The Pact of the Gods [All Players please read!]

[Maeve]

OOC: The following thread is a dreamsequence for all player characters of Tazlure to provide you with vital information . You may incorporate this knowledge into your threads, but remember that you only vaguely remember its contents and its significance. If you take your memory of this dream too far a moderator may overrule you.

Note that ONLY moderators with their NPC deities may post in this thread, no Player Characters please

IC:

1:1 In the beginning there was the Father of the Heavens and the Mother of Earth. 1:2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters 1:3 And a voice born of the Mother and Father whispered, Let there be light: and there was light. 1:4 And Illuminatus saw the light, that it was good: and he divided the light from the darkness.

An elderly couple held hands. They sighed, almost in unison. The ages the man and woman had spent together bore down upon them like a heavy burden, bending their backs and putting aches in their joins. He wore a light blue robe, nearly covered by his long curly white hair and beard. On his hunched shoulder an eagle sat patiently so as not to give his owner more discomfort. Her flowing dress covered her voluptuous belly and almost hid the bilious cloud that was their throne. The crone's long white hair was covered in flowers; her nails black from working in dirt.

"Here we go again," the baritone voice of the man predicted. The woman only nodded, a tear glistening in her eyes but never shed. She knew many of her children would die again. "My love, how often our offspring turn upon each other. Have we not shown them love? Have we not given them true sight so they will not be blinded by righteousness?" The greybeard patted her wrinkled hand, trying to reassure his wife even though he knew there was no comfort he could offer her.

The old woman looked up from her misery, her eyes misting over as she saw her children approach, some gigantic, some so small and insignificant that only she took notice of them. For she had given life to every single one. One by one they gathered around their parents, hugging their elder's overflowing robes as they tried to catch their attention. The Mother and Father maintained a stern silence, drawing out the voices of their children who felt obligated to fill the void. One by one they spoke a tale of Darkness and Light.

[Dark Whisper]

She had come from a cavern to attend this momentous meeting. She had seen it would come to this and wanted to be among the first to arrive. Releasing the guise of an old woman, one that was like a familiar coat to her and appealed to mortals who thought that seers needed to be old, Aithne assumed the form of a beautiful, innocent-looking, golden haired girl of perhaps 8. Her mother always preferred this visage.

While her clothing and appearance changed, one thing did not. Her hair might be of gold, but her eyes were milky white. Foolish mortals might call her blind, but they would gasp if they could see what passed through her blind eyes. It was they who were blind.

Entering the room respectfully, she gave a deferential smile to the older couple. She was content to listen and watch the proceedings. She was child of neither light or dark, but what was occurring had to concern even the children of the twilight. One of them had grown too powerful and had plans to alter the balance. As she moved beside the Mother, she mapped out, in her mind, who would likely attend and she speculated as to the exact content of the upcoming conversation. For her, it was akin to witnessing a play she had seen before. Yet, when one dealt with gods, there could always be surprises.

[Grandfather Kennis]

He was in the desert lands of Amun Rah when the Call came. It was not exactly a call but more a Feeling, as was usual when their family gathered. With a thought he transferred himself to a place far away, both in distance as in time. There his appearance of a friendly old man changed slightly. He still looked old but a certain timelessness had come over his features, the simple garments he had worn before were replaced by a pure white robe that seemed to shimmer with an inner light.

The unfolding events in the mortal world were most concerning, ancient evil struggled to regain footing in the world and then there was the terrible betrayal by one of his siblings. Kennis sighed and a Sound rose up around him, it was as if all ages the world had known passed by.

He looked at the place he called home one last time and turned around. A few moments later he appeared before his parents and made a bow. "Father, Mother," he looked beside his Mother and smiled and with a nod added, "Sister."

He moved to stand next to his sister and wondered who else would attend this Debate.

[Illuminatus]

Illuminatus, the Third, didn't speak. He appeared behind his parents, and put his hands on their shoulders. He didn't need words to communicate his concerns with the Mother and the Father.

