Hmmm... we probably want the duplicates to be the ones to take the stage, because it's probably going to be messy. Have them talk up just how much of a mess this code can cause if run, maybe with some warnings about how bad it would be for the area to run it immediately. You know, the kind of thing that Fentor would want to happen. Then at some point we know everything will come apart, people will attack, so on and so forth, and we arrange for Fentor's minion to get the code and it'll probably try to run it. If not... we wait in ambush outside. Sound workable?
So, a deep chime sounds in the small but luxurious Auction Theater and the duplicates of the pirates very slow raise the heavy black Girvanian-silk curtain on the motley thirty or so "early buyers" who paid significantly for the experience...
... As the curtain raises, a bizarre and very bright stream of multicolored light shines from on stage.
At this point, the three-quarters of the audience which had risen to attempt to rush the stage, hesitate and stare at a bizarre and twisting combination of a pin ball machine and a roulette wheel of spinning fire which Snobarny in sequined horse costume is operating on stage. "Come one, come all, all who would dare, the pirate code-treasure lies deep in my wonderous machine and is available to any who would play... .
From your vantage point outside the theater, the rest of the party can feel a strong magical pull from Snobarny's contraption and most of the audience members leap forward to enter the "game".
But only a few instants later, the cloaked entity you noted earlier explodes into action, beginning a terrifying babble of incomprehensible but overwhelming gibberish (an effect that sends three quarters of audience into a frothing madness ... but doesn't phase either either the sequined horse or the mechanical pirates). The thing then barrels toward the stage, engulfing the mechanical duplicate of pirate Boinga and stopping just short of Snobarny in his horse suit, who nimbly puts the machine between it and him. Meanwhile a couple of the audience member have somehow gotten into the machine and are somehow making headway towards the center where the prize supposedly is.
::Kind of improvising, I'll admit. Why not try to kill the thing? That would give it an incentive to try to "play" my game... I've added traps to make seem real-enough naturally...
The dwarf scowls at the thought he might be forced to attack anything resembling his Exalted Daughter.
We're *always* improvising. Let's see, some chaos... oh! How about...
Terexaltherin, while staying hidden, telekinetically draws one of the likely-bounty-hunters' weapons and fires it at the 'shogoth'.
A black arrow from one bounty hunter's loose hand crossbow somehow burns a beach ball sized hole in the bizarre monstrosity. The thing seems taken aback, scanning the crowd for further enemies ... with the various adventurers and bounty hunters not affected by it's cacophony maneuvering carefully, most seeking cover but a few apparently thinking the thing might be a better target than they thought...
Meanwhile, the individuals in the glowing, whirling, roaring machine grab at the helix representing Gift's code while Snobarny circles his contraption while agilely keeps his distance from the entity...
The entity itself extends 5-6 pseudopods around the area, adds words in Aklo roughly meaning "for this, all die" to its cacophony and horribly dissolves those individuals it previously engulfed...
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Azzim suggested, ::Fear of missing out, that's what will drive him! Watch this!::
Azzim in the form of a crazy eyed magus in a colorful outfit looking suspiciously like Gene Wilder appeared on stage in a clap of thunder. Noting the madness enveloping the audience he made a strange gesture before wiggling his fingers and shimmering field of sparkling diamonds shone over the crowd.
Striding up to Snobarny's sequined horse costume he said in a loud stage whisper, "Dobbin, if you'll allow me kind sir..."
Then in an over the top stage bellow he cried, "Ladies, gentlefiends and cosmic horrors! I am Xaru the Munificent, I have come here to spectate and also to bet on the winner of this fantastic prize. But what's going on in there?! Allow me to elucidate!"
Waggling his fingers one more, a giant scoreboard shimmered into existence with roving cameras following the progress of those inside. This display was framed by a glitzy firework fountain. From somewhere an invisible band started playing tension music.
"See! The guy in the blue hat has taken a segment of helix, that makes three parts by my count! But the knight in plate armor has five putting him in first place. BUT WAIT! Is that a thief I spy behind him, OH YES IT IS! Look he's just stolen a helix section, putting his total up to four and now in joint first place! That's right gentlefiends, the rules tonight are the rules of the jungle, whatever goes!
Well there IS one immutable rule, the first to thirteen sections takes all! And look here, more members of the audience are heading in, THAT'S RIGHT gentlefiens and cosmic horrors, there's still time if you've got what it takes!"
