Politics of the Divine - IC

[Woodstovia]

Cultro's host body stared at the god of bones, his face and body was different but he had the same cold dead piercing red eyes as Cultro. Destroying this host body would be pointless so he faded away, the man's eyes returned to normal and he collapsed to the ground. He was okay but exhausted from the experience.

When that was done Cultro prepared a vision to send out to his town's leaders. They needed to be prepared for any potential conflicts. "Hello friends!" Cultro's youthful figure appeared before them, he grinned but it was a cold; dead grin. "You may have noticed some little changes. You see me and the other gods well we had a minor little totally insignificant dispute which uh... Resulted in the sun going out. Don't worry. I'll protect you." he smiled. "But you need to be prepared, start training harder, make more weapons." he said seriously before his playful expression returned. "But I'm sure you won't need them, don't worry. But do train hard, and I mean that."

[The Assorted Saharan Outposts]

Becoming quickly ticked off by such an action, the God Irekily had faded away from is mortal host, the eyes turning from bright blue to the original green they were. His host had fallen down to his knees as the God left his body. It had taken a lot of energy out of the man, but he felt honored to host the God.

Irekily then appeared in Heaven, a place he didn't often visit. He didn't really know where Cultro would be, but he could only imagine that he'd be in heaven somewhere, and when he gets his hands on that little devil, he was going to regret trying to attack. Hand on the wound, which was somehow bleeding even though he was made of bones, he walked off to explore heaven in search of the Murder God.

[Naymor]

"That is a worthy cause, and one I shall be happy to assist in." Midian replied, his eyes glowing briefly before continuing, "More of those enslaved shall be born wizards and sorcerer's, and my Mage's shall seek them out, just as they do to all those who are born wizards and sorcerer's. Those who are enslaved shall be taught the ways of magic, and be assisted in helping their friends and families escape bondage. You are well respected among the gods, and your support means much to me. I look forward to working alongside you more often, and I will certainly do all I can to help those who are enslaved and oppressed."

Midian bowed his head slightly, thanking Tesh in a way that many of the humans, especially those who followed him, thanked others.

"Then I shall rule at your side," Tesh replied plainly. "I will continue to speak to my people as I can; I may ask specific favors of you and yours when the time arises. It will be nothing that cannot be managed." He stopped for a moment, before resuming. "I have been called 'abrasive' by many, along with whatever respect I command," he added. "But come what may, so long as you hold your end of the bargain, I am with you."

"Thank you, Tesh," he said, before spreading his wings and taking to the air, "We shall meet again soon."

With that he was off, flying back to Heaven so that he could search for others to support his claim to the throne. One supporter was a great start, but he would need a few more if he was going to have a valid claim to the throne. He would first be asking for the support of the more powerful and revered gods, such as Tesh, as they held more influence. His mind wandered from deity to deity, trying to decide who to ask next. After a few moments, soaring through the skies of Heaven, the next deity he should speak with came to mind, and he quickly made his way to the mortal plane.

Theria woke up in much the same manner as she usually did, or had been doing so for... Many millennia. She couldn't remember how long she'd been doing this, and she really didn't care. It never got old, waking up with a view of constantly shifting colours as whatever she'd taken last night or any of the days before still ran through her system, a pounding headache that she ignored with years of practice barely even noticed.

Another beautiful day in Heaven.

Some roaring loud voice called out through Heaven. She paid no attention, and ignored it. It was loud and it hurt her ears. Probably someone complaining about running out of something, again. Nothing of any significance or importance. No, most certianly not. Nothing important ever happened these days, and that was good.

Just day after day of drink, drugs, and whatever else she wanted at the time. It was a pretty good life. The drugs and drink made the weather do whatever it was supposed to do, which was... Doing something. Whatever weather did. But it did it. Unfortunately, it seemed she'd done something extremely stupid last night.

For some reason, there was snow. Or, rather, more than usual. She never made snow in this quantity, even while drunk. It was a stupid cold thing that, for some strange reason, never seemed to agree with her and often resulted in feeling pretty terrible. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but the only way to stop that feeling was by... Not drinking for a bit. And that was not an option. More rain... Not really a problem. Uh... Why was everything getting colder? That wind wasn't supposed to be that cold, and that wind was also her heating. Or supposed to be. Now it was more like a self-freezer.