Nor did he wear any garnments in the classical sense. He was clad in pure light. He felt particulary involved in this matter, as he was more or less responsible for the balance of things.

After he had greeted the pair lovingly, he took a seat in front of them. He nodded to his wise brother and his so-called blind sister.

[Guest]

Tempestaries

Behind the gods came little flashes of colour and light, the sons and daughters of the Father of Heaven were gathering for what they realised was a monumental event about to happen.

A few of the tempestaries came in, each in their own way;
The first on a slide of ice, dressed in sparkling icicles,
The next on a rainbow, she was covered in ribbons of colours,
A third appeared on a shower of hailstones, the swirling of which covered his body.
A fourth rain clouds dancing around, a fifth a flashes of lightning.

Soon all manner of small weather 'spots' appeared as more and more
Tempestaries floated in. It was like all the worlds weather, though on a much smaller scale.

After an initial noise noise and chatter the Tempestaries settled down to listen, with just the odd small flash of lightning and crash of thunder.

[Maeve]

The Mother smiled and was just about to say something to her eldest son Illuminatus, when a lot of noise drew her attention.

Dancing nymphes entered the clearing, with satyrs chasing them, the ladies stopping their singing in a fit of giggles. Amidst them all was a man with goats legs and horns on his head. His brown curly hair sparkled with the occasional blond touch, and his beard was clipped into a little goattee. The creature played a flute made of reeds.. a simple tune that nonetheless held everybody breathless. A few grapevines adorned the creature, and he casually nipped on some grapes as he stopped playing.

He stood precisely before his Mother and Father, bowing deeply in respect, yet with a mischievous glance. Among his followers there were many minor deities, for Pan had been fruitful and multiplied.

"Dearly beloved, "he called out in a teasing voice "We have gathered here today.." A few laughs broke out and he stopped, secure in his position of the local prankster. The gods face grew serious "We have gathered here today because what we feared most happened nonetheless. The light and the darkness are here. Our brother sought to right a wrong and the right became the wrong."

He no longer adressed the overtowering presence of the main deities present but looked at his siblings great and small "We thought we could save ourselves from this destiny by gathering the rose crystals, yet.. the Light One, or should I say the Dark One".... an OOOOOOOh went through the crowd at this dig "has stopped this flower in the bud. Clearly all can see what I've been foretelling for a long time. Our brother has forsaken the light within and we must take action."

[Moonlady]

In a long gown of shimmering moonlight, she approached her divine family, her long silver hair unbound and softly falling around her dark shoulders. The Goddess moved with a grace akin to floating, her bare feet hardly touching the ground beneath her. The Moonlady had left her children in Gulanadur unwillingly, but knowing that she must attend this gathering, something within her driving her toward action where before she had been content only to protect her beloved dark-skinned Adhiel.

Pausing to let her brother make his dramatic and yet sincere declaration, the silent Goddess then made her obeisances to her divine parents. Would they hear Pan this time, she wondered.

"Indeed, something must be done," her silken voice intoned, before she gracefully sank onto a seat among her siblings.

[Anasis]

The woman stood among them, her eyes flashing dangerously as they searched among those gathered for the other- the one whose meeting she doubted would be pleasant. Her hair fell down in loose sheets about her face, floating and twisting as if defying gravity- the darkness thereof rivalling the night sky in its ebon darkness. The eyes were like sapphires set in her dark skin, luminous and lustrous as true gems might be, but gleaming with a sparkle that revealed them to be alive- a brilliant sense of purpose flickering within.

Clad in a loose cerulean gown, which- much like the hair- hung about and floated as if in a state of permanent resistance to its own weight. Rather than hanging about the woman's body, it moved as an independent entity, the soft cerulean lined with seafoam lace- floating about the entire dress like a string of tiny bubbles, looming in the air itself- tranquil and still and stymying in their genuine impossibility.