Even the inhuman, flowing purple entity pays attention to the spiel of Xaru the Munificent. Clearly the thing's intentions are divided, it's pseudopods hesitate for several seconds and then, it divides in half, half leaping to into the crazy, spinning machine and half continuing to scream and hunt Snobarny... The piece inside the machine naturally just attempt to destroy other "players" and the device, at which it is only partly successful...
Terexaltherin continues to look for opportunities to cause more chaos, aiming for more subtle uses of his telekinesis when he and his target are unobserved by the creature.
So, the configuration of the large conference room shifts as nearly half the "potential buys" jump straight into the bright spinning wheel of Snobarny (several helped in by Terex)... (the room itself is half Marriot conference center, half TV-version of a medieval castle).
The part of purple shoggoth still in room momentarily ceases it's the psychic assault (but clearly will soon restart). However, it lashes out against Dobbin/Snobarny and Xeru/Azzim with four putrid, purple pseudo-pods, Focusing on Dobbin with three swipes and grabbing with Xeru with one...
The part of the shoggoth within the wheel-machine has turned pink and is getting closer to the "prize", maybe three rounds away...
Overall, chaos reigns...
We've got it riled up now for sure, now we just need to make sure it runs the code when it grabs it! Azzim, maybe talk up how dangerous it would be to run or something? And do you and Snobarny need some help getting away from it? Terexaltherin 'says' from his hiding place.
Keeping up his commentary and updating the scoreboard as best he could, Xaru the Munificent bellowed out, "Hell's bells! It's getting chaotic in here! The shoggoth has partially committed, will that be enough? Maybe. Look it's managed to snag five, six, no seven helix segments, incredible. However the knight has that thief at sword point, I can't tell what they're saying in there, but can you believe it he made him hand back the stolen segment! And look the knight now has six, no seven segments putting him neck and enck with the shoggoth.
It's chaos outside, it's chaos inside! The shoggoth has I think eight segments now. Oh but what's this?! Look the other competitors inside are conferring. Could they banding up against the shoggoth?! I think they might be! Yes ladies and fiends, the shoggoth made a stunning first impression but it's in trouble now! If its in it to win it, it needs to stop messing about outside and GO ALL IN! It MUST act quickly or the others will rip the prize from its clutches! It MUST seize the last few helix segments and run that code, before they do!
Pure excitement! Pure chaos, anything could happen!"
Arlo once more steps forward, The Arlosword in hand.
"A warning to anyone in the first three rows of seats", the dwarf warns. "You may get wet and damage your clothing."
She walks close to Azzim, holding up a card she got form somewhere that says, ROUND 2
Even the purple Shuggoth is taken aback by Arlo's sudden appearance with the Arlo sword gleaming nearly as brightly as the strange machine in the center of the room - the entity is sufficiently taken aback that the tendril connecting it's two halves breaks and the two pieces are unable to create it's signature maddening cacophony and instead just make a grinding gurgle.
At the point, Snobarny runs behind Arlo - at which point the slick, pulsing insult to time and space throws three tentacle-like-pseudo-pods around the Dwarf and Snobarny and lifts them into the air, apparently intent on engulfing them.
At this point Snobarny, again does another dimension hop with Arlo, landing the pair, a bit worse for the wear, ten feet from where they started
The inside the machine purple horror is working steadily toward the prize, maybe about 3/4 of the way towards it.
Over the hive mind, Snobarny sends ::I really do need stay alive 'till the thing gets its prize, that machine requires my concentration...
"Show time"
And blades lots and lots of blades.
Lady Lyra Anna Fitzroy goes after it, a whirlwind of blades.
Using inspiration to get extra attacks.
Unarmed attack +1 +18/+13 DMG[1d3+1+4] x2 {B} [Ignores Hardness 20][Counts as magic]
RH Adamatime CLAW Blade TH+15/+10 DMG [1d6+4] {SP} [Counts as magic]
1:TH DMG
2:TH DMG
3:TH DMG
LH Adamatime CLAW Blade TH+15/+10 DMG [1d6+4] {SP} [Counts as magic]
1:TH DMG
2:TH DMG
3:TH DMG
-- Adamatime TALE Blade TH+15/+10 DMG [1d8+4] {SP} [Counts as magic]
1:TH DMG
2:TH DMG
3:TH DMG
Tentacles fly as she makes purple calimaory
The Arlosword flashes against the shoggoth's hide.
