Session 29/52, 2008-07-10: Shadow and Storm

Session 29/52: wherein one god is fooled, two gods die, and fate wins out

Players (Characters)
Scott (Filthy Ike; Rain)
Jeremy (Flynn Flamm; Grokk)
Tony (Brother Jakob's ghost; Roland; Amber)
Rachel (Lotus; Horkina)
Tom (Nathaniel Graythorne; Garlen)
DM: Catherine

As the parties stood in Anor's grove, Anor spoke once more: "Last comes the destroyer." A sandstorm arose, blowing everyone but Horkina and Rain back into the trees, and a huge black cobra emerged next to Anor. The cobra god Senneth bit at Anor, poisoning the great tree, and Anor's thunder blew Senneth back. As Anor began to wither and die, the parties materialized in a small plane that looked much like Anor's sacred grove. At its center, where Anor would be, was instead a plaque that read as follows:

-----

Semferia is a small plane by most standards. It is no vast cosmos of stars and planets, but instead a four-thousand mile wide bubble. The ground is flat; its ocean bumps right up against its outer wall. The sky is an image--an ever-changing illusion upon the barrier between plane and void.

Such artificiality is unusual for the gods, but Semferia was not designed as a place to live. It was designed as a battleground--an arena in which mighty titans and even deities themselves could fight for sport. Its outer walls constrain those who enter within for that purpose, and its broad fields offer fine turf for epic battles.

For eons, titans and demigods clashed over the fire-blasted plains, piling up mountains and tearing valleys in the earth. Yet as ages passed, Semferia fell into disuse as grander arenas were built. As the last of the titans battled for supremecy, Anor, seedling of Obed-Hai, entered the plane on his own quest.

Anor was a young deity, not yet truly counted among the gods. It was in Semferia that he was to earn his name by taming the last of the titans, quenching the fires, and sowing the seeds of life. He was to transform Semferia into a vibrant paradise full of both paragons of nature and pinnacles of civilization; this would be his masterwork, and then he would ascend beyond the stars, having achieved a greater rank.

He created first the icy north, which sent cooling winds out over the scorched rock, and then he began to plant grass under the feet of the clashing titans. It was crushed at first, for life is a fragile thing, but it was never eradicated. In time, the children of Anor grew and struggled and so became strong. Eventually the titans were overcome and the forests marched unhindered across the north.

Anor did not hurry to tame all of Semferia, for he wanted life to struggle. Civilizations began to grow, and more than once were nearly destroyed in cataclysmic war; yet they were stronger for it. The beasts in the deep places of Semferia forever beset its tiny towns, yet because of them, heroes arose. The feral wild was the pride of Anor, but its larger purpose was to sow greatness among those who are good. Anor showed his love by storms.

But another had designs on Anor's seedlings.

In ages past, Senneth was born--the dark bastard son of Mershaulk. He followed a darker path than his father; while Mershaulk taught pain and treachery, Senneth served death and thirst. When he came of age, the rivalry between them was intense. He desired to usurp his father's domain and subtly started cults on many planes among the Yuan-ti, and in some places--especially desert places--overthrew Mershaulk completely.

For an age, they battled across many planes for the devotion of the Yuan-Ti, who were happy to play one against the other. For another age, they battled by blows, the ancient green python and the young black cobra wrestling for dominance among the stars between the planes. Senneth was the stronger in open battle, but Mershaulk by cunning and treachery always overcame or evaded him. In the end, neither could gain the upper hand.

At last, Mershaulk declared that he had grown tired of the rivalry, and that they should fight their last upon Semferia, that ancient proving ground. Senneth, in his impatient arrogance, took Mershaulk at his word, and was glad to at last confront his foe head on. But Mershaulk deceived; he waited for Senneth to enter Semferia, and then shut its outer doors against him. Laughing, he crushed his rival's cults, while his son remained trapped on the tiny plane.

In his rage, Senneth murdered many of the battling titans, before settling down in his Black Hole in the south to brood and plot what revenge he could.

