Normal Punches] ability which makes the user throw three super strong punches at a foe which are strong enough to bend metal.
[Boxer’s Reflexes] ability which makes the user dodge incoming attacks at high speed for 10 seconds
[Lion’s Strength] ability which enhances the user’s already impressive physique, allowing him to perform one single feat of immense strength.
[Normal Punch Barrage] ability which allows the user to throw 10 super strong punches at high speed. This ability can only be used once per day
[Clap] ability which makes the user clap their hands with a very strong strength which makes a very loud sound meant to stun foes
[Jump] ability which makes the user jump high in the air
The Penumbra group finally defeats the Mind Pod. Dahm dies heroically in the battle and Custosa seems to have caught a seed. Their pyrrhic victory was short-lived as Ashevelen summoned them all to the Bazaar.
Starting Spirit: 21
+1 Spirit - Appeared in the post +1 Spirit - Longer than 5k characters +1 Spirit - Creator doesn’t appear in the post +4 Spirit - Completed the Side Quest - Mind Pod
“This should be enough.” Shadow whispered as Resin observed the contents of his sack. Most of it were artistic wood carvings from various elven villages. There were some Umbral Woods goods there as well. There was even some white stone from Earthwall. All of it was stolen of course. The pile was the product of about five weeks’ worth of theft. “This will get us in the Bazaar and out again.”
“If you say so.” Resin said. The elf felt like he should be jaded towards his incorporeal guide. Yet the thieving and the skulking felt oddly comforting. Like he had found a job actually worth doing. Still, normal people don’t think like that. So he tried to pretend to dislike the tasks. “We’re going then?”
“Yep! Grab the bag and stand in the tree’s shadow. Then just wish hard enough you were in the Shadow Bazaar.”
Resin did as he was told. He closed his eyes as he wanted nothing more than to be in this place that the one Umbra they met kept describing as a place of endless, bustling activity. It was hard to imagine as an elf of the woods. For him Sanctuary was the biggest, most busiest place he could imagine. Hell, Resin had never even been to Sanctuary.
Yet when he opened his eyes a wall of noise overtook him. Suddenly he found himself stepping around a corner into a main thoroughfare. “Gracious Celestine.” He said out loud. All kinds of creatures were passing him by. Some looked like him, yet had rounded ears and looked a bit less… healthy. Others were completely different. Most didn’t pay him much mind.
Again Resin did as he was told. He started to walk aimlessly through the street passing all sorts of stalls selling all sorts of things. It didn’t take long for Resin’s curiosity to get the better of him as he strode closer and closer to the side and near the stalls.
“Something to your liking?” Shadow teased.
“The food… it smells so good.” Resin said out loud as his eyes and stomach wandered over the various small grills and open kitchens. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” It didn’t take long for his fingers to wander as well.
“Don’t do it, Resin.” Shadow quickly warned. “Not here.”
The elf just frowned. His guide had done nothing but encourage his thieving habits in the last few weeks, and now he had to stop? Screw that.
“Don’t do it. I’m serious.”
If something happened Resin could always melt through the shadows to get away. He had done it countless times. His hands moved over an open grill filled with skewered meat. It had two fewer when he passed.
Resin would continue to move away from where he stole the meat but before he could move too far, a person stepped from behind another stall. Seemingly lost in thought, she bumped into Resin, almost knocking him over.
The person, a female, was the most charming person which Resin would ever see in his life. Dressed in expensive clothing with a golden bow tying her black hair, she apologized for her clumsiness and turned to walk away but then turned once more towards Resin.
“ I am truly sorry. Looks like I need to look better at where I’m walking. Many apologies, I am Applepie of the Underground. ” said the elven woman with an extremely attractive smile and a flirtatious look in her eyes.
“I’m Resin.” The male elf said with a big smile. There was something so alluring about her. He wanted to get to know her better.
“Careful Resin.” Shadow warned. The ring’s consciousness was vastly more wary of the whole situation.
“I’m new here, to the Bazaar I mean.” Resin ignored his guide and kept talking with sweet Applepie. “Maybe you could show me around?”
Applepie looked at the ring Resin had and shook her head slightly before looking at Resin once more, straight into his eyes.
“ I can see that you are new to the Bazaar. If you accept my apology, I’d be more than happy to show you around. Come, follow me. ” replied Applepie while grabbing Resin’s hand as she started to guide him through the stall maze. Eventually she stopped in front of a fountain.
The fountain was decorated with jewels and made out of solid dark-gold but that wasn’t the most impressive feature of it. The water that would normally shoot out of it, wasn’t water. Liquid shadows, the same which the Dawnborn were made of, was shooting out of it. Making different forms, letters, in the air and they’d hang in there for a few seconds before hitting the pool and flying up into the air once more making different sentences everytime before repeating them again. Each letter was in polyglottis, the universal language which everyone inherently understood.
The messages were clear. All of them being Ashevelen’s commandments and the rules of the Shadow Bazaar. Curiously, there was a message that was being repeated more and more until it was the only one being formed. It read “No thieving.”
