Dawn of Worlds

"What's that, Arane?" Malunall asked sarcastically, "You don't want Pairtref to have the Dlesfer train system attached to it? And, and you want a serious crackdown of an inquisition, led by Jeff over there? And you don't understand what the fuck character development is? Cool, I can get that!"

4 + 3 (LPB) + 10 (4,6; Roll) = 17

Morality briefly considered the possibilities of the Avians in Perelandra adding a section to their University as a branch for the Academy of Steampunk. But after seeing Malunall in action, Morality's mind was changed - Morality dare not give that man any real excuse to bother the Avians.

Instead, Morality choose a different path. With the aid of Celestia, the Avians sent a band of Diplomats to the city of Primus, establishing themselves there as a better means of communication between the R'lek and the Avian races. With Codex's blessing, the act might even lead to an embassy being built in the city. Even if it didn't, Morality believed that in addition to helping build ties between the two nations, it would better allow for Avians from Perelandra and Helms Deep to visit the Academy of Steampunk to learn there, and then in turn return to the Perelandra University and pass on what they had learned.

With the promise this offered, A similar group of diplomats were sent to the oldest city of the Handalen - Mordinas - in hopes that diplomatic ties might also be built between the Avians and plant-headed folk.

And then, Morality got down to the business of finally blessing the final race that the being had had a hand in creating with their own unique traits. It was finally time for Morality to gift the Ents with something.

First the gift of Lore - the Ents, as a race, would forever more be gifted with the ability to pass on the stories of the world. They wouldn't know all of them at first, of course, but it wouldn't take much for them to learn of the worlds earliest days from the Avians. And once they did that, they would be a walking legacy of the history of the world, and living witnesses to all that would come after.

Then, in order to make sure that history would never die out, Morality gifted the Ents with Persistence. For as long as the planet lived, so too would the Ents. Against all odds, their race would have the ability to survive and live on, ensuring that the world would for all time have a race present to pass on its history that it might not ever be forgotten.

Even if the Ents weren't the first race to walk across the worlds surface, should the world ever face a calamity capable of killing it, they would certainly be the last.

Satisfied with the results, Morality rested. He had one last major plan, and aimed to save as much energy as possible in hopes of being able to pull it off.

17 - 1 (Command Avatar, Create Order - Avian Diplomatic Emissaries in Primus) - 1 (Command Avatar, Create Order - Avian Diplomatic Emissaries in Mordinas) - 6 (Advance Civilization; Ents - Lore) - 6 (Advance Civilization; Ents - Persistence) = 5

"I'm sorry, I need a reason to fuck with your race?" Malunall asked facetiously, "I mean, we're gonna need secondary antagonists for the... I suppose I could say our fourth Age."

"No, I'm sure you don't need a reason to, considering your wack-job of a personality." Morality said, eyes rolling. "But I certainly have no motivation to create an excuse for you."

4+3(lpb)+2(roll fuckkkk)=9

The R'lek of Primus allowed the Perelandran Avians to visit the Academy whenever they pleased. Codex did not hold much of a grudge against Morality, and knowledge was best shared.

Furthermore, he didn't have the time to be hostile towards Morality. Something was going on. The frequency of Verloren resistance in the Marinaren empire had increased, though it would be paranoid to say that it was organized. Yet, just as that resistance flared up, tensions soared in Pairtref—again centered around Arane.

She was plotting something.

And why would the Verloren students at the Academy want to return to a city that had just been destabilized? It didn't make—they were Arane's remaining power base, and Codex felt like an idiot.

A feeling of tiredness overcame Codex. He never wanted his final days upon the Earth to be one of chaos and turmoil. But still, those who worshiped evil had to be stopped. He, personally, would no longer participate in the battle. It was time for the mortals of the Earth to rise up and become legends unto themselves without his interference. He would only lay the groundwork.

Codex commanded the Hyras, both mainland and Marinaren, the traces of his influence reaching back to the distant centuries, to venture forth onto the island where Arane's avatar had once stood. There, in preparation for the tunnel of the Driller's Union, did they begin the construction of a city.

Graduating Academy classes had the chance to participate in this new city's construction. First and foremost among them were the Verloren graduates. Codex knew that many now wished to return to Pairtref. No matter what, Arane would have the most sway over them. Still, they belonged to the Academy, and the Academy belonged to Codex. At the graduation ceremony, the Silver Hand made an impassioned speech: the future, he said, belonged in the hands of mortals, not of the Gods. Their destinies were theirs and theirs alone. He never mentioned the name "Codex," nor did he overtly reference the new city being built in the north, but the implication remained.

A good fraction of the Verloren graduates—not a majority, but significant enough—traveled to the city of Paxes to assist in its construction. These Verlorens, cunning and skilled, used their time spent being educated in city boasting the foremost education in the world. Paxes was built with an infrastructure running on Steampunk, one of the most advanced Crystalnet communications system in the world, and had its buildings constructed based on centuries-old principles of godsteel and icesteel crafting. The Verlorens, who had taken the name "Ascendants," had built a shining metropolis, dotted with towering spires of gleaming ice intertwined with rails of steel and hubs of whirring machinery. When the issue of governance was brought up, the Ascendants were the natural choice.

Hammurabi, for his part, was ordered to deal with the Verloren resistance in Marinares. He couldn't make any overt moves, but he did order the Ranger Corps to secretly investigate. Navigating a jungle of icesteel and stone instead of wood and leaf, the Rangers began quietly infiltrating meeting points, trying to prevent or mitigate the impact of the resistance. While the resistance continued, the damage they dealt was reduced.

