We will see. I may be in a position to check on that disturbance next season . . . if it remains.Zephyr wrote:I'm still extremely interested in what's going on on the east coast of Nocturna. I wonder if that... disturbance is destroying the Icewall, and Nocturna is about to be overrun by denizens.
Pantheon - The Third Age - Game Thread
Moderator: Xar
The location of Argothoth's shards is one of the several things The Numen are spending power to research this season. The Lords of Eiran assumed that a mortal finding a shard would be controlled by its power. We hope to be able to prevent them all from being joined together
Nothing rhymes with orange!
Deep in the earth, a huge chamber, carved in to the very soul of Eiran, was the unknowing stage of a dark ritual.
Ten shadowy presences with long robes were waiting for something... or someone.
They were gathered together by a will not their own.
A force compelled them to reach the same place, at the same time.
They were strangers, but they could all comprehend the unspoken motivation which drove them here.
They didn't need to talk to share their thoughts.
Many questions crowded their minds... "Why am I here?", "Why do I crave so much TO BE here?"
They became aware of that which each of them was bearing. They each had a shard of a dark matter, similar to black marble.
Instantly they knew that they were the "Shard Bearers!” An irrepressible happiness filled their hearts and minds.
They felt as though they had come to the end of a long journey. Not just for themselves, but of a journey which was beyond Time itself. Nonetheless they were completely unaware of what was occurring around them.
Forming a circle, they started to walk closer towards each other; the circle contracting as they did so.
One of them was a Centaur. A male, he was bay in color; toned and muscular from his nomadic lifestyle. His lower, equine, half was armored in the manner of warhorses, protected by scale mail, even down to the knee and hock of each leg.
His human torso was covered in masterfully wrought and polished steel, but his arms were bare from the shoulders down, to better draw his bow.
His broadsword had a black shard inset in it.
Next there was a child. She was a young girl, tiny in stature and dressed only in rags, gaunt from hunger and thirst.
She stood barefoot in the chamber; her soles torn and shredded from the countless steps she had taken that finally brought her there.
In her left hand she held her shard.
To the child’s right was a Dwarf. His muscles were incredibly strong and gnarled. He leaned wearily upon a great War Hammer, its head composed of white rock with a black shard within.
His long, white beard covered a part of his breastplate, and deep, red eyes were barely visible under his well-carved helm.
Continuing on, among them stood a human female, in black-and-white full plate.
Upon her breastplate brightly shone the holy symbol of Desire and Decadence.
Sword and shield were slung upon her back, the black shard shimmering upon her escutcheon.
Yet her face was haggard as the desire she felt drove her beyond her normal limits to attain the chamber.
The other six were as different from each other as these were: A Tree Elder; a peasant; a priest of Bel; a hunter; an adventurer; and a thief.
Each had been driven to this place. Each had a shard within their possessions.
None of them had a choice.
They stood there in silence for a time, when suddenly a gust of wind blew through the chamber.
A huge black figure appeared near the Bearers. The beast opened its skeletal wings, and it unleashed a mighty roar!
Any mortal would be scared to death with the merest glance at the beast. But they weren't common mortals, they were the Bearers.
They were in that place for a reason.
With a powerful flash a magic portal appeared from the dark. A tall and ghostly figure stepped out.
He was taller than a human but he was definitely too slim for a man.
He carried with him a great black jar, also made of black marble. A massive red ruby blinked atop it.
He walked into the middle of the circle. The Bearers gazed at him, following every step.
Once he reached the center of the circle a deep note resonated from the jar, echoing with the shards.
"... and so finally he will be back. Only Time itself knows how long I have been waiting..."
Red light emitted by the ruby limned the face under his hood. The stranger was made only of bones and bandages.
"The battle in Virelle was necessary to attain the Holy Phylactery, but now I am ready to perform the final step..."
He lifted his hands and chanted, "God of Death I call you! God of Undeath I call you! God of Blood I call you! God of Time I call you!"