His anger and hatred had been simmering for long centuries when Anor appeared and Semferia began to see life. Civilizations flourished, both in the north and the south, and some took Senneth as a god, and his power grew. But Senneth's gains were minor; he yearned to see years of life are drained away by untimely death and unquenchable thirst. He watched and waited as life grew until he reckoned that it was strong enough, and then set forth to destroy it. By slaying every living creature and dessicating every green plant, he could grow strong enough to escape, and rise to challenge his old rival.

One by one, he sought out beings of power and like mind, and recruited them to his cause. He sought not devotees, but allies, and exchanged power for favors. To Omenankh, he promised glory; to Aol, ascention to deity and assistance in the rebuilding of the Empire of Thirst. To Kelzun he promised great divine power and help in her war against her own demon lord. Shinsiri and Oshirex he lured with arcane power and secrets only gods could uncover. To Vash he promised dominion of Semferia in undeath as the final state of all things. He named them the Waste lords and set on them a broad quest: to slay all living things in Semferia. Time went by and they grew in power as they achieved Senneth's goals and he achieved theirs; in the end, they rivaled even their own dark lord.

The Waste Lords and Senneth together wove deep plans, and each played his own part. Omenankh led spies, while Aol sought lost tribes. Kelzun spread lies and subtle corruptions and instanities; she ensorcelled Wisdom and many Marru leaders in a net of insanity and half-truths and fanned the fanaticism they had always professed. Oshirex turned his wizards and dragons to spies and warlords, while Shinsiri learned the secrets of the waste. Vash slew princes in secret, stealing those things the north would need most to survive, and he waited for his chance to burst forth and make an end.

Senneth's plans were deep and seemed infallible--then all at once, they began to come undone. His greatest ally was murdered under his own mountain. The civilizations of the north united against the armies of Mizram and presented an equal foe. In the end, even his inevitable black sands were imperiled under the storm of Anor.

Anor was a gadfly to Senneth--a lesser deity, but Senneth had tolerated him to prey on the life he created and reap death. But now life could survive on its own, and Anor's storm represented a threat to Senneth's last hope of escape. So in his wrath, he bid the Waste Lords to destroy Anor, and he set upon them enchantments of great power for the task. One by one they fell, even though Senneth had sacrificed much to ensure that no power on the plane was great enough to oppose even one of them. The clash of armies turned against him, and the storm yet grew; it seemed that all Senneth had worked to achieve would come undone. At last, in his arrogance and wrath, he appeared in Anor's sacred grove to finish the task himself. He was powerful, having grown fat on recent death, and felled Anor with a single venemous bite.

But Anor was not surprised, for he was a doomsayer, a god of fate, and he had already sown the seeds of Senneth's destruction. He bequeathed his mighty storm to the master he had created for it, and then with his last breath raised up his own set of champions.

-----

The parties found themselves rested, and more than that, they found Anor's blessing resting on them. All were divine, with the resistances, immunities, and powers that come with it, though this was merely a temporary state. Lotus wildshaped as a squirrel, and Nate cast his Multilayer Ruse to make her look like a squirrel as well. He used another casting of his ruse to disguise Horkina, Grokk, Rain, and Garlen, and a third to disguise himself, Flynn, Roland, Amber, and Ike. Flynn hasted the parties and began singing. Amber provided various spell protections, including Mind Blank. Lotus said "my mind is blank. I've entered into a state of nirvana." Then the party reappeared in Anor's grove as the huge tree crumbled in a pile of ash, and Senneth, with his runes of thirst and death, stood over the ash pile.

