RNS: 1st Verse [IC/OPEN]

[Firstaria]

http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=302144

And so he died.

It seems really incredible to many how quick and sudden it was, but also how freedom tasted again so sweet after centuries of servitude under the tyrant of men, the one god who ruled over us treating everything like his plaything. But now Eledar is dead, and we have proof.

Recoria just trembled. Not a minor movement of the ground, but a spiritual shake that means only one thing, the return of Chaos. When we felt our chains that the Power bound to us, we knew he was probably gone, but since the one he wanted to face is here, we can only conclude that Chaos has defeated the King of the Gods.

What will be now? What destiny reserves to us? The mortals know nothing, and nothing should they know...or knowing a god is not invicible can be a good thing. Only one certain is in the future, that war is coming, but the Gods may not become an united side so easily...

---

CHAOS EVENT!
Effect

Various minor earthquakes, sea storms, tempests and other minor disasters can be seen all over Recoria. Although all these events seems to not threaten any civilization, humans interpret this as a bad omen and prepare themselves for any danger.

This means Chaos has now breached the barrier of the mortal realm and can influence it to try to enter and destroy it.

It will be harder at the beginning to attack human settlements without divine intervention, as a way to avoid instant war posts.

[Glovania]

Athys

Athys was floating invisibly above Sky Peak, looking down at the Valkyries praying to her. She enjoyed watching them pray, when they had no idea she was there, about 10 metres above them. She decided to make an entrance, and began to move down towards the praying Valkyries. The clouds surrounding the peak began to rise up into 3 distinct columns, and then met above the worshippers. They then quickly dropped down to the ground, and begun to spin around Athys. When they cleared, she was standing there, in awe of all the Valkyries around her. "Greetings, mortals." She said, as the Valkyries dropped to the ground, hardly believing that their god was standing before them. Athys managed to hide a giggle - it was silly how they all fell at her feet. "Please, stand up. I'm not that amazing." She said to them. They all slowly got back to their feet, and one stepped forward to speak.
"Greetings, my lady Athys, we are honoured by your presence. May we ask why you have come to us?" The woman said, her wings folded by her side humbly.
"I'm glad you asked. I have co-" She was cut off when an tremor shook the mountain, and she felt some kind of weight lift off of her.

"Never mind. It would seem the great god Eledar has vanished, for ever, and his control over us has gone with him. The humans are no longer sheltered by him." She said, feeling more free and filled with life than ever. "This feels amazing. A new energy is coursing through me - I am free." She was delighted that she was no longer under the control of Eledar - the sky was now hers and hers alone. "Spread the word. You do not need to hide from the humans below us any longer - their guardian is gone." Athys said, bursting with energy. "Go now, I must attend to something." Clouds appeared around her feet, and spiralled up around her, and when they cleared, she was gone.

[Persivis]

Aleken

In a moment, Aleken felt it.

Th mighty tyrant Eledar was dead. How or whyw as not known to him, but the sense of approaching chaos removed any desire to do so. His mortals would need to prepare, as would he, to ensure that the Chaos does not consume all. It would also help that he could finally make his own bid for power.

This meant expansion, although not immediate. While his subjects would been absolutely ecstatic over the prospect, they would still question why exactly now would be the time to expand. At least the more intelligent of them.

At the head temple dedicated to his likeness, during a ritual repeated without any real response, he decided to levitate down in his more "godly" form.

Once he reached the ground, and after the usual screams of loyalty and dedication to his light, Aleken spoke in his most authoritative voice.

"You my beautiful chosen ones, are finally ready. The humans, and their sinful empire, have finally fallen to their decadence and false beliefs. Their false god, Eledar, has finally been proven false even to the most ignorant of them. With this revelation, the humans have lost any hope for cohesion. They shall fight amongst themselves, they shall fall to despair and hopelessness, some even will realize the light and come to worship the same as you."

Th head priest, after bowing, began to speak.

"My lord, but when shall we begin expanding? And how? "

"You should prepare for war, but it will not begin immediately. The full realization of their sins has not yet been felt by all, and they are still too prepared to fight against the true light. But their fall is inevitable, for they cannot stop the power of Life itself. Their false god shall not protect them, neither will their belief in him. For now, until I say otherwise, simply begin gearing for war."

"As for the humans?"

"At all human settlements give the a 3 choices. You shall be taking their settlement and as a result, they will have nothing but these choices. The first shall be redemption. The shall renounce whatever false god they hold and embrace the light, and they shall be fully forgiven for their sins so long as they worship me and obey the laws I have given you. The second shall be exile. Should they decide to stay with their sinful ways, they may leave and never return. The third shall be death. Should they refuse to redeem themselves or leave, they have proven they cannot redeem themselves snow or in the future. You will have permission to violently remove them, lethally if necessary."

"If I may ask my lord, why now?"

"I have sat and waited to see whether or not the humans could redeem themselves. You, my chosen, were persecuted by them after all. The humans, possessing free will, have proven to be fractious and different from each other. However, some of merely been tricked by others and are good people at heart. Those are the ones worth saving, but the empire as it stands...I have judged it."

"Thank you my lord. I shall immediately send out the emissaries."

"No need, I shall enter their minds myself."


Aleken then disappeared in a flash of light. Moments later, the minds of his faithful chosen were set alight. They heard Aleken's voice and the same recanting of what he told the priest.

They were ready.

[Fralinia]

HVORDAR'S COUNTRY, AROUND MIDNIGHT

In a small clearing in the midst of the Hvordar's forests, a single small head poked out of a pile of leaves, looked around for a moment, then darted back underneath. After this, three more popped up, looked around, and then clambered out. In the moonlight, they could see that more little figures, pale and short, were also climbing out of the undergrowth. They all began humming quietly, as if preparing for a hymn that they hadn't quite fully written yet, as they uncovered various contraptions from holes in the ground and other small hiding places. The full moon illuminated the scene, and, in the small clearing, the Hvordar set to work on their nightly labors, gathering food, praying, and doing all of the little odd jobs necessary to keep a culture going.