“It’s beautiful!” Resin exclaimed as he read the various rules. The no thieving rule passed his eyes every now and then but he didn’t really care. Every place had a no thieving rule. He had been chased enough to know people didn’t like it when you stole things from them. Then again, if you let it be stolen maybe you shouldn’t have it in the first place? The rule never stuck. His eyes had more attention for the beautiful elf beside him. Meanwhile, he was also starkly ignoring the bone-chilling sense coming from his ring. Shadow had gone silent again. That did make Resin worried, but not worried enough.
Then the other rules began to fade as they were replaced with the no thieving rule. The elf’s heart began to drop. When nearly half the fountains’ rules had become unified he realized something was deeply and horribly wrong. “I-I think I need to leave.” He stammered as he took a step backward, making sure he stood in the shadow of the fountain before calling on the ring to blink him out of danger.
Applepie just watched Resin as they read the rules and was expecting him to bolt the second he read them but instead he just sat that and admired the rules…that is, until Applepie slowly changed the way of the rules all writing the same thing “No Thieving” and sure enough, Resin figured out the danger he was in.
Applepie’s form suddenly changed to her usual divine one but remained the same size as Resin, for his benefit. Appl–Ashevelen now watched him with interest as he jumped into the shadows and then she realized what the ring actually was.
“ Silly mortal. ” were the only two words she uttered as she snapped her fingers, just as Resin was teleporting away. The moment he disappeared, he would appear next to Ashe, just within arm’s reach and then Ashe decided to have some fun.
“ If you like teleporting in my shadows so much…here, have a taste of it. ” continued Ashe as she tapped two fingers together and each time she’d do that, Resin would teleport to a different random location within the Bazaar. Of course, he wouldn’t have time to take a breath as he’d be teleported again and again. Thousands of times until, finally, Ashe chuckled and made him appear right in front of her. Healing his most obvious injuries from being teleported unnaturally so many times and so fast, Ashevelen immobilized him by making the floor “eat” his legs.
Taking the hand which had the ring on, she inspected the ring before giving it a gentle tap. Almost immediately, a tiny explosion of air happened next to them and an Umbra appeared. A blank stare in their eyes showed that it was an empty one, without any kind of sentience and then, a small sliver of power was transferred between the ring to the Umbra.
“ I am Ashevelen, spirit. The Goddess. Lady of the Swift Trade and Shadows. Is it you who possessed this mortal and made him break the rules? ” her voice was low, threatening as if she could snap at any moment and kill both of them.
“M-M-Me?” Shadow stammered. His Umbra shape was twitching and shaking. It was beyond unnatural for him. He was attached! Always! At all times. With little self-control over the act he dashed over towards a heaving, sickened Resin and attached himself over the elf like a cloak, utterly unable to release himself. “I-I just tried to warn him, Your Grace.” He tried to muster up a defense. “He shouldn’t have stolen. He shouldn’t have!”
Ashevelen shook her head once more and separated the two as two cages appeared from the ground around each of them.
" And yet you allowed him to be dumb enough? Unless, is he your master? Did he imprison you in that artefact? Stole you from your divine? If so, tell me your maker's name and I'll make sure you arrive safely. Kidnapping and thievery isn't something I look kindly upon. "
The Umbra form of Shadow was actively flinging itself against the cage in a futile attempt to reattach itself to the elf. “I… Can’t.” He answered. His voice was straining itself.
“I’m not his master.” A physically drained Resin managed to get out as the dry heaving abated. “He’s my guide. He told me not to do it.” The elf was gathering himself faster than most mortals would manage. Despite the shock, he bit through and tried to keep his head cool. Even when his legs were ‘eaten’. “I’m sorry.”
With a wave of her hand, Ashe dispersed the cage that surrounded them both and after snapping her finger they all got teleported to a different place.
Inside one of the towers that one could always in the distance, laid a prison of sorts. Same prison which Ashevelen used to house the elves that broke her rules before.
Only a table and a chair stood there, seemingly out of place considering the prison was empty. No cages, no prisoners…nothing. It was as if someone built the prison but then midway through the construction stopped.
" Take a seat. We need to discuss your punishment. " said Ashe while doing what she told them. Three glasses of Umbral alcohol appeared on the table.
Resin did as he was told. Though he was still very much leaning on the table to get to the chair. His legs felt weird now. Shadow felt significantly worse off. His Umbra form clutched around Resin for dear life. His own shadowy fingers laced those of the elf and its face hung over the elf’s shoulders with a void look. “Sure. Seems fair.” Resin said as he slowly sat down on the chair. The punishment process seemed to have started on a much better note than usually anyway. He didn’t touch any of the glasses though.
" What is your name spirit and do you want a different form? Looks like you are in pain. That's punishment enough, I'd say for you. And yours, mortal? After you answer that, you may start. I am waiting. Don't have a lot of time. "
“My name is Resin. And the shade on me.” “Don’t say my name!” Shadow sneered in Resin’s mind. The elf stopped for a second. Ignoring Shadow had never been a good idea so far. Still, it wasn’t like he really had a choice now: “Is called Shadow.”
For a second the elf remained silent. He was expecting some sort of explanation. When it didn’t came he decided to speak up: “What am I supposed to start?”
