The Silari Warriors rally to face the new horror. The trap makers launch Spears and nets to entangle and damage the winged creature. The Dineros continue to rip, shred, and bury the ground creatures as fast as they can.
(+3 for legendary, +1 for martial arts, +1 for weapon making, +1 for trap making)
Baxtra 1
She watches her peoples' valiant defense against the Moon-struck and feels very proud of them. She directs the hidden women and children to make extra spears and trap components. She also encourages the wounded warriors as they fall back from the lines. She teaches them to support one another and care for the injured. She also reveals that there is a divine being watching over them and helping them, but not revealing herself.
The creatures keep coming. Not knowing fear or pain it seemed as even the injured kept moving, sometimes even stopping to snack on their own kind. They saw some start to take on features of the Silari.
Warped twisted Silari heads appeared at the end of tentacles, their mouths opened impossibly wide as they started to scream. The only time they stopped was when they were biting someone. Even when dead they would scream.
The Silari strapped liquid fire to their spears and spring traps burning the heads and tentacles. They hurl flasks of acid at the invaders. They blow horns and beat drums to disorient and draw the Moon-struck into the jungles where the warrior have cover and some defense. They lure the invaders into pits and lava flows. The Dineros howl at the Moon-struck issuing a direct challenge to the crazed predators.
(+3 for legendary, +1 for martial arts, +1 for trap making, +1 for weapons)
Baxtra watches her people work together with the Dineros and her heart swells with pride. She knows that whether they win or lose they will remember these days and grow stronger.
The creatures shrug off some of the attacks as another group rises out of the waves causing the earth to shudder with every step.
Many of the Warriors lure the Moon-struck into the lee of the volcanoes and releasing rock slides, log piles, and volcanic mud (where available). They chucked spears and rocks from the heights down onto the horrors below. The Dineros assault the rear of the Moon-struck to hold them against the cliffs and receive the attacks.
Baxtra 2 looked down on the world and realized her people need some divine assistance with the Moon-struck. She reached into their mental selves and allowed them to tap their anger to fuel their combat abilities and health. this burst of energy would help them but also leave them fatigued and less capable for a short time after.
Baxtra 2
She meditated for a while on all she had built. Some well designed, others in a hurry. She gathered power unto herself and took on the domain of Thought with the portfolio of images.
The Silari felt the rage sweep over many of the warriors and they howl in rage and anger as they descend on the Moon-struck. Those who can still think direct spear-throwers and rock-throwers into the sides of the howling beasts. The Dineros are harassing the flanks and rear of the Moon-struck.
The creatures howled back with maddening shrieks as they pressed onto the attack. Never having to sleep. Only eating the living sentient creatures they found. That's when the first of the megaladons came flying out of the water in vicious packs and with writhing tenticals staying out of reach of the Silari weapons and snatching them up in a feeding frenzy. Also they felt the ground shake as something burrowed from underneath.
The Silari gather themselves together into defensive groups and use pits, sharpened spikes, and toxic resins to limit the areas the cratures can approach then spring forth to damage the tentacles as they draw near. They use fire and hot tar to damage the tentacles and sticky tar to block many pathways.
The Raging warriors expend their fury on frontal assaults while all other forces harrass.
Looking up at the red moon, Nunya exits Alphea. She looks around and decides to go find Mommy. She dissappears in a swirl of shadow and mist.
Muthadh consolidates his power and broadens his influence.
Then he will take a trove of knowledge and scatter it about. Those who wish to gain their power, must quest for them and earn them.
create magical concept: Curse Magic (shadow/divine)
create magical concept: Symbiotic magic (shadow/divine)
create advanced concept: chemistry
create magical concept: alchemy (nature/shadow)
3+3+3+2+3=14
15-14=1 AP remaining
He sends the lorekeepers a gift - a message that tell them of their task:
"Lorekeepers. You have been given much knowledge and much responsibility, but the time has come to prove you have what it takes to grow beyond what is given to you. Gather your heroes and seek out other peoples to aid you. This knowledge is yours to claim as lorekeepers - not as Wispi. Go now. Learn and grow."
Baxtra 2
She looked at her people in their fight with the Moon-struck and realized they needed assistance to reach their potential. She revealed many secrets for the use of the use of chemicals and poisons but only to those who could find the tablets hidden in the caves.
The Silari set new traps and ambushes. Using the new poisons and stronger volcanic tar and mud traps, they channel the Moon-struck against the cliffs and drop rocks and logs on the howling beasts below. Those who had found the tablets refined a more potent liquid fire recipe and deployed it to the trappers. Others with the same information, concentrate and purify the naturally occurring toxins and acids to deal more damage to the enemy.
(+3 for legendary, +1 each for Martial Arts, Trap-making, Battle Rage, Weapon Making, Chemistry, and Toxicology)
The Silari and their hounds were able to trap and destroy the Moonbeasts, killing all in sight. They sustained heavy loses but managed to survive. The week long battle left them tired and exhausted, but exuberant and joyful.
Baxtra could feel the poison of the Moonbeasts slowly fade but something niggled at her.
Her people had felt burrowing but nothing attacked from below.
That is when she felt that something was nesting in her islands and if she didn't take care of it, her people would pay the price.
When she investigated she would find cocoons latched into the rock made of a pulsing membrane that made her realize any that got close would be overcome with madness.
Baxtra 1
Realizing that these things were a continuing threat to her people, she gathered them together and exiled them to her flaming sun to allow their madness to augment the passion. She did so realizing that any who came under the influence of the madness would be aberrant in mind but definitely passionate. Additionally by spreading the madness out, she would dissipate its strength, therefore only the weak-minded would succumb.