From above, high in the clouds and invisible to mortal eyes, Lokun watched and smiled. His power was at it's peak tonight, and for the next fortnight it would wane, until coming to a point where the moon was gone away and had no influence on the events in Recoria. From there, it would build once more to a peak, before sliding back down to nothingness. Such was the way that these things had passed for millenia, since Eledar conquered chaos and secured the world into it's current form. Lokun had come into being when a lesser light had been created to safeguard the night sky. Unlike the sun, whose glory dazzled the eyes of mortals, one could stare all night into the moon and never figure out any more than what they started with. It was this trait which made Lokun, the moon god, so complex: he gave light that did not give life, he guarded the sky against foes unknown, he was a cold watcher, a comforting presence, and a mysterious puzzle all in one. It was this enigmatic air which had made him a side character for eons. Lokun had never spoken out against Eledar for fear or his wrath, but he had silently plotted against him and his humans since the first Hvordar was demonized for the crime of existing. Now, floating above the Hvordar's camp, he felt a presence building inside him, becoming larger and more demanding as time went on. Suddenly, it vanished, and Lokun felt something he had not felt before. It felt as though some kind of force binding him had lifted its grasp. It occurred to him what it was. The Old God has passed. he mused. About time that the tyrant tasted the bitterness of death's embrace.

Then, a further thought occurred to him. If Eledar is gone, does that remove the cycles that he created for the moon so long ago? Is the Beacon of Night truly under my control? He tested his theory, willing the movement of the moon to cease. Sure enough, the once indefatigable creep of the moon halted, and it stood there in the sky, still and unmoving. No mortal would notice that the movement had stopped: few eyes were keen enough to notice it's crawl anyway, and even then when they were paying close attention. Gods might notice, if they cared, but Lokun doubted that anyone did. The last time he'd spoken to his fellow gods was during a council many many moons previously, where he had settled one of Alekon and Artorias' frequent disputes. Since then, he had visited a few in passing but had never discussed anything significant with them. No longer. He decided to send a message to everyone. The moon would stay where it was, until people started asking questions.

He then decided a very important step was necessary. He would have to tell the Hvordar of this event. He switched to his more elegant form and descended down to the clearing, where a small group were singing their nightly prayer in sweet harmony. He revealed himself before them.
They cried in joy and slight fear, "Lord, why have you come? What do you require?" In a deep but kindhearted voice, Lokun responded. "My beloved, you have done no wrong. I come with news, joyous news, regarding the Old King. Eledar, the human's guardian, has passed. I can feel it. They will be weak, and many will blame your kind. But fear not, I now have the power to repel them, and they will not have the protection that they have enjoyed for so long. Prepare for change, my people, for it is upon us. I must attend to other matters. Farewell."

His ethereal form faded away into the night, and the moonlight brightened slightly, before the deep voice boomed out once again. "Send out runners to the other tribes, to inform the of this news. Tell them to brace themselves, as the world will quite literally be rocked by this development. And to prove the message, bring these." Thirteen lopaka flowers appeared on the ground before the worshipers, the personal mark of Lokun. The Hvordar immediately burst into song, chanting about the events, making it up as they went. Lokun smiled once more from his perch in the skies. This was the beginning of a new era on Recoria.

[Nuxipal]

Nivea
Aboshan City

The great capital of the Merfolk. Unlike most races they were not so much as hiding as much as they were simply living. Humans avoided the waters around where the Merfolk lived out of centuries of story telling and fear. Freak waves are often reported when large groups of ships try to pass through the archipelago. Every so often a pirate or two sets up a base of operations on one of the outer islands and more than once those same Pirates flee to the continents crying of Merfolk attacking them in the middle of the night.

Nivea enjoyed living in the temples that were built in her honor. Statues and temples of her father had long since been torn down and used to build other things. New structures over old foundations were what made her temples so powerful. With a sudden jolt Nivea felt power. Lots of power. The Power of the Oceans were hers to command, Eledar had died. With his death her handicap was gone. She smirked. She would not change anything her people were doing. Merfolk would figure out soon enough on their own that the humans were weaker now. Larger raids would take place and soon the entire Archipelago would be under their control instead of just the internal part.

She returned herself to the realm of the gods in her godly form. She flicked her wrist towards the construction of Eledar, a fortress dominating the center of the God's Realm. In its place she raised a new structure. White Marble and circular. Many entrances and she stepped through one. As she did the entryway morphed into corals signifying her ownership of that entrance to the new "Gods Common" as she wanted it called. A place for gods to meet and discuss the world. She was sure others would arrive at some point. She knew that of all the gods she had one of the greatest power bases. The Oceans had the potential to end the reign of continental powers with a series of hurricanes, tsunamis, as well as Nivea's most powerful tool. The Tides.

Her control over how the waters rose and fell gave her exclusive ability to raise the water levels globally destroying everything the humans loved. Or worse, she could lower water levels so that the humans wouldn't be able to use their ports any longer and they would have to build new ones. Her power over the oceans was the major chip she had to offer. Now, she simply waited. She created a seat for herself, a Coral Throne with a waterfall flowing down all sides of the chair to create the relaxing sound of moving water.