“ A serenade. Maybe some dance and of course to start answering all of my questions. ” quickly replied Ashe with a note of annoyance on her face. Realizing that the mortal might not be smart enough to realize, she added : “ Apologizing for what you’ve done, an explanation of why you’ve done it and…the bargaining. What do I get for allowing you to live after you’ve broken my rules? ”
“I’m sorry I stole.” Resin said as he tried to keep calm. Despite the threat on his life. “I just… I just saw the food and I wanted it.” It was the truth. It wasn’t a good one but at this point he was dealing with a goddess, so he figured telling the truth would be his only way out. “And…” Quite defeated, he then slumped in his chair. What in the name of Celestine could he even offer to a literal goddess? Servitude?
“You’re already claimed.” That familiar voice of Shadow whispered in his mind. “You made the deal remember. Power in exchange of servitude. Do not offer what you do not have.” Resin didn’t like that statement, but it was still a fact.
“Then get me out of here.” Resin thought. Shadow didn’t answer. So he sighed deeply. “I can’t offer you anything of worth. I can’t bargain.” So this was his end? Well, he lived a good couple of weeks at least.
" You wanted food and you took it. Maybe my siblings would allow that excuse to work on them, but I'm the wrong Goddess to try that on and I've got a question before I decide what to do with you, who do you serve, little mortal? I can see the strings attached to your soul. " replied Ashe, already losing patience with the mortal.
“I serve-“ He stopped his answer in its tracks. Who did he really serve? Something just offered him power. It had been nothing more than a voice. “Shadow?” He asked in his mind.
“It’s too early. Far too early.” The entity replied with hissing thoughts.
“Well she’s going to kill me if I don’t give her something!” Resin shot back with increasing frustration. Something he wasn’t good at hiding.
“Just… weasel your way out.” Shadow sounded rather unsure of that.
“Are you just going to let me die!?” Resin shouted out loud now. He was sick and done playing these games with his life in the balance.
“Ithril!” Hissed Shadow out loud now as well. “He and I. We serve Ithril.”
As soon as Ashevelen heard the name, a papyrus appeared next to her. Taking the papyrus in one hand she looked upon it with interest. Names of known divines, their domains and creations were written there but Ithril wasn’t there.
“ Ithril. That’s one divine brother I haven’t yet met. I think I need to have a word with him about his creations invading my realm and breaking my rules. Are you worth something to him, either of you? ” said Ashe as the papyrus disappeared.
“I just steal things.” Resin resigned to his fate really. “That’s what I… agreed to do for this Ithril.” Shadow went quiet again. Either to keep information hidden, or out of fear. Resin didn’t know. He just wanted to get out of here. “And I’m good at it. We were really just passing through your realm. I don’t think this Ithril wanted me to break your rules. In fact, considering Shadow telling me not to, I'd say that he didn’t want any of this happening.” Resin wasn’t entirely sure why he was talking so much suddenly. Maybe he just got tired of the tension and decided to get it all over with.
“ So you’re just a common thief. Is that what you’d want me to believe, mortal? That artifact you’ve got on your finger is more than enough to prove you’re full of bullshit, not gonna say anything about your guide . That’s not something a divine just gives to a mortal without any plan behind it. But maybe, just maybe, you just can’t see that. Your guide on the other hand could be a bit more truthful to you and tell us your real purpose. Have a chat with him later on. Either way, I don't know what to do with you. You're essentially useless to me but I've got to set an example 'lest others get any ideas. " replied Ashe, astonished at the mortal's apparent dumbness.
She stood up from the chair, conjured some mirrors forth and seemed to read things off them but for Resin it would look as if she just stared into nothingness.
" Ah. I know. Choose your punishment. Anything that fits a thief but you're not allowed to choose freedom as the punishment or anything of the sorts. " said Ashe as she turned towards Resin
For a second the elf was stunned. He thought he was going get blown apart by some divine smite. Instead, he gets to choose? “Just… have me beaten to a pulp? That’s what generally happened when I got caught in the past.”
“ That’s boring, lacks any kind of imagination and if I’d beat you, you’d be dead. ” replied Ashe with a bored look and then suddenly, she grinned.
“ I’ve got an idea that neither of you will like. ” said Ashe before laughing out loud. Her laughter shook the walls of the tower.
Ashevelen lifted Resin and Shadow from the table and as they floated in the air, approached them. She looked at the ring, then at Shadow’s Umbral form and then at Resin…grinning all the time. Making her hand similar to a sword, she cut through Resin’s arm like a knife through butter. No opposition at all. Afterwards, she grasped the ring in her hand and held it thigh, shadows started to pour out of her hand, blending with Shadow’s Umbral form.
Initially nothing happened with it but then it started to contort, making itself smaller and smaller until finally it formed the shape of an arm which attached itself to Resin. Fully replacing his lost arm that now disappeared in the floor. The arm had a small mouth in the middle of the hand through which Shadow could talk or eat if he wished to.
" There. One hates being a physical being and the other one is dumb enough to try to steal from a divine. May you keep each other company forever and stop each other from doing more dumb stuff. "
“What the-” Resin’s curse was quickly stifled by Shadow’s arm covering his face. The elf was furious at first as he clutched the shadow arm. Eventually, Shadow released his grip and turned towards Ashe. “We are most grateful for your enlightening lesson and punishment. With this I presume we are free to leave?” Shadow was being extremely cautious with his words. In truth the Ring’s entity wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of this horror show of a place.
