Act One

155 Eliphon, the fateweaver, last of the ash, he who should know and forsee all, was utterly shocked. How could a goddess of such power drown so easily? He quickly doce into the water and drew her out, holdin Realiti tightly against his body.

He then turned to Arzian. "The goddess had come to seek you wisdom, oh lord of madness. Will you confide us with it?"

The sea dragon, upon feeling the touch of madness, swam down to the ocean's deapth, and disappeared from sight.

156 Marama's request divided the Yammu severly. Their teeth were a simble of their strength, and their primary weapon in these great seas. Gulp argued strongly in favour of the sacrifice, saying it was their duty for their soveign, while many clan leaders spat on that act of weakness, claiming that they were the true gods of the seas. Marama's desplay with the sea dragon brough forth many to Gulp's side, until after a year of debate, the Yammu leader presented the teeth of the young members of his species to the full moon. Those who opposed him left for the darkest depths of the sea, calling the rest Shammi, meaning "toothless".

157 Rephlon was unfazed by Khaline's attack, but felt deeply wounded when she turned from him and left. He chased her for two years, always keeping a distance, and would let out every matong call he could think of from the wild. Every so often he would try to grapple her as well, but was always intercepted by her loyal and savage followers.

 

Arzian turned to them and chuckled. "There is no need for such formality, I share my knowledge freely."

Khaline grew increasing enraged by Rephlon. She was not some game to be hunted, she was the huntress. His own refusal to let her be cemented him as more of an annoyance than something to be respected. Not to mention the noises. Those stupid noises he was making was driving her insane. He did nothing but hound her. If he wished for her attention, he would have to be much more interesting.

 

155
As Eliphon rose with Realitì in his arms, her hair changed. It shortened and curled, and had twining lines of gold in them. And on her waist appeared purplish whip, that softly glowed. The ivory handle was tucked neatly in a spot with easy access for the goddess. Her body became slightly slimmer, and her dress grew long sleeves down her arms. Gold raced up and down her dress, and just as it stopped, her eyes snapped open.

Screaming demonically, at the unfamiliar face and the unfamiliar world, she quickly reacted by grabbing his head, and shot into his mind hallucinations of death. (Her hallucination power). Rolling out of his arms, she shot away through the air on the rocky terrain.

 

The dragon was lost much to Marama's annoyance, and for many months the seas were restless.
Eventually, Gulp returned to present Marama with the teeth.
Marama smiled. It had taken a while but the Yammu had finally delivered.
"You have chosen well," Marama breathed, settling back down into the water. "You may care for these waters. But remember if I find you are the ones to wake me again, my wrath shall be great. And if you are the ones who have hidden away my prize I shall also reserve no mercy."
Marama picked seaweed from around them and wrapped them around some of the teeth, fashioning a whip. The Yammu would only harm themselves if they break the conditions.

 

155 Images filled Eliphon's mind, tearing at it with death and entropy. Corpses filled ashen meadows, planets exploded and stars darkened. And above all, a golden mask with an hourglass on its forehead floated. He closed his eyes, trying to force the images out of his mind and once he opened them, Realiti was gone.

He gave a shout of rage which caused a circle of fish and seaweed fifty feet in diameter to immediately die and rot to their bones. Then he disappeared, appearing immediately at the top of his tower. He used the Atlas to search for her, but throughout the entire existance Realiti was nowhere to be found. A knew goddess appeared all of a sudden. One who resembled his beloved pair closely, and yet was nothing like her. Eliphon used his power to transport himself to Wysdom.

"Who are you?" he asked, trying to force his anger down. "And what have you done with Realiti?"

163 Chasing Khaline around was futile, Rephlon realised. He knew thast he had to change his tactic if he was to win the goddess's heart. And so he waited, watching from a distance. And he saw that there was one thing that Khaline took real pleasure in, the hunt. And if she wanted to hunt, Rephlon thought to himself, he would give her the greatest hunt she would ever participate in.

From the earth of the plains of the gods a new creature rose. It resembled the common gazzelle, except that its fur was golden and its horns were made of diamonds. The creature would move faster than the falcon could swoop down, and could run on any surface it legs rested on, including the ocean and air. The Rassa, for that was its name, thrived on the escape almost as much as Khaline would for the chase. It was the perfect hunt. The perfect gift.

300 The Yammu thrived under Gulp's control. What they now lacked in their teeth, they more than made up for with clever tools and building. Their clans soon came to be kingdoms, with the Gulp dynasty as their emperors. Only the separatist groups, those who fled for the deeps, threatened the Yammu's empire's stability, and so they were constantly chased, and lived a nomadic lifestyle. Any teeth-bearing Yammu would be killed on sight.

 

Arzian simply titled his head, but didn't seem to care about the Goddess's apparent transformation. "Two souls sharing a single body. Some call it a type of madness. Worse than the reverse, but still very manageable."

Fury. That was what Khaline felt. She had been hunting the creature for a half a decade now and it's constant escape now filled her with fury. A hunt could not continue forever. More importantly, the hunt lacked meaning if there was no end goal. Instead, she decided to move, to attempt to escape the god pestering her, by passing through the portal that linked the two planets, and hoping that he would not follow.

 

Wysdom looked at the two gods near her. One deltin anger, the other one.....wisdom. Ironically. She knew her other half longed to ask the wise god a question, so she decided to ask him before engaging with the angered god. Anger was subtle and manipulative, hard to deal with. A question however, that was easy.

She turned to Arzian, and spoke with voice that carried on the wind. "O god of knowledge, please bestow the wisdom of creation on me, and tell me the way to create the beings fortold in the fires of Meerac. Please tell me the way to create humans."