[Glovania]

Athys

Athys floated back up above Sky Peak, and summoned mighty eagles to fly down through the clouds surrounding the peak, to accompany the messages her Valkyries were telling the others. The eagles flew through the clouds, flying just under them crying out in unison. The Valkyries below took this as a sign, a sign of happiness from their god, and not long after they saw the eagles, they were told of the God Kings death, and their freedom. Athys floated down through the clouds and watched as the news spread throughout the city. She then watched people run across the cloud bridges she had created spanning the gaps between the peaks and their towns. She moved closer to the main city, and saw men holding their hand up and looking up Sky Peak, while the women floated up a few feet from the ground, and began to sing a slow, celebratory hymn, the like of which had not been heard for centuries, as it was the victory song of the Valkyries, sung to mourn the dead, and celebrate victory.

Athys smiled upon hearing that song, she had presumed it had been lost to the over the centuries of isolation undertaken by the Valkyries. She floated back up to Sky Peak, where no one else remained, and transported herself to the Gods Realm. Where Eledar's fortress once stood, she saw a white circular building with many entrances. She walked over to it, and through one of the doorways, which, to her slight surprise morphed into clouds, constantly circling the doorway. As she came out the other side of the doorway, she saw Nivea seated in a chair made of coral, flanked by waterfalls. "Nice place you've got here. The doorways were a pleasant surprise." Athys called out to her, continuing to walk across the open space.

[Bentus]

Atlantis

She felt it almost immediately.

The Goddess of the Seas had been observing the lives of her Atlanteans, watching as they lived them out in the mortal world below. Noradiel saw a young couple overjoyed with a pair of twins, whilst elsewhere an extended family grieved the loss of their grandfather. She witnessed her people going about the running of their hidden civilization – hunting, building, and fishing. To an outside observer it could almost have looked idyllic. Little children played on the vast beaches and learned crafts from their parents, whilst the Goddess smiled down at a family making an offering at one of her temples. The Atlanteans had carved out their homes on a small island chain surrounded by pristine waters with bountiful hurls. The mortals survived within their own small niche. Indeed, one would have been forgiven for thinking that the Atlanteans had the perfect life – particularly when compared to the fearful existence of some of their fellow mortals. But Noradiel knew that beneath the utopian façade, her people suffered.

Even after all these years, the Atlanteans lived in permanent fear of the Storm Tribes and the wretched humans who had taken so much from them. Anger and hatred simmered towards the mindless apes who slaughtered and killed with no compassion for any but themselves. The Atlanteans lived with a great shame weighing on their shoulders – as did Noradiel herself. Their existence was a pitiful one, granted to them by Eledar as an act of mercy. The Goddess had failed her people and allowed so many of them to perish at the hands of their foe, and still permitted them to waste away their mortal lives beneath the dominion of her king and his brutes.

But suddenly, that had all changed. Noradiel felt the tsunami of power wash over her, almost pushing her back with its ferocity and unexpected onset. She felt the chains of the tyrant snap and fall mangled at her feet. Looking out across her realm, Nora saw sudden storms and squalls burst into existence before dissipating into the shadows as immediately as they had emerged.

The Goddess looked down at her hands, relishing the sensation of power that now flowed through them. All the signs pointed to one thing, but dare she believe the miracle? The Goddess stood fixated in place, almost glancing over her shoulder in the expectation that her oppressor would be lurking in wait for a mistake. Building up her courage, Noradiel reached out to the waves and willed them to stop. Atlanteans stared mystified as the endless cycle of the seas suddenly ceased, before dropping to their knees in reverence of their Goddess, who had surely delivered them something divine. Releasing her hold, Noradiel stood in her palace with a held breath, her mind processing this new discovery. He’s dead. The Goddess tasted the words in her mind before daring to say them outloud.
“He’s dead…”
The words were but a whisper, caution still ruling the day. But still the halls remained empty and vacant.

The silence hung for a moment or two, before the Goddess burst into laughter, launching herself into the air in celebration. The oceans sung in joy at the butchering of their warden as Noradiel whooped and cried in jubilation. Finally she was free of that wretched man and his jackboot. It was something which the Goddess had always dreamed about, and now that the moment was finally here she knew that she had to stat setting events in motion. The Atlanteans had been preparing for their vengeance for as long as their exile had lasted, and would surely know when to act. However, their Goddess also had to play her own part with her kin. Their God may have fallen, but now it was the humans’ turn to suffer.

---

The entrance moulded itself to fit the domain of its user, and so did Noradiel walk through a pristine wall of cascading water. She smirked as she looked around the great hall, smug that the constructions of Eledar were already being torn down so soon after his death. Truthfully, the Goddess was more than a little annoyed at not having the satisfaction of destroying his palace herself, but was willing to bear that disappointment.

Nora was hardly surprised to see Nivea had already made herself at home. The whole thing had had her sister’s name written all over it. The ocean Goddess glanced over towards the other being present in the room. Athys and Noradiel had got on fairly decently in the past, respecting each other’s domains and people. However, under the yoke of Eledar interaction between the Gods had been sorely discouraged. Noradiel nodded in respect to both of her kin, failing to keep the excitement from her voice.
“Athys! So nice to see you again after all these years. And sister, I see that you have not wasted any time. I take it that we have all felt the passing of that bastard?”

[Glovania]

The entrance moulded itself to fit the domain of its user, and so did Noradiel walk through a pristine wall of cascading water. She smirked as she looked around the great hall, smug that the constructions of Eledar were already being torn down so soon after his death. Truthfully, the Goddess was more than a little annoyed at not having the satisfaction of destroying his palace herself, but was willing to bear that disappointment.

Nora was hardly surprised to see Nivea had already made herself at home. The whole thing had had her sister’s name written all over it. The ocean Goddess glanced over towards the other being present in the room. Athys and Noradiel had got on fairly decently in the past, respecting each other’s domains and people. However, under the yoke of Eledar interaction between the Gods had been sorely discouraged. Noradiel nodded in respect to both of her kin, failing to keep the excitement from her voice.
“Athys! So nice to see you again after all these years. And sister, I see that you have not wasted any time. I take it that we have all felt the passing of that bastard?”