But fixing it would take effort. Besides, someone else would sort the temperature out eventually. The Sun-King or whoever he was would fix it. She was never any good with temperatures.

And so, while the rest of Heaven went into crisis, probably, Theria drifted back to sleep again.

Midian walked up to the sleeping goddess, unsure if this was the best person to gain support from if he wanted to legitimize his claim to the throne. Deciding not to wake her, he wrote a note and left it in her hand. The note explained that he was trying to gain the now vacant throne of the gods, and was asking for her support. Midian made it as clear as possible what his intentions were, and then flew away.

Ratius Magenadam

---

As he usually was, Ratius arrived in the hall of the sun throne in the for resembling a human. As he often chose, when around other gods, his form was a young man, wearing a toga, scrolls though seemed redundant for this summoning.
Entering through the doorway, Ratius looked around. The shining room was filled with gods, though quickly he also noticed that some forms and faces were lacking in this crowd. He did notice Irekily, Eradus, Nerileth, Tor'Baalos and of course ancient Inzi.
His thoughts faded onto a pleasant discussion of nature he had with a human recently, as his consciousness worked on forming a response. Mayhaps he should ask Aelva on that matter.
As the gears of a mind continued turning, churning out ideas, discarding them as quickly as they formed, the Magenadam focused on what was happening around him.
Ava'esthan, elected King of the God, was abdicating. It was at this point that Ratius looked towards the great old one whom, one might say, had him in his patronage. And as his view swept into the corner in which Inzi had been, he noticed the suffering god vanishing, appearing somewhere else. Mayhaps, Ratius thought himself. He was a young one, after all, who better to initiate change. The Quadruplets had to topple the Nameless one, and the New Gods had to topple the Quadruplets. But mayhaps now could come a timer for the next generation to ascend, not by war - the God of Wisdom had paid the cost that could demand - but by election. Was he not, so argued the god to himself, Knowledge, son of Wisdom. But no, a "mere youngling" ascending so far would surely not appease the many. The wait can be crucial in the quest of knowledge and politics both. And so, Ratius waited so more. Slowly more gods started leaving, and yet Ratius remained waiting, eager to see if something worth knowing would happen.
And then, to his surprise, he saw a trail of fire in the skies, far beyond. And he knew. He knew and did not like it at all. Just as Inzi has once released a fragment of knowledge, allowing for himself to be formed, Inzi had released a fragment of the sun. But this time there was no lifeless part to absorb it. As realization came upon him Ratius' mood declined within moments. A weakened sun... Inzi a husk of his former self...

The next deity on Midian's mental list was the young Ratius, the son of the fallen God of Wisdom. He was a young god and yet one of the most intelligent, in Midian's opinion. After a few hours, Midian was able to locate the God of Knowledge, landing quietly behind him. His wings folded into his robes and disappeared as the Sorcerer Supreme walked up to deity.

"Ratius, my young companion, greetings to you." he said, smiling at the young one.

[Woodstovia]

Cultro patted himself on the back for making such a great speech. His soldiers were the finest of any god anyway (he assumed), with these few precious days of preparation they would be one step ahead of his rivals. In any case he'd probably be extremely honoured in this war anyway. Humans had a curious case of switching their loyalties to him before battles. It was hypocritical but usually he just felt excited to have new followers and helped them anyway.

Cultro decided that enough time had elapsed for him to start heading back. He'd get lost in the shuffle with the other minor gods and may even be able to cast his vote on who should become the new king. Nobody would ever know, he told himself. However as he left his palace he stopped dead in his tracks, spotting Irekily approaching.

[The Assorted Saharan Outposts]

Irekily had spotted the Murder God rather quickly, his eyes glowing an even brighter shade of blue upon seeing him. "You!" He shouted before quickly walking over to him before he could have gotten away. "Do you have any, any explanation at all for attacking me?" He asked. Since he was in heaven, his form was that of a skeletal monster, and he appeared to be much taller than Cultro.

Honestly, Irekily didn't actually plan on hurting him, but maybe he'd scare him just to get his point across. Yeah, he could do something like that.

[Woodstovia]

"H-hey calm down Irekily." Cultro squeaked, he began slowly backing away from the giant skeleton. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You know I'd never attack you!" In addition to being a giant skeleton Irekily was also far older and more powerful than Cultro. He was not excited about the prospect of having to fight him. "I mean really why would I have a reason for attacking you? I was up here Irekily. Politicking."