 

"I, why would you want to do that? They ruin everything." Arzian stated, looking perplexed. "The shark men are limited to the seas of this world, and decided to capture another being purely for the sake of using it to negotiate. At the moment they are limited to this world, and almost to its waters. Yet you would release their ilk upon the world. I shall, for I must share my knowledge freely, but you shall give me time so that a leash shall be made, so that, when grasp at things they should not, I can bring them down."

 

Tesni after centuries of forging weapons, slowly realised that she would not be satisfied. She had walked with beasts now known as dragons, but they had both returned to where they had come from.
Tesni went to the underground caves where she found the dragons living in fear. They told of a goddette clothed in blue stealing away one of their kin many years ago. The dragons were also angered with Tesni as she had appeared to forgotten about them.
Feeling sorry for allowing their bond to wither, Tesni presented the dragons with the many weapons she had forged in their time of separation. The dragons guarded the shiny pieces well, as they reminded them of Tesni herself and the sun which many had not seen for years due to the fear of capture.
Tesni stepped onto the shores of the sea, finding that sharkmen had conquered them.
"Marama!" Tesni called out over the great ocean.
After what to many would have called a day, Marama appeared angry for being awoken once more.
"What is it you need, sister?"
"I need peace and security for my friends, the ones known as dragons. You once captured one of them they claim and they now live in fear."
"Aye, I did and I'm afraid... I lost it."
Tesni's eyes burst into flames, the only way she could cry, "How could you lose a proud animal such as a dragon? Are you not searching for it?"
"No, it isn't worth my while, I have my peace, well I did until you came. It was only another way to drive these Yammu into submission."
"You disgust me, Marama!" said Tesni, and she knew she must find the other gods and find out what else had happened while she had been gone.

 

Arzian sought out Tesni, finding her quickly as she conversed with Marma. "I require a device that could slaughter a species should they step out of line."

 

155 Eliphon, who saw the new goddess simply ignore him, quickly sedated his anger. Rage and pride were distracting emotions, and he could do without them. Although he could wipe the two gods from the faces of the earths, they had a role to play in the flw of fate. And so, Eliphon forgave the two for their insolence, and withdrew to his tower. He was not to be seen for many years onward.

214 As Khaline left with her hunt, Rephlon became more and more lonely. His infatuation, which had taken a great part of his mind for these many years, left a hole in his existance, and he felt alone. His loneliness quickly grew to depression, and the changes in his mood seemed to be reflected back in his world. Rephlon became a sadder place. Its nights were darker, the fogs thicker. The once beutiful forests now had a miserable feeling to them. The animals, without Khaline to keep them in check, became savage versions of themselves.

In his loneliness, Rephlon sought condolence from other beings. He had relations with the dragoness Goria, who had already made herself a small kingdom in a large mountain at the outskirts of the plains of the gods. Their child, Korombe, had an upper humanoid body, though it was covered in thick fur, and a lower body of a serpent. It was a hundred feet long, and as strong as a god, if not as smart. Its face, which resembled a wolf's was said to be so terrifying, that any mortal who saw it would flee in terror.

He had other offsprings, who though were strange, non were as terryfing as that abomination. His children from the Great Tree of the Simians were known as the Grots. They were human sized, and resembled their father, but had a treebark instead of skin and branches who grew out of their body. They lived among the trees and drew their energy directly from Tesni, though they still ate other plants and animals. And from some animal he gave birth to one of the strangest creature his world has even seen, the platypus.

300 When the Yammu heard their goddess wake again, their cdlans filled with dread. The entire civilization was buzzing with activity, as they desperately tried to come up with ways to appease the goddess who must never be woken. Hundreds of offerings were brought up to the surface, from seals to whales to the teeth of saparatist Yammu. The jewel of their prize, or so they thought, was the freshly captured sea dragon, still alive.

Ignus had also witnessed the meeting. For years she had worked on something that would be worth Tesni's attention. She had made thousands of tools and scrapped them all. Finally, on the day of Tesni and Marama's meeting, she finally had the courage to present her creation to them. It was a set of blackened steel pipes, of a seemingly inconcievable shape, the worlds' first musical instrument. It may not be useful for fighting or building, Ignus knew, but the sound they made when she blew through them was unlike anything her world has ever heard. It was music.

 

Year 103: All of a sudden, there was life. Sprawling forests, great lakes, and wide open plains flourished on the planet Rephlon, and with these came the lifeforms that would inhabit them. Mostly, they were simple creatures, but miraculously, perhaps by mistake, one creature came to be with a level of self-awareness above and beyond that of its cohorts. Come into existence in small numbers underneath the largest tree in the Durbag Forest, these creatures were large, physically intimidating monstrosities resembling overgrown gorillas which came to be known as the Simian race. With faces as impassive as if carved from stone and hearts the hungered for battle and glory, these creatures procreated quickly and grew to be numerous within several decades. Their intelligence, battle lust, size, and ever growing number quickly drove them to the top of the Rephlonian food chain. By the year 150, there was a clan of Simians in every habitable corner of the planet, from the forests to the plains, to the underground caverns and the lakes, but always the clan associated with Durbag forest was largest and most powerful, for they were oldest and had the benefit of the bounty of the great trees and plentiful harvest the forest provided. With no corner of the planet left to dominate, individual clans quickly began to turn against one another, each faction fighting for as much of the planet as they could claim for themselves. The gods apparently took no interest in this warfare, perhaps seeing only mindless beasts attacking one another in a bloody fury and not realizing the depth of these creatures' intelligence. The Simians saw temples and towers erected in the names of various gods and grew to take pride in their independence from the affairs of immortals, so they did not care to try and correct the misconception.