Athys turned to see Noradiel enter the room. "Hello Noradiel." Athys said, smiling at the appearance of her old friend. "I'm glad we can finally see each other now that he is gone." Athys mentioned the tyrant with hatred and disgust filling her voice. "And yes, it is true - that bastard has passed. We are finalyy free to act, after all these years. And to punish the humans for their crimes." Athys also mentioned the humans with disgust. She hated them even more than she hated Eledar - they only rose to power because of him - they would've been crushed under the combined efforts of all the other gods and their worshippers.

[Nuxipal]

"Hello Athys, Sister. I couldn't help but destroy this ugly fortress that Eledar had put in such a pristine location. With his death it is now required that we start to create a new order in this world. That order must be strong and unbreakable. This place should be where all gods are welcome to discuss matters with civility and without the threat of violence. As I created this structure I will establish the rules here and now. No god shall attack another god in these halls and All gods are welcome to come here in times of hardship and in times of strength."

The hall glowed blue for a moment then subsided into a more neutral white color as the rules were etched into a tablet at each entrance. "Please, create yourself a seat. The table has a sizable map of our world and its inhabitants." The table she spoke of was at the center of the room, she had conveniently placed her own chair at the center of the table so she could easily see the whole world. Markers for the location of Human and non-human cities were spread across the map as were major temples of each of the known gods. It was an impressive creation. "Hopefully more Gods think to return to our realm to see for themselves what has become of Eledar's Legacy."

[Bentus]

Hall of the Gods

Nivea's positioning of her throne did not escape Noradiel, Establishing yourself so soon sister? It mattered little to the Goddess whether or not her sister considered herself so highly. She was right in saying that some semblance of a system needed to be installed - although Nora would be at pains not to admit as much in her presence. Sometimes the Goddess felt that Nivea forgot that water was meant to be free and unbound. There were times and places for calm and restraint - for her strong and unbreakable order - but she was disillusioned if she thought Noradiel would so easily bind herself once more. "Let them come if they must, but let us not waste our breath waiting." The Goddess made her way over to the table, gesturing at the innumerable markers that designated the human settlements. "Athys is right, we are finally free to act and the humans are still reeling from the loss of their guardian." The three Goddesses that were gathered together ruled supreme over the sky and the oceans; the power at their disposal would be more than sufficient to scrub the filth from the dirt. "So let us act! The storm which we could raise against them would put the apes in their rightful place once and for all." And I will have my vengeance.

Bit of a short one I'm afraid. I'll try to up the count next post!

[Nuxipal]

Hall of the Gods

"Easy, Nora. The Humans may not yet realize that they are left abandoned. Before simply wiping them out with storms from sea and sky we should provoke them into weakening themselves further. If we could start a major war between different human factions we could break their strength against themselves. Meanwhile we would be free to expand our power and take smaller victories early on that will cripple the humans later. We are immortal sister, we do not need to rush into action. Remember mother and father? How at the end they were too hasty and that caused them defeat. We knew better than they and we have more power now than they ever dreamed of having. Let us use this power for the long haul, not in a quick burst."

Nivea looked over to Athys, "Do you think your Valkyries would enjoy acting as messengers to the Human lords to bring them to war against one another? It would serve all of our interests if the humans were weakened before we made our own moves."

[Glovania]

Athys

Athys could feel the mistrust coming from Noradiel towards her sister, but decided it would be best to leave it unmentioned. She placed her own chair close to the others, and it was formed of cloud and mist infinitely falling towards the floor, whilst still remain solid and in the shape of a chair. She sat in it, and began to speak. "Nivea is right. We must not be too hasty, but there is no way my Valkyries could persuade the humans to feud between themselves - their appearance would only unite the tribes against a common foe." Athys told Noradiel.

She then turned to Nivea. "There is no way we could make them feud anyway - they are bonded by their worship for the Old Tyrant, whether they know he is dead or not. Nora has a point, we should weaken the humans with our own powers first before the other mortal races make any attacks. In the form of tsunamis, floods, droughts and storms. I can handle storms, droughts and hurricanes, if that is the path we choose to take."

[Auropa]

Artorias (god of darkness)

Above the ‘Shadowed Hills’

For months now, a bandit group of roughly six men had plagued a small human settlement. Normally this wouldn’t be a concern for the Unbran let alone their lord Artorias, but this was an exception. The men now took shelter at the base of the Shadowed Hills and in doing so were ‘desecrating’ the god’s sacred land and had to be dealt with. Adding to this was the fact that the Unbran lived within the age of shadowing. The age decreed that the Unbran would re-discover the ways of the humans who had exiled them long ago. In time they would properly introduce themselves to the humans but first they had to erode their xenophobia.
It made sense Artorias thought, after all the humans were individually weak but vast, if they let others on an even playing field so easily even Eledar wouldn’t be able to save them.

After receiving ‘visions’ sent from Artorias the Unbran had set out on doing what none had ever done: helping the humans. First it was through the smallest of deeds, killing off wolves and leaving the skins at the doors of farmers or guiding those lost in caves or darkness back to their towns. Eventually their acts were noticed and tales of shadow men began to spread, and as they did the Unbrans actions increased too. Soon they began hunting down those who had broken the flimsy line humans called ‘law’ and bringing their lives to a sudden premature end; before leaving the mark of Artorias upon their corpses and leaving it for humans to find. That was what will happen tonight to the six men cradling around their campfire.

