Pantheon 2.0 - Game Thread

[Benito Alvarez]

Maeror has my full support in this issue. Lies and inssurection will not be allowed to go unpunished.

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

Maeror has my full support in this issue. Lies and inssurection will not be allowed to go unpunished.

Ahhh, petty godling! While my Domains were stolen! YOU do not know who you are! And your people as well. Perhaps I will give them a better more consistent god to follow ... are you conquest? no! Justice? no! What are you shiny godling other than lost ... and along with you your people!

And support of Maeror!! BAH!! You first attack his people ... and then ... the whipped cur you are ... you are now his lap dog?!

FOOL!!

Beware godling ... I will ride in on CONQUEST ... and I will ride in on the battles of WAR ... ware the other riders you will NOT see coming!!

[I'm Murrin]

You have taken upon yourself further burden, Astavyastataa. What will your people think of you, God of Conquest, when you march upon us and find yourself unable to gain any ground? When you fail to surpass the defences we throw against you, how will you justify this domain?

Adomorn has changed his path several times, and yes, he may have made mistakes--but he has done so in the attempt to better himself. You have struck out on one path only to find yourself surpassed and defeated, and you will fail similarly in this new direction. In this you have forced your own hand, Astavyastataa. Your people will abandon you when they realise that you are not capable of success in any path you take.

[Benito Alvarez]

"You will STOP making bargains over the body of my Beloved!!!"

With that pronouncement, Raucous resumed his stance over the wrecked body of O-gon-cho: wings outstretched, mouth flaming at the slightest movement, and eyes whirling madly with the orange red of anger...

*with cocked eyebrow* So....she's still alive, although not by much it looks like. Firstly, I doubt that she will survive much longer, Prophet without aide; and I doubt that Maeror will appreciate being burned, assuming that since he is the healer around here, he will do what he can.

Second, it seems that you are in a unique position, Master of the Skies. You are the only connection we have with what your Mistress heard and saw with Nephirthos. In fact that information will be our only proof so far that it is indeed Nephirthos that we fight against.

So. What is it that she saw and heard? What do you know, Prophet?

Ahhh, petty godling! While my Domains were stolen! YOU do not know who you are! And your people as well. Perhaps I will give them a better more consistent god to follow ... are you conquest? no! Justice? no! What are you shiny godling other than lost ... and along with you your people.

It is for each person to decide how to follow and how to lead. I have changed how I lead, as my people change how they follow; and no other may impose such decisions on another. What you do with how your followers follow and how you lead is your own business. Do NOT impede on mine, or feel the consequences, as you will feel the consequences for interfering with Maeror.

[Raucous]

*with cocked eyebrow* So....she's still alive, although not by much it looks like. Firstly, I doubt that she will survive much longer, Prophet without aide; and I doubt that Maeror will appreciate being burned, assuming that since he is the healer around here, he will do what he can.

*flaming towards source of contact*

Begone, Master of Protection and Strength who has offered my beloved none!
The G-ddess rests under my protection, and when her strength returns to her her healing will begin.

Second, it seems that you are in a unique position, Master of the Skies. You are the only connection we have with what your Mistress heard and saw with Nephirthos. In fact that information will be our only proof so far that it is indeed Nephirthos that we fight against.

So. What is it that she saw and heard? What do you know, Prophet?

I know naught. I have seen images of her journey within Chastus, but they are full of pain and make little sense. I would prefer she forgets and rest, than draw upon them again.

[Benito Alvarez]

*flaming towards source of contact*

Begone, Master of Protection and Strength who has offered my beloved none!
The G-ddess rests under my protection, and when her strength returns to her her healing will begin.

*small smile* I doubt your fire will touch me here, Little One. Do not waste your strength, it is better served on your Mistress. As for not offering MY strength, who did you think would give DRP and domain useage to Maeror? He will not share this burden alone, I am more than willing to supply.

I know naught. I have seen images of her journey within Chastus, but they are full of pain and make little sense. I would prefer she forgets and rest, than draw upon them again.

To forget is to risk making the mistake again, and I will NOT tolerate her throwing herself into this position again. She is too valuable to the fight and to you, Prophet. I would think you would feel the same as I.

If you have seen images, you know more than all of us combined. YOU, Prohpet, currently have more information than a God. You serve your Mistress best by allowing us to know what you and she know. What did you see?