[The Assorted Saharan Outposts]

"H-hey calm down Irekily." Cultro squeaked, he began slowly backing away from the giant skeleton. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You know I'd never attack you!" In addition to being a giant skeleton Irekily was also far older and more powerful than Cultro. He was not excited about the prospect of having to fight him. "I mean really why would I have a reason for attacking you? I was up here Irekily. Politicking."

The bright blue lights in the eye sockets of the skulls seemed to roll slightly. "Yeah right. You can't expect me to believe that." He said, crossing his arms. "I am fairly certain that was you, and if not, then please tell me who would randomly attack another person at a funeral, because I am very, very interested to know the answer." To ensure Cultro couldn't get away, Irekily took a few steps closer.

[Alouite]

Victorius returned to the Hall and quietly vented his disgust "That fool, I may be younger in this form, and I accept that. But I once was the god of conflict, spawned from the infighting between the Quadruplets, he needs to remember his place in all this. To think I respected him but moments ago." He sighed and calmed himself. The discussion was over, and in time, Cultro would get what was coming his way. He prepared to let off some steam in the Hall of Glory when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. It was Dærs. He was relieved to realize it wasn't a more hostile god such as the god of peace or some other entity, and certainly not a petty god that even Cultro could step over, so he couldn't help but be happy. He resumed his more peaceful form wearing red lined golden robes and a distinctive phyrigian cap, embodying his domain over Glory. He approached with a positive look on his face and said "Dærs, it's certainly been a while, at least, comparatively to usual. This change is going to be... interesting to say the least. Certainly has gotten Cultro excited. But here I am rambling, how have you been?"

[Woodstovia]

Cultro took another couple of steps back, glaring at the god with his dead eyes. "Are you trying to threaten me?" he demanded, his voice growing deeper and less childish. "I'm not scared of some god of bones and coffins. One of my cultists assaulted you, I could feel it. They wanted to impress me as they were a new recruit and wanted recognition. That's all I know and I won't apologise for something I didn't do." he gritted his teeth. "Now leave me." His hand twitched a little, he wouldn't be scared of a god so insignificant.

[Kisinger]

Dærs smiled as the God of War met her, "Well, when watching Hell, one does get distracted with their duties quite easily." She smirked looking him up and down. "It may be interesting but, you certainly haven't changed a bit." She said smiling greedily at him. "I've been living in Hell, it's lonely boring and well, truth be told I came here seeking your help... That is if you are willing to accept my plea?" She took a step closer to him. She truly had missed him, a lot more than she thought she would have. "And if you are willing to accept such a plea, I can offer you something far greater than you would expect." She smirked again as she reached a hand up to his cheek.

[The Assorted Saharan Outposts]

Irekily shook his head. "I'm not planning on hurting you, just so you know." He said before taking a few steps closer. "What happened back there was rather impressive, I must admit, but if I were you I'd make sure that doesn't happen again. Some other gods wouldn't be as forgiving if that were to happen to them. You're a little devil, yes, but I won't hurt you." The skulls seemed to grin even though they had no way to doing so as the God then tried to pet Cultro on the head, his whole demeanor seeming to have changed.

[The 7th Order]

After Tor'Baalos had his fill in hell - they wouldn't stop screeching at it - he made his way to heaven. As he made his way to his corner of heaven several gods dispersed to give him room. Why he had no idea and didn't truly care. His almost forgot about his cult. Meh they'd be fine. Entering his area his chosen and children crowd around howling for his inhuman attention.

[Alouite]

He smiled back considering what she might ask. Her smile reminded him of a memory from times long ago. They had been close for the most part since he had met her long ago before the war with the Quadruplets, so he felt intrigued by how she was acting now. Additionally, their bond meant he could usually guess or at least have a broad idea what it might be that she was going for when she asked things of him. However, he was unsure in this case, things were a little different with the newest development in the Kingdom of the Divine. Her acting the way she did didn't make it easier for him to figure out what was going on. In a momentary pause many responses came through his mind. However, he was a tactician among other things, and so he decided to play it safe and reply in an assertive tone "What do you request of me Dærs?"

[Woodstovia]

Cultro grinned maniacally. "Of course you wouldn't hurt me." he said as his head was petted by the other god. "I'd be the one hurting you stupid!" Cultro laughed "I'd be too quick. But well at least you've seen sense and decided that you don't want to be the first god in history to die. That'd be unfortunate. Secretly though he was somewhat relieved that he didn't have to get into a fight. And he also didn't mind being pet.

