Well, at least they think it's me, so wil it not matter? As much as I hate them thinking I look like that, they do think it's me, so it'd still be praying to me.
Let's see what the other asaeryns are doing!
They're sending scouts to check out the...
Oh, no.
They're sending scouts to the weird village.
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."That's bad. And I think I know why the mermaids are being restless.
That false sea goddess is going around, claiming that she is the true mistress of the sea and she demands that everyone worship her. I think she's the one that made those Asareyns build those creepy statues... If that's her true appearance.
Sapphire stopped near a cave, tensing up. "COME OUT! SHOW YOURSELF!" She called out.
"So, one lone mermaid dares to challenge the mighty goddess?" The female voice chuckles.
"There's only one sea goddess that I know, and you're not her." Sapphire glared.
"Pah! I AM THE TRUE GODDESS OF THESE OCEANS! I will show you what happens to those who defy me!"
A large, pale-skinned woman with an eel tail slithers out, carrying a staff in her hand. "Gaze upon me and feel true terror!"
Sapphire snorted. "Some goddess you are! All I see is nothing but a lousy sea snake!"
"Insolence!" The eel woman screams and shoots out a beam of magic towards her, Sapphire dodging it easily.
"You're the reason why my people are acting so troubled!" Sapphire barked. "I'm going to make sure you won't do a stupid thing ever again!"
She hurled her trident at the eel woman's stomach, piercing her. "AAAAGH! DAMN YOU!" The eel woman spat at her. "I will not die... For I AM IMMORTAL!"
With that, she slumped down to the ground. Sapphire swam over to her and pulled the trident out of her body and sighed. "She wasn't even much of a fight," She turned around and swam into the direction of the bubble.
edited 19th Oct '10 2:22:08 PM by Draco234
Seriously, I have no idea why people want to be us. Maybe it's some kind of strange desire to compensate for something.
^^ I knew that. I was joking about that last part.
edited 19th Oct '10 2:21:43 PM by Draco234
I kinda lost the island, but it should be pretty obvious. They're massive tree-things with strange leaves that kick up the wind around them, sending their seeds, which are similar to those pinwheel parachute ones, scattering for leagues around. It's what let's them seed the scattered islands, and whole ecosystems end up grown on their trunks.
It appears the Kasiyu's leader thinks the same- In relation to the orks, I mean. But I fear they'll likely go after them anyways...
The cliffside village of the Kasiyu had grown- Grown to such large proportions that they were beginning to run out of room. Many had left, to build nests on other cliffs or other mountains. Some had even gone to the flat top, where there was little prey besides other flying creatures. Only occasionally did the groups converge, such as when one of the Jagyou returned from their journeys, or a meeting was called. Right now, there was the latter.
The different groups had been gathered by the current leader, referred to as Dakida. He was an old bird, grizzled and nearly bald, having long ago lost most of the large, pointed head feathers that distinguished their kind.
Standing with a hunched neck and scarred face, he surveyed the many birds clambering over the cliffs in the chosen meeting area- A place of many small outcroppings, all only large enough for two or three birds to stand on yet numerous enough to fit almost a hundred. Right now, only about twenty were standing around, those who could be called leaders or heroes amongst the flocks, and those deemed important enough to accompany them. *
The two reasons for this meeting stood before them now, shivering slightly in the wind. Hatchlings who had gone missing almost three days before, and who had returned bearing news of a terrible enemy to the north.
Dakida had reason to disbelieve them. After all, they could have simply been covering for their own escapades; but that was before the scattered reports and rumors came in of a Jagyou being defeated and its leader torn apart in the north. He'd been more inclined to listen, then.
Now he spoke to the leaders. "A few days before now, Nanida's flock found a new predator roaming our forests- A green-skinned hunter, wiry and tough, leading packs of sharp-fanged beasts. Nanida hoped to fight them, for whatever reason, and underestimated them greatly. He is dead."
A few of the birds hissed and snapped their beaks angrily- Beaks that had become smaller as of late, something only a truely old Kasiyu could tell. They began to demand vengeance.
Dakida stretched his neck to glare at them. "We will not make the same mistakes Nanida made. His Jagyou, of perhaps twelve or fifteen birds, fought only three of these creatures and perhaps nine of their beasts. It isn't known if, in fact, they killed any of them in return." Silence. "This was far to the north- Perhaps it will affect us, perhaps not. But we must keep our survival above all- and that means no antagonizing the beasts so that the hunters become the hunted."
