Mythological RolePlay

[Squishy Cheeks]

"It means that every thousand years Gibrah and I see whose servants are stronger, not war. It will be a battle Royale, but a small one."

[dementedmongoose]

"I defend the Lichkind because they serve me admirably, servant-thief. Not like the Dwarves and Gnomes, whom you took from me. I do not cause war, I simply oversee it. I give your servants a reason to live, and I give Phrayce's servants a reason to thank her every day for simply being alive." With that, Gibrah turned his attention to Phrayce. "Phrayce, while I hold a deep disdain for you, and for everything you stand for, I hold a deeper hatred for your execution. You have proven an admirable goddess for your people, and rather than have them simply run from my armies, or worse yet, have them surrender unconditionally, you have commanded that they fight back." Struck by a moment of inspiration, Gibrah looked at Tordal again. Opening a portal to the Material, he plucked his Orc prophet from the Tribes. Cringing at the sight of Charok, the prophet, Grilnos looked at the gods assembled, and began laughing raucously. "Now, look at this." Gibrah said to Tordal. "Grilnos has been running from Charok for nearly a thousand years, and he laughs at the four of us standing together. You may find that to be madness, but I find it to be a sign of his power. How could I let something like that go to waste, especially in an orc? When Waer brought him to me, I was enraged, not only that he'd disobeyed me, but that he'd disobeyed me and spilled his blood for an orc, until Grilnos captured a fortified city with only fifteen human soldiers. Could you honestly tell me that if Grilnos were human, and you'd seen him do something honorable with the same magnificence, you'd not offer something to Charok in exchange for his life? Well, actually, you probably wouldn't since Charok gives your 'heroes' an honorable afterlife. My servants hope that I can intervene and send them back to Gil'nah to become a part of the storm there."

[Squishy Cheeks]

"It is unfair to say I prefer one side to the other in any conflict. There are beings of honor on all sides. I punish the wicked. There are many servants of Tordal's in the Via Purifico, as are followers of all the gods, even mine. The good are praised and the wicked punished it is that simple. Lichkind was created by me, during a moment of arrogance, their continued existance however is defiance unto me. I've given you these thousand years, Gibrah, out of respect. It is time that we settle this score."

[Astral Harmony]

"Summoned by Charok? Really?"
Luda nodded. "Charok has his ways of finding out these things, Goddess Prietal. What shall we do?"
Prietal shrugged as she beheld the generals before her. Out of the six, a favorable four were in her presence. Only Maegrid the centaur and Daruna the catgirl were absent.
"Any ideas, generals?" Prietal asked.
Budgula was the first to say anything. "We should proceed as normal. Whatever the other gods intend to do should have minimal effect on the test outright."
"That does seem the best course," Moe agreed. "Do you think any of them might have a deep interest in this and interfere?"
"They wouldn't interfere." Vitrioli said. "If there is a god who would be acutely interested in this 'execution', it would have to be Divine Charok as he will wind up with the soul of the slain goddess. Who knows? The soul he gains may become his wife."
Prietal laughed at Vitrioli. "When you say that, I'm not so sure which of us would be the luckier goddess. Maybe I should let Phrayce kill me instead."
"Don't let your mind be clouded, Prietal." Budgula said, cutting across titles. "You know what you really want and we support you."
Prietal nodded, getting serious. "You're right. But the generals will all be in trouble if we try to pull this off."
Budgula shrugged with her four upper arms. "She knows that I'm the one responsible for all the other attempts before this. Believe it or not, she considers it a challenge. All I can do is try again with each generation and hope it all turns out well this time, my heart much heavier with each failure."
"In that case, this meeting is finished. Please be ready to fight your best tomorrow."
Budgula was the last to leave the chamber. She looked at the statues of Phrayce and Prietal. "And yet again, us generals will choose which divine purpose to serve. Prescenia, I will not know rest until your atrocities have ended once and for all."

[Squishy Cheeks]

Like smoke the reapers entered the chamber flanking Charok. Charok took his mask from his valet and placed it on his face.

"It is time." He took his sword from the pedastal next to his throne. Mors and the other reapers knealt before the god of death. "Are you ready?"

[dementedmongoose]

"Let it be, then." Gibrah said simply, as Grilnos opened portals to the other Prophets and brought them out. Waer stood at the front of them, the blade holding Gibrah's eye almost seeming to pulsate with flowing blood in his hand. Gibrah pulled his own weapons from Gil'nah; a single bit obsidian axe with a golden bird of prey head on the back, and a single piece of glasssteel forged into a sword that gave off an unnatural red light, and almost seemed to have screams emanating from it. "I shall miss the opposition your death dealers would have posed, but they stand between me and my servants."

[Squishy Cheeks]

"We shall see, Are you sure you have enough?" Charok taunted with a smirk.He gestured and a ball of silver decinded from the ceiling. when it struck the ground all were engulfed in white light and standing in the sands of the appointed Arena.

"We have arrived at the appointed place at the appointed time, goddes Phrayce. If there is any favor you would ask of me, I will grant it, so long as it does not violate the rules. Such as this." He produced a quarter staff from the air. The wood was grayish brown. "It is light as a feather, flexible, and stronger than diamond."

