Raelis nods slowly.

"I see.." said Roid, finally won over. "Okay. Yes.."

He pulled three teeth out of his mouth. There was a moment of concentration, and the fangs glowed a little and then were handed to Raelis.

"You are to crush these with your fingers. It will not be difficult. Then, swallow the powder - all of it - and you'll feel a slight change.. you might experience a little dizziness. The effects are subtle, however.."

Raelis crushes the teeth and swallows the powder.

"Marduk's grace go with you Roid.  Remember what I said about this realm acquiring defenses?  That starts now."

He points one hand at the floor and speaks aloud.  "NAELIFIR ERIDU"

Outside the realm began to shake as the many tiered walls of Eridu and the three great towers that had once guarded the city heaved themselves through the bedrock.  Then the sound of splintered rock rose to a crescendo as the council chambers levered themselves up to appear as they had so many eons before.

"This city will be Eridu of old reborn, Naelifir the heartstone.  The dark gate alone will allow those not sworn to the black council to enter.  As it was let it be."

He paused, his mind remembering times long past.

"And now Roid I am afraid you are about to escape from mortal danger.  I'm not trying to kill you but no-one is going to believe you ran away because you were scared.  You're going to need some wounds to justify your retreat."

He points at the stone beneath Roid's feet and intones ENFLAME.

Before the flames had fully been conjured, Roid was gone.

AS the city was torn and rebuilt around him, Raelis felt some satisfaction. He had a blinding headache, however - the teeth were like hammers being slammed into his face. There was something bad in there..

Raelis snarled and intoned CURE at himself carefully.  He needed the headache gone and he would do whatever it took to finish what he had started.

Leaving he collected Sasocles and Grumblar and headed for the Council Chambers.  Reaching the large outer chamber he sat down and tried using order magic to meditate on what Roid had done to him.

"Sasocles, Grumblar has the pieces I collected, time to give him what you promised him - true life.  I can help if you need me to."

Raelis felt the familiar word warm him, but the headache was not cured. It was deep within, something that couldn't easily be cast aside, the symptom of something that couldn't easily be removed.

"Ah, yes," said Sasocles. "I imagine your talk with Roid was satisfactory?"

Grumblar was silent. Raelis knew that he was scared - scared of the freedom a true life would grant him.

"As talks go it went.  I got what I needed from it.  I may need your help in revitalising the defences of this realm before long.  I have returned to face Osiris now and to start the long walk."

He turns, and looks at Grumblar.

"Your choice, this is and always will be your choice.  If you do not hand over the shards from Chalybis's realm there is no deal and you remain as you are, if you do then he has said he will give you sentience.  Always your choice."

Grumblar looked towards Raelis with respect in his eyes.

"Thank you.. friend. I would - I would like.. life. Please.."

Grumblar wandered off, and a moment later returned with the hulk of shrapnel - the dead Servitors from Telluratus.

"Thank you," said Sasocles. Raised on his toes, he touched Grumblar's head, smiling stoically as he did. There was a reverence within him, now - a respect for the magical act.

"Grumblar is not your name," said Sasocles. "Tell me, O Nameless creature, what is your name?"

"I don't -"

"What is your name?"

"Please, I can't - I don't -"

"What is your name?"

Grumblar fell to his knees, crumbled underneath the questions. For a long moment it seemed that he was weeping, and then a small voice came from the hulk..

"My name is Gradur."

Raelis felt a power be torn from him - the power he had over this creature, its destiny, everything was taken from him.. Raelis stumbled as he was almost devoured by the gaping void within himself. Soon, however, the feeling resided, to be replaced by an expanding sense of joy.

"That is all. It is done - welcome to life, Gradur. Abrahadabra."

Raelis smiled upon Gradur.

"Welcome to life indeed.  You are free of me and mine but will always have a home here.  If you wish to stay or go your actions are not mine to guide.  I would welcome your remaining as friend and ally but if you feel that you do not so wish then go with my blessing."