Year 150: In a relatively small corner of the planet, the Long Tooth Tribe lived in peace. It was the smallest clan, an aberration among its species, for these Simians were physically unimposing, tall and reed thin where others were large and powerful. They survived for years by constantly moving from place to place, scavenging where they could, hunting small game, and avoiding the notice of the other clans. After many decades of wandering, the clan had eventually found a place it could call home on the outskirts of the Durbag Forest and had already lived there for three years. A small meadow, surrounded by the forest on one side and a modest mountain range and river on the other, the land was bountiful, yet out of notice of other Simians; however, in this faithful year, the year 150, that would change: the peaceful refuge of the Long Tooth was attacked. Native to the forest, the clan that attacked was typical of its kind: powerful, brutish, and merciless. They attacked with spears and hammers of wood and stone and simple slings for launching rocks. They had leather armor for protection and the thick pelts of other animals in the forest for clothing. The Long Tooth didn't stand a chance. As their kin lay dying and wounded around them, the members of the clan lamented their cruel fate. They had wandered, barely surviving, looking for a home and for peace since the birth of their species and they found it, finally. Why was it taken from them now after so short a time? Why could they not protect themselves? Why must life be so unjust for those without power?



It was then that something inexplicable happened. The universe responded to the palpable feeling of loss and betrayal among the Long Tooth Tribe and, as if in requiem, the sunlight seemed to shine more brightly upon the blood of the fallen Simians. There seemed to be a current of electricity flowing through the air as that blood began to bubble and spark. It glowed and gathered and eventually began to shape itself into a humanoid figure. Moments later, a man clad in golden armor from tip to toe stood with a hammer and a scale. Yurius was born.



He made his anger known. Though they outnumbered the remaining clan members 10 to 1, the attacking tribe was sorely overpowered. Yurius moved with the speed of lightning and struck his hammer with the power of an erupting volcano. The last of the Long Tooth Tribe watched in awe as gigantic Simian bodies flew like rag dolls tossed about in a hurricane. When the battle was over, Yurius stood, as pristine as when he started despite the bloodbath, red eyes glowing with fury beneath his helm, turned to the weakened Long Tooth, and spoke:

“No longer will you run and hide in fear, lamenting the cruelty of your lot. I am the hammer of the weak and oppressed, and I will bring an end to that suffering. I will guide you, and together we will bring justice to the unjust, rest to the restless, and power to the powerless. I am Yurius, and I will see justice done.”



The Long Tooth Simians cheered and gathered around their immortal champion. Never had they seen his like. Armor of plate and steel was unknown to this race as were the strange metal weapons he wielded.



Yurius examined his new followers and began to plan. He would turn them into a prosperous society, one with liberty and justice for all; however, in order to do that, he would have to first turn them into an army to war against the other powerful clans and either bring them to his side or break them. Only once the entire species was brought to heel could he begin toward his ultimate goal of peace.



In the ten years that followed, Yurius organized The Long Tooth into a modest fighting force and waged war in Durbag Forest. The clan that resided there, the Hawkeye Tribe was the largest and most powerful and they were based throughout the forest around the Great Tree of the Simian race's birth. In order to compete, the smaller Long Tooth tribe employed hit and run tactics, using the forest terrain to great effect. They would hit small groups while they were separated and then retreat into the foliage. The Hawkeye attempted to fight back, but they were unfamiliar with fighting such crafty opponents. They dominated other tribes through physical power and sheer numbers alone, never relying on tactics or planning. Though they were much smaller, weaker, and lesser in number, the Long Tooth whittled away at the Hawkeye little by little with their unorthodox tactics, always melting back into the forest before the enemy could retaliate.



Occasionally, Yurius's scouts in the forest reported seeing an antlered woman with bow and an exasperated look upon her face running from a tall, white haired boy covered in fur who followed like a lovesick puppy. They stayed away from the fighting and, enthralled as they were with their own game of cat and mouse, apparently wanted nothing to do with the Simians. Yurius ordered his forces to let them be.



Ten years of bloody guerrilla warfare later, the Hawkeye dwindled to such a small size that they could no longer fight back. The Long Tooth, smallest and weakest of the Simian tribes, seized the Great Tree. Durbag Forest was theirs. What was left of the Hawkeye acknowledged their victory and joined the ranks of the stronger party, as was customary. Yurius was proud of his people.



Year 160: With a new base for his Simian army in the forest and growing numbers, Yurius decided to enlist more help and superior technology for his fledgling people. Though he was never there, he somehow knew of the planet Ignus and the growing metallurgy and smithing trade nurtured by its deities. Seeking knowledge of manufacturing weapons and armor, Yurius left his people for a time. He decided to set out for the Temple of Azrian to access its portal to the other world and petition its gods and people for trade.



As he set out, he was joined by the spirit of the Great Tree of Durbag Forest, Borin. This lesser spirit was impressed by Yurius's knowledge of warfare and his victory against such overwhelming odds. The two intended to march from the forest to the temple in a few short days; however, when finally they were within sight of the temple it disappeared. Vexed, Yurius learned of its new location from a group of wandering spirits led by one named Zokmod. Weak as it was, Zokmod decided to merge his group with Yurius for protection. So it was that Yurius marched to the temple ten times, only to have it disappear ten times before he could reach it. Each time he marched, his group grew inflated with local spirits enamored with Yurius's power and the prospect of protection. They flocked to him, and by the time he finally reached the temple at the end of his eleventh march, it grew immense enough to rightfully be called an army of immortal spirits. They gave him loyalty and passion and he, in turn, gave them discipline and martial skill. This was the start of what would be called the Immortal Legions, a force known and feared by men and gods alike.



Yurius stepped through the portal to the highest mountain in Ignus with his companions. The Gods he sought to teach him the way of the forge were Tesni and Ignus, both known for their skills in the art. He prepared himself, and started the march to meet with one or both of them.

 

In the past....

While Wysdom readied herself for the knowledge of human life from Azarian, she occasionally watched the tower in which Eliphon had resided. Her other half desperately wanted to run to him, but she hid in the shadows, away from other beings and life. That was until the year 300, when she came out.