“ Did I say that? I punished you and you should be grateful I didn’t remove the both of you from this plane of existence. But, you deserve a reward as well . You’ve exploited something that I didn’t expect, in a massive oversight, on my part. Just because it’s written that sealing isn’t allowed, it won’t stop mortals from doing it and I can’t just chat with all of you. ” said Ashe while looking at the two.
“ I know. I’ll give you something to wear to accommodate your new body. ” exclaimed Ashevelen as shadow-woven clothes appeared on the table. They were of good quality and the exact same size as Resin, minus the Shadow arm which seemed to always pinch in the wrong place when it moved.
“ Take them and leave. Next time you return to the Bazaar, make sure to check the fountain I’ve led you to initially. There will be a surprise for you. ”
The surprise was another punishment of sorts. Above the fountain there was now a painting of Resin and the writing “First Thief, may it be the last one…or else” just below it, for all who pass by it to see.
“ Bye-bye. ” said Ashe as they grabbed the clothes and snapped her fingers teleporting them both outside, on the other side of the bazaar.
Resin wasted no time at all as he rushed through the Bazaar, though he was careful not to bump impolitely against anyone. Who knew what more rules there were in this shadowy hellhole. Shadow was eerily quiet. When the elf reached the fountain where his sack of goods still was, he saw his picture. For a moment he felt a swell of pride bloom in his chest. Then he snapped out of that feeling again and grabbed his sack. Seconds later he opened his eyes while standing in the middle of a field. The sun stood high in the sky and he let out a sigh of relief.
“Ditch the clothes!” Shadow immediately said in Resin’s mind.
“What? But we got-“
“Are you seriously going to trust the gifts of a goddess who just took your arm for taking two skewers of meat!?” Shadow could barely believe his luck. Resin was a talented thief for sure but the kid had no gut feeling. He just took everything as it was. It had been a useful trait when his master came along but now it was getting beyond dangerous. “Ditch them. Leave them in the bright sun!”
“Wait I don't have any other-“
“Just do it!” Shadow snapped.
The elf did as he was told, as per usual, and took off all the shadow-woven clothes and left them in the bright sunlight, making sure that none of them had any shadow at all. Then he ran. There had to be a village nearby where he could klep some clothes.
“And so a force of this world revealed itself.” A voice whispered to itself from far away. “Now how should I go about trying to ruin your Bazaar, dear sister?”
Resin and Shadow arrived at the Shadow Bazaar and after being told numerous times by Shadow not to steal from the bazaar, Resin ignored the advice and stole some food. Applepie, Ashevelen’s elven disguise, bumps into the thief and after charming him, brings him over to a fountain that kept saying the message “NO THIEVING”. Figuring out his dumb mistake, he tries to teleport away only for Ashevelen to teleport him all over the bazaar in manner of seconds.
Ashevelen cuts one of his arms off and transforms Shadow into the missing arm. Permanently binding the two.
Starting MP/AP 2/4
-1 AP to curse Resin/Shadow transforming Shadow permanently into an arm of Resin.
End MP/AP
2/3
Resin: 3 spirit + 1 Spirit: Appears in this post + 1 spirit: Interacting with a deity that did not create them + 1 Spirit: Involved in a collab + 1 Spirit: Medium length post + 1 spirit: Long length post Resin: 8 spirit
Once more, time passes and the world changes. A new moon appeared in the sky, divines have been seen going around doing whatever divines do and of course, business in the Shadow Bazaar was blooming with more and more mortal species appearing everyday to engage in trade.
But, Ashevelen was nowhere to be found. Not on Galbar at least, nor in her realm. No, Ashevelen somewhere else. Somewhere up, very much up. Somewhere very close to the sun, meditating in a yoga-like pose on an asteroid, floating ever close towards the sun but never burning.
One might ask what was on the divine's mind? Why was she meditating so far away from her place of power? Why was she not travelling the world, meeting mortals and doing what she knows best? Who knew what she was thinking at the time? She didn’t understand it either. Ashevelen just knew she had to be away from everyone and everything. She needed time to understand the change that was happening to her. For’ it was a change that shook her to the core, something strange even for a divine being.
She was becoming even more aware than before of how atoms move, how light was travelling from whatever originated it until where it reached. It was as if she needed to wear glasses and suddenly she got them, she was able to see clearly. What didn’t make sense was the why or how, not at first. Not until she felt something inside her break and then open.
The break was somewhere in her core. It was as if the trade and shadow aspect broke down and one more was born out of the two bits. Concentrating on the new aspect, Ashevelen understood what it was. Transmission. The actions or process of transmitting something, information, objects, living beings…everything was in a constant transmission and now, Ashevelen finally understood it.
Focusing her new power, Ashevelen blinked out of existence and appeared in the ocean, south of the Umbral Forest. Quickly scanning the area, there were no mortals that her divine senses could hear or see. Looking down into the water, she drank a bit of it and smiled. Something could be done here. Something interesting.