Lauranaa darts out from somewhere unseen towards Snobarny just as Azzim in the form of Xaru the Munificent casts a spell. She lightly touches Snobarny and with a blueish flash many of his wounds simply vanish.
Terexaltherin watches the battle, watching for a point where he could make a difference, but at present he thinks it best to stay hidden and see how their enemy reacts to the sudden assault.
Arlo and Lyra shower a vast rain of blows on the pulsing, purple hunk of ooze yet seems unphased and possibly unharmed, only bits and pieces of it dislodged...
And abandoning it's attack on Arlo, it slithers back to the stage and throws two tentacles at Xaru, wrapping around Xaru and twisting horribly .
Snobarny over the link: ::I can let the inner thing have the "prize" now, just give me the word - and I can get Azzim out in a moment, I think. Terex have any tricks?. Snobarny climbs to the ceiling and manages to dimension jump with Xeru to the other side of the room. ::That won't work once if it starts targeting all of us at once...Anyone have haste? Another scroll drops from where Snobarny was...
As the ooze went for him, Azzim snapped his fingers and a bubble of force surrounded him, holding the thing at bay.
Inside the sphere Azzim tended to his wounds with a grimace.
Outside Laurana was flying near the rafters and she spoke the word Azzim had taught her and a jolt of energy washed over the members of the organization!
That's something I should get a wand or scroll of... no, I can't do haste. I could throw a web out just to delay it slightly, but with how liquid it is that might not actually slow it down... let's see...
Terexaltherin quickly reviews his options, but this is an enemy he's not well-prepared to face. He didn't want to touch its mind, and its body lacked much in the way of defined anatomy to target... not to mention it was probably using exotic senses so invisibility or illusions wouldn't help. Hmm...
Well, maybe telekinesis? He starts grabbing tables, chairs, and even the lighter corpses in the room with his mind and hurling them into the way of the creature, trying to separate it from its targets.
The lavender-purple abomination bats Terex' things away but some slight distraction causes a few to hit, further distracting it... The inside-the-machine version of the creature seems more focused, disemboweling competitors with abandon but somehow not quite grabbing the brightly displayed code...
Witnessing his and Lyra's attacks barely making a dent, Arlo roars, "MORADIN!"
Arlo, the grumpy dwarf, swings with vast determination yet with all his failures weighing on him. He sees each blow miss, deflected by the horrific unnatural hide of this creatures ... he see this in his mind's eye and then ... feels the blessing of Moradin and Azzim's spell and his own growth and finds the glowing sword has pulverized the purple horror, reduce to series of pulsating pieces on the presentation room floor...
Snobarny sends ::Whew, that gives us time but we still have to reel fish in carefully, very carefully...
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Over the link Azzim disagreed, ::We need a forcing function, perhaps a snatch team from mechanus one that will arrive soon but not instantly. Arlo if you press things, he won't have time to examine what I'm doing too closely.::
Azzim carefully considered exactly what a snatch team from mechanus would look and sound like. Metallic robot being or some such. The portal would be loud showy but slow to fully open to admit a gargantuan attack bot.
Once he was ready he started concentrating on a new illusion, and a brilliant blue white portal with edges throwing sparks like welding torches on steel appeared.
Arlo breathes heavily from such a godly effort. "And that's why..you don't mess with Brighthammers..!"
So the fight within the glowing machinery is heating up, the purple thing inside the wheel now focusing entirely on the code-helix when the Mechanus "snatch team appears." And it the purple creature is now strongly fixated on the goal ... so when the helix enters the thing's circuitry-laced tentacle, the code indeed is run instantaneously. The result is a flash of glowing data that instantly absorbs the shoggoth and races with supernatural quickness into the distance.
And then... everyone feels a sigh, a relaxing of space and time itself. Further, each of the party members hears a soft mental voice say "There now, done, for the next task" which might or might not be GIFT.
Once Snobarny dispels his machine, there are only a half-dozen "bidders" left alive and they leave without comment, some staring at the party members as servitor arrive aiming to resurrect some of the bidding groups though several are left with only goo.