Roland fired off three empowered, enhanced, maximized moonbows at the great serpent (2430 damage). Ike fired a series of arrows, including a critical hit (181). Garlen led the group in a charge, and he, Rain, Grokk, Amber, the freshly-materialized Jakob, and Horkina all struck at Senneth (in order: 287, 113, 145, 43, 88, 119.) Jakob's ghostly form laid into Senneth (426) and Rain siezed the opportunity, taking a cheap shot (105) and triggering Senneth's Thirst rune, which wounded all who were nearby. Senneth spoke a word and demanded the lives of all nearby mortals, but Anor's blessing had temporarily granted godhood to both parties. Senneth then turned his full attention on Amber, and with a series of bites, left her lying dead on the battlefield. Horkina's attacks (496) and Grokk's Raging Mongoose strikes (372) both wounded Senneth. Nate used telekinesis to pull Amber's body away from Senneth, and Rain shadow blinked next to her and revived her with a spell from his ring. He slipped back beside the black snake, and Amber triggered fire seeds (212). Lotus bombarded Senneth with rocks (102) and continued hiding in the forest, knowing that Anor's storm must continue for the black sands to be defeated.

Roland repeated his series of moonbow spells (with crits, 2700), triggering Senneth's second rune of Death. The symbol of death did not affect any party members. Ike fired a precise shot (98) and Garlen stabbed at Senneth (754), and then gave Amber tactical advice that allowed her to act before Senneth could. She healed the whole party and then landed a critical hit with Lucent Lance (480). Rain's series of jabs (366) and lingering damage (131) left Senneth in fairly bad shape. The snake turned his attention on Grokk, triggering his Fortunate Fate and leaving him nearly dead after. Horkina (529) and Grokk (199) kept up the assault. Nate, seeing Senneth nearly dead, created an image to taunt him: the graphic seen in Senneth's temple, with various parts crossed out and marked with who had killed them. Fittingly, Roland's next series of moonbows killed Senneth.

The Rubble Rousers found themselves standing back on Possicuit, and the Ninja Mongoose Rockstars returned to the summoning room, where they were soon greeted by a huge radiant dragon named Throdenthurirl, who needed some assassins to help him kill some spell weavers who were working on a dimensional gate. Their work shut down the gate, and led to an explosion creating a place that was later called the Demonskar.

-----

It is not for mortals to know where deities go when they die. Suffice it to say that the halls of stories in the heavens are bigger and more complex than mortals might imagine. But Anor has not taken his place there yet, for his fate is not yet known. For most deities, their part in the story of the world is ended when they are slain, but Anor is a god of fate. His seeds were already sown in the soil of time when he fell. He argued before his judge that he had achieved his quest already; all that remained was to watch it unfold. Ascention would overrule even death, so judgement was withheld until time should reveal all. Even now, the entire celestial court watches as the years pass by in Semferia and Anor's marks of doom unfold.

As for Semferia, the battle is won and the tide is turned. The Battle of Scorched Earth was fierce and terrible, and thousands fell slain upon the scorched forest grounds. The Kirani rangers hid in trees and illusions, while the southern mages approached in darkness, teleporting out to blast wide swaths with arcane fire. Jinle'a led a contingent of Frost Giants and Spellsinks right up the middle, pinning Wisdom in place, and she slew him in single combat. The eagles of Westlay killed many of the elite southern wizards, as Mizram's abominations threw the Westlayan foot soldiers like straw. The tales of the battle are many; there is little space to describe the heroism of the Little Chariot Run, the Gambit of the Unstable Device, the War of Dragons, the Thundering Charge, Derrix' Coup, or the Thousand Axes of Rogar and the Iron Door. Jacob of the Manifold Path was there, as were all the heroes of Westlay and Waecleft, many monsters from under the mountains, Minellin and all the kingsmen, and friends and foes indescribable from every corner of the earth.

In the end, the darkness was dispersed, and the Westlayan archers, together with Ivani and Kirani, rained destruction down on the foe. Mizram was destrucive, but when the battle turned, proved to have little staying power and shattered. Many teleported away, but many could not and were pursued through the night. In the fading light of sunset, well over thirteen thousand lay dead in the ashes of the Enchanted Forest, including over four thousand of the northerners. Alex, Minellen's spellsink apprentice, had been a repeated target, and had already fallen five times when at last the abominations held the ground until he could not be revived. Spirits of valiance, Charles of Eonsburg and Jearn of Waecleft had ridden with the fateful charge that turned the battle, and suffered the brunt of the retaliation by Mizram's wizards, and could not be saved. Rogar himself had perished atop a pile of those he had slain; when he had thrown all his axes, and those he wielded had broken, he fought on with the splintered shaft and his fists until at the last he was overcome. Joanna had many close scrapes on eagleback, and was even felled once by Mizrami mages--but was narrowly saved by the heroics of the monks of Lonely Sparrow.