At each invocation the ruby flared up. Then the stranger continued, "Argothoth, I call you; your army is gathered; your servants are ready to do your bidding once again! Consume the souls and the bodies of the Shard Bearers and come back to us!"
The Jar exploded with a mighty crash, unleashing a black smoke which spread through the air. Eventually it reached the mouths and noses of the Bearers, who were crying for happiness, and started to breathe it. The draco-lich roared again, opening its wings wide. A dark light filled the chamber and all were unable to see for a while. When the smoke cleared none of the Bearers remained in the chamber. The pale stranger was on his hands and knees on the ground.
With his head bent he stood up. He took the long staff that one of the Bearers had left behind.
Finally he raised his head.
"I'm alive... again!"
If a skull could smile, he was probably doing it. Once more on Eiran was heard the deep laugh of a god returned once more!
Ten shadowy presences with long robes were waiting for something... or someone.
They were gathered together by a will not their own.
A force compelled them to reach the same place, at the same time.
They were strangers, but they could all comprehend the unspoken motivation which drove them here.
They didn't need to talk to share their thoughts.
Many questions crowded their minds... "Why am I here?", "Why do I crave so much TO BE here?"
They became aware of that which each of them was bearing. They each had a shard of a dark matter, similar to black marble.
Instantly they knew that they were the "Shard Bearers!” An irrepressible happiness filled their hearts and minds.
They felt as though they had come to the end of a long journey. Not just for themselves, but of a journey which was beyond Time itself. Nonetheless they were completely unaware of what was occurring around them.
Forming a circle, they started to walk closer towards each other; the circle contracting as they did so.
One of them was a Centaur. A male, he was bay in color; toned and muscular from his nomadic lifestyle. His lower, equine, half was armored in the manner of warhorses, protected by scale mail, even down to the knee and hock of each leg.
His human torso was covered in masterfully wrought and polished steel, but his arms were bare from the shoulders down, to better draw his bow.
His broadsword had a black shard inset in it.
Next there was a child. She was a young girl, tiny in stature and dressed only in rags, gaunt from hunger and thirst.
She stood barefoot in the chamber; her soles torn and shredded from the countless steps she had taken that finally brought her there.
In her left hand she held her shard.
To the child’s right was a Dwarf. His muscles were incredibly strong and gnarled. He leaned wearily upon a great War Hammer, its head composed of white rock with a black shard within.
His long, white beard covered a part of his breastplate, and deep, red eyes were barely visible under his well-carved helm.
Continuing on, among them stood a human female, in black-and-white full plate.
Upon her breastplate brightly shone the holy symbol of Desire and Decadence.
Sword and shield were slung upon her back, the black shard shimmering upon her escutcheon.
Yet her face was haggard as the desire she felt drove her beyond her normal limits to attain the chamber.
The other six were as different from each other as these were: A Tree Elder; a peasant; a priest of Bel; a hunter; an adventurer; and a thief.
Each had been driven to this place. Each had a shard within their possessions.
None of them had a choice.
They stood there in silence for a time, when suddenly a gust of wind blew through the chamber.
A huge black figure appeared near the Bearers. The beast opened its skeletal wings, and it unleashed a mighty roar!
Any mortal would be scared to death with the merest glance at the beast. But they weren't common mortals, they were the Bearers.
They were in that place for a reason.
With a powerful flash a magic portal appeared from the dark. A tall and ghostly figure stepped out.
He was taller than a human but he was definitely too slim for a man.
He carried with him a great black jar, also made of black marble. A massive red ruby blinked atop it.
He walked into the middle of the circle. The Bearers gazed at him, following every step.
Once he reached the center of the circle a deep note resonated from the jar, echoing with the shards.
"... and so finally he will be back. Only Time itself knows how long I have been waiting..."
Red light emitted by the ruby limned the face under his hood. The stranger was made only of bones and bandages.
"The battle in Virelle was necessary to attain the Holy Phylactery, but now I am ready to perform the final step..."
He lifted his hands and chanted, "God of Death I call you! God of Undeath I call you! God of Blood I call you! God of Time I call you!"