Did you not hear anything? And if not, is it possible to read information out of context? Words spoken in anger look very different from words spoken in love.

[Raucous]

*small smile* I doubt your fire will touch me here, Little One. Do not waste your strength, it is better served on your Mistress. As for not offering MY strength, who did you think would give DRP and domain useage to Maeror? He will not share this burden alone, I am more than willing to supply.

*closing snout*

I am chastened, although I believe my beloved would hope for the Lady of Healing, rather than the L-rd of Death if Maeror deigns to become involved. I have not heard of any offer of healing, and assumed none cared. Yet I acknowledge your wisdom in such.

To forget is to risk making the mistake again, and I will NOT tolerate her throwing herself into this position again. She is too valuable to the fight and to you, Prophet. I would think you would feel the same as I.

If you have seen images, you know more than all of us combined. YOU, Prohpet, currently have more information than a God. You serve your Mistress best by allowing us to know what you and she know. What did you see?

Did you not hear anything? And if not, is it possible to read information out of context? Words spoken in anger look very different from words spoken in love.

*nod*

The bond between my beloved and I is as though at times we are one and the same. When I say I have seen images, I mean I experience what she experienced when she sends it to me, without the injuries themselves affecting me.

*sigh*

I will share what I have seen, in as close a semblance to coherancy as I can make it. I have reviewed the beginning already, but I shall repeat it, as it may make more sense from the start...

You free yourself of the trappings of power, and finally confront Chastus. The man looks at you with empty eyes, but you believe you see a shiver of fear in their back, and you take heart: perhaps this is exactly what he did not count on, to face a goddess who has no power in her. He takes a step back and you send out your tendril of power, snaking into the air until it finally touches him... and a terrible force grasps at you, pulling you strongly towards Chastus and inside him, even as he looks at you and - just before you are drawn into the unknown depths he leads to - suddenly grins with an evil darkness in him that causes you to feel more fear than you ever have in all your young life: you suddenly realize that he did not want your power - he wanted THIS! He wanted to draw a god inside himself - and as this realization dawns horribly upon you, you are swallowed by his essence and tumble through pain and terror, feeling your essence torn apart and seared with white-hot fire. An eternity of suffering passes by, and even your willpower cannot long withstand it, but your screams are lost in the white-hot void and you do not even receive the release of hearing them. Frantically, you attempt to claw away from the torment and the pain - your mind is confused, but you feel deep down that to stay there will not offer any insight in how to defeat Chastus - it will only mean your death and dissolution, and however strong you may be, you are still young, and the will to live is great within your breast. You vainly claw at the white-hot emptiness with scarred and torn hands, frantically sending out your cries, hoping to find your way in the void - until you suddenly feel it, faint beyond belief but still there - your link with Raucous hasn't been destroyed! New suffering blooms into your essence, as if the white-hot emptiness wished to blot out that feeling, to keep you here forever; you feel it draining you slowly, feeding off you, off your power; but despite the overwhelming, unendurable pain, you hold fast onto that link and slowly begin crawling towards it, as if it were a lifeline. Waves of white-hot pain wash over you, as if the emptiness were raging, but you hold on; your once-fair skin is burned and cracked, but you care not, for all your thoughts are focused on fleeing, past the haze of pain. Inch after inch, you feel you draw closer and closer, even as the emptiness rages more and more, attempting to break you; yet you realize that if it wants to stop you, then you have to continue.

