Blank Slate IC

[Jemal]

Though none had noticed, when the first man had killed his brother, that brother had faded into mist, and the mist had gone and mixed with the stardust, the water, and all the elements. It was given sentience by the Universe itself, as a great act of change, and when if finally managed to reform itself, it looked around in confusion.
"We are dead, but not dead.. We are alive, but not alive.." It sensed a great disturbance, a meeting of powers, and grinned. Such a meeting would be important. He should attend.

As they called upon the sun, none of the gods at first noted the mortal standing before them. But as they did notice him, they realized there was something very wrong with him.

 

[GlassEye]

Byrrl ponders and examines the earthen body wrought by the one named Ilem Nth Sabbatur and sees that Ilem's words were spoken true. Branches lower and brush the ground in a gesture of respect. "Excuse my brashness, Ilem Nth Sabbatur, for you have taken what you nourished and it is right. I accept your chastisement."

Stretching limbs upward again, Byrrl agrees with Ilem's plan to summon the bright god of the sky. "Yes, let us summon and speak with him. And there is another I have sensed, also; one who lives in the waters and from whom I and the Wild have derived sustenance." So saying, Byrrl joins his voice with Ilem's to summon the shining god above.

 

[GrandArchon]

... and as the universe grew and the stars were cast against its edge, some of them did quiver, for in His haste Empyrean did not make them all of equal strength. Soon, one of them began to buckle beneath its own weight, unable to draw up the energy to throw out its enormous mass. It shook, blazed- then began to collapse. It collapsed, but rather than stop when it was at its densest, it continued to fall in upon itself, and the very fabric of the void was sundered.

And from the unfathomable void came a Thing which no mind can comprehend, for It was great and terrible to behold. With reasoning alien and unknowable, It pulled the fabric of the universe around Itself, and pinched off all but a tiny whole, as to make Itself invisible unto god and mortal alike.

And with one of Its terrible, alien eyes, It Watched. It Watched the universe in quiet contemplation, and from time to time It would adjust Its view, until at last Its horrible gaze fell upon the Jewels of Empyrean. Attracted by the mighty rumbling of Ilem Nth Sabbatur, It turned its attention to the World, and in doing so interposed Itself between the World and Empyrean. And all the thinking creatures of the World, noticing that Empyrean no longer shone, looked up.

They should not have looked up.

For in looking up they met the terrorizing gaze of a Being no thing could grasp in its mind, and looking upon Its shape did so agonize the mind and soul that they were blinded to reason. And the whole World screamed a single scream of fear and anguish.

This, children, was the birth of Madness.

Seeing this reaction, the Thing that Watched pinched closed the fabric of the univers, so as to make a little world for itself, and hid the pinch within a great Adament Sphere, which no god could break, and which spun around the World.

 

[Jemal]

And the god of change gasped and fell to his knees as he felt the madness enter the universe, and his smile took on a slighty maniacal glee as he watched the three gods calling vainly to their Sun.

 

[WarlockLord]

Hash'Mileak felt a kindred spirit enter the universe, and he was pleased.

 

[Gli'jar]

The void bellowed as it was sundered by the watcher. The black foldings of time and space heaved, fluttered and were shattered. A black storm moved across the horizon, a black sheet of nothingness, remnant of the first act of creation, broken free in the sundering of the void. It fluttered of its own accord, a black linen that seemed to chatter as it flew, " I am, I am not, I am, I am not. "

The dreamers eye opened. Saw nothing. Closed. An ear listened. Heard no one. Ached. Slow, black waves on a black beach, whispered softly in, whispered softly out. Dreams beyond understanding flooded the dreamer. As the madness flooded the world, the dreams turned to nightmares.

A hand flailed, breaking through the soft cocoon of sleep, beyond the reality of the dream, piercing the veil of time, pushing out into space, grasping the infinite. So the child broke free from the cocoon of sleep like a snake sloughs his skin. Horns he had like a crown, wings like a royal mantle, and a scaled tail that shone like burnished gold.

The dreamers eyes opened. Saw. Stayed open.

Standing upon the axle of infinity, he gazed down upon the suffering world, “ The memory of the dream is weak, it must be rescued from the dark places in the mind, must be brought to the light, cherished and tethered like a straying child. The madness must be tempered. ” The child of the void imparted.

The child of the void roared like thunder. The air stood still to listen, the water ceased to flow, and the rock grew soft and malleable as the infinite bent towards his will. This was a new vision, not the closing of a door, but the promise of a million doors to open. Although he had no control over the madness, it became as a nightmare to those who witnessed it, a reality to those who relish it. I remained hidden from view within the deep recesses of the mind, a terrible memory of what may have been and what may be.