Allianda smiled and would look at Goya. ”I am hoping you enjoy this gift. It took a bit to create. I must be going. I am growing to strong for this plane to hold me. You can find me in the plane of Shadow should you need to find me.” With that she shifts to the plane of shadow floating without touching anything.
-------------------
The Allianda with Veldrin quietly waited for him to consider their words as plant life grew around her eventually making a comfortable chair for her to sit in that blossomed constantly. Vines and tendrils always reaching for her wrapping around her. Veldrin could see that her power was growing. She had taken on the mantle of life and magic and even now more power was being drawn to her. Soon she wouldn’t be able to walk the material plane unless she did something about it. As it was he could feel her gather a new domain to her name. That of Magic and then community.
"Shall we take this to Abbadon? I can not stay here much longer without wrecking things around me. My power is growing." They would feel her power swell and she shifts to the Plane of Abbadon.
——————
The Allianda at the enclave would slowly work with her Llieldasine and as a long cycle was created they would make the first calendars. Making and tracking the seasons, days, months and years.
1 Rotation=1 Day -- Starts from dawn and ends at the new Rotation's dawn. 28 hours in a day. 7 Hours in Twilight, 3 1/2 at dawn and dusk. 7 hours of full daylight and 7 hours of full night.
1 Jaunt=1 Week which consists of 7 Rotations
1 Moon Cycle = 42 rotations, 6 Jaunts aka 1 Month, as the moon goes through different phases from Young moon to Young Moon (Aka New moon to new moon), 13 of these occurs during a Journey.
1. Shadeverda 2. Livandria 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Feralis 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
1 Season=78 Days
1 Journey = 1 Season Year -- To mark the "celestial gods" Journey from Birth to Death. Aka the 7 seasons, homage to the first seven gods. Also is One Moon Year 13 Moon Cycles(Months)
1 Sun Year = 10 Journeys -- Every Sun year the sun changes color.
With that complete she would leave her Llieldasine and head down into the earth to check in on her Shinookas. While they were doing well they were unorganized and so she banded them together into farming communities. Establishing a society for them that consisted of family unit clans. While they traveled to trade they were mostly sedentary. Farming took work and dedication. With that they also rotated their “fields” moving from area to area to let things have time to replenish.
During this time she taught them many things. How to wield healing magics to augment their medicinal practices. She also taught them how to use their claws to great effect, more than just the basic swipes. They could be extremely deadly with them. The third thing she taught them was how to camouflage themselves to be undetected when other entered their domain. Using the natural surroundings and how their own bodies looked to blend in looking like the rocks around them.
Then she took the wisest among them and taught them to be seers.
With that she would leave them once again letting them continue to grow. Soon they would meet the Silari and she thought it best they be prepared just in case.
From there she returned to her moon and looked around. It was time to create the two new races she had been working on.
First she reached into the heart of her moon and pulled out more Iridesium. With it she started to form the skeleton of the first creature. Six powerful legs, each ending in wicked claws. The legs were short due to the gravity of the world but would be able to withstand the weight they would be carrying. The body next, strong thick ribs and a spine that ended in a long saurian tail. While the spine was horizontal with the ground over the legs, once it reached the front hips it went perpendicular making a more centaur style build. Another set of ribs and sternum supported a set of shoulders and strong arms that also ended in claws. The head was draconic in nature and had a set of razor sharp teeth designed for tearing. Stepping back she looked at the glittering creation. Every part of it was deadly and the strength of its skeleton was hard to match.
”You shall be called Dragon’s” She stated clearly as she formed musculature and scales for it. The creature stood before her flexing and moving its body walking around its claws digging into the soil as it moved. Their scales could be of any color and they were born with multicolored scales and they stayed that way until they hit maturity and they solidified into one color pattern. She gave birth to many of them spreading them throughout the moon. They fought and defeated, and were defeated by many of the creatures there but soon. One of them started to change how he fought with claw and fang. Soon learning the tricks of the trade to really cause damage. This new technique spread like wildfire among the Dragon’s and they gained the upper hands. They formed bands on their own. Hunting and thriving.
They determined leaders by who was the most cunning and the strongest. The Dragon’s developed their own honor code. One that would grow with the generations and became a part of dragon life. Injuries were common and often fatal.
~~~
One female decided enough was enough and started questing to find ways to repair the injuries of her clan mates.
Allianda smiled upon that female and to test her sent her visions of a special flower deep in Death’s Cradle. The flower had the power to heal any wound. A deep canyon on the moon. Unlike most canyons this one was very wide and open. Only a few rocks here or there. It was home to the Scythe Wings. A territorial bird that had bone growths on its wings and its favored tactic was to swoop down and slice its prey with its wings before circling back to eat what it had cut off. They came in sizes ranging from the size of a horse to that of a large Roc. The largest couldn’t hunt the lower canyon but the others could.
This was a place that dragon’s didn’t venture. There wasn’t anything in the canyon worth the effort of disturbing the Scythe wings.
The female stood at the edge of the canyon knowing this would be a harrowing journey. She motion the group that came with her to stay here until she returned. Descending into the canyon she journeyed into the territory of the scythe wings.
Days passed and her team waited growing impatient. She should have been back. When she did return they were horrified by what they saw. She was missing an arm, and two legs and most of her tail. She was carrying a scythe wing’s body over her for camouflage as she hobbled to them. It was clear she was about to die. Cradled in her bag though was that flower. Handing it them.
