Circling back around, Alaric found himself led to a few fragments of Dredin. He picked these up and carried them back with him.
Seeing these monstrosities assaulting his army, Alaric put the items in a pouch and, when Cadfael had returned to his larger size, the king mounted and charged into battle.
The army saw him approach like a comet and he fell upon the swordwings like a mountain. Wings were rendered asunder and his blade darted past defenses. Cadfael lived true to his name bore the king well, fighting with tooth and claw as a prince of battle.
Though quick, even this was taking too long. Not knowing why but trusting his feet to the path, Alaric took to the air when Cadfael had reached the Aasimari lines. His flight bore him down upon six swordwings carrying a wooden box. Three fell before his blade before the others had a chance to react.
Even as the king slew three of the bearers of the Ark, a dozen more swordwings descended from the air onto him, three taking up the place of the fallen. The orcs in the vicinity also turned their blades towards the king.
Worse, the ark flared with light and fiery orbs began to rain down from above, shrieking loudly as they fell, smashing into the aasimar army in a storm of fire and scorched earth.
-----
The airship move swiftly and silently through the gloom. Calara knew it should be around noon, and couldn't explain these shadows. Still, from the sounds of battle below, and the glimpse of creatures she had seen shooting through the gloom, she had no intention of stopping and investigating.
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Again the king took to the air, avoiding the orcs and forcing the swordwings lower. Alaric dove in and grabbed the box from them. Struggling to fly higher, a few Aasimari wizards saw what he was doing and distracted the pursuing creatures with magic.
Once he reached a good height, Alaric began to spin around, picking up speed, and finally hurling the thing into the clouds. As it passed from sight he heard the crack of wood, like it had hit something. With no time to investigate, he dove back into battle. The withdrawl of this artifact raised the spirits of the Aasimari and they managed to begin an ordered withdraw from the region.
Flying over the city and the orc armies, Alaric spoke so that all could hear.
"You have rejected the light, so darkness take you! Let this city stand devoid of life for all time, a testimony to the folly of resisting the Kingdom of Heaven!"
-----
Gadabout had returned to watching the battle after summoning Tzu'misel and he heard the king's words. He thought for a moment and decided to ensure that the world knew this king was indeed divinely favored. Let his curse be the curse of heaven.
Even as the darkness over the city began to dissipate and the stars shine through, new clouds formed. Moisture in the air traveled to this spoke, the smoke from fires throughout the continent, the dust of the road and all manner of things traveled here, forming a new darkness. It was imperfect, but he knew there was one who could create something more permanent.
In his time wandering Agrilia, Gadabout had observed the shadow things of Myxiniron be implanted in mortal flesh. Though he was unskilled at the art -- that domain belonging to another -- he took the darkness in this area and bound it to the flesh of the dead.
Even as the Aasimari retreated, many of the dead, orc kobold and aasimari alike, began to stir, awakened to unlife. They were simple things, the lesser undead, but they were the best that Gadabout could craft on his own. He ensured that they would thrive in this land.
But for this, he would need to speak to she whose powers he had borrowed without asking.
Gadabout traveled to Novrim to see Myxiniron and present her with a new land to cultivate with undead.
Tzu, veiled in secrecy, and invisible, watched Gadabout's actions, amused. Holding Lucis, helpless but aware, over if, he laughed. "See what even Gadabout, who you trusted, is capable of. You are a fool."
He smiled. "But, I still have a use for all these creatures. And just to drive you mad, you'll help."
He slammed his fist into her chest, ripping free the power she held there. Reaching out, he cast his web of shadows around the shambling undead, changing them into something more suitable to him.
((2 PP - Alter Populace - I'm using all the undead aasimar and orcs for something. I'll explain better later, since I have to head to work)).
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Though the Aasimari withdrew from deep within the mountains, they established fortified cities in the upper foothills, from which they could prevent the orcs from easily raiding into their territory. Chimera were never caught, as they resided higher in the mountains.
Though the army had been decimated, tale of Alaric's exploites quickly spread throughout the kingdom. Though even the king mourned for those lost, history remembers the valor he displayed and the destruction of the orc city.
In the temples, the returning warriors placed shrines dedicated to Eckral, the god of war.
The Aasimari also expanded into the western desert and beyond, until they began to encounter strange creatures. At first there was fear that these were more orcs, but they quickly learned the proper name of these people: Goblins.
They expanded eastward to, coming into contact with the humans who seemed friendly enough. There were rumors, though, of squid people and lizard things further south.