Ashevelen put her hand into the water and caught a small fish which tried, unsuccessfully, to escape her clutch. She quickly gave the fish a kiss and threw it back into the water. Soon the water started to glow brightly and the fish grew. A lot. Bigger than most buildings, it would swim through the water and swallow whole anyone that it would catch but it wouldn’t kill them. Right down its throat, there was a massive portal which would use the existing teleportation system created for the Shadow Bazaar to teleport those that would be caught somewhere on Galbar. Anywhere, somewhere random.
“ I name you…Moby Dick and you’ve got one job, little fish. Catch as many people or creatures as possible. ” said Ashe, as Moby Dick swam away deep within the ocean.
The Lady meditates on an asteroid and unlocks the aspect of Transmission. Information, objects, mortals and the sorts are now under her purview then she makes a whale which can teleport stuff around for fun.
Starting MP/AP
5/5
-3MP - Unlocked the Transmission aspect which covers the transmission of information, objects, atoms etc.
-1 AP (discounted from 2 AP) - Created Moby Dick legendary creature
2/4 remaining.
Moby Dick is a massive pearl-white whale that can swim to the ocean floor and back in only a few minutes. It has inside its throat, a massive portal which after something is eaten by it, will be teleported somewhere on Galbar.
Back to the think-tank once more. High up in the centre of her power, her throne room, Ashevelen sat on the floor in a meditation pose and looked upon thousands of shadow-mirrors. Each mirror showed a different creature, plant, stone and everything in between that she had in the Bazaar, their price, if they were being purchased, by whom and lots of different other statistics.
Moving her hand, the mirrors moved to the side and new ones replaced them. Smaller in number but more precious overall. These were mortal creatures that were in storage, a place where they were kept in stasis until the divine had time to gauge their worth. Different creatures appeared and she scrolled through them absentmindedly until her eye caught a number of creatures that she almost forgot she had. Mireborn. Creatures made out of blood, requiring blood to survive and only able to multiply by infection.
With a hand inside the mirror, she took out a Mireborn and turned it on all sides. It seemed to have been a female elf prior to transformation. Lifting her up in the air, Ashe played a bit with the blood and started doing small experiments with it. Putting the blood of anything other than an elf, seemed to harm the Mireborn but transferring blood from an elf into her, she would relish it and “consume” it.
“ What to do with you…what to do? ” said Ashe out loud to no one in particular and that’s when an idea struck her.
Ashevelen opened up a portal to the outside world, high up on a mountain where an adventurer from the guild once teleported from and took the Mireborn with her. Sunlight shined bright and made the Mireborn cover her eyes with their arms to not be blinded by the sudden change of environment but before she could do something else, Ashevelen conjured her power. The light dimmed and shadows swirled all around the mountain top, the Mireborn stunned into watching the godly show of power.
As the mountain top was fully covered in shadows, they all went straight into the Mireborn. Changing their blood into liquid shadows in constant motion, moving on and on. Never stopping and never resting. Soon, the light returned on the mountain top, only for a small area around the “Mireborn” which now ate the light and stored it inside itself. Ready for it to be expelled from their body. Batteries is what Ashevelen called it initially before looking at the new creature she created.
“ That’s better. I name your species…Shadowborr–no, that’s just lazy naming. You’ll be named Umbr–that’s worse. Dawnborn. Ah, that’s better. ” said Ashe with a frown at first before smiling, satisfied with her naming of the species.
The Dawnborn would also be able to multiply in the same manner as before infecting others, only this was targeted towards Mireborns. If a Mireborn would have their blood transfused with a Dawnborn’s, they would transform into one.
With a new creature created, Ashevelen sent it back into the storage to change the other Mireborns she got from Wyn but her plans were not over. She has heard of creatures that plagued Shadowton and attacked travellers at times, making trade harder than it should be. Something had to be done, either in a mortal way or in a divine one and divines were faster.
Teleporting via the Shadow Bazaar above the Umbral Woods, Ashevelen knew something had to be done. Something…massive and imposing. Something that would scare off those that wish to harm Shadowton and its inhabitants which now ranged from Umbra to Humans.
And as before, Ashevelen summoned up her power and once more, a massive tornado was created. Growing in power, it started to attract dark clouds as it spinned and spinned. Many mortals were said to have watched in fear, the sky that day.
Inside the tornado, a being was being formed. Starting initially as a small dot of energy, it gained more and more power as the tornado grew in the sky. Eventually, the tornado would start to change colour from within as the creature grew. 6 long black legs would soon hit the ground as the tornado lost its power. Each making a loud “thud” and a crater as they touched the ground and then a howl that could be heard all over the Dark Woods and Umbral Woods, scaring all animals was let out. Stories told that deaf people could hear it.
“ I name you, Shadow Guardian. You have only one job. Protect the Umbral Wood from any that would do harm to it. Know your powers and your limits, my pet. Know what you must do. ” said Ashe as it imparted the knowledge of the creature’s abilities, limits and whom to protect/harm.
The Shadow Guardian let out another howl and disappeared from view. No mortals would be able to see it without some sort of divine ability or without it wanting to be seen. No mortals would be able to harm it easily, its powers ranging from massive strength to the control of mortal minds for short periods of time and while mortals couldn’t see it, if they’d wish to harm the Umbral Wood, they’d would know they are watched and they’d know death is close.