As you exit the devastated "auction room", the Sarokin seems slightly brighter, the air a bit warmer.
Finally, maybe an hour later, you receive a sending from Ari Shadowfire, resplendent in a ruby-red fairy silk gown and saying "Greetings across the dimensions my friends. The siege our Organization is ended, this particular opponent is vanquished and we are back to ordinary operations. Please return to the Magic Hat for a complete debriefing." (The Magic Hat restaurant being of the hiding spots of the Organization's Planar Machinery...).
At the moment the code expends, Lyra records it, locking the data away for future analysis.
At the voice Lyra jumps and is convinced it was Gift.
Ralif and love for her daughter floods her mind.
She hugs her husband
"She is alive Arlo, our daughter is alive"
When they get back to Sigil she locks herself in her lab researching what happened and working on a provent project. Day after day, things are dropped off at the house, and taken down to the lab.
You can *feel* Terexaltherin's relief (subconsciously telepathically broadcast) as the creature finally executes the code and is annihilated. After a moment, he 'speaks'.
Good work, everyone! Snobarny, good working with you again, that was quick thinking. Azzim, you did an amazing job driving up the tension so that creature fell for everything. Lyra, Arlo, as usual you were our first and best line of defense and offense.
Is the lack of commentary on his own contributions humility or something else?
Now, we'd better figure out what to do with Andreesha and the other pirates. I feel like they've risked enough to 'serve their time', so to speak, but what do you think?
For his own part, all Terexaltherin is really thinking of right now is a nice reading binge...
So, the Party arrives at Sigil and all who don't immediately step out are treated to a fine celebratory meal in a private room of the Magic Hat - the mood is subdued but optimistic. Ari, Arjunara and Livonia each offer dishes prepared from ingredients gathered across the planes. You watch the lights of Sigil spread out below you and notice a vast spaceship dematerialize above you. Soft music plays
The pirates are offered accommodations in one of The Organization's pleasant guest houses. Arjunara comments "Certainly they shouldn't be imprisoned but a plane where their skills are likely to do good would be appropriate for them"
At the dinner, Ari comments "We have only just began our full surveillance of the planes. It is clear many threats from the Traders have faded but naturally new plans and threats are appearing. It will take several weeks for any appropriate full survey. After your efforts, you deserve a vacation and we will be able to work without you - but depending the question, we may want to call on you." Ari pauses and Bethia adds "We also want to test the revamped Planar Machinery. So, I would like those will to describe their ideal vacation world and I will see what I can do to create it..."
She hugs her husband
"She is alive Arlo, our daughter is alive"
"Well, of course she is, darling", Arlo returns the hug. "She both a deity and a Brighthammer!"
Terexaltherin eats eagerly, as much because being able to relax makes him realize how hungry he's been without tension ruining his appetite as because of how delicious and interesting he finds the spread.
Of course, an advantage of telepathy is that you can talk with your mouth full and no one will call you rude.
We should definitely find a place for the pirates to put their skills to better uses. Maybe somewhere with some space battles against an evil empire? I bet they'd enjoy running some blockades for a *good* cause, especially with good payout for it. he muses 'aloud' at Arjunara's comment.
You know the kind of vacation I like, and of course I enjoy answering some questions! The little dragon responds to Ari as he tries a particularly spicy little fried, breaded meat thing. Diving for a (minidragon-sized) glass of milk hardly interrupts his telepathic messaging, though you can feel the sudden alarm as an undercurrent. But maybe I should go for a more exotic kind of library this time? Like... rooms grown into trees full of crystals that play memories when you touch them, or maybe a realm where there's lots of little tiny floating pieces of land each of which has its own kind of library...
He manages to send images of these ideas, produced by his vivid imagination, even as he's guzzling his glass of milk from... well, *some* sort of mammal. I do want to look at the Planar Machinery, too. You've seen the reports I've written on my discussions with the primal spirits and then the experience with the planar infrastructure, not to mention the other bits I've picked up. Maybe there's something I can suggest...?
Bethia shows Terex through the various sections of the planar machinery, "You have seen some other section before but the section we now need a bit of help on is the Clockwork Time Replicator, a device that allows the illusion of common time between planes - at least when we get lucky" and she leaves Terex to explore and improve on a vast array of gears, spindles, coils and crystal that correct temporal divergences across a variety of physical laws and spiritual states. The gear work is mostly managed by various crafter spirits who are happy to restart their work after the end of The Organization's dispersal. Terex is able to suggest a variety of improvements in the machines' processes.
