Pantheon - The Third Age - Game Thread

[Zephyr]

No, Vashitva, you misunderstand. It is not possible to express how deeply I grieve for the sister I have lost. But we all witnessed, helplessly, how this was done to Calais, against her will. Punishing you for it, even if such a thing could be accomplished, makes no sense whatsoever. It does not matter that you do embrace what you have been made into. How much of everyone is the result of outside influences? What does matter is that you are, in a way, still my sister. The Bhakti may have been mutated out of you, but what of the Jove? And even if that is gone, your origin is still that of Calais, and I will always remember millennia of her.

If it is not necessary, I will not fight you. I do not know the degree to which the one you call your "master" truly controls you. If you are allowed to accept it, and you desire it, I would have peace between us. It is entirely in your hands. I offer you the same deal Father and I have always offered your master:

I will not act against you until you have acted against me.

What I meant was that I will continue to attack your master. For all the attacks on our father and me; his vow to eradicate all trace of me from existence; what he did to my sister; and what he obviously intends for the world; he needs to die. And the quicker it happens, the better. He cannot be allowed to reshape the world in his image, and he cannot be allowed to commit further atrocities.

And, so you know what standing with the vermin will achieve, I'll give you a little bit of information. The weapon I just used against your master requires no power to operate. While striking him, I was able to use a large amount of power to set up defences designed specifically for you. I will strengthen those defences this season, even as I continue my attack.

But that is only one tool at my disposal. Among other things, I have our mother's Sapphire. It is an integral part of my defences, as it was when it deflected and cracked your master's comet. But, again, not needing power this past season for my attack, I was free to do something very interesting with the Sapphire. I learned much. And, if you do act against me, you will learn what.

I hope it does not come to such a thing.

[Arcadia]

Vashitva, the son of my old ally is correct. I could have counted on both your father and mother, but you choose to castigate Zephyr rather than offer any assistance. My heart nearly breaks to see my friends' line brought to such a state. I do not condemn you for who you are, but I cannot say I approve. As you surely see from my proposal, your assistance would be invaluable. If you choose not to help, I hope you answer the cries of those who will look to you for it.

Simjen, I castigated Zephyr for speaking out of line. Indeed, even you took him at his word and assumed that I would not help. Again, Zephyr's evil shines through.

I am not unreasonable and clearly see the need to preserve Eiran. My lack of immediate response to you did not mean that I was unwilling to help. I have been considering how I *could* help.

If you would like to discuss this, I am all ears.

****

Zephyr, you said you would not act against me until I act against you.
By destroying a continent, you did directly attack me and by attacking Nor Yekith, you acted directly against me.

And now you want peace? You ask for this peace by threatening to destroy me with Melirelle's power and the Sapphire of Jove.

You are the king of lies, Zephyr, and your falseness is apparent.

You have twisted everything to place yourself in a position of innocence when *I* am the innocent one in this matter.

Nor Yekith has been right about you all along.

[The Void]

*At once, words remembered rather than spoken fill the heads of the gods, as if from no where. Despite having no idea for the source of these words, the thousand voices of The Void are undeniable.*

Throughout eternity worlds are born and worlds die. It is of little consequence that something that represents a mere speck of sand upon the certainty of eternity would come to end. The attachment of the gods to some mere passing thought of a world is as pointless for shedding a tear at the passing of a single ant amongst a swarm.

Despite the efforts of gods and men, Eiran will one day pass on to become a forgotten memory upon the eternal canvas that is The Void. Ultimately the best the gods can achieve is to delay such things, for it is as certain as the tide. It is of little matter if it happens in seconds as opposed to centuries, for The Void is limitless and at once now, then and to be. Realisation of such things would free the mind of mere gods to better utilise their eye blink of time left upon the greatness of ever.

Perhaps the gods would be better suited in preparing for the return of Argothoth. It is already well in motion. An eye is easier to see through open than half closed. Should this god return any repairs you fashion upon Eiran now would be for little good.

Which ever choice you make is inconsequential. The Void is eternity. It has all that is, was and shall be. It is but the canvas upon which eternity takes place. Do as you will.

With these words remembered there is an undoubted feeling that whatever spoke them is gone and unreachable by mere words.

[Zephyr]

Simjen, I castigated Zephyr for speaking out of line. Indeed, even you took him at his word and assumed that I would not help.

I never said I assumed you would not help. I just said I was sure Calais would have. If the same applies to you, Eiran will be served.