Finally, in the city of Paxes, Codex laid the groundwork for a permanent alliance. By the invitation of the Ascendants, delegates of the Argent Knights, the Spellbros, and the Holy Clerics were gathered together and briefed on the resurgence of Arane's threat. Codex spoke to the delegates and proposed an alliance: the Righteous Coalition. Its purpose would be the ensure the security of the nations of the world against evil, not just to combat the individual threats that Humans, Azers, or Avians faced.

Codex turned to Malunall. Before the other god spoke, Codex said, "I understand that you harbor no feelings of goodwill to Morality. I want you to get over yourself and your persecution complex. This is not the time for petty grudges, Malunall. Arane is planning terrible, terrible deeds. If you want to restrain yourself from joining the Coalition, that's fine. If you want to make the world a better place—then that's your choice."

With the offer for the Coalition extended, Codex retreated to the home of his people. In Primus that night, the R'lek felt calm and at ease, their mind clearer than ever before. The path to enlightenment lay wide and open to them. At the foot of the Codeka, Codex crossed his legs and began to meditate.

The next morning, the priests could no longer hear their God's voice. When an expedition went to Hammurabi for guidance, Codex's son had no orders for them. "You have lived out the majority of your lives without need being ordered," he said. "You have each found individual purpose for yourselves, whether it be in combat, or in science, or in religion, or in art. Continue to pursue those paths with diligence, and my father would have been content."

The softest strains of a beautiful chorus made themselves audible to the R'lek's ears. Without pressing Hammurabi further, they nodded and returned to their city.

map

9-1(command avatar: make order, ascendant)-3(command race: build Paxes)-1(command avatar: get the Rangers investigating)-4(create order: Righteous Coalition)=0

0+3(lpb)+5+3=11

"Oh no no, it's cool..." Malunall said, putting up his hands, or hand-analogues. "Yeah I'm done with this shit with Morality. He might be sort of stuck-up, but really Arane, it's not cool of you to harass our people. That, and nature gods who aren't Cwper are, overall, not my thing. God of Change and all, got some, ah, issues, with someone who wants to keep us tied down to the earth. So, you know... Go fuck yourself."

A Gnoll Spellbro high-fived the Argent Knight, the top Spellbro having given the order to, indeed, join the Coalition. His name was Brrask Raktar, and while he didn't know it, he was to be yet another piece in the next story of the land.

With the impact of the Spellbro's hand, miles away a drill finally broke through the earth. The lucky Azer emerged blinking into the sunlight, his massive driller exoskeleton heaving past the rubble to raise a triumphant fist. Behind him, the tracks of a soon-to-be-finished rail system were being laid down.

Additionally, Malunall nodded to the Bards. They would be needed as well. A party of reptilian bards marched through Pairtref, singing of Arane's deeds. That is, all the bad ones.

Then Malunall turned to Jeff. "Bro, Jeff... sorry I wasn't able to use you more than the other gods did." Jeff just shrugged and grinned. "Nah man. Honestly? Pretty cool of you. When I wasn't on away missions I was going on, like, adventures and stuff. Got a wife and kids now." "Oh, cool." Malunall replied. "Well, I got one last job for you. You up for it?" Jeff grinned. "Always, boss."

Jeff went to the city of Coedbwlch, then, and got some of the residents there together for some important stuff. "Look, guys," Jeff said, not even disguised, but in the elegant robes of a medic. "I'm Jeff The Shapeshifter, the avatar of Malunall, okay? Your god, Cwper, is an awesomely cool and kind bro. Over the millenia she helped Malunall tons. She's how you do Nature Goddess right, you know? So, uh, basically Malunall wanted me to come down here and form another Order to help you guys out. As you know, war is approaching. Pairtref will very likely be the site of said war, and you guys are wicked close. To make sure you guys stay safe, I'm going to help organize the Crimson Shields, a group of trained medics who'll help you guys in case of emergencies like stray cannons or minigun fire. That, and hey, it's always good to help people." Jeff felt his powers fade on his last move; he was free to live out his days in Codbwlch as a Handalen. Yeah, that sounded like a good end right there.

While Jeff had that all going on, Malunall's university in Primus was getting organized. Moving out of their horribly vandalized dorms, they actually set up a legitimate campus; its architecture was still a clusterfuck of different styles, but at least the dorms could be rebuilt.

Jeff's hand hovered briefly over the Avians. "Must... not... make... fascists..." he grunted. He snapped his hand away, temptation conquered.

Malunall's power was nearly diminished; he had to make this count, do a real good final sendoff, something to make a point from only 4 points...

Using half his power, the Gnolls of Verbrolen set up a trading post with the floating islands, so as to allow for the further cultivation of Avian-not-Avian relations that were damaged when the Gnolls sort of curbstomped the previous traders, rebuilding a previously burnt bridge. Er, metaphorically speaking.

Then, the populace of Prowessia expanded further, conquering the desert west of Pairtref and sandwiching Fang and Hex between a city of pissed-off humans—being at +1 morality and all and therefore being largely opposed to Arane's bullshit—and Pairtref, which was quickly becoming a battleground.

And with that, Malunall slammed a Map◊ on the table, wiped his brow and slumped back in a chair. "Phew! I, am, beat! Great job guys, good game. I just gotta rest for a sec, then I'll go grab the character sheets for the next phase."

11-2(Command Spellbros: Join Coalition)-2(Command Bards: Spread news of Arane's deeds)-1(Command Jeff:Create Crimson Shields)-2(Command Academy of Innovation: Set up legit campus)-2(Command Verbrolen: Reestablish contact with Nomad Avians)-2(Prowessia: Expand south)=0