[Astral Harmony]

"A nice implement of inflicting suffering indeed, Divine Charok, but my sister has always preferred the rapier."
Before Phrayce could accept the weapon from Charok, a rapier in a sheath came to a halt before her feet. They had arrived.
Prietal, flanked by Budgula and Vitrioli to her left and Luda and Moe to her right stood on the opposite side of the arena. Maegrid and Daruna were near Phrayce's side of the arena, both of them looking hesitant to do anything.

Phrayce picked up the rapier and stepped forward, pleading. "Sister. Please, you have to tell me why I am to be executed."
Prietal stared intently at her older half-sister. "It is the will of your mother. Now that she has me to accept the divine gifts, she no longer requires you."
Phrayce fell to her knees, feeling defeated before she could even start fighting. "I don't understand. Doesn't Mother love me?"
Prietal was quiet. A flicker of remorse came across her face. Phrayce stood up again. "You're right. You don't understand, and I envy you for your ignorance. However, with such divine personages here, the show must begin. General Moe, you may go first."
"By your command, my goddess."

Moe gracefully leapt down and approached Phrayce, taking no less than five swords into each of her beautiful hands. She halted roughly twenty yards from the goddess.
"Don't let up for a second. That is, if you want to live."
"But Prietal called this an execution. Isn't that supposed to guarentee my death?"
"Well, if you want to die, I won't mind killing you. It would spare you from learning of a horrible and ancient truth."
"What?"
Moe didn't answer. She charged.
The battle between Phrayce and Moe was pretty evenly matched. Both used swords with unerring skill and both seemed to excel at speed. During a moment when the two were trying to lock each other down, Phrayce found the time to speak.
"I don't understand! What do you mean?!"
"You want to find out what lies below the surface of all of this? Then don't give up on me!"
Phrayce wasn't sure how to react to what little information she was being fed, but found it intriging to give it her best. When the two clashed, several of Moe's swords slipped out and scattered across the ground. Moe was fine. Phrayce assumed her stance.
"Enough, General Moe. General Luda, you are next."
"Time for some fun, hee hee hee..."

"Don't give up, Phrayce. Prietal needs you."
Moe left the arena after recovering her swords and left Phrayce to encounter Luda. Luda was unarmed. Well, if you didn't count her spider legs that could crush a skull like a grape and her own claws that could slice people in five pieces and her corrosive toxins that could melt armor like butter.
Luda didn't even tell Phrayce to get ready. She just assaulted the goddess without even poising to attack. For all the rumors about Luda's mental irregularities, she was an extremely talented fighter. Apparently, she used her eight legs for short hops and skips and allowed her to get at Phrayce's flanks within an instant, and she was just as quick at striking. The goddess was promptly forced to abandon any attack she might have thought up and focused strictly on defense, deflecting the claw strikes. After about five minutes of dodging and deflecting that seemed like hours to Phrayce, Luda backed off.
"I'm satisfied."
"General Luda, thank you. General Vitrioli, you have the field."

"As you command, my goddess."
Phrayce and Vitrioli bowed lightly to each other. Phrayce tried for some light conversation.
"You'll be my first male opponent ever, general."
"Take care, goddess. If you allow yourself to perish here, then you have let down your sister and all of us."
"I just don't get it. Is this really an execution?"
"The time for talk has passed. Prepare to face my might, Goddess Phrayce."
Vitrioli's strength seemed comparable to Budgula's. The only male general was definitely packing muscle, but Phrayce didn't think it meant that he had this much power. He wasn't particularly fast, thankfully. But his blows were so powerful that Phrayce had to really get out of the way of the gigantic swords Vitrioli wielded. Spotting an opening, Phrayce leapt up and nearly sheathed her rapier in Vitrioli's left eye. A quick blow from a pommel forced Phrayce over his head and behind him roughly a dozen yards away. Vitrioli turned to set his sights on Phrayce, then sighed.
"I was only getting started."

"But she still has two of us to go, Vitrioli."
Phrayce whirled around quickly to see that Budgula had jumped down into the arena. Budgula was clearly the strongest, most honorable, and definitely the most experienced of all the generals. Phrayce had heard that Budgula had unerringly served no less than seven generations of goddesses. And now, that giant, dark-green skinned, six-armed monstrosity stood before her on the arena field. Phrayce turned around to see that Vitrioli had left them alone.
"It's not often that my blood starts boiling nowadays, Goddess Phrayce. I think you might just be the one."
"'The one' what, General Budgula? I just don't get it."
"She will betray all of us. Ready your sword so that can exact the vengeance of our lost goddesses."
"Lost goddesses? Damn it, stop being so cryptic and tell me what's going on!"
"You want the answer? Very well, then. But you'll have to prove to me that you are ready to hear it all."
The clashing of Phrayce and Budgula was pretty much the highlight of the whole execution. Giant, over-whelmingly powerful and destructive Budgula. Small, fast-thinking and quick Phrayce.