At each invocation the ruby flared up. Then the stranger continued, "Argothoth, I call you; your army is gathered; your servants are ready to do your bidding once again! Consume the souls and the bodies of the Shard Bearers and come back to us!"
The Jar exploded with a mighty crash, unleashing a black smoke which spread through the air. Eventually it reached the mouths and noses of the Bearers, who were crying for happiness, and started to breathe it. The draco-lich roared again, opening its wings wide. A dark light filled the chamber and all were unable to see for a while. When the smoke cleared none of the Bearers remained in the chamber. The pale stranger was on his hands and knees on the ground.
With his head bent he stood up. He took the long staff that one of the Bearers had left behind.
Finally he raised his head.
"I'm alive... again!"
If a skull could smile, he was probably doing it. Once more on Eiran was heard the deep laugh of a god returned once more!
Death is the threshold through which life eternal is reached.
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
O-gon-cho, you were the last thing i saw before my death... and now you are the first i see on my rebirth... it must be a sign
I saw what happened to Eiran, and it isn't good. I'm here to help, i'm sure all of you want to save our home.
I saw what happened to Eiran, and it isn't good. I'm here to help, i'm sure all of you want to save our home.
Death is the threshold through which life eternal is reached.
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
Great Argothoth, I do indeed wish to save Eiran but am yet a weak goddess although my Love is strong. I rejoice at your coming.
How can we save Eiran?
( I do not believe a follower of mine was present).
How can we save Eiran?
( I do not believe a follower of mine was present).
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. There is no fear in love; for perfect love cast out fear.
-
O-gon-cho
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 1441
- Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:36 pm
- Location: And closing of the eyes - true vision, The Light within became...Within the Light
Apparently one of my own was among the Shard Bearers, but Argothoth has always been gray, neither good nor bad, except when power overwhelmed him. His shards had compunction of their own over weak-minded mortals. I am obviously not a fan of necromancy, especially after what happened over the course of several seasons in Virelle. But Argothoth is just now returned; I will withhold judgment on the necromancy used to attain that...for now.
The Numen wrote:The location of Argothoth's shards is one of the several things The Numen are spending power to research this season. The Lords of Eiran assumed that a mortal finding a shard would be controlled by its power. We hope to be able to prevent them all from being joined together
Hail, The Numen, many faceted bestower of Knowledge and Undeath! I wish to extend my hand in friendship towards you. Will you share with me your Knowledge of the Undeath of the current Age? I would be pleased to reciprocate regarding information on the Undeath of Ages past.
Madadeva, my apologies for what happened to your follower and the other Shard Bearers. As I said, it wasn't my true will. I offer you my help in any task you think my skills could be of some use.Madadeva wrote:Saving our home, but you sacrificed one of MINE without my leave, for your return. I Desire restitution. What do you offer, old one?
Deities of the Eirani Pantheon, many of you have heard about me; and I extend greetings to those among you who were once my friends. You have heard about or recall what I did in the previous age. There are no words to atone for my crimes, but I want to reassure you all that I won't hurt Eiran, nor any god who will work to save it. What happened to me was caused by my own weakness. The power blinded me, and I wasn't able to see that the true way for the salvation of this word is to work together.
I'm calling to you all, to your followers and your power. We must join together to save the world!
Death is the threshold through which life eternal is reached.
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
You ask a good question, Arcadia.Arcadia wrote:Great Argothoth, I do indeed wish to save Eiran but am yet a weak goddess although my Love is strong. I rejoice at your coming.
How can we save Eiran?
( I do not believe a follower of mine was present).
To answer, I need to understand what is threatening the world and what has been attempted so far to counter these threats. I am newly returned and the specifics are unknown to me.
What has already been tried?
Death is the threshold through which life eternal is reached.
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
Apology accepted!Argothoth wrote: Madadeva, my apologies for what happened to your follower and the other Shard Bearers. As I said, it wasn't my true will. I offer you my help in any task you think my skills could be of some use.
And I will consider your offer; what skills do you bring to this age? And what are your desires?!
