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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 430995" data-attributes="member: 2012">Below the Burning Sky (cont)Kelemvor watched in frustration from the Cynosure.  Of course, his main Avatar still stood at the center of the City of Waterdeep.  It mattered little to a god of Kelemvor’s stature.  He was now the de facto leader of the Faerûnian Pantheon, which he had had announced to his faithful followers.  The news spread quickly through the churches of the pantheon as well.  Many of those mortals that had lost their god to Ao’s betrayal had flocked to his church for answers and protection.  Kelemvor had accepted all that were true in their hearts to his faith and his power and portfolio had expanded overnight, returning him to the power of a greater god.Not that any of that concerned him at the moment, as he watched the Imperial forces spread across Faerûn conquering and razing all in their path.  Cormyr was in ruins, as were dozens of other kingdoms and city-states in the Western Heartlands.  Only Waterdeep and Silverymoon stood in the North.  Calimshan was holding on due to Shar’s influence.  Amn was not as lucky even with Bane’s help.  The Black Lord, surprisingly, was giving it his all to protect Athkatla, Amn’s capital city.  Bane was definitely not acting like Bane.  Unfortunately, Tethyr wasn’t faring as well as the rest of the Lands of Intrigue.  Not even the aid of Ilmater was keeping the Imperials at bay.  Of course, the Crying God’s followers weren’t known for being frontline militants, regardless of their amazing endurance and determination.It was the same all across Faerûn.  The faithful of the Pantheon were outmatched and outgunned.  Even Gond’s followers and their smokepowder bombards were making very little difference.  Many of the rulers of the Moonsea had already surrendered and gladly joined the ranks of the Imperials marching on the Dalelands and Sembia.  Cyric had ordered his followers to align themselves with the Imperials in a mad grab for power.  He’d betray them, of course, hoping to conquer all of Faerûn.  It was madness.“That jackal is going to be the death of us all.”  Kelemvor thought the words out loud in the Cynosure.Milil was scribbling the names of the dead next to his lord.  The Lord of the Dead had passed as much godly power to his new Scribe of the Doomed as he dared.  He replied to his lord without looking up from his ledger.“Cyric was always a madman, Lord Kelemvor.  It’s not surprising that he’d do something as foolish as align with the enemy.”“Agreed,” Kelemvor switched his mind’s focus towards the lands that troubled him most.  “He is a lunatic and his plan will get him killed.  I am not as concerned about Cyric as I am about the God of the Mulhorandi.”Milil stopped scribbling, for the smallest moment in time, before continuing to write down the names of the dead.  He did not respond to his Lord’s concerns.  After all, there wasn’t anything her could do about it.  He waited for his Lord to continue.“Tempus and his followers oppose the armies of the Mulhorandi near the Methmere but not even all the power of the Lord of Battles can hold off an entire pantheon.”The Lord of the Dead watched as several Avatars of Tempus clashed with the new Imperial Aspects of the Mulhorandi.  The Mulhorand Gods had changed – these traitors of Toril and its people now appeared in even stranger forms than they had before.  They carried powerful plasma weapons, both ranged and melee, and were decimating the followers of Tempus.Several powerful bombards of Gond returned fire and Kelemvor watched as the projectile missiles bounced harmlessly off the energy shield that protected the Mulhorand army.  One of Tempus’ Avatars met Horus-Re’s on the battlefield.  The two titans clashed but Horus-re obviously had the advantage.  He was a greater god after all, while Tempus was barely an intermediate god now.  Horus-Re cut half of Tempus’ left arm off with his new plasma-enhanced khopesh.  The Lord of Battles’ Avatar actually screamed in pain, which echoed through each of Tempus’ Avatars.  Kelemvor sensed Tempus shift enough of his power to keep his other Avatars whole.  The one fighting Horus-Re wouldn’t last much longer without help.Kelemvor made a decision unlike any he had ever considered before.  The Lord of the Dead reached out with his mind contacting the remaining gods of the Faerûnian Pantheon.“Brothers, sisters!  Our battle with the Mulhorandi goes against us.  Anyone with enough divine power left must send an Avatar to the shores of the Methmere to help in the battle.  The Mulhorandi Gods even now walk those shores dealing death to our people.  I for one have had enough!”Just as Horus-Re brought his khopesh to behead Tempus’ Avatar, Kelemvor transferred his main Avatar from Waterdeep to Unther and transferred another to Waterdeep to help protect that city.  He would not lose any of Tempus’ power even if it meant Waterdeep might fall.Kelemvor blocked Horus-Re’s strike with his divine bastard sword, Fatal Touch.“Hello Horus-Re,” Kelemvor sneered at the greater god of the Mulhorandi.  “You and I need to have another discussion!”Kelemvor’s words echoed across the battlefield as he smashed his fist across the other god’s Avatar sending him flying into the air, over his advancing army, and deep into the bowels of the Methwood.  The sight of Kelemvor’s Avatar on the battlefield gave hope to the followers of Tempus and they surged forward to meet the Mulhorandi army.Soon half-a-dozen Avatars of the remaining gods of the Faerûnian Pantheon appeared on the battlefield striking back at the Mulhorandi - Gond, Helm, Kossuth, Talos, Tyr, and, surprisingly, Bane.Horus-Re’s Avatar reappeared in front of the Lord of the Dead, as Kelemvor helped Tempus’ Avatar off his knees.  The Lord of Battles’ arm reappeared, as Kelemvor passed some of his divine power to the warrior god – something Ao would never had done.  But Kelemvor wasn’t Ao.“That was a mistake, Kelemvor.”  Horus-Re was incensed that Kelemvor had so easily destroyed one of his Avatars.  “I had been content to conquer and hold the lands of the south for the Dragon Empire.  I was going to offer you the chance to join the Unification Church but now, now I will settle for nothing less than total domination of all of Faerûn.”Tempus stood beside his liege, his battleaxe, Battle Prowess, ready to defend Kelemvor from Horus-Re.  He was amazed and pleased to see Kelemvor step forward to meet the Mulhorandi God.“You will have to go through me first, Horus-Re.  You will not subjugate a single soul for the Empire, as long as I have a spark of divinity left in me.  Those souls belong to the Faerûnian Pantheon alive or dead.”The two gods rushed each other, their godly blades clashed producing thunder and lightning.  The skies of Unther roared with the sounds of battle, god versus god, mortal versus mortal.*                                        *                                        *</blockquote>

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