Now, if only they actually reached each other...

"I've seen enough."
Heads turned. The radiant vision of a woman appeared above and behind Prietal. Budgula swore. The other generals kneeled quickly.
"Mother?!"
"Mother..."
Caetisine looked down upon Prietal. "Prietal, when I asked you to destroy her, I don't recall asking you to make some kind of amusing spectacle out of it, did I?"
Prietal jumped back into the arena. "I apologize, Mother, for I have commited a grievous and personal sin against you and decided to give hope a chance."
Caetisine smirked. "I see. If my pathetic eldest daughter was not standing there, about ready to collapse from all that's she had to endure so far, you would have gladly submitted to me without incident. Really, I don't see why this humble vision of her would convince you that there's a chance this time around. Tell me, did Budgula put you up to this?"
Prietal was about to speak, but Caetisine lifted her left hand and directed the index finger at Phrayce, who stared at her mother with a mix of confusion and true horror.

"Unlike the last times, I do see that the odds are indeed against me. This forces me to take the aggressive approach."
A sphere of light blossomed and expanded on the tip of that index finger. Prietal quickly turned to face her older half-sister. "Phrayce!"
Phrayce was frozen, a mask of fear slapped across her innocent face. Budgula stood in the way.
"For a general as old as you, this display is childish, Budgula. If you long to join Phrayce in the afterlife, so be it."
Budgula closed her eyes, seeing visions of her own life pass before her mind when Caetisine released the bolt. A moment passed. Budgula opened her eyes and beheld the goddess she was trying to protect. Phrayce had somehow destroyed the bolt that would have slain them both.

And then she fell.
Prietal and Budgula were both instantly by her side.
"Budgula?" Prietal asked simply.
"I think she'll pull through." Budgula said.
A silverly peel of laughter brought their attention back to Caetisine. "I must say that I'm quite impressed with her. She was somehow able to use the divine gifts to stop my attack." Caetisine said, lowering her hand and crossing her arms. "Fine, I am a merciful goddess, after all. I accept your challenge. She has until the date for the Ceremony of Ascension to step forward and face me in final confrontation before I decide to come out and destroy the both of you. Be well until then."
And that was it. Caetisine was gone. Phrayce seemed to be sleeping. Prietal wondered what exactly she was going to say to the other gods. Budgula lifted Phrayce from the ground and cradled her like a child.
"General, take her, Maegrid and Daruna somewhere safe. I want you to tell them exactly what you told me. I'll stay here and try to clean up this mess. The other gods present are going to want to know what the hell just happened."
"As you command, my goddess."

[Squishy Cheeks]

"An answer can wait. Other matters need to be addressed first." Charok ran his finger along a small cut on Phrace's arm. The blood glistened as he touched it to the sand. The sand of the arena turned black. and the building trembled. Charok gracefully leapt out of the arena as his Reapers entered weapons drawn. "Now is the time, Gibrah, let our wager be settled."

Mors and the others took a fighting stance. Their weapons gleaming with energy.

[Astral Harmony]

Budgula and the others left to a safe area near the arena where they could both tend to Phrayce and leave Charok and Gibrah alone to have their match.
Maegrid and Daruna stood there with them bearing odd expressions on their faces, and both Prietal and Budgula knew why. Along with Vitrioli, the three were relatively new to the general rank, and the two girls had never been told about Prescenia.
"Once Phrayce comes to, I shall explain it all." Budgula stated. "Needless to say, we need your services now more than ever."
Maegrid and Daruna looked at each other.
"We'll certainly try our best, but..." Maegrid began.
"We're not exactly sure what you want us to do." Daruna finished.
"Just protect Phrayce with your lives, regardless of what happens."
The two generals nodded. Prietal decided to state the obvious.
"Generals Moe, Luda, and Vitrioli are not with us."

Budgula decided that she had done all she could for Phrayce now and stood up. "Perhaps they thought they could help us more by trying to attack your mother. Perhaps she's won their allegiance in our personal little war and we may have to end up killing them in order to have our chance at righting the ultimate wrong here. Perhaps they don't know who to side with since it's all so confusing."
"I can see how Vitrioli might be confused. He's new. But Moe and Juda have known about Prescenia just like you have."
Budgula took the time to judge the two more experienced generals herself. "Moe is a woman of great honor. The event that has occured this day, regardless of how confusing it might be, would not have shaken Moe to the point where she simply can't choose. She's not with us, so she's most likely on the side of Prescenia. Luda...well, I don't think even I can tell what goes on in that woman's brain sometimes. I think that Prescenia may have won over Luda as an ally by promising something important."
"Once we explain everything to Phrayce and our two allied generals, we should think of a few people who can fill those vacancies. We need a good team if we're going to be strong enough to destroy Prescenia by the next Ceremony of Ascension. After all, I'm sure just getting to her means that we'll have to lay siege to the Grand Cathedral."
"We'll discuss strategy some other time, my goddess." Budgula said with finality. "First, let's go talk to the locals. We don't want them freaking out because two gods and their best and brightest troops are engaging in mortal slaughter where the arena is."