Argothoth, The Numen choose to delay response on the first question until We have satisfied Ourselves with the resolution of the second. We are also curious about how your own claims to the Undeath and Time domains will interact with that of Ourselves and Koel. If rumors of Vashitva's return turn out to be correct as well, then her claim to Death would also be at odds with yours.Argothoth wrote:Hail, The Numen, many faceted bestower of Knowledge and Undeath! I wish to extend my hand in friendship towards you. Will you share with me your Knowledge of the Undeath of the current Age? I would be pleased to reciprocate regarding information on the Undeath of Ages past.
As far as can be told by the current gods of Eiran, your followers in Virelle, and indeed your own return to Eiran at all are collectively one of the threats facing the world. We invite you to convince us that you are not actually a threat after all.Argothoth wrote:To answer, I need to understand what is threatening the world and what has been attempted so far to counter these threats. I am newly returned and the specifics are unknown to me.
What has already been tried?
Other than this, the remaining threats to Eiran are:
1. The Time Reaver, which disrupts time in areas of the world, causing much death and chaos. It is possible that Koel, current god of Time, has accomplished something to make this never have been a problem. Still, signs of the Reaver's presence and damage are still clear in the world, though other signs are now no longer seen. Other than whatever Koel may or may not have done, We do not believe any other action has been taken against the Reaver, except to evacuate mortals from the effected areas.
2. The Wyrm, supposedly the child of Nor Yekith and some irrelivent goddess of earth from the second age. It has lain dormant for aeons, harming none. Now it has decided to combat Leviathan, prophet of Dagon. The fight itself is destroying the oceans around it. All that has been done so far is for Leviathan to combat the beast, with Dagon providing strength to his prophet.
3. The creatures of the abyss. You may not know the shape of the world now, but the cracks left by the World Breaker's failed attempt to destroy the second age had allowed horrible creatures access. Giant walls of ice were built to keep them at bay. They recently have begun to crack, and some few of these creatures have already come through. It is expected that more will continue to do so in the future. So far, nothing has been done against them, as the problem was only recently discovered.
4. The World Breaker is returning. A seal was found in the desert, which we now believe to be where the World Breaker was kept locked away. The seal broke before we could strengthen it (only moments before), and some kind of abstract cancerous light effect is extending out from that spot. There are also incomplete reports of large rifts of hot / cold blinding light erupting from the ground, one of them underwater. We suspect that this is also somehow related to the World Breaker's return. Nothing has actually been done to fight this attempt either, except for the missed attempt to strengthen the seal. Quite a lot of power was allocated to that goal, but ended up being wasted when the seal wasn't there to strengthen.
At the moment, our plans have been to research these issues in order to find appropriate solutions. There are prophecies with hints on how to proceed, though they are only vague hints at this point.
Nothing rhymes with orange!
Argothoth! I am surprised! It is no surprise that events would possibly lead to your return, but I had no idea things were this far along!
As I said very recently, I would not help bring you back. Though you were a great ally and friend to my father and grandfather, I have felt that the deities of past Ages had their time. With that philosophy, I absorbed my mother's Sapphire, which was the seed to her rebirth, so I could use its power for other reasons. I could hardly help bring you back after that, eh?
Plus, there was that pesky problem that you would possibly return in a... violent form.
I am surely pleased that you are not evil!! And I am happy that your powers and abilities are available to us!
The Numen spoke well. In all ways. The resistance of the Midnight Armies, and the lich that somehow raised them, to magic has made things difficult. The lich did nothing but kill whoever was in Virelle, and we fear the Midnight Armies will do the same. The Numen has only very recently taken Undeath, and has not had time to gain control of them. Might we assume that the Midnight Armies are devoted to you, and will immediately be under your control? Not a threat to us? That would be a great boon to Eiran!
As I said very recently, I would not help bring you back. Though you were a great ally and friend to my father and grandfather, I have felt that the deities of past Ages had their time. With that philosophy, I absorbed my mother's Sapphire, which was the seed to her rebirth, so I could use its power for other reasons. I could hardly help bring you back after that, eh?