The Unbrans however, had no idea why they were doing what they were doing or just how dangerous it was. Should Eledar discover their actions, then they and their god would likely be slaughtered by his hand, but Artorias had seen the risks as necessary. While the humans themselves couldn’t give him power, they could give power to the Unbran in the form of an ally (a massive ally spanning the world and protected by the god of all gods) or better yet, in the form of servants. But with Eledar lazing about on his throne there was no chance of that happening. At the very least Artorias’ people would be able to spread and use the horde of humans to their advantage. But first they needed to make the humans believe the Unbrans were far superior to them without actually meeting them head on. He needed to make them see the Unbrans as angels of darkness.
Looking back to the land of the mortals, Artorias witnessed his warriors closing in on the small group of bandits. He couldn’t hear it, but felt each of his men silently pray to him. In return the god of darkness took hold of his domain and deepened the shadows his men hid behind as they encroached upon the camp. Then Arotorias felt something, like lighting had stricken him from all directions. For a moment he thought his plan had been discovered and his time had come. But the lightning didn’t bring pain: it brought power. Unrelenting and immense waves of it flowed through Artorias and he immediately knew what had happened. His warden had perished. Eledar was dead. In an act of excitement at no longer being restrained, he pushed his power further and the shadows his men hid behind grew. They grew from the ground up and covered the camp of the humans in an oily blackness. First there were screams of panic and disarray then of fear and pain as his men charged in. Times were changing and a new age was to dawn.



Beneath the Shadowed Hills (within the cave system that makes up the Unbran’s kingdom)

In the space of a moment Artorias had moved and now stood above his most glorious shrine and began steadying himself; he couldn’t be seen shaking from excitement as he addressed his people. After all, he was now without restraint and as a result, free to do what he pleased and free to start a new age.

The Unbran priests all bowed and chanted in unison as they prayed to their lord of shadows. At the centre of the shrine stood the high priest who led the chant as he steadily put out a serious of candles around a monument to shadows. As the prayer reached its peak and the high priest made his way toward the final candle a sudden silence overcame the church as the candle’s flame went out on its own. Then for a few moments all the light was sucked out of the room and in its place was a thick unending blackness that blinded even the eyes of the Unbran priests who quite literally lived for darkness. Then, the darkness relented, slowly and steadily the fog parted and atop the monument stood the god of darkness himself. For a moment Artorias stared at the Unbran around him as they all bowed deeply to his distorted figure. Artorias always enjoyed this feeling, being in the centre and feeling the prayers flow through him. Adding to his glee was his shrine, once a deep chasm within the gigantic cave system. His people however had carved the stone around it and had turned it into a massive crater where at its deepest point stood the monument, a throne made of polished coal, the stone that showed the power that lay in darkness. Soon enough Artorias was satisfied with himself and began.

“My loyal Unbran” He said “Your actions of devotion have not gone unnoticed, your efforts and patience has all been for a great cause. Today, will be the start of a new age. The age we have all dreamed of and prepared for. The age of the shadows.” At the mention of the age the priests once again began a quiet chant beneath their lord’s voice “No longer will we move so carefully and no longer will shadows cower from the tyrannical light of day. Now, we will take control. The humans are weak and without protection. But I am not them, we are not them. We are superior. My loyal Unbran, we will not do what they have done; instead we will learn from their downfall. We will introduce them to darkness and will bring them to our ways. No more will you simply aid towns or villages and no longer will you be myths and legends. From now on, you will be the humans’ lords and kings. Go now, and protect the humans from what they fear, earn their trust and faith. Show them the strength in darkness. Soon they will beg you to take their land and will beg you to teach them our ways. But know this, they will and won’t ever be your equal. They will never be forgiven for banishing you. In time, the hordes of man will become your servants. Times are changing, all you must do is believe in darkness and its ways and let it protect you for now. Now we will spread it across light itself!” With his final phrase completed his form simply dissolved into the surrounding darkness leaving the still bowing Unbrans to continue their prayer before starting the new age.

Realm of the gods
Pleased with himself, Artorias had one last thing to do. He wanted to see for himself and wanted to make sure that the once powerful Eledar was truly dead. On top of this, he wanted to enjoy testing his newfound power, preferably on the chambers of his warden. He ascended into the realm of the gods however only to find that he had talked to his people too long and Eledar’s domain had already been altered. Dominating the land in its place was a pristine temple of marble. As he entered he felt the doorway shift to his person and as he stepped through a wall of darkness he laid his eyes upon the three gods within. It had been a while but he recognised them, the water sisters stood together, Noradiel likely wanted to go about slaughtering everything and he presumed Nivea was trying to talk some sense into her. Finally there was Athys, while Artorias hoped she wouldn’t go about war mongering he knew she wasn’t particularly ‘fond’ of humans.

“So he’s really dead then.” He almost chuckled to himself from the pleasure of all of it. “So how has everyone else’s day been? I assume pleasant is an understatement.” Oddly enough though, Nivea had taken the foremost seat, curious he thought to himself, very curious. He turned for a moment and quickly read the tablet etched on to the entrance. “Nice place, my compliments to whoever made the doors.” He said before turning back to the other gods and walking towards the table.