Finally, you feel the world of Eiran close enough for you to extend your charred hand - and despite the terrible force trying to drag you back into torment, you grab a hold and slowly, excruciatingly, draw yourself out of the nothingness and into Eiran again. The soft breeze and cool air hurt your blistered skin, but they are as nothing if compared to the pain of the emptiness; your once-fair skin is black and charred, cracked by the pain and bleeding badly. You are almost completely out... when suddenly something grabs your leg and tries to pull you back in! You dig your broken nails into the ground, and pull with all your strength... Chastus has turned into little more than a door, and the emptiness is trying to drag you back through that door and into torment! You pull, and pull, and frantically try to withdraw your leg - and then, just when you are pulling with all your strength, the force stops trying to drag you into the void, and when you pull your leg towards you, you drag the FORCE into Eiran! It emerges from the portal, white-hot rage and emptiness, bright darkness and burning cold, flowing endlessly onto the land, its roar of triumph - TRIUMPH! - overwhelming Chastus's cries of unendurable pain. It towers over you, and slowly it resolves into a humanoid form, so bright and dark that your martyred eyes hurt just to look upon it, and your heart is clutched with fear; red slits open in the freezing fire, and a voice so chilling and full of rage as to make you tremble booms across the land and into your mind, threatening to burst it.
"AT LAST, I AM BACK!" A terrible laughter echoes, and the red slits look upon you, and you feel your flesh withering beneath their gaze. "LITTLE GODLING, YOU HAVE RELEASED ME... MY EXILE IS ENDED!" The thing extends its arms towards the sky and laughs terribly again. "LET THE WORLD BEWARE!" the creature shouts, "FOR THE WORLD BREAKER HAS RETURNED!"
Around the creature's impossibly immense form swarm lesser humanoids made of the same radiant darkness, of the same hunger and power; the red slits turn on your frightened, scorched form, a monstrous mirth shining through them. "I WAS EXILED, BUT I FOUND LIFE IN THE VOID!" It laughs, "I WAS EXILED, BUT I OBSERVED THEALL-FATHER TOILING OVER THIS WORLD, AND I LEARNED!" Suddenly, the air itself fills with menace and rage, to the point that you cringe in new pain at its violation. "I HAVE GROWN STRONG... BUT I WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RETURN. YOU HAVE BROUGHT BACK TERROR IN THIS WORLD, GODLING... DESPAIR, WHILE YOU STILL LIVE!" Laughter echoes again across the valley, until a flash of dark light stuns you; when you reopen your eyes, you are alone, and nothing is left of Chastus, but the land around you is barren and scorched, even as you are. It is only eternities later that Raucous, flying as fast as possible, reaches you with all his strength, sensing your torment, your fear and your need. When he arrives, you already learn what has transpired - access to the Winds of Chaos is now denied to ALL your dragons!

*bewildered*

"Winds of Chaos" I know not. I know the most recent weryling class who was gifted with going between for helping Astavyastastaa Kadna relocate his followers have suddenly lost the ability. For those who have gotten used to such, it is a shock they are dealing with on top of concern for the G-ddess.

My beloved is in pain, such pain. And I know not how to help...

[Benito Alvarez]

*closing snout*

I am chastened, although I believe my beloved would hope for the Lady of Healing, rather than the L-rd of Death if Maeror deigns to become involved. I have not heard of any offer of healing, and assumed none cared. Yet I acknowledge your wisdom in such.

There is always care, Prophet. Although sometimes it can be hidden with the greater threat. You must understand that for the Pantheon, as Gods, we may not hold your Mistress as the highest priorety. If it were her life or the life of the world, you must understand that she would say to save the world.

(the story)

This is GREATLY appreciated, Prohpet. There is much information here, and don't doubt that we will find a weapon against Nephirthos. Especially now that we KNOW it is Nephirthos we are fighting.

So, siblings. We now know what we are up against. I do not hold O-gon-cho responsible for this. It was impossible to know the outcome, and she was the only one amongst actively trying to find out where the threat was coming from.

However, there are a few interesting lines in this event, but what caught me the most was this:

I WAS EXILED, BUT I FOUND LIFE IN THE VOID!" It laughs, "I WAS EXILED, BUT I OBSERVED THE ALL-FATHER TOILING OVER THIS WORLD, AND I LEARNED!"

It seems that he has been busy, but watching the Allfather himself? This does not bode well. If he has learned to replicate his powers, then I fear that we will be hard pressed to match him.

[Raucous]

There is always care, Prophet. Although sometimes it can be hidden with the greater threat. You must understand that for the Pantheon, as Gods, we may not hold your Mistress as the highest priorety. If it were her life or the life of the world, you must understand that she would say to save the world.

*snip*

This is GREATLY appreciated, Prohpet. There is much information here, and don't doubt that we will find a weapon against Nephirthos. Especially now that we KNOW it is Nephirthos we are fighting.

I live to serve, and hope this benefits all.

But I must turn my attention back to my beloved...

[Benito Alvarez]

I live to serve, and hope this benefits all.

But I must turn my attention back to my beloved...