But the work was not done. Thinking it was time to spice up the Umbral Woods more than she just did. Ashevelen gathered power from her two aspects and made two energy balls, one in each hand. One golden, reflecting trade and one dark reflecting her shadows.
Playing with the balls in her hands, she juggled with them a few times before purposely dropping them into the Umbral Woods. The trade ball landed somewhere deep within the Umbral Woods, away from civilization and out of it…coin fairies appeared. As small as a tennis ball and with wings, these creatures had only one purpose…trade. They’d fly around and offer objects to travellers in exchange for others.
The other ball, on the other hand, landed very close to Shadowton and out of it the Beholders were created. These creatures were about 10 cm big and could fly around, each being able to lay up to 50 eggs per month, ensuring fast reproduction but with no ways to defend themselves they would only rely on their flying ability to survive and with the last of her power, Ashevelen blessed the Umbra of Shadowton how to tap into the sight of the Beholders.
Ashevelen is meditating on the success of the Shadow Bazaar and thinks about the Mireborn which she hasn’t used yet. Getting an idea, she modifies them into the Dawnborn. Afterwards she flies over the Umbral Woods and creates a Shadow Guardian monster to protect the woods in her absence. Eventually, she decides to spice things up and creates some critters.
Starting MP/AP
2/4
1 AP: Modified the Mireborn into Dawnborn. 2 AP: Created a creature of extraordinary power named Shadow Guardian. 1 MP: Created trade-critters 1 MP: Created shadow-eyes 1 AP: Blessed the Umbra to be able to tap-into the sight of the shadow-eyes with which they’ve formed a owner-pet relationship.
0/0 remaining.
Dawnborn are Mireborn that have been changed by Ashevelen’s shadow aspect power. Their blood has been changed into liquid shadows, they retained their original abilities, gained the ability to absorb light and release it when they wish. The light they consume acts as a form of sustenance as well. They multiply by changing Mireborns or elves into more of themselves.
A gigantic creature that can turn invisible/intangible to non-divines should it wish to. It exists with only one purpose and that is to defend the Umbral Woods from any and all threats that might appear. Wide enough to cover more than half of the woods, it waits in silence and watches everyone in the forest. Those that wish to do harm will instantly feel a feeling of dread and terror as the guardian never sleeps, nor rests.
The main power the Shadow Guardian has is to tap into the minds of mortals and either scare them to death or give them very short commands.
The Coin Fairies are tiny creatures, the size of a tennis ball which exist to fly around to trade with mortals for food and whatnot, albeit in a very tiny manner. Their main defence against predators is their inherent cuteness and fast movement.
The Beholders are small, eye creatures which are about 10 cm big and could fly around, each being able to lay up to 50 eggs per month, ensuring fast reproduction but with no ways to defend themselves they would only rely on their flying ability to survive and connection with the Umbra. They can also use their dead-eye stare to hypnotise creatures for a few seconds.
The Journey - Part 2.2 - Side Quest - Attack On The Mind Pod - Unknown - Light Woods
The Penumbral party was on the “road” once more. After saving the village they started to make their way towards the Mind Pod, guided by their newest companion, George. He told the group the story of the village, how their people came to be and how they almost went extinct.
The forest was calm, quiet before the divines played around with their lives and ended so many of them. Willingly or not. Before the village was overrun, they discovered what was the cause of the constant attacks and they formed a party of 20 villagers, meant to cut through the forest and destroy the cause of their problems, the Mind Pod. Thinking that if the Mind Pod would be killed, the attacks would slow down.
The party was beset by flying dino-plants which killed a part of them, 7 to be exact and then things got worse when they encountered a pack of Dino-Rex controlled by the Mind Pod. Normally not a pack plant, these Dino-Rexes were different. They were protecting an area which the party believed to be the resting place of the Mind Pod…they were wrong.
As they tried to avoid the Dino-Rexes, they didn’t realise that this was all a trap set by the Mind Pod. Unknowing that they were led into a trap, the Mind Pod herded them to a clearing where they got surrounded by the Dino-Rexes. A fight soon started but what the humans didn’t notice until too late was that the ones that fell, weren’t killed.
They were taken away, the purpose was unknown but before they could all be taken, two of the group managed to escape. George and one more person, a horse with the upper body part of a human, named Chiron.
Chiron soon left the village to look for help and has yet returned while George stayed behind to make sure that Chiron has a village to return to and that didn’t go so well. It seemed that the village was doomed until the Penumbral party arrived.
Now, George was leading yet another party to the Mind Pod. Hoping that this one, smaller in size, might pass unseen or at least deal with any attackers with ease.
“ This is where we lost the triplets Legsies, Armsies and Toesies. Something came from above, got Legsies before she knew what happened. Armsies was next, his face was half-bitten off and died soon after. Toesies had the worst death, something came from below as she tried to defend Legsies. Bit her in half. We couldn’t do anything about it, they just died…the others came after. One by one, the original party was killed. Until Chiron and I were left. We ran as fast as we could. I thanked the divines for allowing us to escape that day but Chiron kept saying it seemed suspicious and seeing that the attacks intensified after we came back…make me believe Chiron was right. We just led them back straight to the village…” told George to the group.