Throughout the day, deep clouds grew from one horizon to the other as a gargantuan rainstorm gathered. In the early evening, as the last beams of sunlight slipped below the horizon, and the shadow retreated south at a full run, the clouds let a light rain fall. It tasted sweet, and in time turned to healing, and washed away the wounds of many who lay unconscious on the field. It was the gift of Anor, won by the heroes of the north and beyond, at the Battle of Storms in the east. Clouds of steam hissed up from the ground as here and there the rains found their mark, and the black sands were washed away.

In the days and weeks ahead, Semferia awoke to an age of hope. Ancient evils that had haunted her since time unremembered had awoken and been vanquished, and though they brought great destruction, the peace in their passing was greater. Much of a generation had been lost between the battle of Scorched Earth and the plague of the Thirsting, yet those who remain saw the promise of an age of peace.

The buildings and walls of Westlay are ruined, its cities sacked and buried. Yet the people were saved at Oxhorn, and do not seem discouraged at all by the loss. They speak of building anew, building aright, building things the way they always should have been. The air buzzes with talk of founding cities, starting businesses, starting families. They also speak fondly of their new king Flynn, who worked for a time to set the kingdom in order before attempting to resurrect his father, and hoping at the least for peace and reconciliation during the resurrection quest.

The land itself bears many hurts, but the Order of the Inevitable Seed is fresh with purpose. Always Anor had restrained them from making Semferia too green too soon, but now the time to achieve that final quest has come. Overnight they have transformed from caretakers to crusaders. Their excitement is visible, and they have already begun to debate how best to bring about Anor's vision, now that it is up to them. Lotus, too, started bringing lifegiving storms throughout the continent.

Still, the sands have left their scars; wherever they sat most thickly, the land refuses to be healed. Shinsiri's swath remains barren. The battleground at White Fields will never see its proud orchards again. Many heroes are fallen, and many friends. The people of Westlay are anxious to mark the passing of a great king. Waecleft, too, mourns a beloved king--and those who are wise mourn not one champion, but two. Brothers Jakob and Michael are both numbered by historians among the heroes who fell in the war, though Jakob's ghost still concentrated on destroying the wraiths under the mountain.

In the ages to come, the waters of Semferia will always taste sweet, proof against disease, and a second wind in the face of death. Life grows especially hearty on such nourishment, and Semferia would become known in time by the strength of both its heroes and its beasts. In some of the deep and dry places, the black sands still linger, but they are confined there, as they cannot stand the sweet water in the places where life thrives.

Even in Anor's absence, there is no shortage of storms in Semferia. Kelzun has returned to her fortress in the abyss; without ally or obligation, she ignores for now the plane of her birth. Oshirex has returned to his worship of the void, deep under the world. Vash is gone, but leaves behond the Mount of Shadow, which is haunted deeply, though its malice no longer has a grand vision. In the wild places of the world, dragons prowl and ancient horrors hunt. Yet the war of the Black Sands has left in its wake many heroes, and the wise do not worry about the fate of the world.

Alliances made temporarily for the war dissolve; Smerdon goes back to its icy brooding, while Ghern turns to struggling with internal affairs. Jinle'a struggles to reform her new people, ruling the proud and tough hobgoblins with a righteous iron fist. Filthy Ike went off to the desert in search of stuff to shoot, though Nate left him with a sending stone in hopes that he could occasionally be called on to shoot very specific stuff.

The Last Watch of the Ten Kings leaves many of its rangers to other pursuits, returning to comparative sleep through the peaceful years. Nate became their leader, focusing on creating monuments of the wars and linking the people of the world together. As the War of the Black Sands passes into history, the Kingsmen and the old man at their head remain and watch, and remember ancient alliance.