A single cup hung lazily in her grip, plain and wooden- in contrast to the elegance of her garments- with water flowing over the edges in an almost continuous trickly- the vessel blessed long ago to never empty itself. The water ran over the edge and flowed in rivulets down her smooth and tanned arm, yet left no trace of moisture upon the gown itself. Indeed, it was as if the water ran over her- as if Anasis's body was covered in some sort of oil that forced the layer of water to run past the surface of her skin until it fell into the puddle that loomed eternally at the goddess's feet.

Breathing a soft sigh, Anasis noted that her sister was not here yet- which was perhaps a good thing. Their meeting would not be pleasant, whatever the severity of the circumstances might demand. The words of the others speaking chilled her, filling her heart with a kind of quiet dread that she had not felt for a very long time- not even in that other dream, when she had allowed a single acolyte to stand before the darkness. Her kohled eyes were suddenly wide, as she stared at her family.

"We all know that it will not be quite so simple to stop Him or His followers. Saying that it must be done is not enough," her eyes were not challenging, merely questioning, imploring. "He has already violated my land with his dark presence- worked magicks there that have altered the landscape of Amun Rah. The plan failed, but not by my fault. I did what I could for you- stifling the desert so that it might work." Her eyes were now accusing and hurt- looking toward Moonlady and Pan with aching severity. "The challenge was a heavy one, and it was entrusted to a select few. The wrong selection was made, it would seem. Unless the plan was for my land to be treated as it was. Unless that was your grim intent." She laughed softly, a sound that was perhaps a bit too intense and discordant to be natural, like a babbling brook's excessive flow after a flood. Tears, like raindrops, darkened the cerulean eyes- saddened by what had been allowed to happen in her domain.

"Something must be done, you say, but I do not see anything that we can do. Enlighten me of your plans, then- since we all know how well they have worked well in the past." Her eyes remained fixed on the adhiel deities for a moment longer, before turning idly away, taking a sip on her sacred chalice, as if daring anyone to prove her words wrong- daring someone to mend this hurt that now lurked within her.

"After what has happened to Amun Rah, how can you so callously talk about inviting more harm upon our people?"

[Guest]

Graceful as swans, both male and female, a dozen or more of those that are called valkyries entered. Some even out of thin air, the valkyries being gifted with the ability to fade into any background and become invisible. Murmurs of their young, but still so old voices divinely beautiful in their soft resonance faded as they, the grandchildren of the Father, quietly settled among gods and fellow fae, paying little head to the nymphs and satyrs, but silently greeting their fathers and mothers, the tempestaries.

They were dressed in short, light shifts of soft colours, pleasant and calming to the eye, rather than the armor the females in particular applied when appearing in battle beside a hero's sword. The daughters' flowing hair gathered solemnly on the ground where they sat down among gods and fellow fae, the sons joining them. They listened attentively to what the gods had to say, always ready to serve if the gods wished for a messenger to the mortals, another god, or sought a fearless warrior to tip the scales in one of the many wars of Tazlure.

[Grandfather Kennis]

Kennis smiled and nodded to Illuminatus. As their little siblings floated in he smiled again and exchanged a telepathic greeting. He waited, silently and bided his time. Before one speaks one must listen and learn.

He slightly shook his head when his more impulsive brother entered. Kennis had never developed a liking to the excesses of Pan and certainly not to his idiotic followers who divulged more in pleasure then in the pursuit of a deeper meaning. A strange thought rose up from the god’s subconsciousness. Perhaps the pursuit for pleasure was not only the pursuit for life but also the tool through which many forget their fears for unanswered questions always remain… even in these Realms.

Pan’s words were short, abrupt and in general as impulsive as he himself was, this time no subtle wordplays and no pranks. The Prankster’s words might be a direct reflection of his feelings mused Kennis.