”Return this to our clan and plant it. It will grow and its properties will heal our wounds. Just one petal is all that is needed.” Her daughter, who had been in the group looked at her and the flower. ”Why didn’t you eat one?” The female smiled as she dropped the Scythe Wing’s body. ”Because the flower dies once a petal is eaten. Our people won’t get the healing they need if I do that.” Her daughter took the flower. The group as a whole would give her a salute. This was a dragon to be honored. ”Now hurry, the flower needs to be planted in two days or otherwise it will be gone. A brief hesitation and they turned hurrying back to the clan.
The female finally let herself rest, exhausted. Allianda would move into view. A female dragon with white scales. The female looked up at her and nodded. ”Hello Mother. I see I really am going to die. The visions you gave me were correct. I found the flower. My people will have their healing.”
Allianda nodded and touched the dragon easing her pain.
”Thank you for giving me this chance. I knew it would mean my death but it was a noble one. One with honor. Watch over my daughter.” As the dragon grew weaker she laid her head down. They both looked up seeing the daughter return. Though the daughter couldn’t see Allianda.
”Mother, I won’t leave you. I will stay with you to the end. I will honor your sacrifice, but I will not leave you alone”
The mother smiled and would reach out a clawed hand holding her daughters. Long moments passed and the daughter silently prayed to The Great Mother. Asking for her help. She didn’t want to lose her mother. Almost as if the mother had heard the prayer’s she spoke weakly. ”My life is what fuels that flower’s life. If I live it dies.” The daughter remained silent and stayed with her mother treating her wounds and feeding her for another day. Once the flower was planted in the clan’s home the mother drew her last breath. The daughter mourned there grieving deeply for the lose of her mother. Soon the entire clan showed up and built a grave for her.
When her daughter returned to the clan she was amazed by what she saw. An entire field of flowers, all the color of her mother’s scales. A deep Ruby. Allianda stood with the spirit of the mother watching the clan as they mourned and moved on. Her daughter becoming an adept healer using the flowers as a basis for her medicines. When she finally came to grips with her mother’s sacrifice she would pray to Allianda. During one of those prayers Allianda would touch her teaching her how to heal magically. While magical healing could do wondrous things she also taught her the limits and how one must be careful. Only with the knowledge she now possessed did she realize, even with all of the healing she had, her mother would not have been saved. The daughter had many children who in turned sired many more.
Time passed.
Allianda would bless a couple to have visions that would help their people and soon stories grew of a hero that would come to their people. In the line of the Ruby One. Considering how many now carried that blood it was unsure who that would be.
~~~~~~
Allianda then turned to make the second race. Instead of dense bones of iredesium she blew into them making them hollow. She gave this race a more humanoid appearance. At least in body. They had clawed feet and hands also and they had a reptilian head that was narrow giving them an almost peak like muzzle. They had hollow bones to help them fly with the gravity of the moon. Their wings were large enough to hold them up but sustained flight was difficult. Males and females were hard to tell apart to outsiders but their keen sense of smell helped them identify each other. As she formed them, she formed their society. Their society was one of honor and loyalty. They were called Samuraian. They had skin the color of stone and they often made homes in cliffs to give them the advantage of swooping down on any below. They also developed how to fight with claws, talons, and beaks. In addition they watched the dragon’s and took with them the knowledge of medicines.
Allianda then formed an order for Mercenaries. One that would travel place to place, clan to clan, to fight for those who paid them.
Allianda would gather power and once again gained another domain. That of Community.
Feeling it was time she would consolidate her power and gain the next rank of dietyhood. With that the last shard of Allianda faded from the Material Plane
1 AP Create Mundane Concept: Calendar
1 AP Shinooka society
3 AP Gain Domain: Magic
3 AP Gain Domain: Community
4 AP Create Legendary Life: Dragons
1 AP Create Sentient Life: Krolli
1 AP Create Society: Krolli
2 AP Create Advanced Concept: Archery
2 AP Create Advanced Concept: Natural weapon combat
2 AP Create Advanced Concept: Camouflage
2 AP Form Order: Mercenary Clans
3 AP Gain Divine rank
25/26 AP Spent 1 AP left over
And where is Says Dragon it should be Dreagon. (Dray gon)
Baxtra 1
Looking on the World and realizing that she had lost ground during the fight with the Moon-struck, she gathered energy into herself and consolidated her power. Taking on the Mantles for the Domains of Combat and Emotion, She set out to plan her next advances.
Baxtra 2
Looking at her people she decided to leave them clues about herself, the Moon-struck, the second sun, and the rest of the world. She wrote them on sheets of obsidian and placed copies in areas where the various tribes could locate them.
Allianda floated there making sure she didn't touch anything. Well this was a bit of a pickle. She couldn't go to the material plane anymore. To powerful. Sighing she sat there thinking about her creations and felt her now rather flat tummy. Looking around she noticed that she had drifted to close to a column and moved away. She needed to rest and gather power to make a plane of her own instead of hiding in others.
Electricity arced between the twisting and spiraling pillars of shadowstuff. Before her she sees a strange vortex of energy and shadow gather before her. With a burst of air, the vortex disapates and Muthadh appears before her... however she quickly realizes that this is not the true fungal god as this one is composed entirely of whirling shadow. This is his shard. He speaks with a echoing disembodied voice,"Hello Mother. I am the shard of Muthadh, your child. I am called the Librarian of the Nexus of Shadow." he bows before her.
She smiles. "Hello Muthadh the Librarian. How have you been? It has been a while since I have seen you." She straightened herself and reached out conjuring a leaf to sit on that looked large enough to be a recliner. "I seem to have gained to much power. If I had stayed on the Material Plane I would have Wrecked things."
The librarian says, "I have been here. Slowly cataloging and appropriating the various energies collected and stored here in the Nexus. Your divine and nature magicks as well. Would you like to see?"