By destroying a continent, you did directly attack me

And why do you think your raising of Nocturna was so successful? Earth cannot be destroyed. It merely moves around. You should be thanking me. Not the same thing as Trees, which certainly can be destroyed. Simply crack or poison the Earth, and my domain is diminished. But yours is quite safe.

and by attacking Nor Yekith, you acted directly against me.

Rubbish. You and Yek will not consider his mutilation of my sister to be an act against me - or even against Calais! Yet I have acted directly against you by attacking him? Honestly, I don't see how you come up with such drivel.

[Arcadia]

And why do you think your raising of Nocturna was so successful? Earth cannot be destroyed. It merely moves around. You should be thanking me. Not the same thing as Trees, which certainly can be destroyed. Simply crack or poison the Earth, and my domain is diminished. But yours is quite safe.

Quite the contrary, Zephyr. Like your trees, the earth *can* be destroyed, as you did with an entire continent. It was not *just moved around*.

Rubbish. You and Yek will not consider his mutilation of my sister to be an act against me - or even against Calais! Yet I have acted directly against you by attacking him? Honestly, I don't see how you come up with such drivel.

Destroying an entire continent is drivel? Destroying an entire continent is *not* an attack against me???

Again, you display your falshood. There is no end to your fact twisting.

[Zephyr]

fact twisting.

Ah, but can you say that ten times fast? I think not!

The "drivel" is that you think attacking Yek is an act against you, but neither you nor Nor think the horrors inflicted upon Calais were an act against me. In fact, neither of you think it was an act against her.

[The Numen]

Despite the efforts of gods and men, Eiran will one day pass on to become a forgotten memory upon the eternal canvas that is The Void. Ultimately the best the gods can achieve is to delay such things, for it is as certain as the tide. It is of little matter if it happens in seconds as opposed to centuries, for The Void is limitless and at once now, then and to be.

The Master is kneeling in the dirt, at the bottom of a crater. This is the place once occupied by a necromancer who grew to some fame on the island of Enstorm. In spite of that, the Master is unable to recall the name of this famous necromancer.

Behind the Master, a form appears. It is that of a young human girl. The girl's body is mildly translucent, as if it weren't quite there. Her arms and legs are almost invisible, up to a point. The effect is almost that of a ghost, who is trying to recall arms and legs that were lost to it in life.

"Master? Do you hear, master?"

"Yes Eliza."

The ghostly image moved in close behind the Master. The memories of arms reached around his broad chest from behind. Her ghostly chest pressed against his back, as her ghostly cheek leaned against the side of his neck. What might otherwise be fingers caressed his chest gently, almost lovingly. Where the ghost's body touched him was nothing but pain. Raw, fire and ice at once, nothing but pure agony. Suffering so acute that no living flesh could stand it for this long. His dead flesh, perfect but dead, felt it purely, for as long as she touched him. And yet, the places on his chest where he felt fingers should be touching him... they felt nothing at all. Complete lack of input at all, even the sense of self one would normally feel. And that lack was somehow worse than the pain. Feeling the two at once, the Master longed for the raging pain on his back to be felt everywhere. Those few small spots on his chest, wandering lazily around, how he longed for the icy hot agony that her girl's chest left.

One looking on from outside would see only a beautiful man kneeling in the dust, with the ghost of a girl hugging him. His face is passive, showing no sign of the pain he felt. The girl's face showed only love and contentment.

The girl continued, "You used to follow that creed, didn't you Master? The energestic apathy preached by the mortals of this place?"

"Yes Eliza. I did."

"How arrogent. Did it never occur to you mortals that regardless of the final state of things, what came before matters?"

"No Eliza. It did not."

"Something great and wonderful, once gone to The Void and forgotten... that is still better than something sad and pathetic gone to The Void."

"Yes Eliza. It is better."

"And you never saw the foolishness of exerting all that effort in the attempt to convince each other that none of your efforts mattered?"

"No Eliza. We never did."

"Tell me what you have learned, Master."

The Master pressed himself slightly back, pulling away from the fingers that chose not to follow him. The agony in his back increased one hundred fold, but he managed to escape from the emptiness of her fingers. "I have learned that there is more perfection in even the most exquisite agony than there can ever be in nothingness, Eliza."

The ghostly image of a girl smiled, then. In spite of her ravaged face, it was a beautiful expression of innocent joy. "Excellent, Master. If even one such as you can learn this lesson, perhaps there is still hope for the silly children of this island."