Anasis words didn’t surprise the god yet he had hoped it would be different. “And where does His battle end and starts our own?” his silent, yet audible, voice slipped in after Anasis’ bitter words, “I remember a time when there was harmony. That the gods worked to preserve what was… And look at us now! I know your pain, my sister, but try to remember that what we discuss here today will affect the world in a more powerful way than even our interferences in the Great Battle. We are gather here to discuss Darkness and not to let darkness take us…”

He looked at their parents: “His desire to do good has always been unrivalled except for that of our brother Illuminatus,” he nodded to his brother, “but He does not know balance! What he wroughts will put the whole world in misery. He was a bright light for his followers yet now he becomes darkness. No… He becomes madness. He wishes to destroy his siblings and his parents to achieve his goals. I have wandered through Anasis’ lands and seen the destruction he has wrought. It is not good to select a few chosen to defend this. As we have seen this plan has failed and why? Because of pride, strife and other emotions? Maybe they played a factor but that is not the reason, no… To entrust the fate of the world in the hands of the Elder Race, of those few that are left, is not a good idea. Only a communal effort between all can change the course events are taking. When Light becomes so bright that we are in the Dark we must fear for our own lives…”

He took a step back and waited…

[Illuminatus]

The Light One almost smiled at his brother uttering his own concerns so eloquently. He himself had been waiting for his Parents to respond to the remarks of his other brother, Pan. However, the discussion had already taken off, so there was no more reason for him to maintain this respectful silence.

"My brother Kennis speaks wise words, as we are used of him. The crisis is very clear to us all. The question is rather: 'What to do about it?' He had turned towards Pan.

I know that it is an endless sermon of mine, but I feel obliged to emphasize the following yet again: the rope we are walking on is dangerously thin, and the slightest mistake may greatly disrupt the balance we are all so dependant on.

Hence this is certainly not the right time to provoke discord with accusations. We must all work together now, for there is no room for intrigue or initiatives from one or just a few."

His face was stern, his tone chiding. He had not turned directly to anybody in particular, for there was more than one in the present company who had to hear these words. Neither did he make a big effort to hide that he considered the broken feelings his sister of secondary importance for the time being.

[Dark Whisper]

Aithne was used to merely watching what transpired, but she knew of more subtle dangers than just merely the madness of Dominicus. Her siblings must not lose sight of it.

Climbing into the lap of the Mother, as an eight year old might, a voice far older spoke. "Our brother is quite strong ... a continent to feed him. In his madness, he thirsts for more. His madness makes him stronger and ... less predictable. Yet, is not even the strongest dragon vulnerable to a group of its own kind? And would not his downfall realign the balance anew? Some to suffer a sad tale, while others would find welcome wind in their sail." She scanned her siblings knowing which would benefit the most.

"Darknesss tightens its grip on the Western Kingdom, no? Would anarchy serve our purpose I wonder? Other ways there may be, I am thinking. Ever serious our brother has been, but he wears madness as one who wears a new cloak." It was not her way to speak plainly.

[Maeve]

The Mother patted her hair absentmindedly as the Dark Sister spoke her mind in riddles.

Pan played a few notes on his reeds before remarking sharply "We have all lost souls at the Oasis. No need to claim that particular grief. In fact.. I've lost quite a few souls in the Western Kingdom of late, and even in the Citadel, where our champions were strict. It seems that everywhere I look my followers are attacked while darkness is allowed to reign free."

The Mother sighed and for the first time spoke, as the Father patted her hand "It is true that in the Citadel, perhaps the entire empire, we've seem to lost touch with the people. I hurt everywhere, yet my child doesn't walk the night anymore to heal me."

Pans eyes now glowed red, his aspect of blood overriding all else. "Either we all united on stopping this, or I will take my own measures. Sometimes to defeat the darkness one must walk the Twilight. At least some of us dare to take chances, putting everything on the line." He gave his dearest younger sister, who in part hailed from his own body long, long long ago, a beaming smile. Moonlady had been instrumental in shielding the Elder Race from the worst effects of the Rose Crystals.

[Moonlady]

The Moonlady listened to the words of her siblings, but it was Pan's that resonated within her. She moved to stand at his side and then looked about her as if to dare all to speak against her brother, meeting the gaze of all who would return it. Her gown of moonlight swirled about her as she turned, her movements echoed in the pale, silvery light.