300
When she did, she flew away from Rephlons tower, struggling to hold on to her sanity and control as Wysdom. She had hid from the mortal plane for almost 150 years, and she knew in about 500 years Arzian would be ready to give his wisdom. But while she was flying, she suddenly came across a new god, who was walking across the world of Rephlon. He was powerfully built, and his hammer radiated glory and might. Peering into his mind, Wysdom saw he was still traveling to see Tesni and Ignus, almost as long as she had been hiding. He had an army with him, and on Ignus. She wondered how they survived the harsh land. Clearing her minds, she focused on the man in the lead.

Far above him, she started to descend, her hair and robes blowing in the breeze. Her whip in her hand,she called out to the new god. "Creature of strength. You are trespassing in the first world of the universe."And upon landing she added, "This is where your road ends my friend."

 

Khaline had come to see Tensi as well, seeking a tool to let her deal with the stag, and the god who was unrelenting in his pursuit of her. When Arzian noted both her and the new being, he decided to leave. To have others wait while his request would deal with would waste time for all. No, he would find some other way to deal with them, and once again, he would return to his birthplace. He would have to stop relying on it at some point, though not now. Once again he returned to it, taking a silver and arriving before Wysdom, a look of reluctance on his face, as his nature forced him to divulge his secrets, those of how to create the upright apes who he knew the dark side of. However, as he spoke, he pressed the silver into the goddesses palm. "This shall serve as the basis of their souls. Should they overreach their boundaries, become overly filled with pride, or desire, or fury, or let themselves be consumed by any emotion, then it shall grow rampant within them. This is on an individual level, though the corruption caused within them will reach out, to serve as a warning for all those that might think themselves somehow safe." With that, he left, returning to his temple and frowning as he looked at the chime he had first made. The humans would be immune to it. He would have to invest in other defences, though he not what at the moment.

When Khaline looked to Yurius, a look of fury on her face. This new god was born of something opposite of her. Justice and fairness were not concepts in her mind. The closest to the first was vengeance, and even then, the goddess's wilder nature simply saw it as a removing something that had proven a threat. Justice was utterly alien to her mind. The strong took what they needed and desired, as was their right and fair. His aspect of conquest was this, admittedly in a much more dressed up and pretentious form than her own ideas of fighting for territory. Yet he was undoubtedly strong, which further drove her to madness. He was, simultaneously, much more infuriating and attractive than Rephlon. She arrived at Tensi first, though barely, and declared her intent. "You, you shall forge me a spear, and two khopesh's so that I might complete my hunt and slay any who oppose my will." It was then she presented a shaft for the spear, made of wood from the tree that birthed her bow.

 

163 Ignus found Yurius on her planet first, just as Khaline was meeting with Tesni. She knew what he was looking for, as the magnificent works of Tesni were known throughout the two worlds. She hid in the shadows, watching him. Until she finally came to notice the desperation in the god's eyes. And she took the courage to walk out.

"God of justice, allow me to help you. And as she spoke, the ground broke up beneath his feet to reveal all the works which she had cast away. There were hundreds of works there. Spears and swords, axes and bows, some blunt like a rock, some sharp enough to cut through one. Some were glistening with gold and silver, some were rusty beyond recognition. But all were discarded. Nothing was good enough. Not in her eyes.

 

While Wysdom was waiting for the new being to return to Rephlon, she pondered ideas of what to do with the new power she possessed. She also knew that interception of this new being to his home would cost her her soul. Realitì might take over, but she too also yearned for the creating of humans. She was also a supporter of what she planned to do.

Her robes whipping in the wind, her whip glittering and sashaying through the breeze, she waited.

 

Date: unsure.

Bort was not a particularly attractive God. At 5 foot 3.5 inches he was aware that, unlike Eliphon, he did not have height on his side. However, what Bort lacked in height, he made up for in stature. That is to say, Bort was fat. He tried to keep a positive outlook nonetheless.

It was hard.

One day, not long after coming into existence, Bort had come across a small creature; in Bort's eyes, the creature was the only thing that he'd so far come across that could rival his unfortunate appearance. He picked the creature up, granted it immortality and named it Bort*.

*Owing to Bort's lack of vocabulary - an affliction that all newly established God's suffer from - Bort would tend to just repeat his name in times of uncertainty. It was something that, well... Something that nobody told Bort. Because Bort was a God, and he had to learn these things on his own.

In the interest of establishing some clarity however, we shall refer to Bort's companion as Peter.

Bort marvelled at his new friend. He wondered what sort of God had created Peter; was it a joke? Peter moved his head slowly, whipped out his tongue and caught another creature and quickly swallowed it. Bort felt satisfied with his new acquaintance. He was repulsive.

Bort placed Peter down on a nearby rock and began to ponder about life. It didn't take him long. After all, he'd recently only come into existence and his vocabulary did not allow him to ask himself the pertinent questions one might ask upon finding out that they were a God. In the absence of thought, Bort rested. He had a funny dream - in it, there were many creatures; some like himself (ugly), and some unlike himself (not ugly). They did strange things that Bort could not understand and when he awoke, he felt panicked.

Unsure of himself, Bort began to pace up and down the tree-line where he'd rested.

"Bort, Bort, Bort... Bort?... Bort!"

Just as he turned, for the 6th time - anticlockwise - before tapping his left hand to his right temple and continuing to walk back to the first tree he started at to repeat the sequence again, he realised he'd forgotten about his new companion, Peter.

Bort quickly finished his practiced routine of turning, touching and pacing and then hurried off to find him.

As Bort went to pick Peter up, he noticed that something was different. He was no longer the same colour as before. He appeared to be a shell of his former self. A dull and dried... Skin version of Peter. Confused, Bort looked around.

At that moment, he felt a small claw pinch at his wide, doughy shoulder.

"Hello mate. My name's Peter. Don't be alarmed; I just shed me skin. Nothing to worry about. What might your name be?"

"Bort."