*bow* You have our thanks, Prophet. I hope next time we meet, it is under better terms.

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

"I WAS EXILED, BUT I FOUND LIFE IN THE VOID!" It laughs, "I WAS EXILED, BUT I OBSERVED THEALL-FATHER TOILING OVER THIS WORLD, AND I LEARNED!"

Arrogant Usurper ... his access to his follers in the VOID must be severed! If he is there, he will be exiled once more; if he is here, he should be reduced enough for CONQUEST!!

Norn, Mistress of the Weave, can you detect the access point to the VOID, does it in fact remain open. Can it be closed with Simjen's nails? Or must we use another remedy?

Also, it may be that this Usurper's power is greatest IN the Void, can we anchor ourselves to the Weave of Eiran's reality so that this "World Breaker" *snorts* must battle us here?

The AllFather himself seems to have "taught" this Usurper, perhaps someone SHOULD dare the mists and call him to account... or might he also fear to be stripped of his powers!!

[Bhakti]

If Nephirthos' heralds were that powerful here, I see no reason to suspect Nephirthos himself is powerless here. Perhaps, as Adomorn said, he did not create them all in one season and throw them at us, but enhanced their power over time. So it's possible that he is not horrifyingly powerful at the moment. But still, no reason to think he cannot act here. Especially considering he took your domains, which certainly grant power here.

[Simjen]

The AllFather himself seems to have "taught" this Usurper, perhaps someone SHOULD dare the mists and call him to account... or might he also fear to be stripped of his powers!!

Two turns ago I would not have entertained that notion. But now... according to the prophecy, I believe the end of the world is imminent. If we cannot defeat Nephirthos decisively in the next turn, perhaps two at most... And considering how little we know, the task looks difficult, to say the least.

I am ready and willing, and able in quite a few ways, to engage Nephirthos in immortal combat. It's more of a question of how. If the pantheon gave me the power, I swear by the Allfather that I will make it my sole mission to take down the kidney destroyer. And if Hedra will grant me the knowledge of how to find him, I can do it.

[Bhakti]

Simjen, if Hedra tells you how to find and engage Nephirthos, or if we learn these things through other means, I will give you Power. None are more trustworthy than you.

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

If Nephirthos' heralds were that powerful here, I see no reason to suspect Nephirthos himself is powerless here. Perhaps, as Adomorn said, he did not create them all in one season and throw them at us, but enhanced their power over time. So it's possible that he is not horrifyingly powerful at the moment. But still, no reason to think he cannot act here. Especially considering he took your domains, which certainly grant power here.

Ahhh ... I do not believe powerless; but with less power. Consider; his afront to me and damage to o-gon-cho were done primarily in the void.

While his heralds attack was devastating; they were in fact defeated. In the void, perhaps none were there to challenge; but in Eiran - if his link to the void is cut - he may be assailable.

IT IS HIS COWARDICE THAT KEEPS THE "WORLD BREAKER" HIDDEN.

I would stand with you Smith; when the battle is begun ... I owe this Usuper a taste of CONQUEST and let him feel MY Chaos and Destruction!

[Solus]

.......I.......
.....have......
...knowledge... ..you..
.can.
use, Smith.

I have felt the wretch return to Eiran. I have heard the echo of cries of pain from my time. It is a demand I cannot ignore.

I will tell you how and where we imprisoned the World Breaker.

But please, allow me to regain my strength. I have slumbered long, and I require some time to organize my thoughts. I will return soon.

[stonemaybe]

I will likewise support any direct action.

This is a momentous moment, and the greatest challenge that we as a Pantheon have faced. Let us get it right! We need knowledge and we need to make the most of our individual powers.

And I still feel that we need the Lady of Light returned to us to maximise our efforts.

Undine

[Bhakti]

Undine, your seriousness about these matters has altered your very form!

[Astavyastataa Kadna]

Hmmm ... perhaps this planar Beast can be linked to the VOID ... it will be amusing to see it consume the Usurper. I will do some research ....

[Benito Alvarez]

I am ready and willing, and able in quite a few ways, to engage Nephirthos in immortal combat. It's more of a question of how. If the pantheon gave me the power, I swear by the Allfather that I will make it my sole mission to take down the kidney destroyer. And if Hedra will grant me the knowledge of how to find him, I can do it.

I will support you in this.