"You know Pan speaks the truth!" she declared, her dark eyes flashing dangerously. "We must act!"

Within the goddess, anger roiled as she thought about the wrong done to her children and lack of action against Dominicus and his many followers who sought the death of all gathered here. The injustice burned at her mind, flaring from a mere spark into a fire that could easily become an inferno.

[Grandfather Kennis]

Kennis sighed as Pan spoke. It was not in the Grandfather’s nature to act solely on emotions and Pan’s impulsiveness had caused a lot of irritating situations in the past. Yet this time it wasn’t just an irritating situation that Pan’s action would evoke, it would trigger a War like the world had never seen.

“Always you are impulsive, brother,” Kennis spoke, his voice no longer friendly but stern, “This is not a matter for you alone to decide nor for you, dearest sister. Listen to me, Pan! Your actions have brought great pain to the Elder Race. What you shall do on your own will be a thousand times worse. Then what shall you be? A Tyrant worthy to measure his power with our lost brother Dominicus? Remember, god of passions, that you are not the one who should decide over the Fate of us all! This is a matter in which all shall speak. Few are the times that we have all worked together towards one goal. This shall be a decision of All! For all your power and followers, Pan, you act like a child whose toys have been taken away from him. You are not the only one who has suffered losses and I will certainly not let your judgement alone drive us into Nothingness!”

The god seemed to have grown while talking, a towering figure he know was, his shadow falling over Pan as the dusk falling over the world. Slowly Kennis returned to normal proportions and his voice sounded soft again: “We must decide together. Alone we will fall, united we might make a stand and even survive.”

[Anasis]

Anasis turned on Pan, eyes calm and placid but burning with an inner resolve- the connection she felt to her own people. "You, brother, are a fool." The words were not malicious or spoken with any sort of passion, rather falling like stones in their simplicity among the gathered divinities. They were spoken as fact and truth- not as opinion. "Your word was given- yours and hers," she indicated the Moonlady, eyes still calm and collected. "You lost some followers, perhaps, and that is indeed tragic. I lost my land- the very surface of my landscape destroyed beyond hope of repair. There were creatures on that mountaintop that lived nowhere else upon all of the Tether. And they are gone." At last, a cold and burning fire entered her eyes, tears falling and turning to steam as they struck the cold puddle beneath the water-goddess's feet.

"Don't try and steal this from me, Pan. This is my grief and mine alone. You cannot know the pain I feel- the betrayal that darkens my heart and spirit, the woe and rue that stab at my heart." More tears continued to flow, each hotter than the last. "My pain. My torment. Mine alone, and not yours."

The woman's hair glittered and shone like a sea as she turned to address the entire assemblage. "You ask me to again extend my trust- this time to you all," she whispered, voice as quiet as an ocean breeze coming in with the twilight. "You ask me this in my moment of despair and loss. Have you not seen the horrors that our Brother can inflict? He has a continent of zealots at his back, all willing to die for his name." She took a step back. "You claim we decide as one, that together we can oppose this darkness- yet I ask, again, will you leave me alone in my pain? Bring more death into my heart and spirit? I do not invite more pain. I will not."

By now, the tears had stopped, the brilliant eyes still gazing upon all those gathered, before narrowing upon her Mother, she who might understand the pain Anasis felt most keenly of all. "Dear Mother, you know of the pain I feel, the hurt that keens like the wind through my spirit. Tell me, then, why I do not desire revenge against his grim destruction and demand retribution for the hurts I feel? Why is it that I only wish to return home and mend my wounds? To bandage the scars that already form?"

Again, she addressed everyone- eyes glowing, now, in the heat of her emotional distress. "You demand that we act, so many of you, but you know not how we might act. Would you risk open war so soon? Without any notion of what we might do? No strategy?" She leaned toward the towering Kennis, not acknowledging his stature. "Would you wager the end of the Elder Race against his malice? Every last one of them dead? How much would you sacrifice? How much would any of you sacrifice to end this, though you cannot know the pain that even my loss has brought. He could take so much more from any of us than he has already taken from me."