[The Assorted Saharan Outposts]

Irekily nods. "Whatever you say, kid." He said with a small chuckle. "You may be a little demon at times, but you can be rather...entertaining at times, and I mean that in the best way possible, as well." He said. He took a step back from Cultro. Looking around, the God had decided that it was time for him to go, unless Cultro had any objections, of course.

"Well, unless you have anything else to include, I think I'll be going." He said. "Also, while I enjoy the thought of you giving me extra things to do by telling your followers to murder, if you could cut down the death rate a small bit, that'd be nice. It's hard for one person to cover all of Peragon. You understand, don't you?"

[Kisinger]

She whispered in his ear "I want you, and your help in securing the Throne of Gods." She kissed him softly on the neck. "I can grant any thing you wish, that is within my power of course." She smiled, not one of greed or demand but one of lust. She hoped it was convincing enough, not that she hadn't desired him before or any longer, more so that she needed his help and she wanted him. "As well, I need your help in getting more help, not everyone is entirely convinced that the Goddess of Hell will be the rightful Queen."

[Alouite]

She whispered in his ear "I want you, and your help in securing the Throne of Gods." She kissed him softly on the neck. "I can grant any thing you wish, that is within my power of course." She smiled, not one of greed or demand but one of lust. She hoped it was convincing enough, not that she hadn't desired him before or any longer, more so that she needed his help and she wanted him. "As well, I need your help in getting more help, not everyone is entirely convinced that the Goddess of Hell will be the rightful Queen."

Again Victorius weighed his options, it was in his opinion that politics was war without combat. And so he replied again, this time even less focused on her reaction. "I can assist with this, in exchange, I would like to gain power over the domain of Domination. One that is currently held by a petty god whom I care not enough to name." He sighed, once he was poised to ascend to the throne, and now he was again allowing another to take the helm of this shift in the balance of power. However, he considered a third way, one where there was shared power over the head of the realm. He considered mentioning it, but for now, he'd keep silent on the idea, at the least until he helped gain Dærs some more supporters and proved his weight. "Do we have a deal?"

[Second Helghan Empire]

Shadowed Docks, Northern Lerasis

Edari'i men loaded supplies into ships and the Edari'i whisperers took their places on board. Around fifteen small ships, and in total around 23 different groups of Edari'i protectors and the Whisperer masters. Each group only numbered 5 people at most. Though most were a single Whisperer and two protectors.

In the city the rest of the Whisperers strode through the streets preaching to the people of the global situation. Each Whisperer had been visited in their sleep by Edarus and each now told his wishes.

"People of Lerasis, you are the chosen! You are the saved! Ava'eshthan is no more a presence in Heaven! Our Benefactor has spoken! Those who follow in his guiding light shall be saved from the coming doom! A great disaster comes! Our has spoken! The Fire we have seen in the sky is the destruction of the goddess of balance. Banishing herself to the darkness she is no more! Ava'eshthan has weakened and forsaken the world! Those he does not actively seek to destroy he forgets and condemns to slow death. Have Faith in our lord and Heavenly Benefactor! He has promised that he is the guiding light that will save our people from the end of the Sun God!"

The vast majority of people were feeling a mixture of terror and relief. They felt afraid in the supposed abandonment of Ava'eshthan, and the end of the old balance of the world and heaven. Having seen in the distance, Heavensfall the people ate up every word. In some cases followers of Ava'eshthan and Inzi were harassed though luckily the city was not elevated to the acts of violence that it could have been should Inzi not warmed the world.

From above and in the streets Edarus watched and listened. For a god of lies is better at listening than any other god. Taking it upon himself to secure his people's safety he went to Keli, he had knowledge of Chak among the people there and Edarus wished to talk with him about working together.

Finding Chak at a shrine Edarus took his normal shape and approached.

"Hello Chak, Haven't seen you in a while. You been busy? Wait you are always busy forget I asked. Better question how are you doing?"

Edarus leaned against a pillar and waited for Chak to answer him.