“ Don’t worry, we’ll kill it and take revenge for your people. Potentially saving this whole region from being under the control of that thing or at least, bring it into the Shadow Bazaar. I’m sure the Lady would find it useful for something.” replied Penumbra with a grin. Surely Ashevelen would find this creature valuable to someone if tamed.
As they walked, Penumbra started to lag behind the group as Dahm traded stories with George, who somehow understood every rhyme that Dahm would say. Custosa was leading the group forward, spear at the ready.
Penumbra was perturbed by questions. They recalled the conversation they had with Ashevelen and ran it through their mind again and again. What was their purpose? The Goddess wouldn’t do something on a whim, she always has a plan, so, what was it? To figure out a divine’s plan was something beyond mortal capabilities but that wouldn’t stop Penumbra.
This was a journey of discovery that was for sure, but discovery of what? Knowledge of themselves? Knowledge about the nature of Umbra? Nature of trading? The questions were run thousands of times in their mind but answers eluded them for now, maybe later on in the journey.
Eventually, George made a hand signal and everyone stopped in their tracks. He pointed a finger further into the forest towards a clearing “ That’s where we saw the Mind Pod and where the pack of Dino-Rexes surrounded us. Get ready, it’s about to get ugly. I’m sure we’ve been noticed by this point and yet, no one attacked us. The forest is quiet, too quiet. ”
Dahm let out a yelp, started singing while staring at a massive shape that seemed to approach them. A loud THUMP, THUMP soon followed. , “Danger is everywhere Like deadly beast on stalk Danger, here and there Better watch where you walk’
Custosa readied herself, George went into a pugilist’s pose and Penumbra, sneaky as they were, hid inside the shadow. Quickly disappearing from view and going around the area where the monster was approaching from.
And there it was. A massive Dino-Rex, bigger than the one Jeon rode on, pushed the trees away and suddenly the quietness of the forest made sense. With a loud roar, the creature’s green eyes gave away the fact that it was under the control of the Mind Pod, charged towards the group.
Dahm used [Goddess’s Song] ability to enhance the shadows around to give Penumbra an edge, while Custosa stood right in front of the Dino-Rex’s path using the [Taunt] skill to attract its attention and getting ready the [Full Counter] ability the moment it would attack.
Penumbra appeared behind the creature and using the shadows which Dahm creatively made for them, quickly took Geogre who was in position to attack with them as they teleported using [Blink+] above the creature, in the canopy of trees above. As they fell from the air, ready to attack the yet-unaware of the above danger, Dino-Rex, it finally reached Custosa and opened its mouth wide to swallow her whole.
The moment the mouth made contact with her spear, the Full Counter ability activated and the Dino-Rex staggered back. Right into a [One Normal Punch] ability of George which pushed it to the ground and that’s when the onslaught started.
Penumbra charged forward and activated their [Ashevelen’s Chosen] skill and almost instantly they teleported. Each time they’d appear two shadow-blades would cut through the Dino-Rex which was still stunned, a few hundred strikes in mere seconds proved to be enough. By the end of it, the Dino-Rex was covered in blood that was pouring from everywhere on its body and soon its big head let out a blood curdling howl before slumping on the ground.
Level ups soon followed. Each hero getting 2 levels and George, 6 levels for taking out a creature way above the party’s level. The party stopped and went through their new abilities, telling each other their new ones and the upgrades of the existing ones in the hopes that it would bolster their already proven team-work skill.
“ That was easier than expected. ” said George with a smile.
“ Talk for yourself, you weren’t the one that had to stare down the Dino-Rex as it charged at full speed to you. ” quickly replied Custosa with a wink.
Penumbra and Dahm built a fire and threw the Dino-Rex’s body inside the shadow that it formed, making sure the creature would end up in the Shadow Bazaar. While they didn’t have the skills to harvest the important bits from it, Penumbra knew that someone at the Bazaar would have.
“ As much as I’d like to celebrate, we have to keep moving. That creature must’ve been controlled by the Mind Pod which means that it knows we’ve won. More are probably on their way to us right now. We got lucky with this one but now the Mind Pod knows some of our abilities, if it’s smart enough to lay traps it will be smart enough to plan against our abilities."
The party then went forward once more. Closing in on the clearing, shuffling humans and other mortal races started to be seen. The humans were dressed in the same manner as the other villages but the other mortals were very confusing for the party. There was one person that kept pacing around with the lower part of the body different than the upper part which looked similar to a human’s body.
With a prompt from George, who explained what those other mortals were and what they're called, the group got ready to fight once more and surely a fight would come to them, right as they were ready to go into the clearning.
Class - Champion Level - 8 Abilities -
[Inspire] ability which inspires the user’s allies to fight until their last breath, to forgo fear or tiredness.
[Shadow Javelin] ability which enhances the user's shadow manipulation to allow them to take out a spear made out of shadow and throw it at their enemies.
[One with the shadows] ability which allows the user to hide inside a shadow becoming invisible to sight and odourless to smell
[Passive - Low Resistance to Mental Attacks] a passive ability which makes the user a bit more resistant to mental attacks
[Blink+] ability which enhances user's already existent ability to teleport allowing him to take one person with them at the loss of distance
[Strengthen Shadow] ability which allows the user to make their shadowy form impervious to attacks for 3 seconds.