Livonia is able to find a world on the edge of chaotic-good, where sea going buccaneers protect a mainland from raiding crab-entities. "This may keep them busy enough to be out of trouble..."
Arlo gets home a few hours later than Lyra. The dwarf explains The Organization's researchers had some information. Arlo then explains everything the researchers found out about sublime beings.
"Apparently my body is continuously being rejuvenitated by Positive Energy", Arlo explains. "I can't die of old age, so under the right conditions, I could live for millenniums."
Arlo's demeanor takes on a more serious shade. "Also, because of the constant influx of life energy. I'm now extremely virile. So we have to be very careful when we are intimate, unless you would prefer I keep you barefoot and pregnant", the dwarf half chucked. "Unless as a android..you can..turn off your reproductive parts of you. I figured you could. Just.. I wanted to warn you."
Azzim was satisfied that the pirates where being suitably looked after and as he sometimes did after a mission went to the bath house for a long soak in steaming hot bath before venturing to a small street food cafe in the Market Ward that served incredibly spicy ramen.
As he was finishing his bowl, a strange deeply cowled figure sat next to him. Azzim turned to glance at this newcomer who said to him, "Your request has been approved, please follow me." Azzim nodded and rose to follow figure, who lead him through a series of portals that by a very circuitous route ended up at the famed Library of Lore, demesne of Boccob the Uncaring, a greater deity of magic.
Azzim was a careful researcher, but the more he knew the more painfully he became aware of how much he didn't know. This was going to be a problem if they were truly going to take the fight to The Dark Traders. He needed to understand the secrets of planar genesis among other things, and moreover he needed to find a way to curtail the Trader's Influence. This wasn't something you could look up in a book, even in Boccob's library, however Azzim suspected the fundamentals upon which he could devise a way to really fight them might be learned here.
"Apparently my body is continuously being rejuvenitated by Positive Energy", Arlo explains. "I can't die of old age, so under the right conditions, I could live for millenniums."
She sits with Arlo drinking tea, the boys off to bed.
It was she who smiled now."Well I have always known you were viral, and also about that."
She holds up a hand and it glows with divine energy
"Its seems me as well. I had suspicions while on our stip, I felt funny when I came into contact with anything Gift or you had touched. So I tested it in the lab, and it's true. Faith drives divinity and being linked so close to not one but two divine beings. The mother of one the wife of another, had made me part of both of your devaine tails."
He can feel that she to now has the spark of divinity now.
Arlo stares down at Lyra's hand, then take it in his and gently holds it up to eye-level. "I wonder. How does your connection to the boys feel? Closer? The same?"
With at least some of party members engaged in their own activities and researches, Ari Shadowfire still manages to assemble the entire group (as well as Livonia and Arjanara) for one of her full formal fay tea services (with the customary levitating purple teapots and spider silk lace place mats). While most of the service is taken up with reminiscences and remarks on the marvelous cuisine, she manages to bring up some serious questions, "While Gift's ascension was no doubt marvelous, it shows that we who are 'fighting on the ground' need to balance the relationship between the divine and the mortal... , ancient elf's eyes take a far away look...
She smiles,
"Closer, I can Feel them, much as Gift used to, like empathy. They have a very tight bond, they can feel to each other over any distance. And now I'm linked to that, Its you Arlo, your divinity, I no this sounds odd, but I think you seeded divinity if all our Children. And its been passed on to me, just a little but I can feel it."
And this, she breaks her glass on the table then puts her hand over it, it mends itself coming back into whole glass once more.
"That is not tech, I can just do that, its like I know the spirit if crafting. Like it's part off me."
"I have a feeling that, you are becoming something, gift hinted at it once, she said 'Dads more than you think, one day a whole reality will look at him for guidance.' I thought she was talking of the plane you came form, but now I thinks he meant more. like your becoming the center of a new patheon, with us, your family circling you."
She thinks a moment
"You, soul, Light and day, Gift, mind, dark, night, Me, mother, life and death. our sons, friendship, struggle, culture. This is what I am feeling with my empathy."
"You, soul, Light and day, Gift, mind, dark, night, Me, mother, life and death. our sons, friendship, struggle, culture. This is what I am feeling with my empathy."