And so it would appear Bort did not choose Peter, but Peter chose Bort. Over the next few seconds, Peter taught Bort all about the English language and about the peculiar species that now dominated the land. It dawned on Bort that the world Peter was describing sounded exactly like the world Bort had dreamt about. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew he had a place on this strange planet. He was put here for a reason.

He just had to figure out what that was.

 

Year 300

A lithe figure, draped in a glittering black cloak, moved through the shadows of Khaline's forest. She was La Mamba, Mother Witch, the Unspeakable One. She had existed alongside the other gods for as long as the first creature had died and become a shade in the Underworld. The Underworld was her home; she did not create it, it was there before she showed up, but it suited her purposes. There she lived in a huge crystal tower that glowed different colors, depending on her mood. From the top room, she sometimes gazed out over the deadlands and watched the shades drifting aimlessly through the endless gray plains.

But Mamba could travel to the Land of the Living (or the 'Overworld') whenever she so pleased, to keep an eye on her fellow gods and their doings. She frowned and stroked a large black cat that she was cradling in her arms; he purred loudly and her nerves calmed somewhat. La Mamba was about to make a huge decision. She was going to remove the powerful bewitchment that made her undetectable to the other gods. Mamba liked to be secretive and work in the shadows, but she needed something from the other gods (or at least one them), and to do that she had to give up her anonymity. And so, with great trepidation and a flutter of excitement, she closed her eyes and chanted softly,

"I revoke the magick that Hides,
The magick that Shrouds,
The magick that Blinds."

The spell was undone. Now, all the gods could sense her from wherever they were, and it was only a matter of time before one of them sought her out. "Henceforth, the darkest witch will walk in the light," La Mamba whispered. Her cat yowled that he wanted to be put down. Mamba smiled wryly. Cats were rude to everyone, even the Sorceress Supreme. She put down the cat and, when a bird flew overhead, a pair of bat wings stretched out from his back and he took off after his prey. Rolling her eyes, Mamba turned to the nearest tree and waved her hand: a full-bodied mirror appeared in a veil of smoke, leaning against the wide trunk. "If I'm going to meet the other gods, then I should prepare," she muttered to herself.

She reached up and undid the cloak so that it dropped to the floor and melted into her shadow. Underneath she wore a spiky gold crown, gold dust on her high cheekbones, a flowing black dress, and dozens of gold bracelets on each of her arms. Her kinky night-black hair was pulled back into a thick braid that fell to her knees, intertwined with a shining gold wire. Then she snarled at her reflection to inspect her incisors: they were pure gold and as sharp as fangs. "I am ready," she announced, snapping her fingers. The mirror disappeared in another poof of smoke and she turned to face the world with a quiet ferocity.

 

163- Tesni beamed, glad that another divine being would require her arts, and one with such strength and beauty.
"Thank you for this," she said as she took the spear shaft. "I shall make sure I deliver what you desire, and swiftly. But..." Tesni looked at the length of wood, it would burn if she took it to her sun. She had to remember and know this spear shaft instead. "You look after this."
Tesni roamed through the forest for a while, drinking in the world so that she may make a weapon only for Khaline.
Tesni then left for the sun once again and began work on all three of the weapons. The spear head she made with back-flowing spines so that it would not be easily removed. The two khopeshes Tesni greatly enjoyed the manufacture of with their difficult shape, a challenge that she had been wanting. In the hilt of one, she lay five mossy green stones and in the other, five rounded pieces of tiger's eye. Tesni was pleased with her work and so she returned to the forest where Khaline should be and hoped the spear head fitted.

300- Burning with a hatred that she did not know existed, Tesni ran far from the shore until she met Ignus who held an object most unusual. However, it had a beauty that Tesni couldn't help but admire.

Later Arzian approached her, asking for a weapon which would normally be a joyful thing, but he required one that would keep mortals in line. Tesni shuddered heat searing through her veins. However he quickly took his leave with not even a word, leaving Tesni to be troubled alone.

 

Year 163, Planet Ignus, Road from Mountain portal to Dragons' Territory:



Yurius knew that locating the two forge goddesses would not be easy; though Tesni had given the Dragons her blessing and her knowledge , she was often absent from their presence. Ignus, meanwhile, had thus far seemingly made no effort to affect the planet of her name or its inhabitants, preferring to isolate herself in an unknown location rather than interact with others. In need of more intelligence as to their whereabouts and activities, Yurius decided to send Zokmod with a group of smaller, quicker companions to act as scouts and sniff out information about Ignus's and Tesni's locations.

Two days' march later, Zokmod returned with rumors gathered from among the spirits of Ignus. Apparently, the goddess known as Ignus resided in a cave right outside the dominion of the Dragons. It was far enough from them that they would not detect her presence, but close enough that she would know what was happening among them. According to the local volcano spirits, despite her proximity to Tesni and her Dragons, she refused to end her self-imposed quarantine until she could impress them with her creations. It was as if she watched them in envy from afar, longing for their companionship, but too afraid of rejection to approach.

Yurius put Borin in charge of his force and told him to continue marching toward the Dragons, where he would hopefully find a lead on Tesni. He then took Zokmod and a small group of warriors for an escort and made for Ignus's cave on his own to begin negotiations. As it turns out, he didn't need to go far because, about a day later, Ignus appeared before him of her own volition. She appeared reluctant, eyes downcast, as if expecting Yurius to scold her for some imagined wrongdoing.

“God of Justice, allow me to help you,” she said. Just then, her past works appeared before his feet. Weapons of amazing quality, the finest he had ever seen or could imagine. He had never met Tesni or seen her work, but he could scarcely imagine craftsmanship finer than this. He also noted several old with rust and disuse, and a few sets of armor that appeared to be only half completed and then discarded as if she gave up on them halfway through.