[Madadeva]

Strange twitching vines, capable of grabbing at whoever passes nearby, infest the city of New Elthart, and the infestation proves hard to remove as the vines are resistant to fire and regrow rapidly when cut!

This sound like you, twig Zephyr. Have you declared yourself against me as well as against Nor Yekith? If not, I would appreciate the removal of these vines.

[Zephyr]

Three or four others have had this problem. They are an offshoot of my father's vines that escaped Shaldir long ago, before our ascendance. Frankly, I'm curious as to why they crop up only now and then, here and there, rather than simply running rampant over the planet. In any event, no, I had nothing to do with them. In fact, outside of Shakari, I have never attempted to manipulate any plantlife in any way. That is, other than eradicating cities of these vines, when the city's controlling deity has requested it and given me power to do so. Which I would be happy to do for you.

[Zephyr]

On another note, does anyone know what The Void means about Argothoth? I've heard rumors from time to time about cults to Argothoth. Nothing at all specific. Nothing in any way connected to him has taken place in Shakari. Nor have I heard of any such thing on the rest of Shaldir. How "well in motion" are things elsewhere?

[O-gon-cho]

Perhaps the gods would be better suited in preparing for the return of Argothoth. It is already well in motion. An eye is easier to see through open than half closed. Should this god return any repairs you fashion upon Eiran now would be for little good.

Should Argothoth return, I fear not.
Argothoth is no longer black.
Argothoth has returned to gray.

[Zephyr]

Mirificus Casus seems to have gotten his Prophets off of the Malyth shard just in time!

The time disturbance in the Void's lands seems to have resolved as the others have. And now another is begun in Halym.

There's a gorgeous crystal Forest in the Shattered Lands!

And, of course, Uncle Simjen... As I said, things were well in hand. *bows deeply*


Then, there is the matter of my sister. Not quite my sister any longer, it seems she tried to stop Mox, and save the world. But Mox won, and he is now in the Mists. Those who have entered the Mists in the past have returned with a message for the deities.

[Arcadia]

I am vanquished.

[Rothmog]

Enough!

Bel, let us be done with this! Clearly, you will not allow us to exist peacefully together on Eiran. Meet me in combat, and we will end this once and for all. Unless you cannot work up the courage!!

[Madadeva]

The Paragons who turned to Madadeva find themselves stripped of their powers and weakened into helplessness!

I thank you, shadow of my former self, for removing the taint of my prior existence from those who lead for me now. Paragon's are truly yours. Mine have transformed into higher beings, much as Hunger before them. Behold the Corruptors now lead those who follow the Lord of Desire!!

[Simjen]

Thank you, Zephyr. Losing Malyth saddens me, but I have hope that its peope live on, only in a world other than this one. And I am sorry for the lives lost across Eiran. The situation was more desperate than even I had thought, though, considering the fate of Malyth. If I can help anyone rebuild, let me know.

My thanks to those who aided me, especially Koel. The things I learned this turn... Never have I been more in awe of the Allfather or his plan.

And as someone who has fought a deific battle, I am incredibly surprised Mox was able to win. It seems incredibly unlikely without some kind of ace in the hole.

[Zephyr]

On another matter... The Mists That Encircle The World writhe and boil as if agitated; sailors who observe them are frightened that something from beyond the Mists may be trying to get into Eiran. Does anyone know anything more? Could this be something other than Mox having entered the Mists?

Speaking of which... The last two times deities entered the Mists, they were given choices by the Allfather. I wonder if it will be the same with Mox. And, if it is, I wonder if he will speak to us about it.

[O-gon-cho]

On another matter... The Mists That Encircle The World writhe and boil as if agitated; sailors who observe them are frightened that something from beyond the Mists may be trying to get into Eiran. Does anyone know anything more? Could this be something other than Mox having entered the Mists?

It has been going on at least since the Summer of the third year of the current Age (Turn 11). My prophet used Simjen's Lens to attempt to penetrate the Mists and learn of the cause, and was blinded by something which gazed back at him.

That is all I have learned, so far...

[Bel]

You challenge the Lord of Peace to combat? That barely warrants a reply. Your constant attempts to hinder Peace are what has brought us to this point, and there will be no answer but the complete eradication of your taint from this world.

[Madadeva]

Hope everyone is ready for a Pink Eiran!

*lifts head as these thoughts are transmitted to all*

...grumble...
It's been over 3500 years.
Will he never let me live that down???

Hmmmm ... pink upholstery ... Mox, can I pick a color for Raucous?