[Caltarania]

---

---

Aelva the She-Wolf

---

---

Leaves rustled, branches snapped and the crisp-laid snow crunched at her feet. Aelva dashed through the forests of Peragon, angered by the summoning. She hated being summoned, she felt as though she had no control, that she was but a puppet of that tyrant Ava'eshthan. But there was hope born from this untimely and unlikable event... the tyrant-king had abdicated his throne, and it's position was now vacant. Any other god would see this as an opportunity to seize power and attempt to restore 'balance' or to ensure complete 'chaos'... but those gods were futile in their aims. Did they not understand that it was we who cause the unbalance? That it was we who caused the order? Aelva knew something that the other gods did not; the age of tyrannical rule by one god over the many below was over; the age of man, nature and the many-gods would soon begin.

She had longed for this day. As she raced through the now-snowy woods of Peragon in her wolf form, she remembered her mission. Unite all the people, wild-life and heck even plant-life that she could to challenge the absolute power of the other gods... yet she feared this would not be enough. She would need other godly allies, yet she must pick them carefully. Nerileth, perhaps? She had always been fond of Nerileth, were it not for her... conditions. Nevertheless, Nerileth and Aelva held much in the way of common ground, an agreement should not be hard to come by, lest her insanity get in the way.

Soon enough, Aelva appeared at Tiroedd Hela; a vast connection of camps and certain nature-ridden buildings, containing thousands upon thousands of nomads, hunters and outcasts; all of which being followers of Aelva. As she approached the great mass of tent and tree, she let out a loud howl, which it is said could be heard across Peragon. Then, as her followers took notice of her, she began to speak, quickly changing into her more-human mortal form. "Men and women who have followed me for so long, I come to you today to tell you of a great calamity and opportunity for us all!" she said, raising her voice. "The tyrant-god Ava'eshthan has abdicated his throne, and it now lays empty! While the other gods which to claim it for themselves so that they can rule over every aspect of human life, I ask you this; do you not think the age of rule by a single god is over? Is it not time for rule by man and god in common? It was not you who caused this calamity of an early - perhaps never ending - winter, but it is you who will suffer from it! Is that not the pinnacle of godly excess? Even in his abdication, Ava'eshthan harms the common people of Peragon!" she then added, to a growing crowd.

"Do not fret, my children, for there is another way!" she then exclaimed, louder than before. "You are strong! Together, we are even stronger! I ask you to spread this message through-out this world; Aelva seeks to free the world from the shackles of the gods! Nature and man will both, once again, be free to chose their own destiny, without interference from the gods who see them as nothing more than bags of meat to be used in their mindless wars! Tell one and all; liberation is coming, they need only stand with me!" she then said, to cheering crowds. "Nature cannot be tamed! Nature cannot be tamed! Nature cannot be tamed!" they chanted, as Aelva suddenly left the mortal world, seeking to gain the friendship of other gods.

[Lunas Legion]

Theria awoke in what was probably her mansion. She could never really tell, given that she seemed to wake up in those of others just as often as her own. How she'd gotten there, well, that didn't matter to her. She probably teleported in her sleep.

Again.

She'd need to fix that. Or maybe not. It wasn't that much of a problem. She remembered something about being summoned, something about everything getting colder and there being more snow than she normally dumped on the mortals, but did any of that really matter compared to her current predicament?

She sat up, and immediately realised two things. One, that the world was coloured normally. Two, that there wasn't a headache pounding inside her skull. This was a serious crisis. Standing up also resulted in a small piece of paper drifting to the ground. She never wrote anything, and it hadn't been there before.

She knelt and squinted at it. Something about Midian, who was somewhere near the least-fun person in the entirety of Heaven in her rankings, claiming the Throne of the Gods, and asking for her support. Also known as a complete waste of her time. She flicked a finger and the paper was incinerated in a bolt of lightning.

They didn't need a King. She shivered. Everything was getting colder now, and the state of the world's weather reflected on her own condition. Well, time to find whatever other hallucinatory drugs and alcohol she had left lying around here. Far easier to stop feeling the cold than fix the cold.

[Faal Lot Himdah]

Vulrena, Goddess of the Unknown and Monsters
Heaven

---

In a dark corner of Heaven, just standing there was a dark mist. The dark mist was shaped as a woman, and stood there, listening. Vulrena, Keeper of the Unknown and Mother of Monsters listened. She couldn't help but smirk with the news, This is perfect.... The gods will start bickering about who will succeed him, and as such they will to busy to take notice of my plans... she thought as she looked outward, They will return, I'll make sure of that. Vengeance will come.