“Milady,” he said, “I thank you for your kind offer. May I ask you, with skill such as yours, why do you hide yourself? It is almost a crime that such magnificent works go unnoticed and unused, hidden in some secret cave.”

Yurius leaned down and idly picked up a beautiful sword with a hilt of obsidian, a pommel in the shape of a dragon, an edge sharp enough to cut through any mortal being with ease, and a divine enchantment strong enough to wound or maybe even kill an immortal. He examined it as he continued,

“I wonder if you have heard yet of the Simian people from which I was born? They are young now, but one day they will be an Empire with unrivaled power and control of the planet Rephlon. I would ask that you teach me how to make these weapons and I will bring the knowledge back to them. In return, I will make sure that every living being knows that the soldiers of the greatest empire in the universe wield the weapons of Ignus. Everyone will acknowledge your skill and no longer will you have to hide in shame. I will also send you 100 Simians to use as apprentices, if you consent. They will help you build forges throughout your dominion in this world and will expedite and expand your work immeasurably. At the end of 20 years, I ask that you allow those who wish to return home to do so and spread the knowledge they have gained. Any who wish to stay in your employ as forge apprentices will be allowed to do so.”

“Lastly, in addition to the knowledge of the forge for the Simians, I ask that you personally forge weapons and armor for myself and for all my new companions, the Lesser Spirits who comprise the Immortal Legions. It will be known among gods and mortals that not only does the greatest empire wield your creations, but so too does the greatest military force among the Gods. Your name will be famous and your skill acknowledged for as long as creation exists. I no longer want to see that look of uncertainty that clouds your features. You will step into the light and take pride in yourself and your work and you will know that you have been a part of creating something awesome and without equal.”

Yurius stepped toward Ignus and extended his hand.

“So, Lady Ignus. How does this pact sound? Would you do me the honor of agreeing or do you have a counteroffer?”



Year 300, Northern Plains of Rephlon:



Yurius was elated. The Empire of the Simians was unified and it was a society of justice. Constant warfare had ended, the weak knew peace, and the mighty and powerful took pride in protecting them rather than strive to steal from them and destroy them. Currently, he was on his way to the burgeoning city of the Simians in the Northern Plains. The city of Stonebow, they were calling it, in honor of the clan that had unified the Forest Simians and the Simians of the Plains so many years ago. There was an inheritance dispute among the monarchy. The current king had died and left no heir, and so the noble houses were going to argue before Yurius why they should now rule and the God of Justice would decide the next king. With him on the March was a contingent of 3,000 spirits of the Immortal Legions. A modest force, but sufficient for so short a trip.

As he pondered how he would render judgment in his coming trial, Yurius was startled from his thoughts by a woman holding a whip descending from the sky. She accused him of trespassing on the land of his birth, as if that made any sense, and declared, haughtily as the highest noble among the lowest peasants, that she would end his life.

This woman was obviously a complete fool. That was the only logical conclusion Yurius could fathom. Courage was one thing, but to challenge someone in the midst of thousands of armed, immortal soldiers wielding various types of divinely made weaponry was tantamount to suicide. She must be touched in the head. Yurius felt a brief pang of pity for her, but he could not let this nonsense distract him from his duty to the people of Stonebow.

“As...interesting...as I am sure this conversation would prove to be were we to entertain it, I have a very important task ahead of me and I cannot be delayed. You will forgive my rudeness. Good day” Yurius said, and began to walk past her as if she were not even there, his men following behind and snickering openly at the strange madwoman as they did.

What this woman did not appear to know was that, in the hills surrounding the road they were now traveling, Yurius had stationed several troops of archers. They were out of sight to those beneath the hills unless they knew to look, but they had a perfect view of everything going on below and a clear shot at anyone foolish enough to try and ambush The Immortal Legions. If this woman made any kind of threatening movement, twitched her whip hand, gave Yurius a dirty look, or even sneezed at an inopportune moment, an archer would lay an arrow at her feet as a warning. If, after that, she was fool enough to try again, the next arrow would go through one of her limbs and the one after that through her neck. It was with this in mind that Yurius walked almost within arms length of her and passed her by without any fear whatsoever. He had all the leverage; her life was in his hands the second she waltzed alone right up to his force and, no matter how powerful she was, she would not survive a fight with 3,000 trained soldiers and a god by herself on an open battlefield.

As Yurius was walking away, he suddenly felt a great power stirring in the Durbag Forest to the South, from whence he had just marched. It pulsed like a heartbeat and almost seemed to be beckoning him to go to it. It seemed like an ancient power, but that did not make sense because it had only now just appeared. What could this possibly be? Much as Yurius wanted to know, he would not let anything distract him from his duty to his people. He noticed that the strange woman had also turned to the direction of the pulsing, growing power.

“Perhaps, my lady, this is the 'trespasser' you clearly mistook me for? I think you ought to go harass that one instead,” Yurius exclaimed to the laughter of his men. Then, before she could respond, he turned to Zokmod and said, more quietly, “go investigate what that pulsing is. Do not engage it and do not let whatever it is notice you; simply observe what it does, who approaches it, and what occurs around it for the next few days. Then report back to me. By then, I ought to be finished with this trial and I will need more information about this entity before I can decide on a course of action.”

With that, Zokmod departed for the forest and Yurius continued on to Stonebow City.

 

Shocked at this new gods apparent irrelevance on the land she had made, she laughed.His army moved restlessly behind her but she just laughed. This god was dangerous. Dangerously powerful and dangerously arrogant. Tapping carefully into Realitì's powers, she felt a surge of energy. Smiling at the man, she clutched her whip, and struck the soilder direclty behinf him. A volt of energy hit him, and he fell to the ground screaming. It bounced around and around, multiplying, until it had effected all the soilders into a state of shock. Every last one of them had fell, Paralyzer's, watching their nightmares play out in front of them. Each on lay on the ground, over lapping eachother, and they uttered the occasional scream.