Allianda nodded. "I would love to see. I need to recover some of my magical energy from giving birth and teaching." She would smile and floats there. "Lead the way and I shall follow."
He nods and will will reach to a pillar and some shadow energy tethers itself to the pillar. he holds out his hand taking hers,"Hold on mother." before grabbing the tether. Energy envelops them and they are whisked away through the pillar traveling at the speed of lightning until they appear nearly 10 minutes later out of the pillar and into a distinct section of the Nexus. Here the energies have collected to form a twisted shadow of a jungle realm that releases mists of divine light instead of water.
She smiles and would hold on. The trip was a fun one and one that made her laugh and giggle. "Okay that was fun. I like your mode of travel." She said even as she looked around at the gathered energies. "Its beautiful. What are you going to do with it?"
The librarian says,"I am merely the collector and sorter of energies. The nature of the realm prevents divine intervention. Once I have sorted the energy from the collectors, its location is permanent save for mortal hands. If you wish, I can divert some of the energies from the collectors to here and you can mold it before it settles. Make yourself a temporary home of sorts."
Smiles. "Well the nature of what I am I would happily say yes to that. I love to create. Me just touching things tends to spring life." She points to the leaf she had been sitting on which had now developed into a bush.
He says,"Your powers would have no effect on the shadowstuff here. Only what you bring in will you be able to affect. Over time, the magical natures of what you create will be siphoned away and become part of the plane's shadowstuff. You need not worry about your powers causing any more chaos then the entropy can dismantle." Allianda would look around.
"Ahh, I see. Are you sure. I shouldn't have had an effect on dead things and yet you sprung to life." She pointed out even as she reached out to play with some of the energies making a little bunny rabbit to hop around.
He says,"How Muthadh came to be is a mystery. Indeed the how and why is a mystery to all of us. We simply are. However, be it because I am merely a reflection or shadow of Muthadh or perhaps because he himself believes so... I feel that such questions in the end do not lead to progressive anwers. The how and why of our being is not as important as the "how we should act" and "why should we" are."
"Always the thinker." She smiled. "Some wish to know the why and how. It is in our natures to question it. Even if only for a brief moment. Then again, I am a mother. I give birth to many creations and mourn their lose as Veldrin's decree says they die."
The librarian says, "They are important questions to be sure." he touches one of the pillars running through this jungle and seems to tweek it a bit. Green leafy looking energy flows from it and he says, "Use your energies to make what you will. Though Muthadh chose to house the Nexus within himself, even before then, you always had a home within him. You must work quickly before the energies become that of the nexus." By quickly he means days of not touching it as any energies left here long enough turns black and wispy, becoming strands that stick to the pillars, making them slowly get thicker and more energetic.
She would smile and reaches out touching the energies letting life spring up around her. She made a tree home for herself. Four rooms all nice and cozy. Leaves that shed light as she sat inside of them. Soon that shifted to two rooms. A bedroom and a main room. With a couple of chairs. "Ahh, that should work."
The Librarian says,"Please, make yourself comfortable... I must return to my duties but I will visit you once more, mother." he bows politely and twirling shadow energy envelopes him and he disappears to return to the collectors.
She would nod and conjures up a bowl of water to see what was going on in the material plane
Muthadh created a guide in the sky for the wispi to follow. however, in order to follow it, they needed a way to get there. lashing together a bunch of their wagons was an alright idea, but it became clear that they needed a specialized vehicle to bear them across the skies.
They worked hard, harvesting shadowstuff in great numbers in order to counter the weight they would bear aloft. Like the islands that they call home. Soon, the very first of dozens of giant air ships was launched, with several drifts of Wispi banding together to pilot these craft in all directions. The Lorekeepers chartered one called "Destiny's Tempest" which contained the Incari, Hyli, and Urmah drifts. A ruling council of the head matrons in each drift determined their course.
"Towards the Dragon Continent!" Said the Lorekeepers.
They set off in search of their first quest location.
Create Advanced Concept=Shadow Air Carriers (air ships) 2 AP:
The Shadow Air Carrier looks like a giant galleon with its hull made entirely of shadowstuff. It uses a combination of sails and specially grown fungi that blow out pufts of air in order to ride the air currents or push off in a direction that the wind is not blowing. Though the Air Carrier has its natural advantage of air superiority, it has a disadvantage in that its hull is largely unarmored as extra weight would slow the craft down too much. This means that destroying the shadowstuff on the craft's underside will eventually bring it down... not to mention that poor piloting and crashes are catastrophic. Air Carriers use organic architecture, so they are grown more than built so manufacturing times are low. However, due to their biological natures, they must touch down on nourishing soil after a while, making their trips often long hops.
Create Society=Flotillas 1 AP:
Flotillas are groups of drifts that have banded together on a air carrier for mutual benefit. How many drifts might band together depends on initial interest but never exceeds 5 and only the largest of drifts can man an air carrier on their own. When multiple air Carriers band together in an alliance, this is called a "Greater Flotilla" and is often used for greater protection, however they rarely last longer than it takes to reach their destination. Once there, they often plit up to go their own way or join other Greater Flotillas.
With his people taking to the skies, he decided to take their new home as his domain. He thought back to an old god who had departed this world. He searched the metaphysical to find his power and take it for his own. With the wind at his front, he spread his arms and welcomed it. Thunder clapped and lightning struck all around him as he took on a new mantle in preparation of his growing power.
Glubokaya Gora looked about at his creations. His arts and architecture. The Forge and smithing. Maths and Engineering. He felt a thirst in him that mere water could not quench. Taking up some of the food stuffs within his chambers, he mixed them in a barrel. Grains, some fruits, and other ingredients. He sealed the barrel and placed it near the Forge. After contemplating for a time, his thirst growing, he checked in the barrel and it smelled strong. He drank of it and tasted the bite. HE sat and contemplated, drinking his brew.