[Bentus]

Noradiel bristled at the comparison to their parents, biting back an impulsive retort towards her sister before her mouth could betray her. Angering Nivea would do little to help her people or deal with the human menace. Why couldn’t her sister see the great danger which sat lurking on their very doorstep? That was when one of the entrances transfigured itself into a gateway of shadows. Noradiel’s eyes narrowed towards the newcomer: Artorias – Lord of Darkness. The two had rarely – if ever – seen eye-to-eye in the past. Ignoring the God, Noradiel turned back to her sister. “Athys is right. The humans are too thick-headed to fight amongst themselves so easily – and have proven time and again incapable of interacting civilly with any more developed people.” Nora thought back to the brutal refusals of peace that her Atlanteans had received at the hands of Eledar’s worshippers all those years ago. The prayers had been the worst. It had been the first time in her life that she had wished for them to stop. A great flood of cries for help and pleas for salvation from their goddess had envelopped Noradiel, who had wept uncontrollably for her people. She had been powerless, forced to listen as the cries gradually diminshed until there were no Atlanteans left living on the mainland. The tears had been so great in volume and number - her grief so overwhelming and pure - that they only ceased after Eledar demanded it to be so, lest the ocean levels rise too much to threaten his own worshippers. And so Nora had bit back her sadness, and in its place nurtured a seed of hatred. She would not allow it to be cut just as it had begun to sprout.

“We may be Immortal, but our people are not. Athys, would you condemn your followers to endure another generation forced to hide above the clouds – lest they be hunted to extinction? And Nivea, are you so willing to have the merfolk cower beneath the waves?” The Goddess let the words sink in, hoping that her kin would turn to her way of thinking. “Have you forgotten why you rose up against Father all that time ago? He persecuted and suffocated his people – your people – strangling their potential in the crib. Are you now insisting that we sit and do the same?”

[Nuxipal]

Nivea
Hall of the Gods
"DO NOT COMPARE ME TO FATHER." Shouted Nivea, as Noradiel made the comparison. "Father was forcing my people to suffer. Generations lived and died without ever knowing the freedom of open water. Now my people hunt freely across the ocean and bring home treasures from the human ships that dare pass too close to their home." Nivea had fought her father, and nearly died doing so, so that the Merfolk would be as free as the ocean waters they lived in. Now, that the human god was dead she planned to have her people come out of hiding.

"Now, as I had said previously. We will provoke them to fight one another. If you two believe that we must use our own powers then we should do so in very subtle manners. No riding a great tsunami into their coastal cities, because that will only harm one city. We have to do something that harms ALL coastal cities. Such as lowering sea levels to leave their ports landlocked. It will strangle their economies, require minimal effort, and will force them to completely rebuild cities so they are on the coast once again. Therefore, they are weakened physically from having to build a new city, economically from having their trade cut off for a year or more, and then we can reverse the effect and cause a great flood from the seas to swallow both the new and old cities showing them their god has abandoned them."

Nivea laid her plan out before her sister as if she was instructing a subordinate. Only then when she had finished she turned to Artorias, "Hello, Artorias. I presume you have felt it as well. Welcome to the Hall of the Gods. I am glad you enjoyed the doors. I felt every God should feel welcomed as they enter this sanctuary. How is life beneath your hill? Still covered in shadow?"

[Auropa]

Artorias
Hall of the gods

“Very well, thank you. The Unbrans are mobilizing as we speak. But that’s another story. What I want to talk about is the fact I couldn’t help but overhear your plan against the humans.” Artorias began.
Calling the subject thin ice was an enormous understatement, Artorias knew that all three of the gods hated Eledar and his creations. To make matters worse, the reasonable sister of water – Nivea - had completely lost her cool with her sister of all people, and all on the topic of how the humans should be killed.
“Noradiel, Athys.” He said as he nodded his head to the two in greeting. “Now I hate to interrupt all of you, but perhaps we’re looking at this the wrong way. I understand your hatred towards Eledar. Believe me I know, I imagine I wasn’t the only one rushing up here with the hopes of destroying his home. Though should we really judge his children on the actions of their father?” He asked.

“Nivea, I know we haven’t always agreed with one another but you of all people should know that children aren’t like parents. Take one look at your sister and tell me if there’s a single trait she shared with her parents, and you yourself said that you are not like your father.” Pausing for a moment to collect himself and to once again remind himself to tread carefully he continued. “Perhaps a slaughter isn’t needed. While I’m certain that some may disagree, I see us as better than Eledar ever was. I know the humans are less than us, but destroying them purely out of spite? Is that truly what we want to be? While spreading a bit of destruction and shaking them up is actually beneficial to us, I feel as though I must remind everyone that they hold the potential to help us through our own people.” Here Artorias stopped. He already knew how some would react to the idea of sparing humans but hopefully he could convince his peers to only limit their combined wrath.

[Fralinia]

Lokun's Palace, Realm of the Gods
It was as he had so hoped it would not be. Mortals had noticed, yes. Astrologers and shamans had been scratching their heads, and he had heard a few strange and twisted prayers from other races as their wise men kindly asked him to move the moon. But no Gods. An entire mortal day had passed, and the gods were evidently still lounging around the realm, without a care in the world. It would seem to Lokun that a more direct method would be necessary in order to get himself noticed. With a flick of his wrist, the moon was set back on its course, and Lokun immediately headed off to Eledar's citadel, the center of attention in this realm.

Upon his arrival, he found the massive fortress gone, replaced by a round building of white marble. Its gleaming walls were covered in entrances, and Lokun found one that was suitably average. Some of them had some very unique decor, but most were rather plain, and he thought he could guess what that meant. Stepping through the door he had chosen, he was relieved when it transformed into a ethereal curtain of soft silver light. Looking a around, he saw that a few gods were here already; Athys, Nivea, Noradiel, and Artorias, who appeared to have just walked in as well. Lokun listened to what the God of Darkness had to say and then responded, still standing. "Sorry to barge in, everyone, but I think Artorias is right. I don't know quite what you were talking about, but I gather that there is talk of slaughter afoot. And bloodshed is almost never the answer. So, could you bring me up to speed, that I might contribute to the conversation. Also, I suppose a hello is in order."