"Tell me, what is your plan, that makes it worth this risk of pain and loss? Think long, for it might mean the death of all who revere your names."

[Guest]

Tempestaries

The Tempestaries had been quiet up to now, not in their nature, but they knew this was important and to listen carefully.

However as the conversation had progressed they had got more and more restless and suddenly Thunder, Lightning and Rain could not take the tension anymore, and BOOM a clap of thunder went across the area, followed by flashes of bright lightning and a sweeping of Rain drenching everyone!

The three stopped, all the stares of the other Tempestaries on them. Realising what they had done, they quickly mumbled their apologies and sheepishly hid themselves amongst the other Tempestaries.

Still unable to stop the odd little boom and flash though.

[Maeve]

Pan was bored by the words of one of his sisters. Already he had taken steps, yet he would not tell his brethren for they would not understand. Pan had started on the one hand to walk the Twilight. Only on the line between the forces could darkness be battled effectively and Pan's Blood understood that. Let his most trusted followers dabble with darkness and then let the light come out on top. He was sure his blind sister would agree on such a course.

The Mother slowly turned her attention to the Moonlady "You do not look well child, what is the matter with you." And the pale Moonlady blushed and couldn't not withdraw from an acute flashback in her mind.

+++

Moonlady watched as if from a distance when her sister's temple fell. Anasati's form threatened to dissapate as the doubts of the power of Anasati echoed int he minds of the followers. The few followers left on Tazlure who would not know or hear about the temple and Anasati for a long time would sing praise to a hollow wisp, a cracked mask passed across the face of the Mother.

Despite all she is, I love her, she is my sister Moonlady wept dry tears of sorrowful dust into the Aether. She cast off her shadow provided by their sibling Molten's heat and furious raging light, and stooped to scoop up the writing etherial form of her sister. It's ok, you are free now, you are with me now.

The implications of the magic of gods is sometimes not even known to the gods themselves. A scream rang out in the heavens. Those seeking the destruction of the goddess were satisfied, but what has come to pass is much worse. Through the feet and robes of the Moonlady, Anasati feeds on the energies that she needs. She watches. She waits. She still attends to her followers behind the back of the moonlady, not in her shadow, but as it.

The had become one in a sardonic sort of way. Only by turning her face from the light could Moonlady see her new shadow and only by turning towards the light could Anasati see the rest of the world. But when they face away from one another, it is as it was before neither completely sure of what the other was doing, only that the ebb and flow of magic was moving about them.

+++

The gods stirred as they felt this change in Moonlady. "Are you alright, maiden of the moon," Pan inquired lightly yet with a worried touch to his face. It was as if he felt her slipping away from him. She who had been part of him for the longest time.

+++

There is more power in both of them now. attached it seems and yet separate. Other gods to surprised to catch fleeting glimpses of the face of Anasati sometimes as herself apart from the Moonlady, sometimes as a shadow across the face of the Moonlady.

There is the darkness that Anasati faced she saw her most devote follower clinging tenaciously to the faith that kept Anasati herself alive. The gifts of her sister were new to her, but poweful and willful Anasati wielded them in a gift to this one follower trapped as a soul in Limbo, trapped as a corpse beneath fallen stones.

She led the soul back to the body and tied the cords of etherial matter with the lights of Gulanadur. She commands were simple but powerful, "Go forth and spread your faith in me. Rebuild. " Whether it was the mystical lights of Gulanadur or the godly merging of the mind of Anasati with the magic of both her and the moonlady, the new force within the corpse of the follower rose up, and it was hungry for the dark energies of every being on Tazlure, it was hungry for power, and it praised the goddess Anasati for its new life, its thirst, its hunger, and offered up blood symbolic of the energy that fuels the world becuase it fuels the body. It offers it up in the only way it knows how, to consume it.