"I should share this among the others. This and all my creations. All that I have made. I shall set the gifts among them and I think I will stay here with my creations." He looked about and realized that his chambers were bare as they often were. "Allianda, I'm going to let my creations free among all the peoples. The Secrets of the Forge, Math, Engineering, Sculpture and Architecture. And this. Brewing. Take it to everyone that they may enjoy what I have learned. As for myself and my Dwarves, We shall stay here in our Halls. Toiling away at the Rocks and the Metal. Doing as we shall do. My Hammer shall stay with me. Unless there is a Great need for me, I will live out my times crafting and creating. Fare the well, Allianda. And give my love to the rest."
Well, my creations are open for all to use. I'd have spent the points on creating brewing, but since I'm not intending to be back, I saw no point. So, Smithing, Architecture, Sculpture, Maths and Brewing are now open to all. Enjoy them. Gora and his Dwarves are sealing themselves away.
The Destiny's Tempest continued its voyage over the seas. The winds were kind but weak, keeping progress slow. The families keep themselves busy, either tending to the well being of the craft or tending to the well being of the passengers...
The Lorekeepers did what they could to keep the tension down. The Destiny's Tempest was one of many vessels that had elected to travel so far and so quickly, but without the normal interactions the caravan routes encountered. Despite their love of travel, the number on board still strained their nerves.
During the day while some were recording what they witnessed and interviewed the elders for the families' histories, a few others told stories of the old times. Using illusions of various senses to tell stories of monstrous tribes or terrible beasts being beaten back by brave families and their clever wit.
At night they look up to the Réaltaí - the stars and help guide the helmsmen along their way. Songs of simple heroes are sung as reminders of the roles that all can play if they are able and the circumstances are JUST right.
Nearly a month has passed since their last touch down. Supplies are fine, supplemented as they are with fishing, but the craft needs its rest as well... Then they see it. The continent of Dragon. Like a dark emerald it beckoned to them.
A young male crewman jumps up to the helm,"Ceannaire Incari. Land spotted ahead. Looks like the right place. Thick jungle and all."
Ceannaire Ora Incari stood as regal as a wispi could, her eyes surveying the landscape. She nodded to him,"Very good. Let the Iarrthoir Pacáiste know that they will be needed in finding a landing zone." he bounds off to let the scouts know. Once gone she turns to the Lorekeeper,"So please tell me. What do you know of the continent?"
Another female, this one older, says softly,"Is that not what we are here to find out? I know it is thick with jungle... but we have no maps. No way to tell where or how to get to a city. We will simply have to trust in the Réaltaí to guide us."
Ora squirms at that thought,"And should the Réaltaí not actually lead us anywhere?"
The Lorekeeper sighed, her hands running along a knotted staff,"Tch! So little faith, Ceannaire Incari? The Réaltaí will not lead us to the knowledge we seek. No... they will only lead us close enough. Gone are the days when things were more simple. Like leanaí taking their first independent steps... we too must forge our own paths."
Ora looks unimpressed. She asks,"So does that mean when we get... wherever we are going, that means you will leave my Flotilla?"
The Lorekeeper chuckles,"You are not your Flotilla and it is not yours... but yes I and my Pacáiste will leave you in peace. No more sharing your resources with poor old freeloaders like myself."
Ora bows her head slightly and softly,"I meant no disrespect of course."
The Lorekeeper chuckles,"Fufufu I am sure." She taps the floor with her staff,"Good winds Ceannaire Incari."
Ora nods,"May they keep you aloft, Lorekeeper." The lorekeeper leaves and Ora looks back to the horizon and the thick jungles that await them and the Flotilla aboard the Destiny's Tempest.
Allianda looked at Goya and nodded. One by one, the original gods withdrew from the world. She was saddened greatly but knew she could not keep them here. As Goya's people trickled into his forge she motioned to the shining metal. "Use that with your power on the inside and it will lock you away. I will use my power here to lock it on the outside. I will pass on your teachings Forge Father, to the others. They will be happy to know your lessons will not fade."
Once he closed his great doors for the last time she would create Iridesium and magically strengthens it locking the door from the outside fusing it within the stone. Then she reshaped the world to hide him and his creations for the rest of eternity.
As she faded to the outer realms she thought of how best to tell the others.
Many things were happening in the world and the whisps did not yet know how to travel between the planes. She would need messengers and a way for them to move.
She gathered her power and concentrated on making such things possible.
----------------------------------------------
As they approached Dragon their were four things they noticed.
The first, was the sheer size of the trees. The beach was almost completely in shadow as they approached. The trees could easily have three ships under their canopy stacked, one on top of the other, and they wouldn't hit its upper branches.
The second, was the riot of color. Trees is all shapes and colors dotted the landscape, flowers and vines crisscrossing creating a giant web of plant life that gave no real passage for large ships. They would have to go over. Even as they did the tops of the trees were a riot of color and different visual textures of leaves.
The third thing they found out was the noise. This jungle was noisy during all parts of the day. Calls of exotic animals and birds. Roars of hunting creatures. The rain and thunder. Nothing seemed to ever have a silent moment. They watched below as birds of various colors would fly up to inspect the ships. Many small or the size of large cats. Others, the size of large dogs with massive bills that tried to pluck at the shadow stuff only to drop it after tasting it not finding it to their liking and flying away with irritated squawks.
Some of the smaller ones stayed to hitch a ride as they went along happily singing and playing around. Some taking a liking to the ships and used them as nests.
Monkeys would run across the canopy howling at them until they left their territory.