[Bentus]

Satisfied that the barb had struck deep, Noradiel regardless was taken aback by the ferocity of her sister’s response. She could sense the power which Nivea held – the power of the seas and oceans was one difficult to top. But, what irritated Noradiel was the distinct sensation of her sister’s power of her. Still, after all these years and the death of Eledar, she found herself ensnared by chains. As Artorias made his case, the Goddess cast a venomous glance in the God’s direction. Curse him! She had expected as much from the God of Shadows. The man was manipulative in the extreme – using others to accomplish his own ends – and the humans could be some of his greatest puppets. Nora’s mood was not helped in the slightest when Lokun arrived and actually agreed with the fool. Seething, she summoned up a throne made of a giant sea anemone, it’s great branches parting at her presence. “Oh, not to worry Lokun, you’re presence is most appreciated.” Declared the Goddess, her voice laced with sarcasm. “We have been discussing how best to eliminate the threat which the humans pose to our people.”

Sitting in her chair, Noradiel continued – making no attempt to hide her displeasure at the way the situation was developing. “This is not the time for pacifism and neutrality Lokun. For too long have the humans terrorised the world – they can no longer be trusted to inhabit it. All that we must decide now is how best to deal with them.” She sighed, recognising that she would not be able to convince them all. “Very well Nivea, let us do things your way shall we?” The woman turned towards her sister, “As much as I would love to see the humans squirm and suffer with the tides, I’m afraid they aren’t the only ones dependent on sea levels remaining constant. Not all mortals can live under the sea, dear sister.”

[Fralinia]

The utter contempt for which she greeted him was not troubling, Lokun figured that there would be those hell-bent on retribution and murder. Instead, he'd maintain the high ground by remaining calm in the face of anger.

"Noradiel, my lady, tell me: when was your mind bittered with such poison? Have I wronged you? It would seem that Nivea built this hall as a place of discussion and reason, not blind anger and revenge. Do you not see; that by punishing humans for the crimes of their past, you descend to the level of the tyrant that we have just been rid of? Disagree with me, if that is what you choose, but do not bitter the occasion of our little chat with empty flattery and sarcastic welcome."

He gestured at Artorias. "Listen to his words, and hear mine as well. The humans are weak without their god. They have no shelter, no refuge, and they are confused and cowering with every change. They are practically helpless. If we destroy them, we have murdered a race of fatherless children, fraught with fear, and what does that tell our people? That the crimes of the past are punishable by the children of those who committed them? That weakness and fright are rewarded with death? You tread a dangerous line, Noradiel, one tread by both Eledar and quite possible Nivea's father. If you wish for a future of orphaned children, wailing mothers, and sorrow for all, then by all means, a slaughter of humans is the right path. But would you watch as the humans screamed in agony and grief when the very skies and sea rain death upon them? Or would you turn away in disgust?"

[Glovania]

Athys was finding the situtation rather amusing if she was honest. The two sisters were going at it again - they really hate each other. She smirked slightly and then noticed the latest arrival, smiling at him politely. She didn't personally know him but she had probably caused him some fustration in the past when she decided the night sky would be cloudy and over the moon. Oh well, such is life. "Now now you two, there's no need to get all worked up." Athys said to the two sisters, still smiling. "But I still agree with Nora - the humans must be punished."

[Nuxipal]

Nivea
Hall of the Gods

"Terrorized the world is a bit harsh sister," said Nivea as she regained her composure. Like the sea she was generally calm and collected. However, in certain situations she could become the embodiment of anger and aggression. "My solution is still the best that I can see. Disrupt the humans, not kill them... all. If the water recedes even a few hundred yards the human ports will be left high and dry. They will try and move closer to the sea again. Repeat a couple times and then flood the coastlines to destroy the human seafaring trade networks."

She sat in her chair, almost lounging. However, with more and more gods arriving she stood and headed towards her door. "I believe it is time for me to go and address my people more directly and to enact my plan, on at least a small scale first. Make sure it has the proper effects. And Nora, don't have too much fun up here without me."

With that Nivea stepped through her door and then dropped down into the mortal realm.

[Firstaria]

And so, as the gods were enjoying their new freedom, plans were settled to revenge, to empower, to control and to gain even more freedom. But the gods forget that an empty throne is just a call for a tyrant to occupy it; or worse, for a barbarian to destroy it and use it's gold to forge the pikes to put his enemies head on.

It started in a very little breeze of cold, hitting the whole world of Recoria for a second. No one noticed anything strange, except maybe the fact that rarely a breeze hits some hot regions of the planet. And then, the storm arrived, and not the human one as many had waited.

It was a tempest like no other, passing trough the cursed land with fury and rage, as many humans who were there ended up having to suffer it. The ones of the Storm tribe are used to the low temperatures, but this was too much even for many of them, especially children and old people. Those who fled, and warned the leader of the tribes, heard also of the chant of the mountains; and so the humans, fooled by their racism, blamed Athys for their suffering.
They could not know that chaos was instead scheming his plots, discovering what he could do now that it was free again to lay his unformed hands on Recoria.

As this went on, another scheme was taking place, as without a superior force to stop them, the fight between darkness and light begun again. The childs of the sun warned the humans of their god's death and told them to join the light; but they could never accept such truth, and called the winged ones lying demons. The darkness was more subtle, and asked for friendship. The humans were largely divided on that: one believed that their request was true, and needed as light menaced them; one said it was indeed light's move,and darkness wanted to use his opponent's mistake to turn brother against brother; the third was the soul of the Storm, who always saw the other races as a curse, and wanted nothing from them.

And so, the story continues.

---

CHAOS EVENT!
Plot

The island indicated in red has been hit by an harsh icy storm, but no god was the culprit. All the people living there had to escape, but althugh the worse of the tempest had ceased, the temperature keeps dropping.

The Sky god would feel especially bad about this event, as storms were used by chaos. Water around the island has also become ice, out the domains of the two sisters.