[Ashevelen’s Chosen] special ability available only to Penumbra which makes them become one of the shadow of the area, enabling them to launch a series of attacks at an incredible speed.
[Shadow Javelin+] upgrade of existing ability which allows the user to throw up to 3 javelins before the ability end
[T.O.F.A. (Trade one for another)] ability which swaps the location of two items between each other. One which the user must hold in their hand and the other one that the user can see.
Class - Protector Level - 9 Abilities -
[Enhance Reflexes] ability which enhances the reflexes of the user to allow them to make moves at unnatural speeds to dodge attacks for a few seconds
[Increase Defence] ability which increases the natural defence of the user against physical attacks
[Taunt] ability which allows the user to shout at nearby foes to attract their attention
[Passive Ability - Enhanced Hearing] ability which is unlocked after a user loses one eye, allowing them to focus on their hearing more.
[Passive Ability - Poison Resistance] ability which makes the user highly resistant to most types of poisons or venoms
[Full Counter] ability which counters a physical attack with double the power back at the attacker, can only be used once a day
[Magical Full Counter] ability which counters non-physical attacks and throws them back at the caster
[Defend] ability which links the user to a person they’re close to. If said person is hurt, the damage is mitigated to the user.
[Bulwark] ability which temporarily, up to 5 seconds, increases the size and strength of the user by 60%.
Class - Bard Level - 8 Abilities -
[Song of Confusion] ability which makes the user sing a song of confusion, making anyone who can hear the song (as long as they’ve got the ability to hear) see shapes at the edge of their vision, hear howls etc
[Song of ignoring Pain] ability which makes the user sing a song full of adrenaline and mighty deeds which in turn makes allies who can hear it, ignore whatever they may have until the song ends
[Goddess’s Song] ability in which the user sing a song which calls upon the power shadowy powers of Ashevelen to cover a small area in them
[Song of Charm] ability which makes the user sing a song of love which makes the target believe the singer to be their best friend for a few minutes
[Passive Ability - High Resistance to mental attacks] a passive ability which makes the user highly resistant to mental attacks
[Song of Pain]ability which makes the user sing a song of pain that gives mental damage to three targets which the user wants
[Detect] ability which makes the user sing a sub-vocal song which can detect the presence of other lifeforms in a radius of 5 metres around the user.
[Cry me a river] ability which makes the user sing a song of sorrow making a single target be overcome with feelings of great sadness.
Class - Strongman Level - 6 Abilities -
[One Normal Punch] ability which makes the user throw a super strong punch at a foe. Strong enough to bend metal.
[Three Normal Punches] ability which makes the user throw three super strong punches at a foe which are strong enough to bend metal.
[Boxer’s Reflexes] ability which makes the user dodge incoming attacks at high speed for 10 seconds
[Lion’s Strength] ability which enhances the user’s already impressive physique, allowing him to perform one single feat of immense strength.
[Normal Punch Barrage] ability which allows the user to throw 10 super strong punches at high speed. This ability can only be used once per day
[Clap] ability which makes the user clap their hands with a very strong strength which makes a very loud sound meant to stun foes
[Jump] ability which makes the user jump high in the air
The party makes their way through the forest. George tells the story of how the village's first expedition ended and how they fell into a trap laid by the Mind Pod.
Penumbra questions the motives of their divine creator but before they can find an answer, the group spots a massive Dino-Rex, bigger than the average Dino-Rex, coming towards them at full speed. Using great team-work they kill the creature and get a few level ups.
Starting Spirit: 18
+1 Spirit - Appeared in the post +1 Spirit - Longer than 5k characters +1 Spirit - Creator doesn’t appear in the post +1 Spirit - Longer than 10k characters.
Also known as : Ashevelendar/Ashevelen/AsheTheReborn
Best compliment so far from [@Tortoise]
[img]https://i.ibb.co/qdK70br/image.png[/img]
On the brilliant roleplay : [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/185726-through-the-gateways-humanity/ooc] Through The Gateways [/url]
Playing as the Goddess of Trade in Divinus 7
[img]https://i.ibb.co/QjWNXR4/Ashevelen-Token.png[/img]
Playing as the Goddess of Shadowy-Trades in Divinus 7
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1006946263599677521/1014229630783340544/ShadowsAspectToken.png[/img]
Thank you!
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Also known as : Ashevelendar/Ashevelen/AsheTheReborn <br><br>Best compliment so far from <a class="bb-mention" href="/users/tortoise">@Tortoise</a><br><img src="https://i.ibb.co/qdK70br/image.png" /><br>On the brilliant roleplay : <a href="https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/185726-through-the-gateways-humanity/ooc">Through The Gateways</a><br><br>Playing as the Goddess of Trade in Divinus 7<br><br><img src="https://i.ibb.co/QjWNXR4/Ashevelen-Token.png" /><br><br>Playing as the Goddess of Shadowy-Trades in Divinus 7<br><br><img src="https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1006946263599677521/1014229630783340544/ShadowsAspectToken.png" /><br><br>Thank you!</div>
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