At night when things did get quieter they would see lights in and on the canopy as bioluminescent trees and creatures moved out during the night.
The last thing they noticed. Their didn't seem to be any clear place to land. The trees seemed to make a giant carpet over the entire continent, including the mountain and canyon areas. From above the entire continent looked like a dragon from above with its tail curled around to its snout on the right.
7/8
3 AP Magical Concept: Teleportation:: Divine, Arcane, Nature
2 AP Magical Concept: Planar Travel:: Divine, Arcane
2 AP Advanced Concept: Sword Training
The Destiny's Tempest continued on its course. As the birds began to inspect the soft and spongy shadowstuff, it became clear that they might become a problem. After a scout had to dangle on a side to inspect the hull, they found the nesting birds. On the bright side, they had plenty of food to hunt. On the down side though, the birds were irrevocably damaging the craft! There was no telling if they could find enough shadowstuff to repair the hull.
Ceannaire Urmah was greatly concerned,"We need to find a landing position immediately or we may find ourselves crashing!"
The only Male leader, Ceannaire Hyli said,"We land here and we can forget ever taking off again. The creatures here do not know any better. They will tear apart our hull faster than we can rebuild it. We must turn towards the sea."
Ceannaire Urmah scoffs,"We turn back, we might not make it! We already now there is no place to land where we came from!"
Ceannaire Incari says,"A gamble then? If we are to crash, should we do so closer to the sea or in the middle of a jungle we know little about? Even should we find a clearing, Ceannaire Urmah is correct. We will not take off again. Without our bearings, at that. To the sea we go, or be swallowed up by the jungle."
Ceannaire gives a short nod and turns to a crewman,"We are turning around. Tell the Iarrthoir Pacáiste to keep the wildlife off of our hull. Spread the word to hold on to loose items. We must make a sharp turn portside in order to make the sea before Fréimhe." The crewman nods and growls before bounding off, howling orders.
News travels fast in the jungle when you know how to listen. The Llieldasine, knew how to listen. Matrons and enclaves alike heard the news of new plants and creatures flying above. The matrons prayed to the Mother and consulted with themselves before they sent scout teams to find out what they were.
The scouts brought news of strange dark things floating above. How it sounded like it was crying out in pain and hunger even as the birds ate at it. There were also creatures flying the great floating plants. Some looked part animal and others strange but similar to them. Just with two legs.
The matrons gathered in the Great Enclave to discuss this. One, named Shianz spoke up after rounds of discussion.
"We act. We can not let those plants suffer anymore. They obviously don't listen to the world as we do so know not that they can descend amongst the Old Ones.
"What if they attack us Shianz? The Great Mother no longer walks with us?"
An older matron, her skin now like bark of an old tree, her four arms limbs slowly slithered forward. "Are we not our Mother's Children? Were we not her first? She entrusted this land to us. Let them attack us if they dare. We listen to Anya and gain her wisdom. We bathe in the light of Aroha, our mother's love. We grow even stronger with her teachings. We stand on the mother's blessed land." The old ones voice was low but spoke with the strength of the great trees.
"We would remiss in believe all that come to us will attack. We will save their floating plants first. Then, we will make contact." There was a murmur but slowly agreements came up.
"Prepare to wake the Great ones."
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The first thing the Whispi noticed was the birds squawking and suddenly leaving at the swift turn. As their cries died out in the distance they heard nothing.
Pure silence from the noisy jungle below. Then cracking, creaking as magics were wrought down below. The trees twisted and moved and long branches moved up an into the air with a suddenness that was surprising. The branches reached up grabbing at the ships. Curling into them and started to pull them down. The entire jungle below was coming alive!
As the first of the ships that actually got grabbed settled in the branches they would slowly be pulled down into the folding leaves of the canopy.
Below, those that stayed on the ships would see each of the ships captured slowly moved through the branches of the great trees and down below them. Looking down they saw rich moist soil cleared and their ships were put there by the trees themselves.
Some, who looked closely at the trees could almost make out faces in the bark watching them before the blinked an it was gone.
Each ship one by one was put onto the soil as silence surrounded them and the Llieldasine watched from hiding.
There comes great howling from the Wispi,"Secure the main sails! Get the little ones below decks! Secure the Faolchu! ALL HANDS BRACE FOR IMPACT!"
With the grabbing and lowering, the find the descent not as turbulent as they expected. Touching down on the soft soil, the craft itself is ready to root, thinking this is perfectly normal. The shadowstuff still trying to fight the foilage holding it down a bit but beyond that little upward motion. The wispi get into natural defensive stances. Faolchu alongside their handlers, armed with tooth, claw, scavenged sword, shield, and anything else they could find. The Lorekeepers begin to chant and coordinate their shadow magic. Concentrating on their focuses, they shield the craft in an inpenetrable visual illusion. A glittering veil of blackness and starlight. None can see in, but the defenders can see out.
The Lorekeepers quiet their chanting some, simply maintaining their spell for a duration and waiting to see what comes next.
The trees slowly let go of their prize and would rise back up to their full height. Their canopies moving back in. As the craft was covered in a strange fog like substance they watched the creatures on board scramble and bring strange beasts to the top. Silence reigned for a long time.
Then one brave Llieldasine looked at her tail and it split into two legs simular to the female Wispi. Taking her first steps out from her hiding spot.
The Wispi see the plants move and start to walk. What looked like pale skinned female moved underneath the cover of some flowering leaves. It took them a second to recognize that as hair. Her arms were a pale white and while it looked simular to them its legs looked like a plant. Almost as if it could plant itself into the ground.