He paused. "But if they are daring enough to encroach on our territory, we will not be so accepting."
edited 19th Oct '10 6:47:11 PM by Hydrall
Well, the mountain elf troop and their king are still alive at least.
Sapphire and Figaro had finally reached the village, where they were greeted with cheers.
"Welcome back, Sapphire. The waves have told me you defeated the heretical oracle." An old mermaid swam towards the group.
"You mean the one who called herself the 'Mistress of the Tides'?"
"Yes. She kept demanding that we bulid her statues in her honor and pray to her everyday. But you managed to defeat her. We thank you."
"Excuse me," Figaro interrupted. "But I do recall about a missing person you wanted us to find?"
"Yes," The elderly mermaid nodded. "My daughter decided to put a stop to the oracle's nonsense and she went off into the cave where she resided."
Sapphire silently cursed to herself. She had just left that cave!
"Also, the oracle managed to get a hold of some crystals in that same cave. They have unknown powers..."
"So, you're saying that your leader might be lost inside that cave?" Figaro questioned.
"Exactly. The crystals have a erected a barrier that keeps non-magic users out." The old mermaid nodded.
"I guess that's where I come in," A young forest elf mage wearing green robes walked up to the elder.
"Who is she?"
"My name is Sylvana. And I do believe I have the solution to your problem..."
The dwarves were sitting around around a fire, inside a hole cut into the side of a glacier. They have made it through the frozen wasteland, and were waiting for the season of Growth to arrive that would open up a pathway towards the North where they were hoping to find more hospitable terrain.
There were more than two dozens of them of now, though once they have figured out sex they tended to go about it as matter of factly as about the rest of their lives. Current agreement was that it was dangerous to have more dwarves before they will be able to feed them, so they just restrained from it.
Most of them were wielding pickaxes, hand forged personally by the Prophet Krumm whom the Nameless God blessed with the knowledge of metals and working them. Some of them had tried to imitate him behind his back, with varying degrees of success.
They were generally gloomy. The mining operation had been a failure, and Krumm said that the Nameless God did not want them to do it now.
"There should be trees here" - Brok, the leader, was carving a map into the floor. "Enough to make a transport, like the one that the Men of the Seal use. Then we can find a new land. Maybe one that is not swarming with undead."
"The Nameless God said that we are not to dig up the earth any more." - another dwarf reminded him. A few others nodded, though they were all feeling uncomfortable about this part.
"The Men of the Seal said that there are other people on the other side of the ocean. Perhaps we can...Ask them to give us earth? That's what He wants, right?"
All heads turned to the Prophet Krumm. He was a very old dwarf, and was snoozing peacefully in a corner.
Finally he said: "The Nameless God said that we must search for rocks so that we can reach the sky."
Everyone took some time to consider this.
"Seems pointless. Nothing up there but clouds." Others nodded. Everyone knew the interesting things came from under your feet.
Krumm shrugged. As far as he was concerned, as long as he was allowed his time alone with his tools, not much else mattered.
Brok thought for a moment, then he pulled something out of his bag. He showed it around.
"What's this?"
"One of the Men of the Seal showed me this. It's metal cut down to a small size."
"What for?"
"You give it to someone and you get things in exchange for it."
"That's aurellum? Hardly good for anything. Breaks too easily."
"They say...They say that it's valuable becase there is so little of it
."
"Well, I guess. How much'd you get for it?"
The leader signalled behind his back, where a couple of large and hairy animal were chewing the cud. There was some silence.
"But" a dwarf blurted "It's like paying for dirt!"
"There is something else. I don't think they can sense metal. You know that itchy feeling you get when you are over a good vein? I don't think they can do that. They just dig randomly in the ground."
"So all that we need...Is a really big boat..."
edited 19th Oct '10 8:16:46 PM by Vree
These hot springs were a good idea, and- *sees a large spider* What in blazes is that?! Someone kill that horrid bug!
edited 20th Oct '10 10:56:43 AM by Draco234

^Yeah!
Wait, what'll happen if they start praying to it?
-
Mark floated out to the middle of his village.
[Now, we shall pray to Cici!] he blinked. The various degenerates with him gather together in preparation.
-
John had heard news of another asaeryn village. He advised Kevin to send scouts with a few traders to greet the new village, and see how stable it is.
edited 19th Oct '10 1:37:58 PM by AnnoR
"Oh, dear. The toad, the monkey, and the dog have all screwed up."