Aro picked up the glass and stared at it for several moments, looking deep in thought. The dwarf sent down the glass and held Lyra's hand.
A few more tense seconds, the dwarf spoke. "Maybe a small pantheon, of our family."
"Anyway, the Artifice Domain suits you, Lyra. Whatever happens..it's you, me, and the kids."
Arlo took a serious look at the front door. "I wonder how long it will be until The Lady of Pain comes for us."
Bethia shows Terex through the various sections of the planar machinery, "You have seen some other section before but the section we now need a bit of help on is the Clockwork Time Replicator, a device that allows the illusion of common time between planes - at least when we get lucky" and she leaves Terex to explore and improve on a vast array of gears, spindles, coils and crystal that correct temporal divergences across a variety of physical laws and spiritual states. The gear work is mostly managed by various crafter spirits who are happy to restart their work after the end of The Organization's dispersal. Terex is able to suggest a variety of improvements in the machines' processes.
Terexaltherin quite enjoys examining the planar machinery and applying the things he's learned.
With at least some of party members engaged in their own activities and researches, Ari Shadowfire still manages to assemble the entire group (as well as Livonia and Arjanara) for one of her full formal fay tea services (with the customary levitating purple teapots and spider silk lace place mats). While most of the service is taken up with reminiscences and remarks on the marvelous cuisine, she manages to bring up some serious questions, "While Gift's ascension was no doubt marvelous, it shows that we who are 'fighting on the ground' need to balance the relationship between the divine and the mortal... , ancient elf's eyes take a far away look...
Well I guess I'm providing the mortal side of the balance right now, Terexaltherin jokes.
Azzim frowned at Ari's words "I think I understand why Gift did what she did, power after all is alluring. The mortal power I wield included but the divine power she found, comes strings attached. While there are many things she can now do, there are also just as many if not more she can't. Venturing here in Sigil to name but one."
Feeling unusually introspective he added, "I'm with Terex I think, I'm unlikely to ascend. Neither I will not seek to prolong my life beyond the usual span alloted to mortals. I'm well aware of the magics that could grant immortality but honestly to be happy I don't need anything so grandiose. A good book and good company are what I crave."
So the two weeks after the party returns involve reviewing lessons learned, discovering new abilities and standard Organization business...
You learn the Traders have beaten in numerous worlds yet continue to appear in others. Between the defeat of Fentor and that of Tz’z`z`z, at least half of the occupied worlds have freed (mostly abandoned to their own devices but The Organization considers that appropriate). The party members are called in different capacities to trace back the source of the Traders' contamination strategies (and it turns out they use a variety of approaches...)
So, now midway through the second week, Arjunara hosts a party on his native plane of Panduana, managing to a create a temporary gate to and from his palace. Here, the party enjoys unique dishes and entertainment in a warm but very tradition centered environment. The tall half-silver man takes the party up to a high balcony, breathes the dry air and gestures grandly to desert landscape spread out before you, "The light here is unique, each carries a bit of the energy of creation, an energy that runs from the various heavenly planes through the neutral and the material planes eventually ending in the zones of chaos and death. A movement that is itself 'natural' in the larger scheme of things...". Sitting next to him, Livonia says, in her more matter-of-fact manner. "An excellent introduction to the situation. Our concern is not the natural end of planes in Hades or the Abyss but the unnatural ends the Traders impose. But as Arjunara says, everything comes from the energies of creation - possibly include the Traders' contamination." Arjunara jumps into the conversation, "Actually, this might have speculation before - now, our Organization has reached a level that we are receiving tips from, well, demi-gods" Lovinia "Servants, hand maidens of certain gods, have voiced suspicions" Arjunara continues "We would like to send you to The Midsummer Gathering of The Groves Of Ansthenia. It is an area of meeting, celebration and parlay, of a variety of minor godlings of creation." L: "The suspicious is that one or another of these godlings is allows 'black seeds' to be mixed into the process of Genesis itself. Our sources must be vague, unfortunately... " A: "Keep in mind most gods and godlings spend nearly all their time in prayer, contemplation and similar activities despite being the origin point of creation itself. These godlings still are far below true Gods..." L: "Yet the Gods often delegate their power to such beings... who in turn often choose Creation Spirits for the actual tasks..."