Non-Chaos Event

Humans have reacted to the events and the plots. As a result, the following changes have occurred:

Relationship with Artorias switched to Mild. It means communications will be more easier.

Relationship with Athys switched to Hate. It means humans will likely draw weapons in defense if feeling threatened.

[Bentus]

Lokun’s words wound their way inside Noradiel’s chest, digging their tendrils deep into her soul. He was exaggerating, surely? It would do no good to think of the humans along such lines. But Noradiel couldn’t keep images of little bodies floating face down upon her waves. For the first time, the Goddess of the Oceans felt her rage dissipate – replaced by a sense of empathy for the humans who now found themselves so alone. Had she been too harsh on the people of Eledar for the actions of their God? Would she really be capable of exacting her vengeance, or would she – like Lokun said – turn away from her work?

“I – I don’t know…” The certain fury of the oceans had vanished from her voice, replaced with self-doubt and hesitation. Noradiel gazed down at the howling mother in her head, begging for her son to wake up and return to her empty hands – the future result of her actions. But, when Noradiel looked closer, she saw herself wailing on the beach. The bodies of her Atlanteans surrounded her, the waves that should’ve protected them washing their lifeless bodies out to sea. She remembered the endless prayers and cries, the death and devastation that had followed in the humans’ wake. She remembered pleading with Eledar to spare her people – to give her time to rescue them. She remembered his allowing it, and instructing the humans to show restraint. She then remembered how they refused to listen. Driven by their own selfish greed and lust for blood.

The Goddess’ face hardened in the light of the hall. Yes. She would enforce her power over the humans, crushing them all beneath her feet – come what may. She would endure the cries and tears of the orphans and widows she would create, she would grieve herself by their side. She would do it all and damn herself for the sake of her beloved people; lest through her inaction they are forced to suffer such a tragedy again.

“And Nora, don’t have too much fun up here without me.”

Noradiel looked up from her daze, in time to see her sister pass through her door. “Lokun, I would.” Nora’s voice felt dry, but she spoke now with conviction and determination. “I would cry and weep for the deaths that I’d cause, but I would do it. For if I did not then I would be as guilty as the humans for the crimes which they commit. Have you forgotten what they did to your own people? Chasing them from the day until they had to seek shelter in your shadows? The humans are Eledar’s race, and like him they yearn to dominate their realm. We cannot simply brush aside the destruction caused by their hands as –“. Suddenly, the Goddess keeled over in her throne; crying out in surprise.

She felt as if a limb had suddenly gone cold and limp, frozen and numb. It wasn’t a pain so to speak, but a sudden sensation of pure nothingness where all her life there had once been something. Bolting up, Nora rushed to the table and map that Nivea had created. A great island in the middle of the ocean had become white, the surrounding ocean becoming ice. The Goddess’ eyes were wide with shock. What could’ve done such a thing? To tear out a piece of her so swiftly and so violently. She looked over at Athys, but the storms and typhoons had not been the work of her friend. “Chaos has struck.” She said the words solidly and dejectedly. The great battle with the hated enemy had started anew.

[Fralinia]

Lokun's eyes narrowed at the mention of his people. Was she really accusing him of being indifferent to their suffering? He was opening has mouth to respond to that claim when Noradiel gasped and slumped over. He had tensed up and immediately looked at the map in the center of the room. He watched as a white blotch appeared on a small island, which had been distinctly green a few seconds earlier. The word that came from her mouth was the last thing Lokun wanted to hear: Chaos. Of course. Without Eledar keeping things in check, that indefatigable force, lurking in the background, it would strike the first chance it got.

"Do not think our discussion is over, Noradiel. I will quell your anger yet, even if I must haul your rage back out to sea with the tides. But this takes precedent, I am afraid. Will Nivea feel that pain and be aware of these events as you have, Nora?"
Noradiel looked over to Lokun, "I'm not sure. I feel as if a hand has been cut off." She thought for a moment. "Nivea's merfolk inhabit the islands just north of there. Even if she didn't feel it, she'd notice that her people are in danger."
(OOC: That response as authorized by Bentus.)

[Glovania]

Athys

Athys was just beginning to have the smile on her face wear off, when she suddenly felt cold, and watched as Nora suddenly fell forward in her chair. Athys was so confused - what on earth had just happened? Someone had wrecked havoc with her domain - her domain - and there had been no reason why. She watched as Nora rushed over to the table, then look over at her. Athys knew why. She knew what had happened without even having looked at the map. She knew that someone had taken control of her domain - the sky and the weather - and had used it to almost destroy an island in the middle of the ocean.

Athys knew who it was - Chaos - this had his hand written all over it. Random, seemingly pointless actions where he would briefly seize a domain and wreck havoc on the mortals with it. This is not good - not good at all. This must mean that now that Eledar is gone, Chaos is free to to destroy the world until a new King of the Gods arose. But who could possibly take Eledar's place - and what would they be like to the rest of us? But the mortals living on the island - the humans - must think she did this. They now must despise her and her people. This is not good - not good at all. Athys stood up and began to walk to her doorway. "There is something I must attend to - Chaos has struck with my domain." She said, as she passed through her doorway and returned to the mortal world.

She appeared over the affected island in her human form, trying to survey the damage. The whole place was cloaked in a blizzard, with snow everywhere. She looked out over the sea, and saw that it was all frozen over too. This place looked like the coastline near where her Valkyries lived. She closed her eyes and managed to stop the storm, after a lot of strain - this place was still surrounded by Chaos' energy - it would be a bad idea to stay here for long. The storm was over, but it would be a while before all the ice melted, even with this place's usual climate. She decided that would be enough for now - she may come back later and use her domain to melt the ice quicker than normal, but no time soon.