Plus, there was that pesky problem that you would possibly return in a... violent form.
I am surely pleased that you are not evil!!
And I am happy that your powers and abilities are available to us! The Numen spoke well. In all ways. The resistance of the Midnight Armies, and the lich that somehow raised them, to magic has made things difficult. The lich did nothing but kill whoever was in Virelle, and we fear the Midnight Armies will do the same. The Numen has only very recently taken Undeath, and has not had time to gain control of them. Might we assume that the Midnight Armies are devoted to you, and will immediately be under your control? Not a threat to us? That would be a great boon to Eiran!
I decided to claim the domain of Death because at the moment of my rebirth no one had it;
furthermore this is one of the domains i had once, so i feel it as a part of me.
God of Knowledge, you ask about the domain of Undeath. Should my followers offer it to me,
I will embrace their offering as a minor domain. This is possible because
I have come to understand something, but this is something only you and I shall know,
as it could become a weapon which could be used against the two of us.
All I can say at this time is that your domain of Undeath and mine are not the same.
About the other domains for which my followers call upon me, they worship me for the god they remember...
I can't force them to change their minds.
However, I don't want to take those domains and I officially recognize the gods who have them as the rulers over those domains.
Of course, I have no power over them.
The list of threat you spoke of is quite impressive... I thought to try to solve the problem with the Time Reaver, but what Zephyr said
made me change my mind.
I think as my first action to help Eiran I will try to take control over the Midnight Armies.
I don't know if they will recognize me as their master. They could expect another kind of Argothoth, a dark one maybe.
Furthermore i'm not the single ruler of undeath, it could be confusing for them.
Zephyr it touches me deeply to see how strong and magnificent the seed of Bhakti had grown. I can see much of him in you.
I'm sure we will work fine together as I and your father did!
furthermore this is one of the domains i had once, so i feel it as a part of me.
God of Knowledge, you ask about the domain of Undeath. Should my followers offer it to me,
I will embrace their offering as a minor domain. This is possible because
I have come to understand something, but this is something only you and I shall know,
as it could become a weapon which could be used against the two of us.
All I can say at this time is that your domain of Undeath and mine are not the same.
About the other domains for which my followers call upon me, they worship me for the god they remember...
I can't force them to change their minds.
However, I don't want to take those domains and I officially recognize the gods who have them as the rulers over those domains.
Of course, I have no power over them.
The list of threat you spoke of is quite impressive... I thought to try to solve the problem with the Time Reaver, but what Zephyr said
made me change my mind.
I think as my first action to help Eiran I will try to take control over the Midnight Armies.
I don't know if they will recognize me as their master. They could expect another kind of Argothoth, a dark one maybe.
Furthermore i'm not the single ruler of undeath, it could be confusing for them.
Zephyr it touches me deeply to see how strong and magnificent the seed of Bhakti had grown. I can see much of him in you.
I'm sure we will work fine together as I and your father did!
Death is the threshold through which life eternal is reached.
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
Saving Eiran is the main reason for existing.
Embrace Death as the best means towards this goal.
The most powerful god in Eiran Pantheon 2.0
Divine Rank: 11
Total Worshipers and Prevalent Race: 2.411.443 (undead humans)
Bel, if those undead are no longer waging war against you, I ask you to put that aside for the time being. Can retribution wait until Eiran is safe? Obviously, if they are still attacking you, they need to be stopped. But, you said "waged." And, of course, the Midnight Armies are also a great concern, since they are legion, and they are resistant to magic.
Engrossed as he is in his latest undertaking, Simjen has little attention to spare. He senses the return of his old ally, however, and offers a wave in Argothoth's direction. "Perhaps when there is time... if there is time," the smith tells himself.
Said she, "What I get I get out of the fire,
So prithee, strike home and redouble the blow."
So prithee, strike home and redouble the blow."
O-gon-cho, we still do not know the answer to your question from the last time you asked it. We must assume for the moment that the immunities spread to all of the Midnight Armies. If that proves not to be the case, once our researches are complete, we will count it as fortunate.
Nothing rhymes with orange!