Turning he nodded to Sasocles.  "Impressive, you must teach me of such magics.  The backlash has left me with a headache and I wish to meditate for a period.  Let me know if you wish assistance with the shards."

He sits himself down and stares straight ahead.

"I might.. go for a bit. Explore. I will try to return, but.. there is an entire universe out there, for me. Thank you, sorcerer, lord.. thank you both."

Sasocles nodded. "Would you like a portal, Grumblar? To wherever you wish?"

"Yes."

It was done; Grumblar was gone.

Sasocles nodded to Raelis. "I will, but I doubt that I'll encounter a problem. Thank you. Enjoy your meditations."

Raelis remained where he was for some considerable time, thinking deeply of various things.

Eventually he stood and smiled slowly to himself.  The time had come for him to rebuild the defences of this realm.  He turned and moved out to find the trainee mages that he had left some time before.

Once he had assembled them he led them up onto the walls and began to talk.

"The walls of this place are pierced by a thousand doors.  They are not defences, any can enter if they wish.  However by magic they can become a true barrier.  All of you are sworn to me and through me to the black council.  I have shown you the concept of chaos now I will demonstrate the concept of order.  I will place a barrier on the door below us that will sound an alarm if any attempt to enter without being sworn to the black council.  That barrier will be one of order, those of the council are allowed to enter, those not of the council should not enter.  All of you watch as I work and feel for the order that I infuse.  This order will be linked to the walls and stones of the gate."

Raelis began to chant.

They followed his lead, chanted in unison with him, and slowly - it was difficult, for Order was a force entirely different to Chaos - the energies started to be raised, the barrier erected. The magic enforced, reinforced..

Soon, it was done, the initiates panting and sweating, exhausted after their task..

"Right, one down.  Only 998 to go then.  Why are we not alarming the last gate I hear you ask?  Simple.  by tradition the black gate can be entered by any who wish it and it alone of the gates is guarded for that very reason.  Go now amongst the people.  Seek out those who are mageborn and teach them of chaos and order as I have taught you.  Raise the alarms on the other gates of this realm except the black gate."

He turned and pointed to one of the three great towers.

"That is the tower of Domvoi, a god of magic in an age long gone.  Over that tower I have given unto Sasocles dominion and it is there you should make your headquarters.  He has promised to serve the black council.  If you need help and assistance ask him.  It will be his choice to give it or not.  For now I must leave you for a time but before I go let me tell you this to pass on to the people.  The Black Council fell and started an age of chaos.  With its return that age will end and here we together will reunite the world."

He turned and left for the realm of Pha-Hu.

The magicians of Litheris worked their craft as Raelis went -

A hundred dead - a warrior king - the iron pole -

And he was in the Temple.

Raelis reappeared and walked up to the council chambers.  On the way he was unsurprised to note that the obelisk that had stood before had been replaced by a pillar of stone with chains hanging from the top.

"Either my memory is having a fine old time creating this place or something else is at work here."  He muttered to himself as he moves into the central square and goes to find Sasocles.

Sasocles was meditating, alone, in the highest floor of his tower. In the lower floors, handfuls of apprentices were studying, practicing their theory, or debating the craft quietly.

Raelis found the Sorcerer of Alkan, and saw that the pile of scrap metal from Telluratus lay within a chalk circle in front of him. Sasocles did not rise at the presence of the God of Words.

Raelis sat outside the door and waited for Sasocles to finish his meditation and acknowledge his existence.  This was Sasocles's realm not his and here he was the master.

edit: while he waited he ran a few SCANs through his chip.

SCAN Lis, the cold voice

SCAN Legendary vowels

SCAN Osiris-Ra

SCAN Black Council

SCAN Ultima

SCAN Hermes

SCAN Alchemist, the

SCAN Council of Odin, Current members and responsibilities
This message was last edited by the player at 14:28, Wed 02 Dec 2009.

Maxine appeared here.