"Harm me," She called to the man, "and they shall never wake. But other than some frightening visions, they will wake unharmed if you do not attempt to harm me. For this is my land, and you are trespassing. "

 

Year 300, Durbag Forest

La Mamba was growing restless, waiting for someone to discover her. Sure, she could go looking for them, but her pride would not let move from the small clearing where she stood. Her bat-cat had returned and he was dozing in a nearby tree, the tip of his pink tongue sticking out of his mouth. More cats had arrived too, drawn by her dark power, as well as a huge swarm of moths and a hundred large owls with wide, unblinking eyes. "Well, since I have time," Mamba grumbled to herself, "maybe I should construct a tower befitting of the Mistress of the Black Arts..." With that, Mamba walked in a wide circle, dragging the end of a fallen tree branch behind her. When she was done, she flung the branch into the bushes, dusted off her hands, and started chanting fiercely:

"Dark magick at my command,
Raise a tower on this land!
Make it strong and make it high,
Dwarf the trees and pierce the sky!"

As she spoke, thick incense smoke raised from the ground and swirled around the clearing in rolling waves. When she spoke the final word of her spell, Mamba clapped her hands together and made a sound like a massive thunderclap. The smoke dispersed and the ground trembled; her creatures took flight but stayed near, curious what their mistress was up to. A tower erupted from the ground, made of hundreds of thousands of bones, growing impossibly tall. At the same time, vines writhed out of the ground around the tower, thorny vines that grew rapidly and sprouted blood-red roses with gnashing, razor-sharp teeth. Deer and wolves and bears were caught in the vines for miles around and eaten alive by the flesh-eating roses. The animals fueled the vines and made them grow stronger and thicker, until they covered almost five miles in each direction, and they continued to grow.

"That should get someone's attention," La Mamba said with a self-satisfied cat grin. She petted a flesh-eating rose by her foot and it made a gurgling sound of pleasure. That done, the Witch Mother swept into the tower, gliding up the steps like a phantom. When she reached the stop, several owls had already arrived and were perched in the windows. A throne fashioned out of the rib cage of a beast sat on the far side of the room, flanked by a pair of tall torches that burned with black flames. Mamba sank into the throne and beckoned to one of the owls. The owl swooped down and landed on the armrest without a sound.

"Go seek out the nearest god or goddess," Mamba ordered. "Be safe and be fast. Go." The owl bobbed his head and shot out of the window. La Mamba waved her hand and sent a powerful gust after the owl to give him an extra burst of speed. "Now," she turned to the bat-cat that had just made up the stairs. "Can you play chess?" The cat gave her a puzzled look. "I'll teach you," she said, raising a bone-table with a chess board on top.

 

163 Ignus smiled shyly towards the new god and laughed with embaressment. "You call this great work?" she said and lowered her eyes. "Please, god of those Simians I have not heard of, do not mock me. These weapons are all what I threw out. They aren't good enough, not for her." Ignus lowered her eyes. "I will make you what I can, god of justice, but I ask of you, do not mention my name until I have created something worthwhile. And thank you for your offer. I will gladly take it." She turned to return to her hole, before calling back to Yurius. "And prepare yourself for when you return to Rephlon. My brother'smood has... changed since you were last there. The planet may not be just how you remember it."

183 The Simians helping Ignus quickly tired of the duty, and were glad to leave as soon as they were given a chance. The work in these mines was dull and dangerous, and the withdrawn goddess wasn't much of a company either. She would casually toss aside works which they thought were pieces of art, would mutter to herself, and was never much of a conversation.

A couple of lesser spirits, however, decided to remain. There was Electrum, who would decorate weapons with elaborate designs, Connor, who would spy on Tesni's dragons and steal ideas telling Ignus they were his own, and Timid, who for some reason found Ignus' insecurity attractive, and became her mate. They were known as Ignus' trio.

250 The years of Rephlon's depression were hard on the Simian's, as they were for the rest of the races. Beasts of unnatural strength and ferocity would attack their colonies, killing dozens at a time. One of these clans, the Mountainfolk, accidentaly made the mistake of moving into Goria's territory. One foolish brute, tried gaining the favours of a female by attempting to hunt the great dragon. As hilarious as his attempts were, they were enough to enact the wrath of Korombe, who already took liking to the thick meat of the gorrila people. He set upon the Simians, killing them by the hundreds.

But while most of the population of most Simians dwindled, the Long Tooth kingdom flourished. With orginized division of products, cunning battle tactics, Yurius' leadership and the help of Ignus' weapons the small kingdom survived the hardships, while it did not flourish as much as Yurius would have hoped.

Then, one day, as soon as the depression began, it had stopped. Rephlon seemingly forgot about his lost love, and just returned to what he was previously doing, running around his planet aimlessly. The sun shone brighter, the creatures became less bloodthirsty, yet still wild, and the most horrible creations of these times retreated to the underworld. The Simian kingdom quickly grew to the empire it was intended to be.

300 The Yammu, seeing Tesni leave, mistook it to be her retreating from their noble gods. "Glumgburg!" they shouted in approval. Their king, Glurg II tried to silence them, but to no avail. The seas were simply erratic.

One dragon, Pylius, saw the scene in disgrace. How could their goddess see one of her trusted followers maddened and shacked, in an enviroment that was not his own!? Drawing upon his inner fire he charged towards the sea shore and with one bout struck Glurg, and started a war.

Shocked, the Yammu killed the dragon, and annointed a king, Glurg III. His first action was to ensure the safety of Marama's sea dragon, leaving ten of the greatest Yammu warriors protecting it. Then he announced that any dragon seen would recieve the treatment of Yammu with teeth, death on sight. Then he turned to Marama.

"Glumgburg, it whose slumber we protect, forgive us, sardined between your teeth for the disgrace of you awakening. This war we fight is for you honor, to ensure that these foul flame creatures shall never again disturb your sleep."