For the valor of the feyhounds in battle, Gadabout looked favorably upon them and gifted them with speech and longevity. Only the bravest and most loyal feyhounds were gifted with this, though each year Gadabout selected a few more to bestow this gift upon.
Unfortunately for Alaric, Cadfael had fallen in battle. Gadabout was not without sympathy and kept the animal's spirit safe.
((Nourish Populous - Aasimari, 1PP)) ((Alter Creature - Feyhounds to Astral Hounds, an immortal populous of intelligent dogs that serve Gadabout. These "people" only come from Feyhounds, a few more being selected for transformation each year by Gadabout, 2PP))
Finished with her, Tzu cast Lucis aside, letting her fall to the earth. She'd awaken shortly, and already the tainted twist of power he had left in her would insure she would fall silent whenever she tried to tell anyone what he had done. He smirked once more at his own superiority, before dispersing into the shadows of the night.
His essence penetrated the various undead as he slowly molded and twisted them to suit his purpose. Gadabout had done a fine job using Myxinrion's methods, but they weren't useful to him like this. He slowly applied his own talent, giving them a twisted brilliance and a small gift he had stolen from Lucis, an affinity for the arcane. His task finished, he collected them back together in Ravindra, their new home.
Finished, he recollected himself in the privacy of the shine deep within the city, waiting out what would come beyond it.
-----
The new race wandered it's new home blindly at first, struggling to understand what they were, and what they were to do with themselves. Slowly, the poison Tzu left in their minds strippes away the memories of their former lives, leaving them only their new existance.
Understanding that their formers needs no longer called, the sivinex began to adapt and modify the city to serve them.
-----
The aasimar had paid dearly to lay waste to the Reaver clan, strongest among the mountains, but other smaller orc clans continued to mount small raids, as they always had. The surviving Reavers ingratiated themselves with their neighbors. Though the Reaver's name would eventually be lost into the mists of history, the skills they had stolen would spread through the orcs.
-----
The efreet emissaries thanked the Deep Lord.
-----
Within weeks of being given permission, the efreet had built huge building in the cities they had been accepted in, with vast undergrounds vaults below them. The vaults were secured by the best magic the efreet could muster, and skilled efreet guards. They soon were storing much wealth for the locals, and had made loans enabling many new enterprises to start up. Months after they had first established, the profits began to roll in from loan repayments, tempered by the interest they were charging.
-----
Calara looked up with a start, and her eyes went wide. Impossible! The Ark? Where had it come from? Before she could ract, two of the nightmare creatures landed on the deck, moving towards the ark.
With a single signal, she ordered a nearby elf to get them out of here as she flashed across the deck, drawing her blade and slashing at the swordwing. Startled as it effortlessly evaded her swing, she couldn't react quickly enough against the counter attack, taking a shallow slash on he thigh before spinning out of it's reach.
Within moments, the nearby crew approached the beasts as she stepped forward again, blade flashing with flame as she took off a wing in a single strike. As it turned to retaliate, she ship shook violently as the pilot began to pick up speed.
Taking her opportunity, she launched another attack. After several moments of furious battle, the beasts lay dead, with only a few minor injuries among the crew.
As the pilot cleared the shadows, she looked at the ark, maveling that it had somehow found it's way here, of all places.
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The Aasimari's reign was peaceful and prosperous. Tales of his deeds spread throughout the kingdom and he was well honored.
But time took its toll and the years weighed heavily upon him.
Not wishing to be a burden on his people when his mind and body began to fail, he vowed to brave the Stormwall and trust his fate to the gods.
A small vessel was built in the Aasimari fashion, with wings in place of sails, and in this he set out alone, after having said goodbye to his family.
As Alaric entered the storm the people watching said that they saw a light engulf the craft. Though the king was never heard from again, legends say that he endures in the world still and one day, when needed, he will return to claim his throne.
Maelstrom continued to pour his power into the world, the funnels scattered across the globe seemingly acting as regional fonts of elemental power. This time, his voice churned through the elements, reaching to the minds of all the elemental populaces through their very natures, and bidding them to worship him.
1pp Nourish Populace: The Elemental Populaces(including those not mine) again. 1pp + 1pp from Tiamat, Guide Populace: the elemental populaces(the same ones above) in my worship. Store 1pp for Guide Populace. Store 1pp from the Divine egg for Alter beast(as is the only action it can perform).