A: "So we intend to send a group as celebrants of this events." L:"Consider whether you are interested. Some of you already have some qualifications for entry and the rest can come as an entourage. Still, the aim is to blend into the light, carefree mood of the Gathering"
A: "Think about it in the next week, think what identity you would choose and so forth... and the group returns to the party and the music...
"I'm with Terex I think, I'm unlikely to ascend. Neither I will not seek to prolong my life beyond the usual span alloted to mortals. I'm well aware of the magics that could grant immortality but honestly to be happy I don't need anything so grandiose. A good book and good company are what I crave."
"This is a worry Azzim but I think tainted by divinity is all we are, you are right to become a 'god' you need to be locked to a plane. Some greater gods can cover more than one plane but they can never be truly free form being locked to a reality. I think myself and Arlo echos of divinity, but we are locked into a plane, not yet anyway and I don't intend to ever be such. As a synthetic life form, a life span means little, we are then we are not. My orgical organic form is long dead, but she is not me. For me I expect one day to pass into history, albet in the distant future I hope. So me and Arlo, we are Agents of change, I have a plan for that as well, see you at the meeting."
She spends the rest if the next two weeks fixing her Mech-skin-Suit,
Then before the head off to the office she brings it out to show Arlo and the kids.
"I have fully linked this one to my cerebral core, no stepping out of this one mylove. My head and spine are sliced into this."
She flexes her arms and back and dose a spin.
"The suit I made on the last mission, taught me a lot, so I uses that for this. I think I will call myself from here on out, when we are on missions. SAINT LYRA, That spark of divinity you have me, I think is best expressed as a Saint then a god. I feel I best relexis me, LYRA the SAINT of crafting haha"
She pulls the massive rail gun off her back.
"ARLO the light bringer and Saint LYRA the crafter, And yes, I like the sound of that. What do you think my love?"
She dose another spin.
Then they head off to the meeting, but not before she hugs and kisses the boys. Telling them to be good.
At the meeting,
She walks in as her new SAINT LYRA from, 12' tall, with a BFG on her back, she has changed a lot form when she 1st meet Arlo, you can see she has, as he comes in she scans the room, wife to a half god, mother to a god, Lyra is not the lost little space girl any more.
She pulls the massive rail gun off her back.
"ARLO the light bringer and Saint LYRA the crafter, And yes, I like the sound of that. What do you think my love?"
"I think I wish we had more time to break in your new divine body", The dwarf smiles as he holds Lyra's waist next to his face.
"Something to look forward too, I suppose." Arlo half-grumbled.
Terexaltherin spends his 'vacation' time reading, and not just for pleasure. He reads up on arcane theory and psionics, and practices his skills with both. He's able to figure out how to better split his focus with telekinesis and how to grab things even out of people's hands, as well as growing his proficiency with arcane magic.
He does get plenty of reading for fun in, though.
The little dragon considers the possibility raised for the group's next mission carefully. Well, even if we don't uncover anything about the Dark Traders, I'd still be interested just to learn, Terexaltherin 'says' at length. I can read up some more on my planar theory and maybe go in a scholarly persona?
One thing Ari does in the second week is arrange for a brief visit by Terex to the town of Gianamora, a demi-plane in the intersection of many time threads and populated by a variety of scholars studying the flow of history. The actual town is small and homie, with scholars mostly engaging in seminars, long walks and speculation...
Ari also leaves Lyra and Arlo with a large tome describing demi-gods of The Groves Of Ansthenia. It seems the Midsummer Gathering has many similarities to the decadent gathers of mortals . Frenzied excitement alternates with rumors, jealousy and surreptitious affairs. There is a strong ethos to keep everything in the limits of "good" or "neutral" on the high metaphysical plane. So you will be looking for situations where that fails...
Having uploaded her mind state into her noe mission tech body
Lyra was in her lab, around her where glass cylinders holding her other other Cybernetic bodies.
She had scanned the book and was now working with the Labs AI, and a lot of holo screens, running comparisons and data analysis.
"I think I wish we had more time to break in your new divine body", The dwarf smiles as he holds Lyra's waist next to his face.
"Something to look forward too, I suppose." Arlo half-grumbled.
She looks down at her husband,
"I like, but later dear, I have the Fembot Body I have been wanting to try out."
She says with a playful wink.