It slowly approached. No weapon in hand. Its eyes staring up through the shadowy fog that covered it. No clothing at all could be seen on her as she approached. She stopped and crouched half way to the ship and started talking in a tongue unfamiliar to them. She was talking to the plants encouraging them to root. The soil was rich and moist and would help them.
Then she looked up at those on board and would speak loudly obviously addressing them.
"Tena, Ko ahau te tamahine o te Mother Tuatahi. Te tikanga matou ki a koutou, kihai i aha."
The craft was plated in about a foot of shadowstuff... minus where the birds got at it... the fungal cap that made up the craft hull was slowly letting down its mycellum threads but that would take its own time.
Meanwhile, the Lorekeepers change their chanting. Unlike before, the chanting is not quite uniform throughout. It causes the illusion to warble and warp:
The animation shows several stars in the sky, brighter than the others. A bright beam traces down from a few of them to point directly over head Dragon. The images scale out to show there are many people looking up to the sky, and interpreting the message.
The veil goes dark and a new animation is shown, this one showing multiple people getting on board what looks to be a boat. They can see it is the same people who looked up at the stars based on the color of the robes they wore. The craft takes central view and the background is animated to give the impression of a voyage from floating islands across a great ocean, sometimes touching down on green lands, only to take off once more until they reach a green land where a bright beam is coming from the sky.
Finally, the animation shows the ship being captured by the jungle. In their eyes a more sudden and unexpected (but no intended harm) attack rather than a show of aid. As the veil goes dark, a giant image of someone walking - this one wearing the robes of the star gazers from before - but slowly shrinking until it is the size of a normal woman.
A woman who then steps beyond the veil and out into the open, carrying a knotted staff.
She speaks in Auren:"Tháinig muid i síocháin..." and she kneels down in a similar fashion to the other one.
They do not see her eyes following the illusion like it should but she notices the woman and would watch her as she comes down and kneels. She cocks her head at the words hearing them and giggles shaking her head and touches the ground.
"E kore e te arero taua matou korero. Ko oro ngā koutou arero. He aha i karakia ki a koutou? Ko e te tahi mea taa ê? E kore koutou e taea whakarongo ki a koutou whakato mate nui?"
Knowing language wouldn't work she would cup the dirt in her hands and she molded a rough looking shape of their ship. She points to it and murmurs and the woman sees mushrooms and other fungi grow out of it.
She points to the model then to their ship.
She then points to the fungi and they start to wilt and die and she covers her ears as if in pain. Speaking she says.
"Rongo tatou i mate ia ratou. Unuhia e matou ia ratou ki raro, ki te whakaora ia ratou."
She then points to the great trees around them and holds up the little figure and a small tendril vine comes from the ground with some coaxing and grabs the figure gently putting it on the ground and she watches the mushrooms grow strong and healthy again.
She looks up at her expectantly as if asking did she understand.
she points to the model in her hands and shakes her head. She reaches with sharp fingers and pinches her own arm,"Oooo!" in a dramatic fashion, before shaking her head. She points to the craft she came on and then points to her stomach and makes a growling sound. She pats the ground softly and makes a "Mmmmm" sound and looks to her to see if she understands.
She looks at her blankly for a moment and then points the ship and then the ground and holds the model up before pulling it to the ground.
She then waves her hand over a patch of ground and what look like some kind of vine pops up and vaguely resembles the treetops in the shape of a dragon. Then she digs a trench around and it is filled with water.
She again points to the ship and then hovers the model over the treetops and runs it back and forth and the ship slowly sinks until it drops out of her hand and crushes the "trees" and breaks.
Points to herself and the broken "trees" and shakes her head.
"Kino, kino, kino." She repeats with a tone that didn't sound....good. She then lifts the model and repairs the "trees" before she shows them reaching up to bring it to the ground. Once it looks healthy again the trees lift it up and back into the air.
She nods and bows her head and will gesture for her to wait as she heads back through the veil.
She addresses the group,"They don't appear to be aggressive... well overly aggressive. They didn't attack us. They simply pulled us down because they thought we were in trouble. They think the ship is in... pain and that it is damaged."
Another says,"They are not entirely wrong. So what is the problem then? What do they want?"
The lorekeeper will explain,"They want to feed and heal the ship before they will let it - and us - go."
One of the shadow crafters groans,"By that time, the jungle will have picked the shadows apart! We wont be flying anywhere!"
The lorekeeper nods,"They do not speak Auren and they appear to be partially if not full blind to some forms of light. She didn't seem to be able to perceive our illusory explanation at all. This means explaining what shadowstuff is... well it will be difficult. It will take time. For now though, we are not in hostile territory. You can drop the veil, keepers... it is likely they cannot even perceive it."
The veil drops. The faolchu growl once the veil is down but they are calmed by their handlers. Weapons are being sheathed... if the person was lucky enough to have a sheath... or a weapon. Aggressive stances are being dropped though a wary attitude still remains. The Lorekeepers all disembark to greet the leafy woman.
As the Lorekeepers approach more of these women come out. Each legged and beautiful. Then they see that it is a bit of a procession and they see three obviously older women in the center. These women had four arms and they seemed to be respected by all around. Each was carrying a walking stick that had a different wood. The oldest, looked like a walking tree and she carefully moved.
They walked up to the young one that had approached and she smiled up at them.
"They can not speak the language of the plants nor the language the Great Mother taught us. But I think they thought their floating plant wasn't in danger."
The old one nodded. "It may not have been in danger in their eyes but we know how quickly things change here. Well I am sure they don't want to be here long. We can see if the plant portion of their flying plant will respond to our nature magics. If not we will guard it from the animals here." She nods and would watch them come back seeing more of their kind.
The looked at the Faolchu and would stay where they are waiting for the approach of the Lore keepers.