Unlike her brethren, Vulrena did not revolt against the Quadruplets, officially she was a neutral party, not supporting either side. But in reality, she did support a side, she supported the Quadruplets. Vulrena respected them far more than she respected the New Gods, as such it felt only natural for her to do what she could to protect them. So she did, as such, the first monsters had entered the world during the New Gods revolt and began to terrorize the followers of the New Gods. Even the monsters though where not enough to stop the New Gods' revolution, and when the New Gods were victorious, Vulrena was able to keep her true alignment secret as her alignment fell into the unknown. As did the final words of the Quadruplets, for every other god had forgotten their prophecy, they swore to return one day with vengeance in their hearts. Vulrena had sworn to see this prophecy fulfilled, but the time for action had yet to present itself. Until today. Today marked the beginning of the end for the New Gods, and they had no idea.

Vulrena took a quick look around her, she was alone. That was normal for her, she was a goddess who preferred time alone. But she'd have to change. If she was going to bring them back, she'd need allies, people to protect her people and herself. Vulrena would have to keep her desire secret from them though, until the final hours.

"So.... How will I do this?" She asked herself as she stood there, "Do I go forth and seek allies? No to suspicious... I will wait for them to come to me..."

[Kisinger]

Again Victorius weighed his options, it was in his opinion that politics was war without combat. And so he replied again, this time even less focused on her reaction. "I can assist with this, in exchange, I would like to gain power over the domain of Domination. One that is currently held by a petty god whom I care not enough to name." He sighed, once he was poised to ascend to the throne, and now he was again allowing another to take the helm of this shift in the balance of power. However, he considered a third way, one where there was shared power over the head of the realm. He considered mentioning it, but for now, he'd keep silent on the idea, at the least until he helped gain Dærs some more supporters and proved his weight. "Do we have a deal?"

"I suppose I could do that." She smiled again as she took a few steps back. "That sounds incredibly fun actually, the God of Domination." She smiled again, as she crossed her arms and rested on her back foot. "I'll agree to the deal. Sadly, I do have to leave soon, as much as I would love to stay, politics never change." She uncrossed her arms and stood up. "Just remember that if you ever want help... In any way... Just come to Hell." She said as she looked him up and down.

[Woodstovia]

Cultro tried to pick his way back to the hall were gods were debating who should be king. He had shoved plenty out of the way already but he'd never really realised just how many minor gods they were. Whenever he pushed one away ten more seemed to appear where he'd stood. Cultro sighed in frustration and gave up, preparing to sulk off before a shiver went down his spine. Vulrena, one of the creepiest gods out there was standing or well... Floating beside him. "Why didn't you support me?" he growled at her. "We could've been allies. We both want the same things."

[The Jonathanian States]

Ratius Magenadam

---

Halls of the (Sun) Throne, Heavenly Realms
Ratius revealed a slight smile as he saw the God of Murder split from the crowd, laying claim to the great throne. It seems it had been worth staying after all. Carefully, Ratius listened. Suppressing his emotions of both amusement and anger. Murder, heavenly manifestation of the knife in one's back, proclaiming himself a good friend almost made the icy barrier of his face shatter. But just as with his claim to granting the domains of half of all deities, Ratius stoic image persevered. Once more, he considered stepping forward, performing his move in the game of heavenly politics. But a knowing instinct held him back. Not yet, he knew, the experience of political schemes uncountable warning him, not alone, not when unprepared. Inzi was not here, and this abnormal feeling the Magenadam had told him that Inzi was firing off godly fragments. His friend, his patron, one might even say his father - both in the guiding and creating sense of the word - was on a collapse. A weakened Inzi was bad for him. For it was in a Balanced world that Research could persevere. Of course, never was research more needed than the danger of chaos, but over time he had come to prefer to gradual growth in balance over occasional but significant jumps of chaos. Maybe he would have to cha.... Stopping his own thought, Ratius sighed. It would not do, to abandon the one he owed his sheer existence to. Not if it was in any way avoidable. Seeing things calm down after Edarus' outbreak at Cultro, Ratius vanished. The chance of dark times ahead was significantly too large for his taste, he would have to inform his followers.

