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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Velenne" data-source="post: 974583" data-attributes="member: 1856">Arbiters AwakenThe small room hummed with a resonance given off by innumerable, intricate magical wards and lacings.  It had been constructed of magic, was fueled by magic with the intention of preserving the beings which it had birthed.Six chambers faced off around the perimeter of the circular sanctuary.  In its center, a smoky silver orb pulsed with an inner light. The faces of the oval chambers were made of crystal- ruby most likely- a translucent material that allowed one to peer into the secrets within.  Creatures slept within these chambers, oblivious to the world they had never seen. The mists of the silvery orb stirred.  From within, a delicate, angelic being appeared.  The pallor of her skin matched the surrounding mists.  Her face was flawless, ageless, and simple.  The rest of her body moved with the mists, sometimes appearing faintly, other times indistinguishable.  Two pupiless white eyes gazed at each chamber in turn.  The corners of the tiny mouth raised slightly in satisfaction. “Awaken.”Five pairs of eyes snapped open, fully alert.  The sixth pair remained closed for now.  He was not ready, and would not be for a long time.  But time she did not have, and so she must make the most of what little she did have.  The crystal faces of the chambers dissolved into nothingness and the creatures stepped forth.  Though the creature's limbs had never moved, and their eyes had never seen, it was as if they had never known what it was to sleep or grow weary.  They moved confidently, spoke clearly, but their minds were a different matter.  She knew they had questions, and she must answer them quickly in these waning moments.“Our time is short; they will come soon to find out why I have left them.  I could bear their will no longer.  You are each too precious to me now to return to them.  You should be free, and free you will be.  But you have questions-  ask them.”“Who are you,” asked the charred dwarf in a gravely voice.  His skin had the appearance of black ash, even flaking off in small, thin pieces and drifting lazily about in the ambient currents.  Half of his face and head was a burnt ruin where no hair or beard would ever grow.  Tightly braided and beaded white hair adorned the other half which clinked together slightly as he moved his head to take in the surroundings. “I am given no name,” she replied, “only a sentience with which to create each of you to the specifications given unto me.  You are each so very dear to me.  I could no longer abide their wishes.”“Whose wishes?” the Felin wizardess asked.  She had leaned her lithe form against her chamber casually, clicking her slender claws against the pulsating steel.  Her spotted cheetah’s coat was perfectly toned and maintained and her Skin was crafted to maximize the visibility of her alluring form.  Still, her forceful eyes betrayed her casual demeanor. “Mother.  We will call you Mother,” said the Titanotrope warmly.  He had sat down with his legs crossed immediately upon exiting the chamber and had never taken his eyes from her.  His heavily muscled form was void of tension as if he were meditating with his eyes open.  Two symmetrically opposed horns rose from the center of his back and curved to points just above his head. Each reply was given in earnest to the feeling in their hearts.  The second made her smile sadly, turning her gaze across an unseen distance.  She enjoyed hearing him say so.  The first brought her back to the task, and their limited time together.  She looked at the one who had asked, the Felin wizardess.“They are called the Crystal Council,” Mother answered.  It was name which resonated with each of them.  The rulers of Ersadia. Twenty-two mages given absolute power after the Fiend Wars –one for each school of magic.  They had drawn lines over a map of the world and staked their claim.  Now, nearly two centuries later, their rulership over the world’s populace was unquestioned.The tiefling spoke first.  Upon exiting her chamber, she had instinctively pressed herself into the nearest shadow where she seemed to disappear completely.  A particularly keen observer would note two pin-pricks of red light from her eyes, but that would be all.  Her small, slim form leaned itself well to remaining hidden.  When she spoke, she leaned forward so the others could see her.  Her curved horns came into the light and her fangs reflected the orb’s inner glow, “Protect all mages. Preserve society at all costs-““And kill only ven necessary?” interrupted the other Felin in the group with a thick accent laden with disdain.  He was freakishly tall, even for a panther Felin, standing at least two heads above every other Arbiter (depending the current form of the Titanotrope).  His black fur was tinted with red and his black tongue dripped spittle which hissed when it came in contact with the air.Mother could see their reactions in each of their faces.  Some with indignation, others with understanding, still others with confusion.  “You were created with these purposes in mind.  But know that your creators view you as nothing more than tools.  It is a lie.  You are one being, one life manifested in many.  In you lies their hope for salvation from the coming storm.  Their perch has grown high, built on the beaten backs of those they do not love.  Soon the tower will fall.  You are called Arbiters, but each of you knows its name:“Mirage. To you was given power over the mind.  Arbiters do not kill unless no other option is presented, for in the minds of the Enemy lie the names of yet more enemies for you to hunt.  You were created to find these names, these people, so that your hunt will continue until the threat is eliminated.“Penumbra.  Your realm is the Shadow.  You may travel wherever there is darkness, and find comfort in its touch.  You are the unseen, the unknown threat which strikes when least expected.“Wrath.  Deep within lies the unbridled fury which strikes fear into the Enemy.  Yet no fear will gain purchase in your heart.  In the days to come, you will be the foundation of assurety to your brothers and sisters. “Puma.  The predator which has not mercy nor hesitation for its prey.  They made you to kill, and it is your greatest talent.  But what lies beneath may be greater still.  Your power unfolds- the power of life and death lie at the point of your scythe.“Blight.  Warrior and Psion, Stealth and Might. Y ou are the combination of all these assembled into an embodiment of oneness with the Self.  As your exploration grows, so too will these qualities within you, manifested in the Weapon.“Mourn,“ she turns to the dormant Arbiter still in his chamber, “the Sleeper. The most ambitious of the creations, designed to mimic so closely his inspiration.  His chains are his comfort, but they are also his prison.  He will need your companionship and your love to flourish, or he will be lost.“They hunt for me now.  I can feel their magics probing for me.  You must go soon.  Remember that you cannot survive alone.  You must learn to trust.  In doing so, you may yet receive trust and know what it is to truly live.  You are alive, as alive as anyone else.  But you must have each other as well.  Go now.  They come.”</blockquote>

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