The old tree stepped forward and motioned at their ship. She then reached in her belt and pulled out a sharp piece of obsidian and cut into her arm. They saw it leak a clear substance and she held her hand over it. They saw magic radiate in the form of green light. When her hand moved away the wound was healed. She pointed again to the ship and made walking motions with her fingers.
She will shrug and will shout back to the others,"They want to approach and try and "heal" the ship! Give them space!" there is some grumbling but they call back,"Fine but if they damage any of the shadowstuff, they join our salad bar!"
The lorekeeper sighs and will look back to the eldest and make a kind of pleading motion to be careful before motioning for her to continue.
The old tree nodded and would hobble forward. Only the other two four armed women walked forward.
A couple of things the Lorekeepers notice is that they smell nice, like any flower. Their scent slowly tugging them in. It didn't influence their decisions any. It just was a pleasant smell.
The Faolchu and the Male Wispi definitely could smell them as they got close. They smelled like food. Sweet tasty food. The three women would examine the shadowstuff before they gently applied their nature and healing magics to it. Nature to speed up the natural rooting process and to expunge the few remaining creatures out of the shadow stuff. The Healing to see if it could repair at least the fungus oriented parts. They moved slowly and carefully making sure they got out all the creatures.
The ones that stayed behind talked among themselves and soon baskets were coming out of the trees with picked fruits and plants being offered to the Lorekeepers. They took great pains to point at the fruit, give it its name. And show them how to eat it as some did look inedible.
Their healing magics would specifically not work as they are trying to heal something that needs to be repaired. Shadowstuff itself is non-organic so healing magics don't work on it at all. Also, due to its magical nature, it requires powerful creation magic to conjure the stuff and repair it.
However, their magics are not wasted. The spells they use to facilitate the growth of the Mycellum works perfectly. What should take an hour probably takes no more than a few minutes thanks to them. Being a fungus based vessel, the surrounding flora wont be particularly happy about its presence as it begins to break down plant matter that the mycellum is connected to. If indeed they CAN hear the fungus, it is probably quite happy at the moment and its doubtful they will care about anything beyond their singular thought of "Nom nom nom!" that they are thinking right now.
The Lliedesine will find a lot of wispi's own provisions are either moldy or slimy. They seem to enjoy the flavor of it anyway. The Wispi will still enjoy the gifts being offered to them but none of the Faolchu will even approach anything remotely fresh. They only seem to stomach the rotted stuff.
The three would once again move back together to do their last magics. Repelling the natural creatures from the flying plant so it would not be nested or eaten. Then moved back to the group.
The group of the Llieldasine near the Lorekeepers let the Wipsi take their choice among the fruit and would eat themselves.
They would point to various things telling them words of what things were called.
One pointed up to a large bird saying its name and they watched it approach the boat and then suddenly turns around with a squawk of irritation.
The ones there pointed to the ship and made a motion with their arms over their head that looked like an O. Then one, using her hands acted like the bird and ran into the bubble and flew away.
the lorekeepers nod,"You created a barrier to keep the birds away. Thank you." they bow their heads softly and smile. They will repeat the words back to the Llieldasine as they begin the process of learning their language.
The process is long but the Llieldasine are patient. When the plant has had its fill they will indicate that and sees if they need anything else.
They don't know how to repair the shadowstuff but they can tend to the plant side of things. One of the Llieldasine would bring forward a stylized totem of the Great Mother trying to explain that this was her Jungle.
Once the ship was ready to take off again the Llieldasine would work with them to make a signal for when they needed to land so they could open the jungle below.
They learn that the ship wont be able to take off until tomorrow - its a really big fungus and needs to stock up for another month's travel.
They also learn that the Lorekeepers are not planning on leaving.
The Llieldasine's would try to ask why they are staying.
They will draw on the ground, explaining that they come following the stars.
They try their best to illustrate that it is their goal to find something embedded on the continent that they are supposed to find.
Baxtra 1
Gazing out at her tribes, she chooses a few from each tribe to reveal herself to. She appeared to them in power and organized them into a priesthood. She gave them rules for the tribes to follow both among themselves and toward the other races. She taught them to revere the other Gods as well as herself and to treat all the other races with respect.
Baxtra 2
Gazing down upon the world, she decided to create a race of sentient beings without the benefits she had given the Silari. They were shaped in a copy of her own humanoid form. They walked on two legs and had two arms ending in delicate five-fingered hands. She built them with corded muscle to gain strength though exertion and with the flexibility to exploit them. She placed them on one of the smaller islands of her chain and left them instructions on obsidian tablets scattered around the island. She left them to determine their own name and language. They chose the racial name of Hae'lurae "the People who walk in the Light". After a few years, she descended to live among them and teach them the basics on how to interpret the tablets.
As Allianda goes to travel to Abbadon, Veldrin stops her "No, you are not permitted in the plane of Death, Mother of Life. I fear what would happen were you to enter there, not the least of which could be your own rather violent destruction as the forces of death and life crash together."
He looks around at all the life that has sprung up around her, and shakes his head. Summoning vast reserves of power, fueled by all those who have died in the recent war with the Moonstruck, he unleashes a black wave a pure death, killing everything Allianda created, but leaving her unharmed.
"My isle will always remain dead, for I am Death"
Gain Ability(Elemental Mastery: Death) -5 AP
She looked at him and blinked. "Alright, then we go to out Son's domain. I can't remain here without destroying everything. Even your lovely isle." Seeing the plants wither and die as she floated above the ground.
" I will see you there so we can continue our conversation. Baxtra, Veldrin. I will wait for you. And Veldrin, have you considered our powers would just negate the others" She asked this before fading away.