The nightmare had ended, yet the dream flowed on. “Dream. Determine. Resolve.” The dreamer whispered to himself.

 

[Ambrus]

The Empyrean looks about the cosmos and in the place of the star it had created it sees a mighty celestial dragon shining with the light of the star it had consumed. Recognizing the creature as one of its own, albeit enlarged far beyond its original design and glowing with the Empyrean's own fire, the God exercises its dominion over the creature. As the wyrm is now of stellar proportions, it is an easy matter for the Empyrean to reach out with the forces of gravity to ensnare the creature and forcefully draw it back towards the divine nexus from which it originated. "You are one of my brood." The enraged Empyrean says. "And yet, you have grown overlarge and dared to consume the luminous essence of one of my avatars without my leave. What have you to say for yourself?"

Ilem Nth Sabbatur then rises his voice unto the sky. "Great blazing orb in the sky, I summon thee. I, born of you and like you, summon thee! I am with here with another that shares the same essence as you and I. Would you come and entertain us with your presence?"

"Yes, let us summon and speak with him. And there is another I have sensed, also; one who lives in the waters and from whom I and the Wild have derived sustenance." So saying, Byrrl joins his voice with Ilem's to summon the shining god above.

The Empyrean hears the summons of two divine beings and is about to flare its divine light back onto the living world below in greeting when yet a second star dies and tears a painful wound in the void. The Empyrean hunts about for the source of this second attack upon its stars when a large metallic moon suddenly appears to block its view of the fledgling earth. Without the sun's warming light, all living things now cast in shadow begin to wither and wane. Snows fall from the skies where once there was rain. The seas grow cold and ice begins to form and spread at the planet's poles. Ever so quickly, life upon the earth begins to die.

 

[Jemal]

And just as quickly as things started to die, they learned to adapt. And when it seemed like even that wouldn't save them, the moon began circling. For a short time it would blot the sun, and then it would slowly orbit the planet. And as it did so, the people knew that they would have to be ready for its return. And so they became stronger.

Meanwhile, the mortal/god nodded. "Not that easily you don't. They've much to accomplish."

 

[Kaodi]

Noctuvos feels pain akin to a pin prick in the birth of the Watcher, but the awakening of the Dreamer is agony, losing a piece of himself that may never be repaired or recovered. For a moment, he despairs. However, soon he realizes how this new god is to him as many of the other godlings are to Empyrean, and he is relieved of his suffering by the knowledge that he is no longer alone in the face of those were were created.

However, there are matters to be attended to...

As Malchygara is drawn in by Empyrean, he reaches out to pull he back, changing her place after each tug by the sun god.

Finally, he touches minds to the lord of creation...

She is no longer yours, Empyrean, she belongs to me. Malchygara is a price I exact from you for filling part of me with your light, with your creations. I have allowed them each a place, and in return you must allow me some of creation. She is and will always be the mightiest of creatures, drawing her essence from both you and I. You spread yourself out amongst countless avatars, which you can always create more of, but all the power I could give to such incarnations of myself I have given to her.
You and I should not quarrel, Empyrean. There is so much we can do for each other. But know this: Interfere with my creature again, and I will show you how terrible my power can be. The same terms for any of your progeny and reckless creations.

Noctuvos thinks perhaps it is time to give a demonstration of his power. In his child, the Dreamer, he has some of the possiblities that exist for the world, and it is not his desire that it should cast into darkness, at least by someone other than him. An " unbreakable " sphere has one great weakness. It exists, it has a place.

And that place, Noctuvos denies.

 

[Ambrus]

The Empyrean is first taken aback by the sudden contact from the void, a presence it hadn't even suspected existed. The sun then blazes in anger at the threats leveled against it. "You whose vast emptiness far exceeds the mass of anything I have created demand tribute from me? You, who have thus far remained obfuscated, now proclaim that you have claimed a prize of mine, all without the merest introduction? You who claim to take offense at the merest existence of my creations now covet one of those same creations to further fill you void?

Even if you were owed this wyrm as you claim, and even if I had in my grace agreed to gift it upon you, what right have you to further snuff the light and fire from one of my stars? It is you who have transgressed upon me and who deserves to be threatened. Know this, this wyrm was created in my own image with my own essence and now has within its belly the power of my own avatar; the greatest part of it will always be my own.

You speak of cooperation and favors that we may do for each other. Pray tell me then, you who have naught but space, what do you offer me for the continued possession of this wyrm and for the star you have taken from me?"