The High Academy, Peragon
Unlike many other gods, Ratius mostly did not visit his followers when sleeping or close to their sleep. No, he preferred to visit them on the high hours of known, when mankind was eager and awake, when the mind was fresh and active. That when his ideas would find the most fruitful soil to grow among the best and brightest of Peragon. Yes, he was sure, many gods would dispute his claim. Victorius and Cultro with their warriors and fighters, Chak with his ever industrious, especially the mages and their god Midian - with whom Ratius had a certain rivalry in friendship. But there was hard work in the study of things, things that can ease the burden of the many, that can lead to victory in war. His were the gifted minds, assembled into the ever-learning League of of Academies. And Hirest, more distant, beyond the mountains.
Moving on from these simple thoughts, Ratius formed himself into the body of an old man, a white hair covering his head and trailing of his chin in a well-kept manner. A cane to aid him, the god slowly ascended on the last few steps into what was the highest center of study below heaven. Guards took a long look at him, before he explained, "I am dedicated to the learning, Sergeants". The captain of these guards stepped forward, and took a look into the old man's eyes. Within them he saw a shimmering depth of gold and a point of darkness. And just as quick he moved aside, giving the giver of knowledge passage through the open gates. Yes, guards ahead of an open gate, Ratius remembered that. For except in times of crisis, an academy shall remain eternally open to all, for only so could no mind be lost.
An eagerness unexpected in such a form now quickened the god, leading him to the school of engineering. Inside, students and scholars alike looked at the man with surprise. It was not rare to see old men in the High Academy, for there was knowledge in age, and many of the great Technocrats of the League were far beyond their youth. But those were men they knew, or at least recognized, unlike this elder.
Ignoring the look on the faces of those assembled, the Magenadam advanced towards the front of the hall. Once there, he unraveled a scroll that seemed to have appeared in his hands out of pure nothing.
"Allow me to present you this... draft. Walls, as you can see. These are for this venerable location, but I am sure you will find how to use them where-ever else you shall have need of them.". A gasp now escaped the mouth of the engineers and engineers-to-be, architects and smiths both, for now they all know who this elderly was. "The prestige of the school of engineering shall rise and you will be direly needed. But I fear at what cost.And as quick as he had appeared on the entrance to the building he disappeared, leaving the unrolled scroll of walls, and on the spot he stood on a further stack of scrolls.

The Divine Academy, Heavenly Realms
Though he had considered searching for Inzi in the mortal realms, he decided to against that path. For now it seemed best to let Inzi rest, it would contact him once it recovered a bit more, of that he was sure. Though if it did not do so soon, the god of research determined, he would have to check on it himself.
And so he spawned into the Academy of the Heavens, where the chosen few, most brilliant and dead heroes of the sciences, joined him. He was about to delve into the never-ending quest of study, to bring upon those faithful mortals, as once was intended by his father.
His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a deity behind him. He turned around to see and hear Midian talk to him.
He watched the sorcerer-lord in his robes, he himself still in a toga, though now in a younger body than he had used back on Peragon minutes ago. "Greetings to you as well, Midian, my sorcering friend. What brings you to my abode of learning, if I may be so blunt?"

[The 7th Order]

Waking up from a strange slumber Tor'Baalos remembered his followers. Why humans needed to cling to beings that would kill them on a whim is beyond him but he isn't complaining. Leaving the bubble he wanders heaven for a bit before his mind wanders to Peragon. To his dark city. Such a pure city. They understood what fear really was. A survival instinct. Without it prey would rush to the jaws of the predator. Soldiers would break rank and mindlessly charge ahead. Without him this world would be... unbalanced. The natural order cannot survive without fear. Insanity however. That was just for fun. Watching his chosen below he picked out his high priest. Barreling down toward him he whispered in his mind. "Disturbance from on high. Chaos soon. Prepare."
At this his priest began to laugh insanely at his lord's command. Tor'Baalos waited for his offering. His soldiers led a line of slaves through a narrow corridor. Most of the slaves were gibbering mindlessly or talking to themselves. The most beautiful act of his people would be to torture another god's follower's to the point of insanity. Then they would be his. These however are different. They weren't going to be sacrificed. They were going to be threatened with it. Their fear would sustain him. Quite intoxicating their fear. The most basic instinct any creature could possibly feel is fear. Wonderful isn't it? His soldiers tied them to a rock and began to chant. Once the slaves realized what was happening some cried, some screamed, other kept gibbering to themselves like nothing was happening. They all understood however. They all had fear.