Before you stands Naelifir, the great city of Litheris.  Since you last came here massive walls have appeared that stretch around the city.  The walls are pierced by many gates, one every couple of metres making them an impressive statement but of little use in defense.  From the tops of the walls banners fly bearing the symbol of a black seven and a half pointed star.  Deep within the city you can see a pillar that rears high above the city with chains attached to the top.

((Max, Raelis - please read max's conclave channel thread before continuing. I'm just pointing this out to you in case you guys miss it. Basically, you guys need to portal over to my realm.))
This message was last edited by the player at 16:26, Wed 02 Dec 2009.

Raelis

Scanning 'Lis, the cold voice'..
Scan failed.
No data found.
Would you like to consult the Conclave or Earthborn information vaults?

Scannin 'Legendary vowels'..
Scan failed.
No data found.
Would you like to consult the Conclave or Earthborn information vaults?

Scanning 'Osiris-Ra'..
Osiris-Ra - two individual entities who fused their souls using forbidden black divine arts - is an ancient creature who has threatened the Realm Supernatural since before the Age of Odin. He was smote several times, by Odin the Hand of Justice, Metatron the Highest, and others, but always returned - some Divine Scholars hazard their opinion that he might have reached the hypothesized state of viral existence, and can never be killed as long as another God exists in the Realm Supernatural. Most recently, he turned the corrupt League of Divine Right into sand. The Cult of Osiris-Ra may still be active, but this is an unconfirmed rumour.

Scanning 'Black Council'..
Scan failed.
No data found.
Would you like to consult the Conclave or Earthborn information vaults?

Scanning 'Ultima'..
Ultima - the state of refining the soul as practised by the ancient Alchemists of the Divine, an art now completely dead according to most Divine Scholars. The exact specifics of the art are mostly lost, as it was a deeply esoteric practice, kept hidden from non-initiates.. the origins of the word, in addition, are unclear.

Scanning 'Hermes'..
Hermes the Messenger - a God and ally of law during the Age of Odin, Hermes is most famed for his series of works on hermetic alchemy and divine alchemy, synthesising the two into a workable system usable by both Divines and mortals; unfortunately, such works have been lost, the only remains being the Parchment of Emeralds, an encoded text that has confounded Divine Scholars for thousands of years.  Some sources hint towards the works being hidden, kept either by the Conclave or some shadowy cult, but these are not in any way confirmed.

Scanning 'Alchemist, the'..
Scan failed.
No data found.
Would you like to consult the Conclave or Earthborn information vaults?
(Did you mean 'Alchemist'?)

Scanning 'Council of Odin, Current members and responsibilities'..
Council of Odin - there were several members of the original ruling Council, including Thor, Anubis, Anosotto, Kali, amongst others.


Soon, Sasocles finished, standing up abruptly.

"Sorry, friend," he smiled. "I did not expect to see you back so soon."

Max

(Yep, the description is pretty much as Raelis put it)

Maxilita glanced around at the place of relative perception, glancing at Maccus's Stream for reference before beginning a graceful and deceivingly celeritous stride towards the impressive fortifications. Raelis had indirectly brought about the death of her people. He would suffer the consequences at a later date.

Raelis bowed.

"I'm not sure if you will think my news good."

"I.. I see."

Sasocles looked at Raelis with a friendly combination of horror and awe.

"I can, yes, I can help. You would need to stop being Raelis, however, and this would have to stop being Litheris."

"Raelis has already stopped being.  In this age I am Lis as much as Raelis.  Litheris will cease to exist totally when I make my deal with Balast.  Fortunately even I cannot free him.  His bonds were forged with Ultima and only with Ultima can they be undone but he can assist me in the creation of a new Ultima, a great quest I suspect."

Raelis turns away.

"I no longer know truly who I am, what I am here for.  I will do what is needed to save the tree in whatever form I can, Marduk is owed that much from me and much more.  Let us do this now before it is too late and the imbecile Ruse or Roid the destroyer realise what is going to happen."

He lifts his arms and begins concentrating.