Meanwhile, Eliphon watched with surprise as a new goddess appeared. He felt elation for a moment, for in that direction he seemed to feel the presence of Realiti. But then the feeling was gone, and all he saw was a goddess of the dead raising a tower from the ground. That didn't impress him. Hell, he did that same thung just a couple of centuries earlier. But it did intrigue him where that goddess came from. He decided to continue watching. Who knows, maybe Realiti will show up again.

 

Year 163, Road from Ignus's cave to Dragons' Domain:

Yurius was pleased with this agreement. In the next few days, he only learned from Ignus the bare basics of the forge, but that would have to suffice for the Simians back home for now. In 20 years, however, the Simians who learned directly from Ignus would return to their people and spread their vast, intricate knowledge gained from working with the goddess herself directly. Over those 20 years, she would also produce personally, with her apprentices' help, all the armament needed for the thousands of Immortal Legions. Yurius was sad he could not get the Goddess to see her own value, but it would have to do for now. Perhaps one day, when the Simians rose to true power and the Legions made a name for themselves, she would see them as something of value worth taking pride in. That was all he could hope.

Now that he had Ignus's pact, he turned his thoughts to Tesni. His people could now make their own weaponry, but Rephlon did not have a great quantity of metal ore as this planet did to use in the forge. He needed Tesni to provide trade and cultural exchange between the Dragons and the Simians. If the two races were connected as siblings on different planets, Yurius was sure that both would prosper in the long run. But how to contact her?

Yurius quickly caught up to Borin and his forces. They made camp right inside the Dragons' Dominion. While Borin had not discovered where Tesni was as yet, he learned from one of his men who had gone to converse with the Dragons that foxes were considered to be her personal messengers. The Dragons sent foxes often to her, though she just as often did not respond to them. But it was the only lead Yurius had to getting her attention, so he collected 100 foxes, tied to them a message for Tesni, and released them back into the wild. The message was simple: "If it pleases you, meet me in the place of the Dragons. I have matters of mutual interest to discuss. Yurius, God of Justice" Hopefully that would get her attention. Once she looked in the direction of her dragons, she could not miss the army camped on their outskirts. She would find him rather easily once she knew to look.

Yurius began the long wait, resting his men after their long march and training them in the ways of war as they did.

Year 300, Northern Plains of Rephlon:

The second she moved her whip hand, an arrow landed at her feet, as Yurius knew would happen; however, she did not appear to notice it in her mad laughter. Apparently, she was blind as well as stupid. He suppressed his growing anger. He could not afford to be caught in an extended conflict here, not when the citizens of Stonebow were without a leader to preserve law and order and not when the monstrous Korombe that threatened the Simians ran free. Now, to complicate matters further, there was this strange pulsing power in the South that would require his attention. He had far more important things to deal with than a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum.

He noted that he did not hear the screams of the men laying around him echoed in the hilltops. So, this psychic affliction did not affect his archers, perhaps because she did not realize they were there yet. He still had the element of surprise.

As the woman spoke, giving Yurius an ultimatum regarding the health of his men, she did not pay attention to the men around them start to stand up, shaking off the eerie mental attack. She apparently did not realize the armor they wore was made by Ignus herself and thus carried the strongest of divine protection; this, along with their rock solid military discipline, meant that, though shaken, they would not be stunned for long by an attack on the mind like this. The attack was further diluted by the fact that she was trying to affect thousands at once rather than just a single person, spreading her power thin and thus further weakening its effect. By the time she finished speaking, the screaming had diminished and the men started to collect themselves and get back into their orderly ranks. When she noticed what was happening, she seemed shocked, mouth working wordlessly, not understanding why her petty parlor trick did not work as she planned. "Thank you, Lady Ignus; your divine work is again proven to be without equal." Yurius thought to himself.

Then, without a word, he raised his hand high and suddenly made a fist, signalling the archers in the hills.

At once, three arrows sprouted from the woman's unarmored form. Her whip hand was damaged beyond use, an arrow stuck straight through the palm, and her whip fell uselessly to the muddy floor. There was also one in her right thigh and another in her left shoulder. She screamed in agony and blood poured from her body to the floor. The metal in the arrowheads, designed specifically to harm immortal flesh, hissed and sizzled, causing the wounds to smoke and fester as they bled. She might heal from these wounds, but the divine arrowheads ensured that it would not happen as quickly as a normal wound and she would feel the pain of them for a long time to come before they finally did.

"Understand, my lady, that you are lucky to be alive. Those arrows could have pierced your eye, heart, and neck as easily as your hand, leg, and shoulder. I have no quarrel with you and so I give you mercy and your life. Consider this a warning and begone from my sight before I become angry and reconsider."

Yurius turned from her once more and continued his march, his shaken men eying her warily before following him.

 

163- While waiting for Khaline's arrival, Tesni found herself swamped by her messengers, foxes, which told her that a god named Yurius wished to meet her.
A god of justice? That was something that the worlds would need soon, she could tell with such intelligent mortals. Tesni lay down the weapons carefully, instructing one of the foxes to stay and inform Khaline of how sorry she was they couldn't meet.
As Tesni neared the home of the dragons, she froze. An army, did this god mean war? Had she offended this new god somehow? Did the sun burn too bright for his new eyes? She doubted this but it was strange that such a thing was present.
"God Yurius," she called out. "Make yourself and the matter you wish to discuss clear."

300- Marama did not want the gifts that the Yammu presented them with, they wanted Tesni to treat her with respect. Marama had made a new creature, and all Tesni could see it as 'stealing'. However, as angry as Marama was, they did not condone what happened next, the murder of a dragon.
Marama began pacing, afraid of what their sister might do and great swells appeared in the seas.
"Yammu!" Marama raged, "How dare you kill my sister's creatures! You are forever doing things under my name that I do not wish for!"